Standing Orders
Article 101
The Standing Orders regulations are subject to the Forum Constitution norms.
THE STATUTORY ASSEMBLY
Article 102
The Statutory Assembly is convoked by the President or upon request by five
National Presidents.
Article 103
The draft agenda for the Assembly is circulated by the Steering Committee at
least 3 months beforehand. Within 1 month of receiving the draft agenda,
National Presidents may forward to the Steering Committee items to be
included in the agenda, which shall be circulated at least one month
before the meeting.
Article 104
Each delegation has three votes. The right to vote shall depend on the
payment of the membership fee.
Article 105
In the event of the absence of the President or of his/her appointed
chairperson, the chair is taken by the most senior member, who ensures
that the Assembly appoints a chairperson from among its members.
Article 106
The Assembly’s secretary is the Secretary of the Forum. In case of absence,
the Assembly appoints a secretary to its meeting.
Article 107
The Statutory Assembly may consider only items on its agenda, as agreed at
the beginning of its meeting.
Article 108
If a National Committee’s delegation wishes to put forward a motion other
than a motion on procedure and which is not on the draft agenda
circulated three months beforehand, it must be introduced before the
beginning of the meeting in a written text to the Assembly’s
chairperson, duly signed by the National President or his official
delegate and similarly seconded by at least two other delegations.
Article 109
Observers participate in its deliberation without voting right.
Article 110
Decisions are made by a simple majority of votes cast unless they refer to
amendments to the Constitution, where there must be a majority of two
thirds of the valid votes cast. In the case of a tie after further
discussion a second vote is taken. In case of a further tie, the
chairperson’s vote prevails.
Voting will be by show of hands unless a secret ballot is requested by a
member or for issues of a personal nature.
Article 111
Simultaneous translation will be provided for the three Forum working
languages.
Article 112
The Secretary sees to it, in co-operation with the Steering Committee, that
the minutes of the Statutory Assembly are circulated within three months
after its meeting.
THE STUDY ASSEMBLY
Article 113
In order to promote dialogue and debate among the National Committees, Study
Assemblies shall be organised at least every two years.
Article 114
National Committees and observers can delegate up to five persons to the
Study Assemblies, not counting persons from the host country performing
logistic or administrative tasks.
The Presidents’ Council can invite persons external to the Forum, e.g. as
speakers.
Article 115
Studies can be delegated or contracted and external experts can be called to
co-operate. Before being issued in the name of the Forum, resulting
documents, motions or letters must be approved by the decision-taking
bodies of the Forum, according to article 6.
THE PRESIDENTS’ COUNCIL
Article 116
The Presidents’ Council meets at least once a year. In-between, it works by
e-mail or other means of communication. Votes expressed outside formal
meetings in oral or internet instructions must be confirmed in written
form, paper or fax.
Article 117
The Steering Committee circulates within the Presidents’ Council draft
agendas for the meetings to come.
The draft agenda for the Presidents’ Council is circulated at least one
month beforehand. Within two weeks of receiving the draft agenda,
National Presidents may forward to the Steering Committee items to be
included in the agenda, which will be available at the beginning of the
meeting.
Article 118
The Presidents’ Council takes its decision by the simple majority of its
members present.
A National President can delegate one of its members to meetings, but cannot
give mandate to a member of another National Committee.
In deliberations by mail, decisions are taken by absolute majority of the
members of the Presidents’ Council.
Article 119
In the event of the absence of the President or of his/her appointed
chairperson, the chair is taken by the most senior member, who ensures
that the Council appoints a chairperson from among its members.
In the event of the absence of the Secretary, the Council appoints a
temporary replacement.
Article 120
The Presidents’ Council shall elect a Treasurer and a Secretary for a four
year period from among its own members. The Treasurer and the Secretary
can be coopted from outside the Council, following agreement with the
National Committee to which he or she belongs.
Unless other dispositions are agreed upon with the National Committees
involved, the National Committee to which the Secretary belongs shall be
responsible for the Forum Secretariat.
Article 121
The acting Secretary sees to it that the decisions taken are distributed to
the participants as soon as possible and in the appropriate languages.
Article 122
The Presidents’ Council may invite to meetings any person whose duties or
expertise may prove to be of value.
Article 123
Each member with a voting right casts a single vote, which cannot be
delegated to a member of another delegation.
Except by mail, decisions are taken by a simple majority of votes cast. In
the case of a tie after further discussion a second vote is taken. In
the event of a further tie, the chairperson’s vote prevails.
Voting will be by show of hands unless a secret ballot is requested by a
member or for issues of a personal nature.
THE STEERING COMMITTEE
Article 124
With the exception of the President of the Forum, the members of the
Steering Committee are elected by the Presidents’ Council. It shall
consist of seven members, including the President, the Secretary and the
Treasurer.
Members are elected from amongst the members of the Forum for a four year
mandate, renewable once.
After standing down for a period of two years, they may be re-elected.
Article 125
The Steering Committee meets in general at least three times a year.
In-between, it works by e-mail or by other means of communication.
THE COMMITTEE OF RESOLUTIONS
Article 126
When a resolution or motion is voted by the Statutory Assembly, it can, on
its own initiative or on a proposal from the Steering Committee, create
a Resolution Commission which, in the spirit which governed the vote and
in dialogue with the Steering Committee, perfects the drafting of it and
supervises the translations.
THE FINANCES
Article 127
The membership fee due is decided upon by the Statutory Assembly for two
years.
The second year, the Presidents’ Council acting on request of the Steering
Committee or Treasurer, can decide to adjust the amount to the average
European consumer price index (Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices HICP)
published by the European Central Bank. The reference period runs from
1st January to 31st December.
The annual membership fees shall be paid before 31st March of the respective
year.
Article 128
When a new National Committee is admitted to the Forum, the Statutory
Assembly decides, at the suggestion of the Steering Committee, to which
contribution group this country will belong.
Article 129
The financial year of the Forum runs from 1st January to 31st December. At
that time the accounts shall be closed, the balance sheet will be drawn
up and audited by an Auditor appointed from the Statutory Assembly. All
the financial documents will be sent to the National Committees one
month before the opening of the Statutory Assembly.
THE LANGUAGES OF THE FORUM
Article 130
The official languages of the Forum are English, French and German. The
Steering Committee will ensure that all communications and documents
intended for the Statutory and Study Assemblies are competently
translated into these languages and circulated with minimum delay.
The Presidents’ Council and Steering Committee’s own documents are
circulated in one of the Forum’s languages upon which they agree.
Article 131
Simultaneous translation will be provided between the three Forum working
languages, at least for plenary sessions of the Statutory and Study
Assemblies.
AMENDMENTS
Article 132
Amendments to Standing Orders can be introduced to the Steering Committee by
a National Committee or by the Presidents’ Council. According to article
110, they are decided upon by the Statutory Assembly by simple majority
of votes cast.
Text adopted by the Statutory Assembly on July 16, 1984 in Dublin,
corrected on July 8, 1986 in Paris, modified on July 4, 1990 in Vienna,
on July 8, 1992 in Antwerp and on July 13, 1994 in Ljubljana,
on May 27, 2006 in Saarbrücken,
on July 5, 2008 in Bratislava and on July 10, 2010 in Birmingham.