EUFED European Union Federation of Youth Hostel Associations

EUFED Constitution

The Constitution of the European Union Federation of Youth  Hostel Associations, as last revised in 2003.

Name | Aims | Duration and domicile | Membership | Cessation of membership | General Assembly | Extraordinary General Assembly | Executive Committee | Executive Committee meetings | Remuneration | Legal representation | Internal structure | Accounts | Financial resources | Expenses | Voluntary dissolution of the Federation  | Declaration | Auditor | Social Year | Adoption of the Statutes | Transitory dispositions

Article 1:  Name

Following its creation as "association sans but lucratif" (ASBL), the name of the association shall be

EUFED ASBL

hereafter called “the Federation”

Starting on 1^st January 2004, the Federation succeed to the association registered at the Register of Associations of the "tribunal d'instance" of Strasbourg (France).

This new association is established by: 

The Federation may affiliate, following a proposal from the Executive Committee ratified by the General Assembly to any association or federation capable of furthering the aims of the Federation.

The Federation is constituted in accordance with the Belgian legal system of "associations sans but lucratif" (ASBL) and is governed by the articles of the law of  2^nd May 2002.  

Article 2:  Aims of the Federation

In general to support the objects of the International Youth Hostel movement which are: to promote the education of all young people of all nations, but especially young people of limited means, by encouraging in them a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside and an appreciation of the cultural values of towns and cities in all parts of the world, and as ancillary thereto to provide hostels or other accommodation in which there shall be no distinction of race, nationality, colour, religion, sex, class, or political opinions and thereby to develop a better understanding of their fellow men, both at home and abroad.

In particular, to create a formal organisation capable of representing the Youth Hostel Associations of the European Union within the Institutions of the European Union more effectively than the individual Associations can do on their own.  To this end, there are three main objectives:

• To promote and develop the interests of Youth Hostels and to increase understanding and support for them within the European Union Institutions; 

• To increase the level of co-operation between the Member Associations; 

• To encourage all opportunities of relations between the European Union and the rest of the world  with regard to Youth Hostels and youth tourism.

Any means of action which is in keeping with these aims and objectives is permissible.

The Federation will not indulge in any political or religious activities.  Nor does it permit itself any stance or action which would attempt to change it into a movement with a specific ideology with views on Mankind and the World.

The Federation will not pursue commercial or industrial activities and will not provide material benefit to its members.

Article 3:  Duration and Legal Domicile of the Federation

The length of time for which the Federation shall be in existence is unlimited.

Its registered office is: Hoogstraat 25, rue Haute, 1000 Brussels, Belgium. It may be moved, following a proposal from the Executive Committee and ratified by the General Assembly.

The registered office depends upon the Brussels judicial district.

Article 4:  Membership of the Federation

The Federation is composed of full members, who are the Youth Hostel Associations in the countries belonging to the European Union, as recognised by and affiliated to the International Youth Hostel Federation, from the day of joining.  If they fulfil these conditions, and after having addressed a membership request in writing signed by a recognised officer of the association seeking membership, Youth Hostel Associations can be accepted as members by simple majority of the votes cast at the General Assembly meeting.  In order to carry out the aims and objectives of the Federation as defined in Article 2, full members have the right to vote at the General Assembly and the Extraordinary General Assembly, the right of information and the right of services.

The Federation may also choose to invite affiliate members who represent European Youth Hostel Associations recognised by and affiliated to the International Youth Hostel Federation, but which are not based in a country belonging to the European Union.  A request for affiliate membership has to be approved by the General Assembly by simple majority of the votes cast at the meeting.  In order to carry out the aims and objectives of the Federation as defined in Article 2, affiliate members have the right of information and they may receive services.  They do not have the right to vote.

Both full and affiliate members pay an annual subscription whose calculation formula and amount is agreed on every year by the General Assembly. As the amount of the subscription is the result of overnights recorded by the member in its own country, it is impossible to fix a maximum amount. In order to comply with the members' legal right to information regarding the subscription, any member wishing to join the Federation will be given the calculation scheme together with the amount of the first subscription. They will have to give their formal agreement in their membership request.

A membership list is kept by the Secretariat of the Federation.  

Article 5:  Cessation of Membership

Membership shall cease:

• By resignation, six months after having given written notice to the Secretary General;  

• Through failure to pay subscriptions;

• By being rescinded following loss of International Youth Hostel Federation membership;  

• If the Association no longer fulfils the conditions specified in Article 4;  

• In case of serious breach of the objectives and other statutory rules. 

The Executive Committee will be responsible for investigating the cessation of an Association’s membership. In the case of serious breach of the objectives and other statutory rules, the member shall have the right to be heard by the Executive Committee.  Associations dismissed from membership by the Executive Committee shall have a right of appeal in writing to the General Assembly.

