European Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
Resolutions
Adopted by the EFJ GM held in Saint Vincent, Italy, May 4-5, 2001
3. Resolution for Changes in the EFJ Rules
From the EFJ Steering Committee including adopted proposals from the AGJPB, Belgium
PREAMBLE
1. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
2. COMPOSITION
3. TASKS
No changes proposed up to here
4. GENERAL MEETING
4.1 The General Meeting (GM) shall normally meet every third year in advance of the IFJ Congress. It shall be composed of one delegate from each member union (*) and the members of the Steering Committee. The IFJ President and the General Secretary (The IFJ President and IFJ Executive Committee members elected from Europe shall) have the right to participate without the right to vote. Each member union has the right to send observers. Observers from ETUC and other organisations may be invited.
(*) NUJ Ireland shall have separate representation from NUJ Great Britain, as was adopted at the AGM in Cyprus; May 1996.
The voting system at the GM shall be the same as the voting system at the IFJ Congress. A transfer of votes after registration to the GM is not possible. Member unions who have not paid their membership fee according to provisions shall not have the right to vote or to submit candidates for the Steering Committee.
4.2 The working languages of the GM shall be English, French and German.
4.3 The Steering Committee will prepare the agenda of the GM and decide on voting rights. The invitation and draft agenda has to be sent to member unions at least two months before the GM.
4.4 The GM is presided by the chair of the Steering Committee assisted by the other members of the Steering Committee (delete the sentence). It ("The GM") has its own working rules. A report on decisions of the GM will be prepared immediately and sent to member unions. The European Secretary will take minutes of the meeting (delete the sentence). The minutes will be confirmed by the Steering Committee. They shall be kept on record in the secretariat.
4.5 The GM shall:
(add: "a) elect a Presidium of three persons, who are not members of the Steering Committee nor candidates for the next Steering Committee, to chair the GM")
a) (now: b) confirm the agenda, changes of the working rules proposed by the Steering Committee and the voting rights of the unions;
b) (now: c) approve the minutes of the last GM or of the last AM;
c) (now: d) decide on membership of unions failing to meet the EFJ financial obligations;
d) (now: e) consider the report of the Steering Committee, which will be presented by the chair;
(add: "f) consider the reports of the Expert Groups")
e) (now: g) approve a report of audited accounts and finances presented by the honorary treasurer (add: "and consider a report of the Finance Commission");
f) (now: h) adopt a budget plan for the following years;
g) (now: i) decide on motions for activities of the European Federation of Journalists. Member unions with voting rights and the Steering Committee have the right to submit motions. Motions from member unions must be submitted to the Steering Committee at least one month before the AGM and shall be sent to member unions at least two weeks before the GM.
h) (now: j) decide on motions for changes of the rules of the European Federation of Journalists. These motions must be submitted to the Steering Committee at least two months before the GM and shall be sent to member unions at least one month before the GM. New rules shall be in effect at the next GM.
i) (now: k) decide on the admission of urgent motions. (add: "Urgent motions can be presented until the opening of the meeting");
j) (now: l) adopt the working programme of the EFJ and decide on the establishment of expert groups;
k) (now: m) decide on membership fees for the EFJ;
l) (now: n) elect the electoral commission; (add: "o) elect the chair of the Steering Committee")
m) (now: p) elect the (add: "other") members of the Steering Committee;
(now: q) elect three (delete "three" as this is now proposed in paragraph 6.2) reserves for the Steering Committee.
(add: "r) elect the members of the Finance Commission".)
(add: "4.6 Member unions which would like to host a General or Annual Meeting must submit their invitation including information on transport, facilities, costs, conditions and sponsors 15 months in advance of the meeting to the Steering Committee.")
5. ANNUAL MEETING
Between the General Meetings, there shall be an Annual Meeting (AM), which shall focus on a subject in line with the priorities of work of the EFJ.
The AM is prepared by the Steering Committee in cooperation with the European Secretary (new: "Officer"). The invitation and draft agenda has to be sent to member unions at least two months before the AM.
The AM can decide on motions on actual matters and developments which concern journalists' and journalists unions' interests in Europe. Member unions with voting rights and the Steering Committee have the right to submit motions. Motions from member unions must be submitted to the Steering Committee at least one month before the AM and shall be sent to member unions at least two weeks before the AM. The voting system shall be the same as the voting system at the EFJ General Meeting.
(add: "The AM considers a report of the Finance Commission.")
6. THE STEERING COMMITTEE
6.1 The Steering Committee is the working body, which shall be responsible for the co-ordination and supervision of the European Federation's activities. It shall propose a working programme to the GM and shall be responsible for the execution of the GM and AM decisions.
6.2 The Steering Committee has nine members and a mandate of three years. They shall be elected by the GM. (add: "They can be re-elected to the Steering Committee for a maximum of two additional periods.") Casual (delete "Casual") Vacancies in membership of the Steering Committee will be filled by the reserves. (add: "If a member of the Steering Committee fails to attend half of the meetings within a year without good reason, he/she will also be replaced by a reserve.")
6.3 The member unions have the right to propose delegates for the list of candidates. (add: "No union may have more than one national representative in the Steering Committee)" The list of candidates will be closed one month before the GM and circulated among member unions three weeks before the GM. It can be reopened again at the opening of the GM by majority vote on request of member unions. (add: "All candidates must have a written mandate from their home union, which commits to pay the expenses connected to the function".)
6.4 The members of the Steering Committee and the reserves shall be elected by secret ballot. These elections will be chaired by an electoral commission set up at the GM; it will consist of three voting delegates, who are not members of the Steering Committee or candidates for election.
6.5 The Steering Committee elects a chair (new: "vice-chair") and an honorary treasurer from its members.
(add: "6.6 The General Secretary of the IFJ shall act as General Secretary of the EFJ")
6.6 (now: 6.7) The IFJ President and the General Secretary of the IFJ (New: "The IFJ President and IFJ Executive Committee members elected from Europe shall) have the right to participate in the meetings of the Steering Committee without the right to vote.
6.7 (now: 6.8) The working language of the Steering Committee shall be English.
6.8 The Steering Committee nominates members of the expert groups and of working committees or decides about nominations, proposed by national unions or sub-regional groups. (delete the entire old paragraph 6.8 as the content now is more precisely proposed in paragraph 8)
(add: "7. FINANCE COMMISSION
7.1 The objective of the Finance Commission is to review the EFJ accounts. The Finance Commission must report to the General Meetings and give status reports to the Annual Meetings.
7.2 The Finance Commission consists of three lay auditors. None of them may belong to any other elected body of the EFJ.")
7. (now: 8) SECRETARIAT
No changes proposed
8. (now: 9) EXPERT GROUPS
EFJ-Expert Groups work by mandate of the Steering Committee and shall report to the Steering Committee and the IFJ Executive Committee.
(New: "8.1 EFJ-Expert Groups are working bodies of the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee appoints its members and decides on the aims and objectives of the work. The Expert Groups are open to experts from outside Europe".
8.2. Members must be experts proposed by member unions, which commit to pay the expenses connected to the function.
8.3 The Expert Groups must give a report of their work to the Steering Committee at least two times a year. They also report to the General Meeting. The Expert Groups shall, in cooperation with the European Office, make relevant information available on the IFJ/EFJ-websites. The working language of Expert Groups is chosen by the members of the Expert Groups and is German, English or French.").
9. (now: 10) FINANCES & 10. (now: 11) DISSOLUTION
No changes proposed