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Article 1
Name, Place of Registration and Area of Activity

The name of the Association is the "European Association for Terminology" (EAFT).
The Association is incorporated under Dutch law. Its place of registration and jurisdiction is Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The Association's activities are centred on Europe, and it co-operates with other associations, organisations and institutions relevant to the terminology sector throughout the world.
The Association's business year is the calendar year.

Article 2
Objectives of the Association

1. The objectives of the Association are :

• to further plurilingualism in Europe through terminology;
• to provide a platform at the European level for the promotion and co-ordination of terminological activities and the heightened awareness, improved recognition and continued professionalisation of the terminology sector;
• to create active liaisons with other organisations, associations and institutions in the terminology sector at all levels.

2. The objectives of the Association may be fulfilled in particular by:

• public relations activities and campaigns designed to promote the importance of terminology and terminology work to the general public and to decision-makers in both the public and the private sector;
• the provision and exchange of information on terminological activities by all technical means appropriate;
• furthering and supporting conferences, events and workshops on topics relevant to terminology;
• the creation of special interest groups focusing on particular domains and areas of terminology;
• furthering and supporting research in terminology and related issues
• contributing to the education and training of persons working or connected with terminology in whatever capacity and the formal recognition of academic and vocational terminological training courses at European and national level.

3. The Association is a non-profit organisation pursuing educational, scientific and research goals in the public interest. The creation of reserves is permissible. The financial and other resources of the Association may only be used in accordance with the Association's goals as laid down in the Statutes. The liability of the Association is limited to the sum of its financial resources.

Article 3
Membership

1. The members of the Association may belong to the four following categories:

      a) Associational members
      b) Institutional members
      c) Individual members
      d) Honorary members

2. Associational members may be either national, regional or linguistic terminology associations that wish to co-operate at the European level. Associational members shall have eight votes at all EAFT General Assemblies. To exercise their right to vote, associational members shall notify the Board of the names of a representative and a deputy who shall represent them at General Assemblies. Associational members shall be represented on the Advisory Council. The yearly fee for an associational membership is equivalent to four times the yearly fee for an individual membership.

3. EAFT institutional members may be legal entities (institutions or businesses) who are active in areas relevant to terminology or who support the aims of the Association in other ways. Institutional members shall have four votes at all EAFT General Assemblies. To exercise their right to vote, institutional members shall notify the Board of the names of a representative and a deputy who shall represent them at General Assemblies. The yearly fee for an institutional membership is equivalent to four times the yearly fee for an individual membership.

4. EAFT individual members may be individuals who are active in areas relevant to terminology or who support the aims of the Association in other ways. Individuals shall have one vote at all EAFT General Assemblies. The yearly membership fee for an individual member is used as a basis to work out the yearly membership fees of associational and institutional members and is fixed once a year by the General Assembly. Students shall pay a reduced fee.

5. The annual General Assembly may appoint honorary members on the recommendation of the Board. Honorary members must be natural persons. They have the right to vote at all General Assemblies, but are not obliged to pay any membership fees.

6. New members may be admitted following written application. By applying, the applicant agrees to be bound by the Statutes of the Association if admitted. The Board shall decide on admittance.

Article 4
Termination of Membership

1. Membership of the Association shall terminate in the case of death, resignation, or expulsion for individuals and in case of resignation, dissolution or illegal status for institutional members and associations.

2. Any type of member shall deliver his/her/its resignation to the Board in writing. They shall become valid at the end of the business year in which the resignation was delivered. When there is a change of representatives for associational and institutional members, such changes shall be transmitted to the Board in writing.

3. Membership shall lapse in cases in which members have failed to pay their fees for one year, despite having been reminded twice. In addition, the Board may resolve to expel a member who seriously infringes the Statutes of the Association or who has deliberately caused serious damage to the Association's interests.

Article 5
Membership Fees

1. The General Assembly shall fix the membership fees for individuals, which will allow to calculate the membership fees for associational and institutional members. The General Assembly shall also fix the reduced membership fees for students, and the extraordinary reductions applicable to particular cases. Membership fees must be paid within the first three months of the Association's business year.

2. The fees shall be administered by a treasurer, who shall deliver a report on their use to the regular General Assembly.

