Statutes

YEE Statutes

Youth and Environment Europe (YEE) is an umbrella organization uniting European youth organizations concerned with nature studies and environmental issues.

ARTICLE 1, NAME AND REGISTERED OFFICE

1.1. The international federation shall have the name Youth and Environment Europe, hereinafter referred to as YEE or the Federation.
1.2. YEE was founded as the European region of the International Youth Federation for Environmental Studies and Conservation (IYF) in 1983.
1.3. The registered office of YEE is at Ekologicke centrum Toulcuv dvur, Kubatova 1/32, 102 00 Praha 10 - Hostivar, Czech Republic.

ARTICLE 2, OBJECTIVES

2.1. Youth and Environment Europe (YEE) is a non-profit making federation of:
q local, regional or national, non-governmental youth organisations;
q the autonomous youth sections of local, regional or national, non-governmental organisations
concerned with the study and conservation of nature and/or involved in environmental issues in accordance with the objectives of the Federation.
2.2. YEE shall seek to organise and encourage all that might increase the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of nature and the awareness of environmental problems among young people throughout Europe in order to promote the commitment of youth to the principles of environmental conservation and to stimulate young people's voluntary action for the protection of nature, the enhancement of the environment and the sustainable use of the Earth's resources.
2.3. The qualified majority (90%) of participants in any activity of YEE shall be under 31 years of age unless otherwise stated so, as in article 5.2. in these Statutes.

ARTICLE 3, MEANS

3.1. The Federation shall work regardless of race, gender, culture, religion or political beliefs.
3.2. The Federation shall attain its objectives (see Article 2, Objectives) by:
3.2.1. uniting existing youth organisations whose objectives conform to those of the Federation and encouraging the formations of new ones;
3.2.2. encouraging individuals and organisations in any action which conforms to the objectives of the Federation;
3.2.3. organizing camps, training courses, public actions, conferences, seminars, and other meetings and any other activities within the scope of the Federation's objectives;
3.2.4. collecting and exchanging documents, ideas and experience in the field of the Federation's objectives;
3.2.5. collecting, analysing and distributing information relevant to the Federation's objectives;
3.2.6. establishing and maintaining international contacts between the Federation and organizations and individuals so far as these contacts are beneficial to the Federation and its objectives;
3.2.7. offering space for ecological education - establishing and running eco centres and eco hostels.
3.2.8. any other means that might be advantageous to the Federation's objectives.

ARTICLE 4, MEMBERSHIP

4.1. MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA
4.1.1. The Federation shall be composed of organisations, which are accepted as member organisations in accordance with these Statutes by the General Assembly at the Annual Meeting.
4.1.2. The members are organisations registered according to the laws and customs of their state of origin.
4.1.3. The members have to fulfil the following general criteria:
a) to be active in the objectives of the Federation
b) to be concerned with the study and conservation of nature and/or involved in environmental issues in accordance with the objectives of the Federation.
c) to be a non-governmental organization;
d) to be a non-profit making organization;
e) to have democratic aims and structures;
f) to fully acknowledge the Statutes of the Federation;
g) to work with young people and have a decision making body controlled by young people under 31 years of age;
h) not to be subject to direction in their decisions by any external authority.

4.2. CATEGORIES OF MEMBERS AND CRITERIA.
There are two categories of members of this Federation:
A. Full member organizations shall be local, regional or national, self-governing, democratic, European, non-governmental youth organizations or groups or the autonomous youth sections of local, regional or national self-governing, democratic, European, non-governmental organizations or groups who conform with the statutes of the Federation and who are active in the field of environmental studies, conservation and education.
B. Associate member organizations shall be organizations with substantial youth membership, self-governing, democratic, involved in youth work and environmental work, which take a substantial interest in the objectives and activities of the Federation but cannot or do not wish to become full member organizations.

