Statutes of JEF November 2003

I: GENERAL PROVISIONS

1: Name of the association

a. The international association, regulated by the Belgian law of the 25th of October 1919, is called "Jeunes Européens Fédéralistes" in French, “Young European Federalists” in English and its literal translation into other languages.

b. It is abbreviated to the common shortname JEF.

2: Registered Office of the Association

a.The registered office of the association is registered in the city of Brussels. At present it is as follows:

Chaussée de Wavre 214 d B-1050 Brussels

b. It can be transferred to any other location in the city by a simple decision of the Administrative Council, which is the Executive Bureau , published in the month of its date in the "Moniteur Belge".

3: Objectives of the Association

a. The association is a non-profit making organisation. Its goal is to work for the creation of an All-European federation, the first step towards peace and world federation, and for a freer, more democratic and more just society.

b. The ideals and the objectives of JEF are also defined by the Manifesto, the Declaration and all the documents and resolutions approved by the European Congress or the Federal Committee of JEF.

4: Means to Further the Objectives

a. To further its objectives, the Young European Federalists may have recourse to all appropriate means, notably:

i) the cooperation of its members, of all nationalities in the work of the association;

ii) the regular organisation of study-seminars and educational courses;

iii) the publication of various periodicals and magazines;

iv) the organisation of meetings and demonstrations aimed at spreading the ideals of the association;

v) cooperation with local, regional, national, European and international institutions and associations.

5: Affiliations

a. The JEF is the youth movement of the Union of European Federalists (UEF). Relations between JEF and UEF are governed by an agreement ratified by the statutory bodies of the two associations.

b. JEF is independent of all political parties and pursues its aims autonomously.

6: Structure of JEF

a. JEF's institutions are : the Congress, the Federal Committee, the Executive Bureau, the Arbitration Board and the Auditors Committee. Their powers and functions are as laid down by the present statutes.

b. In addition the Congress may set out General Rules of Procedure for JEF, and each body may draw up its own internal rules of procedure .

II. SECTIONS

7. Sections

a. Members of JEF may organise themselves into sections in accordance with the Statutes and federal principles. National sections are recognized by the Congress after consideration by the Federal Committee .

b. Membership of JEF is open to sections in countries eligible for membership of the Council of Europe.

8. New Sections

a. New sections may join JEF on condition that:

i) there does not already exist a functioning JEF group in the same area;

ii) they accept the statutes of JEF;

iii) they pay in the European subscription for their members;

iv) they show an active commitment in the organisation for at least one year

v) they adhere to acceptable standards of democracy in their internal workings

vi) their membership is open to all in that country who accept the aims of JEF

b. A group may be accepted as a candidate section by the Federal Committee and may be accepted as a full member section by the Congress after at least one year as a candidate section .

c. Sections applying to the Federal Commitee to become a candidate section, and candidate sections applying to the Congress to become a full section, shall provide to the Federal Commitee/Congress:

i) Their constitution

ii) List of current Bureau members and officers

iii) Membership list

iv) Other internal and publicity literature

v) A list of recent activities

d.

i) A candidate section whose application for full membership is rejected by the Congress, may reapply for full membership at the subsequent Congress. If the second application should be rejected or no second application is made, the section’s status as a candidate section shall lapse automatically

ii) If candidate section does not apply for full membership within the second Congress at which it is eligible to apply, the section’s status as a candidate section shall lapse automatically

9. Expulsion of Sections or Members

a. Members, national sections or candidate sections of JEF Europe can only be expelled for reasons of their non-adherence to the present statutes and aims of the association, or of non-payment for membership fees for four consecutive years. Subject to this provision, members or sections of JEF Europe could be excluded by a decision initiated and taken by the Congress with a majority of three quarters on a proposal of the Federal Committee and after a favourable opinion from the Arbitration Board.

b. All decisions on exclusion must be preceded by a notice, sent at least six months in advance from the Federal Committee to the member or section concerned. Before it will be enacted the member or section concerned can ask for a hearing before the Federal Committee and the Arbitration Board to present their defence.

c. The Congress my recognise, by a three-quarters majority and on the recommendation of the Federal Commitee, that a member section has ceased to exist.

