General Principles

FYEG will have minimal statutes that only contain what legally matters and they will be revised in case the Belgian law changes. All other matters will be taken care of in the IRPs.

The IRPs must never contradict the statutes, they can elaborate.

The IRPs shall be facilitating and helping with decision-making processes as well as the organisation of the federation. There shall be no more rules than necessary.

This document shall be accessible to every MO on the website.

All acts, invoices, publications, official letters and websites, in electronic form or not, emanating from the association must mention:

- its full or abbreviated name, immediately preceded or followed by “AISBL” or “international non-profit association”,

- the precise indication of its registered office,

- its company number,

- the terms "register of legal persons" or the abbreviation "RPM" followed by the indication of the court of the registered office of the legal person,

- if applicable, their email address and website,

- the number of at least one account held by the association with a credit institution established in Belgium,

- if applicable, the indication that the association is in liquidation.

1. Member Organizations

1.1. Membership

1.1.1. Membership categories

The association is made up of member organisations only and has three categories
of member organisations:

Full members

Candidate members

Associate members

1.1.2. Membership criteria

Membership criteria are detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.3. Conditions of admission of candidate members

Conditions of admission of candidate member organisations are detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.4. Conditions of admission of full members

Conditions of admission of full member organisations are detailed in the Statutes.

In addition, a candidate member organisation must apply for full membership latest at the General Assembly three years after it has received its candidate member organisation status. If the candidate member organisation does not apply for full membership in the third year of its candidacy, the Executive Committee can propose the suspension or exclusion of the candidate member organisation.

1.1.5. Conditions of admission of associate members

Conditions of admission of associate member organisations are detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.6. Resignation of members

Conditions for the resignation of members are detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.7. Suspension of members

Conditions for the suspension of members are detailed in the Statutes.

The Executive Committee has a right to propose the suspension of a member organisation to the General Assembly in the following cases (not limited to):

• no update or other contact is made between a member and the FYEG Executive Committee between two General Assemblies,

• the member organisation doesn’t fulfil one or more of the membership criteria,

• the member organisation didn’t pay their membership fee,

• major changes that happened in the member organisation, which need to be investigated by the EC.

The suspension of a member means that the organisation loses its voting rights.

When a member is suspended, the Executive Committee:

1. informs the member organisation about the suspension via an e-mail and explain the consequences

2. makes all reasonable efforts to enable the member to regain its full membership

3. creates a report on this process and presents it at the following General Assembly.

1.1.8. Exclusion of members

Conditions for the exclusion of members are detailed in the Statutes.

The exclusion of an MO means that this organisation is not listed as a member organisation anymore and hence loses all of its rights within FYEG. Following an exclusion, an organisation that wishes to rejoin FYEG is expected to follow the entire membership procedure, as a new organisation would.

The rejoining organisation is required to inform GA about changes that happened in their organisation since leaving FYEG and explanation of their decision about rejoining.

1.1.9. Suspension and exclusion in case of non-payment of
membership fee

The suspension and exclusion of member organisation in case of non-payment of
membership fee is further detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.10. Membership fee

FYEG has an annual membership fee. The ceiling is stated in the Statutes.

Each full member organisation shall pay an annual membership fee to FYEG. This membership fee shall correspond to 1 % of the total incomes of their previous year’s realised budget with a minimum of 50 EUR for the EU and European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and 25 EUR for all other European countries.

By way of derogation to the previous paragraph, the General Assembly may decide, in duly justified cases, to lower the amount of the membership fee that a Member Organisation shall pay, following a recommendation of the Executive Committee. Requests for lowering the Membership fee shall be sent by a Member Organisation to the Executive Committee at the latest 2 weeks before the GA.

Each full MO shall pay their membership fee for the running year on the first evening of the GA at the latest, if it has not already been transferred earlier.

Full MOs are requested to provide their annual budget statement for the previous year at the latest. A document listing the amount of the membership fee paid by each MO and the way it has been calculated must be annexed to the financial report of the year in question.

1.1.11. Membership reviews

The Executive Committee presents a review of the FYEG Member Organisations as part of the Executive Committee Report. The review can include the following information:

Overview of the region and its meetings and activities,

The Member Organisations' engagement with FYEG activities during the year,

Major changes to the Member Organisation.

In case of major changes (change of organisations' name, split in the organisation, merge with another organisation, change of political affiliation, etc.), the Executive Committee can propose the General Assembly to vote on that change. The General Assembly may, among other options, take note of the change
or suspend the membership of the organisation to give sufficient time to the Executive Committee to look into the situation.

1.2. Working with Member Organisations

1.2.1. Member Organisation Duties

Each MO should keep FYEG updated about:

- changes in the board

- valid contact addresses for the MO list and the website

- activities

1.2.2. FYEG duties

FYEG will provide the Member Organisations with:

- information about statutory meetings

- minutes and reports from statutory meetings and long ECMs

- a newsletter containing information and participation possibilities in current
activities

- regularly updated contacts of other Member Organisations

2. General Assembly

2.1. Composition

The General Assembly is the highest decision body. The General Assembly is composed of one or two delegates per full member organisation, candidate member organisation and associate member organisation.

MOs should strive to send delegations to GA that are gender-balanced and consist of delegates maximum aged 30 years old. If the organisation is unable to find delegates within the age limit, they can send older delegates aged 31-35.

The delegates can be asked to pay a participation fee for the General Assembly.

People who are employed by FYEG or are members of the FYEG Executive Committee cannot be delegates to the general assembly.

2.2. Powers

The power of the General Assembly is detailed in the Statutes.

In addition to what Statutes state, a decision of the General Assembly is required in the following cases:

- the adoption and amendment of the Activity plan for the upcoming year,

- the adoption and amendment of Resolutions,

- the election of the Financial Control and Advisory Committee,

- the election of the Editorial Board of Ecosprinter,

- the election of the FYEG representative to the European Green Party Committee,

- the approval of the Advisory Committee

- the approval of the Presidency of the General Assembly

- Decision about joining (or leaving) membership with other organisations/networks

The General Assembly also hears the following reports:

- Activity Report

- Executive Committee and Secretary General Report

- FYEG's Representative to the EGP Committee

- Ecosprinter Editorial Board report

- Financial Control and Advisory Committee report

- Advisory Committee report

2.3. Functioning

The Administrative Board and the Executive Committee summons the annual General Assembly. FYEG Member Organisations are summoned to the General Assembly via ordinary mail or e-mail. The convocation contains the agenda, date, time and place of the General Assembly.

General Assembly is presided in line with the Meeting Rules (Annex - 1)

The rules for holding extraordinary General Assembly are detailed in the Statutes.

Changes to the statutory and internal organisational documents take effect from the first working day after the GA meeting where they were changed, except when the GA votes for their immediate implementation through a second vote requiring an absolute two-thirds majority. Persons elected by the General Assembly will start their mandate from the first working day after the GA meeting where they were elected, unless other rules apply for their mandate.

2.4. Deadlines and calls

The call for hosting the General Assembly must be sent as soon as possible, no later than 7 months before the tentative dates of the GA. The call must be open at least one month.The selection of the hosting organisation is done by the Executive Committee.

The remaining deadlines are structured as follows:

12 Weeks before the General Assembly the Executive Committee must send out a call for:

Registration of all participants
delegates

the executive committee (if applicable)

the secretary general (if applicable)

the financial control and advisory committee

the ecosprinter editorial board

the FYEG representative to the EGP committee

the presidency

9 weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

applications of presidency

Between 10 and 7 weeks before the GA
The Executive Committee must also organise an online information session, explaining the functioning of the General Assembly and promoting the different open positions.

6 weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

registration of delegates

applications of organisations for associate, candidate or full membership

applications of Secretary General candidates

applications for the FYEG nominee to the EGP Committee

4 Weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

submission of resolutions

amendments to the Political Platform, the Internal Rules and Procedures and the
Strategic Plan

Reports and Plans to be sent out to Member Organisations

Executive Committee candidates

Financial Control and Advisory Committee candidates

Ecosprinter Editorial Board candidates

the submission of proposals to add point to the GA agenda, any such proposal
must be signed by one-twentieth of the full member organisations, as detailed in
the Statutes

In case the number of candidates is less than the number of positions open and/or if the gender quota is not met, the Executive Committee will re-open the call for additional candidates of the underrepresented gender and/or positions with lacking candidates.

3 weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

publication of Candidacies

publication of Executive Committee recommendations on potential member
organisations (for full, candidate or associate membership)

publication of Executive Committee recommendations on exclusion and/or
suspension of member organisations

sending the GA agenda, as detailed in the Statutes

2 weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

MOs to express their support for candidates

1 week before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

amendments to the resolutions and Plans

Other deadlines:

The deadline for submitting emergency resolutions must be 2 days before the start of the General Assembly. At the end of the General Assembly's first day, the assembly sets a deadline for amendments to the emergency resolutions.

2.5. Submission of resolutions and amendments

At the general assembly Full Member Organisations and the Executive Committee have the right to submit resolutions, and amendments to resolutions, the political platform, the activity and financial plan, the strategic plan, other plans tabled by the EC, the statutes and the IRPs, bearing in mind the deadlines specified under 2.4. Support of 3 Full Member Organizations is needed in order to table an emergency resolution.

2.6. Presidency

The General Assembly confirms the Presidency proposed by the Executive Committee before any other decisions are made.

The Presidency then:

• chairs the meetings and discussions at the General Assembly

• prepares the resolutions, amendments and voting procedures for the General
  Assembly

• is responsible for taking the minutes of the General Assembly

The Presidency:

• consists of four to six people who must not be candidates to any positions at the General Assembly.

• can be suspended and simultaneously replaced with an absolute two-third majority by the assembly. Such a vote of no-confidence can be demanded by at least 5% of the delegates, who must present people for the new Presidency.

2.7. Participation fee

A participation fee to the General Assembly can be set up if the Treasurer finds it necessary.

The following participants of the General Assembly are exempt from paying the participation fee:

One delegate per Full, Candidate and Associate Member Organisation,

Executive Committee members

the Secretary-General and office

members of the Presidency

If a full Member Organisation sends a second delegate the participation fee is halved in case at least one of the two delegates self-identifies as women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender. Treasurer can grant exemption or lowering of the fee to participant that request it.

2.8. Travel reimbursement

Full reimbursement of travel costs is granted to:

• one delegate per full, candidate or associate Member Organisation

• Executive Committee members

• the Secretary-General and the office

• candidates for the Executive Committee elections

• candidates for the Secretary-General elections, provided they have
  received approval by the pre-selection committee

• candidates for the FYEG Representative to the EGP Committee, provided they
  have received approval by the pre-selection committee

• members of the presidency

The Treasurer can decide to reimburse travel costs for:

• delegates of organisations applying for candidate membership in FYEG

• candidates for all open positions

• the second delegate of a full, candidate or associate Member Organisation
  if at least one delegate self-identifies as women, intersex, nonbinary,
  trans or agender.

3. Election and Voting Procedures

3.1. Attendance and voting quorums

In line with the Statutes, each Member Organisation has the right to attend the General Assembly. Only Full Member Organisations have voting rights and each Full Member Organisation has two votes.

3.1.1. Principles

In line with the Statutes, the General Assembly deliberates validly only if 50 % + 1 of the Full Member Organisations are present or represented. The Statutes detail the steps to follow in case the attendance quorum is not reached.

In line with the Statutes, in principle all decisions in FYEG are taken by a simple majority of votes registered for the General Assembly. When voting, abstention is always an option. When the vote relates to decisions concerning persons or Member Organisations, the ballot is always secret. The voting body can decide to have other voting procedures processed through secret ballot.

3.1.2. Procedures

Definitions

Votes registered at General Assembly - the number of Member Organisations and their delegates who are registered for the General Assembly and have voted in the determination of the General Assembly quorum

Votes cast - the number of votes that were submitted.

Simple majority

Majority of the votes cast, i.e. the number of “Yes” votes exceed the number of “No” votes.

Abstentions are not considered in the count.

Examples:

Out of 20 votes: 11 yes, 9 no, 0 abstentions: passed; 1 yes, 0 no, 19 abstentions: passed.

10 yes; 10 no; 0 abstentions. not passed. 10 yes, 9 no, 1 abstention: passed.

Absolute majority

To pass "yes" should reach the majority (half+1, or half + 0.5 in case of odd number) of the number of votes registered at the General Assembly.

Note that it is number of votes registered, not number of votes cast. This means that if less than half of the voters are present and vote, this majority can never be reached.

Examples:

20 voters registered: need 11 or more yes votes.

21 voters registered: need 11 or more yes votes.

22 voters registered: need 12 or more yes votes.

Simple two-thirds majority

Two thirds of the votes cast.

Absolute two-thirds majority

Two thirds of the number of votes registered.

Note that it is the number of votes registered, not the number of votes cast. This means that if less than two thirds of the voters are present and vote this majority can never be reached.

Examples:

20 voters: need 14 yes or more votes.

21 voters registered: need 14 or more yes votes.

22 voters registered: need 15 or more yes votes.

3.2. Election of candidates

3.2.1. Principles

FYEG uses a Single Transferable Vote (STV) electoral system with a standard droop quota. Mathematically, this is the next integer larger than V / (n+1) when V = the total number of valid votes and n is the number of positions available. Specifically recommended is the Scottish STV system.

3.2.2. Procedures

The main principle is to rank all the candidates according to the voter's preferences for each candidate. Where 1 is the first preference 2 the second preference and so on.Voters can rank all candidates even if the number of candidates exceeds the number of positions. Voters can decide to not rank some of the candidates even if this means leaving the ballot partially blank.

Only a completely blank ballot counts as abstention, an abstention counts under the exception below.

If a simple majority of all ballots cast do not rank the candidate with any numbers they are excluded from the election.

0 - All ballots are inspected to determine that candidates have received a simple majority of any kind of ranking on cast ballots. If not, they will be excluded from the election.

1 – The candidates who have reached the election quota (i.e. election threshold) are elected.

2 – If some positions are still available, the following process starts:

2a – The left-over votes on candidates reaching the election threshold are redistributed according to second preferences, using the Single Transferable Vote system of distribution.

2b – If one or more candidates have reached the election threshold, that/those candidate(s) are elected in order from highest to lowest vote count. The process then starts again from point (2).

2c – If no candidate reaches the threshold in this way, the candidate with the lowest amount of votes is removed from the election. The ballot-papers that ranked this candidate as their first remaining preference are redistributed according to their second preference. The process is then restarted (1).

2d - If, following the calculation of the election result, one or more candidates is elected who is ineligible due to quota regulations, these candidates (who had the least number of votes) are removed from the pool of candidates and the entire election is recalculated. That is to say, the election is recalculated, and each time the ineligible candidate would have received a preference vote, the vote instead goes to the voter’s next preference.

3.2.3. Exceptions

At the General Assembly:

Concerning the Executive Committee elections:

The spokespersons and the treasurer are elected separately from the rest of the Executive Committee positions.

Concerning the Advisory Committee:

The newly elected Executive Committee will present the proposed Advisory Committee to the General Assembly. The General Assembly ratifies the proposed Advisory Committee by a simple majority vote.

Between General Assemblies:

Concerning the replacement of a resigned Executive Committee member:

If an Executive Committee member resigns, a new Executive Committee member can be elected to replace them.

The Executive Committee will publishes a call for candidates for the vacant position. Candidates will be elected via an electronic vote.

Any replaced EC member will have full voting rights in the Executive Committee.

3.3. Electronic voting

The Executive Committee can call for an electronic vote between General Assemblies in urgent matters. It is the duty of the Executive Committee to provide enough information for the full Member Organisations to make an informed decision.

Each full Member Organisation has 2 votes. When voting, abstention is always an option.

The voting period is set to two weeks with a one week reminder.

The Statutes, the Internal Rules and Procedures, the Strategic Plan and the Political Platform cannot be subject to any electronic vote between the General Assemblies.

Results will be announced within one week after the closing of the vote and include detailed information.

3.4. Tiebreakers

3.4.1. Tiebreakers on point of substance

In the case of a tie between two points of substance, the vote shall be held again. If the result is once again a tie, the body voting may choose to vote once more, table the discussion to later in the meeting, or decide by some form of chance. Note that this paragraph is not intended to apply to ties between “yes”, “no”, or “abstain” where some point of substance requires a majority to pass.

3.4.2. Tiebreakers relating to elections

If the tie occurs between two candidates in an election, and only one may be elected, a vote shall be held to decide between them. If the result is once again a tie, the body voting may choose to vote once more or decide by some form of chance. At any point during this, either candidate may choose to withdraw.

3.5. Dismissal of elected persons

3.5.1. Dismissal of Executive Committee member

Two thirds of the Executive Committee can propose dismissal of an Executive Committee member.

The Full Member Organisations vote on the proposed resignation through electronic vote.

The vote is based on two letters: a letter of justification from the majority of Executive Committee members proposing the dismissal and an optional letter of defence from the Executive Committee member.

If at least one third of the full MOs participate in the vote and a two third majority is reached the Executive Committee member is dismissed.

3.5.2. Dismissal of Secretary-General

Two thirds of the Executive Committee can propose the dismissal of the Secretary-General.An additional General Assembly must then be convened by a decision of the Administrative Board under the applicable rules (as set out in the statutes), where the Member Organisations vote on both the dismissal of the existing Secretary-General, and the election and appointment to the Administrative Board of a new interim Secretary-General.The Executive Committee has the right to in writing and orally inform the Member Organisations as to why they have proposed the dismissal, and the Secretary-General the right to defend
themselves.

If quorum is reached (as detailed in the Statutes) and a simple two-thirds majority is found at the additional General Assembly for dismissing the Secretary-General, the Secretary-General is dismissed.The Executive Committee can propose dismissal of the Secretary General, with two-thirds of the votes of the members of the EC. The Member Organisations must be notified within 8 days about the decision and the Executive Committee must appoint a Secretary-General ad interim within 8 weeks after the decision of the Executive Committee. The Secretary General ad interim will continue until the election of a new Secretary General at the subsequent General Assembly. The new interim Secretary-General will take over the mandate over the former Secretary-General, expiring whenever the former Secretary-General’s mandate would have expired. They have all the powers and responsibilities of the former Secretary-General.

3.6. Gender quota

In all elected bodies there must be a minimum of 50% of people that self-identify as women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender.

If there is only one position in a body, there is no quota. However it is encouraged that people that self-identify as women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender alternate in this position.

4. Bodies

4.1. Administrative Board

In line with the Statutes, the association is administered by an administrative board composed of three people, appointed by the general assembly amongst the Secretary-General, and members of the Executive Committee, preferably the Spokespeople and the Treasurer.

4.2. Executive Committee

The Executive Committee members are responsible for making strategic and political decisions about the organisation during their mandate and between General Assemblies.

The Executive Committee strives to reach consensus, with any member able to call a vote if consensus cannot be reached; decisions are made by a simple majority, disregarding abstentions. If no majority is secured after two consecutive votes, the decision is postponed to the next meeting for further attempts to reach a consensus. If voting fails again in the subsequent meeting, the decision is deemed against.

The Executive Committee is composed of eight people:

who are elected by the General Assembly with a one-year mandate

“Who can only do a maximum of three total mandates”

in case of by-election, the term only counts as a mandate if it exceeds 9 months

Any individual can hold a maximum of two different mandates in one particular role within the EC across the course of their lifetime. For example, they could be Co-spokesperson for two mandates, and EC member for one mandate, but they could not be Co-spokesperson for three mandates.

An EC member is either a co-spokesperson, a treasurer or a regular EC member: the roles cannot be accumulated.

An EC candidate must not be older than 32 on the year of election.

A mandate is the period between one Annual GA to the next Annual GA. The EC’s mandate is entrusted by the GA, and this should be reflected in the EC’s work and attitudes. This also means that the EC as a whole, or individual EC members can be held accountable to the GA in the instance of working against the interest of the GA.

Within the EC there are two spokespersons, who must not be from the same Member Organisation, the treasurer and five additional members. The gender quota applies to the spokespersons.

The Executive Committee:

rules when an absolute majority of its members are present and/or involved in the decision-making process through online channels,

is responsible for the relations with the Member Organisations,

has the right to make statements on behalf of FYEG, in line with the political platform

oversees the implementation of the activity plan as decided by the General Assembly

receives and handles applications from organisations that wish to join FYEG and produces a report for the General Assembly including voting recommendation

can engage FYEG in partnerships with external movements, networks and organisations

select members of non-elected temporary bodies and provides political support to them (such as the prep-teams, working groups, task forces etc.)

The Executive Committee members represent FYEG to its partners, member organisations and other stakeholders.

EC members need to ensure a good transfer of knowledge when their mandate comes to an end with a proper handover. The handover should take place within 3 weeks of the tasks being divided.

4.2.1. Spokespeople

The Spokespersons:

Coordinate the Executive Committee

Represent FYEG to the public and are a contact point for people from outside the Federation.

Represent FYEG with the Partners and attend European Green Party Committee meetings

Are responsible for the secretariat

The mandate of the spokespersons is further stated in the internal delegation order of FYEG, adopted by the Executive Committee on an annual basis.

4.2.2. Treasurer

The Treasurer is responsible for the yearly budget of FYEG. The treasurer works closely together with the Secretary General and the Office, that ensures the daily financial management of the organisation. The treasurer:

prepares the financial report to the Executive Committee and to the General Assembly

prepares a budget plan for the General Assembly

has regular meetings with the Office to check the budget

The mandate of the treasurer is further stated in the internal delegation order of FYEG, adopted by the Executive Committee on an annual basis

4.3. Secretary-General

The Secretary General is elected for a three year mandate at the General Assembly. The mandate can only be renewed once. The total duration of the mandate of the Secretary-General can not exceed two mandates and the time held as "interim Secretary-General" is not counted as part of a mandate.

The tasks of the Secretary General include:

the legal representation of the organisation

Managing the FYEG Secretariat and making sure that each office member fulfils their responsibilities and tasks

Facilitating and assisting the work of the Executive Committee

Overseeing the HR processes

Overseeing the execution of FYEG Activity Plan

Overseeing FYEG finances, including fundraising, reporting, handling FYEG bank accounts, accounting,

Making sure that the statutory deadlines and process are respected

Overseeing the organisation of the statutory activities

Overseeing FYEG's external communications and campaigns

Monitoring key political events and policy developments on the European level to serve as a resource for FYEG's political work

Maintaining good contacts with FYEG's partners and Member Organisations and other stakeholders

If mandated by the Executive Committee, the Secretary General can externally represent FYEG and its position

4.4. FYEG’s Representative to the European Green Party
Committee

As outlined in the Statutes and the Rule Book of the European Green Party, the Committee is the executive body of the European Green Party and is responsible for its political and strategical development and functioning within the budget and the guidelines approved by the Congress. The Committee consists of 13 members, out of which 4 are elected for specific functions, 8 regular members and 1 seat nominated by FYEG.

The Committee mandate is 3 years. Members may not serve more than three terms. The Committee’s general tasks and responsibilities are further detailed in the European Green Party Statutes.

FYEG nominates one member to the EGP Committee. Hereafter, this person will be referred to as the representative. This representative cannot hold any of the four specific posts of the Petit Committee of the European Green Party (Co-Chairs, Treasurer and the Secretary General). The nomination of this FYEG representative will follow the Committee elections deadlines.

FYEG's representative is elected at the General Assembly. They must not be older than 35 years old at the year of election. They are required to attend at least one live Executive Committee meeting every year. Moreover they must submit a report to the General Assembly every year, detailing the work that they have done in the EGP Committee. They can be asked to attend more FYEG Executive Committee meetings and FYEG events to represent the EGP Committee.

4.5. Financial Control and Advisory Committee

At the General Assembly, members of the Financial Control and Advisory Committee (FCAC) are elected for a two year mandate.

The FCAC is composed of two members. Its members must not be members of the Executive Committee nor financially depending on FYEG.

The FCAC’s tasks include:

At least one meeting a year, dedicated to checking FYEG’s finances. A written report of this meeting must be submitted to the EC, thereby providing an internal audit.

the presentation of this yearly report to the delegates at the GA. The financial report that is to be presented to the GA and all other relevant material have to be ready and at disposal for the meeting.

Providing recommendations to FYEG Treasurer and Secretary General regarding the financial management and the financial orientations of FYEG.

It is recommended that the EC and the office share relevant information related to the finances of the organisation to FCAC throughout the year.

4.6. Office

In addition to the Secretary General, FYEG may recruit employees for its Office.

In principle, all recruitments are made after an open and public call. The decision on the selected candidate is done in line with the internal delegation order of the FYEG, adopted by the Executive Committee on an annual basis.

The Executive Committee adopts “Guidelines and Rules for the Office” in line with legal requirements. This document is made available to all employees, especially when new employees are recruited.

Salaries are decided upon in line with the internal delegation order of the FYEG, based on the financial plans adopted by the General Assembly.

4.7. Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee ensures the transfer of knowledge within FYEG and acts as a conflict resolution body. It is appointed for two years at the General Assembly. The Advisory Committee is composed of 5 members. Action by the Advisory Committee is taken only upon request by Executive Committee members of other bodies of FYEG. Its tasks are:

providing their shared experience on a specific subject

assisting in conflict resolution between Executive Committee members, members of other Bodies and/or office

providing general or specific mentorship for Executive Committee members on an individual needs basis.

If requested by the Executive Committee, advising the Executive Committee on organisational and structural matters

In order to enable the Advisory Committee to fulfil this tasks it is granted the following:

one-way access to the email-list of the Executive Committee throughout the year, meaning the possibility to read conversations but not actively take part

access to the online storing spaces of the Executive Committee, without editing rights.

attendance at online or offline meetings of the Executive Committee

During its duty, the Advisory Committee must respect the secrecy of internal matters. At the General Assembly, the Advisory Committee must present a brief overview of the functioning of the Executive Committee and office. If prompted, the Advisory Committee make recommendation within 8 weeks, after oral or written consultation of involved parties, and to the best of all members’ knowledge. Recommendation of the Advisory Committee have to be provided in written form to parties involved.