4.3. MEMBERSHIP RIGHTS
A. Full members have the following rights:
a) right to be present and speak at the Annual Meeting;
b) right to nominate candidates for all posts of all statutory bodies and working structures of the Federation;
c) right to vote. Each full member shall be entitled to one voting right;
B. Associate members have the following rights:
a) right to be present and speak at the Annual Meeting;
b) right to nominate candidates for all posts of all statutory bodies and working structures of the Federation

4.4. MEMBERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES
The members have the responsibility to:
a) fulfil in a permanent manner all the criteria stated in 4.1 above;
b) pay the annual membership fee before the official opening of the Annual Meeting of the year concerned, being aware of the fact that each MO has the right to appeal to the EB of the Federation in order to explain itself in case of difficulties with cash flow that affect the payment of the membership fee;
c) participate in the meetings of the Federation, its bodies or working structures;
d) answer in due time to requests for information connected with the purpose of the Federation.

4.5. MEMBERSHIP REVIEW AND END OF MEMBERSHIP

4.5.1. In principle, members acquire their status for an unlimited period of time.
4.5.2. Whenever one of the member organisations does not fulfil the criteria for membership or the criteria for its level of membership, the termination of its membership or the review of its membership status will be decided at the Annual Meeting by the General Assembly by a two-thirds majority of votes cast, not counting abstentions, as described in part B 2.2. to 2.9. of the Rules of Procedure.
4.5.3. Each full member organisation, which has not paid its fees before the official opening of the Annual Meeting of the concerned year, shall automatically lose its voting right as of the General Assembly at that same Annual Meeting. If membership fees are not paid for longer than two years and the Annual Meetings are not attended either without giving any explanation, then the membership status shall be reviewed by the General Assembly as described in part B 2. of the Rules of Procedure.

ARTICLE 5, THE ANNUAL MEETING AND THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

5.1. MEETING
5.1.1. The regularly constituted Annual Meeting shall represent full and associate members. The General Assembly - constituted by the voting delegates of the full member organisations - shall have the authority to take, exercise or ratify all decisions taken in the interest of the Federation. The General Assembly is the ultimate authority of the Federation, only limited by its liability to observe the Federation's Statutes and Rules of Procedure.
5.1.2. The Annual Meeting shall be convened in writing to the official address of the member organisations, at least 60 days before the ordinary Annual Meeting and 45 days before the extraordinary Annual Meeting.

5.2. COMPOSITION
5.2.1. The Annual Meeting shall consist of the representatives delegated by the full and the associate member organisations.
5.2.2. The General Assembly shall consist of the representatives delegated by the full member organisations.

All these representatives shall be duly accredited by their organisations and shall be under 30 years of age.

5.3. ATTENDANCE
The Annual Meeting is composed of two groups:
A. Full member organisations may send as many representatives to the Annual Meeting as they wish but may accredit only one of these representatives as their voting delegate for the General Assembly.
B. Associate member organisations may send as many representatives to the Annual Meeting as they wish.

5.4. FUNCTIONS
The functions of the Annual Meeting shall be of preparatory and debating character:
a) to evaluate the work of the Federation based on the Annual Report presented by the Executive Board;
b) to receive the External and Internal Auditor's report;
c) to revise the budget of the current financial year;
d) to review the membership status of member organisations in accordance with the procedures determined by the Statutes and Rules of Procedure;
e) to discuss amendments to the Policies, Statutes or to the Rules of Procedure;
f) to elaborate the work plan and the priorities of the federation.
The functions of the General Assembly shall be of decision-making character:
a) approve the finance statements and balance sheets of the elapsed financial year;
b) to clear the Executive Board;
c) to elect the members of the Executive Board and the Election Committee, the Auditors and at least two Secretaries to take the minutes;
d) to confirm the budget of the current financial year and to adopt the budget of the next financial year;
e) to determine the membership fees to be paid annually by the member organisations;
f) to decide on the admission and dismissal of member organisations in accordance with the procedures determined by the Statutes and Rules of Procedure;
g) to adopt amendments to the Policies, Statutes or to the Rules of Procedure;
h) to perform such other functions as may be conferred on it by the Statutes and Rules of Procedure;
i) to approve the work plan and the priorities of the Federation;
j) to adopt resolutions at the proposal of full member organisations or of the Executive Board;

5.5. QUORUM
5.5.1. The General Assembly can only take valid decisions, if, at least, one fourth of the full member organisations are officially represented by voting delegates. If the quorum is not reached, the decisions of the General Assembly will be effective, unless at least one fourth of the full member organisations of the federation object in writing within 60 days of the date of mailing the minutes of the Annual Meeting.