Article 6
Official Organs of the Association

The organs of the Association are:

1. The General Assembly
2. The Board
3. The Advisory Council

Article 7
General Assembly

1. Regular General Assemblies

The President shall invite all members to the regular General Assembly, which shall be held once a year, before the end of the second quarter.
The invitations, including an agenda, shall be sent to all members at least six weeks before the date of the Assembly.
2. Agenda for regular General Assembly

      a. Election of the chairman
      b. Approval of the agenda
      c. Annual statement by the President and approval by the Assembly
      d. Treasurer's annual report and approval by the Assembly
      e. Presentation of next year's working plan
      f. Other items proposed by the Board or members
      g. Next year's membership fee
      h. Election of Officers
      i. Election of Auditors
      j. Appointment of members of Advisory Council (see article 10)
      k. Other business

3. Extraordinary General Assemblies

Extraordinary General Assemblies may be called by the President or the Board. An extraordinary General Assembly must be called by the Board if at least one quarter of the members notify the Board to this effect in writing.
Invitations to an extraordinary General Assembly, including an agenda, must be sent to members 10 days before the date of the proposed General Assembly.

4. Voting Procedures

The General Assembly shall decided by simple majority of those present/represented and entitled to vote. A three-quarters majority of those present/represented and entitled to vote is needed for resolutions to alter the statutes or dissolve the Association. Each person entitled to vote has one vote.
If a member is unable to exercise his or her right to vote personally, s/he may transfer this right to another member by written proxy.
In exceptional cases, the Board can ask for a postal vote by members on an important matter, including an alteration to the statutes. In the case of such postal votes, the majority of votes received within a reasonable period (to be set by the Board), shall decide on the acceptance or rejection of the resolution.

5. Minutes

The Secretary of the Association shall prepare minutes of the meeting, which must be countersigned by the President and sent to all members. Objections to the minutes must be lodged with the Board within three months of the minutes being distributed. The Board shall decide whether to allow the objections or not.

Article 8
Board

1. The Board of the Association shall normally consist of 7 members:

      a) The President
      b) The Vice-President (Secretary)
      c) The Treasurer
      d) 4 other members.


The Board shall be normally elected for a period of two years.
2. Where a member of the Board resigns or demonstrably loses interest in participating as a Board member, the rest of the Board may appoint a substitute for the duration of its period of office. Any such co-option must be confirmed by the next General Assembly.
3. The President and the Treasurer together represent the Association. Where one of these two is prevented from discharging his or her duties, the Vice-President shall take his or her place.
4. The Board shall agree on internal rules of procedure which shall guarantee the effective performance of the Association's activities and the active participation of all members of the Board by allocating clear-cut responsibilities and defining the appropriate procedures.
5. The Board may entrust natural or legal persons with the performance of tasks corresponding to the aims of the Association laid down in Article 2. These tasks may be performed free of charge or for payment by the persons concerned.

Article 9
Auditors

1. The General Assembly shall elect two auditors who shall check the Treasurer's annual report and who shall recommend that the Treasurer be formally discharged.
2. The Auditors shall be elected for a period of two years.

Article 10
Advisory Council

The General Assembly shall appoint an Advisory Council consisting of roughly 20 people active in the field of terminology, or with other relevant experience, to support and advise the Board in the various activities of the Association. In particular, the Advisory Council shall play a role in the co-ordination and promotion of terminological activities in and throughout Europe, and in the development of expert opinions.
The Advisory Council shall elect a Chairperson who shall liaise with the President of the Association or another Board member nominated by the President to ensure the efficient working of the two bodies.
Members of the Advisory Council do not necessarily have to be members of the Association. When appointing the Advisory Council, care shall be taken to ensure the equal representation of all geographical and linguistic regions, research and industrial interests, and other areas of expertise as far as is possible. 

Article 11
Special Interest Groups

The Association may establish one or more Special Interest Groups (SIGs) to investigate in depth one or more aspects of terminology and/or terminology work.
The number of members required shall be determined by the SIG itself. Membership of SIGs shall in principle be open to all EAFT members, but external members may also be co-opted.
The SIG shall submit an overview of its proposed activities (including objectives and schedule for activities) to the Board which shall approve the formation of the SIG in writing.
The SIG shall appoint a co-ordinator to liaise with the Board and keep it informed of the activities and developments at regular intervals. The Board shall nominate one of its members to act as contact; if such a nomination is not forthcoming, the SIG shall communicate direct with the President.
A SIG that has not been active for one year may be dissolved or reorganised by the Board.

Article 12
Dissolution

1. The dissolution of the Association may only be decided upon by a three-quarters majority of the members present/represented at the General Assembly.
2. The same General Assembly shall also decide on the official beneficiary of the Association's assets after the deduction of all liabilities.

These statutes were approved by the General Assembly, March 14, 2000
Giovanni Adamo, President

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