4.8. Working Group

Working groups have the following functions within FYEG :

helping with the acquirement and create professional documents on current and selected topics

providing the groundwork for the formulation of political positions

promoting the involvement of Member Organisations and green activists in FYEG Working Groups

providing space for a debate between young Green activists on the European level

supporting the Executive Committee, office and prep-teams in the organisation of events and campaigns

supporting the Executive Committee and Prep-teams in policy related preparations for FYEG events

Working groups are formed by the Executive Committee, with a defined scope, aim, working area and timeframe. This defined scope is outlined by the Executive Committee responsible for the working group and working group coordinators at the start of the mandate to complement FYEG's priorities. The creation of a working group may be planned in the annual activity plan adopted by the General Assembly but the Executive Committee may also decide to create ad-hoc working groups.

Working groups must not work against the political platform of FYEG. Further details on how to form, manage and communicate Working Groups is detailed in the Annex - 2 Working Groups Guidelines.

4.9. Ecosprinter Editorial Board

The Ecosprinter is the Member Organisations magazine of FYEG and is created by an autonomous editorial board, elected at the General Assembly. The Ecosprinter is published online and FYEG should strive for a printed version.

The mission of the Ecosprinter is to:

provide a forum for commentary and internal debate

provide the spaces for blogs and articles of members of FYEG

inform about European Green policies and politics

report and comment about culture, politics and discussions they believe are of importance.

The Ecosprinter Editorial Board:

consist of three members

has to be gender-balanced

can elect an Editor-in-Chief among its members

work on the mission and development of the Ecosprinter

In case there is not a consensus within the Ecosprinter Editorial Board on the election of the Editor-in-Chief, or an absolute majority, the Executive Committee can appoint the Editor-in-Chief. The role of the editor in chief is to coordinate the work of the Ecosprinter Editorial Board and ensure that the mission of the Ecosprinter is fulfilled.

4.10. Conflict of Interest

In case a decision needs to be taken and a member of an FYEG body has a conflict of interest, financial or moral, they must inform the other members of the body before the decision is taken and the following procedure applies:

- the nature of the conflict of interest must appear in the minutes of the meeting,

- the person with a conflict of interest may not participate in the debate and the vote related to the decision in question.

- except for the Executive Committee itself, the body in question is allowed to delegate this decision to the Executive Committee,

- when the decision is delegated to a second body, the first body may still execute the decision.

If someone neglects to disclose a conflict of interest, any other member who is aware of the conflict must inform the rest of the members before the debate and decision takes place. Without the member concerned by the conflict of interest present, the body decides by a vote whether or not this member can participate in the debate and the vote. This decision must be mentioned in the minutes of the meeting. The body is allowed to delegate this decision.

In case the majority of members present or represented are in a position of conflict of interest, the decision must be delegated to the Executive Committee.

In case the majority of members of the Executive Committee are in a position of conflict of interest, the decision must be delegated to the General Assembly.

This chapter does not apply when the decision in question relates to usual transactions, entered into under normal market conditions and guarantees for transactions of the same nature.

5. Relations with other organisations

5.1. General principles

FYEG may:

become a member of other organisations/networks

become a temporary or permanent partner of other organisations/networks/alliances

set up new organisations and networks

The Executive Committee may take the decision to become a temporary or permanent partner of other organisation/networks/alliances. The decision to become a member of other organisations/networks or to set up new organisations/networks should be approved by the General Assembly.

Furthermore the EC must:

provide a list of organisations that FYEG is a member of, as well as a description of FYEG’s rights and responsibilities and the contact details of the concerned organisations

report at the GA about all the partnerships FYEG has maintained during the year and provide details upon request by a MO

5.2. European Green Party

FYEG is the official youth wing of the European Green Party (EGP). Relations between FYEG and EGP are further specified in the EGP-FYEG relationship agreement.

5.3. Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe

FYEG and Cooperation and Development Network (CDN) are sister organisations and cooperate together to their mutual benefit. Relations between FYEG and CDN are further specified in the CDN-FYEG relationship agreement.

5.4. Global Young Greens

FYEG supports the building and working of Global Young Greens (GYG), striving to help GYG with financial and organisational matters.

6. Event Management

6.1. Participants

Participants to an event are selected in line with the internal delegation order of the FYEG, striving for gender, age and geographical balance.

The Executive Committee decides if the event is open to all or only to the delegates of Member Organisations.

The FYEG Safer Spaces Policy and the Anti Sexual Harassment protocol shall be communicated and presented to all participants.

6.2. Prep Team

A Prep Team is a temporary bodies, created for the planning, organisation and follow-up of specific projects.

A Prep Team is set up via an open call procedure.

In line with the internal delegation order of the FYEG, the final decisions on the Prep Team's composition and all necessary replacements are done by the responsible Executive Committee member. They must always:

strive for gender and geographical balance

ensure compliance to specific set of rules imposed by partners and funders

A Prep Team can take decisions concerning their project independently. If needed, a Prep Team can consult the Executive Committee in order to solve possible internal problems.

6.3. Alcohol and intoxicating substances

Organisers of the event shall make sure that underaged participants are not exposed to dangerous situations involving alcohol or illegal drugs.

This shall be ensured by, among others, the following measures:

Participants below 16 and those for whom it is forbidden by domestic laws, shall not consume alcohol or illegal drugs, and one shall not offer any to them. In the event that this does take place, all parties responsible must be banned from the rest of the programme. Moreover, their respective MO(s) shall be notified by
the Executive Committee upon violation of these rules;

Alcohol and illegal drugs shall not be consumed during the official sessions part of the programme;

FYEG shall look into organising sessions and parties in other places than those where alcohol consumption is central, such as bars or clubs;

Members of the Executive Committee and the Prep Team shall lead by example and abstain from excessively drinking alcohol and from using illegal drugs during an event. Additionally, two people, from either the Executive Committee or the Prep Team, should be appointed to stay sober during the programme.

7. Financial Management

The FYEG financial year starts on 1st of January and ends on 31st of December as is reflected in FYEG budget. The financial management of FYEG is done through the decision-making, execution and control of different bodies in line with Belgian law and the delegation order adopted by each Executive Committee.

FYEG’s internal financial management is organised as follows:

The General Assembly approves of the yearly Budget Report and amends and adopts the yearly Budget Plan

The Executive Committee approves the General Budget Plan and Report presented by the Treasurer, before they are submitted to the General Assembly.

The Treasurer regularly monitors the implementation of the overall budget and accounting and keeps the rest of the Executive Committee updated

The Secretariat manages all the practicalities to realise the adopted budget under the supervision of the Secretary-General

The Financial Control and Advisory Committee (FCAC) monitors and reviews the financial reports and plans once per year before they are presented at the General Assembly. The FCAC also monitors the financial management processes and practices. It submits a report to the General Assembly

A certified auditor provides an external audit in line with legal requirements.

7.1. Travel Reimbursements

The reimbursement rules, procedures and deadlines are shared with the participants of each events. Each event and activity has its own rules, procedures and deadlines in line with the rules and procedures of the funders of the activity.

As a general principle a person can ask for reimbursement of the travel cost if:

the participant attended at least 75% of the meeting

all relevant receipts and proof of travel have been handed in within the deadline communicated for each activity

Exceptions to these rules regarding participants can only be made in consultation with the Treasurer.

7.1.1. Reimbursement practicalities

Train and other public transport travel costs are reimbursed on the basis of a 2nd class ticket or a 1st class if that option is cheaper.

For night trips over 500 km the couchette fee (2nd class) can be covered

Bike trips over 10 km are reimbursed by 1 EUR / km with a maximum of the price of a second class train ticket and with an absolute maximum of 100 EUR

Direct flights as well as combinations of direct flights with ground transportation are to be preferred over multistop flights due to the increased emissions from multiple starts and landings. Due to the high levels of emissions, plane-travel in general should be avoided as much as possible.

Taxi costs will be reimbursed if local transport is not available and if requested in advance from the organisers.

The necessity of using a private car must be justified in writing and approved in advance. Travel by car may be reimbursed by 0.2 EUR/km. Depending on the activity, specific reimbursement rules may apply.

Car sharing should be approved in advance and should be cheaper than public transportation. The costs have to be documented.

FYEG uses the official conversion rates of the European Commission for currencies other than Euro:
ec.europa.eu/budget/contracts_grants/info_contracts/inforeuro/inforeuro_en.cfm based on the date of expense if no other donor guidelines apply. Exceptions are payments with credit cards when the documented conversion rates of the credit card company apply based on credit card payments statements.

7.2. Participation fees

A participation fee to any activity can be demanded and fixed by the Executive Committee, in line with the delegation order.

7.3. Expenses covered

7.3.1. Food and food supplies

The members of the Executive Committee can be reimbursed for food expenses up to maximum 30€ per person for meetings covering an entire day and up to 15€ per person for half-day meetings with at least 4 hours of work.

Food reimbursement for other volunteers are fixed by the participating conditions for each event and meeting.

FYEG can only cover costs for vegetarian and vegan food. At every event, vegan food should be offered and its consumption encouraged.

7.3.2. Child care

If requested and possible child care will be provided for the Secretary-General, FYEG Office, Executive Committee members, speakers and Prep Team members in order to allow full presence at an event. The child care support can take the form of: covering the travel and accommodation costs for an extra person to
provide child care on the spot during the event, covering the fee for a child care professional during the event etc. All the costs should be approved by the Treasurer.

7.4. Executive Committee Members allowance

The members of FYEG Executive Committee are entitled to a monthly allowance up to a maximum of 135 EUR per month. The FYEG EC members are free to claim the allowance depending on their need.

The allowance is meant to cover preparation and participation in the following meetings:

FYEG activities, including regular EC meetings;

EGP Committee Meetings and Councils;

Study Visits to Member Organisations approved by the EC;

Other events or meetings approved by the EC.

In addition to the monthly allowance, Executive Committee members are entitled to reimbursement for their costs for travel, accommodation, food and child care costs when travelling, in accordance with the FYEG reimbursement rules. Reimbursement for expenses while travelling can only cover expenses for up to the limit of 1 day before and 1 day after the event/meeting.

The EC member in question makes sure the allowance is declared in line with the fiscal rules of their country of fiscal residence. FYEG declines responsibility for any tax liability.

Annex 1: Organisation of the General Assembly

Application Requirements & Procedures for Candidates

Applicant Organisations

Organisations that are applying to become an Associate, Candidate or Full Member of the Federation of Young European Greens should send their application to the Executive Committee before the deadlines set in the Internal Rules and Procedures.

Their application shall contain:

• a letter signed by their board stating the reason and motivation for their application

• a copy of the original statutes and a translated version in English

• a copy of their political platform (or comparable document) and a translated version in English

• a filled-in questionnaire provided to them by the Executive Committee that includes questions on the number of its members, age limit, list of activities, budget and all other possibly relevant information.

Executive Committee candidates

Candidates for the Executive Committee shall provide in their application form:

• Filled-in application form that will be made available online

• A motivation letter,

• An Outline of their plans are for the organisation or their vision for FYEG

• Detailed CV

• Candidates must be proposed by their member organisation and seconded by another FYEG member organisation.

• One nomination letter from the Member Organisation they belong to. If that is not possible the Member Organisation, of which the candidate is from, must provide an explanation for the rejection of nomination and the possible candidate has the right to provide a letter of justification. The letter will be shared with the delegates of the General Assembly. The General Assembly will decide, through a vote by two-third majority, whether this person is admitted as a candidate or not.

Multiple positions holding

FYEG strives to have non-cumulation of positions.

Executive Committee members have to be able to combine their commitments to FYEG with whatever other tasks they may have. Candidates to the Executive Committee have to lay open what other mandates and functions they have.

Secretary General candidates:

Secretary General candidates’ application must include:

• a CV

• a comprehensive motivation letter, explaining how experiences match the profile, what the candidate thinks they can contribute to FYEG. It should also establish a vision of a European political youth organisation’s role. Special emphasis is given to experiences within FYEG and other Young Green Organisations.

• the contact details of two references, preferably employers, supervisors or tutors

Further requirements and procedure:

• A committee for a pre-selection of the candidates will be set up. The committee will consist of 4 people: a current FYEG EC member, a former FYEG Secretary General or office coordinator, one full MO representative and a 4th member (NGO professional worker).

• Only applications including all required documents and sent before the given deadline will be examined taking into consideration both political and professional skills of the candidates. These candidates will be given a written assignment and interview if this is possible.

• The committee will assess the candidates’ experience and skills.

• Candidates will be given a month to campaign and are expected to present themselves at the GA. The final decision on the Sec-Gen of FYEG lies with the final vote of the GA of the organisation.

• In case a candidate is not recommended by the committee, they will still be able to apply for the position and present themselves at the GA, but the candidacy will not be endorsed by the EC.

• In case the Secretary-General wants to renew their mandate and if by the closing of the deadline for the applications for the Secretary-General there are no other applications received, there is no need for the Selection Committee.

FYEG’s Representative to the EGP Committee Candidates:

Candidates to FYEG’s Representative to the EGP Committee must provide:

• A motivation letter,

• An outline of their plans are for the organisation or their vision for EGP, specifically as FYEG nominee

• Detailed CV, highlighting their experiences in FYEG and FYEG Member Organisations

• A nomination letter from the Member Organisation they belong(ed) to. If that is not possible the Member Organisation, of which the candidate is from, must provide an explanation for the rejection of nomination and the possible candidate has the right to provide a letter of justification.

Further requirements and procedure:

• A committee for a pre-selection of the candidates will be set up. The committee will consist of 4 people: one current/former FYEG EC member, a current/former FYEG Co-Spokesperson, a current/former FYEG Secretary General, and one full Member Organisation representative).

• Only applications including all required documents and sent before the given deadline will be examined taking into consideration both political and professional skills of the candidates. These candidates will be given an interview if this is possible.

• The committee will assess the candidates’ experience and skills.

• Candidates are expected to present themselves at the General Assembly. The final decision on the nominee of FYEG to the EGP Committee is made by the General Assembly.

• In case a candidate is not recommended by the committee, they will still be able to apply for the position and present themselves at the General Assembly, but the candidacy will not be endorsed by the EC.

Financial Control and Advisory Committee:

Candidates for the Financial Control and Advisory Committee shall provide:

• A motivation letter, highlighting their experience in financial management

• Detailed CV

Ecosprinter Editorial Board:

Candidates for the Financial Control and Advisory Committee shall provide:

• A motivation letter

• Detailed CV

Meeting rules to the General Assembly

These meeting rules regulate the formal sessions of the General Assembly. The goal of these meeting rules is to make sure that all participants have an as similar understanding of the formalities of the General Assembly as possible.

Presidency

The General Assembly is presided over by the Presidency. The Presidency consists of four to six people, who must not be candidates to any positions at the General Assembly. In line with the Internal Rules and Procedures, the Presidency is selected by the Executive Committee by an open-call. The General Assembly confirms the Presidency proposed by the Executive Committee before any other decisions are made.

The Presidency should elect a chair among themselves. The Chair is the main point of contact for the Executive Committee and the Office during and after the General Assembly.

The chair is responsible for making sure that the rest of the Presidency delivers their tasks assigned to them and that all the documents related to the General Assembly (adopted resolutions, minutes, votes and voting cards, and other adopted documents) are finalised handed over the Office and the Executive
Committee in the following month after the General Assembly.

The Presidency:

• chairs the meetings and discussions at the General Assembly

• prepares the resolutions, amendments and voting procedures for the General Assembly

• is responsible for taking the minutes of the General Assembly

• decides who speaks, who takes part in discussion and who can also be suspended from discussions.

• Can call emergency sessions to the agenda. However this change would need confirmation by a simple two-thirds majority of the full members.

Agenda:

The agenda of the General Assembly is adopted with a simple majority on the first day of the General Assembly.

In line with the Statutes, if the member organisations want to add a point to the General Assembly agenda, they should communicate it to the Executive Committee at least 10 days in advance and their proposal must be signed by one-twentieth of the full members.

The agenda can only be changed with a simple two-thirds majority of the full members. Proposed changes to the agenda have to be presented in written form to the presidency.

Documents that are noted, amended, approved, disapproved at the General Assembly:

The power and the role of the General Assembly is detailed in the Internal Rules and Procedures.

The Executive Committee, the Secretary General, the Ecosprinter Editorial Board, the Financial Control and Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee presents their reports for the previous years. These reports are heard by the GA, not voted.

The Treasurer presents the annual accounts and financial report of the previous financial year and the budget and the financial plan of the upcoming year. These documents can be amended and voted.

The Executive Committee presents the Activity Plan and the Strategy Plan (if applicable) for the upcoming year(s). These documents can be amended and voted.

The deadlines for presenting and amending these documents are detailed in the Internal Rules and Procedures.

The Presidency is responsible for organising Compromise Amendment Sessions (CAS) to try and find compromises on amendments, so that documents have a higher chance of being adopted.

Compromise Amendment Sessions (CAS):

The Compromise Amendment Sessions are called CAS in short. Everyone who has speaking rights at the General Assembly can attend the compromise amendment session, and it’s advised that all member organisations with voting rights do so.

Compromises are made between the member organisations or the body that proposed the original document and the member organisations or the body that proposed the amendment subject to compromise. It is advised to include other interested Member Organisations in this compromise process so as to further broaden consensus.

Amendments to existing documents (Statutes, Internal Rules and Procedures, Political Platform) are only subjected to compromise if the compromise is in the scope of an already submitted amendments. The Presidency may declare a compromise amendment ineligible if its scope is different from the original
amendment.

During the Compromise Amendment Session, the proposer of the resolution presents their resolution. The proposer of the amendment presents their amendment. At this point other parties can declare their positions towards the amendment. The proposer of the resolution can adapt the amendments or seek a compromise. If a compromise is reached, it is shared with the delegates of the General Assembly. Unless a Full Member Organisation or the Executive Committee disputes the compromise, it is considered adopted. If the compromise is disputed, the compromise will be sought until the last day of the General Assembly.

It is encouraged that the CAS sessions are organised in advance of the General Assembly, following the deadline for amendments which is one week before the General Assembly. The CAS session can happen online.

In the voting, firstly the compromised amendments on the document as whole are voted. Afterwards, the document itself is voted on.

Resolutions

• Each resolution should have an international and/or European angle

• Each resolution should be supported by at least one Member Organisation

• A resolution should always have a call to action

• A resolution should preferably be around 5,000 characters but definitely not more than 10,000

The Executive Committee can recommend review of certain resolutions to the Presidency.
The Presidency can suggest/demand the proposers of the resolution to withdraw their resolution or to postpone the resolution to the further General Assemblies.

Speaking rights and debates:

Speaking rights are open to all members of FYEG bodies, and all registered participants of the General Assembly.

The presidency ultimately decides which individuals are given the opportunity to speak.

The speaking time for debates is proposed by the presidency at the beginning of every debate based on the content of the debate and the time assigned for the current session in the agenda.

The presidency can change the assigned speaking time based on the time left of the session to better fit the agenda, as they see fit. This might include cutting breaks.

The General Assembly can overrule (with a simple two thirds majority) the presidency’s proposals for speaking time. In such cases the new Agenda proposal must be submitted to the Presidency in a written form.

During sessions where debates will take place, participants will be able to submit ‘speaker cards’ before the session. These cards will note if they are for/against, their Member Organisation and their gender.

In vue of the received speaker cards, the Presidency will define the speaker list. Speakers may still be taken from the floor for balance, but those who submit cards will be prioritised

The presidency will ensure gender balance on the speaking list. This is done through a strict quotation of the list. Only as many men are allowed to speak as non-men are on the list. The only exception is if people are on the list who haven’t participated in the debate up to that point. They will be chosen before persons that have already made plenty of contributions.

The only exceptions to the speakers list are technical points. If someone has a technical point, they must signal the presidency and will be given the floor after the current speaker.

Types of debate:

Open debate: The debate is open to speakers willing to speak for or against the resolution or amendment being discussed, as well as for contributions that are neither opposed nor in favour. This debate is often used during the Compromise Amendment Sessions.

Con-Pro: The debate is organised by an alternation of speakers against and for the resolution or amendment being discussed. This debate is often used during the Voting Session of the amendments that goes to vote and the resolutions.

It should be noted that all the compromises should be reached before the voting session and the point of the con-pro debate is not to reach a compromise but to explain the positions. Therefore the presidency is encouraged to do only one round of con-pro debates, and if more than one rounds occur time is monitored by the presidency to ensure that overall the ‘pro’ and ‘con’ sides are both allocated equivalent speaking time.

Quorum, voting and majorities:

Quorum, voting rules and majorities are defined in the Internal Rules of Procedures.

Voting rules and majorities are defined in the Internal Rules of Procedures

A quorum check will be called before the voting sessions.

Safer Spaces

The General Assembly is a space where everybody feels safe, and has an equal opportunity to be heard. The Presidency is responsible for chairing the General Assembly in line with FYEG’s Safer Spaces regulations. The presidency can ban a participant for misconduct for the remainder of a session.

(Queer-)Feminist Council
On a point of order, the women, intersex, nonbinary, trans and agender participants present and entitled to vote may decide whether they wish to hold a Feminist Council. The motion is dealt with with one pro and one con speech, with only those eligible to vote on the motion able to speak; the debate can be opened up beyond these two speeches. The Feminist Council then deliberates for up to one hour in the absence of the other participants and informs the entire body of the outcome after the end of the Feminist Council. The Feminist Council is considered part of the respective body. The organizers are responsible for a parallel programme dealing with a feminist policy topic for all those not participating in the Feminist Council.
At the Feminist Council, women, intersex, nonbinary, trans and agender people can issue a Feminist vote. In the case of motions that affect the right of self-determination of women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender people in terms of form or content or that particularly affect women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender people, the Feminist Council has the opportunity to hold a separate vote among women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender people before the assembly vote. This Feminist vote is a strong and urgent recommendation to the assembly and shall be understood as such. The feminist vote is a non-binding recommendation.

Annex 2: Working Group Guidelines

These guidelines are to serve the Working Groups and the Working Group
coordinators.

Working Group rights and responsibilities:

Working group functions are detailed in the FYEG’s Internal Rules of Procedures. FYEG Working Groups are based on direct democracy and the inclusion of all its members. Most of the Working Group meetings happen online, through the channels of internal communication available to them. Working Group members can have
access to usage of the internal communication tools available to FYEG (such as online meeting softwares). As set out in the Internal Rules of Procedures, the EC is responsible for setting up a new Working Group and for ending the term of a Working Group.

Working Groups can (and not only):

• Support FYEG and its bodies in developing policy documents

• Provide feedback to FYEG’s internal policies and documents

• Create campaigns

• Create guidelines, templates, training material, and similar material

All the Working Group activities must be in line with the FYEG Political Platform.

Only FYEG’s Executive Committee (EC) has the mandate to speak on behalf of the organisation and engage in partnerships with other organisations. Therefore, any external communication or partnership request needs their approval.

When the Working Group has a request for content to be shared via FYEG’s official channels, firstly, it should be approved by the member of the Executive Committee responsible for the Working Group (hereinafter EC Responsible).

Moreover, if the Working Group decides to engage in external partnerships, sign letters of external partners (i.e. organisations other than Green Political Organisations), etc. this must also be approved by the EC Responsible for the Working Group.

Finally, if the Working Group needs support from the FYEG Office in matters of communication, administration, finances, etc. the Working Group should communicate a detailed concept, through the Working Group coordinator, to the EC Responsible in a timely manner.

Executive Committee responsibilities:

The EC Responsible is the person appointed among the EC members to be responsible for the Working Group.

They are responsible for:

• Initial setup of the Working Group: defining the aims, scope, timeframe, publishing a call for Working Group members and coordinators

• Choosing the first members of the Working Group and the Working Group coordinators

• Meeting with the coordinators to explain their roles and responsibilities

• Attend meetings where needed/wanted to (optional) - but in general, it is more important to be aware what they are up to

• Keeping track of all their activities and being aware of how the Working Group is progressing and what they are up to

• Providing political advice and making sure the Working Group acts in line with FYEG’s Political Platform

• Updating the Working Group on FYEG activities related to their topics and purposes

The EC responsible has the possibility to exclude someone from the Working Group on the recommendation of the coordinators or at least three members of the group. The EC has to be informed of the decision. The person has the possibility to appeal to the Advisory Committee.

Working Group coordinator responsibilities

A working group should have two coordinators, at least one of them self-identifying as women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender.

If it is impossible to find two coordinators even after the EC responsible’s best efforts to do so, an exemption can be made if approved by the FYEG EC. In this case, it is required that either the EC responsible or the Working Group coordinator self-identifies as female, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender,

Working Group coordinator tasks are as follows:

• Set meetings and agendas for Working Group and notifying members of action points afterwards (online Working Group meetings should strive to be planned at least once every two weeks, excluding holidays and exceptional circumstances)

• Set up the main communication channels

• Main point of contact for EC Responsible

• Keep the EC Responsible up to date on what’s happening in the Working Group

• Keep Working Group members informed and updated on EC’s feedback and recommendations

• Steer direction: set priorities, what themes/projects they work on, oversee the work

• Coordinate the creation of a Working Group activity plan, guided be the objectives and goals set out at the beginning

• Set up subgroups (if necessary or desired)

• They do not need to be involved in every single project or attend every meeting, but in their absence should delegate project or meeting moderation to someone else, and keep themselves updated on progress

Annex 3: Safer Spaces Policy

Safer spaces are evolving and not static. We have high expectations on how we behave towards each other in our meetings, actions and social spaces. Making a space safer means different things depending on the group of people involved as each group has different needs. This policy aims to be considered in every meeting involving FYEG, but the document should evolve as we learn and grow.

As an organisation we build social relationships inside and outside of meetings and actions. We commit to this Safer Spaces policy wherever we are together, this includes ensuring that ALL spaces are inclusive and harmless.

If someone violates these agreements a discussion or mediation process can happen, depending on the wishes of the person who was affected. If a serious violation happens to the extent that someone feels unsafe, they can be asked to leave the space and/or speak with one member of the Awareness Group. If necessary, the Sexual Harassment Protocol will be activated.

1. Respect! Racism, as well as ageism, GSRM-phobia , sexism, ableism or prejudice based on ethnicity, nationality, class, gender, gender presentation, language ability, asylum status or religious affiliation is unacceptable and will be challenged. FYEG has a zero-tolerance policy with any kind of discrimination, even though we acknowledge that there can be different levels in a breach of a safe space.

