When the CoR was established and up to 1997, the structure of the consultative work was organized around eight commissions, four sub-commissions and a special commission.

• Commission 1: Regional Development, Economic Development, Local and Regional Finances
• Sub-commission 1: Local and regional finances
• Commission 2: Spatial planning, Agriculture, Hunting, Fisheries, Forestry, Marine environment and Upland Areas
• Sub-commission 2: Tourism and Rural Areas
• Commission 3: Transport and Communications Network
• Sub-commission 3: Telecommunications
• Commission 4: Urban Policies
• Commission 5: Land-use planning, Environment and Energy
• Commission 6: Education and Training
• Commission 7: Citizen‘s Europe, Research, culture, youth and consumers
• Sub-commission 7: Youth and Sport
• Commission 8: Economic and Social Cohesion, Social Policy and Public Health.