III: MEMBERS

10: Conditions of membership

a. Members of JEF are physical persons who join the association through a section and who have paid during that year . In an area where no JEF section is recognised, individuals may join by yearly sending their membership fee to the Treasurer of JEF.

b. All persons who accept the ideals, the objectives, the statutes of JEF, can become members of JEF.

c. National sections must return an annual membership statement for each year by the end of January of the following year. This statement must include a full, clear and verifiable list of members , their addresses and ages. Sections must also transfer relevant subscriptions by the same deadline .

d. The Federal Committee shall elaborate policy on dealing with sections who fail to fulfil these requirements.

11: Membership Age

a. The members cease, by right, to be members of the association on the 31st of December in the year in which they will attain the age of 35.

12: Cessation of membership

a. The members leave the association by resignation, by death -, by non-payment of the subscription or by expulsion . The members who cease to take part in the association have no right to use the association's name or assets.

b. Members may be expelled by their section by provisions defined in their respective statutes.

13: Subscriptions

a. Individual subscriptions are collected by the sections according to the respective rules of procedure of each national section, who then transfer them to JEF Europe. The annual subscription to be transferred for each member to JEF Europe by its national sections is decided by the Congress on recommendation of the Federal Committee.

14: Membership card

a. A standard European membership card agreed by the Federal Committee may be issued by national, regional or local sections on receipt of their subscription.

IV: THE CONGRESS

15: Powers of the Congress

a. The Congress is the supreme body of the JEF. Its powers include the following:

i) definition of the political direction of JEF and policies in specific fields;

ii) election for a mandate of two years of the President, the two Vice-Presidents and directly elected members of the Federal Committee as defined in art. 23a, the Arbitration Board, the Auditors Committee;

iii) the approval of the administration of the outgoing Federal Committee and its discharge;

iv) the modification of the statutes;

v) to dissolve the association;

vi) to fix the amount of the subscription to be transferred to JEF Europe.

vii) to appoint honorary members of JEF Europe

16: Calling of meetings.

a. The Congress meets at least once every two years by convocation of the Executive Bureau. Notice of the Congress is to be given to the sections of JEF Europe at least six weeks in advance.

b. An extraordinary congress may be called at the request of, at least, one third of the members of the Federal Committee or one third of the Presidents of national sections.

17: Delegates

a. The Congress is composed by delegates, representing the members of the association.

b. The proportional distribution of delegates is made on the basis of the registered members of each national section for the two years preceding the year of the Congress. Each national section shall receive at least two delegates unless its membership is lower than 50. In this case, it shall receive one delegate.

c. The delegates to the Congress from the national sections are elected democratically by them, ensuring fair and proportional representation of their members .

18: Proxies

a. A delegate elected but unable to take part in the Congress may give to another delegate a written permission to use his vote (a proxy vote). A delegate receiving a proxy vote may transfer it to another delegate, unless explicitly forbidden by the donor of the proxy.

b. Each delegate may only be allowed one proxy vote, except with a previous agreement of the Federal Committee. This decision of the Federal Committee must be considered and passed by a majority of two thirds.

19: Quorum

a. For the Congress to act validly at least half of the total number of delegates must be present or represented.

20: Voting

a. Decisions of the Congress concerning the amount of the individual subscription, modification of the Statutes, dissolution of the association and modification of the Manifesto and Declaration have to be approved by the statutory majority of delegates as set out elsewhere in these Statutes and by a majority of all national sections present and voting. Details of such proposals must be included on the agenda of the Congress and sent out at least six weeks before the Congress .

V: THE FEDERAL COMMITTEE

21: Powers of the Federal Committee

a. The Federal Committee is entrusted with the on-going work of the association between the two Congresses. All the powers are at its disposal, except those which the present statutes reserve specifically to the Congress or the Executive Bureau.

b. Its powers are in particular:

i) the determination of the number of elected members of the Executive Bureau, which shall be no less than four, at its meeting immediately following the Congress;

ii) the subsequent election of of these members of the Executive Bureau from amongst its own directly elected members, with a mandate of two years ;

iii) the control over the administration of the Executive Bureau;

iv) the approval of the annual accounts and the budget;

v) the election of the Secretary General and the Treasurer, with a mandate of two years on a proposal of the Executive Bureau;

vi) the preparation of the Congress;

vii) the formulation of the policies of the association in specific areas;

viii) the coordination of activities between the sections. .