5.6. VOTING
5.6.1. Except when otherwise required by these Statutes or by the Rules of Procedure, the General Assembly shall take decisions by a simple majority of the votes cast, not counting abstentions.
5.6.2. Each full member organisation has one vote to be given personally by its voting delegate. A voting delegate may empower another representative of a full member organisation by written proxy to vote on his or her behalf, complying with the instructions contained in the mandate. No person may cast more than one vote.

5.7. EXTRAORDINARY ANNUAL MEETING
5.7.1. An extraordinary Annual Meeting shall be convened:
a) by the Executive Board if it considers it necessary;
b) by the Executive Board at the request of at least three full member organisations, from at least three different countries;
c) by one or more full member organisations at the expense of the Federation when the Executive Board fails to convene an Extraordinary Annual Meeting within 90 days of a request having been presented in accordance with (b) above.
5.7.2. For an extraordinary Annual Meeting the same regulations apply as for an ordinary Annual Meeting, except when otherwise stated in these Statutes.

5.8. RESOLUTIONS
5.8.1. Member organisations are not bound by the policy of the Federation as expressed in the resolutions adopted by the Annual Meeting. Any full member organization which cannot or does not wish to express an opinion on a proposed resolution or opposes such a resolution can request this to be recorded in the minutes of the Annual Meeting, and may distance itself from the policy expressed in this resolution by referring to these minutes.
5.8.2. A resolution can be adopted by the General Assembly as the official policy of the Federation only if supported by a majority of two-thirds of the votes cast, abstentions not counted, and provided the draft has been circulated to all full member organizations along with the final version of the agenda of the Annual Meeting. In the case that one third or more of the votes are abstentions, a second round shall be held by secret ballot, and in this instance the resolution can be adopted by the General Assembly as the official policy of the Federation only if supported by a majority of two-thirds of the votes cast, abstentions counted. Such a resolution may be termed a policy statement.
5.8.3. Other resolutions can be adopted only as a resolution of the General Assembly, acting as a representative international decision-making body in a meeting of young environmentalists, and not on behalf of the Federation.

5.9. REFERENDUM
5.9.1. In case an Annual Meeting cannot take place, or for other reasons to be judged by the Executive Board, it can be replaced by a Referendum.
5.9.2. In a Referendum each full member organisation has one vote to be given by its executive board or comparable authority.
5.9.3. A Referendum shall be organised according to the procedure determined by the Rules of Procedure.
5.9.4. The quorum for a Referendum is the same as for General Assembly of the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE 6, THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

6.1. COMPOSITION
6.1.1. The Board is composed of six persons from at least four different countries, reflecting geographical balance, appointed from among the member organisations:
a) the Chairperson elected at the Annual Meeting by the General Assembly;
b) the Vice-Chairperson elected from among board members at the Annual Meeting by the General Assembly
c) the Treasurer elected at the Annual Meeting by the General Assembly;
d) Member Organisation Officer, Project Officer, External Relations Officer, Publication and Promotional Officer, elected at the Annual Meeting by the General Assembly. The members of the Executive Board are elected individually, specific in their function and not as a collective.
6.1.2. The members of the Board shall be under 30 years of age at their election.
6.1.3. All Executive Board members are elected at the Annual Meeting by the General Assembly. The duration of their office is until clearance by the General Assembly of the following Annual Meeting. Each member of the Executive Board can be re-elected if the criteria for candidature are met.
6.1.4. The members of the Executive Board shall exercise the powers delegated to them at the Annual Meeting by the General Assembly on behalf of the Federation as a whole and not as representatives of their respective countries or organizations.

