Rules
Application for membership
Applications for membership shall be submitted in writing to the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors reviews the applications and has the ultimate authority to decide on the admission of Members, by simple majority of the Members present or duly represented, at its next meeting. The decision of the Board is communicated to the applicant in writing.
When assessing whether to admit an applicant as a new Member, the Board of Governors shall consider, inter alia, whether:
a) the business of the applicant is aligned with and respects the values of the Association, as set out in the Rules; and
b) there is any evidence that the applicant’s operations may not comply with applicable legislation or with the standards of safety and ethical behaviour required under the Rules.
In the event of a negative decision, the applicant may inform the Board of Governors in writing that it wishes to appeal to the General Assembly. The Board of Governors shall then include this item in the convening notice for the next meeting of the General Assembly. The applicant shall be invited to address the General Assembly solely for the purpose of presenting its case and defending its position.
The General Assembly shall decide, by simple majority of the Members present, whether to uphold the decision of the Board of Governors or to overturn it and admit the applicant. The decision of the General Assembly shall be final and binding upon both the applicant and the Board.
The Board of Governors may appoint Honorary Members.
Members shall pay a fixed annual, non-refundable fee covering the period from 1 January to 31 December. The fee for the following year shall be due in full for all Members unless the Member resigns in accordance with the provisions of Article 6 no later than 30 November.
Termination of application
Membership takes an end:
• by resignation of the Member;
• by death in the case of a natural person and by dissolution in case of a legal person;
• by dismissal of the Member.
Any Member may submit its written resignation to the Association’s Secretariat at any time after having settled its debts towards the Association; the resignation will be effective one month after receipt of the resignation request.
Any Member not having paid its annual fee, after having received three reminders, will be considered as resigned, the resignation will be effective one month after the third reminder.
The dismissal of a Member can only be pronounced by the Board of Governors deciding by two thirds of the votes present or represented at the relevant meeting.
Page 5 of 11
The Board of Governors can dismiss a Member if this Member
a) no longer fulfills its obligations toward the Association, or
b) does not comply with the provisions of these Articles of Association, the Rules or any other internal regulation or rule of conduct of the Association; or
c) does not conduct its business in compliance with the values of the Association as established in the Rules; or
d) acts against the interest of the Association; or
e) is an individual or a legal entity which is (i) targeted by economic, financial and/or trade sanctions as determined by the United States of America and/or the European Union and/or the United Kingdom or (ii) is (aa) owned by, (bb) controlled by or (cc) acting for or on behalf of one or more legal entities being directly or indirectly targeted by said sanctions; or
f) in case the majority of the Governors requests a dismissal for a serious reason.
The Member concerned must previously be informed and heard by the Board of Governors and it enjoys a right of appeal to the General Assembly, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 6 of these Articles of Association.
The resigning or dismissed Member and the heirs or rightful claimants of a deceased Member are not entitled to claim property of the Association nor any refund of amounts or contributions previously paid to the Association.
The resigning or dismissed Member cannot apply for a new membership in the same year.
The Board of Governors receives every Board meeting from the Association’s Secretariat a list of all terminated memberships since the previous Board meeting.