PART I
DENOMINATION - HEAD OFFICE - SUBJECT - LASTING TIME

Article 1 - Denomination
The non-profit association was founded on 25 October 1986 under the denomination "European Union of Non-Smokers".

Article 2 - Head Office
The head office is situated 14, rue de Sébastopol, Strasbourg, France

Article 3 - Subject and means of actions
The purpose of the association is to enforce the fundamental right of people to live in smoke-free environment. To that end it endeavours to co-ordinate the targets and activities of ist memberassociations in the European area.
With that objective, the association may establish links and collaborate with organisations whose main aims are to exclude tobacco smoke from all areas of collective live where there may be people who do not want or cannot tolerate it, notably children, pregnant women, senior citizens and physically handicapped people.
The action of the association is to disseminate its views through all available media, such as publications, articles, reports, tracts, posters, the organisation of public meetings, exhibitions, lectures, congresses, interviews, ..... etc. If necessary, the association can take legal actions.
It has no political, religious or philosophical aims.

Article 4 - Term
The term of the association is unlimited.

PART II
COMPOSITION

Article 5 - Members
The members of the association are the national and regional associations represented at the Council of Europe which aims are mainly or partly, de jure or de facto, the same as those set out in article 3 of these statutes. The associations which are not member of the Council of Europe situated outside Europe can be admitted if their country belongs to the section Europe of the "World Health Organisation".

Article 6 - Adhesions - Resignations
The adhesion of a new member should be approved by the Executive Committee or by the Administrative Council and ratified by the General Assembly whose decision is supreme.
Membership of the association is rescinded by resignation and also by exclusion for non-payment of the subscription, or for acting against the aims or interests of the association, according to a proposal of the Executive Committee or by the Administrative Council. The desicion of the exclusion has to be decided by the General Assembly taken with a two-thirds majority, and after the association concerned has been invited to express it views.

PART III
MANAGEMENT AND FUNCTIONS

Article 7- Administrative Council
The Administrative Council consists of one titular and one or two substitute delegates of each country who will represent the member associations of their country. These delegates are proposed, for each country, by the member associations and are elected each year by the General Assembly. Members of the Administrative Council may give proxy to another member. The Administrative Council may appoint, by co-option, one or several member associations which have asked to join the EUN. These co-options have to be ratified by the following General Assembly.
The enforcement of the General Assembly´s decisions are the responsibility of the Administrative Council. The latter should meet once a year at least convened by the chairman or if at least half of the members demand it in writing. It may set up special commissions by calling, in an advisory capacity, on experts or more specially qualified people. The minutes of the meeting should be approved by the Administrative Council and signed by the Chairman and the Secretary. The minutes will be copied or photocopied in a special register.

Article 8 - Executive Committee
The Administrative Council should elect an Executive Committee from its titular members. It is composed of one Chairman, two to five Deputy-Chairmen, one Secretary, one Treasurer and if necessary, one Deputy-Secretary and one Deputy-Treasurer. However, in order to strengthen the coherence of the Executive Committee, the Chairman, the Secretary and the Treasurer can be the delegates from a same country. In this case only the Chairman and the Treasurer will have the vote at the Executive Committee and at the Administrative Council.
To be eligible people should be members of the Administrative Council at least since the General Assembly of the year before. The Executive Committee should be elected for one year. The Chairman has the casting vote. Members of the Executive Committee may give proxy to another member.
The Executive Committee should meet once a year at least. It should draft the agendas of the assemblies and of the Administrative Council. Matters to be included on the agenda of the General Assembly should reach the Administrative Council three months at least before the date of the meeting.
The Executive Committee is responsible for taking legal action if necessary. The Chairman represents the association. In his absence, the Executive Committee should delegate one of its members.
The minutes of the meeting should be approved by the members of the Executive Comittee and signed by the Chairman and the Secretary. They should be copied or photocopied in a special register.

Article 9 - Ordinary General Assembly
The General Assembly consists of the delegates of the member associations. Each association disposes of one vote. The General Assembly should be convened by the Executive Committee once a year and notice given at least two months in advance. It is held in each member country of the association in turn. At the beginning of each meeting, scrutineers should be elected. They are in charge of checking the validity of the votes. There should be three tellers at least, from three different countries. Members of the assembly may give proxy to another member. The assembly should deliberate on the matters of the agenda. It will be hearing the reports for the preceding year presented by the Chairman as well as the reports from each members association. The Treasurer should present the financial report for the preceding year as well as the budget estimate for the next year. The auditors should present the report of their checking of the accounts.
The General Assembly should express its opinion on these reports as well as on the budget estimate for the next year. It should elect the members of the Administrative Council and ratify, if necessary, the co-opations since the assembly of the year before. It should elect the auditors for the current year. The decisions of the assembly are taken by a majority of votes. The Chairman has the casting vote.
The Chairman should present the programme for the year to come.
The minutes of the meeting should be approved by the Administrative Council. They should be signed by the Chairman and the Secretary and copied or photocopied in a special register.

Article 10 - Extraordinary General Assembly
If necessary or on a demand of a majority of the member associations, the Executive Committee will convene members to an Extraordinary General Assembly which will be summoned within one month at least and two months at most. It is obligatory for any modification of the statutes. The Assembly should express its opinion only about the matters on the agenda. Members of the assembly may give proxy to another member. The vote can also be given by mail.

Article 11 - Checking of the accounts
The General Assembly should appoint two auditors to check the accounts. They should be appointed for one year and should have to submit a written report to the annual General Assembly.

Article 12 - Internal regulations
To clarify the UNION´s working practices, internal regulations may be laid down, if proposed by the Administrative Council or decided by the General Assembly. Simple majority approval at the General Assembly is required.

PART IV
FINANCING

Article 13 - Resources
The associations supporting the UNION are required to pay a yearly subscription. Its amount should be determined by the Administrative Council for each association, according to its own structures and resources, approved by the General Assembly and fixed according to the budgetary estimates approved by the General Assembly.
The UNION may request or accept subventions and funds, coming from private people, from represented countries from private or public bodies, national or international, whose actions are not contrary to the aims of the UEN.

PART V
EVOLUTION OF THE UNION

Article 14 - Modification of the statutes
The statutes may be changed at an Extraordinary General Assembly by a two-thirds majority.

Article 15- Dissolution
The dissolution of the UNION may only be authorised at an Extraordinary Assembly by a two-thirds majority. The assets, after the payments of the debts, should be shared among the members at time of the dissolution, in proportion to their contributions to the UNION over the precedings three years.

PART VI
DISPUTE - LEGAL - STATUTE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE

Article 16 - Dispute
Decisions in the case of dispute should be based on the original French text of the statutes.

Article 17 - Legal statute
The UNION is governed by articles n 21 to 79 of the Local Civil Law in force in the departments of Haut-Rhin, Bas-Rhin and Moselle maintained by the "Loi d´introduction" of the French Civil Legislation of 1st June 1924 and by the present statutes.

Article 18 - Administrative procedure
The association was registered in the Register of Associations of the Strasbourg Court on 24 February 1987. The Administrative Council will have to notify to the Register of Association above, within three months, every later modification of the statutes, all changes in the Administrative Council as well as the dissolution of the UNION.
Impressum