6.2. RESPONSIBILITIES
6.2.1. The Executive Board is bound by the decisions taken at the Annual Meeting by the General Assembly. It is at all times and in all matters responsible to all Member Organisations. Its members shall report regularly to them.
6.2.2. The duties of the Offices of the Executive Board are defined in the Rules of Procedure, the Board Member Policy and the Guidelines.

6.3. FUNCTIONS
The Executive Board shall have the following functions:
a) to provide the overall control of the Federation;
b) to control the fulfilment of the work plan approved by the General Assembly at the Annual Meeting.
c) to implement the policies determined at the Annual Meeting by the General Assembly;
d) to represent the Federation with regard to third parties;
e) to select the Secretary General and to approve the other employees of the Federation
f) to approve a draft budget for the next financial year prepared by the Secretary General;
g) to give direction to the work of the Secretariat, set objectives and rules for the work of Secretariat;
h) to maintain contact with and between the member organizations;
i) to prepare meetings of the organs of the Federation and its other working structures;
j) to participate in meetings of the organs of the Federation;
k) to present the Annual Report on the activities of the Executive Board and of the Federation at the Annual Meeting;
l) to provide the newly elected Executive Board with a training session as explained in part D 3.3 of the Rules of Procedure

6.4. QUORUM AND VOTE
6.4.1. The Executive Board may validly deliberate provided more than half its members are present. If the Quorum is not reached, the decisions of the Board Meeting will be effective unless one of the board members objects in writing within 14 days of the date of mailing the minutes.
6.4.2. Decisions of the Executive Board shall be made by simple majority of the votes cast. Each member shall have one vote. In case of a tie, the voting shall resume after more discussion. If three consecutive ties occur the proposal is not accepted.
6.4.3. Voting shall be by show of hands unless at least one member requests that voting is by secret ballot.

6.5. PHYSICAL AND VIRTUAL BOARD MEETINGS
6.5.1. The Executive Board shall meet at least once a year not including the Annual Meetings and may convene in as many other sessions as necessary and when convened by the Chairperson. The latter shall convene a meeting of the Board if requested to do so by at least three of its members. The Secretariat shall take part in these meetings.
6.5.2. The notice must be given to Member Organisations at least 14 days in advance in case of a physical Board Meeting. The notice shall at least state the draft agenda as well as the venue and the date of the meeting. The Board shall meet in a place it judges appropriate. In case of a virtual Board Meeting notice shall be given at least 5 days in advance.
6.5.3. Minutes of Executive Board meetings shall be kept. The Minutes are to be stored in the office of the Federation.

6.6. END OF MANDATE
Membership of the Executive Board will end in the event of:
a) Expiration of their mandate;
b) resignation;
c) request from the simple majority of the General Assembly of an extraordinary Annual Meeting;
d) the unanimous decision of all the other members of the Executive Board. In this case the dismissed member may appeal to the organs of the Federation.
6.7. ELECTIONS
6.7.1. The members of the Board shall be elected by secret ballot at the Annual Meeting by the General Assembly by a simple majority of votes cast.
6.7.2. At the Annual Meeting an Electoral Commission shall be formed in order to run the elections. The procedures of the Electoral Commission are described in the Rules of Procedure.
6.7.3. The Executive Board has the right to fill vacancies occurring during its period of office by sending an open call to Member Organisations. The position shall be filled within one month after the extraordinary end of mandate, unless at least one fourth of the full member organisations of the Federation disagree in writing within 14 days following the announcement of the change. The Chairperson, Vice-chairperson and Treasurer shall always be Board Members elected at the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE 7, THE SECRETARIAT

7.1. The General Assembly of the Annual Meeting may establish a permanent Secretariat to perform such executive and administrative tasks as conferred on it by the Executive Board.
7.2. The Secretariat shall consist of Staff Members employed by the Federation. From the entire staff of the organisation, the Executive Board only appoints the Secretary General, who is given the responsibility for other staff members' recruitment, development and evaluation, but with the approval of the Board.
7.3. The Secretariat shall work under the direction of the Executive Board in accordance with the Statutes, the Rules of Procedure and the policies determined by the General Assembly at the Annual Meeting and guidelines developed by the Executive Board. It shall report once a month and be responsible to the Executive Board.
7.4. The rights and duties of the employees are defined in the Rules of Procedure and the Secretariat Policy.
7.5. The Secretary General is empowered to do legal activities appointed in the work contract in the name of YEE. The Secretary General is empowered to do other legal activities in the name of YEE only with approval of the Board.

