EuroMed Permanent University Forum
Mission
The mission of the EuroMed Permanent University Forum is not only to create a network, the
main aim of which is the establishment of a Euro-Mediterranean Area of Higher Education
and Research, via the promotion of the knowledge society, collaboration and dialogue
between educational institutions and the enhancement of quality in teaching and research, but
also to guarantee equality in education for all.
Vocation
The vocation of the EuroMed network is to become a new agent in the field of higher
education in the Euro-Mediterranean region and to act as interlocutor for the European
Commission and for the national and regional authorities of the 35 Member States of the
Euro-Mediterranean Partnership of the Barcelona Process.
Since the Tarragona Declaration for Dialogue and Cooperation between the EuroMediterranean Universities is the founding text of the EuroMed Permanent University
Forum, the institutions that are members of the EuroMed Permanent University Forum will
automatically become signatories of the Tarragona Declaration.
Statutes
DENOMINATION - REGISTERED OFFICE - DURATION - SCOPE OF ACTION
Article 1 (Denomination)
The name of the network shall be the EuroMed Permanent University Forum (henceforth
Permanent Forum).
The Permanent Forum shall be registered in Belgium as a non-profit international
association, with an international projection, and subject to the internal laws of the signing
countries.
Article 2 (Registered office)
Headquarters – Belgium.
Executive Office –Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain.
Article 3 (Duration)
The association is established for an indefinite period of time, starting on the day that the
present document is approved.
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Article 4 (Scope of action)
The scope of the Permanent Forum’s activity is international.
AIMS
Article 5 (General Aims)
1.
The EuroMed Permanent University Forum is a network representing the 35 EuroMed countries and co-operating in the area of internationalization in the broadest sense of the
word. Its aim is to help construct the Euro-Mediterranean Area of Higher Education and
Research, following a similar process to the one of Bologna for Europe. This process is
undertaken by the universities of the Euro-Med region, who are the key actors of this change
in a bottom-up approach. Universities are indeed involved in the social and economic
development of their societies and play a crucial role in the development of their cultures
within a context of respect for each other and a common Euro-Med heritage. The members of
the network will work towards identifying and implementing a process that leads to the
construction of the Euro-Med Area of Higher Education and Research, thus establishing
special academic and cultural ties between them and encouraging contacts between
universities and their surrounding communities.
2.
The Permanent Forum aims to develop a dynamic and functional concept of interuniversity cooperation that is in tune with the efficiency and increasing competitiveness of
the European higher education system.
3.
The Permanent Forum also aims to create a Euro-Mediterranean Area of Higher
Education and Research, to contribute to the promotion of a knowledge society, to encourage
collaboration and dialogue among educational institutions, to increase the efficiency of
institutions and the quality of teaching and research, to provide even greater nondiscriminatory education and to further involve civil society in a knowledge-based society.
Article 6 (Specific Aims and Activities)
The more specific objectives and activities of the Permanent Forum shall be:
• To develop competencies, by means of joint research programmes and teaching and
training programmes for academic, technical and administrative staff within the network.
• To increase youth employment in sectors requiring high levels of cultural knowledge by
means of training and pilot initiatives of an entrepreneurial nature supported by the
universities.
• To encourage links among young students, academic staff and researchers, and technical
and administrative staff, by increasing exchanges, mobility and communication.
• To respect the Euro-Mediterranean cultural and environmental heritage by means of text
translations, Euro-Mediterranean educational modules, twinning programmes and other
training and dissemination activities.
• To reinforce intercultural dialogue and the humanistic values that are deeply rooted in all
the countries involved by getting civil society to take part.
• To encourage academic freedom and university independence.
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MEMBERSHIP – ADMISSION – DUTIES OF MEMBERS – CONTRIBUTION TERMINATION - PARTNERSHIPS
Article 7 (Membership)
1. Membership is open to all higher education institutions of the 35 Euro-Med countries,
as well as to networks of higher education institutions. The aim is to have
representatives from all 35 Euro-Med countries, with at least one higher education
institution per country as a member.
2. The Permanent Forum shall be composed of:
a. individual or collective higher education institutions from:
i. the Euro-Med region as Full members
ii. outside the Euro-Med region as Observers
b. any supporting institution, foundations or international organisations that
share the interest of the network, and which will act as Consultative Members.
3. Admission to the network is by submission of a full application to the President of the
Permanent Forum. The Executive Committee will, during its Executive Committee
Meeting, analyse the requests and give a favourable or unfavourable report, which
they will subsequently present to the General Assembly.
