Mercedes Bresso Mercedes Bresso, President of the Committee of the Regions Member of Piedmont Regional Council Born 12 July 1944 in San Remo, in the province of Imperia (Italy) Married Education Doctorate in economics and commerce Career Since 1973 University lecturer in economic institutions, most recently at Turin Polytechnic University, specialising in environmental economics 1985 - 1995 Member of Piedmont Regional Council 1995 – 2004 President of the Province of Turin 1998 – 2004 Member of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the CoR Bureau 2000 – 2004 President of the World Federation of United Cities (FMCU) 2000 – 2004 President of the Franco-Italian Alps Conference Association (CAFI) 2000 – 2004 President of the Network of European Metropolitan Regions and Areas (METREX) In 2004 Founding President of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) 2004 - 2005 Member of the European Parliament 2005 – 2008 President of the European Union of Federalists (EUF) 2005 – 2010 President of Piedmont Region Since 2005 Member of the Committee of the Regions Since 2006 President of the Italian Association for the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (IACMER) and Vice-president of the CMER In 2006 Co-founder of the Alps-Mediterranean Euroregion (Piedmont, Liguria, Aoste Valley, Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur) 2006 - 2010 President of the PES Group at the Committee of the Regions 2007 - 2009 President of the Mediterranean Commission of the UCLG In 2009 President of the Conference of Presidents of Regions with Legislative Powers (REGLEG) Since 2009 President of the Association of Elected Representatives from Mountainous Areas (AEM) Since 2009 Representative of the Mediterranean Commission of the UCLG at the Euro- Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) Distinctions 1996 Awarded the medal of the Grand Officer of the Italian Republic EN.