ARTICLES:
ARTICLE 1
An
international association without purpose of profit, named European Water
Resources Association (EWRA) is founded.
ARTICLE 2
The registered office of
the association is established in Athens-Greece.
ARTICLE 3
Purpose/Goals The association's aims are:
-
To promote research and the application of scientific knowledge on water
resources to practical engineering activities. -
To promote the exchange of scientific knowledge in the field of water
resources between European scientists and engineers and to contribute to the
dissemination of results of scientific and technical advances by European
specialists in this field to other regions of the world.
ARTICLE 4
Means to
achieve the goals:
-
Organize meetings to provide a forum for discussions between scientists
and professional engineers on specific practical problems in the field of
water resources.
-
Provide information (in English) on scientific knowledge to be applied in
practical water resources activities from and to all European countries and
other regions of the world.
-
Publish an international scientific and technical journal "Water Resources
Management" with accessible subscription fee and without page charges.
-
Establish working groups for studying the application of scientific
methodologies to real world water management problems.
-
Organize courses for interested scientists and engineers from European and
other countries, particularly the developing countries.
-
Cooperate with other similar organizations.
ARTICLE 5
The
association does not have commercial activities and does not interfere with
politics.
ARTICLE 6
(amended 2011)
Member
of the association can be any physical or legal person from any country of the
world
who is engaged in an activity which is compatible with the aims of the
association.
ARTICLE 7
Acceptance of a new member is made by decision of
the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE 8
(amended 2011)
Kinds of
membership:
-
Membership of
physical persons from any country of the world.
-
Student membership.
-
Institutional
membership for commercial enterprises, public institutions, water
resources associations, NGOs etc.
No fees are paid for all first two categories. An
annual fee of 200 € should be paid for each member of category 3.
ARTICLE
9
Membership comes to an end by:
-
resignation; -
exclusion; -
decease; -
non-payment of a membership fee.
The General Assembly decides the exclusion of a member on the proposal of the
Board of Management, by simple majority in the presence of at least 2/5 of the
members. The member concerned has the right to be heard at the General Assembly,
if he expresses the wish thereto within two months after the notification, by
recorded mail, of the exclusion procedure started against him.
ARTICLE 10
Members
belonging to membership groups 1-4 of Article 8, are entitled to:
-
Participate in all activities of the association. -
Participate in the General Assembly. -
Make proposals to the governing bodies of the association. -
Receive the EUROPEAN WATER newsletter.
Members belonging to membership group 5 are entitled to the above-mentioned
rights only by representatives of their institution/company/association.
ARTICLE 11
The
revenues of the association can consist, amongst other things, of:
-
fees of
any kind; -
subsidies, allowances or donations; -
other revenues not provided from commercial activities of the association
(e.g. research consortia, cources etc.).
ARTICLE 12
The
association has the following administration bodies:
-
the General Assembly (G.A.). -
the Board of Management (B.M.). -
the Executive Committee (E.C.).
ARTICLE 13
-
The General Assembly possesses the power to take all decisions in order to
achieve the purpose of the association and more in particular for:
-
the approval of the programme and report of activities, the budget and
accounts, including the membership fee; -
the election and dismissal of the members of the Board of Management; -
amendments to the articles of the association; -
the
General Assembly may also decide to liquidate the association.
-
The General Assembly may decide legally in the presence of at least 1/5 of
the members. The second General Assembly-in respect to Article 13.3 - may
decide legally, irrespective of the number of members present. Apart from the
exceptional cases determined in the present articles of association, the
resolutions in the General Assembly are adopted by simple majority of the
members present. Abstentions are not taken into account; in the case of a tie
vote, the proposal is rejected. The decisions are notified to all the members
within two months. It is not possible to decide on any item not mentioned on
the agenda. A proposal is accepted without a General Assembly convocation if
it has been accepted in written form by all members. -
The General Assembly meetings are chaired by the President of the
association at least once per year, upon convocation by the President and on a
date and at place fixed by the Executive Committee. The convening notices
shall mention the agenda, place and date of the General Assembly and shall be
forwarded at least one month before the date of the assembly. The convening
notices shall mention the date of a second General Assembly, which may decide
legally, irrespective of the number of members present. -
The General Assembly is also convened when at least ten members send a
written request thereto to the President. This request shall mention the
agenda. The president shall then convene the General Assembly within two
months after receipt of the request. -
Each member may arrange to be represented at the General Assembly by
another member to which it will have given a self-written and signed proxy.
There may not be more than three proxies per person. The General Assembly may
decide legally if not more than 50% of the members have notified their absence
in writing at least two weeks before the assembly. In that case the President
convenes another General Assembly, which may decide legally, irrespective of
the number of members absent. -
Motivated proposals for items of the agenda of the General Assembly shall
be sent to the President in written form three months in advance to the
General Assembly concerned. Members of the various membership groups (as
stated in article 8) have one vote in the General Assembly. Institutional
members have up to three votes in the General Assembly.
The resolutions of the General Assembly are recorded in register signed by
the President and kept by the Secretary-General who
holds it at the disposal of the members.
ARTICLE 14
-
Each proposal aiming at an amendment to the articles of the association or
the dissolution of the association must emanate from the Board of Management
or from at least ten members of the association. The Board of Management shall
inform the members of the association of the date of the General Assembly that
will decide on the proposal in question, at least three months beforehand. -
A proposal is accepted only if it has been accepted by a majority of 3/4
of the votes in the presence, exclusive proxies.