4. The number of members is unlimited and the aim is for the representation of
participating to be territorially well balanced.
Article 8 (Admission)
Applications for membership shall be addressed to the President of the Permanent Forum. In
the application request, the university must make explicit its wish to become a full member
of the network, or, in the case of a university not belonging to the Euro-Med region, an
observer. It must also agree to respect the Statutes and all existing regulations. Failure to do
so will result in exclusion from the network.
International institutions, foundations or organisations shall address a letter of support to the
President of the Permanent Forum stating their wish to become a Consultative Member of the
network and their support of the directives of the Tarragona Declaration.
Admission to membership shall be decided by the affirmative votes of two-thirds of the
members of the General Assembly (in attendance or represented), following the proposal of
the Executive Committee. Members of the General Assembly must be informed about new
candidates at least one month in advance.
There is no right of appeal before any court of law against failure to gain admission.
Article 9 (Duties of Members)
Full members have the commitment to:
1. Observe the present Statutes and the agreements that might be reached by the
General Assembly or the Executive Committee.
2. Attend the General Assembly.
3. Pay the established annual contribution, if any.
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Observers shall:
1. Be informed on the decisions of the Permanent Forum.
2. Be invited to attend the General Assembly, where they will be able to voice
their opinions but shall not have the right to vote.
Consultative members shall:
1. Be informed of the decisions of the Permanent Forum.
2. Be invited to attend the General Assembly, where they will be able to voice
their opinions but shall not have the right to vote.
3. Act as consultative partners of the Permanent Forum.
Article 10 (Contribution)
The General Assembly will determine whether there shall be annual contributions for
members.
These contributions, if applied, will be determined by the Executive Committee every year
and the proposal will be circulated to all members of the network at least one month before
the General Assembly. The Permanent Forum can decide to apply contributions that vary as a
function of the membership status (full member, consultative member and observer).
If a contribution is to be paid, new members shall pay the full annual contribution for the
calendar year in which they are admitted. Resigning members shall pay their full contribution
for the calendar year in which they resign.
Article 11 (Termination)
Membership shall end:
1. Through voluntary resignation that must be presented in writing with at least six months
notice. All members who voluntarily terminate their membership will be obliged to complete
those activities already started.
2. Through exclusion of a member. A member may be excluded if two-thirds of the members
of the General Assembly (in attendance or represented) vote in favour. The member must be
given the opportunity to present its case before a resolution is passed.
3. In the event of contributions being in arrears by more than two years. In this case, if there
is no acceptable explanation three months after the Executive Committee makes a final
demand, exclusion shall be automatic.
4. If a resolution is passed to convert or merge the Permanent Forum, any member can
terminate its membership with immediate effect.
Article 12 (Partnerships)
In order to carry out international activities, the EuroMed Permanent University Forum can
form partnerships with universities or consortia anywhere in the world.
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MANAGEMENT – MEETINGS - VOTING
Article 13 (Governing Bodies)
The governing bodies of the Permanent Forum shall be:
- General Assembly
- President
- Executive Committee
- Executive Secretary
Article 14 (General Assembly)
The General Assembly is the highest governing body of the Permanent Forum. It shall hold
at least one meeting every academic year, which shall rotate among the universities of the
network.
At least one third of the members of the General Assembly must be present or represented if
it is to be formally constituted. The justified absence of members will not be taken into
account when calculating attendance.
Members shall be represented by their rectors or their nominees with full powers of decision.
At each General Assembly a chairman shall be elected to conduct the meeting.
Article 15 (President)
The President of the Permanent Forum shall be elected by the General Assembly for a period
of office of two years by the affirmative votes of two-thirds of the members participating in
the association. A President may be re-elected for a second and third period of office. A
maximum of three periods of office are possible for the same President.
The President must be the Rector or previous Rector of one of the members and shall act as
its representative at the General Assembly during the period of office. A Vice-president shall
be elected in order to replace the rector in case of absence or illness.
Article 16 (Executive Committee)
The General Assembly shall designate twelve of its members as the Executive Committee.
The President and the Vice-president shall be among these members. The ten other members
of the Executive Committee shall be appointed for a period of permanence of four years.
After the first period of four years, five of the members will be replaced by five new
members, whilst the other five will remain. Two years later, the remaining five shall be
replaced by five new members. This cycle shall be repeated every two years, thus allowing
for both the experience and know-how of the old members and the innovation and freshness
of the new ones. Territorial and gender balance shall be encouraged.
