Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie is a new Region of France created by the territorial reform of French Regions in 2014 by the merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais, and Picardy. The new region came into existence on 1 January 2016, after the regional elections in December 2015. Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardy is a provisional name, created by hyphenating the merged regions in alphabetical order; its regional council must approve a new name for the region by 1 July 2016, which then must be approved by France's Conseil d'État by 1 October 2016.