22: Calling of Meetings

a. The Federal Committee meets at least twice a year on convocation of the Executive Bureau.

b. On the request of one third of its members or half of the Presidents of the national sections, it must be called within six weeks. Notice of the Federal Committee meetings must be given at least three weeks in advance .

23: Membership and co-options

a. The Federal Committee is composed of:

i) the Presidents of the national sections

ii) a number of members directly elected by the Congress calculated as follows:

number of sections number of directly elected members

- up to 22 - an equal number

- 23 - 22

- 24 - 21

- 25 or more - 20

iii) the President and two Vice-Presidents;

and of non-voting members as follows:

iv) co-opted members;

v) the Treasurer and the General Secretary;

vi) one representative from each candidate section.

b.The Federal Committee can elect co-opted members with consultative votes.

c Should a directly-elected member of the Federal Committee resign, s/he will be replaced by the non-elected candidate who obtained most votes in the election to the Federal Committee at the last Congress .

24: Proxies

a. The national presidents may be represented by a delegate, freely appointed by them. As for elected members, they can give a written permission (proxy vote) to another Federal Committee member to represent them. Nevertheless, each member present can be allowed only one proxy vote.

25:Quorum,

a. In order to have a valid discussion in the Federal Committee meetings, at least half of the members must be present or represented.

26: [deleted]

27: Presidium

a. persons to chair the Federal Committee for the following period. At least one of them should be elected among the directly elected members of the Federal Committee.

VI: EXECUTIVE BUREAU

28: Powers of the Executive Bureau

a. The Executive Bureau manages the association .

b. The Executive Bureau is responsible for the management of the organisation and carries into effect the decisions taken by the Federal Committee. It carries out its functions subject to the control of the Federal Committee, to which it is accountable.

c. It prepares the meetings of the Federal Committee.

d. The initiating and defence of legal actions are undertaken in the name of the association by the Executive Bureau. This could in addition include all administrative deeds or financial acts.

29 : Calling of Meetings

a. The President of JEF shall convene at least four meetings of the Executive Bureau each year. S/he shall also convene an Executive Bureau meeting if requested to do so by at least one third of its voting members .

30: Membership

a. It is composed of the President, the two Vice-Presidents, at least four members elected by the Federal Committee, the Secretary General and the Treasurer.

b. Should the President of JEF resign before the end of his/her term and after the Congress that elected him/her, s/he will be replaced by the senior Vice-President, who received the highest number of votes in the vice-presidential election at the previous Congress.

c. Should a Vice President or a member of the Executive Bureau resign, the Federal Committee will elect another person from amongst its members at its next meeting to fill the vacancy. Should a Vice-President become President filling a vacancy the same procedure will apply.

d. The Secretary General and the Treasurer do not have a vote.

31: Quorum

a. In order to constitute a valid meeting of the Executive Bureau, at least half of the members with a right to vote must be present.

32: Chair

a. The meetings of the Executive Bureau are chaired by the President or the next most senior officer. In case of a parity of votes the President ( or officer in the chair) has a casting vote. All meetings of the Executive Bureau are open to members of the Federal Committee, the Arbitration Board or the Auditors Committee, but they do not have the right to speak. The Executive Bureau may decide to close parts or all of a specific meeting .

33: Officers

a. The Executive Bureau may delegate the whole or a part of the daily administration to the Secretary General or other members of the Executive Bureau, as appropriate .

34: Representation

a. For all deeds other than those of simple administration, the association shall be properly represented, vis-a-vis third parties, by the President or one Vice-President, and the Secretary General and the Treasurer, acting in common.

35: Expenses

a. Members of the Executive Bureau who incur expenses as a result of carrying out missions entrusted to them by the Federal Committee, the Congress or the Executive Bureau, shall be, partly or totally, indemnified by the association.

