Documents

Charter

of the Guta Environmental Law Association

(consolidated version)

Last modified 28 May 2019

English translation of the Hungarian original

Extracts

 

Article 1 - Name and Status

  1. The name of the organization is Huta Környezetvédelmi Jogi Egyesület (hereinafter, the Association). The short name of the Association is Huta Egyesület.  The name of the Association in English is Guta Environmental Law Association.  The short name of the Association in English is Guta Association. 

  2. The Association is registered in Hungary as a voluntary, non-profit organization.

  3. The seat of the Association is Garay u. 29-31. I. em. 1, 1076 Budapest, Hungary.

  4. The Association is a legal person and may create a seal and stamp and maintain a bank account.

Article 2 - The Purpose of the Association

  1. The purpose of the Association is to promote regional cooperation in public interest environmental law reform and advocacy, while contributing to the protection of the environment as well as promoting the rule of law and increasing participatory democracy.

  2. The Association is not to serve any political or economic interests, nor is it permitted (except as an insubstantial part of its activities) to attempt to influence legislation in favor of any economic or political interests, by propaganda or otherwise.

Article 3 - Activities of the Association

  1. The Association will organize at a minimum one annual conference for its members. In addition to addressing current, substantive issues of public interest environmental law reform and advocacy in the region, the conference will include the annual meeting of the General Assembly of members, as described in Article 5.

  2. The Association also will produce a periodic newsletter for distribution to all members and other interested persons or organizations and will facilitate communication among members through any appropriate means.

  3. The Association may engage in fundraising activities, and other projects in furtherance of the interests of its members, including the support of members in international and national cases before courts of law.

Article 4 - Membership

  1. Membership is open to all individual persons engaged in public interest environmental law reform and advocacy in Central and Eastern European countries and the Newly Independent States.

  2. Any member of the Association may nominate a candidate for membership in a written note sent to the rest of the members at least 60 days before the forthcoming General Assembly. A list of founding members of the Association will be attached as Annex A.

  3. Members are entitled to participate in the annual meeting of the General Assembly and conference, to elect and to be elected to any Association position. The members may cast votes in person. The members have the right to receive the Association’s newsletter and to participate in any other activities of the Association. One person has one vote.

  4. Members shall pay a 5 USD equivalent annual membership fee. Dues shall be assessed on an annual basis and members who do not pay within two years after failure to pay dues shall be eliminated from the Association membership.

  5. Membership is terminated:

    a) upon the resignation of the member.

    b)  upon a member’s death or lack of legal successor.

    c) by exclusion of the member.

  6. Members may resign from the Association at any time without restriction upon a written notice to the Executive Directors.  Membership shall end on the date of receipt of the declaration by the Executive Directors.

  7. The Board of Advisors may, by open vote, by simple majority, exclude from the membership of the Association a member who behaves in a manner that seriously or repeatedly violates the provisions of the articles of the current Charter’s provisions or the General Assembly’s decisions.  A member may also be excluded if he or she fails to pay membership fee for six months. A member may be excluded for non-payment of membership fee only if, after a period of at least six months, after the failure to pay. The exclusion procedure is initiated by the Board of Advisors at the initiative of any member or association body. In the exclusion procedure, the member shall be invited to a meeting of the Board of Advisors in a verifiable manner, with the warning that his absence despite being duly invited, shall not prevent the meeting from being held and the decision-making process. He or she must be given the opportunity to defend himself or herself at the meeting.

    The member may also be represented at the meeting.  A decision to exclude a member shall be given in writing and shall state the reasons on which it is based; the justification shall include the facts and evidence on which the exclusion is based and information on the possibility of redress. The Board of Advisors shall take a decision on the exclusion within thirty days after the commencement of the exclusion procedure, and subsequently communicate it to the member concerned in a verifiable manner, within eight days.  The excluded member may appeal against the decision of the first instance of the Board of Advisors, declaring the exclusion to the General Assembly, within fifteen days of receipt of the decision. The General Assembly shall decide on the subject of the appeal at its next meeting, by open vote, by a simple majority. The resolution of the General Assembly shall be announced orally upon its adoption and shall be communicated to the member concerned in writing and in a verifiable manner within eight days.

  8. A member of the Association is entitled to:

    a)  participate in the activities of the Association;

    b) use the services of the Association;

    c) participate in the General Assembly, to exercise his/her voting right, to speak in accordance with the procedure of the General Assembly, to ask questions, make suggestions and comments;

    d) inspect the records of the Association;

    e) to be elected as an official of the Association if there is no reason for exclusion specified by law. 

    A member may also exercise his/her voting right at the General Assembly meeting through his /her authorized representative (by proxy). The power of attorney given to the representative shall be recorded in writing in the form of a private document of full probative value and handed over to the chairperson of the General Assembly at the beginning of the meeting. All members entitled to vote at the General Assembly meeting have equal votes.

  9. A member of the Association:

    a) shall not endanger the fulfillment of the purpose of the Association and the activities of the Association;

    b) is obliged to pay membership fee when due;

    c) is obliged to comply with the provisions of the Charter of the Association and to decisions and provisions of the decision-making bodies of the Association affecting them;

    d)  is obliged to notify the Board of Advisors of his/her address, and any change of address within eight days.