The General Assembly has the power to eventually decide on the exclusion of a member.

Article 6: General Assembly

The General Assembly is composed of:

• Full members, from the day of joining, with the right to vote; 

• Members of the executive committee, without the right to vote; 

• Associate members, without the right to vote.

The General Assembly is obliged to meet once a year. The General Assembly will be called in writing, at least 2 months before the date of the meeting.

The General Assembly takes place at a location decided by the members during the previous General Assembly.

The agenda for the General Assembly is drawn up by the Executive Committee and is included with the notice of the meeting.

For the General Assembly to be quorate, more than half of the full members of the Federation must attend.  If this is not the case, then a second General Assembly with the same agenda must be called at least 15 days after the first General Assembly and within a maximum of two months of the original date.  This General Assembly may take decisions regardless of the number of full members present. 

The General Assembly will take decisions by simple majority of full members present. If there is no majority, the President of the Assembly may use a casting vote.

 The General Assembly:

• Receives and approves of the Executive Committee concerning the activities and the financial situation of the Federation; 

• Receives and approves the Auditor's report; Approves the end of year accounts as certified by the auditors appointed by the previous General Assembly; 

• Votes on future budgets; 

• Accepts new members; 

• Gives a decision on the exclusion of members upon the recommendation of the Executive Committee; 

• Appoints the Executive Committee members or fills vacant places on the Executive Committee.  It also has the power to dismiss the Executive Committee or individual members before their mandate has ended if a demand is received in terms of Article 8; 

• It appoints auditors; 

• Grants the dismissal of the Executive Committee members and the Auditor(s) for the carrying out  of their mandates for the past financial year; 

• Considers questions on the agenda.

In general, the General Assembly may take decisions only on matters placed on the agenda in advance.  In the case of urgent items, the President can decide to place these on the agenda at the time of the meeting.

Minutes are kept of decisions taken by the General Assembly.  The minutes are signed by the President and Secretary of the meeting and are transcribed, numbered and initialled without alteration or omission into the minute book provided.  

Article 7:  Extraordinary General Assembly

The Extraordinary General Assembly is composed of: 

• Full members, from the day of joining, with the right to vote; 

• Members of the executive committee, without the right to vote; 

• Associate members, without the right to vote.

The Extraordinary General Assembly will be called in writing, at least 2 months before the date of the meeting.  The Extraordinary General Assembly will meet when called by the Executive Committee or by the remaining members of the Executive Committee in terms of Article 8, or on request of at least half of the full members. 

For the Extraordinary General Assembly to be quorate, more than half of the full members of the Federation must attend.  If this is not the case, then a second Extraordinary General Assembly with the same agenda may be called at least 15 days after the first one and within a maximum of two months of the original date.  This Extraordinary General Assembly may take decisions regardless of the number of full members present. The agenda is drawn up by the Executive Committee or the remaining members of the Executive Committee and is included with the notice of the meeting.

The Extraordinary General Assembly takes decisions with simple majority of the full members present.

In the case of modification of the statutes, the quorum required for the first Extraordinary Assembly is two thirds. If this is not the case, then a second Extraordinary General Assembly with the same agenda may be called at least 15 days after the first one and within a maximum of two months of the original date.  This Extraordinary General Assembly may take decisions regardless of the number of full members present.

To be approved, a modification of the statutes must be agreed upon by two thirds of the members present. If the modification concerns the aims of the Federation, the majority vote to reach a decision is brought to four fifths of the members present.

The Extraordinary General Assembly may take decisions only on matters placed on the agenda in advance.

Minutes are kept of decisions taken by the Extraordinary General Assembly.  The minutes are signed by the President and Secretary of the meeting and are transcribed, numbered and initialled without alteration or omission into the minute book provided.

Article 8:  Executive Committee

The Federation is run by the Executive Committee composed of one President, one Vice-President, and three Members, each elected for a four-year term by the General Assembly on a simple majority of the votes cast at the meeting.  The voting is by secret ballot and is for one name per position. 

To be elected to the Executive Committee, the candidate must: 

• Be a member of a Youth Hostel Association which is an full member of the Federation; 

• Be over 18 years of age on 1^st January of the year of election, and be in full possession of his/her civil and political rights; 

• Be put forward as a candidate by his/her own Association; 

• Have the said candidature declared eligible by the Executive Committee by the beginning of the General Assembly at the latest two weeks before the General Assembly.

An Executive Committee place will become vacant at the end of a member’s mandate, if a member resigns from the Executive Committee or if a member’s nominating Association ceases to be an full member of the Federation.  The General Assembly has the right to dismiss the Executive Committee or its individual members before their mandate has ended.  For this purpose, full members have the right to file a demand in writing to the President that a vote shall be held on one or several Executive Committee members at the next General Assembly.

