Article 1

The national trade Associations of manufacturers of pasta products in the Member States of the EEC have formed, for an unlimited period, a:

1. "Union des Associations de Fabricants de Pâtes Alimentaires de la Communauté Européene " (UNAFPA),
   
   
2. "Vereinigung der Verbande der Teigwarenindustrie in der Europaischen Gemeinschaft",
   
   
3. "Unione delle Associazioni degli Industriali Pastificatori della Comunità Europea",
   
   
4. "Unie van Organisaties van Fabrikanten van Deegwaren in de Europese Gemeenschap"
   
   
5. "Union of Organisations of Manufacturers of Pasta Products in the European Community",
   
   
6. "Enosis Sindesmon Viomixanon Zimarikon Tis Evropaikis Kinotitos",
   
   
7. "Uniao das Associacoes de Fabricantes de Massas Alimenticias da Comunidade Europeia",
   
   
8. "Union de las Asociaciones de Fabricantes de Pastas Alimenticias de la Comunidad Europea"

Article 2 - OFFICES

The head office of the Association shall be fixed at the head office of the national professional Organization entrusted with the Presidency, the latter being renewed annually.
A Secretary shall be appointed by the General Assembly for a period of three years, renewable; this frequency correspons with that of the renewal of the members sitting on the EU Advisory Committees (cereals and eggs). Domicile shall be elected for this function at any address duly specified.

 

Article 3 - OBJECT

The aim of the Union is to ensure the definition, representation and defence of the interests of the trade within the framework of the EEC.
To this end, it shall ensure in particular all necessary contact with the EEC Authorities and with the international trade Organizations which might, directly or indirectly, both by means of decision and by means of consultative opinion, have an effect on the fate of the pasta products industry within the framework of the EEC.

 

Article 4 - MEMBERS

1. All national trade Organizations representative pasta products in the Member States of the EEC can become members of the UNION.
   
   
2. Requests for membership of the Union shall be examined by the Bureau, which can declare affiliation or send the file for decision by the General Assembly.
   
   
3. Membership of the Union shall be lost, either by resignation, given for the end of a calendar year with a minimum notice of six months, in a registered letter sent to the Secretariat with a copy to all the Member Associations, or by a decision of the General Assembly for non-observance of the statutory obligations or confirmation of the loss of representative characteristics of the Association at the national level.

Article 5 - GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1. The General Assembly shall be the deliberating body of the Union and shall have the most extensive powers. It alone shall be qualified to make the decisions defining the Union's Policy. It alone can make an amendment to the Statutes or pronounce the dissolution of the Union. It shall pronounce on the Budget and shall receive the accounts annually from the Treasurer.
   
   
2. It shall meet at least once a year, on the date adopted by the Bureau or by the General Assembly. It shall also be convened compulsorily if at least two Member Associations make a request to that effect, in the thirty days following that request.
   
   
3. The notices convening the meetings accompanied by the agenda must be sent out so that they reach those concerned 15 days before the date of the meeting.
   
   
4. The General Assembly shall itself decide at each of its meetings where the next meeting will be held.
   
   
5. The associations shall be represented in the General Assembly as follows:
   Italy - 8 delegates
   France - 6 delegates
   Germany - 6 delegates
   Spain - 5 delegates
   Greece - 4 delegates
   Portugal - 4 delegates
   Belgium - 2 delegates
   UK - 2 delegates
   Netherlands - 2 delegates
   Sweden - 2 delegates
   Luxembourg - 1 delegate
   
   
6. Each delegate shall have one vote. He may have additional votes if he presents one or more mandates from other delegates to represent them at a particular meeting.
   
   
7. The decision of the General Assembly cannot be taken on a majority of less than 32 votes from at least 7 countries.
   
   
8. In cases where a country has several independent Associations, the distribution of the seats of the delegates amongst themselves shall be made by agreement between the parties concerned, which will be noted by the Union. If, within a period of three months after the request for admission, this agreement has not been reached, the Bureau or the General Assembly shall decide the matter.
   
   
9. In the case of decisions making a commitment for the future of the trade, unanimity will be sought. If this proves impossible, in all the Union documents and representations concerning the decision in question, there shall be reference to the composition of the majority as well as the position of the minority.
   
   
10. The General Assembly shall confirm the representatives to the Bureau proposed by the Member Associations.

Article 6 - BUREAU

1. Germany, France and Italy shall each be represented in the Bureau by two members, Belgium, UK, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Sweden by one member each.
   Members coming from a country where there are several different Organizations can be accompanied by a deputy.
   
   
2. Any member of the Bureau who is unable to attend a meeting can be replaced or represented by a deputy of his choice, but under no circumstances can a deputy assume the Presidency of the Bureau.
   
   
3. The Bureau is responsible for preparing and carrying out the decisions of the General Assembly. It shall meet as often as necessary on the initiative of the President or at the request of one of its members.
   
   
4. The Bureau shall propose to the General Assembly a regulation within which it shall define its rules for operation, its own competence and that of the President.

Article 7 - PRESIDENCY

1. The President and the Vice-President, who must be of different nationalities, shall be elected each year from the members of the Bureau by the General Assembly. The members of the Bureau elected to be President and Vice-President shall be replaced in the Bureau by another delegate appointed by the respective Association during the same meeting.
   
   
2. The office of President shall alternate between the Organizations of the various countries in the following order:
   1. Benelux
   2. Italy
   3. France
   4. Germany
   5. UK
   6. Greece
   7. Spain
   8. Portugal
   9. Sweden
   
   
3. The President or, in his absence, the Vice-President, shall chair the meetings of the General Assembly and the Bureau.
   

Article 8 - BUDGET, SUBSCRIPTIONS

1. A subscription, intended to cover the Union's expenses, shall be paid at the beginning of the financial year by each Member Organization, to a Treasurer appointed by the Bureau. The Treasurer shall deal with the necessary expenditure under the control and responsibility of the Bureau. He shall present his accounts once a year to the General Assembly.
   
   
2. The financial year shall commence on 1st April and end on 31st March.
   
   
3. The total amount of the subscriptions shall be fixed each year by the General Assembly based on the estimated expenditure.
   
   
4. This subscription shall consist of:
   a) a basic subscription, identical for each country, the amount being fixed each year by the General Assembly;
   b) a subscription which shall be distributed in the following manner:
   Italy - 41.8%
   France - 18.0%
   Germany -18.0%
   Spain - 9.3%
   Portugal - 3.8%
   Greece - 4.5%
   Netherlands - 1.3%
   UK - 1.2%
   Belgium - 1.0%
   Sweden - 1.0%
   Luxembourg - 0.1%
   
   
5. In cases where a country is represented by several Associations, the distribution amongst themselves of their quota shall be made pro rata according to the number of their delegates at the General Assembly.
   
   
6. Travelling and accommodation expensed of delegates to the General Assembly shall be paid by the Organizations which they represent.
   
   
7. The members of the Bureau shall give their services free. The General Assembly can decide to reimburse the travelling and accommodation expenses of the President and members of the Bureau and fix the conditions for this.

(As re-amended following the General Assembly on 23 June 1995).