Statutes

§1 Name

  1. The association is named “European Youth Press – network of young media makers e.V.” (short: EYP)
  2. The association has its residence in Berlin.
  3. The financial year is the calendar year.

§2 Aims and objectives of the association

  1. The association is an international association of national, regional and transnational youth media organisations in Europe. The objectives of the Association are as follows:
    • Providing support and service for national or regional youth media organisations in Europe and media organisations working on a transnational or European level (networking and cooperation)
    • Youth information by young people for young people
    • Exchange of knowledge
    • Cooperation between young journalists in Europe
    • Formation and education of young people to democratic, consciously acting humans
    • Education of young multipliers and strengthening of the role of youth media in Europe
    • Education on media competence among young people in Europe
    • The participation of young people
    • The support of international understanding, in particular the ideas on collaboration between peoples and peace
    • The realisation of the constitutional right of freedom of speech
    • The realisation of the objectives of the European Charta of human rights, especially the freedom of speech and press
    • Cooperation with various partner organisations
    • The representation of the needs of national and transnational or European youth media organisations towards public and political institutions
  2. The objectives of these statutes will be realised through:
    • The organisation of educational seminars, congresses and meetings for young multipliers
    • The organisation of meetings to exchange experiences
    • The establishment of information exchange through new media
    • The production of service and working materials for the member organisations
    • Research about the situation and role of youth media in Europe
    • Cooperation among the member organisations and with different partners (European institutions)
    • Representation of the needs of the member organisations towards public and political institutions
    • Support of the member organisations through information and concrete projects
  3. The organisation fulfils its goals and objectives politically neutral and independent from governments and worldviews based on free and democratic principles.
  4. All documents created by or sent to the European Youth Press should be eligible to be read by members of European Youth Press on request.

§3 Non-profit character of the association

  1. The association pursues exclusively and directly non-profit purposes in the sense of the section tax-privileged purposes of the tax code. The association is working for the public good and does not pursue primarily self-economical purposes.
  2. Materials of the association may only be used for statutory purposes. The members do not receive allowances from the association in their characteristic as a member. They have no entitlements towards the organisation if they cease to be members of the organisation. No person may profit from the association in ways, which are not in line with the aims and objectives of the association, or by disproportionately high remunerations.

§4 Membership

  1. European Youth Press has two kinds of memberships: full member and observer member ship. Membership can be applied for in written form with the board.
  2. Full member of European Youth Press can become:
    • National organisations of young media makers in Europe, whose aims and objectives correspond with the ones written in §2 (1). In addition, they must be legally established since at least one year and must be politically independent.
    • Transnational or European media organisations, whose aims and objectives correspond with the ones written in §2 (1). In addition, they must be legally established since at least one year and must be politically independent. They also need to have more than 50 individual members and work in more than five European countries.

    The admission of full members is decided by the General Assembly following standard criteria after an organisation had an observer status for one year. The admission of a full member requires the votes of 2/3 of all full members.

  3. Observers have to be invited to the General Assembly and have the right of speech and to hand in motions, but no right to vote. Observer member can become:
    • Any youth media organisation that is legally established, if it potentially meets the criteria of full membership one year after its application. After one year observer status the General Assembly may decide based on standard criteria to give full membership to the observer, to prolong its observer status, or to refuse its application.
    • Youth media organisations that do not fulfil the criteria for full membership may also apply for observer status and remain observers in the organisation for an undetermined period of time.
  4. Membership fees and additional rules are defined in the Membership fee regulations of the European Youth Press, which is established by the General Assembly

§5 Ending of membership

  1. To end its membership, the member makes a written declaration to the executive board, respecting a period of three months before the conclusion of the financial year.
  2. Member can be excluded by resolution of the General Assembly, if it acts against the aims and objectives of the association or does not follow its membership obligations. The member is to be invited to the General Assembly and to be heard. The member can be excluded with a 2/3 majority of votes of all members.

§6 Organs of the association

  1. The organs of the association are:
    • General Assembly
    • Executive Board
    • Internal Auditors
    • Advisory Board