2. Be aware of your privileges! Including racial, class and gender privilege and/or less obvious or invisible hierarchies. Think about how your words, opinions and feelings are influenced and who they might exclude or harm.

3. Consent! Respect each other’s physical and emotional boundaries, always get explicit verbal consent before touching someone or crossing boundaries. Don’t assume your physical & emotional boundaries are the same as other people’s.

4. Friendly use of language! Be aware of the language you use in discussion and how you relate to others. Try to speak slowly and clearly and use uncomplicated language especially when non-natives speakers are involved in the conversation.

5. Don’t anticipate yourself! Avoid assuming the opinions and identifications of other participants.

6. Learning; if you don’t understand something, just ask. You may be directed to a book, website or skill share to learn more. It’s ok to make mistakes. Please show appreciation for the hard work of others and be considerate when you offer criticism.

7. Everyone has their turn; give each person the time and space to speak. In large groups, or for groups using facilitation: Raise your hand to speak.

8. Calling out; if you have acted or spoken harmfully, even if unintentionally, expect that someone will bring this up to you. If this happens, listen and reflect on what they are saying even if you think they may be wrong. Don’t try to absolve yourself of responsibility.

This policy should be expanded with specific measures and practices to promote the creation of safer spaces.

The EC, Office and all Prep Teams must organise mandatory reflection/awareness sessions dedicated to discussing power dynamics in relation to sexual/romantic relationships within our Federation, being mindful about how they engage with participants and ethical leadership within FYEG.

1. The EC should hold such a reflection/awareness session at a minimum once a year preferably at the first live ECM.

2. The Office should hold such a reflection/awareness session at a minimum once a year.

3. Prep Teams should hold such a session at least once during a Prep Team meeting before the event they are organizing begins.

Discussions on power dynamics and ethical leadership also are incorporated into the onboarding process for new EC members and Office members.

Permanent Awareness Team

The Permanent Awareness Team consists of one member from the EC and one volunteer that is not a member of the EC. Both members are selected by the EC. This team operates in addition to the event-specific awareness groups and are complementary to those. Members of FYEG should be informed of the existence of this team and know that they can contact them regarding situations that make them feel uncomfortable or if they have concerns about the behaviour of EC Members, Office members, or PT members.

The Permanent Awareness Team should be easily accessible via the website, and there should be a contact form available that allows for anonymous submissions.

The team is responsible for safeguarding the anonymity of any FYEG members who reach out to them.

The Permanent Awareness Team has the authority to make recommendations and propose initiatives in the form of reports to the EC and the General Assembly as needed.

Anti sexual harassment protocol

FYEG has a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment at all its events, within all its structures and during all activities. This protocol is applicable for those participating in an FYEG activity (General Assembly, Strategic Planning Committee, Working Group Meeting or any other activity), members of a Member Organization (MO), or members of an online structure of FYEG, referred to as “this organization” from now onwards in this protocol.

Anyone who is subject to sexual harassment can approach one of the designated contact points responsible for receiving complaints of sexual harassment. The Executive Committee will designate an Awareness Group for anyone presenting allegations of physical, verbal or online sexual harassment. In accordance with the IRPs, the Awareness Group will be formed by two persons from the EC who are of different genders. Additionally, every Prep - Team will designate one person to be an independent contact person in our projects. However, this person shall always inform the official contact points if a procedure starts, in the case of their absence, the main contact will be the Project Manager.

When one of these procedures is open in the organization, the EC as a whole must be informed of the procedure without details of the people involved or the presented allegations to respect confidentiality. If a case involves someone from the EC, the case will be brought to the Advisory Committee (AC). The
Advisory Committee will act as contact points when a case arises, following this protocol. However, the EC will not be informed until a final decision is made.

Important note:

These procedures will follow general principles such as the privacy of the survivor, confidentiality of the process and survivor’s choice and preference. We respect the presumption of innocence of any alleged harasser which is why this procedure is in place and has been approved in the General Assembly. However, as a feminist organization, we also believe in the principle of believing the survivor and putting the burden of the proof on the alleged harasser.

This procedure might be applied to an internal case of a MO if this case is related to FYEG activity or if the people involved take part in any FYEG structure. However, we will not be able to extend sanctions or disciplinary measures beyond FYEG. MOs can however adapt this protocol to their own organization.

When the designated people receive a complaint of sexual harassment, they shall:

1. Immediately record the dates, times and facts of the incident(s);

2. ascertain the views of the survivor as to what outcome they want, ensure the survivor feels safe and ensure the survivor is separated from the alleged offender unless the survivor wishes otherwise;

3. ensure that the survivor and the alleged harasser understands FYEG protocol for dealing with the complaint;

4. discuss and agree the next steps with the alleged survivor, informal, formal or outside complaints procedure (police, hospital, embassy, etc.), on the understanding that choosing to resolve the matter informally does not preclude the survivor from pursuing a formal complaint if they are not satisfied with the outcome;

5. keep a confidential record of all discussions. Records will be destroyed if the alleged survivor requests it, or before the change to a new EC. However, a record of sanctions and a brief description of the reason will be kept in a safe place;

6. respect the choice of the survivor;

7. and ensure that the survivor knows that they can lodge the complaint outside of FYEG through the relevant country/legal framework.

INFORMAL COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

If the survivor wishes to deal with the matter informally, the designated person
will:

• Approach the alleged harasser saying that the behaviour is offensive, unwelcome and must be stopped;

• Inform the harasser that FYEG has a zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment and that disregarding this policy may result in the person’s exclusion from the organization

• give an opportunity to the alleged harasser to respond to the complaint;

• ensure that the alleged harasser understands the complaints mechanism;

• facilitate discussion between both parties to achieve an informal resolution
which is acceptable to the complainant, provided the alleged survivor agrees,

• ensure that a confidential record is kept of what happened;

• follow up after the outcome of the complaints mechanism to ensure that the behaviour has stopped and that there is no risk of its repetition;

• And ensure that the above is done accurately and at the latest within 10 days of the complaint being made. During events, the procedure shall take place within 48 hours.

FORMAL COMPLAINTS PROCEDURES

If the survivor wants to make a formal complaint or if the informal complaint mechanism has not led to a satisfactory outcome for the survivor, the formal complaint mechanism should be used to resolve the matter.

The designated person who initially received the complaint will communicate to the rest of contact points the opening of a formal complaint procedure. The EC will be informed of this, respecting the confidentiality of the alleged survivor and the allegations. The designated person who initially received the complaint will carry out the investigation with the assistance of the Awareness Group and the independent contact person at the moment in which allegations were presented, if any. They will help the investigator with the analysis and decision making process. A procedure for online harassment shall be developed.

The person carrying out the investigation will:

• interview the survivor and the alleged harasser separately

• interview other relevant third parties separately

• decide whether the incident qualifies as sexual harassment within the meaning of this protocol

• produce a report detailing the investigations, findings and any recommendations

• if the harassment took place, decide what the appropriate remedy for the survivor is, in consultation with the survivor (i.e. an apology, a change of structure, suspension..,)

• follow up to ensure that the recommendations are implemented, that the behaviour has stopped and that the survivor is satisfied with the outcome

• if it cannot determine that the harassment took place, they may still make recommendations to ensure proper functioning of the organization

• keep a record of all actions taken

• ensure that all records concerning the matter are kept confidential

• ensure that the process is done as quickly as possible and in any event within 15 days of the complaint being made

The general rule is to avoid the presence of the alleged harasser in those places/structures in which the alleged survivor moves. It is vital that the wishes and needs of the survivors are incorporated into the outcome of the complaints mechanism.

A data protection protocol will be developed.

OUTSIDE COMPLAINT MECHANISM

This protocol seeks to create a fast and appropriate response to allegations of sexual harassment. However, it does not seek to substitute existing regulation and legislation on this issue. We want to make clear that FYEG wants to be fully supportive with every decision of the alleged survivor.

A person who has been subject to sexual harassment can at any time make a complaint outside of the organization. Even though this organization cannot offer legal advice, the contact point(s) will accompany the person to the instance this person prefers (hospital, police, ombudsperson, law courts, embassies, etc.) if they request it.

SANCTIONS AND DISCIPLINARY MEASURES

Anyone who has been found to have sexually harassed another person under the terms of this policy may be sanctioned. Sanctions may include but are not limited to one of the following :

• Verbal or written warning

• Suspension from an elected or non-elected FYEG structure, in line with FYEG IRPs when appropriate

• Dismissal/expulsion

Depending on the seriousness of the allegations, the EC, upon request of the Awareness Group may suspend someone from taking part in any FYEG structure or activity during the duration of the process. Confidentiality of the survivor will be maintained.

In case of sexual harassment, violence or discrimination by a member of an elected body within FYEG (Financial Control Committee, Advisory Committee or Ecosprinter Board) the EC can exclude the offender after consulting the full MOs. (cf. 2.2.2). If the case arises within the EC, the Advisory Committee can exclude the offender after consulting the full MOs.

The nature of the sanctions will depend on the gravity and extent of the harassment. Suitable deterrent sanctions will be applied to ensure that incidents of sexual harassment are not treated as trivial. Certain serious cases, including physical violence, will result in the immediate dismissal of the harasser.

Guidelines for persons of contact

Read the protocol and understand every aspect

What is sexual harassment? It is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature which:

• Violates your dignity

• Makes you feel intimidated, degraded or humiliated

• Creates a hostile or offensive environment

Sexual harassment “can include, but is not limited to”, these examples:

• Touching, pinching, stroking, squeezing, or brushing against someone

• Leering or ogling

• Making LGBTIAQ+-phobic or GSRM (Gender, Sexual and Romantic Minorities)-phobic comments and sexually suggestive signals, winking

• Sending unwanted e-mails, text messages, posting sexually-explicit jokes or content on FYEG communication channels

• Sexual comments or jokes

• Making insults based on a person’s sex or rating their sexuality

• Turning work discussions to sexual topics

• Physical behaviour, including unwanted sexual advances, touching and various forms of sexual assault

• Displaying pictures, photos or drawings of a sexual nature

Remember: Whether harassing intentionally or unintentionally, we all have a responsibility to monitor our behaviour and respect each other. Anyone who reports an incident has the right to remain anonymous. They also have the right to feel safe and respected.

Listen and Support

It's tough to be prepared when someone tells you that they have been the survivor of sexual harassment. Remember, you can only provide support

Support and understanding are essential. It takes a lot of courage for a survivor to share their experience;

Try to provide a safe/non-judgmental environment, emotional comfort and support for the survivor to express feelings;

Let them know that they can talk with you. Listen. Don’t rush to provide solutions.

Believe

The most common reason people choose not to tell anyone about sexual abuse is the fear that the listener won’t believe them. People rarely lie or exaggerate about abuse; if someone tells you, it’s because they trust you and needs someone to talk to.

People rarely make up stories of abuse. It is not necessary for you to decide if they were “really hurt.” If the survivor says they were hurt, that should be enough

Believe what the person tells you. It may have been difficult for them to talk to you and trust you. Unless proven wrong harassment has happened.

Reassure

Sexual assault is NEVER the survivor’s fault. No one asks to be sexually assaulted by what they wear, say or do. Let the survivor know that only the perpetrator is to blame;

The survivor needs to hear that fears, anxieties, guilt and anger are normal, understandable and acceptable emotions;

Remember, no one ever deserves to be abused or harassed.

Be Patient

Don’t press for details – let the person decide how much to tell you. Ask them how you can help;

Survivors have to struggle with complex decisions and feelings of powerlessness, trying to make decisions for them may only increase that sense of powerlessness;

You can be supportive by helping them to identify all the available options and then help them by supporting their decision making process (here refer to the protocol).

The survivor can’t just “forget it” or just move on. Recovery is a long term process and each individual moves at their own pace

Encourage

Encourage the survivor to seek medical attention, report the assault, and or contact a professional if needed. Remember, the survivor must ultimately make the decision as to what to do. They are the experts in their own lives. Don’t push. Remember, support their choices no matter what they decide.

Respect Privacy - Confidentiality

Don’t tell others what the survivor tells you. Let the individual decide who they will tell. It is important not to share information with others who are not involved;

If you do need to share information for their safety, get permission by letting them know what you will share and with whom it will be shared; ie. the rest of contact points in case of a formal complaint

Establish Safety

An important part of helping the survivor is to identify ways in which the survivor can re-establish their sense of physical and emotional safety. You are a step in the process. Ask them what would make them feel safe and how you can help them accomplish this.

If the stalking or harassment is ongoing, help them to develop a plan of what to
do if they are in immediate danger. Having a specific plan and preparing in
advance can be important if the harassment escalates.

Things you can say

It is hard to know what to say to a person when they confide in you. Refrain from asking a lot of questions, instead, support them with these phrases. Let the person know that you believe that they have the strengt and capacity to heal.

• It’s not your fault

• I’m sorry this happened

• I believe you

• How can I help you?

• I am glad you told me

• I’ll support your choices

• You’re not alone

Use of inclusive language

FYEG aims to use language in its communications and its events that reflects the level of English spoken within an organisation of mostly non-native speakers. FYEG promotes the use of inclusive and accessible language within the organisation. FYEG attempts to reduce the shame of using simple language. We do this to make sure that everyone feels welcome to participate and contribute.

General Principles

FYEG will have minimal statutes that only contain what legally matters and they will be revised in case the Belgian law changes. All other matters will be taken care of in the IRPs.

The IRPs must never contradict the statutes, they can elaborate.

The IRPs shall be facilitating and helping with decision-making processes as well as the organisation of the federation. There shall be no more rules than necessary.

This document shall be accessible to every MO on the website.

All acts, invoices, publications, official letters and websites, in electronic form or not, emanating from the association must mention:

- its full or abbreviated name, immediately preceded or followed by “AISBL” or “international non-profit association”,

- the precise indication of its registered office,

- its company number,

- the terms "register of legal persons" or the abbreviation "RPM" followed by the indication of the court of the registered office of the legal person,

- if applicable, their email address and website,

- the number of at least one account held by the association with a credit institution established in Belgium,

- if applicable, the indication that the association is in liquidation.

1. Member Organizations

1.1. Membership

1.1.1. Membership categories

The association is made up of member organisations only and has three categories
of member organisations:

Full members

Candidate members

Associate members

1.1.2. Membership criteria

Membership criteria are detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.3. Conditions of admission of candidate members

Conditions of admission of candidate member organisations are detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.4. Conditions of admission of full members

Conditions of admission of full member organisations are detailed in the Statutes.

In addition, a candidate member organisation must apply for full membership latest at the General Assembly three years after it has received its candidate member organisation status. If the candidate member organisation does not apply for full membership in the third year of its candidacy, the Executive Committee can propose the suspension or exclusion of the candidate member organisation.

1.1.5. Conditions of admission of associate members

Conditions of admission of associate member organisations are detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.6. Resignation of members

Conditions for the resignation of members are detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.7. Suspension of members

Conditions for the suspension of members are detailed in the Statutes.

The Executive Committee has a right to propose the suspension of a member organisation to the General Assembly in the following cases (not limited to):

• no update or other contact is made between a member and the FYEG Executive Committee between two General Assemblies,

• the member organisation doesn’t fulfil one or more of the membership criteria,

• the member organisation didn’t pay their membership fee,

• major changes that happened in the member organisation, which need to be investigated by the EC.

The suspension of a member means that the organisation loses its voting rights.

When a member is suspended, the Executive Committee:

1. informs the member organisation about the suspension via an e-mail and explain the consequences

2. makes all reasonable efforts to enable the member to regain its full membership

3. creates a report on this process and presents it at the following General Assembly.

1.1.8. Exclusion of members

Conditions for the exclusion of members are detailed in the Statutes.

The exclusion of an MO means that this organisation is not listed as a member organisation anymore and hence loses all of its rights within FYEG. Following an exclusion, an organisation that wishes to rejoin FYEG is expected to follow the entire membership procedure, as a new organisation would.

The rejoining organisation is required to inform GA about changes that happened in their organisation since leaving FYEG and explanation of their decision about rejoining.

1.1.9. Suspension and exclusion in case of non-payment of
membership fee

The suspension and exclusion of member organisation in case of non-payment of
membership fee is further detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.10. Membership fee

FYEG has an annual membership fee. The ceiling is stated in the Statutes.

Each full member organisation shall pay an annual membership fee to FYEG. This membership fee shall correspond to 1 % of the total incomes of their previous year’s realised budget with a minimum of 50 EUR for the EU and European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and 25 EUR for all other European countries.

By way of derogation to the previous paragraph, the General Assembly may decide, in duly justified cases, to lower the amount of the membership fee that a Member Organisation shall pay, following a recommendation of the Executive Committee. Requests for lowering the Membership fee shall be sent by a Member Organisation to the Executive Committee at the latest 2 weeks before the GA.

Each full MO shall pay their membership fee for the running year on the first evening of the GA at the latest, if it has not already been transferred earlier.

Full MOs are requested to provide their annual budget statement for the previous year at the latest. A document listing the amount of the membership fee paid by each MO and the way it has been calculated must be annexed to the financial report of the year in question.

1.1.11. Membership reviews

The Executive Committee presents a review of the FYEG Member Organisations as part of the Executive Committee Report. The review can include the following information:

Overview of the region and its meetings and activities,

The Member Organisations' engagement with FYEG activities during the year,

Major changes to the Member Organisation.

In case of major changes (change of organisations' name, split in the organisation, merge with another organisation, change of political affiliation, etc.), the Executive Committee can propose the General Assembly to vote on that change. The General Assembly may, among other options, take note of the change
or suspend the membership of the organisation to give sufficient time to the Executive Committee to look into the situation.

1.2. Working with Member Organisations

1.2.1. Member Organisation Duties

Each MO should keep FYEG updated about:

- changes in the board

- valid contact addresses for the MO list and the website

- activities

1.2.2. FYEG duties

FYEG will provide the Member Organisations with:

- information about statutory meetings

- minutes and reports from statutory meetings and long ECMs

- a newsletter containing information and participation possibilities in current
activities

- regularly updated contacts of other Member Organisations

2. General Assembly

2.1. Composition

The General Assembly is the highest decision body. The General Assembly is composed of one or two delegates per full member organisation, candidate member organisation and associate member organisation.

MOs should strive to send delegations to GA that are gender-balanced and consist of delegates maximum aged 30 years old. If the organisation is unable to find delegates within the age limit, they can send older delegates aged 31-35.

The delegates can be asked to pay a participation fee for the General Assembly.

People who are employed by FYEG or are members of the FYEG Executive Committee cannot be delegates to the general assembly.

2.2. Powers

The power of the General Assembly is detailed in the Statutes.

In addition to what Statutes state, a decision of the General Assembly is required in the following cases:

- the adoption and amendment of the Activity plan for the upcoming year,

- the adoption and amendment of Resolutions,

- the election of the Financial Control and Advisory Committee,

- the election of the Editorial Board of Ecosprinter,

- the election of the FYEG representative to the European Green Party Committee,

- the approval of the Advisory Committee

- the approval of the Presidency of the General Assembly

- Decision about joining (or leaving) membership with other organisations/networks

The General Assembly also hears the following reports:

- Activity Report

- Executive Committee and Secretary General Report

- FYEG's Representative to the EGP Committee

- Ecosprinter Editorial Board report

- Financial Control and Advisory Committee report

- Advisory Committee report

2.3. Functioning

The Administrative Board and the Executive Committee summons the annual General Assembly. FYEG Member Organisations are summoned to the General Assembly via ordinary mail or e-mail. The convocation contains the agenda, date, time and place of the General Assembly.

General Assembly is presided in line with the Meeting Rules (Annex - 1)

The rules for holding extraordinary General Assembly are detailed in the Statutes.

Changes to the statutory and internal organisational documents take effect from the first working day after the GA meeting where they were changed, except when the GA votes for their immediate implementation through a second vote requiring an absolute two-thirds majority. Persons elected by the General Assembly will start their mandate from the first working day after the GA meeting where they were elected, unless other rules apply for their mandate.

2.4. Deadlines and calls

The call for hosting the General Assembly must be sent as soon as possible, no later than 7 months before the tentative dates of the GA. The call must be open at least one month.The selection of the hosting organisation is done by the Executive Committee.

The remaining deadlines are structured as follows:

12 Weeks before the General Assembly the Executive Committee must send out a call for:

Registration of all participants
delegates

the executive committee (if applicable)

the secretary general (if applicable)

the financial control and advisory committee

the ecosprinter editorial board

the FYEG representative to the EGP committee

the presidency

9 weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

applications of presidency

Between 10 and 7 weeks before the GA
The Executive Committee must also organise an online information session, explaining the functioning of the General Assembly and promoting the different open positions.

6 weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

registration of delegates

applications of organisations for associate, candidate or full membership

applications of Secretary General candidates

applications for the FYEG nominee to the EGP Committee

4 Weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

submission of resolutions

amendments to the Political Platform, the Internal Rules and Procedures and the
Strategic Plan

Reports and Plans to be sent out to Member Organisations

Executive Committee candidates

Financial Control and Advisory Committee candidates

Ecosprinter Editorial Board candidates

the submission of proposals to add point to the GA agenda, any such proposal
must be signed by one-twentieth of the full member organisations, as detailed in
the Statutes

In case the number of candidates is less than the number of positions open and/or if the gender quota is not met, the Executive Committee will re-open the call for additional candidates of the underrepresented gender and/or positions with lacking candidates.

3 weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

publication of Candidacies

publication of Executive Committee recommendations on potential member
organisations (for full, candidate or associate membership)

publication of Executive Committee recommendations on exclusion and/or
suspension of member organisations

sending the GA agenda, as detailed in the Statutes

2 weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

MOs to express their support for candidates

1 week before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

amendments to the resolutions and Plans

Other deadlines:

The deadline for submitting emergency resolutions must be 2 days before the start of the General Assembly. At the end of the General Assembly's first day, the assembly sets a deadline for amendments to the emergency resolutions.

2.5. Submission of resolutions and amendments

At the general assembly Full Member Organisations and the Executive Committee have the right to submit resolutions, and amendments to resolutions, the political platform, the activity and financial plan, the strategic plan, other plans tabled by the EC, the statutes and the IRPs, bearing in mind the deadlines specified under 2.4. Support of 3 Full Member Organizations is needed in order to table an emergency resolution.

2.6. Presidency

The General Assembly confirms the Presidency proposed by the Executive Committee before any other decisions are made.

The Presidency then:

• chairs the meetings and discussions at the General Assembly

• prepares the resolutions, amendments and voting procedures for the General
  Assembly

• is responsible for taking the minutes of the General Assembly

The Presidency:

• consists of four to six people who must not be candidates to any positions at the General Assembly.

• can be suspended and simultaneously replaced with an absolute two-third majority by the assembly. Such a vote of no-confidence can be demanded by at least 5% of the delegates, who must present people for the new Presidency.

2.7. Participation fee

A participation fee to the General Assembly can be set up if the Treasurer finds it necessary.

The following participants of the General Assembly are exempt from paying the participation fee:

One delegate per Full, Candidate and Associate Member Organisation,

Executive Committee members

the Secretary-General and office

members of the Presidency

If a full Member Organisation sends a second delegate the participation fee is halved in case at least one of the two delegates self-identifies as women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender. Treasurer can grant exemption or lowering of the fee to participant that request it.

2.8. Travel reimbursement

Full reimbursement of travel costs is granted to:

• one delegate per full, candidate or associate Member Organisation

• Executive Committee members

• the Secretary-General and the office

• candidates for the Executive Committee elections

• candidates for the Secretary-General elections, provided they have
  received approval by the pre-selection committee

• candidates for the FYEG Representative to the EGP Committee, provided they
  have received approval by the pre-selection committee

• members of the presidency

The Treasurer can decide to reimburse travel costs for:

• delegates of organisations applying for candidate membership in FYEG

• candidates for all open positions

• the second delegate of a full, candidate or associate Member Organisation
  if at least one delegate self-identifies as women, intersex, nonbinary,
  trans or agender.

3. Election and Voting Procedures

3.1. Attendance and voting quorums

In line with the Statutes, each Member Organisation has the right to attend the General Assembly. Only Full Member Organisations have voting rights and each Full Member Organisation has two votes.

3.1.1. Principles

In line with the Statutes, the General Assembly deliberates validly only if 50 % + 1 of the Full Member Organisations are present or represented. The Statutes detail the steps to follow in case the attendance quorum is not reached.

In line with the Statutes, in principle all decisions in FYEG are taken by a simple majority of votes registered for the General Assembly. When voting, abstention is always an option. When the vote relates to decisions concerning persons or Member Organisations, the ballot is always secret. The voting body can decide to have other voting procedures processed through secret ballot.

3.1.2. Procedures

Definitions

Votes registered at General Assembly - the number of Member Organisations and their delegates who are registered for the General Assembly and have voted in the determination of the General Assembly quorum

Votes cast - the number of votes that were submitted.

Simple majority

Majority of the votes cast, i.e. the number of “Yes” votes exceed the number of “No” votes.

Abstentions are not considered in the count.

Examples:

Out of 20 votes: 11 yes, 9 no, 0 abstentions: passed; 1 yes, 0 no, 19 abstentions: passed.

10 yes; 10 no; 0 abstentions. not passed. 10 yes, 9 no, 1 abstention: passed.

Absolute majority

To pass "yes" should reach the majority (half+1, or half + 0.5 in case of odd number) of the number of votes registered at the General Assembly.

Note that it is number of votes registered, not number of votes cast. This means that if less than half of the voters are present and vote, this majority can never be reached.

Examples:

20 voters registered: need 11 or more yes votes.

21 voters registered: need 11 or more yes votes.

22 voters registered: need 12 or more yes votes.

Simple two-thirds majority

Two thirds of the votes cast.

Absolute two-thirds majority

Two thirds of the number of votes registered.

Note that it is the number of votes registered, not the number of votes cast. This means that if less than two thirds of the voters are present and vote this majority can never be reached.

Examples:

20 voters: need 14 yes or more votes.

21 voters registered: need 14 or more yes votes.

22 voters registered: need 15 or more yes votes.

3.2. Election of candidates

3.2.1. Principles

FYEG uses a Single Transferable Vote (STV) electoral system with a standard droop quota. Mathematically, this is the next integer larger than V / (n+1) when V = the total number of valid votes and n is the number of positions available. Specifically recommended is the Scottish STV system.

