The European Journalists Network is an association registered in Finland, no.159.553
Statutes
§1 The name of the association is the European Journalists Network. Its domicile is in Helsinki.
§2 The association, formerly called the Association of European Journalists, is also the successor to the International Press Association, founded in 1968.
§3 The association’s purpose is to look after the common professional interests of its members. With this aim the association:
- represents its members vis-à-vis government offices, press organizations, institutions, embassies, and international bodies;
- organizes related meetings and travel;
- assists its members in obtaining documents, information, publications and other materials from officials, enterprises and institutions;
- and engages in other corresponding activities.
§4 The Association takes a special interest in Finland, Scandinavia, the Baltic rim and Europe.
§5 Full membership of the association is open to everyone who
- actively works as a journalist for a newspaper, periodical, news agency, feature or information service, picture bureau, broadcaster or other medium or
- engages in work to a degree that warrants the description of a journalist.
Members who retire from active journalism may retain their membership if they wish.
§6 Each member of the association must inform the Executive Committee without delay if his activities no longer satisfy the requirements for membership.
§7 The Executive Committee may approve applications for membership of the association. The application shall contain information about the present and previous professional activity of the applicant.
§8 The Executive Committee may grant associate membership to someone engaged in activities that contribute to the work of journalists. Associates have no right to vote.
§9 The association has a president and an executive committee of 4-6 members, who select from among themselves a vice-president, secretary and treasurer. These officers are elected for one year at a time at the annual general meeting.
Each annual general meeting also elects two auditors and one deputy auditor who are required to examine the accounts and ensure that the association has been properly administered.
§10 Members of the association shall pay an entrance fee on joining and an annual membership fee. The fees for the year ahead are set at the annual general meeting.
§11 The accounts of the association shall be closed each calendar year. During January the balance sheet and the treasurer’s report shall be delivered to the auditors, who must give their statement within ten days, but no later than 14 days before the annual meeting.
§12 The ultimate authority of the association is its general meeting. An annual meeting must be held before the end of February. An invitation to the meeting is to be sent to each member in an individually addressed letter or by e-mail, despatched at least two weeks before the meeting.
§13 Decisions at the annual general meeting shall be reached by majority vote. The agenda shall contain the following matters:
- election of a chairman for the meeting, who shall also be responsible for keeping the minutes
- confirmation that the meeting has been properly called
- presentation of the Executive Committee’s report, the balance sheet, the treasurer’s report and the auditors’ report
- endorsement of the balance sheet
- vote on discharging the Executive Committee from responsibility
- endorsement of the budget for the forthcoming year, including entrance and membership fees
- elections, separately, for the year ahead of
– a president
– an executive committee
– two auditors
– one deputy auditor - discussion of other matters if notice of them was given in writing at least ten days before the meeting.
§14 An extraordinary meeting can be called by the president or when one tenth of voting members ask the president in writing to hold a meeting for the consideration of a particular matter.
The invitation to an extraordinary meeting shall be sent by the same means as to an annual general meeting and despatched at least two weeks before the meeting.
§15 A decision regarding a change of the statutes of the association or the dissolution of the association requires a ¾ majority of the votes cast in a meeting of the association.
A decision regarding the dissolution of the association must be confirmed by a ¾ majority of votes cast in a second meeting, held no earlier than 30 days after the previous meeting.
§16 In the event of the dissolution of the association its funds shall be transferred to a legally authorized organisation in the field of journalism, to be named by the last meeting of the association.
§17 The president or the secretary may sign the name of the association on behalf of the Executive Committee.
The president may appoint personnel and commission work if this is necessary and within the means of the association.
These rules were approved in Helsinki on 18 February 2008 and revised earlier regulations.