1.1. The Association shall be known as The Association of the Peoples’ Festival of Europe, hereinafter referred to as the Association and as a Corporate Body.
1.2. The Association is a European Association and shall consist of Corporate Bodies representing cities, towns, or areas in each of the European Union countries and only 1 no. Body shall represent any one country at any time.
1.3. Each Body shall be known as a Member.
1.4. The objectives of the Association are:
1.4.1. To promote and ensure insofar as possible that the Peoples’ Festival of Europe is hosted and organized by one of the members each year in their city, town or area.
1.4.2. To make and adopt policies and rules for the proper management, organization and running of the Festival.
1.4.3.To promote cultural, business, touristic and sporting links between the countries of the European Union and in particular between the cities, towns and areas represented by the members that make up the Association.
1.4.4. To market and advertise the Festival and to increase public awareness.
1.4.5. To determine and revise when and where appropriate the activities and content of the Festival.
1.4.6. To develop contacts with the European Union, National Governments, Local Authorities and other organizations and groups that are of interest to or will benefit the Association and the Festival.
1.4.7. To endeavor to ensure that each E.U. country is represented in the Association.
1.4.8. Each Member and all persons associated with it shall maintain the integrity and good name of the Association at all times and shall not indulge in or be guilty of any misconduct or activities which tarnish or offend the Association, its Rules, or Constitution. All allegations, complaints and cases of misconduct or breaches of the of the constitution and rules shall be investigated by the Committee and all parties will have a right to make submissions or be heard in person by the Committee. The Committee may discipline up to suspension and exclusion any Member or person who is guilty of such misconduct or breaches of the Constitution and Rules. The decision of the Committee shall be final.
2.1. The Association shall be managed, organized and directed by a European Committee, hereinafter referred to as the Committee.
2.2. Each Member shall be represented by two (2) delegates.
2.3. The day to day business of the Association shall be undertaken by an Executive Committee consisting of a President, 2 no. Vice-Presidents, a Secretary and Treasurer.
The President shall lead and represent the Association at all times.
The Members currently approved and which make up the Association are as follows:
5.1. All Members shall:
5.1.1. Host, organize and hold the Festival in their city, town or area at least within a cycle of 15 – 25 years, depending on the number of members.
5.1.2. Bear all the local costs and provide the necessary finance for the successful running of their Festival. Each Member shall pay 40 € or such amount as shall be determined by the Committee from time to time, for each delegate to the host country for the respective Festival before or on arriving.
5.1.3. Invite all the Members that make up the Association to participate in their Festival.
5.1.4. Be responsible for all travel costs associated with their own transportation to the host town.
5.1.5. The host Member of any Festival shall provide the accommodation and food for all visiting delegates to their Festival with a maximum of 50 persons per Member but which may be increased by the host country. The participation fees per person for any number in excess of 50 people shall be fixed by the host country.
6.1. The establishment of and the organization and management of the internal affairs of each Member shall in all respects be matter for that organization save where there are breaches of this constitution.
6.2. It shall be a matter for each Country to apply to the Committee to become a Member of the Association or to withdraw and terminate that participation at anytime after notice in writing to the Secretary of the Committee.
6.3. All Countries shall, before they join as a member into the Association:
6.3.1. Submit a document (letter) of their local authority, in which is written, that this local authority has taken notice of the activities of a local EPF-Organisation-committee.
6.3.2. The same procedure shall be applied to withdraw and terminate membership. In this case the Secretary of the Association has to send a letter to the concerned local authority with the question, if they can present another local committee as a new applicant. If the Association will not receive an answer after 4 weeks, Article 6.3.1. comes into force automatically.
6.4. In the case of a new application for membership or the withdrawl/termination of an existing membership the Committee shall decide who the liason/contact persons/s shall be and that person/s alone shall represent the Committee in such matters.
An outgoing Member may nominate a new city/town or area in their Country for membership but such a nomination shall not be binding on the Committee.
6.5. The Committee shall by resolution declare a vacancy in the number of Members upon receipt of such notices of withdrawal/termination.
7.1. The Committee shall hold an Annual Meeting each year between October 1st and November 30th .
7.2. The Committee shall hold a Summer Meeting each year during the week of the Festival.
7.3. The Committee shall hold such other Special Meeting as it shall decide from time to time. The President of the Association/Committee with the support of 75% other Members may call a special meeting at any time.
7.4. At least 30 days prior to any meeting a preliminary notice of the intention to hold a meeting shall be circulated to each Member.
Any Member wishing to place a Notice of Motion or any issue on the Agenda for consideration at the meeting shall notify the Secretary no less than 21 days prior to the meeting and the Secretary shall issue an Agenda for the meeting to each Member not less than 14 days prior to the date of the meeting.
