Statutory Bodies

AER is governed by the President and two main bodies, the Executive Board, responsible for the day-to-day management and decision-making of the organisation and the General Assembly, the highest authority of the organisation, made up of all member regions, responsible for the political impetus and strategic orientations.

Thematic & Political Bodies

In parallel to these two statutory bodies are the Political Bureau and thematic Working Groups. The Bureau is the primary political voice of the organisation while the Working Groups handle all thematic policies. The AER Executive Board has also established a dedicated peer-to-peer Ukraine Focus Group to support our members there from a political, economic and social perspective. 

Youth Regional Network

The Youth Regional Network (YRN) is another fundamental body of the organisation: it is the platform of regional-level youth parliaments, councils and organisations from the wider Europe. YRN provides a truly unique forum giving young people from diverse regions a collective voice on the European stage while introducing a European dimension to youth policy in those regions. The elected President of the YRN sits in AER’s Executive Board.

Monitoring & Evaluation Group

The Monitoring and Evaluation Group (MEG) plays a crucial role in overseeing the work of the organisation and to influence the governance and running of AER in an attempt to keep it relevant for its members and stakeholders. The MEG works in close cooperation with the AER secretariat and especially the Secretary General as well as the members of the Executive Board to fuel its analysis and make proposals to the General Assembly in their annual report.

Election Committee

The AER Election Committee prepares for the elections at the General Assembly and the Committees by identifying the status of the members holding the current positions; identifying the competences and, if any, the formal requirements associated with the positions; surveying suitable candidates among the AER members; and calling for nominations in accordance with AER Procedures.

Secretariat

The AER Secretariat is made up of a team of dedicated people working to facilitate interactions between the members and to inform them of all the relevant news and activities. Under the management of the Secretary General, the four AER offices (Strasbourg, Brussels, Alba and Dnipropetrovsk) work together to connect the regions and inspire Europe.

Vania Freitas is the Secretary General of the AER.