During the 27th Conference of the Regional Commission for Europe (Lisbon, Portugal, September 2016), the Member Countries fully supported the revitalisation and modernisation of the Task-Force of the Regional Commission for Europe. The Task-Force was initially established during the 25th Conference of the Regional Commission for Europe (Fleesensee, Germany, September 2012). However, to improve response to global and regional challenges, proactively deal with priorities with better representation of the Regional Commission for Europe, the composition and dynamic of the Task-Force was upgraded.
The Task-Force was renamed ‘Regional Core Group’ at the meeting of the Regional Commission of May 2017, and the number of Delegates was increased from 6 to 11, including all members of Bureau and WOAH Council.
As already used to be the case of the Task-Force, the Regional Core Group aims to improve regional participation in our standard setting process for selected chapters of particular interest to the region and proposes their adoption on behalf of the 53 Member Countries of Europe during the World Assemblies of Delegates. But the enlarged mandate of the Regional Core Group, as agreed in Lisbon, now also includes the preparation, implementation and monitoring of a regional strategic plan for Europe, previously in compliance with the 6th Strategic Plan of the WOAH and from May 2021 with the 7th Strategic Plan.
Members of RCG are selected by the Regional Commission, in accordance with the Terms of reference of the RCG, along with the election of the members of the Bureau.
During the Regional Commission in May 2021, the Regional Core Group was partially renewed, in addition to the election of the Regional Bureau, and WOAH Council, with the new RCG composition as presented below.