3.2.2. Procedures

The main principle is to rank all the candidates according to the voter's preferences for each candidate. Where 1 is the first preference 2 the second preference and so on.Voters can rank all candidates even if the number of candidates exceeds the number of positions. Voters can decide to not rank some of the candidates even if this means leaving the ballot partially blank.

Only a completely blank ballot counts as abstention, an abstention counts under the exception below.

If a simple majority of all ballots cast do not rank the candidate with any numbers they are excluded from the election.

0 - All ballots are inspected to determine that candidates have received a simple majority of any kind of ranking on cast ballots. If not, they will be excluded from the election.

1 – The candidates who have reached the election quota (i.e. election threshold) are elected.

2 – If some positions are still available, the following process starts:

2a – The left-over votes on candidates reaching the election threshold are redistributed according to second preferences, using the Single Transferable Vote system of distribution.

2b – If one or more candidates have reached the election threshold, that/those candidate(s) are elected in order from highest to lowest vote count. The process then starts again from point (2).

2c – If no candidate reaches the threshold in this way, the candidate with the lowest amount of votes is removed from the election. The ballot-papers that ranked this candidate as their first remaining preference are redistributed according to their second preference. The process is then restarted (1).

2d - If, following the calculation of the election result, one or more candidates is elected who is ineligible due to quota regulations, these candidates (who had the least number of votes) are removed from the pool of candidates and the entire election is recalculated. That is to say, the election is recalculated, and each time the ineligible candidate would have received a preference vote, the vote instead goes to the voter’s next preference.

3.2.3. Exceptions

At the General Assembly:

Concerning the Executive Committee elections:

The spokespersons and the treasurer are elected separately from the rest of the Executive Committee positions.

Concerning the Advisory Committee:

The newly elected Executive Committee will present the proposed Advisory Committee to the General Assembly. The General Assembly ratifies the proposed Advisory Committee by a simple majority vote.

Between General Assemblies:

Concerning the replacement of a resigned Executive Committee member:

If an Executive Committee member resigns, a new Executive Committee member can be elected to replace them.

The Executive Committee will publishes a call for candidates for the vacant position. Candidates will be elected via an electronic vote.

Any replaced EC member will have full voting rights in the Executive Committee.

3.3. Electronic voting

The Executive Committee can call for an electronic vote between General Assemblies in urgent matters. It is the duty of the Executive Committee to provide enough information for the full Member Organisations to make an informed decision.

Each full Member Organisation has 2 votes. When voting, abstention is always an option.

The voting period is set to two weeks with a one week reminder.

The Statutes, the Internal Rules and Procedures, the Strategic Plan and the Political Platform cannot be subject to any electronic vote between the General Assemblies.

Results will be announced within one week after the closing of the vote and include detailed information.

3.4. Tiebreakers

3.4.1. Tiebreakers on point of substance

In the case of a tie between two points of substance, the vote shall be held again. If the result is once again a tie, the body voting may choose to vote once more, table the discussion to later in the meeting, or decide by some form of chance. Note that this paragraph is not intended to apply to ties between “yes”, “no”, or “abstain” where some point of substance requires a majority to pass.

3.4.2. Tiebreakers relating to elections

If the tie occurs between two candidates in an election, and only one may be elected, a vote shall be held to decide between them. If the result is once again a tie, the body voting may choose to vote once more or decide by some form of chance. At any point during this, either candidate may choose to withdraw.

3.5. Dismissal of elected persons

3.5.1. Dismissal of Executive Committee member

Two thirds of the Executive Committee can propose dismissal of an Executive Committee member.

The Full Member Organisations vote on the proposed resignation through electronic vote.

The vote is based on two letters: a letter of justification from the majority of Executive Committee members proposing the dismissal and an optional letter of defence from the Executive Committee member.

If at least one third of the full MOs participate in the vote and a two third majority is reached the Executive Committee member is dismissed.

3.5.2. Dismissal of Secretary-General

Two thirds of the Executive Committee can propose the dismissal of the Secretary-General.An additional General Assembly must then be convened by a decision of the Administrative Board under the applicable rules (as set out in the statutes), where the Member Organisations vote on both the dismissal of the existing Secretary-General, and the election and appointment to the Administrative Board of a new interim Secretary-General.The Executive Committee has the right to in writing and orally inform the Member Organisations as to why they have proposed the dismissal, and the Secretary-General the right to defend
themselves.

If quorum is reached (as detailed in the Statutes) and a simple two-thirds majority is found at the additional General Assembly for dismissing the Secretary-General, the Secretary-General is dismissed.The Executive Committee can propose dismissal of the Secretary General, with two-thirds of the votes of the members of the EC. The Member Organisations must be notified within 8 days about the decision and the Executive Committee must appoint a Secretary-General ad interim within 8 weeks after the decision of the Executive Committee. The Secretary General ad interim will continue until the election of a new Secretary General at the subsequent General Assembly. The new interim Secretary-General will take over the mandate over the former Secretary-General, expiring whenever the former Secretary-General’s mandate would have expired. They have all the powers and responsibilities of the former Secretary-General.

3.6. Gender quota

In all elected bodies there must be a minimum of 50% of people that self-identify as women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender.

If there is only one position in a body, there is no quota. However it is encouraged that people that self-identify as women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender alternate in this position.

4. Bodies

4.1. Administrative Board

In line with the Statutes, the association is administered by an administrative board composed of three people, appointed by the general assembly amongst the Secretary-General, and members of the Executive Committee, preferably the Spokespeople and the Treasurer.

4.2. Executive Committee

The Executive Committee members are responsible for making strategic and political decisions about the organisation during their mandate and between General Assemblies.

The Executive Committee strives to reach consensus, with any member able to call a vote if consensus cannot be reached; decisions are made by a simple majority, disregarding abstentions. If no majority is secured after two consecutive votes, the decision is postponed to the next meeting for further attempts to reach a consensus. If voting fails again in the subsequent meeting, the decision is deemed against.

The Executive Committee is composed of eight people:

who are elected by the General Assembly with a one-year mandate

“Who can only do a maximum of three total mandates”

in case of by-election, the term only counts as a mandate if it exceeds 9 months

Any individual can hold a maximum of two different mandates in one particular role within the EC across the course of their lifetime. For example, they could be Co-spokesperson for two mandates, and EC member for one mandate, but they could not be Co-spokesperson for three mandates.

An EC member is either a co-spokesperson, a treasurer or a regular EC member: the roles cannot be accumulated.

An EC candidate must not be older than 32 on the year of election.

A mandate is the period between one Annual GA and the second to next Annual GA.

Within the EC there are two spokespersons, who must not be from the same Member Organisation, the treasurer and five additional members. The gender quota applies to the spokespersons.

The Executive Committee:

rules when an absolute majority of its members are present and/or involved in the decision-making process through online channels,

is responsible for the relations with the Member Organisations,

has the right to make statements on behalf of FYEG, in line with the political platform

oversees the implementation of the activity plan as decided by the General Assembly

receives and handles applications from organisations that wish to join FYEG and produces a report for the General Assembly including voting recommendation

can engage FYEG in partnerships with external movements, networks and organisations

select members of non-elected temporary bodies and provides political support to them (such as the prep-teams, working groups, task forces etc.)

The Executive Committee members represent FYEG to its partners, member organisations and other stakeholders.

EC members need to ensure a good transfer of knowledge when their mandate comes to an end with a proper handover. The handover should take place within 3 weeks of the tasks being divided.

4.2.1. Spokespeople

The Spokespersons:

Coordinate the Executive Committee

Represent FYEG to the public and are a contact point for people from outside the Federation.

Represent FYEG with the Partners and attend European Green Party Committee meetings

Are responsible for the secretariat

The mandate of the spokespersons is further stated in the internal delegation order of FYEG, adopted by the Executive Committee on an annual basis.

4.2.2. Treasurer

The Treasurer is responsible for the yearly budget of FYEG. The treasurer works closely together with the Secretary General and the Office, that ensures the daily financial management of the organisation. The treasurer:

prepares the financial report to the Executive Committee and to the General Assembly

prepares a budget plan for the General Assembly

has regular meetings with the Office to check the budget

The mandate of the treasurer is further stated in the internal delegation order of FYEG, adopted by the Executive Committee on an annual basis

4.3. Secretary-General

The Secretary General is elected for a three year mandate at the General Assembly. The mandate can only be renewed once. The total duration of the mandate of the Secretary-General can not exceed two mandates and the time held as "interim Secretary-General" is not counted as part of a mandate.

The tasks of the Secretary General include:

the legal representation of the organisation

Managing the FYEG Secretariat and making sure that each office member fulfils their responsibilities and tasks

Facilitating and assisting the work of the Executive Committee

Overseeing the HR processes

Overseeing the execution of FYEG Activity Plan

Overseeing FYEG finances, including fundraising, reporting, handling FYEG bank accounts, accounting,

Making sure that the statutory deadlines and process are respected

Overseeing the organisation of the statutory activities

Overseeing FYEG's external communications and campaigns

Monitoring key political events and policy developments on the European level to serve as a resource for FYEG's political work

Maintaining good contacts with FYEG's partners and Member Organisations and other stakeholders

If mandated by the Executive Committee, the Secretary General can externally represent FYEG and its position

4.4. FYEG’s Representative to the European Green Party
Committee

As outlined in the Statutes and the Rule Book of the European Green Party, the Committee is the executive body of the European Green Party and is responsible for its political and strategical development and functioning within the budget and the guidelines approved by the Congress. The Committee consists of 13 members, out of which 4 are elected for specific functions, 8 regular members and 1 seat nominated by FYEG.

The Committee mandate is 3 years. Members may not serve more than three terms. The Committee’s general tasks and responsibilities are further detailed in the European Green Party Statutes.

FYEG nominates one member to the EGP Committee. Hereafter, this person will be referred to as the representative. This representative cannot hold any of the four specific posts of the Petit Committee of the European Green Party (Co-Chairs, Treasurer and the Secretary General). The nomination of this FYEG representative will follow the Committee elections deadlines.

FYEG's representative is elected at the General Assembly. They must not be older than 35 years old at the year of election. They are required to attend at least one live Executive Committee meeting every year. Moreover they must submit a report to the General Assembly every year, detailing the work that they have done in the EGP Committee. They can be asked to attend more FYEG Executive Committee meetings and FYEG events to represent the EGP Committee.

4.5. Financial Control and Advisory Committee

At the General Assembly, members of the Financial Control and Advisory Committee (FCAC) are elected for a two year mandate.

The FCAC is composed of two members. Its members must not be members of the Executive Committee nor financially depending on FYEG.

The FCAC’s tasks include:

At least one meeting a year, dedicated to checking FYEG’s finances. A written report of this meeting must be submitted to the EC, thereby providing an internal audit.

the presentation of this yearly report to the delegates at the GA. The financial report that is to be presented to the GA and all other relevant material have to be ready and at disposal for the meeting.

Providing recommendations to FYEG Treasurer and Secretary General regarding the financial management and the financial orientations of FYEG.

It is recommended that the EC and the office share relevant information related to the finances of the organisation to FCAC throughout the year.

4.6. Office

In addition to the Secretary General, FYEG may recruit employees for its Office.

In principle, all recruitments are made after an open and public call. The decision on the selected candidate is done in line with the internal delegation order of the FYEG, adopted by the Executive Committee on an annual basis.

The Executive Committee adopts “Guidelines and Rules for the Office” in line with legal requirements. This document is made available to all employees, especially when new employees are recruited.

Salaries are decided upon in line with the internal delegation order of the FYEG, based on the financial plans adopted by the General Assembly.

4.7. Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee ensures the transfer of knowledge within FYEG and acts as a conflict resolution body. It is appointed for two years at the General Assembly. The Advisory Committee is composed of 5 members. Action by the Advisory Committee is taken only upon request by Executive Committee members of other bodies of FYEG. Its tasks are:

providing their shared experience on a specific subject

assisting in conflict resolution between Executive Committee members, members of other Bodies and/or office

providing general or specific mentorship for Executive Committee members on an individual needs basis.

If requested by the Executive Committee, advising the Executive Committee on organisational and structural matters

In order to enable the Advisory Committee to fulfil this tasks it is granted the following:

one-way access to the email-list of the Executive Committee throughout the year, meaning the possibility to read conversations but not actively take part

access to the online storing spaces of the Executive Committee, without editing rights.

attendance at online or offline meetings of the Executive Committee

During its duty, the Advisory Committee must respect the secrecy of internal matters. At the General Assembly, the Advisory Committee must present a brief overview of the functioning of the Executive Committee and office. If prompted, the Advisory Committee make recommendation within 8 weeks, after oral or written consultation of involved parties, and to the best of all members’ knowledge. Recommendation of the Advisory Committee have to be provided in written form to parties involved.

4.8. Working Group

Working groups have the following functions within FYEG :

helping with the acquirement and create professional documents on current and selected topics

providing the groundwork for the formulation of political positions

promoting the involvement of Member Organisations and green activists in FYEG Working Groups

providing space for a debate between young Green activists on the European level

supporting the Executive Committee, office and prep-teams in the organisation of events and campaigns

supporting the Executive Committee and Prep-teams in policy related preparations for FYEG events

Working groups are formed by the Executive Committee, with a defined scope, aim, working area and timeframe. This defined scope is outlined by the Executive Committee responsible for the working group and working group coordinators at the start of the mandate to complement FYEG's priorities. The creation of a working group may be planned in the annual activity plan adopted by the General Assembly but the Executive Committee may also decide to create ad-hoc working groups.

Working groups must not work against the political platform of FYEG. Further details on how to form, manage and communicate Working Groups is detailed in the Annex - 2 Working Groups Guidelines.

4.9. Ecosprinter Editorial Board

The Ecosprinter is the Member Organisations magazine of FYEG and is created by an autonomous editorial board, elected at the General Assembly. The Ecosprinter is published online and FYEG should strive for a printed version.

The mission of the Ecosprinter is to:

provide a forum for commentary and internal debate

provide the spaces for blogs and articles of members of FYEG

inform about European Green policies and politics

report and comment about culture, politics and discussions they believe are of importance.

The Ecosprinter Editorial Board:

consist of three members

has to be gender-balanced

can elect an Editor-in-Chief among its members

work on the mission and development of the Ecosprinter

In case there is not a consensus within the Ecosprinter Editorial Board on the election of the Editor-in-Chief, or an absolute majority, the Executive Committee can appoint the Editor-in-Chief. The role of the editor in chief is to coordinate the work of the Ecosprinter Editorial Board and ensure that the mission of the Ecosprinter is fulfilled.

4.10. Conflict of Interest

In case a decision needs to be taken and a member of an FYEG body has a conflict of interest, financial or moral, they must inform the other members of the body before the decision is taken and the following procedure applies:

- the nature of the conflict of interest must appear in the minutes of the meeting,

- the person with a conflict of interest may not participate in the debate and the vote related to the decision in question.

- except for the Executive Committee itself, the body in question is allowed to delegate this decision to the Executive Committee,

- when the decision is delegated to a second body, the first body may still execute the decision.

If someone neglects to disclose a conflict of interest, any other member who is aware of the conflict must inform the rest of the members before the debate and decision takes place. Without the member concerned by the conflict of interest present, the body decides by a vote whether or not this member can participate in the debate and the vote. This decision must be mentioned in the minutes of the meeting. The body is allowed to delegate this decision.

In case the majority of members present or represented are in a position of conflict of interest, the decision must be delegated to the Executive Committee.

In case the majority of members of the Executive Committee are in a position of conflict of interest, the decision must be delegated to the General Assembly.

This chapter does not apply when the decision in question relates to usual transactions, entered into under normal market conditions and guarantees for transactions of the same nature.

5. Relations with other organisations

5.1. General principles

FYEG may:

become a member of other organisations/networks

become a temporary or permanent partner of other organisations/networks/alliances

set up new organisations and networks

The Executive Committee may take the decision to become a temporary or permanent partner of other organisation/networks/alliances. The decision to become a member of other organisations/networks or to set up new organisations/networks should be approved by the General Assembly.

Furthermore the EC must:

provide a list of organisations that FYEG is a member of, as well as a description of FYEG’s rights and responsibilities and the contact details of the concerned organisations

report at the GA about all the partnerships FYEG has maintained during the year and provide details upon request by a MO

5.2. European Green Party

FYEG is the official youth wing of the European Green Party (EGP). Relations between FYEG and EGP are further specified in the EGP-FYEG relationship agreement.

5.3. Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe

FYEG and Cooperation and Development Network (CDN) are sister organisations and cooperate together to their mutual benefit. Relations between FYEG and CDN are further specified in the CDN-FYEG relationship agreement.

5.4. Global Young Greens

FYEG supports the building and working of Global Young Greens (GYG), striving to help GYG with financial and organisational matters.

6. Event Management

6.1. Participants

Participants to an event are selected in line with the internal delegation order of the FYEG, striving for gender, age and geographical balance.

The Executive Committee decides if the event is open to all or only to the delegates of Member Organisations.

The FYEG Safer Spaces Policy and the Anti Sexual Harassment protocol shall be communicated and presented to all participants.

6.2. Prep Team

A Prep Team is a temporary bodies, created for the planning, organisation and follow-up of specific projects.

A Prep Team is set up via an open call procedure.

In line with the internal delegation order of the FYEG, the final decisions on the Prep Team's composition and all necessary replacements are done by the responsible Executive Committee member. They must always:

strive for gender and geographical balance

ensure compliance to specific set of rules imposed by partners and funders

A Prep Team can take decisions concerning their project independently. If needed, a Prep Team can consult the Executive Committee in order to solve possible internal problems.

6.3. Alcohol and intoxicating substances

Organisers of the event shall make sure that underaged participants are not exposed to dangerous situations involving alcohol or illegal drugs.

This shall be ensured by, among others, the following measures:

Participants below 16 and those for whom it is forbidden by domestic laws, shall not consume alcohol or illegal drugs, and one shall not offer any to them. In the event that this does take place, all parties responsible must be banned from the rest of the programme. Moreover, their respective MO(s) shall be notified by
the Executive Committee upon violation of these rules;

Alcohol and illegal drugs shall not be consumed during the official sessions part of the programme;

FYEG shall look into organising sessions and parties in other places than those where alcohol consumption is central, such as bars or clubs;

Members of the Executive Committee and the Prep Team shall lead by example and abstain from excessively drinking alcohol and from using illegal drugs during an event. Additionally, two people, from either the Executive Committee or the Prep Team, should be appointed to stay sober during the programme.

7. Financial Management

The FYEG financial year starts on 1st of January and ends on 31st of December as is reflected in FYEG budget. The financial management of FYEG is done through the decision-making, execution and control of different bodies in line with Belgian law and the delegation order adopted by each Executive Committee.

FYEG’s internal financial management is organised as follows:

The General Assembly approves of the yearly Budget Report and amends and adopts the yearly Budget Plan

The Executive Committee approves the General Budget Plan and Report presented by the Treasurer, before they are submitted to the General Assembly.

The Treasurer regularly monitors the implementation of the overall budget and accounting and keeps the rest of the Executive Committee updated

The Secretariat manages all the practicalities to realise the adopted budget under the supervision of the Secretary-General

The Financial Control and Advisory Committee (FCAC) monitors and reviews the financial reports and plans once per year before they are presented at the General Assembly. The FCAC also monitors the financial management processes and practices. It submits a report to the General Assembly

A certified auditor provides an external audit in line with legal requirements.

7.1. Travel Reimbursements

The reimbursement rules, procedures and deadlines are shared with the participants of each events. Each event and activity has its own rules, procedures and deadlines in line with the rules and procedures of the funders of the activity.

As a general principle a person can ask for reimbursement of the travel cost if:

the participant attended at least 75% of the meeting

all relevant receipts and proof of travel have been handed in within the deadline communicated for each activity

Exceptions to these rules regarding participants can only be made in consultation with the Treasurer.

7.1.1. Reimbursement practicalities

Train and other public transport travel costs are reimbursed on the basis of a 2nd class ticket or a 1st class if that option is cheaper.

For night trips over 500 km the couchette fee (2nd class) can be covered

Bike trips over 10 km are reimbursed by 1 EUR / km with a maximum of the price of a second class train ticket and with an absolute maximum of 100 EUR

Direct flights as well as combinations of direct flights with ground transportation are to be preferred over multistop flights due to the increased emissions from multiple starts and landings. Due to the high levels of emissions, plane-travel in general should be avoided as much as possible.

Taxi costs will be reimbursed if local transport is not available and if requested in advance from the organisers.

The necessity of using a private car must be justified in writing and approved in advance. Travel by car may be reimbursed by 0.2 EUR/km. Depending on the activity, specific reimbursement rules may apply.

Car sharing should be approved in advance and should be cheaper than public transportation. The costs have to be documented.

FYEG uses the official conversion rates of the European Commission for currencies other than Euro:
ec.europa.eu/budget/contracts_grants/info_contracts/inforeuro/inforeuro_en.cfm based on the date of expense if no other donor guidelines apply. Exceptions are payments with credit cards when the documented conversion rates of the credit card company apply based on credit card payments statements.

7.2. Participation fees

A participation fee to any activity can be demanded and fixed by the Executive Committee, in line with the delegation order.

7.3. Expenses covered

7.3.1. Food and food supplies

The members of the Executive Committee can be reimbursed for food expenses up to maximum 30€ per person for meetings covering an entire day and up to 15€ per person for half-day meetings with at least 4 hours of work.

Food reimbursement for other volunteers are fixed by the participating conditions for each event and meeting.

FYEG can only cover costs for vegetarian and vegan food. At every event, vegan food should be offered and its consumption encouraged.

7.3.2. Child care

If requested and possible child care will be provided for the Secretary-General, FYEG Office, Executive Committee members, speakers and Prep Team members in order to allow full presence at an event. The child care support can take the form of: covering the travel and accommodation costs for an extra person to
provide child care on the spot during the event, covering the fee for a child care professional during the event etc. All the costs should be approved by the Treasurer.

7.4. Executive Committee Members allowance

The members of FYEG Executive Committee are entitled to a monthly allowance up to a maximum of 135 EUR per month. The FYEG EC members are free to claim the allowance depending on their need.

The allowance is meant to cover preparation and participation in the following meetings:

FYEG activities, including regular EC meetings;

EGP Committee Meetings and Councils;

Study Visits to Member Organisations approved by the EC;

Other events or meetings approved by the EC.

In addition to the monthly allowance, Executive Committee members are entitled to reimbursement for their costs for travel, accommodation, food and child care costs when travelling, in accordance with the FYEG reimbursement rules. Reimbursement for expenses while travelling can only cover expenses for up to the limit of 1 day before and 1 day after the event/meeting.

The EC member in question makes sure the allowance is declared in line with the fiscal rules of their country of fiscal residence. FYEG declines responsibility for any tax liability.

Annex 1: Organisation of the General Assembly

Application Requirements & Procedures for Candidates

Applicant Organisations

Organisations that are applying to become an Associate, Candidate or Full Member of the Federation of Young European Greens should send their application to the Executive Committee before the deadlines set in the Internal Rules and Procedures.

Their application shall contain:

• a letter signed by their board stating the reason and motivation for their application

• a copy of the original statutes and a translated version in English

• a copy of their political platform (or comparable document) and a translated version in English

• a filled-in questionnaire provided to them by the Executive Committee that includes questions on the number of its members, age limit, list of activities, budget and all other possibly relevant information.

Executive Committee candidates

Candidates for the Executive Committee shall provide in their application form:

• Filled-in application form that will be made available online

• A motivation letter,

• An Outline of their plans are for the organisation or their vision for FYEG

• Detailed CV

• Candidates must be proposed by their member organisation and seconded by another FYEG member organisation.

• One nomination letter from the Member Organisation they belong to. If that is not possible the Member Organisation, of which the candidate is from, must provide an explanation for the rejection of nomination and the possible candidate has the right to provide a letter of justification. The letter will be shared with the delegates of the General Assembly. The General Assembly will decide, through a vote by two-third majority, whether this person is admitted as a candidate or not.

Multiple positions holding

FYEG strives to have non-cumulation of positions.

Executive Committee members have to be able to combine their commitments to FYEG with whatever other tasks they may have. Candidates to the Executive Committee have to lay open what other mandates and functions they have.

Secretary General candidates:

Secretary General candidates’ application must include:

• a CV

• a comprehensive motivation letter, explaining how experiences match the profile, what the candidate thinks they can contribute to FYEG. It should also establish a vision of a European political youth organisation’s role. Special emphasis is given to experiences within FYEG and other Young Green Organisations.

• the contact details of two references, preferably employers, supervisors or tutors

Further requirements and procedure:

• A committee for a pre-selection of the candidates will be set up. The committee will consist of 4 people: a current FYEG EC member, a former FYEG Secretary General or office coordinator, one full MO representative and a 4th member (NGO professional worker).

• Only applications including all required documents and sent before the given deadline will be examined taking into consideration both political and professional skills of the candidates. These candidates will be given a written assignment and interview if this is possible.

• The committee will assess the candidates’ experience and skills.

• Candidates will be given a month to campaign and are expected to present themselves at the GA. The final decision on the Sec-Gen of FYEG lies with the final vote of the GA of the organisation.

• In case a candidate is not recommended by the committee, they will still be able to apply for the position and present themselves at the GA, but the candidacy will not be endorsed by the EC.

• In case the Secretary-General wants to renew their mandate and if by the closing of the deadline for the applications for the Secretary-General there are no other applications received, there is no need for the Selection Committee.

FYEG’s Representative to the EGP Committee Candidates:

Candidates to FYEG’s Representative to the EGP Committee must provide:

• A motivation letter,

• An outline of their plans are for the organisation or their vision for EGP, specifically as FYEG nominee

• Detailed CV, highlighting their experiences in FYEG and FYEG Member Organisations

• A nomination letter from the Member Organisation they belong(ed) to. If that is not possible the Member Organisation, of which the candidate is from, must provide an explanation for the rejection of nomination and the possible candidate has the right to provide a letter of justification.

Further requirements and procedure:

• A committee for a pre-selection of the candidates will be set up. The committee will consist of 4 people: one current/former FYEG EC member, a current/former FYEG Co-Spokesperson, a current/former FYEG Secretary General, and one full Member Organisation representative).

