OFFICIAL INTERNAL DOCUMENT DI_CES59-2005_DI_EN



THE ASSOCIATION OF FORMER MEMBERS OF THE

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE

CONSTITUTION

Preamble

The former Members of the European Economic and Social Committee have played an active role during their term in office and when performing their duties in the great task of uniting Europe. Their work in the Committee has enhanced their open-minded approach to international and European affairs. They have consequently formed genuine friendships with one another and, once their term in office is completed, they wish to sustain these friendships and pursue their work on achieving European integration.

Rule 1 Description and legal status

In accordance with the general guidelines set out in the preamble that forms part of this Constitution, a non-profit association shall be set up with the name The Association of Former Members of the European Economic and Social Committee.

The Association shall be based at the headquarters of the European Economic and Social Committee, 99 rue Belliard, 1040 Brussels; this can be changed by decision of the Association’s Bureau. This decision shall be submitted for ratification by the following general assembly.

Rule 2 Aims

Intended principally to help to spread the European ideal, the Association’s aim is:

- to help to raise awareness of the EESC, its role and its work;

- to establish a genuine and effective link between its members and the EESC, the other Union institutions and European socio-occupational organisations;

- to promote the study and discussion of issues of common interest to Europe’s citizens and governments;

- to maintain and foster friendly relations between its members.

Rule 3 Members

The first constituent members named in the appendix to this Constitution shall have the status of founding members.

Any individual who has served an entire term in office as a Committee member can join the Association, once his or her term in office has ended.

Exceptionally, the Association can accept Committee members who have not served an entire term in office, as a result of being elected or appointed to posts deemed incompatible by the Committee regulations or because of the date on which their country joined the European Union. The Bureau can agree to other exceptions, which shall be submitted to the general assembly for ratification.

Rule 4 Loss of Membership

Membership shall lapse following resignation, death or non-payment of dues for two consecutive years.

Rule 5 Funding

The Association’s financial resources shall come from dues, the level of which shall be set each year by the general assembly and from subsidies, donations and bequests and income generated by its assets.

Rule 6 General Assembly

The general assembly shall be composed of all members of the Association.

It shall be convened once a year by the President; it can also be convened by the President with the agreement of the Bureau or at the request of one-third of the members; notice of the meeting shall be issued at least one month before the date of the meeting.

The decisions of the general assembly shall be adopted by a simple majority of the members present or represented.

Rule 7 The Bureau

The Association shall be managed by a Bureau composed of one member per country with members in the Association.

The Bureau shall, by a majority of its members, elect the President, a Vice-President and a Vice-President/Treasurer.

Bureau members shall be elected for two years by the general assembly, by a majority of members present or represented. The assembly shall grant them final discharge.

The Bureau shall be convened by the President or at the request of half of its members.

Rule 8 Rules of Procedure

In the context of this Constitution, the Bureau shall draw up Rules of Procedure, to be submitted to the general assembly for ratification.

Rule 9 Representation of the Association

The Association shall be represented by its President or, in the President’s absence, by the Vice-President or another Bureau member designated for that purpose.

Rule 10 Management and auditing of accounts

The Bureau shall be accountable to the general assembly for managing the Association’s funds.

The Vice-President/Treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining the accounts.

Every two years, the general assembly shall appoint auditors to audit the annual accounts. When the auditors present their report, the general assembly shall grant final discharge to the Bureau.

Rule 11 Amending the Constitution

The Constitution can be amended either following a proposal from the Bureau or following a proposal from one-third of members, by a two-thirds majority of members present or represented, during the extraordinary general assembly convened for this purpose.

Rule 12 Dissolution

The Association can be declared dissolved by a two-thirds majority of members present or represented.

Once any outstanding debts are settled, the Association’s assets shall be liquidated and donated to one or more organisations that share similar aims or to charity.

Brussels, 31 May 1983

during the constituent general assembly

Amended by the general assembly

on 18 March 1996

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RULES OF PROCEDURE

JOINING - RESIGNING

Rule 1

Anyone wishing to join the Association must send a request to the President. Once the Bureau has ascertained that the conditions set out in Rule 3(2) of the Constitution have been met, it shall authorise membership. In the event that these conditions are not met, the Bureau can, where justified, grant an exemption from these conditions. This exemption shall be ratified by the following general assembly.

