Statutes

TITLE I. NAME, SEAT AND AIM

Article 1

An International Association with Scientific and Educational Aims is founded herewith. The name of the Association, referred to in these Statutes as the Association, shall be the "European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), AISBL".
The association is regulated by Title III of the Belgian Law of 27 June 1921 on not-for-profit associations, foundations and international not-for-profit associations modified by the Law of 2 May 2002 (hereafter referred to as "the Law").

Article 2

The legal seat of the Association is currently at Chaussee de Waterloo 1151, 1180 Uccle, Belgium. It may be transferred to another address within the Brussels Region by a decision of the General Assembly.

Article 3

The Association is an international non-profit association with the following aims:
a) To provide a forum where researchers and others involved in communication and information research can meet and exchange information and documentation about their work. Its disciplinary focus will include media, (tele)communications and informatics research, including relevant approaches of human and social sciences;
b) To encourage the development of research and systematic study, especially on subjects and areas where such work is not well developed;
c) To stimulate academic and intellectual interest in media and communication research, and to promote communication and cooperation between members of the Association;
d) To co-ordinate the circulation of information on communications research in Europe, with a view to establishing a database of ongoing research;
e) To encourage, support, and where possible, publish, the work of young researchers in Europe;
f) To take into account the desirability of different languages and cultures in Europe;
g) To develop links with relevant national and international communication organisations and with professional communication researchers working for commercial organisations and regulatory institutions, both public and private;
h) To promote the interests of communication research within and among the Member States of the Council of Europe and the European Union;
i) To collect and disseminate information concerning the professional position of communication researchers in the European region; and
j) To develop, improve and promote communication and media education

TITLE II. MEMBERSHIP

Article 4

The association has three categories of membership:
a) Institutional members: legal bodies such as universities with relevant departments, legal bodies with relevant policy departments and legal bodies with professional research from all parts of Europe, which are concerned with media and communications research or dedicate all or part of their activity to such research. Each institutional member is entitled to five votes.
b) Individual members: all persons who are active in the field of communication research or education. This also applies to persons living outside Europe who are conducting research into communication in Europe. Each individual member carries one vote.
c) Associate institutional members: the association may confer the status of associate institutional member upon organizations, which are legally established in their country of origin and whose aims are connected with those of the Association. An Associate member has no vote.
Institutional and Individual members are "Working members" while Associate institutional members are "Associate members" in the sense of the Law.

Article 5

Acceptance of new members is subject to the following conditions:
a) The Executive Board may grant institutional membership, individual membership and associate institutional membership as of right to institutions and individuals who are working in the field of communications research and communications education. Prospective members must complete and send in a membership application form. If approved by the Board, the membership becomes official upon receipt of the membership fee. The membership fee covers one calendar year, beginning January 1. A membership fee paid at any time during a calendar year covers the remainder of that year and must be renewed the following January 1 for the following year.
b) Exclusion and resignation of members are ruled by Art. 12 of the Law. A member can resign by written notification to the Secretary of the Board. An individual or institution who does not pay membership fees can be excluded. Exclusion of an Associate member can be decided by the Board. Exclusion of Individual or Institutional members can only be decided by the General Assembly, but the Board can pronounce suspension until the next meeting of the General Assembly.
c) Members and (in the event of their death) their assignees who discontinue their membership, or who are excluded, cannot claim any rights from the association.

Article 6

The members pay a membership fee, which the General Assembly determines every year for each membership category upon a proposal from the Executive Board.

TITLE III. GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Article 7

a) The general organ of direction of the Association is the General Assembly, which has the ultimate authority in implementing the aims of the association.
b) The General Assembly consists of all the Working Members (i.e. the institutional members and individual members). Associate institutional members can attend the General Assembly in an advisory non-voting capacity.

Article 8

a) The General Assembly ordinarily meets every year under the chairmanship of the President of the Executive Board. It meets at the legal seat of the association, at another place or virtually, which is to be specified in the notice calling the meeting.
b) The General Assembly can be convoked by ways of announcement on the website or by email. The notice calling the meeting along with the agenda is to be issued by the Board at least 90 days in advance.
c) An extraordinary meeting must be convened if requested by at least one fifth of the Working Members. A proposal signed by at least one twentieth of the working members must be put on the agenda of a General Assembly meeting.