• Only applications including all required documents and sent before the given deadline will be examined taking into consideration both political and professional skills of the candidates. These candidates will be given an interview if this is possible.

• The committee will assess the candidates’ experience and skills.

• Candidates are expected to present themselves at the General Assembly. The final decision on the nominee of FYEG to the EGP Committee is made by the General Assembly.

• In case a candidate is not recommended by the committee, they will still be able to apply for the position and present themselves at the General Assembly, but the candidacy will not be endorsed by the EC.

Financial Control and Advisory Committee:

Candidates for the Financial Control and Advisory Committee shall provide:

• A motivation letter, highlighting their experience in financial management

• Detailed CV

Ecosprinter Editorial Board:

Candidates for the Financial Control and Advisory Committee shall provide:

• A motivation letter

• Detailed CV

Meeting rules to the General Assembly

These meeting rules regulate the formal sessions of the General Assembly. The goal of these meeting rules is to make sure that all participants have an as similar understanding of the formalities of the General Assembly as possible.

Presidency

The General Assembly is presided over by the Presidency. The Presidency consists of four to six people, who must not be candidates to any positions at the General Assembly. In line with the Internal Rules and Procedures, the Presidency is selected by the Executive Committee by an open-call. The General Assembly confirms the Presidency proposed by the Executive Committee before any other decisions are made.

The Presidency should elect a chair among themselves. The Chair is the main point of contact for the Executive Committee and the Office during and after the General Assembly.

The chair is responsible for making sure that the rest of the Presidency delivers their tasks assigned to them and that all the documents related to the General Assembly (adopted resolutions, minutes, votes and voting cards, and other adopted documents) are finalised handed over the Office and the Executive
Committee in the following month after the General Assembly.

The Presidency:

• chairs the meetings and discussions at the General Assembly

• prepares the resolutions, amendments and voting procedures for the General Assembly

• is responsible for taking the minutes of the General Assembly

• decides who speaks, who takes part in discussion and who can also be suspended from discussions.

• Can call emergency sessions to the agenda. However this change would need confirmation by a simple two-thirds majority of the full members.

Agenda:

The agenda of the General Assembly is adopted with a simple majority on the first day of the General Assembly.

In line with the Statutes, if the member organisations want to add a point to the General Assembly agenda, they should communicate it to the Executive Committee at least 10 days in advance and their proposal must be signed by one-twentieth of the full members.

The agenda can only be changed with a simple two-thirds majority of the full members. Proposed changes to the agenda have to be presented in written form to the presidency.

Documents that are noted, amended, approved, disapproved at the General Assembly:

The power and the role of the General Assembly is detailed in the Internal Rules and Procedures.

The Executive Committee, the Secretary General, the Ecosprinter Editorial Board, the Financial Control and Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee presents their reports for the previous years. These reports are heard by the GA, not voted.

The Treasurer presents the annual accounts and financial report of the previous financial year and the budget and the financial plan of the upcoming year. These documents can be amended and voted.

The Executive Committee presents the Activity Plan and the Strategy Plan (if applicable) for the upcoming year(s). These documents can be amended and voted.

The deadlines for presenting and amending these documents are detailed in the Internal Rules and Procedures.

The Presidency is responsible for organising Compromise Amendment Sessions (CAS) to try and find compromises on amendments, so that documents have a higher chance of being adopted.

Compromise Amendment Sessions (CAS):

The Compromise Amendment Sessions are called CAS in short. Everyone who has speaking rights at the General Assembly can attend the compromise amendment session, and it’s advised that all member organisations with voting rights do so.

Compromises are made between the member organisations or the body that proposed the original document and the member organisations or the body that proposed the amendment subject to compromise. It is advised to include other interested Member Organisations in this compromise process so as to further broaden consensus.

Amendments to existing documents (Statutes, Internal Rules and Procedures, Political Platform) are only subjected to compromise if the compromise is in the scope of an already submitted amendments. The Presidency may declare a compromise amendment ineligible if its scope is different from the original
amendment.

During the Compromise Amendment Session, the proposer of the resolution presents their resolution. The proposer of the amendment presents their amendment. At this point other parties can declare their positions towards the amendment. The proposer of the resolution can adapt the amendments or seek a compromise. If a compromise is reached, it is shared with the delegates of the General Assembly. Unless a Full Member Organisation or the Executive Committee disputes the compromise, it is considered adopted. If the compromise is disputed, the compromise will be sought until the last day of the General Assembly.

It is encouraged that the CAS sessions are organised in advance of the General Assembly, following the deadline for amendments which is one week before the General Assembly. The CAS session can happen online.

In the voting, firstly the compromised amendments on the document as whole are voted. Afterwards, the document itself is voted on.

Resolutions

• Each resolution should have an international and/or European angle

• Each resolution should be supported by at least one Member Organisation

• A resolution should always have a call to action

• A resolution should preferably be around 5,000 characters but definitely not more than 10,000

The Executive Committee can recommend review of certain resolutions to the Presidency.
The Presidency can suggest/demand the proposers of the resolution to withdraw their resolution or to postpone the resolution to the further General Assemblies.

Speaking rights and debates:

Speaking rights are open to all members of FYEG bodies, and all registered participants of the General Assembly.

The presidency ultimately decides which individuals are given the opportunity to speak.

The speaking time for debates is proposed by the presidency at the beginning of every debate based on the content of the debate and the time assigned for the current session in the agenda.

The presidency can change the assigned speaking time based on the time left of the session to better fit the agenda, as they see fit. This might include cutting breaks.

The General Assembly can overrule (with a simple two thirds majority) the presidency’s proposals for speaking time. In such cases the new Agenda proposal must be submitted to the Presidency in a written form.

During sessions where debates will take place, participants will be able to submit ‘speaker cards’ before the session. These cards will note if they are for/against, their Member Organisation and their gender.

In vue of the received speaker cards, the Presidency will define the speaker list. Speakers may still be taken from the floor for balance, but those who submit cards will be prioritised

The presidency will ensure gender balance on the speaking list. This is done through a strict quotation of the list. Only as many men are allowed to speak as non-men are on the list. The only exception is if people are on the list who haven’t participated in the debate up to that point. They will be chosen before persons that have already made plenty of contributions.

The only exceptions to the speakers list are technical points. If someone has a technical point, they must signal the presidency and will be given the floor after the current speaker.

Types of debate:

Open debate: The debate is open to speakers willing to speak for or against the resolution or amendment being discussed, as well as for contributions that are neither opposed nor in favour. This debate is often used during the Compromise Amendment Sessions.

Con-Pro: The debate is organised by an alternation of speakers against and for the resolution or amendment being discussed. This debate is often used during the Voting Session of the amendments that goes to vote and the resolutions.

It should be noted that all the compromises should be reached before the voting session and the point of the con-pro debate is not to reach a compromise but to explain the positions. Therefore the presidency is encouraged to do only one round of con-pro debates, and if more than one rounds occur time is monitored by the presidency to ensure that overall the ‘pro’ and ‘con’ sides are both allocated equivalent speaking time.

Quorum, voting and majorities:

Quorum, voting rules and majorities are defined in the Internal Rules of Procedures.

Voting rules and majorities are defined in the Internal Rules of Procedures

A quorum check will be called before the voting sessions.

Safer Spaces

The General Assembly is a space where everybody feels safe, and has an equal opportunity to be heard. The Presidency is responsible for chairing the General Assembly in line with FYEG’s Safer Spaces regulations. The presidency can ban a participant for misconduct for the remainder of a session.

(Queer-)Feminist Council
On a point of order, the women, intersex, nonbinary, trans and agender participants present and entitled to vote may decide whether they wish to hold a Feminist Council. The motion is dealt with with one pro and one con speech, with only those eligible to vote on the motion able to speak; the debate can be opened up beyond these two speeches. The Feminist Council then deliberates for up to one hour in the absence of the other participants and informs the entire body of the outcome after the end of the Feminist Council. The Feminist Council is considered part of the respective body. The organizers are responsible for a parallel programme dealing with a feminist policy topic for all those not participating in the Feminist Council.
At the Feminist Council, women, intersex, nonbinary, trans and agender people can issue a Feminist vote. In the case of motions that affect the right of self-determination of women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender people in terms of form or content or that particularly affect women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender people, the Feminist Council has the opportunity to hold a separate vote among women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender people before the assembly vote. This Feminist vote is a strong and urgent recommendation to the assembly and shall be understood as such. The feminist vote is a non-binding recommendation.

Annex 2: Working Group Guidelines

These guidelines are to serve the Working Groups and the Working Group
coordinators.

Working Group rights and responsibilities:

Working group functions are detailed in the FYEG’s Internal Rules of Procedures. FYEG Working Groups are based on direct democracy and the inclusion of all its members. Most of the Working Group meetings happen online, through the channels of internal communication available to them. Working Group members can have
access to usage of the internal communication tools available to FYEG (such as online meeting softwares). As set out in the Internal Rules of Procedures, the EC is responsible for setting up a new Working Group and for ending the term of a Working Group.

Working Groups can (and not only):

• Support FYEG and its bodies in developing policy documents

• Provide feedback to FYEG’s internal policies and documents

• Create campaigns

• Create guidelines, templates, training material, and similar material

All the Working Group activities must be in line with the FYEG Political Platform.

Only FYEG’s Executive Committee (EC) has the mandate to speak on behalf of the organisation and engage in partnerships with other organisations. Therefore, any external communication or partnership request needs their approval.

When the Working Group has a request for content to be shared via FYEG’s official channels, firstly, it should be approved by the member of the Executive Committee responsible for the Working Group (hereinafter EC Responsible).

Moreover, if the Working Group decides to engage in external partnerships, sign letters of external partners (i.e. organisations other than Green Political Organisations), etc. this must also be approved by the EC Responsible for the Working Group.

Finally, if the Working Group needs support from the FYEG Office in matters of communication, administration, finances, etc. the Working Group should communicate a detailed concept, through the Working Group coordinator, to the EC Responsible in a timely manner.

Executive Committee responsibilities:

The EC Responsible is the person appointed among the EC members to be responsible for the Working Group.

They are responsible for:

• Initial setup of the Working Group: defining the aims, scope, timeframe, publishing a call for Working Group members and coordinators

• Choosing the first members of the Working Group and the Working Group coordinators

• Meeting with the coordinators to explain their roles and responsibilities

• Attend meetings where needed/wanted to (optional) - but in general, it is more important to be aware what they are up to

• Keeping track of all their activities and being aware of how the Working Group is progressing and what they are up to

• Providing political advice and making sure the Working Group acts in line with FYEG’s Political Platform

• Updating the Working Group on FYEG activities related to their topics and purposes

The EC responsible has the possibility to exclude someone from the Working Group on the recommendation of the coordinators or at least three members of the group. The EC has to be informed of the decision. The person has the possibility to appeal to the Advisory Committee.

Working Group coordinator responsibilities

A working group should have two coordinators, at least one of them self-identifying as women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender.

If it is impossible to find two coordinators even after the EC responsible’s best efforts to do so, an exemption can be made if approved by the FYEG EC. In this case, it is required that either the EC responsible or the Working Group coordinator self-identifies as female, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender,

Working Group coordinator tasks are as follows:

• Set meetings and agendas for Working Group and notifying members of action points afterwards (online Working Group meetings should strive to be planned at least once every two weeks, excluding holidays and exceptional circumstances)

• Set up the main communication channels

• Main point of contact for EC Responsible

• Keep the EC Responsible up to date on what’s happening in the Working Group

• Keep Working Group members informed and updated on EC’s feedback and recommendations

• Steer direction: set priorities, what themes/projects they work on, oversee the work

• Coordinate the creation of a Working Group activity plan, guided be the objectives and goals set out at the beginning

• Set up subgroups (if necessary or desired)

• They do not need to be involved in every single project or attend every meeting, but in their absence should delegate project or meeting moderation to someone else, and keep themselves updated on progress

Annex 3: Safer Spaces Policy

Safer spaces are evolving and not static. We have high expectations on how we behave towards each other in our meetings, actions and social spaces. Making a space safer means different things depending on the group of people involved as each group has different needs. This policy aims to be considered in every meeting involving FYEG, but the document should evolve as we learn and grow.

As an organisation we build social relationships inside and outside of meetings and actions. We commit to this Safer Spaces policy wherever we are together, this includes ensuring that ALL spaces are inclusive and harmless.

If someone violates these agreements a discussion or mediation process can happen, depending on the wishes of the person who was affected. If a serious violation happens to the extent that someone feels unsafe, they can be asked to leave the space and/or speak with one member of the Awareness Group. If necessary, the Sexual Harassment Protocol will be activated.

1. Respect! Racism, as well as ageism, GSRM-phobia , sexism, ableism or prejudice based on ethnicity, nationality, class, gender, gender presentation, language ability, asylum status or religious affiliation is unacceptable and will be challenged. FYEG has a zero-tolerance policy with any kind of discrimination, even though we acknowledge that there can be different levels in a breach of a safe space.

2. Be aware of your privileges! Including racial, class and gender privilege and/or less obvious or invisible hierarchies. Think about how your words, opinions and feelings are influenced and who they might exclude or harm.

3. Consent! Respect each other’s physical and emotional boundaries, always get explicit verbal consent before touching someone or crossing boundaries. Don’t assume your physical & emotional boundaries are the same as other people’s.

4. Friendly use of language! Be aware of the language you use in discussion and how you relate to others. Try to speak slowly and clearly and use uncomplicated language especially when non-natives speakers are involved in the conversation.

5. Don’t anticipate yourself! Avoid assuming the opinions and identifications of other participants.

6. Learning; if you don’t understand something, just ask. You may be directed to a book, website or skill share to learn more. It’s ok to make mistakes. Please show appreciation for the hard work of others and be considerate when you offer criticism.

7. Everyone has their turn; give each person the time and space to speak. In large groups, or for groups using facilitation: Raise your hand to speak.

8. Calling out; if you have acted or spoken harmfully, even if unintentionally, expect that someone will bring this up to you. If this happens, listen and reflect on what they are saying even if you think they may be wrong. Don’t try to absolve yourself of responsibility.

This policy should be expanded with specific measures and practices to promote the creation of safer spaces.

The EC, Office and all Prep Teams must organise mandatory reflection/awareness sessions dedicated to discussing power dynamics in relation to sexual/romantic relationships within our Federation, being mindful about how they engage with participants and ethical leadership within FYEG.

1. The EC should hold such a reflection/awareness session at a minimum once a year preferably at the first live ECM.

2. The Office should hold such a reflection/awareness session at a minimum once a year.

3. Prep Teams should hold such a session at least once during a Prep Team meeting before the event they are organizing begins.

Discussions on power dynamics and ethical leadership also are incorporated into the onboarding process for new EC members and Office members.

Permanent Awareness Team

The Permanent Awareness Team consists of one member from the EC and one volunteer that is not a member of the EC. Both members are selected by the EC. This team operates in addition to the event-specific awareness groups and are complementary to those. Members of FYEG should be informed of the existence of this team and know that they can contact them regarding situations that make them feel uncomfortable or if they have concerns about the behaviour of EC Members, Office members, or PT members.

The Permanent Awareness Team should be easily accessible via the website, and there should be a contact form available that allows for anonymous submissions.

The team is responsible for safeguarding the anonymity of any FYEG members who reach out to them.

The Permanent Awareness Team has the authority to make recommendations and propose initiatives in the form of reports to the EC and the General Assembly as needed.

Anti sexual harassment protocol

FYEG has a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment at all its events, within all its structures and during all activities. This protocol is applicable for those participating in an FYEG activity (General Assembly, Strategic Planning Committee, Working Group Meeting or any other activity), members of a Member Organization (MO), or members of an online structure of FYEG, referred to as “this organization” from now onwards in this protocol.

Anyone who is subject to sexual harassment can approach one of the designated contact points responsible for receiving complaints of sexual harassment. The Executive Committee will designate an Awareness Group for anyone presenting allegations of physical, verbal or online sexual harassment. In accordance with the IRPs, the Awareness Group will be formed by two persons from the EC who are of different genders. Additionally, every Prep - Team will designate one person to be an independent contact person in our projects. However, this person shall always inform the official contact points if a procedure starts, in the case of their absence, the main contact will be the Project Manager.

When one of these procedures is open in the organization, the EC as a whole must be informed of the procedure without details of the people involved or the presented allegations to respect confidentiality. If a case involves someone from the EC, the case will be brought to the Advisory Committee (AC). The
Advisory Committee will act as contact points when a case arises, following this protocol. However, the EC will not be informed until a final decision is made.

Important note:

These procedures will follow general principles such as the privacy of the survivor, confidentiality of the process and survivor’s choice and preference. We respect the presumption of innocence of any alleged harasser which is why this procedure is in place and has been approved in the General Assembly. However, as a feminist organization, we also believe in the principle of believing the survivor and putting the burden of the proof on the alleged harasser.

This procedure might be applied to an internal case of a MO if this case is related to FYEG activity or if the people involved take part in any FYEG structure. However, we will not be able to extend sanctions or disciplinary measures beyond FYEG. MOs can however adapt this protocol to their own organization.

When the designated people receive a complaint of sexual harassment, they shall:

1. Immediately record the dates, times and facts of the incident(s);

2. ascertain the views of the survivor as to what outcome they want, ensure the survivor feels safe and ensure the survivor is separated from the alleged offender unless the survivor wishes otherwise;

3. ensure that the survivor and the alleged harasser understands FYEG protocol for dealing with the complaint;

4. discuss and agree the next steps with the alleged survivor, informal, formal or outside complaints procedure (police, hospital, embassy, etc.), on the understanding that choosing to resolve the matter informally does not preclude the survivor from pursuing a formal complaint if they are not satisfied with the outcome;

5. keep a confidential record of all discussions. Records will be destroyed if the alleged survivor requests it, or before the change to a new EC. However, a record of sanctions and a brief description of the reason will be kept in a safe place;

6. respect the choice of the survivor;

7. and ensure that the survivor knows that they can lodge the complaint outside of FYEG through the relevant country/legal framework.

INFORMAL COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

If the survivor wishes to deal with the matter informally, the designated person
will:

• Approach the alleged harasser saying that the behaviour is offensive, unwelcome and must be stopped;

• Inform the harasser that FYEG has a zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment and that disregarding this policy may result in the person’s exclusion from the organization

• give an opportunity to the alleged harasser to respond to the complaint;

• ensure that the alleged harasser understands the complaints mechanism;

• facilitate discussion between both parties to achieve an informal resolution
which is acceptable to the complainant, provided the alleged survivor agrees,

• ensure that a confidential record is kept of what happened;

• follow up after the outcome of the complaints mechanism to ensure that the behaviour has stopped and that there is no risk of its repetition;

• And ensure that the above is done accurately and at the latest within 10 days of the complaint being made. During events, the procedure shall take place within 48 hours.

FORMAL COMPLAINTS PROCEDURES

If the survivor wants to make a formal complaint or if the informal complaint mechanism has not led to a satisfactory outcome for the survivor, the formal complaint mechanism should be used to resolve the matter.

The designated person who initially received the complaint will communicate to the rest of contact points the opening of a formal complaint procedure. The EC will be informed of this, respecting the confidentiality of the alleged survivor and the allegations. The designated person who initially received the complaint will carry out the investigation with the assistance of the Awareness Group and the independent contact person at the moment in which allegations were presented, if any. They will help the investigator with the analysis and decision making process. A procedure for online harassment shall be developed.

The person carrying out the investigation will:

• interview the survivor and the alleged harasser separately

• interview other relevant third parties separately

• decide whether the incident qualifies as sexual harassment within the meaning of this protocol

• produce a report detailing the investigations, findings and any recommendations

• if the harassment took place, decide what the appropriate remedy for the survivor is, in consultation with the survivor (i.e. an apology, a change of structure, suspension..,)

• follow up to ensure that the recommendations are implemented, that the behaviour has stopped and that the survivor is satisfied with the outcome

• if it cannot determine that the harassment took place, they may still make recommendations to ensure proper functioning of the organization

• keep a record of all actions taken

• ensure that all records concerning the matter are kept confidential

• ensure that the process is done as quickly as possible and in any event within 15 days of the complaint being made

The general rule is to avoid the presence of the alleged harasser in those places/structures in which the alleged survivor moves. It is vital that the wishes and needs of the survivors are incorporated into the outcome of the complaints mechanism.

A data protection protocol will be developed.

OUTSIDE COMPLAINT MECHANISM

This protocol seeks to create a fast and appropriate response to allegations of sexual harassment. However, it does not seek to substitute existing regulation and legislation on this issue. We want to make clear that FYEG wants to be fully supportive with every decision of the alleged survivor.

A person who has been subject to sexual harassment can at any time make a complaint outside of the organization. Even though this organization cannot offer legal advice, the contact point(s) will accompany the person to the instance this person prefers (hospital, police, ombudsperson, law courts, embassies, etc.) if they request it.

SANCTIONS AND DISCIPLINARY MEASURES

Anyone who has been found to have sexually harassed another person under the terms of this policy may be sanctioned. Sanctions may include but are not limited to one of the following :

• Verbal or written warning

• Suspension from an elected or non-elected FYEG structure, in line with FYEG IRPs when appropriate

• Dismissal/expulsion

Depending on the seriousness of the allegations, the EC, upon request of the Awareness Group may suspend someone from taking part in any FYEG structure or activity during the duration of the process. Confidentiality of the survivor will be maintained.

In case of sexual harassment, violence or discrimination by a member of an elected body within FYEG (Financial Control Committee, Advisory Committee or Ecosprinter Board) the EC can exclude the offender after consulting the full MOs. (cf. 2.2.2). If the case arises within the EC, the Advisory Committee can exclude the offender after consulting the full MOs.

The nature of the sanctions will depend on the gravity and extent of the harassment. Suitable deterrent sanctions will be applied to ensure that incidents of sexual harassment are not treated as trivial. Certain serious cases, including physical violence, will result in the immediate dismissal of the harasser.

Guidelines for persons of contact

Read the protocol and understand every aspect

What is sexual harassment? It is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature which:

• Violates your dignity

• Makes you feel intimidated, degraded or humiliated

• Creates a hostile or offensive environment

Sexual harassment “can include, but is not limited to”, these examples:

• Touching, pinching, stroking, squeezing, or brushing against someone

• Leering or ogling

• Making LGBTIAQ+-phobic or GSRM (Gender, Sexual and Romantic Minorities)-phobic comments and sexually suggestive signals, winking

• Sending unwanted e-mails, text messages, posting sexually-explicit jokes or content on FYEG communication channels

• Sexual comments or jokes

• Making insults based on a person’s sex or rating their sexuality

• Turning work discussions to sexual topics

• Physical behaviour, including unwanted sexual advances, touching and various forms of sexual assault

• Displaying pictures, photos or drawings of a sexual nature

Remember: Whether harassing intentionally or unintentionally, we all have a responsibility to monitor our behaviour and respect each other. Anyone who reports an incident has the right to remain anonymous. They also have the right to feel safe and respected.

Listen and Support

It's tough to be prepared when someone tells you that they have been the survivor of sexual harassment. Remember, you can only provide support

Support and understanding are essential. It takes a lot of courage for a survivor to share their experience;

Try to provide a safe/non-judgmental environment, emotional comfort and support for the survivor to express feelings;

Let them know that they can talk with you. Listen. Don’t rush to provide solutions.

Believe

The most common reason people choose not to tell anyone about sexual abuse is the fear that the listener won’t believe them. People rarely lie or exaggerate about abuse; if someone tells you, it’s because they trust you and needs someone to talk to.

People rarely make up stories of abuse. It is not necessary for you to decide if they were “really hurt.” If the survivor says they were hurt, that should be enough

Believe what the person tells you. It may have been difficult for them to talk to you and trust you. Unless proven wrong harassment has happened.

Reassure

Sexual assault is NEVER the survivor’s fault. No one asks to be sexually assaulted by what they wear, say or do. Let the survivor know that only the perpetrator is to blame;

The survivor needs to hear that fears, anxieties, guilt and anger are normal, understandable and acceptable emotions;

Remember, no one ever deserves to be abused or harassed.

Be Patient

Don’t press for details – let the person decide how much to tell you. Ask them how you can help;

Survivors have to struggle with complex decisions and feelings of powerlessness, trying to make decisions for them may only increase that sense of powerlessness;

You can be supportive by helping them to identify all the available options and then help them by supporting their decision making process (here refer to the protocol).

The survivor can’t just “forget it” or just move on. Recovery is a long term process and each individual moves at their own pace

Encourage

Encourage the survivor to seek medical attention, report the assault, and or contact a professional if needed. Remember, the survivor must ultimately make the decision as to what to do. They are the experts in their own lives. Don’t push. Remember, support their choices no matter what they decide.

Respect Privacy - Confidentiality

Don’t tell others what the survivor tells you. Let the individual decide who they will tell. It is important not to share information with others who are not involved;

If you do need to share information for their safety, get permission by letting them know what you will share and with whom it will be shared; ie. the rest of contact points in case of a formal complaint

Establish Safety

An important part of helping the survivor is to identify ways in which the survivor can re-establish their sense of physical and emotional safety. You are a step in the process. Ask them what would make them feel safe and how you can help them accomplish this.

If the stalking or harassment is ongoing, help them to develop a plan of what to
do if they are in immediate danger. Having a specific plan and preparing in
advance can be important if the harassment escalates.

Things you can say

It is hard to know what to say to a person when they confide in you. Refrain from asking a lot of questions, instead, support them with these phrases. Let the person know that you believe that they have the strengt and capacity to heal.

• It’s not your fault

• I’m sorry this happened

• I believe you

• How can I help you?

• I am glad you told me

• I’ll support your choices

• You’re not alone

Use of inclusive language

FYEG aims to use language in its communications and its events that reflects the level of English spoken within an organisation of mostly non-native speakers. FYEG promotes the use of inclusive and accessible language within the organisation. FYEG attempts to reduce the shame of using simple language. We do this to make sure that everyone feels welcome to participate and contribute.

General Principles

FYEG will have minimal statutes that only contain what legally matters and they will be revised in case the Belgian law changes. All other matters will be taken care of in the IRPs.

The IRPs must never contradict the statutes, they can elaborate.

The IRPs shall be facilitating and helping with decision-making processes as well as the organisation of the federation. There shall be no more rules than necessary.

