On 16 July 2026, the Council of the European Union adopted a decision appointing two members and two alternate members from Luxembourg to the European Committee of the Regions for the remainder of the term ending 25 January 2030. The appointments replace four outgoing representatives whose mandates ended or who resigned: members Alexandre Donnersbach and Natalie Silva, and alternate members Linda Gaasch and Ricardo Marques.
The newly appointed members are Philippe Gengler, a member of the municipal council of Lenningen, and Annie Nickels-Theis, a member of the municipal council of Bourscheid. The alternate members are Jessie Thill, a member of the municipal council of Walferdange, and Marc Michel Marguerite Charles Ury, a member of the municipal council of Grevenmacher. The Luxembourgish government proposed all four candidates.
The Council acted by qualified majority under Article 305 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The Permanent Representatives Committee had previously confirmed agreement and recommended adoption as an 'A' item on the Council's agenda.
The Committee of the Regions is an EU advisory body representing local and regional authorities. Its members are appointed for five-year renewable terms, with the current term running until 25 January 2030. Luxembourg holds 12 seats in the 329-member committee.
The appointments ensure continued Luxembourgish representation in EU regional policymaking. For the newly appointed members, the role provides influence over EU legislation affecting local governance, such as cohesion policy and urban development. For Luxembourg's municipalities, the change brings fresh perspectives but may disrupt continuity in ongoing committee work. The outgoing representatives lose their platform for shaping EU regional policy. The broader impact on EU decision-making is minimal, as the replacements maintain Luxembourg's existing political balance in the committee.