7.5. At the Annual Meeting the Committee shall:
7.5.1. Consider reports from the President and Secretary;
7.5.2. Consider a statement of accounts duly audited from the Treasurer in respect of the past financial year which shall end in August of each year;
7.5.3. Consider a presentation from the host Member in respect of the next Festival;
7.5.4. Elect a President for a 3 year term;
7.5.5. Appoint 2 no.Vice-Presidents annually, one of whom shall be the President of the host Member/Country from the previous year and the other shall be the President of the host Member of the current year. In the event of the President also being a nominee for a Vice-President office he/she shall remain President and the Committee shall select a delegate of their choice to be Vice-President;
7.5.6. Elect or reaffirm a Secretary;
7.5.7. Elect or reaffirm a Treasurer;
7.5.8. The President, Secretary, Treasurer shall not at any time be from the same country;
7.5.9. Deal with policy issues or constitutional changes and the Technical Rules;
7.5.10. Deal with other business that may arise;
7.5.11. Determine and approve of any fees to be paid by the Members to the Committee.
7.6. Members wishing to nominate the President, Secretary, or Treasurer, shall submit their nominations signed by 2 (two) different Members at least 21 days before the Annual Meeting and nominations shall be circulated with the Agenda. If, and only if, no nominations are submitted in advance, the Committee shall take nominations during the meeting and vote at the same meeting.
7.7. The Committee may appoint a subcommittee to examine and report on particular issues from time to time and such sub-committees shall exist, be it for no longer than 9 months or until the issue is dealt with whichever is the sooner .
7.8. The Secretary shall prepare a record and Minute of all meetings including details of location, date, delegates present and decisions made. The Secretary shall also maintain the files of the Committee and deal with all correspondence in conjunction with the President. Minutes of meeting shall be circulated to delegates by the Secretary within 30 days of such meetings.
7.9. The Treasurer shall keep records and accounts in respect of the financial operations of the Association and present Annual accounts.
7.10. All decisions made by the Committee shall be binding on the Association.
8.1. The Association shall be financed by:
8.1.1. Subscriptions from the Members;
8.1.2. Contributions/grants from European, National, and Local Governments & Agencies;
8.1.3. Donations, gifts or sponsorship from individuals, other organizations or companies;
8.1.4. Sales, subsidies or the incidental surpluses or income.
8.2. The allocation and expenditure of the funds of the Association shall be subject to the approval of the Members and the Treasurer shall present a Budget for the consideration of the Committee each year at the Annual Meeting. The Budget shall identify estimated expenditure and income.
There shall be two (2) signatories from two separate delegates to all Bank Accounts. Treasurer and Secretary or Treasurer and President or President and Secretary. The Executive shall have discretion to spend up to 100€ on any one transaction and total transactions shall not exceed 500€ in any year.
The Delegates shall keep their Associations fully aware of the activities, policies, and requirements of the Association including finance.
10.1. The President shall preside over all meetings of the Committee, he/she shall have a second or casting vote save in the case of the election of the President.
10.2. Decisions of the Committee shall be decided by a 75% majority of the delegates present and voting shall be by a show of hands.
10.3. A change or amendment to the Constitution or any decision materially affecting the Constitution or Rules of the Association shall require 75% majority vote of members.
10.4. This may include:
10.4.1. The acceptance of, exclusion or removal of a member.
10.4.2. Where any Member breaks or is in breach of any rule or policy of the Association a Secret Ballot may be requested.
10.4.3. A secret ballot on any issue may be requested by two (2) or more delegates at any time and is subject to approval of the majority of the Committee present.
10.5. Where a decision is required urgently between Annual and Summer meetings of the Committee Electronic voting may be used. Votes from a designated eMail from each Member to be sent to a designated eMail of the Secretary within 21 days.
10.6. Quorum: A validly held meeting will require a quorum of 75% of the members.
The address of the Association shall be:
The Secretary of
European Peoples' Festival
c/o Libramont-Europe ASBL
Place Communale 7
B-6800 Libramont, Belgium
email:
Website: www.Europeanpeoplesfestival.com
This Constitution shall be binding on the Association.
13.1. This Constitution and Rules hereby repeals and revokes all other constitutions made or purported to have been adopted by the Committee and the Association.
13.2. The repeal/revocation hereby made shall not invalidate or alter any decisions of the Association or Committee made when they were in force.
13.3. This Constitution and Rules was made and adopted by the Committee of the Association of the Peoples’ Festival of Europe at their Meeting held on the:
22.10.2016 La Châtaigneraie, France
Signed: Marta Lapinska
Vice-Chairman
Signed: Susanne Pöhlsen
Secretary
Football, basketball, pétanque and 2 other sports chosen by the host country. Mixed teams mandatory !
Photography, cooking, painting, street theater, performance... Talents are highlighted !
Every days, discover the local specialities of each country and and their tourist attractions !