This document shall be accessible to every MO on the website.

All acts, invoices, publications, official letters and websites, in electronic form or not, emanating from the association must mention:

- its full or abbreviated name, immediately preceded or followed by “AISBL” or “international non-profit association”,

- the precise indication of its registered office,

- its company number,

- the terms "register of legal persons" or the abbreviation "RPM" followed by the indication of the court of the registered office of the legal person,

- if applicable, their email address and website,

- the number of at least one account held by the association with a credit institution established in Belgium,

- if applicable, the indication that the association is in liquidation.

1. Member Organizations

1.1. Membership

1.1.1. Membership categories

The association is made up of member organisations only and has three categories
of member organisations:

Full members

Candidate members

Associate members

1.1.2. Membership criteria

Membership criteria are detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.3. Conditions of admission of candidate members

Conditions of admission of candidate member organisations are detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.4. Conditions of admission of full members

Conditions of admission of full member organisations are detailed in the Statutes.

In addition, a candidate member organisation must apply for full membership latest at the General Assembly three years after it has received its candidate member organisation status. If the candidate member organisation does not apply for full membership in the third year of its candidacy, the Executive Committee can propose the suspension or exclusion of the candidate member organisation.

1.1.5. Conditions of admission of associate members

Conditions of admission of associate member organisations are detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.6. Resignation of members

Conditions for the resignation of members are detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.7. Suspension of members

Conditions for the suspension of members are detailed in the Statutes.

The Executive Committee has a right to propose the suspension of a member organisation to the General Assembly in the following cases (not limited to):

• no update or other contact is made between a member and the FYEG Executive Committee between two General Assemblies,

• the member organisation doesn’t fulfil one or more of the membership criteria,

• the member organisation didn’t pay their membership fee,

• major changes that happened in the member organisation, which need to be investigated by the EC.

The suspension of a member means that the organisation loses its voting rights.

When a member is suspended, the Executive Committee:

1. informs the member organisation about the suspension via an e-mail and explain the consequences

2. makes all reasonable efforts to enable the member to regain its full membership

3. creates a report on this process and presents it at the following General Assembly.

1.1.8. Exclusion of members

Conditions for the exclusion of members are detailed in the Statutes.

The exclusion of an MO means that this organisation is not listed as a member organisation anymore and hence loses all of its rights within FYEG. Following an exclusion, an organisation that wishes to rejoin FYEG is expected to follow the entire membership procedure, as a new organisation would.

The rejoining organisation is required to inform GA about changes that happened in their organisation since leaving FYEG and explanation of their decision about rejoining.

1.1.9. Suspension and exclusion in case of non-payment of
membership fee

The suspension and exclusion of member organisation in case of non-payment of
membership fee is further detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.10. Membership fee

FYEG has an annual membership fee. The ceiling is stated in the Statutes.

Each full member organisation shall pay an annual membership fee to FYEG. This membership fee shall correspond to 1 % of the total incomes of their previous year’s realised budget with a minimum of 50 EUR for the EU and European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and 25 EUR for all other European countries.

By way of derogation to the previous paragraph, the General Assembly may decide, in duly justified cases, to lower the amount of the membership fee that a Member Organisation shall pay, following a recommendation of the Executive Committee. Requests for lowering the Membership fee shall be sent by a Member Organisation to the Executive Committee at the latest 2 weeks before the GA.

Each full MO shall pay their membership fee for the running year on the first evening of the GA at the latest, if it has not already been transferred earlier.

Full MOs are requested to provide their annual budget statement for the previous year at the latest. A document listing the amount of the membership fee paid by each MO and the way it has been calculated must be annexed to the financial report of the year in question.

1.1.11. Membership reviews

The Executive Committee presents a review of the FYEG Member Organisations as part of the Executive Committee Report. The review can include the following information:

Overview of the region and its meetings and activities,

The Member Organisations' engagement with FYEG activities during the year,

Major changes to the Member Organisation.

In case of major changes (change of organisations' name, split in the organisation, merge with another organisation, change of political affiliation, etc.), the Executive Committee can propose the General Assembly to vote on that change. The General Assembly may, among other options, take note of the change
or suspend the membership of the organisation to give sufficient time to the Executive Committee to look into the situation.

1.2. Working with Member Organisations

1.2.1. Member Organisation Duties

Each MO should keep FYEG updated about:

- changes in the board

- valid contact addresses for the MO list and the website

- activities

1.2.2. FYEG duties

FYEG will provide the Member Organisations with:

- information about statutory meetings

- minutes and reports from statutory meetings and long ECMs

- a newsletter containing information and participation possibilities in current
activities

- regularly updated contacts of other Member Organisations

2. General Assembly

2.1. Composition

The General Assembly is the highest decision body. The General Assembly is composed of one or two delegates per full member organisation, candidate member organisation and associate member organisation.

MOs should strive to send delegations to GA that are gender-balanced and consist of delegates maximum aged 30 years old. If the organisation is unable to find delegates within the age limit, they can send older delegates aged 31-35.

The delegates can be asked to pay a participation fee for the General Assembly.

People who are employed by FYEG or are members of the FYEG Executive Committee cannot be delegates to the general assembly.

2.2. Powers

The power of the General Assembly is detailed in the Statutes.

In addition to what Statutes state, a decision of the General Assembly is required in the following cases:

- the adoption and amendment of the Activity plan for the upcoming year,

- the adoption and amendment of Resolutions,

- the election of the Financial Control and Advisory Committee,

- the election of the Editorial Board of Ecosprinter,

- the election of the FYEG representative to the European Green Party Committee,

- the approval of the Advisory Committee

- the approval of the Presidency of the General Assembly

- Decision about joining (or leaving) membership with other organisations/networks

The General Assembly also hears the following reports:

- Activity Report

- Executive Committee and Secretary General Report

- FYEG's Representative to the EGP Committee

- Ecosprinter Editorial Board report

- Financial Control and Advisory Committee report

- Advisory Committee report

2.3. Functioning

The Administrative Board and the Executive Committee summons the annual General Assembly. FYEG Member Organisations are summoned to the General Assembly via ordinary mail or e-mail. The convocation contains the agenda, date, time and place of the General Assembly.

General Assembly is presided in line with the Meeting Rules (Annex - 1)

The rules for holding extraordinary General Assembly are detailed in the Statutes.

Changes to the statutory and internal organisational documents take effect from the first working day after the GA meeting where they were changed, except when the GA votes for their immediate implementation through a second vote requiring an absolute two-thirds majority. Persons elected by the General Assembly will start their mandate from the first working day after the GA meeting where they were elected, unless other rules apply for their mandate.

2.4. Deadlines and calls

The call for hosting the General Assembly must be sent as soon as possible, no later than 7 months before the tentative dates of the GA. The call must be open at least one month.The selection of the hosting organisation is done by the Executive Committee.

The remaining deadlines are structured as follows:

12 Weeks before the General Assembly the Executive Committee must send out a call for:

Registration of all participants
delegates

the executive committee (if applicable)

the secretary general (if applicable)

the financial control and advisory committee

the ecosprinter editorial board

the FYEG representative to the EGP committee

the presidency

9 weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

applications of presidency

Between 10 and 7 weeks before the GA
The Executive Committee must also organise an online information session, explaining the functioning of the General Assembly and promoting the different open positions.

6 weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

registration of delegates

applications of organisations for associate, candidate or full membership

applications of Secretary General candidates

applications for the FYEG nominee to the EGP Committee

4 Weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

submission of resolutions

amendments to the Political Platform, the Internal Rules and Procedures and the
Strategic Plan

Reports and Plans to be sent out to Member Organisations

Executive Committee candidates

Financial Control and Advisory Committee candidates

Ecosprinter Editorial Board candidates

the submission of proposals to add point to the GA agenda, any such proposal
must be signed by one-twentieth of the full member organisations, as detailed in
the Statutes

In case the number of candidates is less than the number of positions open and/or if the gender quota is not met, the Executive Committee will re-open the call for additional candidates of the underrepresented gender and/or positions with lacking candidates.

3 weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

publication of Candidacies

publication of Executive Committee recommendations on potential member
organisations (for full, candidate or associate membership)

publication of Executive Committee recommendations on exclusion and/or
suspension of member organisations

sending the GA agenda, as detailed in the Statutes

2 weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

MOs to express their support for candidates

1 week before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

amendments to the resolutions and Plans

Other deadlines:

The deadline for submitting emergency resolutions must be 2 days before the start of the General Assembly. At the end of the General Assembly's first day, the assembly sets a deadline for amendments to the emergency resolutions.

2.5. Submission of resolutions and amendments

At the general assembly Full Member Organisations and the Executive Committee have the right to submit resolutions, and amendments to resolutions, the political platform, the activity and financial plan, the strategic plan, other plans tabled by the EC, the statutes and the IRPs, bearing in mind the deadlines specified under 2.4. Support of 3 Full Member Organizations is needed in order to table an emergency resolution.

2.6. Presidency

The General Assembly confirms the Presidency proposed by the Executive Committee before any other decisions are made.

The Presidency then:

• chairs the meetings and discussions at the General Assembly

• prepares the resolutions, amendments and voting procedures for the General
  Assembly

• is responsible for taking the minutes of the General Assembly

The Presidency:

• consists of four to six people who must not be candidates to any positions at the General Assembly.

• can be suspended and simultaneously replaced with an absolute two-third majority by the assembly. Such a vote of no-confidence can be demanded by at least 5% of the delegates, who must present people for the new Presidency.

2.7. Participation fee

A participation fee to the General Assembly can be set up if the Treasurer finds it necessary.

The following participants of the General Assembly are exempt from paying the participation fee:

One delegate per Full, Candidate and Associate Member Organisation,

Executive Committee members

the Secretary-General and office

members of the Presidency

If a full Member Organisation sends a second delegate the participation fee is halved in case at least one of the two delegates self-identifies as women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender. Treasurer can grant exemption or lowering of the fee to participant that request it.

2.8. Travel reimbursement

Full reimbursement of travel costs is granted to:

• one delegate per full, candidate or associate Member Organisation

• Executive Committee members

• the Secretary-General and the office

• candidates for the Executive Committee elections

• candidates for the Secretary-General elections, provided they have
  received approval by the pre-selection committee

• candidates for the FYEG Representative to the EGP Committee, provided they
  have received approval by the pre-selection committee

• members of the presidency

The Treasurer can decide to reimburse travel costs for:

• delegates of organisations applying for candidate membership in FYEG

• candidates for all open positions

• the second delegate of a full, candidate or associate Member Organisation
  if at least one delegate self-identifies as women, intersex, nonbinary,
  trans or agender.

3. Election and Voting Procedures

3.1. Attendance and voting quorums

In line with the Statutes, each Member Organisation has the right to attend the General Assembly. Only Full Member Organisations have voting rights and each Full Member Organisation has two votes.

3.1.1. Principles

In line with the Statutes, the General Assembly deliberates validly only if 50 % + 1 of the Full Member Organisations are present or represented. The Statutes detail the steps to follow in case the attendance quorum is not reached.

In line with the Statutes, in principle all decisions in FYEG are taken by a simple majority of votes registered for the General Assembly. When voting, abstention is always an option. When the vote relates to decisions concerning persons or Member Organisations, the ballot is always secret. The voting body can decide to have other voting procedures processed through secret ballot.

3.1.2. Procedures

Definitions

Votes registered at General Assembly - the number of Member Organisations and their delegates who are registered for the General Assembly and have voted in the determination of the General Assembly quorum

Votes cast - the number of votes that were submitted.

Simple majority

Majority of the votes cast, i.e. the number of “Yes” votes exceed the number of “No” votes.

Abstentions are not considered in the count.

Examples:

Out of 20 votes: 11 yes, 9 no, 0 abstentions: passed; 1 yes, 0 no, 19 abstentions: passed.

10 yes; 10 no; 0 abstentions. not passed. 10 yes, 9 no, 1 abstention: passed.

Absolute majority

To pass "yes" should reach the majority (half+1, or half + 0.5 in case of odd number) of the number of votes registered at the General Assembly.

Note that it is number of votes registered, not number of votes cast. This means that if less than half of the voters are present and vote, this majority can never be reached.

Examples:

20 voters registered: need 11 or more yes votes.

21 voters registered: need 11 or more yes votes.

22 voters registered: need 12 or more yes votes.

Simple two-thirds majority

Two thirds of the votes cast.

Absolute two-thirds majority

Two thirds of the number of votes registered.

Note that it is the number of votes registered, not the number of votes cast. This means that if less than two thirds of the voters are present and vote this majority can never be reached.

Examples:

20 voters: need 14 yes or more votes.

21 voters registered: need 14 or more yes votes.

22 voters registered: need 15 or more yes votes.

3.2. Election of candidates

3.2.1. Principles

FYEG uses a Single Transferable Vote (STV) electoral system with a standard droop quota. Mathematically, this is the next integer larger than V / (n+1) when V = the total number of valid votes and n is the number of positions available. Specifically recommended is the Scottish STV system.

3.2.2. Procedures

The main principle is to rank all the candidates according to the voter's preferences for each candidate. Where 1 is the first preference 2 the second preference and so on.Voters can rank all candidates even if the number of candidates exceeds the number of positions. Voters can decide to not rank some of the candidates even if this means leaving the ballot partially blank.

Only a completely blank ballot counts as abstention, an abstention counts under the exception below.

If a simple majority of all ballots cast do not rank the candidate with any numbers they are excluded from the election.

0 - All ballots are inspected to determine that candidates have received a simple majority of any kind of ranking on cast ballots. If not, they will be excluded from the election.

1 – The candidates who have reached the election quota (i.e. election threshold) are elected.

2 – If some positions are still available, the following process starts:

2a – The left-over votes on candidates reaching the election threshold are redistributed according to second preferences, using the Single Transferable Vote system of distribution.

2b – If one or more candidates have reached the election threshold, that/those candidate(s) are elected in order from highest to lowest vote count. The process then starts again from point (2).

2c – If no candidate reaches the threshold in this way, the candidate with the lowest amount of votes is removed from the election. The ballot-papers that ranked this candidate as their first remaining preference are redistributed according to their second preference. The process is then restarted (1).

2d - If, following the calculation of the election result, one or more candidates is elected who is ineligible due to quota regulations, these candidates (who had the least number of votes) are removed from the pool of candidates and the entire election is recalculated. That is to say, the election is recalculated, and each time the ineligible candidate would have received a preference vote, the vote instead goes to the voter’s next preference.

3.2.3. Exceptions

At the General Assembly:

Concerning the Executive Committee elections:

The spokespersons and the treasurer are elected separately from the rest of the Executive Committee positions.

Concerning the Advisory Committee:

The newly elected Executive Committee will present the proposed Advisory Committee to the General Assembly. The General Assembly ratifies the proposed Advisory Committee by a simple majority vote.

Between General Assemblies:

Concerning the replacement of a resigned Executive Committee member:

If an Executive Committee member resigns, a new Executive Committee member can be elected to replace them.

The Executive Committee will publishes a call for candidates for the vacant position. Candidates will be elected via an electronic vote.

Any replaced EC member will have full voting rights in the Executive Committee.

3.3. Electronic voting

The Executive Committee can call for an electronic vote between General Assemblies in urgent matters. It is the duty of the Executive Committee to provide enough information for the full Member Organisations to make an informed decision.

Each full Member Organisation has 2 votes. When voting, abstention is always an option.

The voting period is set to two weeks with a one week reminder.

The Statutes, the Internal Rules and Procedures, the Strategic Plan and the Political Platform cannot be subject to any electronic vote between the General Assemblies.

Results will be announced within one week after the closing of the vote and include detailed information.

3.4. Tiebreakers

3.4.1. Tiebreakers on point of substance

In the case of a tie between two points of substance, the vote shall be held again. If the result is once again a tie, the body voting may choose to vote once more, table the discussion to later in the meeting, or decide by some form of chance. Note that this paragraph is not intended to apply to ties between “yes”, “no”, or “abstain” where some point of substance requires a majority to pass.

3.4.2. Tiebreakers relating to elections

If the tie occurs between two candidates in an election, and only one may be elected, a vote shall be held to decide between them. If the result is once again a tie, the body voting may choose to vote once more or decide by some form of chance. At any point during this, either candidate may choose to withdraw.

3.5. Dismissal of elected persons

3.5.1. Dismissal of Executive Committee member

Two thirds of the Executive Committee can propose dismissal of an Executive Committee member.

The Full Member Organisations vote on the proposed resignation through electronic vote.

The vote is based on two letters: a letter of justification from the majority of Executive Committee members proposing the dismissal and an optional letter of defence from the Executive Committee member.

If at least one third of the full MOs participate in the vote and a two third majority is reached the Executive Committee member is dismissed.

3.5.2. Dismissal of Secretary-General

Two thirds of the Executive Committee can propose the dismissal of the Secretary-General.An additional General Assembly must then be convened by a decision of the Administrative Board under the applicable rules (as set out in the statutes), where the Member Organisations vote on both the dismissal of the existing Secretary-General, and the election and appointment to the Administrative Board of a new interim Secretary-General.The Executive Committee has the right to in writing and orally inform the Member Organisations as to why they have proposed the dismissal, and the Secretary-General the right to defend
themselves.

If quorum is reached (as detailed in the Statutes) and a simple two-thirds majority is found at the additional General Assembly for dismissing the Secretary-General, the Secretary-General is dismissed.The Executive Committee can propose dismissal of the Secretary General, with two-thirds of the votes of the members of the EC. The Member Organisations must be notified within 8 days about the decision and the Executive Committee must appoint a Secretary-General ad interim within 8 weeks after the decision of the Executive Committee. The Secretary General ad interim will continue until the election of a new Secretary General at the subsequent General Assembly. The new interim Secretary-General will take over the mandate over the former Secretary-General, expiring whenever the former Secretary-General’s mandate would have expired. They have all the powers and responsibilities of the former Secretary-General.

3.6. Gender quota

In all elected bodies there must be a minimum of 50% of people that self-identify as women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender.

If there is only one position in a body, there is no quota. However it is encouraged that people that self-identify as women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender alternate in this position.

4. Bodies

4.1. Administrative Board

In line with the Statutes, the association is administered by an administrative board composed of three people, appointed by the general assembly amongst the Secretary-General, and members of the Executive Committee, preferably the Spokespeople and the Treasurer.

4.2. Executive Committee

The Executive Committee members are responsible for making strategic and political decisions about the organisation during their mandate and between General Assemblies.

The Executive Committee strives to reach consensus, with any member able to call a vote if consensus cannot be reached; decisions are made by a simple majority, disregarding abstentions. If no majority is secured after two consecutive votes, the decision is postponed to the next meeting for further attempts to reach a consensus. If voting fails again in the subsequent meeting, the decision is deemed against.

The Executive Committee is composed of eight people:

who are elected by the General Assembly with a one-year mandate

“Who can only do a maximum of three total mandates”

in case of by-election, the term only counts as a mandate if it exceeds 9 months

an EC member can not hold two mandates in the same role

An EC candidate must not be older than 32 on the year of election.

A mandate is the period between one Annual GA and the second to next Annual GA.

Within the EC there are two spokespersons, who must not be from the same Member Organisation, the treasurer and five additional members. The gender quota applies to the spokespersons.

The Executive Committee:

rules when an absolute majority of its members are present and/or involved in the decision-making process through online channels,

is responsible for the relations with the Member Organisations,

has the right to make statements on behalf of FYEG, in line with the political platform

oversees the implementation of the activity plan as decided by the General Assembly

receives and handles applications from organisations that wish to join FYEG and produces a report for the General Assembly including voting recommendation

can engage FYEG in partnerships with external movements, networks and organisations

select members of non-elected temporary bodies and provides political support to them (such as the prep-teams, working groups, task forces etc.)

The Executive Committee members represent FYEG to its partners, member organisations and other stakeholders.

EC members need to ensure a good transfer of knowledge when their mandate comes to an end with a proper handover. The handover should take place within 3 weeks of the tasks being divided.

4.2.1. Spokespeople

The Spokespersons:

Coordinate the Executive Committee

Represent FYEG to the public and are a contact point for people from outside the Federation.

Represent FYEG with the Partners and attend European Green Party Committee meetings

Are responsible for the secretariat

The mandate of the spokespersons is further stated in the internal delegation order of FYEG, adopted by the Executive Committee on an annual basis.

4.2.2. Treasurer

The Treasurer is responsible for the yearly budget of FYEG. The treasurer works closely together with the Secretary General and the Office, that ensures the daily financial management of the organisation. The treasurer:

prepares the financial report to the Executive Committee and to the General Assembly

prepares a budget plan for the General Assembly

has regular meetings with the Office to check the budget

The mandate of the treasurer is further stated in the internal delegation order of FYEG, adopted by the Executive Committee on an annual basis

4.3. Secretary-General

The Secretary General is elected for a three year mandate at the General Assembly. The mandate can only be renewed once. The total duration of the mandate of the Secretary-General can not exceed two mandates and the time held as "interim Secretary-General" is not counted as part of a mandate.

The tasks of the Secretary General include:

the legal representation of the organisation

Managing the FYEG Secretariat and making sure that each office member fulfils their responsibilities and tasks

Facilitating and assisting the work of the Executive Committee

Overseeing the HR processes

Overseeing the execution of FYEG Activity Plan

Overseeing FYEG finances, including fundraising, reporting, handling FYEG bank accounts, accounting,

Making sure that the statutory deadlines and process are respected

Overseeing the organisation of the statutory activities

Overseeing FYEG's external communications and campaigns

Monitoring key political events and policy developments on the European level to serve as a resource for FYEG's political work

Maintaining good contacts with FYEG's partners and Member Organisations and other stakeholders

If mandated by the Executive Committee, the Secretary General can externally represent FYEG and its position

4.4. FYEG’s Representative to the European Green Party
Committee

As outlined in the Statutes and the Rule Book of the European Green Party, the Committee is the executive body of the European Green Party and is responsible for its political and strategical development and functioning within the budget and the guidelines approved by the Congress. The Committee consists of 13 members, out of which 4 are elected for specific functions, 8 regular members and 1 seat nominated by FYEG.

The Committee mandate is 3 years. Members may not serve more than three terms. The Committee’s general tasks and responsibilities are further detailed in the European Green Party Statutes.

FYEG nominates one member to the EGP Committee. Hereafter, this person will be referred to as the representative. This representative cannot hold any of the four specific posts of the Petit Committee of the European Green Party (Co-Chairs, Treasurer and the Secretary General). The nomination of this FYEG representative will follow the Committee elections deadlines.

FYEG's representative is elected at the General Assembly. They must not be older than 35 years old at the year of election. They are required to attend at least one live Executive Committee meeting every year. Moreover they must submit a report to the General Assembly every year, detailing the work that they have done in the EGP Committee. They can be asked to attend more FYEG Executive Committee meetings and FYEG events to represent the EGP Committee.

4.5. Financial Control and Advisory Committee

At the General Assembly, members of the Financial Control and Advisory Committee (FCAC) are elected for a two year mandate.

The FCAC is composed of two members. Its members must not be members of the Executive Committee nor financially depending on FYEG.

The FCAC’s tasks include:

At least one meeting a year, dedicated to checking FYEG’s finances. A written report of this meeting must be submitted to the EC, thereby providing an internal audit.

the presentation of this yearly report to the delegates at the GA. The financial report that is to be presented to the GA and all other relevant material have to be ready and at disposal for the meeting.

Providing recommendations to FYEG Treasurer and Secretary General regarding the financial management and the financial orientations of FYEG.

It is recommended that the EC and the office share relevant information related to the finances of the organisation to FCAC throughout the year.

4.6. Office

In addition to the Secretary General, FYEG may recruit employees for its Office.

In principle, all recruitments are made after an open and public call. The decision on the selected candidate is done in line with the internal delegation order of the FYEG, adopted by the Executive Committee on an annual basis.

The Executive Committee adopts “Guidelines and Rules for the Office” in line with legal requirements. This document is made available to all employees, especially when new employees are recruited.

Salaries are decided upon in line with the internal delegation order of the FYEG, based on the financial plans adopted by the General Assembly.

4.7. Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committee ensures the transfer of knowledge within FYEG and acts as a conflict resolution body. It is appointed for two years at the General Assembly. The Advisory Committee is composed of 5 members. Action by the Advisory Committee is taken only upon request by Executive Committee members of other bodies of FYEG. Its tasks are:

providing their shared experience on a specific subject

assisting in conflict resolution between Executive Committee members, members of other Bodies and/or office

providing general or specific mentorship for Executive Committee members on an individual needs basis.

If requested by the Executive Committee, advising the Executive Committee on organisational and structural matters

In order to enable the Advisory Committee to fulfil this tasks it is granted the following:

one-way access to the email-list of the Executive Committee throughout the year, meaning the possibility to read conversations but not actively take part

access to the online storing spaces of the Executive Committee, without editing rights.

attendance at online or offline meetings of the Executive Committee

During its duty, the Advisory Committee must respect the secrecy of internal matters. At the General Assembly, the Advisory Committee must present a brief overview of the functioning of the Executive Committee and office. If prompted, the Advisory Committee make recommendation within 8 weeks, after oral or written consultation of involved parties, and to the best of all members’ knowledge. Recommendation of the Advisory Committee have to be provided in written form to parties involved.

4.8. Working Group

Working groups have the following functions within FYEG :

helping with the acquirement and create professional documents on current and selected topics

providing the groundwork for the formulation of political positions

promoting the involvement of Member Organisations and green activists in FYEG Working Groups

providing space for a debate between young Green activists on the European level

supporting the Executive Committee, office and prep-teams in the organisation of events and campaigns

supporting the Executive Committee and Prep-teams in policy related preparations for FYEG events

Working groups are formed by the Executive Committee, with a defined scope, aim, working area and timeframe. This defined scope is outlined by the Executive Committee responsible for the working group and working group coordinators at the start of the mandate to complement FYEG's priorities. The creation of a working group may be planned in the annual activity plan adopted by the General Assembly but the Executive Committee may also decide to create ad-hoc working groups.

Working groups must not work against the political platform of FYEG. Further details on how to form, manage and communicate Working Groups is detailed in the Annex - 2 Working Groups Guidelines.