§7 General assembly

  1. The General Assembly is the highest decision-making organ of the association and regulates especially the following issues:
    • a) Election of the Executive Board
    • b) Decision upon the financial plan of the Executive Board
    • c) Reception of the annual report and financial report of the Executive Board and the internal financial audit report
    • d) Decision upon a financial statute
    • e) Election of the Internal Auditors
    • f) Decision upon membership applications
    • g) Changes of the statutes
    • h) Election of the Advisory Board
    • i) Approval of the actions of the executive committees
  2. At ordinary General Assembly is to be invited by the board if necessary, but at least once per year. The invitation is to be sent by the board one month in advance via Email, including the draft agenda, the last known member email address. Members who do not have an email address are invited by letter. The meeting of the members is quorate only if the invitation is valid and two thirds of the full members are present. Member organisations should delegate representatives to the General Assembly being major of age, but being younger than 30 years.
  3. An extraordinary General Assembly takes place if the Executive Board, the Advisory Board or the Internal Auditors or at least 40% of the members apply for one in a written form and with their reasons. This General Assembly must then take place in the next two months after the request. The regulations for invitation from § 7, 2 are still valid.
  4. Decisions are taken, if the statutes say nothing else, with simple majority of the delivered votes. Each member has one vote. Cumulative voting is inadmissible.
  5. The General Assembly has to vote on the financial report and the activity report of the previous year and the budget plan and the working plan for the following year. It elects two internal auditors for the duration of two years. After the financial closing of a year, they make an internal audit.
  6. About the decisions and about the substantial process of negotiation, minutes are to be taken. They are to be signed by the chairman of the General Assembly and the minute-maker. Minutes are to be made accessible for the members within four weeks.
  7. The communication language in the General Assembly is English.
  8. Between two General Assemblies, the member organisations represent themselves towards the European Youth Press by their authorised contact person. This contact persons is responsible for the communication between their organisation and the European Youth Press in order to provide mutual feedback towards each other about current issues. The contact person has to be informed about current activities, financial issues and structural changes of the European Youth Press.
  9. The General Assembly can establish Working Committees for the accomplishment and continuous running of certain projects.
  10. Guests can participate in the General Assembly according to approval of the General Assembly. Guests have no right to vote but have to be listened to.
  11. The GA can discharge member of Executive Board by vote of 2/3 of full member organisations present at the GA.

§8 Executive board

  1. The Executive Board, in the sense of §26 BGB (German Civil Law), consists of minimum
    four, maximum nine persons and the Treasurer. The members of the Executive Board must be under the age of 30 years; they can be but are not necessarily members of the member organisations. The adhesion of the Executive Board is limited to the property of the Association. The activity in the Executive Board is honorary.
  2. The members of the Executive Board are elected by the General Assembly. The term of the members of the Executive Board is two years. They remain in office until the installation of the new Executive Board. The term of office ends within six months after the completion of the 30th living year of the individual member. When a member of the Executive Board resigns, a by-election can take place at the next General Assembly. The association is legally represented by two members of the Executive Board.
  3. The Executive Board selects out of its circle two Executive Board speakers and if necessary resort leaders.
  4. The Executive Board acts to the duties and responsibilities stated in the rules of procedure. The decisions of the Board Meetings are to be logged in written form and to be signed by the writer of the minutes and one further member of the Executive Board. All minutes of the Board Meetings are to be sent to all the member organisations within four weeks.
  5. The Executive Board can create an administrative office with a Secretary General, who can legally act and represent the organisation. The regulations of the administrative office are defined and described in the Rules of Procedure as well as details regarding office employees’ entering and quitting positions.
  6. The Executive Board can establish Working Committees for the accomplishment and continuous running of certain projects.
  7. Without derogation of §8, Art. 1, members of the Executive Board can receive financial compensation for their work that is related to projects or events, such as project coordination or fulfilment of other tasks. If members of the Executive Board partake in the event on the behalf of the EYP they can also receive financial benefit for their participation (e.g. honorarium or overnight allowance). Executive board members will decide which one of them will coordinate certain project and about the amount of money.

§9 Internal Auditors

  1. The internal auditors consist of two people elected by the GA for two years.
  2. They critically check the finances and the entire organisation. After the closing of the financial year, they make an internal audit report.

§10 Advisory Board

  1. The Advisory Board consists of at least three, maximum seven persons elected for two years.
  2. On request, it gets insight and provides advice for the Executive Board on the whole organisation, especially finances.
  3. The Advisory Board has to report on every General Assembly.
  4. The Advisory Board are entitled to act as an Election Committee in front of an approaching General Assembly.
  5. The Advisory Board evaluates organizations applying for membership of the European Youth Press as well as observing member organizations when applying to become full members, expressing a motivated opinion to the General Assembly.
  6. The Advisory Board does not have an age limit.
  7. The Advisory Board consists of representatives of Member organizations and/or the people who have experience with European Youth Press and/or external experts.

§11 Changes of statutes and dissolution

  1. The General Assembly decides on changes of the statutes the changes of the aims and tasks of the association and the dissolution. Proposals to changes of the statutes, the changes of the aims and tasks of the association have to be provided to the members at least three weeks in advance before the next General Assembly. For adoption of decisions on these, a majority of 2/3 of the voters present at the beginning of the meeting is necessary.
  2. Changes or additions to the statutes, which are prescribed by the responsible register office or by the tax office, are made by the executive committee and require no adoption of resolution by the General Assembly. They are to be communicated to the members at the latest with the next invitation for meeting of the members.
  3. In the case of dissolution, with extraction of the legal capacity of the association or with omission of the tax-privileged purposes the entire fortune falls to the “reporters without borders” with the obligation to us it for non-profit purposes in the sense of the tax code excluding and in accordance with § 2 of this statute to use directly.

§12 Validity

  1. The statute enters into force when it is agreed upon by vote.
  2. The legally binding version of the Statutes is its German translation.
  3. The present Statutes, the elected representatives (i.e. members of the Executive Board, members of the advisory board) and the various member organisations of the Association are to be presented at the official website of the association (www.youthpress.org) together with contact information.
  4. Supplemental documents form an integral part of the Statutes, but they can be adapted to the needs of the organisation at every General Assembly without implying the need for an official statute change.