36: The Secretary General and the Treasurer

a. The Secretary General is in charge of the European Secretariat of the association. S/he is responsible for relations with the sections of JEF Europe and the coordination of their activities. S/he is accountable to the Executive Bureau and the Federal Committee.

b. The Secretary General has the right to be present and to speak at all statutory meetings of the association .

c. The Secretary General and the Treasurer attend (without a vote) the meetings of the Congress, of the Federal Committee and of the Executive Bureau.

d. The Treasurer keeps the accounts and prepares the budget.S/he is accountable to the Executive Bureau and the Federal Committee .

e.The Secretary General and the Treasurer are appointed after a Congress at the first opportunity by the new Federal Committee on recommendation of the new Executive Bureau meeting immediately beforehand.

f. The Secretary General and the Treasurer are appointed to serve terms of office of two years.

g. If the Secretary General or the Treasurer do not complete his/her term of office, the Executive Bureau will appoint a replacement to be ratified by the next available Federal Committee meeting to serve for the remainder of the outgoing officer's term of office.

VII: ARBITRATION BOARD

37: Powers of the Arbitration Board

a. Its function is to settle statutory conflicts between members, JEF sections and statutory bodies of JEF . No dissenting opinion shall be delivered in public by any member of the Arbitration Board. All the decisions of the Arbitration Board are final. The Arbitration Board takes its decisions by simple majority .

38: Membership

a. The Arbitration Board has five members elected by the Congress . They elect a chairperson from among their members .

VIII: AUDITORS COMMITTEE

39: Powers of the Auditors Committee

a. It verifies at least one time a year the accounts of the association. It is accountable to the Federal Committee, to which it has to report at least once a year.

40: Membership

a. The Auditors Committee is composed of at least two members and a maximum of three, elected by the Congress.

IX: MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

41: Finances

a. The financial year begins on the 1st of January and ends on the 31st of December of each year. The accounts and the budget are submitted yearly to the Federal Committee.

42: Removal from Office

a. All elected and appointed officers, including the Secretary General, and members of the statutory bodies listed in article 6 can, after a fair hearing, be dismissed before the end of term of their mandate for serious misconduct, after a reasoned decision of the body which has appointed them, taken by a three quarters majority vote.

43: Voting majorities

a. Unless otherwise required by the statutes or the law, a decision of the bodies of the association shall require a simple majority. The electoral system and the required majorities for the elections are specified in the internal rules of procedure.

44: Minutes of meetings

a. The decisions of the Congress, the Federal Committee and the Executive Bureau are recorded in the minutes made by the Secretary General. Excerpts can be issued to any interested person.

45: Modification of the Statutes

a. The Statutes can only be modified by the Congress by a decision to be taken with a two thirds majority of the present or represented delegates. Each proposal of modification of the Statutes must be communicated to the Federal Committee at the last meeting before the Congress and the latest two months before the meeting of the Congress. The proposed modifications must appear in the calling note.

b. In order for the Congress to debate validly on a proposal for modification of the statutes there must be two thirds of the delegates present or represented. If the quorum is not reached, a new Congress can be summoned immediately, with the power to make amendments under a standard quorum of one half of the delagates present .

46: Dissolution of the association

a. The association can be dissolved upon a decision of the Congress, acting in accordance with hereinbefore mentioned conditions in respect of the modification of the statutes.

b. The Congress will determine the method of dissolution and liquidation of the association. It will decide upon the distribution of the assets to the patrimony of the dissolved association. In default of such a decision, they will be transferred to the international association according to the Belgian law, UNION OF EUROPEAN FEDERALISTS, whose registered seat is at Chaussée de Wavre 214d, B-1050 Brussels, or successively to the international association of the Belgian law EUROPEAN MOVEMENT whose registered seat is in Brussels at Square de Meeûs 25, B-1050 Brussels, or the WORLD FEDERALIST MOVEMENT whose registered seat is in New York, New York Plaza 66 .

47: Ommissions

a. In accordance with the law of October 25, 1919, the statutes herein presented and their modifications come into effect only after their approval by the King and after their publication in the "Belgisch Staatsblad / Moniteur Belge".

b. Everything that is not foreseen in the actual statutes will be regulated according to the law.

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