4.9. Ecosprinter Editorial Board

The Ecosprinter is the Member Organisations magazine of FYEG and is created by an autonomous editorial board, elected at the General Assembly. The Ecosprinter is published online and FYEG should strive for a printed version.

The mission of the Ecosprinter is to:

provide a forum for commentary and internal debate

provide the spaces for blogs and articles of members of FYEG

inform about European Green policies and politics

report and comment about culture, politics and discussions they believe are of importance.

The Ecosprinter Editorial Board:

consist of three members

has to be gender-balanced

can elect an Editor-in-Chief among its members

work on the mission and development of the Ecosprinter

In case there is not a consensus within the Ecosprinter Editorial Board on the election of the Editor-in-Chief, or an absolute majority, the Executive Committee can appoint the Editor-in-Chief. The role of the editor in chief is to coordinate the work of the Ecosprinter Editorial Board and ensure that the mission of the Ecosprinter is fulfilled.

4.10. Conflict of Interest

In case a decision needs to be taken and a member of an FYEG body has a conflict of interest, financial or moral, they must inform the other members of the body before the decision is taken and the following procedure applies:

- the nature of the conflict of interest must appear in the minutes of the meeting,

- the person with a conflict of interest may not participate in the debate and the vote related to the decision in question.

- except for the Executive Committee itself, the body in question is allowed to delegate this decision to the Executive Committee,

- when the decision is delegated to a second body, the first body may still execute the decision.

If someone neglects to disclose a conflict of interest, any other member who is aware of the conflict must inform the rest of the members before the debate and decision takes place. Without the member concerned by the conflict of interest present, the body decides by a vote whether or not this member can participate in the debate and the vote. This decision must be mentioned in the minutes of the meeting. The body is allowed to delegate this decision.

In case the majority of members present or represented are in a position of conflict of interest, the decision must be delegated to the Executive Committee.

In case the majority of members of the Executive Committee are in a position of conflict of interest, the decision must be delegated to the General Assembly.

This chapter does not apply when the decision in question relates to usual transactions, entered into under normal market conditions and guarantees for transactions of the same nature.

5. Relations with other organisations

5.1. General principles

FYEG may:

become a member of other organisations/networks

become a temporary or permanent partner of other organisations/networks/alliances

set up new organisations and networks

The Executive Committee may take the decision to become a temporary or permanent partner of other organisation/networks/alliances. The decision to become a member of other organisations/networks or to set up new organisations/networks should be approved by the General Assembly.

Furthermore the EC must:

provide a list of organisations that FYEG is a member of, as well as a description of FYEG’s rights and responsibilities and the contact details of the concerned organisations

report at the GA about all the partnerships FYEG has maintained during the year and provide details upon request by a MO

5.2. European Green Party

FYEG is the official youth wing of the European Green Party (EGP). Relations between FYEG and EGP are further specified in the EGP-FYEG relationship agreement.

5.3. Cooperation and Development Network Eastern Europe

FYEG and Cooperation and Development Network (CDN) are sister organisations and cooperate together to their mutual benefit. Relations between FYEG and CDN are further specified in the CDN-FYEG relationship agreement.

5.4. Global Young Greens

FYEG supports the building and working of Global Young Greens (GYG), striving to help GYG with financial and organisational matters.

6. Event Management

6.1. Participants

Participants to an event are selected in line with the internal delegation order of the FYEG, striving for gender, age and geographical balance.

The Executive Committee decides if the event is open to all or only to the delegates of Member Organisations.

The FYEG Safer Spaces Policy and the Anti Sexual Harassment protocol shall be communicated and presented to all participants.

6.2. Prep Team

A Prep Team is a temporary bodies, created for the planning, organisation and follow-up of specific projects.

A Prep Team is set up via an open call procedure.

In line with the internal delegation order of the FYEG, the final decisions on the Prep Team's composition and all necessary replacements are done by the responsible Executive Committee member. They must always:

strive for gender and geographical balance

ensure compliance to specific set of rules imposed by partners and funders

A Prep Team can take decisions concerning their project independently. If needed, a Prep Team can consult the Executive Committee in order to solve possible internal problems.

6.3. Alcohol and intoxicating substances

Organisers of the event shall make sure that underaged participants are not exposed to dangerous situations involving alcohol or illegal drugs.

This shall be ensured by, among others, the following measures:

Participants below 16 and those for whom it is forbidden by domestic laws, shall not consume alcohol or illegal drugs, and one shall not offer any to them. In the event that this does take place, all parties responsible must be banned from the rest of the programme. Moreover, their respective MO(s) shall be notified by
the Executive Committee upon violation of these rules;

Alcohol and illegal drugs shall not be consumed during the official sessions part of the programme;

FYEG shall look into organising sessions and parties in other places than those where alcohol consumption is central, such as bars or clubs;

Members of the Executive Committee and the Prep Team shall lead by example and abstain from excessively drinking alcohol and from using illegal drugs during an event. Additionally, two people, from either the Executive Committee or the Prep Team, should be appointed to stay sober during the programme.

7. Financial Management

The FYEG financial year starts on 1st of January and ends on 31st of December as is reflected in FYEG budget. The financial management of FYEG is done through the decision-making, execution and control of different bodies in line with Belgian law and the delegation order adopted by each Executive Committee.

FYEG’s internal financial management is organised as follows:

The General Assembly approves of the yearly Budget Report and amends and adopts the yearly Budget Plan

The Executive Committee approves the General Budget Plan and Report presented by the Treasurer, before they are submitted to the General Assembly.

The Treasurer regularly monitors the implementation of the overall budget and accounting and keeps the rest of the Executive Committee updated

The Secretariat manages all the practicalities to realise the adopted budget under the supervision of the Secretary-General

The Financial Control and Advisory Committee (FCAC) monitors and reviews the financial reports and plans once per year before they are presented at the General Assembly. The FCAC also monitors the financial management processes and practices. It submits a report to the General Assembly

A certified auditor provides an external audit in line with legal requirements.

7.1. Travel Reimbursements

The reimbursement rules, procedures and deadlines are shared with the participants of each events. Each event and activity has its own rules, procedures and deadlines in line with the rules and procedures of the funders of the activity.

As a general principle a person can ask for reimbursement of the travel cost if:

the participant attended at least 75% of the meeting

all relevant receipts and proof of travel have been handed in within the deadline communicated for each activity

Exceptions to these rules regarding participants can only be made in consultation with the Treasurer.

7.1.1. Reimbursement practicalities

Train and other public transport travel costs are reimbursed on the basis of a 2nd class ticket or a 1st class if that option is cheaper.

For night trips over 500 km the couchette fee (2nd class) can be covered

Bike trips over 10 km are reimbursed by 1 EUR / km with a maximum of the price of a second class train ticket and with an absolute maximum of 100 EUR

Direct flights as well as combinations of direct flights with ground transportation are to be preferred over multistop flights due to the increased emissions from multiple starts and landings. Due to the high levels of emissions, plane-travel in general should be avoided as much as possible.

Taxi costs will be reimbursed if local transport is not available and if requested in advance from the organisers.

The necessity of using a private car must be justified in writing and approved in advance. Travel by car may be reimbursed by 0.2 EUR/km. Depending on the activity, specific reimbursement rules may apply.

Car sharing should be approved in advance and should be cheaper than public transportation. The costs have to be documented.

FYEG uses the official conversion rates of the European Commission for currencies other than Euro:
ec.europa.eu/budget/contracts_grants/info_contracts/inforeuro/inforeuro_en.cfm based on the date of expense if no other donor guidelines apply. Exceptions are payments with credit cards when the documented conversion rates of the credit card company apply based on credit card payments statements.

7.2. Participation fees

A participation fee to any activity can be demanded and fixed by the Executive Committee, in line with the delegation order.

7.3. Expenses covered

7.3.1. Food and food supplies

The members of the Executive Committee can be reimbursed for food expenses up to maximum 30€ per person for meetings covering an entire day and up to 15€ per person for half-day meetings with at least 4 hours of work.

Food reimbursement for other volunteers are fixed by the participating conditions for each event and meeting.

FYEG can only cover costs for vegetarian and vegan food. At every event, vegan food should be offered and its consumption encouraged.

7.3.2. Child care

If requested and possible child care will be provided for the Secretary-General, FYEG Office, Executive Committee members, speakers and Prep Team members in order to allow full presence at an event. The child care support can take the form of: covering the travel and accommodation costs for an extra person to
provide child care on the spot during the event, covering the fee for a child care professional during the event etc. All the costs should be approved by the Treasurer.

7.4. Executive Committee Members allowance

The members of FYEG Executive Committee are entitled to a monthly allowance up to a maximum of 135 EUR per month. The FYEG EC members are free to claim the allowance depending on their need.

The allowance is meant to cover preparation and participation in the following meetings:

FYEG activities, including regular EC meetings;

EGP Committee Meetings and Councils;

Study Visits to Member Organisations approved by the EC;

Other events or meetings approved by the EC.

In addition to the monthly allowance, Executive Committee members are entitled to reimbursement for their costs for travel, accommodation, food and child care costs when travelling, in accordance with the FYEG reimbursement rules. Reimbursement for expenses while travelling can only cover expenses for up to the limit of 1 day before and 1 day after the event/meeting.

The EC member in question makes sure the allowance is declared in line with the fiscal rules of their country of fiscal residence. FYEG declines responsibility for any tax liability.

Annex 1: Organisation of the General Assembly

Application Requirements & Procedures for Candidates

Applicant Organisations

Organisations that are applying to become an Associate, Candidate or Full Member of the Federation of Young European Greens should send their application to the Executive Committee before the deadlines set in the Internal Rules and Procedures.

Their application shall contain:

• a letter signed by their board stating the reason and motivation for their application

• a copy of the original statutes and a translated version in English

• a copy of their political platform (or comparable document) and a translated version in English

• a filled-in questionnaire provided to them by the Executive Committee that includes questions on the number of its members, age limit, list of activities, budget and all other possibly relevant information.

Executive Committee candidates

Candidates for the Executive Committee shall provide in their application form:

• Filled-in application form that will be made available online

• A motivation letter,

• An Outline of their plans are for the organisation or their vision for FYEG

• Detailed CV

• Candidates must be proposed by their member organisation and seconded by another FYEG member organisation.

• One nomination letter from the Member Organisation they belong to. If that is not possible the Member Organisation, of which the candidate is from, must provide an explanation for the rejection of nomination and the possible candidate has the right to provide a letter of justification. The letter will be shared with the delegates of the General Assembly. The General Assembly will decide, through a vote by two-third majority, whether this person is admitted as a candidate or not.

Multiple positions holding

FYEG strives to have non-cumulation of positions.

Executive Committee members have to be able to combine their commitments to FYEG with whatever other tasks they may have. Candidates to the Executive Committee have to lay open what other mandates and functions they have.

Secretary General candidates:

Secretary General candidates’ application must include:

• a CV

• a comprehensive motivation letter, explaining how experiences match the profile, what the candidate thinks they can contribute to FYEG. It should also establish a vision of a European political youth organisation’s role. Special emphasis is given to experiences within FYEG and other Young Green Organisations.

• the contact details of two references, preferably employers, supervisors or tutors

Further requirements and procedure:

• A committee for a pre-selection of the candidates will be set up. The committee will consist of 4 people: a current FYEG EC member, a former FYEG Secretary General or office coordinator, one full MO representative and a 4th member (NGO professional worker).

• Only applications including all required documents and sent before the given deadline will be examined taking into consideration both political and professional skills of the candidates. These candidates will be given a written assignment and interview if this is possible.

• The committee will assess the candidates’ experience and skills.

• Candidates will be given a month to campaign and are expected to present themselves at the GA. The final decision on the Sec-Gen of FYEG lies with the final vote of the GA of the organisation.

• In case a candidate is not recommended by the committee, they will still be able to apply for the position and present themselves at the GA, but the candidacy will not be endorsed by the EC.

• In case the Secretary-General wants to renew their mandate and if by the closing of the deadline for the applications for the Secretary-General there are no other applications received, there is no need for the Selection Committee.

FYEG’s Representative to the EGP Committee Candidates:

Candidates to FYEG’s Representative to the EGP Committee must provide:

• A motivation letter,

• An outline of their plans are for the organisation or their vision for EGP, specifically as FYEG nominee

• Detailed CV, highlighting their experiences in FYEG and FYEG Member Organisations

• A nomination letter from the Member Organisation they belong(ed) to. If that is not possible the Member Organisation, of which the candidate is from, must provide an explanation for the rejection of nomination and the possible candidate has the right to provide a letter of justification.

Further requirements and procedure:

• A committee for a pre-selection of the candidates will be set up. The committee will consist of 4 people: one current/former FYEG EC member, a current/former FYEG Co-Spokesperson, a current/former FYEG Secretary General, and one full Member Organisation representative).

• Only applications including all required documents and sent before the given deadline will be examined taking into consideration both political and professional skills of the candidates. These candidates will be given an interview if this is possible.

• The committee will assess the candidates’ experience and skills.

• Candidates are expected to present themselves at the General Assembly. The final decision on the nominee of FYEG to the EGP Committee is made by the General Assembly.

• In case a candidate is not recommended by the committee, they will still be able to apply for the position and present themselves at the General Assembly, but the candidacy will not be endorsed by the EC.

Financial Control and Advisory Committee:

Candidates for the Financial Control and Advisory Committee shall provide:

• A motivation letter, highlighting their experience in financial management

• Detailed CV

Ecosprinter Editorial Board:

Candidates for the Financial Control and Advisory Committee shall provide:

• A motivation letter

• Detailed CV

Meeting rules to the General Assembly

These meeting rules regulate the formal sessions of the General Assembly. The goal of these meeting rules is to make sure that all participants have an as similar understanding of the formalities of the General Assembly as possible.

Presidency

The General Assembly is presided over by the Presidency. The Presidency consists of four to six people, who must not be candidates to any positions at the General Assembly. In line with the Internal Rules and Procedures, the Presidency is selected by the Executive Committee by an open-call. The General Assembly confirms the Presidency proposed by the Executive Committee before any other decisions are made.

The Presidency should elect a chair among themselves. The Chair is the main point of contact for the Executive Committee and the Office during and after the General Assembly.

The chair is responsible for making sure that the rest of the Presidency delivers their tasks assigned to them and that all the documents related to the General Assembly (adopted resolutions, minutes, votes and voting cards, and other adopted documents) are finalised handed over the Office and the Executive
Committee in the following month after the General Assembly.

The Presidency:

• chairs the meetings and discussions at the General Assembly

• prepares the resolutions, amendments and voting procedures for the General Assembly

• is responsible for taking the minutes of the General Assembly

• decides who speaks, who takes part in discussion and who can also be suspended from discussions.

• Can call emergency sessions to the agenda. However this change would need confirmation by a simple two-thirds majority of the full members.

Agenda:

The agenda of the General Assembly is adopted with a simple majority on the first day of the General Assembly.

In line with the Statutes, if the member organisations want to add a point to the General Assembly agenda, they should communicate it to the Executive Committee at least 10 days in advance and their proposal must be signed by one-twentieth of the full members.

The agenda can only be changed with a simple two-thirds majority of the full members. Proposed changes to the agenda have to be presented in written form to the presidency.

Documents that are noted, amended, approved, disapproved at the General Assembly:

The power and the role of the General Assembly is detailed in the Internal Rules and Procedures.

The Executive Committee, the Secretary General, the Ecosprinter Editorial Board, the Financial Control and Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee presents their reports for the previous years. These reports are heard by the GA, not voted.

The Treasurer presents the annual accounts and financial report of the previous financial year and the budget and the financial plan of the upcoming year. These documents can be amended and voted.

The Executive Committee presents the Activity Plan and the Strategy Plan (if applicable) for the upcoming year(s). These documents can be amended and voted.

The deadlines for presenting and amending these documents are detailed in the Internal Rules and Procedures.

The Presidency is responsible for organising Compromise Amendment Sessions (CAS) to try and find compromises on amendments, so that documents have a higher chance of being adopted.

Compromise Amendment Sessions (CAS):

The Compromise Amendment Sessions are called CAS in short. Everyone who has speaking rights at the General Assembly can attend the compromise amendment session, and it’s advised that all member organisations with voting rights do so.

Compromises are made between the member organisations or the body that proposed the original document and the member organisations or the body that proposed the amendment subject to compromise. It is advised to include other interested Member Organisations in this compromise process so as to further broaden consensus.

Amendments to existing documents (Statutes, Internal Rules and Procedures, Political Platform) are only subjected to compromise if the compromise is in the scope of an already submitted amendments. The Presidency may declare a compromise amendment ineligible if its scope is different from the original
amendment.

During the Compromise Amendment Session, the proposer of the resolution presents their resolution. The proposer of the amendment presents their amendment. At this point other parties can declare their positions towards the amendment. The proposer of the resolution can adapt the amendments or seek a compromise. If a compromise is reached, it is shared with the delegates of the General Assembly. Unless a Full Member Organisation or the Executive Committee disputes the compromise, it is considered adopted. If the compromise is disputed, the compromise will be sought until the last day of the General Assembly.

It is encouraged that the CAS sessions are organised in advance of the General Assembly, following the deadline for amendments which is one week before the General Assembly. The CAS session can happen online.

In the voting, firstly the compromised amendments on the document as whole are voted. Afterwards, the document itself is voted on.

Resolutions

• Each resolution should have an international and/or European angle

• Each resolution should be supported by at least one Member Organisation

• A resolution should always have a call to action

• A resolution should preferably be around 5,000 characters but definitely not more than 10,000

The Executive Committee can recommend review of certain resolutions to the Presidency.
The Presidency can suggest/demand the proposers of the resolution to withdraw their resolution or to postpone the resolution to the further General Assemblies.

Speaking rights and debates:

Speaking rights are open to all members of FYEG bodies, and all registered participants of the General Assembly.

The presidency ultimately decides which individuals are given the opportunity to speak.

The speaking time for debates is proposed by the presidency at the beginning of every debate based on the content of the debate and the time assigned for the current session in the agenda.

The presidency can change the assigned speaking time based on the time left of the session to better fit the agenda, as they see fit. This might include cutting breaks.

The General Assembly can overrule (with a simple two thirds majority) the presidency’s proposals for speaking time. In such cases the new Agenda proposal must be submitted to the Presidency in a written form.

During sessions where debates will take place, participants will be able to submit ‘speaker cards’ before the session. These cards will note if they are for/against, their Member Organisation and their gender.

In vue of the received speaker cards, the Presidency will define the speaker list. Speakers may still be taken from the floor for balance, but those who submit cards will be prioritised

The presidency will ensure gender balance on the speaking list. This is done through a strict quotation of the list. Only as many men are allowed to speak as non-men are on the list. The only exception is if people are on the list who haven’t participated in the debate up to that point. They will be chosen before persons that have already made plenty of contributions.

The only exceptions to the speakers list are technical points. If someone has a technical point, they must signal the presidency and will be given the floor after the current speaker.

Types of debate:

Open debate: The debate is open to speakers willing to speak for or against the resolution or amendment being discussed, as well as for contributions that are neither opposed nor in favour. This debate is often used during the Compromise Amendment Sessions.

Con-Pro: The debate is organised by an alternation of speakers against and for the resolution or amendment being discussed. This debate is often used during the Voting Session of the amendments that goes to vote and the resolutions.

It should be noted that all the compromises should be reached before the voting session and the point of the con-pro debate is not to reach a compromise but to explain the positions. Therefore the presidency is encouraged to do only one round of con-pro debates, and if more than one rounds occur time is monitored by the presidency to ensure that overall the ‘pro’ and ‘con’ sides are both allocated equivalent speaking time.

Quorum, voting and majorities:

Quorum, voting rules and majorities are defined in the Internal Rules of Procedures.

Voting rules and majorities are defined in the Internal Rules of Procedures

A quorum check will be called before the voting sessions.

Safer Spaces

The General Assembly is a space where everybody feels safe, and has an equal opportunity to be heard. The Presidency is responsible for chairing the General Assembly in line with FYEG’s Safer Spaces regulations. The presidency can ban a participant for misconduct for the remainder of a session.

(Queer-)Feminist Council
On a point of order, the women, intersex, nonbinary, trans and agender participants present and entitled to vote may decide whether they wish to hold a Feminist Council. The motion is dealt with with one pro and one con speech, with only those eligible to vote on the motion able to speak; the debate can be opened up beyond these two speeches. The Feminist Council then deliberates for up to one hour in the absence of the other participants and informs the entire body of the outcome after the end of the Feminist Council. The Feminist Council is considered part of the respective body. The organizers are responsible for a parallel programme dealing with a feminist policy topic for all those not participating in the Feminist Council.
At the Feminist Council, women, intersex, nonbinary, trans and agender people can issue a Feminist vote. In the case of motions that affect the right of self-determination of women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender people in terms of form or content or that particularly affect women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender people, the Feminist Council has the opportunity to hold a separate vote among women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender people before the assembly vote. This Feminist vote is a strong and urgent recommendation to the assembly and shall be understood as such. The feminist vote is a non-binding recommendation.

Annex 2: Working Group Guidelines

These guidelines are to serve the Working Groups and the Working Group
coordinators.

Working Group rights and responsibilities:

Working group functions are detailed in the FYEG’s Internal Rules of Procedures. FYEG Working Groups are based on direct democracy and the inclusion of all its members. Most of the Working Group meetings happen online, through the channels of internal communication available to them. Working Group members can have
access to usage of the internal communication tools available to FYEG (such as online meeting softwares). As set out in the Internal Rules of Procedures, the EC is responsible for setting up a new Working Group and for ending the term of a Working Group.

Working Groups can (and not only):

• Support FYEG and its bodies in developing policy documents

• Provide feedback to FYEG’s internal policies and documents

• Create campaigns

• Create guidelines, templates, training material, and similar material

All the Working Group activities must be in line with the FYEG Political Platform.

Only FYEG’s Executive Committee (EC) has the mandate to speak on behalf of the organisation and engage in partnerships with other organisations. Therefore, any external communication or partnership request needs their approval.

When the Working Group has a request for content to be shared via FYEG’s official channels, firstly, it should be approved by the member of the Executive Committee responsible for the Working Group (hereinafter EC Responsible).

Moreover, if the Working Group decides to engage in external partnerships, sign letters of external partners (i.e. organisations other than Green Political Organisations), etc. this must also be approved by the EC Responsible for the Working Group.

Finally, if the Working Group needs support from the FYEG Office in matters of communication, administration, finances, etc. the Working Group should communicate a detailed concept, through the Working Group coordinator, to the EC Responsible in a timely manner.

Executive Committee responsibilities:

The EC Responsible is the person appointed among the EC members to be responsible for the Working Group.

They are responsible for:

• Initial setup of the Working Group: defining the aims, scope, timeframe, publishing a call for Working Group members and coordinators

• Choosing the first members of the Working Group and the Working Group coordinators

• Meeting with the coordinators to explain their roles and responsibilities

• Attend meetings where needed/wanted to (optional) - but in general, it is more important to be aware what they are up to

• Keeping track of all their activities and being aware of how the Working Group is progressing and what they are up to

• Providing political advice and making sure the Working Group acts in line with FYEG’s Political Platform

• Updating the Working Group on FYEG activities related to their topics and purposes

The EC responsible has the possibility to exclude someone from the Working Group on the recommendation of the coordinators or at least three members of the group. The EC has to be informed of the decision. The person has the possibility to appeal to the Advisory Committee.

Working Group coordinator responsibilities

A working group should have two coordinators, at least one of them self-identifying as women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender.

If it is impossible to find two coordinators even after the EC responsible’s best efforts to do so, an exemption can be made if approved by the FYEG EC. In this case, it is required that either the EC responsible or the Working Group coordinator self-identifies as female, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender,

Working Group coordinator tasks are as follows:

• Set meetings and agendas for Working Group and notifying members of action points afterwards (online Working Group meetings should strive to be planned at least once every two weeks, excluding holidays and exceptional circumstances)

• Set up the main communication channels

• Main point of contact for EC Responsible

• Keep the EC Responsible up to date on what’s happening in the Working Group

• Keep Working Group members informed and updated on EC’s feedback and recommendations

• Steer direction: set priorities, what themes/projects they work on, oversee the work

• Coordinate the creation of a Working Group activity plan, guided be the objectives and goals set out at the beginning

• Set up subgroups (if necessary or desired)

• They do not need to be involved in every single project or attend every meeting, but in their absence should delegate project or meeting moderation to someone else, and keep themselves updated on progress

Annex 3: Safer Spaces Policy

Safer spaces are evolving and not static. We have high expectations on how we behave towards each other in our meetings, actions and social spaces. Making a space safer means different things depending on the group of people involved as each group has different needs. This policy aims to be considered in every meeting involving FYEG, but the document should evolve as we learn and grow.

As an organisation we build social relationships inside and outside of meetings and actions. We commit to this Safer Spaces policy wherever we are together, this includes ensuring that ALL spaces are inclusive and harmless.

If someone violates these agreements a discussion or mediation process can happen, depending on the wishes of the person who was affected. If a serious violation happens to the extent that someone feels unsafe, they can be asked to leave the space and/or speak with one member of the Awareness Group. If necessary, the Sexual Harassment Protocol will be activated.

1. Respect! Racism, as well as ageism, GSRM-phobia , sexism, ableism or prejudice based on ethnicity, nationality, class, gender, gender presentation, language ability, asylum status or religious affiliation is unacceptable and will be challenged. FYEG has a zero-tolerance policy with any kind of discrimination, even though we acknowledge that there can be different levels in a breach of a safe space.

2. Be aware of your privileges! Including racial, class and gender privilege and/or less obvious or invisible hierarchies. Think about how your words, opinions and feelings are influenced and who they might exclude or harm.

3. Consent! Respect each other’s physical and emotional boundaries, always get explicit verbal consent before touching someone or crossing boundaries. Don’t assume your physical & emotional boundaries are the same as other people’s.

4. Friendly use of language! Be aware of the language you use in discussion and how you relate to others. Try to speak slowly and clearly and use uncomplicated language especially when non-natives speakers are involved in the conversation.

5. Don’t anticipate yourself! Avoid assuming the opinions and identifications of other participants.

6. Learning; if you don’t understand something, just ask. You may be directed to a book, website or skill share to learn more. It’s ok to make mistakes. Please show appreciation for the hard work of others and be considerate when you offer criticism.