ARTICLE 8, FINANCES, ADMINISTRATION AND CONTROL

8.1. The funds of the Federation may only be used for purposes advantageous to the objectives or activities of the Federation.
8.2. The financial year starts on 1st of January and ends on 31st of December.
8.3. The Secretary General shall present a report on the financial situation of the Federation at each Annual Meeting and submit for its approval the finance statements and balance sheets of the elapsed financial year. The approval of the General Assembly at the Annual Meeting discharges the Executive Board and the Treasurer of their financial responsibility for the period concerned.
8.4. The General Assembly of the Annual Meeting shall elect two auditors who shall not have any other office in the Federation to check the accounts, verify the finance statements and balance sheets and examine the financial policy of the Executive Board. The auditors shall do the internal audit each financial year at the time most suitable for them and the Secretariat. The Auditors shall report at the Annual Meeting before the approval of the finance statements and balance sheets by the General Assembly.
8.5. The annual membership fee is to be determined by the General Assembly at the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE 9, WINDING-UP AND LIQUIDATION

The winding-up of the Federation shall only be the decision of the General Assembly at the Annual Meeting, in accordance with the procedure described for the modification of the statutes.

ARTICLE 10, MODIFICATION OF THE STATUTES AND THE RULES OF PROCEDURE

10.1. The present Statutes may be amended by the General Assembly at the Annual Meeting with a two-thirds majority of votes cast, not counting abstentions.
The proposed amendments must be presented to the Secretariat in writing at least 120 days before the Annual Meeting and communicated to the members at least 90 days before the Annual Meeting.
Amendments come into force after the end of the Annual Meeting.
Any queries concerning the interpretation or application of these Statutes shall be decided, in the first instance, by the Executive Board and in the last instance by the General Assembly at the Annual Meeting.
10.2. The Rules of Procedure shall be adopted by the General Assembly at the Annual Meeting by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast, abstentions not counted.
The Rules of Procedure can be amended by the General Assembly at the Annual Meeting at the majority of two-thirds of the vote cast, abstentions not counted.
The proposed amendments must be presented to the Secretariat in writing at least 60 days before the Annual Meeting and communicated to the members at least 45 days before the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE 11, ORGANS AND WORKING STRUCTURES

11.1. The organs of the Federation shall be:
a) the General Assembly;
b) the Executive Board;
c) the Secretariat

11.2. The working structure of the Federation shall be:
a) the Annual Meetings;
b) the Executive Board Meetings

11.3. For positions in the organs of the Federation, a candidate can be elected if he/she is less than 30 years of age at the time of the election.
11.4. For positions in other working structures of the Federation, a candidate can be elected or appointed if he/she is under 30 years of age at the time of election or appointment.
11.5. For all statutory meetings, except the Annual Meeting and the Extraordinary Annual Meeting, the delegates must be under 31 years of age. During the Annual Meeting and the Extraordinary Annual Meeting all MO delegates, except the Board Members who have been elected during the last Annual Meeting and will be cleared off their office during the same Annual Meeting, shall be under 30 years of age.
11.6. The employees of the Secretariat are to be under 31 years of age during the time of employment.

ARTICLE 12, LEGAL CAPACITY

The Executive Board shall take such action it considers desirable to give the Federation legal capacity in the countries in which it operates and where this may be necessary for the fulfilment of its objectives. The Federation shall be represented in its dealings with third parties, at the same time, by at least two out of the following three: Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson or Treasurer.

ARTICLE 13, LANGUAGE

13.1. The working language of the Federation is English.
13.2. All official documents shall be drafted in English.

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