ARTICLE 15
-
Composition of Board of Management. The members are elected by the National
Associations; each association elects a representative and a deputy. If no
association in the participating country, the EC appoints one of the members
from this country as member of BA. -
The members of the Board of Management shall serve as members from the
time when they are elected by the various National Associations for a term of 3 years.
Members are eligible for re-election. In the event of the death or resignation
of one of its members the respective National Association shall appoint a substitute until
the end of the current term. -
The
deputy member is convened to all the meetings of the Board of Management. In
case of absence of the member, the deputy member replaces him with all rights.
Each association has got one vote in the Board of Management meetings. -
Co-Option to the Board of Management The Board of Management may co-opt
persons as Advisor/Observer to participate (without voting rights) in the
activities of the Board of Management for a maximum period of 3 years and only
for the particular term of office. -
Functions and Procedures of the Board of Management It shall be the
duty of the Board of Management
-
to
prepare the Agenda of the General Assembly; -
to appoint the Executive Committee; -
to manage the affairs of the association and to report thereon to the
General Assembly.
-
The Board of Management has all powers for management, except those of the
General Assembly. It may set up project oriented or regional committees and
delegates the day-to-day management to the President, the Vice-President, the
Secretary-General, the Treasurer and one member of Board of Management who
form together the Executive Committee. -
The Board of Management is convened at least once per year. The President
shall call a meeting of the Board of Management, when he may deem necessary or
if so required by not less than 5 members of the Board. Such meeting shall
take place within three months of the date of request.
ARTICLE 16
-
The Board of Management may decide legally by simple majority in the
presence of at least 9 members. In the case of a tie vote, the President has
the casting vote. -
The Board of Management may establish such Committees and Task Forces as
it deems necessary for the execution of its work and will appoint chairpersons
to these Committees and Task Forces. The Board of Management shall define the
terms of reference and tenure of each Committee or Task Force thus
established. In the composition of Committees and Task Forces appropriate
geographical distribution representation of areas might be sought.
Members of Committees or Task Forces shall serve in a personal capacity.
Chairpersons of established Committees and Task Forces should be co-opted to
the Board of Management if applicable. -
The members of the Board of Management can not be hold responsible for
possible debts or commitments of the association. -
The Board of Management resolutions are recorded in a register signed by
the President and the Secretary-General who puts it at the disposal of the
members of the association. -
The General Assembly may dismiss a member and a deputy member of the Board
of Management by simple majority in the presence of at least 2/5 of the
members. -
The Board of Management may draw up internal regulations, their acceptance
and amendments exclusively belong to the power of General Assembly.
ARTICLE 17
-
Composition of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall be
appointed by the Board of Management. The Board of Management appoints the
President, the Vice-President, the Treasurer, the Secretary-General and the
Membership Coordinator who form together the Executive Committee. -
The Executive Committee may co-opt other persons, members of the Board of
Management, where necessary, or invite members to attend the meetings of the
Executive Committee (without voting rights) on an ad-hoc basis. The Executive
Committee is convened at least once a year. The Executive Committee is also
convened by the President or when at least 3 members of the Executive
Committee make a written request thereto to the President, who shall convene
the General Assembly within two months after receipt of the request. The
Executive Committee may decide legally by simple majority in the presence of
at least 3 members. In the case of a tie vote, the President has the casting
vote. -
It is the task of the Executive Committee to prepare the proposals for the
Board of Management, to follow up the execution of decisions taken by the
Board of Management and to take such interim emergency decisions that must be
taken between meetings of the Board. All decisions of the Executive Committee
must be submitted to the Board of Management for ratification if so required
by the President or by 3 members of the Executive Committee or by 5 members of
the Board of Management. -
The Executive Committee resolutions are recorded in a register signed by
the President and the Secretary-General who puts it at the disposal of the
members of the association.
ARTICLE 18
The
President shall preside over the General Assembly, the Board of Management and
the Executive Committee at their meetings and shall ensure the carrying out of
their decisions. All legal actions, as plaintiff or as defendant, are carried
on, pursued and accelerated by the Board of Management represented by the
President.
ARTICLE 19
The
Vice-President will assist the President in the execution of his duties and
stand in for him where necessary, either at meetings of the association or on
activities with which the association is involved or invited to.
ARTICLE 20
The
Secretary General keeps the resolution registers for the General Assembly, the
Board of Management and the Executive Committee and puts it at the disposal of
the members of the association.
ARTICLE 21
The
Treasurer shall exercise a managerial role in the respect of the financial
affairs. All confirmed orders and accounts payable shall be signed by the
treasurer and/or the Secretary General.
ARTICLE 22
The
Membership Coordinator keeps the register of members.
ARTICLE 23
-
The Board of Management appoints a supervisory board of three persons
chosen from among its members, for the financial report. -
The financial year is closed each year, on December 31. The Board of
Management shall draw up before January 31 of each year the programme of
activities and the budget for the current year as well as the report on the
activities of the past year. Before June 30 of the same year, the Executive
Committee shall submit to the Board of Management members:
-
the report on the activities of the past year; -
the financial report of the past year; -
the programme of activities and the budget of the current year.
ARTICLE 24
The
General Assembly determines the way in which the association is dissolved and
liquidated. After the liquidation, any credit balance shall be assigned to an
association with similar purposes by decision of the General Assembly.
ARTICLE 25
All that
is not provided in the present articles of the association, will be settled
according to the provisions of the Greek Law.
ARTICLE 26
Done in
Athens on the 29th March 1993.
Amended in Copenhagen on the 5th of September
1997.
Amended in Izmir on the 4th
of September 2004. |