7. Everyone has their turn; give each person the time and space to speak. In large groups, or for groups using facilitation: Raise your hand to speak.

8. Calling out; if you have acted or spoken harmfully, even if unintentionally, expect that someone will bring this up to you. If this happens, listen and reflect on what they are saying even if you think they may be wrong. Don’t try to absolve yourself of responsibility.

This policy should be expanded with specific measures and practices to promote the creation of safer spaces.

The EC, Office and all Prep Teams must organise mandatory reflection/awareness sessions dedicated to discussing power dynamics in relation to sexual/romantic relationships within our Federation, being mindful about how they engage with participants and ethical leadership within FYEG.

1. The EC should hold such a reflection/awareness session at a minimum once a year preferably at the first live ECM.

2. The Office should hold such a reflection/awareness session at a minimum once a year.

3. Prep Teams should hold such a session at least once during a Prep Team meeting before the event they are organizing begins.

Discussions on power dynamics and ethical leadership also are incorporated into the onboarding process for new EC members and Office members.

Permanent Awareness Team

The Permanent Awareness Team consists of one member from the EC and one volunteer that is not a member of the EC. Both members are selected by the EC. This team operates in addition to the event-specific awareness groups and are complementary to those. Members of FYEG should be informed of the existence of this team and know that they can contact them regarding situations that make them feel uncomfortable or if they have concerns about the behaviour of EC Members, Office members, or PT members.

The Permanent Awareness Team should be easily accessible via the website, and there should be a contact form available that allows for anonymous submissions.

The team is responsible for safeguarding the anonymity of any FYEG members who reach out to them.

The Permanent Awareness Team has the authority to make recommendations and propose initiatives in the form of reports to the EC and the General Assembly as needed.

Anti sexual harassment protocol

FYEG has a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment at all its events, within all its structures and during all activities. This protocol is applicable for those participating in an FYEG activity (General Assembly, Strategic Planning Committee, Working Group Meeting or any other activity), members of a Member Organization (MO), or members of an online structure of FYEG, referred to as “this organization” from now onwards in this protocol.

Anyone who is subject to sexual harassment can approach one of the designated contact points responsible for receiving complaints of sexual harassment. The Executive Committee will designate an Awareness Group for anyone presenting allegations of physical, verbal or online sexual harassment. In accordance with the IRPs, the Awareness Group will be formed by two persons from the EC who are of different genders. Additionally, every Prep - Team will designate one person to be an independent contact person in our projects. However, this person shall always inform the official contact points if a procedure starts, in the case of their absence, the main contact will be the Project Manager.

When one of these procedures is open in the organization, the EC as a whole must be informed of the procedure without details of the people involved or the presented allegations to respect confidentiality. If a case involves someone from the EC, the case will be brought to the Advisory Committee (AC). The
Advisory Committee will act as contact points when a case arises, following this protocol. However, the EC will not be informed until a final decision is made.

Important note:

These procedures will follow general principles such as the privacy of the survivor, confidentiality of the process and survivor’s choice and preference. We respect the presumption of innocence of any alleged harasser which is why this procedure is in place and has been approved in the General Assembly. However, as a feminist organization, we also believe in the principle of believing the survivor and putting the burden of the proof on the alleged harasser.

This procedure might be applied to an internal case of a MO if this case is related to FYEG activity or if the people involved take part in any FYEG structure. However, we will not be able to extend sanctions or disciplinary measures beyond FYEG. MOs can however adapt this protocol to their own organization.

When the designated people receive a complaint of sexual harassment, they shall:

1. Immediately record the dates, times and facts of the incident(s);

2. ascertain the views of the survivor as to what outcome they want, ensure the survivor feels safe and ensure the survivor is separated from the alleged offender unless the survivor wishes otherwise;

3. ensure that the survivor and the alleged harasser understands FYEG protocol for dealing with the complaint;

4. discuss and agree the next steps with the alleged survivor, informal, formal or outside complaints procedure (police, hospital, embassy, etc.), on the understanding that choosing to resolve the matter informally does not preclude the survivor from pursuing a formal complaint if they are not satisfied with the outcome;

5. keep a confidential record of all discussions. Records will be destroyed if the alleged survivor requests it, or before the change to a new EC. However, a record of sanctions and a brief description of the reason will be kept in a safe place;

6. respect the choice of the survivor;

7. and ensure that the survivor knows that they can lodge the complaint outside of FYEG through the relevant country/legal framework.

INFORMAL COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

If the survivor wishes to deal with the matter informally, the designated person
will:

• Approach the alleged harasser saying that the behaviour is offensive, unwelcome and must be stopped;

• Inform the harasser that FYEG has a zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment and that disregarding this policy may result in the person’s exclusion from the organization

• give an opportunity to the alleged harasser to respond to the complaint;

• ensure that the alleged harasser understands the complaints mechanism;

• facilitate discussion between both parties to achieve an informal resolution
which is acceptable to the complainant, provided the alleged survivor agrees,

• ensure that a confidential record is kept of what happened;

• follow up after the outcome of the complaints mechanism to ensure that the behaviour has stopped and that there is no risk of its repetition;

• And ensure that the above is done accurately and at the latest within 10 days of the complaint being made. During events, the procedure shall take place within 48 hours.

FORMAL COMPLAINTS PROCEDURES

If the survivor wants to make a formal complaint or if the informal complaint mechanism has not led to a satisfactory outcome for the survivor, the formal complaint mechanism should be used to resolve the matter.

The designated person who initially received the complaint will communicate to the rest of contact points the opening of a formal complaint procedure. The EC will be informed of this, respecting the confidentiality of the alleged survivor and the allegations. The designated person who initially received the complaint will carry out the investigation with the assistance of the Awareness Group and the independent contact person at the moment in which allegations were presented, if any. They will help the investigator with the analysis and decision making process. A procedure for online harassment shall be developed.

The person carrying out the investigation will:

• interview the survivor and the alleged harasser separately

• interview other relevant third parties separately

• decide whether the incident qualifies as sexual harassment within the meaning of this protocol

• produce a report detailing the investigations, findings and any recommendations

• if the harassment took place, decide what the appropriate remedy for the survivor is, in consultation with the survivor (i.e. an apology, a change of structure, suspension..,)

• follow up to ensure that the recommendations are implemented, that the behaviour has stopped and that the survivor is satisfied with the outcome

• if it cannot determine that the harassment took place, they may still make recommendations to ensure proper functioning of the organization

• keep a record of all actions taken

• ensure that all records concerning the matter are kept confidential

• ensure that the process is done as quickly as possible and in any event within 15 days of the complaint being made

The general rule is to avoid the presence of the alleged harasser in those places/structures in which the alleged survivor moves. It is vital that the wishes and needs of the survivors are incorporated into the outcome of the complaints mechanism.

A data protection protocol will be developed.

OUTSIDE COMPLAINT MECHANISM

This protocol seeks to create a fast and appropriate response to allegations of sexual harassment. However, it does not seek to substitute existing regulation and legislation on this issue. We want to make clear that FYEG wants to be fully supportive with every decision of the alleged survivor.

A person who has been subject to sexual harassment can at any time make a complaint outside of the organization. Even though this organization cannot offer legal advice, the contact point(s) will accompany the person to the instance this person prefers (hospital, police, ombudsperson, law courts, embassies, etc.) if they request it.

SANCTIONS AND DISCIPLINARY MEASURES

Anyone who has been found to have sexually harassed another person under the terms of this policy may be sanctioned. Sanctions may include but are not limited to one of the following :

• Verbal or written warning

• Suspension from an elected or non-elected FYEG structure, in line with FYEG IRPs when appropriate

• Dismissal/expulsion

Depending on the seriousness of the allegations, the EC, upon request of the Awareness Group may suspend someone from taking part in any FYEG structure or activity during the duration of the process. Confidentiality of the survivor will be maintained.

In case of sexual harassment, violence or discrimination by a member of an elected body within FYEG (Financial Control Committee, Advisory Committee or Ecosprinter Board) the EC can exclude the offender after consulting the full MOs. (cf. 2.2.2). If the case arises within the EC, the Advisory Committee can exclude the offender after consulting the full MOs.

The nature of the sanctions will depend on the gravity and extent of the harassment. Suitable deterrent sanctions will be applied to ensure that incidents of sexual harassment are not treated as trivial. Certain serious cases, including physical violence, will result in the immediate dismissal of the harasser.

Guidelines for persons of contact

Read the protocol and understand every aspect

What is sexual harassment? It is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature which:

• Violates your dignity

• Makes you feel intimidated, degraded or humiliated

• Creates a hostile or offensive environment

Sexual harassment “can include, but is not limited to”, these examples:

• Touching, pinching, stroking, squeezing, or brushing against someone

• Leering or ogling

• Making LGBTIAQ+-phobic or GSRM (Gender, Sexual and Romantic Minorities)-phobic comments and sexually suggestive signals, winking

• Sending unwanted e-mails, text messages, posting sexually-explicit jokes or content on FYEG communication channels

• Sexual comments or jokes

• Making insults based on a person’s sex or rating their sexuality

• Turning work discussions to sexual topics

• Physical behaviour, including unwanted sexual advances, touching and various forms of sexual assault

• Displaying pictures, photos or drawings of a sexual nature

Remember: Whether harassing intentionally or unintentionally, we all have a responsibility to monitor our behaviour and respect each other. Anyone who reports an incident has the right to remain anonymous. They also have the right to feel safe and respected.

Listen and Support

It's tough to be prepared when someone tells you that they have been the survivor of sexual harassment. Remember, you can only provide support

Support and understanding are essential. It takes a lot of courage for a survivor to share their experience;

Try to provide a safe/non-judgmental environment, emotional comfort and support for the survivor to express feelings;

Let them know that they can talk with you. Listen. Don’t rush to provide solutions.

Believe

The most common reason people choose not to tell anyone about sexual abuse is the fear that the listener won’t believe them. People rarely lie or exaggerate about abuse; if someone tells you, it’s because they trust you and needs someone to talk to.

People rarely make up stories of abuse. It is not necessary for you to decide if they were “really hurt.” If the survivor says they were hurt, that should be enough

Believe what the person tells you. It may have been difficult for them to talk to you and trust you. Unless proven wrong harassment has happened.

Reassure

Sexual assault is NEVER the survivor’s fault. No one asks to be sexually assaulted by what they wear, say or do. Let the survivor know that only the perpetrator is to blame;

The survivor needs to hear that fears, anxieties, guilt and anger are normal, understandable and acceptable emotions;

Remember, no one ever deserves to be abused or harassed.

Be Patient

Don’t press for details – let the person decide how much to tell you. Ask them how you can help;

Survivors have to struggle with complex decisions and feelings of powerlessness, trying to make decisions for them may only increase that sense of powerlessness;

You can be supportive by helping them to identify all the available options and then help them by supporting their decision making process (here refer to the protocol).

The survivor can’t just “forget it” or just move on. Recovery is a long term process and each individual moves at their own pace

Encourage

Encourage the survivor to seek medical attention, report the assault, and or contact a professional if needed. Remember, the survivor must ultimately make the decision as to what to do. They are the experts in their own lives. Don’t push. Remember, support their choices no matter what they decide.

Respect Privacy - Confidentiality

Don’t tell others what the survivor tells you. Let the individual decide who they will tell. It is important not to share information with others who are not involved;

If you do need to share information for their safety, get permission by letting them know what you will share and with whom it will be shared; ie. the rest of contact points in case of a formal complaint

Establish Safety

An important part of helping the survivor is to identify ways in which the survivor can re-establish their sense of physical and emotional safety. You are a step in the process. Ask them what would make them feel safe and how you can help them accomplish this.

If the stalking or harassment is ongoing, help them to develop a plan of what to
do if they are in immediate danger. Having a specific plan and preparing in
advance can be important if the harassment escalates.

Things you can say

It is hard to know what to say to a person when they confide in you. Refrain from asking a lot of questions, instead, support them with these phrases. Let the person know that you believe that they have the strengt and capacity to heal.

• It’s not your fault

• I’m sorry this happened

• I believe you

• How can I help you?

• I am glad you told me

• I’ll support your choices

• You’re not alone

Use of inclusive language

FYEG aims to use language in its communications and its events that reflects the level of English spoken within an organisation of mostly non-native speakers. FYEG promotes the use of inclusive and accessible language within the organisation. FYEG attempts to reduce the shame of using simple language. We do this to make sure that everyone feels welcome to participate and contribute.

General Principles

FYEG will have minimal statutes that only contain what legally matters and they will be revised in case the Belgian law changes. All other matters will be taken care of in the IRPs.

The IRPs must never contradict the statutes, they can elaborate.

The IRPs shall be facilitating and helping with decision-making processes as well as the organisation of the federation. There shall be no more rules than necessary.

This document shall be accessible to every MO on the website.

All acts, invoices, publications, official letters and websites, in electronic form or not, emanating from the association must mention:

- its full or abbreviated name, immediately preceded or followed by “AISBL” or “international non-profit association”,

- the precise indication of its registered office,

- its company number,

- the terms "register of legal persons" or the abbreviation "RPM" followed by the indication of the court of the registered office of the legal person,

- if applicable, their email address and website,

- the number of at least one account held by the association with a credit institution established in Belgium,

- if applicable, the indication that the association is in liquidation.

1. Member Organizations

1.1. Membership

1.1.1. Membership categories

The association is made up of member organisations only and has three categories
of member organisations:

Full members

Candidate members

Associate members

1.1.2. Membership criteria

Membership criteria are detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.3. Conditions of admission of candidate members

Conditions of admission of candidate member organisations are detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.4. Conditions of admission of full members

Conditions of admission of full member organisations are detailed in the Statutes.

In addition, a candidate member organisation must apply for full membership latest at the General Assembly three years after it has received its candidate member organisation status. If the candidate member organisation does not apply for full membership in the third year of its candidacy, the Executive Committee can propose the suspension or exclusion of the candidate member organisation.

1.1.5. Conditions of admission of associate members

Conditions of admission of associate member organisations are detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.6. Resignation of members

Conditions for the resignation of members are detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.7. Suspension of members

Conditions for the suspension of members are detailed in the Statutes.

The Executive Committee has a right to propose the suspension of a member organisation to the General Assembly in the following cases (not limited to):

• no update or other contact is made between a member and the FYEG Executive Committee between two General Assemblies,

• the member organisation doesn’t fulfil one or more of the membership criteria,

• the member organisation didn’t pay their membership fee,

• major changes that happened in the member organisation, which need to be investigated by the EC.

The suspension of a member means that the organisation loses its voting rights.

When a member is suspended, the Executive Committee:

1. informs the member organisation about the suspension via an e-mail and explain the consequences

2. makes all reasonable efforts to enable the member to regain its full membership

3. creates a report on this process and presents it at the following General Assembly.

1.1.8. Exclusion of members

Conditions for the exclusion of members are detailed in the Statutes.

The exclusion of an MO means that this organisation is not listed as a member organisation anymore and hence loses all of its rights within FYEG. Following an exclusion, an organisation that wishes to rejoin FYEG is expected to follow the entire membership procedure, as a new organisation would.

The rejoining organisation is required to inform GA about changes that happened in their organisation since leaving FYEG and explanation of their decision about rejoining.

1.1.9. Suspension and exclusion in case of non-payment of
membership fee

The suspension and exclusion of member organisation in case of non-payment of
membership fee is further detailed in the Statutes.

1.1.10. Membership fee

FYEG has an annual membership fee. The ceiling is stated in the Statutes.

Each full member organisation shall pay an annual membership fee to FYEG. This membership fee shall correspond to 1 % of the total incomes of their previous year’s realised budget with a minimum of 50 EUR for the EU and European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and 25 EUR for all other European countries.

By way of derogation to the previous paragraph, the General Assembly may decide, in duly justified cases, to lower the amount of the membership fee that a Member Organisation shall pay, following a recommendation of the Executive Committee. Requests for lowering the Membership fee shall be sent by a Member Organisation to the Executive Committee at the latest 2 weeks before the GA.

Each full MO shall pay their membership fee for the running year on the first evening of the GA at the latest, if it has not already been transferred earlier.

Full MOs are requested to provide their annual budget statement for the previous year at the latest. A document listing the amount of the membership fee paid by each MO and the way it has been calculated must be annexed to the financial report of the year in question.

1.1.11. Membership reviews

The Executive Committee presents a review of the FYEG Member Organisations as part of the Executive Committee Report. The review can include the following information:

Overview of the region and its meetings and activities,

The Member Organisations' engagement with FYEG activities during the year,

Major changes to the Member Organisation.

In case of major changes (change of organisations' name, split in the organisation, merge with another organisation, change of political affiliation, etc.), the Executive Committee can propose the General Assembly to vote on that change. The General Assembly may, among other options, take note of the change
or suspend the membership of the organisation to give sufficient time to the Executive Committee to look into the situation.

1.2. Working with Member Organisations

1.2.1. Member Organisation Duties

Each MO should keep FYEG updated about:

- changes in the board

- valid contact addresses for the MO list and the website

- activities

1.2.2. FYEG duties

FYEG will provide the Member Organisations with:

- information about statutory meetings

- minutes and reports from statutory meetings and long ECMs

- a newsletter containing information and participation possibilities in current
activities

- regularly updated contacts of other Member Organisations

2. General Assembly

2.1. Composition

The General Assembly is the highest decision body. The General Assembly is composed of one or two delegates per full member organisation, candidate member organisation and associate member organisation.

MOs should strive to send delegations to GA that are gender-balanced and consist of delegates maximum aged 30 years old. If the organisation is unable to find delegates within the age limit, they can send older delegates aged 31-35.

The delegates can be asked to pay a participation fee for the General Assembly.

People who are employed by FYEG or are members of the FYEG Executive Committee cannot be delegates to the general assembly.

2.2. Powers

The power of the General Assembly is detailed in the Statutes.

In addition to what Statutes state, a decision of the General Assembly is required in the following cases:

- the adoption and amendment of the Activity plan for the upcoming year,

- the adoption and amendment of Resolutions,

- the election of the Financial Control and Advisory Committee,

- the election of the Editorial Board of Ecosprinter,

- the election of the FYEG representative to the European Green Party Committee,

- the approval of the Advisory Committee

- the approval of the Presidency of the General Assembly

- Decision about joining (or leaving) membership with other organisations/networks

The General Assembly also hears the following reports:

- Activity Report

- Executive Committee and Secretary General Report

- FYEG's Representative to the EGP Committee

- Ecosprinter Editorial Board report

- Financial Control and Advisory Committee report

- Advisory Committee report

2.3. Functioning

The Administrative Board and the Executive Committee summons the annual General Assembly. FYEG Member Organisations are summoned to the General Assembly via ordinary mail or e-mail. The convocation contains the agenda, date, time and place of the General Assembly.

General Assembly is presided in line with the Meeting Rules (Annex - 1)

The rules for holding extraordinary General Assembly are detailed in the Statutes.

Changes to the statutory and internal organisational documents take effect from the first working day after the GA meeting where they were changed, except when the GA votes for their immediate implementation through a second vote requiring an absolute two-thirds majority. Persons elected by the General Assembly will start their mandate from the first working day after the GA meeting where they were elected, unless other rules apply for their mandate.

2.4. Deadlines and calls

The call for hosting the General Assembly must be sent as soon as possible, no later than 7 months before the tentative dates of the GA. The call must be open at least one month.The selection of the hosting organisation is done by the Executive Committee.

The remaining deadlines are structured as follows:

12 Weeks before the General Assembly the Executive Committee must send out a call for:

Registration of all participants
delegates

the executive committee (if applicable)

the secretary general (if applicable)

the financial control and advisory committee

the ecosprinter editorial board

the FYEG representative to the EGP committee

the presidency

9 weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

applications of presidency

Between 10 and 7 weeks before the GA
The Executive Committee must also organise an online information session, explaining the functioning of the General Assembly and promoting the different open positions.

6 weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

registration of delegates

applications of organisations for associate, candidate or full membership

applications of Secretary General candidates

applications for the FYEG nominee to the EGP Committee

4 Weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

submission of resolutions

amendments to the Political Platform, the Internal Rules and Procedures and the
Strategic Plan

Reports and Plans to be sent out to Member Organisations

Executive Committee candidates

Financial Control and Advisory Committee candidates

Ecosprinter Editorial Board candidates

the submission of proposals to add point to the GA agenda, any such proposal
must be signed by one-twentieth of the full member organisations, as detailed in
the Statutes

In case the number of candidates is less than the number of positions open and/or if the gender quota is not met, the Executive Committee will re-open the call for additional candidates of the underrepresented gender and/or positions with lacking candidates.

3 weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

publication of Candidacies

publication of Executive Committee recommendations on potential member
organisations (for full, candidate or associate membership)

publication of Executive Committee recommendations on exclusion and/or
suspension of member organisations

sending the GA agenda, as detailed in the Statutes

2 weeks before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

MOs to express their support for candidates

1 week before the General Assembly is the deadline for:

amendments to the resolutions and Plans

Other deadlines:

The deadline for submitting emergency resolutions must be 2 days before the start of the General Assembly. At the end of the General Assembly's first day, the assembly sets a deadline for amendments to the emergency resolutions.

2.5. Submission of resolutions and amendments

At the general assembly Full Member Organisations and the Executive Committee have the right to submit resolutions, and amendments to resolutions, the political platform, the activity and financial plan, the strategic plan, other plans tabled by the EC, the statutes and the IRPs, bearing in mind the deadlines specified under 2.4. Support of 3 Full Member Organizations is needed in order to table an emergency resolution.

2.6. Presidency

The General Assembly confirms the Presidency proposed by the Executive Committee before any other decisions are made.

The Presidency then:

• chairs the meetings and discussions at the General Assembly

• prepares the resolutions, amendments and voting procedures for the General
  Assembly

• is responsible for taking the minutes of the General Assembly

The Presidency:

• consists of four to six people who must not be candidates to any positions at the General Assembly.

• can be suspended and simultaneously replaced with an absolute two-third majority by the assembly. Such a vote of no-confidence can be demanded by at least 5% of the delegates, who must present people for the new Presidency.

2.7. Participation fee

A participation fee to the General Assembly can be set up if the Treasurer finds it necessary.

The following participants of the General Assembly are exempt from paying the participation fee:

One delegate per Full, Candidate and Associate Member Organisation,

Executive Committee members

the Secretary-General and office

members of the Presidency

If a full Member Organisation sends a second delegate the participation fee is halved in case at least one of the two delegates self-identifies as women, intersex, nonbinary, trans or agender. Treasurer can grant exemption or lowering of the fee to participant that request it.

2.8. Travel reimbursement

Full reimbursement of travel costs is granted to:

• one delegate per full, candidate or associate Member Organisation

• Executive Committee members

• the Secretary-General and the office

• candidates for the Executive Committee elections

• candidates for the Secretary-General elections, provided they have
  received approval by the pre-selection committee

• candidates for the FYEG Representative to the EGP Committee, provided they
  have received approval by the pre-selection committee

• members of the presidency

The Treasurer can decide to reimburse travel costs for:

• delegates of organisations applying for candidate membership in FYEG

• candidates for all open positions

• the second delegate of a full, candidate or associate Member Organisation
  if at least one delegate self-identifies as women, intersex, nonbinary,
  trans or agender.

3. Election and Voting Procedures

3.1. Attendance and voting quorums

In line with the Statutes, each Member Organisation has the right to attend the General Assembly. Only Full Member Organisations have voting rights and each Full Member Organisation has two votes.

3.1.1. Principles

In line with the Statutes, the General Assembly deliberates validly only if 50 % + 1 of the Full Member Organisations are present or represented. The Statutes detail the steps to follow in case the attendance quorum is not reached.

In line with the Statutes, in principle all decisions in FYEG are taken by a simple majority of votes registered for the General Assembly. When voting, abstention is always an option. When the vote relates to decisions concerning persons or Member Organisations, the ballot is always secret. The voting body can decide to have other voting procedures processed through secret ballot.

3.1.2. Procedures

Definitions

Votes registered at General Assembly - the number of Member Organisations and their delegates who are registered for the General Assembly and have voted in the determination of the General Assembly quorum

Votes cast - the number of votes that were submitted.

Simple majority

Majority of the votes cast, i.e. the number of “Yes” votes exceed the number of “No” votes.

Abstentions are not considered in the count.

Examples:

Out of 20 votes: 11 yes, 9 no, 0 abstentions: passed; 1 yes, 0 no, 19 abstentions: passed.

10 yes; 10 no; 0 abstentions. not passed. 10 yes, 9 no, 1 abstention: passed.

Absolute majority

To pass "yes" should reach the majority (half+1, or half + 0.5 in case of odd number) of the number of votes registered at the General Assembly.

Note that it is number of votes registered, not number of votes cast. This means that if less than half of the voters are present and vote, this majority can never be reached.

Examples:

20 voters registered: need 11 or more yes votes.

21 voters registered: need 11 or more yes votes.

22 voters registered: need 12 or more yes votes.

Simple two-thirds majority

Two thirds of the votes cast.

Absolute two-thirds majority

Two thirds of the number of votes registered.

Note that it is the number of votes registered, not the number of votes cast. This means that if less than two thirds of the voters are present and vote this majority can never be reached.

Examples:

20 voters: need 14 yes or more votes.

21 voters registered: need 14 or more yes votes.

22 voters registered: need 15 or more yes votes.

3.2. Election of candidates

3.2.1. Principles

FYEG uses a Single Transferable Vote (STV) electoral system with a standard droop quota. Mathematically, this is the next integer larger than V / (n+1) when V = the total number of valid votes and n is the number of positions available. Specifically recommended is the Scottish STV system.

3.2.2. Procedures

The main principle is to rank all the candidates according to the voter's preferences for each candidate. Where 1 is the first preference 2 the second preference and so on.Voters can rank all candidates even if the number of candidates exceeds the number of positions. Voters can decide to not rank some of the candidates even if this means leaving the ballot partially blank.

Only a completely blank ballot counts as abstention, an abstention counts under the exception below.

If a simple majority of all ballots cast do not rank the candidate with any numbers they are excluded from the election.

0 - All ballots are inspected to determine that candidates have received a simple majority of any kind of ranking on cast ballots. If not, they will be excluded from the election.

1 – The candidates who have reached the election quota (i.e. election threshold) are elected.