If the number of voting members on the Executive Committee falls below half the total number of voting members, then the remaining Executive Committee members or the Secretary General shall be empowered to call an Extraordinary General Assembly within 2 months in order to fill the vacant places.

The daily administration of the Federation is entrusted to a delegated administrator called "Secretary General" who is paid by the Federation and is designated by the elected members of the Executive Committee. The Secretary General is a member of the Executive Committee together with the five elected members but has no right to vote.

Article 9:  Executive Committee Meetings

The Executive Committee may meet as often as is necessary, but at least twice a year, or at the request of the President or of at least one third of the members.

More than half of the voting Members of the Executive Committee need to attend for the meeting to be quorate and decisions will be made by simple majority.  Abstentions are not counted as votes cast.  If there is no majority, the President may use his/her casting vote.

The Executive Committee may not delegate its power.

In general, the Executive Committee may take decisions only on matters placed on the agenda in advance.  In the case of urgent items, the President can decide to place these on the agenda at the time of the meeting.

Minutes are kept of the meetings.  The minutes are signed by the President and the Secretary General and are transcribed, numbered and initialled without alteration or omission into the minute book provided.

Article 10:  Remuneration

The members of the Executive Committee, with the exception of the Secretary General, shall not receive payment for the duties which they perform on behalf of the Federation.

Article 11:  Legal Representation

The President acts as the Federation’s legal representative for any judicial and extra-judicial proceedings.  In Court, he/she can act for the Federation as pursuing as well as defending party.  The President may delegate all or part of these responsibilities to another member of the Executive Committee including the Secretary General.  The representative of the Federation must be in possession of full political and civil rights.

The Secretary General is responsible for the daily running of the Federation. Thus she/he is entrusted to represent the Federation and to carry out administrative tasks in the framework of the day to day needs of the Federation. She/he can also fulfil tasks which, in reason of their minor importance or if the necessity of a prompt solution arise, do not justify the intervention of the Executive Committee.

Article 12:  Internal Structure

The internal structure of the Federation, together with the powers of those in charge of its administration, are laid down in the internal rules of the Federation.

To enable the Secretary General to carry out her/his tasks, she/he can make the payments which must not exceed the annual budget and which are accounted for. Any additional payment must be approved by the Executive Committee.

The Secretary General is also responsible for the recruitment and dismissal of the personnel.

Article 13:  Accounts

Day to day accounts must be kept for income and expenditure, and a record must be kept of assets.  Annual accounts shall be prepared, audited and presented to the General Assembly according to the Belgium regulation of July 1975.

Article 14:  Financial Resources

The financial resources of the Federation consist of: 

• Fees and subscriptions from members; 

• Grants from public bodies,  local, national or European; 

• Specially created funds; 

• Donations and legacies.

Article 15:  Expenses

The annual expenses of the Federation consist of: 

• The running costs of the Federation; 

• The cost of organising events; Redistribution of grant money; 

• Redistribution of any special funds; 

• Any other cost approved by the General Assembly necessary to fulfil the Federation’s aims and objectives as described in Article 2.

Article 16:  Voluntary Dissolution of the Federation

The Extraordinary General Assembly called to officially dissolve the Federation and convened specifically for this purpose with at least 2 months’ notice, must be attended by at least two thirds of the full members.  If this quorum is not reached, then a second Extraordinary General Assembly may be called after at least 2 months have elapsed, and this Extraordinary General Assembly may take the necessary decisions regardless of the number of full members present.

In all cases, the decision to dissolve the Federation requires a four fifths majority of votes cast of the full members present at the Extraordinary General Assembly meeting.  This power may not be delegated.

In the case of dissolution, and after payment of all outstanding debts and after having settled all liabilities, the full members will decide the purpose of the Federation’s assets.  Nevertheless, they must be allocated in an impartial way. By no means, can any member benefit fully or partially from the Federation's assets.  If no decision is taken during the Extraordinary General Assembly at which it was decided to dissolve the Federation, its assets are to be transferred to the International Youth Hostel Federation.

Article 17:  Declaration

The President has the obligation to notify the tribunal of Brussels within three months of any changes which occur in the management or administration of the Federation, and also of any decisions taken which amend the Constitution or involve the dissolution of the Federation.

Article 18: Auditor

The General Assembly will nominate an auditor responsible for the verification of the Federation's book-keeping and for the presentation of the annual report of the accounts. The General Assembly will decide on the duration of the Auditor's contract.

Article 19: Social year

The social year starts on 1^st January and finish on 31^st December.

Article 20: Adoption of the statutes

The present statutes have been adopted at Salerno (Italy) on 22^nd November 2003.