On 16 January 1994, a few days prior to the appointment of the first members of the Committee of the Regions, the Spanish daily newspaper El País analyses the composition of the new body created by the Maastricht Treaty in accordance with criteria concerning representativeness at both regional and local level, political affiliation and gender.
Council Decision of 26 January 1994 appointing the members of the Committee of the Regions for the period 26 January 1994 to 25 January 1998. Annexed to the Decision is the list of the first members of the Committee.
Since Austria, Finland and Sweden acceded to the European Communities on 1 January 1995, the Committee of the Regions has comprised 222 Members (Article 15 of Council Decision 95/1/EC, Euratom, ECSC).
Council Decision of 22 January 2002 appointing the Members and alternate Members of the Committee of the Regions for the period 26 January 2002 to 25 January 2006 (2002/60/EC).