Rule 2

The Vice-President/Treasurer shall keep the list of members updated, in line with the provisions of Rules 3 and 4 of the Constitution. This list shall be drawn up at the end of each financial year and communicated to the following general assembly.

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Rule 3

The ordinary general assembly shall be convened by the President, during the first part of each year where possible. It shall set membership dues; grant discharge for the Association’s management and, when the auditors’ report is presented, for the annual accounts; it shall, if necessary, elect Bureau members and appoint auditors and express its views on the other agenda items.

Rule 4

Any member of the Association who is unable to attend a general assembly meeting can be represented by another member.

Rule 5

In accordance with the Vice-President and the Vice-President/Treasurer, and wherever possible in conjunction with the other Bureau members, the President shall convene a general assembly and set its agenda.

The President shall convene an extraordinary general assembly with the agreement of the other Bureau members or at the written request of one-third of the Association’s members, stating the agenda items that have given rise to this meeting and complying with the one-month deadline for issuing a notice of meeting.

THE BUREAU

Rule 6

Bureau members shall be elected by the general assembly when applications endorsed by one or more other members are submitted. At the request of a single member, this election shall be held by secret ballot.

Rule 7

In the event of a Bureau member’s death, resignation or long-term inability to perform his or her duties, the Bureau shall co-opt a replacement for the member until the following general assembly.

Rule 8

The Bureau shall direct the Association and manage its funds. It shall have authority to act on all issues not reserved by the Constitution for another body. It shall draw up the programme of activities and issue guidelines for the executive as provided for in Rule 14 below.

Rule 9

The Bureau shall be convened by the President, who shall be obliged to undertake such action if two members of the executive or half of the Bureau members make this request in writing.

Rule 10

The Bureau shall be required to meet immediately after the general assembly that has appointed the Bureau members. At this meeting, Bureau members shall, if necessary by successive votes and by secret ballot, elect the President, Vice-President and Vice-President/Treasurer, who must be elected by a majority of Bureau members.

Rule 11

The Bureau shall meet before each general assembly: notice of this meeting shall be issued at least one month before this general assembly. The notice of meeting shall be accompanied by an activity report, a treasurer’s report on the financial situation, including the annual accounts for the previous year and a draft budget for the new financial year, as well as a draft activity programme.

Rule 12

Any Bureau member who is unable to attend a Bureau meeting can authorise another Bureau member or another member of the Association to stand in for him/her.

Rule 13

Should the need arise, the Bureau can adopt decisions by written procedure.

THE EXECUTIVE, GENERAL MANAGEMENT

Rule 14

The President, the Vice-President and the Vice-President/Treasurer shall form the executive responsible for the day-to-day management of the Association.

Rule 15

The Association shall be represented by its President or, in his or her absence, by the Vice-President. In the event of the absence of both the President and the Vice-President, the Vice-President/Treasurer shall be authorised to represent the Association. Should the need arise, two members of the executive can authorise another Bureau member to represent the Association.

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

Rule 16

Authority to act in financial matters shall be conferred on the President, the Vice-President or the Vice-President/Treasurer.

Rule 17

The Vice-President/Treasurer shall present the draft budget for each financial year bearing in mind that income provided by dues from Association members must be used for Association activities featured in the programme of activities.

Other monies (subsidies and donations) shall generally be allocated in accordance with the reasons for which they were provided.

Rule 18

The auditors shall report directly to the general assembly; their report will be provided together with the notice of meeting for the ordinary general assembly. In the event of an auditor’s death, resignation or long-term inability to perform his or her duties, the Bureau shall co-opt a replacement for him or her until the following general assembly.

Rule 19

The executive shall rely on the staff of the Secretariat-General of the European Economic and Social Committee for help with the Association’s administrative and financial management.

Rule 20

The President and the Secretary-General of the European Economic and Social Committee and individuals appointed by them shall automatically be invited to take part in meetings of the executive, the Bureau and the general assembly.

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