European Union of Women EUW
Europäische Frauenunion EFU
Union Europeenne Feminine UEF
July 1988
COMMISSION STANDING ORDERS
Preamble
The European Union of Women (EUW) may form commissions, with the aim that their work shall contribute to international cooperation in Europe.
The commissions shall have the following rules:
§1 Aims
1. The commission's formed in accordance with Art. XI of the constitution of the EUW shall work on subjects within their specialist field, taking into consideration the activities of other European organisations (e.g. the Council of Europe) and of the national sections in a similar sphere.
2. To ensure coordination of the work of the commissions within the Union, the subjects chosen for study shall be approved by the Executive Committee.
§2 Composition
1. Each national section shall have the right to appoint up to three members to each commission. The members shall have special knowledge and experience as well as professional qualifications appropriate to the specialist sphere of their commission. They shall have a working knowledge of one of the three official languages of the Union and shall be capable of understanding a second such language.
2. The chairman of each national section shall inform the chairman of the commissions and the General Secretary the name, address and qualifications of each member appointed to a commission; she shall state who is the leader, entitled to speak and vote on behalf o the section, to whom all documentation shall be sent and also who is her first deputy.
3. Members of a commission shall be the official representatives of a national section on that commission. Should no full member of the commission be able to attend a meeting, the national section may appoint a deputy, who shall be furnished with all the working papers and shall have the rights of a full member.
4. The chairman shall be entitled to invite EUW members who do not belong to her commission to attend a meeting as observers.
5. The chairman of a commission may invite specialists to provide information or advice on a specific subject at a commission meeting.
§3 Appointment of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen
1. The chairman and vice-chairman of commissions shall be appointed by the Council in accordance with Art. IX 3e of the Constitution. They shall be appointed for a two-year term of office and shall be eligible for re-appointment according to the Constitution.
2. Six month before the Council Meeting at which appointments shall be made, the General Secretary shall invite commissions to submit nominations for the positions of chairman and vice-chairman of their commission and national sections to submit the names of qualified members for the chairmanship and vice-chairman of each commission. In the case of new candidates, this shall be accompanied by a declaration of their willingness to serve.
3. The proposals for nomination shall be submitted to the chairman of the Election Committee according to Art. XI sec 4c of the Constitution.
§4 Methods of work
1. The chairman shall be responsible for the work of her commission. She should operate in close partnership with her vice-chairman. If the chairman is unable to play an active role it shall be the duty of the vice-chairman, in consultation with the chairman, to fulfil this role.
2. Various methods of work may be adopted:
a) Questionnaires - enquiries in the countries of the national sections
b) Statement -summary of findings, recommendations of decisions
c) Study of existing paper (international or other document)
d) Study days
3. The chairman shall ensure that commission member shall have adequate time (several months) for commission work.
4. The commission members shall be urged to submit their work by the required date.
5. The chairman shall prepare resolutions for the commission and shall circulate appropriate drafts and working papers to all members in good time (if possible a few weeks) before a commission meeting.
§5 Meetings
1. Frequency - Each commission shall meet at least once a year.
2. Meeting Place - In deciding upon a meeting place the most favourable conditions for the majority of participants shall be taken into consideration. If possible meetings shall be combined with other seminars, conferences etc. in order to save expense.
3. Convening and Cancellation - The chairman shall convene a meeting with adequate notice. She shall cancel the meeting in good time. If less than one third of the national sections represented on the commission is able to be present.
4. Agenda - The agenda shall be circulated to all commission members in the three official languages of the Union in good time before a commission meeting.
§6 Languages
The chairman shall ascertain which official language(s) shall be used and shall ensure the necessary interpretation. This may be in summary form, but shall be at frequent intervals, to enable all members to take part in the discussion and decisions.
§7 Minutes
1. One or more secretaries shall be appointed at each commission meeting, normally from among the commission members present. They shall, between them, cover the language(s) to be used.
2. The secretarial duties shall be to record:
a) resolutions
b) a summary of the meeting, if desired (Methods of Work § 4.2 or documentation § 9).
c) Minutes of decisions signed by the chairman and circulated at the latest three months after the meeting.
§8 Voting
1. Each national section shall have the right to one vote. This right shall be exercised by the leader or by her deputy.
2. A national section, which has not been able to take part in the work of the commission between General Assemblies, shall not have the right to vote on a resolution based on that work. "Work" shall be interpreted as presence at all meetings or as written work having been submitted in lieu. The decision of the chairman regarding voting rights shall be final.
§9 Documentation
1. All documents shall be dated and signed by the sender, stating the original language and, where appropriate, her national section. Every translation shall be accompanied by one copy of the original language version.
2. Documents not concerning resolutions or decisions - "initial documents" - may be circulated in only one of the official languages. National sections shall be responsible for the necessary translation.
3. All documents of a decisive character - "final documents" (resolutions, minutes, etc.) shall be circulated in the three official languages.
4. All translation shall, if at all possible, be from the foreign language into the mother tongue.
5. All initial documents shall be circulated by the chairman to the leaders in sufficient quantities for their members and one copy shall be sent to the General Secretary.
6. Final documents shall be sent by the chairman to all leaders in sufficient quantity for their members and to the General Secretary for all national sections.
7. The chairman shall keep a record file of the activities of her commission, which shall be available to her vice-chairman or her successor, to enable good continuity in the conduct of the work of the commission.
§10 Cooperation between commissions
1. Joint meetings
Should two or more commissions be active in the same field, joint meetings may be held in order to coordinate the work. This cooperation shall be mutual consent of the chairman of the commissions concerned and shall have the approval of the Executive Committee. The cooperation shall cease at the request of the Executive Committee or of one of the commissions' chairmen.
2. One subject common to all commissions
The proposals of one subject common to all commissions shall be discussed at the Council meeting and, if adopted, spheres of interest shall be defined to avoid overlapping.
§11 Cooperation with national sections
It shall be the duty of leaders to keep the chairman of their national section informed about the activities of the commission.
§12 Amendments to the Commission Rules
Proposals for amendment of these Commission Rules shall be submitted to the General Secretary two months before a council meeting. The Commission Rules may be amended by the Council with a two-thirds majority of those present and voting.
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