Article 9

Each working member can be represented at the General Assembly by another working member by way of a written and signed proxy delivered before the votes or elections. However, each working representative cannot represent more than one member, institutional or individual.

Article 10

a) Except for the exceptions specified in these statutes or the Law, the General Assembly votes and elects by a simple majority of those present and represented. In the case of a tie, the vote of the President or of the Board member replacing the President will be decisive.
b) All members will be informed about the decisions taken at the General Assembly. Decisions can be made on issues which were not on the agenda only if agreed unanimously by the Board members present, except if required otherwise by the statutes or by the Law.
c) The decisions of the General Assembly will be recorded in a register, signed by the Secretary of the Executive Board and kept by the President of the Executive Board. The register will be available to the members.

Article 11

The General Assembly holds the powers expressly recognised by the Law or by the present statutes. Of its exclusive competence are, among others:
a) Change to the statutes
b) Exclusion of working members
c) Appointment, discharge and forced resignation of Board members
d) Determining of membership fee for each membership category
e) Approval of budgets and accounts
f) Adoption of the yearly report by the President of the Board
g) Dissolution and liquidation of the association.

TITLE IV. EXECUTIVE BOARD

Article 12

a) The Executive Board, which shall consist of at least three and no more than fifteen members, will manage the association's current business. The General Assembly shall elect by simple majority the members of the association's Executive Board for a four year term. An Executive Board member may serve no more than two consecutive terms.
b) Executive Board members can be forced to resign by the General Assembly by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present or represented.

Article 13

The Executive Board shall appoint from its members the President, the Vice President, the Secretary and the Treasurer.

Article 14

a) The Executive Board meets at least once a year. The meetings of the Executive Board can be physical or virtual. The Board can be convoked by ways of announcement in the virtual ECREA Boardroom, on the website, by email or by registered post.
b) Each Executive Board member may be represented by another board member by way of a written and signed proxy. Each Executive Board member can only represent one other board member. The Executive Board can only decide legally if at least half of the board members are present or represented.

Article 15

a) The Executive Board can decide on all management matters, except those which fall within the authority of the General Assembly.
b) The Executive Board can entrust the day-to-day business of the association to its President, a board member or a manager. The Executive Board may also delegate on its authority certain well-defined duties to one or more other persons.
c) The Executive Board may establish and dissolve Sections and Networks whose members share research and teaching interests consistent with the aims of the Association (Article 3). The Executive Board will establish guidelines for Sections and Networks.

Article 16

a) The Executive Board shall decide by a simple majority of votes, either present or represented. In the case of a tie, the vote of the President or of the Board member replacing the President will be decisive.
b) The decisions of the Executive Board shall be recorded in a register, signed by the Secretary of the Executive Board and kept by the President of the Executive Board. The register shall be available to the members.

Article 17

All legal documents which bind the association shall be signed by the President and one other board member, except in case of special proxies or for specific tasks for which the Board has decided otherwise.

Article 18

The Executive Board acts on behalf of the association in legal cases. It is represented by the President or another Board Member appointed by the Board.

TITLE V. OTHER CLAUSES

Article 19

a) Amendments to the statutes or the dissolution of the association must be proposed by the Executive Board or by two-thirds of the working members of the association.
b) The General Assembly can only discuss amendments to the statutes or dissolution of the association if two-thirds of the members are present or represented and if a majority of two-thirds of the votes is reached, except for changes to the aims of the association, which requires a majority of 4/5.
c) If the General Assembly does not reach the quorum of two-thirds of its working members, the call for a second General Assembly may be issued, according to the same rules as the first one. This second General Assembly cannot be held less than 15 days after the first meeting and can decide firmly and legally regarding the proposals submitted, notwithstanding the number of members present or represented. Amendments to the statutes will only take effect after completion of the formalities required by article 50 § 3 of the Law and after publication in the Annexes of the Moniteur Belge in compliance with article 51 § 3 of the Law.
d) The General Assembly shall determine the manner in which the Association is dissolved and wound-up. In case of dissolution, the assets of the association must be allocated to non-profit purposes.

Article 20

The budget year of the association begins January 1 and ends on December 31. The General Assembly approves the accounts and budget on a yearly basis.

Article 21

Everything which is not addressed in the above statutes, and in particular the publications in the Annexes of the Moniteur Belge, shall be dealt with in accordance with the Law.