GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Description

The General Assembly is composed of all EROPA State, Group and Individual Members and is convened every two years in the region. The General Assembly formulates the general policies and gives overall financial direction to the Organization. It also approves applications for State and Group Membership in the Organization and approves the budgets and accounts of EROPA. It elects its President and Vice Presidents, the Executive Council, the Secretary General and the Commissioner of Audit, all of whom serve for a term of two years.

Functions

• Admission of State Members and Honorary Members shall be by a simple majority of the General Assembly present and voting, with approval of at least half of the number of State Members, upon the recommendation of the Executive Council. The General Assembly may also, upon recommendation of the Executive Council, invite a non-member State within the region to become a State Member, by a simple majority of the total votes of members present and voting with approval of at least half of the number of State Members. Admission of such a state as a State Member becomes effective on the date of acceptance by the Executive Council at any of its meetings of a formal application for membership. All other categories of membership shall be admitted by decision of the Executive Council.
  
• The General Assembly, upon the recommendation of the Executive Council, may establish classes within each category of membership and determine rates of annual membership fees.
  
• The General Assembly shall be constituted by the gathering of State, Group and Individual Members and convened by the Chairperson of the Executive Council. Ordinarily, the General Assembly shall meet every two years at a place and date to be determined by the Executive Council. When required, an extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly shall be convened by the Executive Council or upon the specific request of one half of the State Members.
  
• The General Assembly shall govern the affairs of the organization and shall determine policies and issue guidelines to the executive Council for the general operation and management of the organization's activities, and shall have the power to:
  
  • confirm the officers of the Council
  • admit State, Group, Individual, Associate and Honorary Members to the Organization
  • receive, consider and adopt with or without amendment a report from the Council including audited accounts
  • approve the appointment of the Secretary-General
  • aapprove a future work program and the budget recommended by the Council
  • eestablish and maintain Technical or other specialist Centers or Services that may be deemed appropriate
    
• The General Assembly shall elect a conference President and Vice-President for the Assembly Period.
  
• Unless otherwise provided for in the Constitution, all questions in the General Assembly shall be decided by an absolute majority of the members present and voting, with each State Member having ten votes, each Group Member two votes and each Individual member one vote, with the approval of at least half the number of State Members.
  
• The Constitution may be amended by the General Assembly upon a proposal recommended by the Executive Council, or upon a proposal recommended by an absolute majority of State Members. Any other member can submit its proposal of constitutional amendments to the Executive Council. Amendments shall be adopted by a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly present and voting with approval of at least half of the number of the State Members.