The Council of Bureaux (COB) is the organisation that acts to protect victims of cross-border traffic by coordinating the activities among the various National Insurance Offices adhering to the Green Card System.
The COB, established in 1949 by the Inland Transport Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), operates under the auspices of the United Nations and also cooperates with EU institutions to enhance the free movement of vehicles and the resolution of internal traffic accident claims. However, it does not have any political purpose, pressure or lobbying objectives.
The COB Secretariat is located in Brussels. The Green Card System is governed by the COB and currently comprises 46 National Insurance Offices (including the Andorran Bureau) representing more than 1,500 motor insurers across 50 countries in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The Council of Bureaux also acts as the Secretariat for the implementation of European Motor Insurance Directives: Compensation bodies, guarantee funds and information centres in the European Economic area (EEA) member states.