1. Aims
2. Members
3.1 ECU?s institutions and officials are
- the General Assembly (GA)
- the Board
- the Auditor(s)
4 General Assembly (GA)
4.1 The GA is the highest authority of ECU.
4.2 The GA is composed of all member federations.
4.3 Associated members do not have the right to vote and may not represent members with a right to vote. They may be present at the GA as consultants.
4.4 Every member federation is represented by a permanent delegate or by another person (proxy) who belongs to the same federation or is the representative (permanent delegate or proxy) of another federation. If a member federation has not named a permanent ECU-delegate or given a proxy, then the federations president represents the federation.
4.5 A representative may represent only one additional federation besides his own.
4.6 Each member federation has one vote.
4.7 The GA is competent to pass resolutions, if it has been convened according to the statutes.
A quorum of 50 % of the affiliated federations (including valid proxies) is required for votes on elections and changes of the statutes. If the quorum is not fulfilled, an extraordinary GA correctly convened after this GA, may decide on the subjects of the previous agenda regardless of the number of represented federations.
4.8 Votes are made orally, unless five federations demand a secret ballot.
4.9 Resolutions are passed by a majority of the votes, without counting the abstentions.
4.10 Resolutions passed in the form of a recommendation are not binding for the member federations.
4.11 Votes on elections are cast by secret ballot.
4.12 Votes on elections are decided in the first ballot by the absolute majority of all votes cast. In the case there are more than two candidates and none of them has an absolute majority, a second ballot is organized between the two candidates with the most votes.
4.13 The annual GA is convened by the President four months in advance.
4.14 The place and date of the GA is decided by the previous GA or the Board.
4.15 Proposals from member federations to be included in the agenda for the GA should reach the SG not later than three months before the beginning of the GA.
4.16 The agenda, together with the relevant documents, should be sent out six weeks before the GA to the federations.
4.17 If the GA is scheduled to be held in connection with the FIDE-Congress, the invitations shall be sent not later than two weeks after the invitation to the FIDE-Congress. All delays are shortened in proportion.
4.18 An extraordinary GA is convened by the President upon request of one third of the member federations or majority of the Board. The GA shall convene within one month of such a request. The agenda shall be sent out within two weeks of the request.
4.19 The President, or in his absence the Deputy President, presides over the GA?s.
4.20 The GA is competent in all affairs that have not been delegated to another body of the ECU.
4.21 The annual GA has the following duties that cannot be delegated to another body:
a) Election of the Board and of the auditor(s)
b) Vote on the annual accounts and discharge of the Board
c) Annual budget
d) Vote on the financial regulations
e) Change of the statutes
f) Change of the tournament regulations
g) Vote on new associate members
h) Exclusion of members acting against ECU?s
i) Other duties defined as non transferable by the GA or the statutes
5 Board
5.1 The affairs of ECU are managed by the Board in the period between the GA?s, insofar as they are not delegated to another body without possibility of further delegation.
Especially issues mentioned in Art. 4.21 are beyond the competence of the Board.
5.2 The Board consists of the President, the Deputy President, the Secretary General, the Treasurer and three other members.
The President, the Deputy President, the Secretary General and the Treasurer are elected in function.
5.3 The Board members are chosen for a period of four years.
The President, the Deputy President, the Secretary General and the Treasurer are elected on a combined ticket. Nominations for this ticket must reach the ECU Secretariat at least two months before the opening of the General Assembly.
5.4 The Board can elect from its midst a steering committee.
The Board will establish regulations concerning the powers of the said steering committee.
The Board can nominate special committees and officials.
The Board defines their duties and supervises their activities.
5.5 The members of the Board should belong to different federations.
5.6 The Board meets whenever the President deems necessary of when three Board members call for a meeting.
5.7 Decisions of the Board require a majority of votes with at least four Board members taking part in the voting. The President, or in his absence the Deputy President, has a second and casting vote to establish a majority.
5.8 The Board can take decisions by letter, fax or e-mail if no Board member demands a meeting. Minutes of the decision have to be made in all cases.
6 The Secretary General (SG)
6.1 The Board will establish the SGs duties.
6.2 Additional personnel for the SGs office may be hired if the workload makes it necessary and the financial situation permits.
7 Auditor(s)
7.1 The GA elects an auditor and a deputy auditor for a term of office of four years. Re-election is possible.
7.2 The auditor or the deputy auditor audits the accounts of the past year after the closing of the annual account and reports in writing to the GA.
7.3 In his report he recommends to the GA either to accept the annual accounts with discharge of the Boards, or to refer the account back to the Board.
8 Finances
8.1 The financial year coincides with the calendar year.
8.2 The ECU budget is based on the EURO.
8.3 All ECU bank accounts shall be in the name of ECU. The Board decides on signature right(s).
8.4 Each year at the annual GA the Treasurer presents the final balanced account, subject to acceptance by the GA.
8.5 The annual budget of ECU shall be done by the Treasurer before the annual GA and is subject to acceptance by the GA.
8.6 For extraordinary expenses, not contained in the budget, a request can be submitted to the Board. The Board may grant such expenses if they are in the interest of the ECU.
8.7 ECU?s revenues come from:
- Membership fees
- Entry fees for tournaments organized by ECU or organized by mandate of ECU (see Art. 2.3.1 of the financial regulations)
- Fees for service provided by ECU
- Other revenues
8.8 The amount of membership- and entry fees shall be fixed by special regulations, subject to approval by the GA.
8.9 Members who have not paid their current fees, loose their vote at the GA. The Board can exclude them from ECU events.
8.10 The officials working for the ECU have the right to have reasonable expenses reimbursed. The Board will formulate guidelines. Reimbursement of expenses going beyond these guidelines have to be contained in a GA approved budget.
9 Final Regulations
9.1 The GA decides to establish a permanent office at the motion of the Board.
9.2 The official language of the ECU is English. In documents containing versions in more than one language, the English version is official.
9.3 The ECU can be dissolved with a majority of three quarters of the member federations. The GA decides over the assets of the ECU.
9.4 The statutes may be changed by a GA convened according to Art. 4.7. For changing the statutes a two thirds majority of the votes cast is necessary.
9.5 Communication within the ECU shall be by letter, fax or e-mail.
10 General Condition
These statutes were accepted at the occasion of the General Assembly of the ECU in Budapest (Hungary) on April 18, 1998 and amended by the General Assemblies 2003 in Plovdiv (Bulgaria) and 2005 in Gothenburg (Sweden).