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If a member of the Executive Committee resigns or otherwise becomes ineligible to continue
in office, the remaining officers of the Executive Committee shall appoint another
representative to their meetings to serve until the next General Assembly.
The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the preparation and execution of the
programme of activities of the Permanent Forum. The Executive Committee shall encourage
and promote activities in specific areas common to members of the network. Members are
required to seek approval from the Executive Committee or General Assembly before
arranging activities in order to qualify for assistance from the Secretariat and financial
assistance from the association.
The Executive Committee shall prepare the General Assembly meetings. It shall present to
the General Assembly:
1. The annual report of activities.
2. The financial report for the preceding calendar year and the budget for the following
year.
3. The programme of future activities.
4. Proposals about membership.
5. Proposals about Task Forces and Working Groups, if necessary.
Article 17 (Executive Secretary)
The Executive Secretary shall be responsible for the management of the Permanent Forum’s
activities. S/he shall remain in permanent contact with the President of the Permanent Forum
and the Executive Committee.
The Executive Office of the Permanent Forum will keep a record of decisions taken at the
General Assembly and meetings of the Executive Committee, as well as all relevant
documents of the association.
The Executive Secretary will attend the General Assembly and Executive Committee
meetings of the Permanent Forum, and will be informed of all other meetings of the different
Task Forces and Working Groups.
Article 18 (Task Forces and Working Groups)
Task Forces/Working Groups working towards specific goals can be set up at the suggestion
of one or more members at the General Assembly and if they are considered necessary for an
appropriate development of specific objectives of the network to be developed. The proposal
to create a Task Force/Working Group needs to be approved by half of the General Assembly
in order to become effective.
These Task Forces/Working Groups will be formed by representatives from member
universities who wish to take part in them. An effort will be made to preserve the
international character of the Permanent Forum.
Article 19 (Meetings)
The Meetings of the Permanent Forum shall be:
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1.
The General Assembly: one meeting every academic year. An extraordinary General
Assembly may be called at the request of the Executive Committee or of two-thirds of the
full members.
2.
The Executive Committee: at least two meetings every academic year
The meetings of the General Assembly shall be called by notice from the President some
months in advance. Subsequently, the Executive Secretary shall ratify this summons and send
the agenda of the meeting as well as any pertinent documents to all members. Members are
entitled to propose items to be included in the agenda, but these proposals may not be made
any later than five weeks prior to the General Assembly.
Article 20 (Voting)
Voting can be done by:
a. Consent, understood to be the absence of explicitly expressed discrepancies.
b.A show of hands, where each member will express his/her approval.
c. Secret ballot, when requested by one third of those present at the meeting or if the
issue affects someone in particular, in which case the petition of a single member is
sufficient.
A member is permitted to appoint another member as proxy for the purpose of participating
in a vote, provided no member holds a proxy for more than one other member.
Every member is entitled to one vote per proposal. Unless otherwise stated, resolutions will
be passed when the number of votes in favour of the resolution exceeds the number of votes
against the resolution. In the event of votes being tied, a second vote will be held after the
possibility for further discussion within the meeting. If the votes are again tied after a second
vote, the chairman will have the power to decide the matter.
ACCOUNTS - BUDGET
Article 21 (Resources)
The resources of the Association shall consist of:
-
members contributions, if any;
financial support from EU Programmes;
financial support from sponsors;
income from services rendered;
donations;
other as specified.
The Executive Secretary shall keep the accounts of the network. S/he shall be responsible for
preparing the annual statement of accounts and proposing a budget and be responsible to the
Executive Committee for ensuring that financial transactions are in accordance with the
Internal Regulations and are solely for the business of the Permanent Forum. It shall be the
duty of the Executive Secretary to ensure that the accounts are available to the auditors.
The Executive Secretary shall work at the Executive Office of the Permanent Forum, which
is based at the Rovira i Virgili University in Tarragona.
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For accounting purposes, the financial year shall be the calendar year.
AMENDMENT OF THE STATUTES
Article 22 (Amendments)
The General Assembly shall have the sole right to amend the Statutes in accordance with the
following procedure:
1. The agenda of the General Assembly shall announce that the General Assembly will
be called upon to amend the Statutes.
2. The amendment shall be carried at the General Assembly by the affirmative vote of at
least two-thirds of the members present or represented.
DISSOLUTION
Article 23 (Dissolution)
The Permanent Forum can be dissolved under the following circumstances:
1. The votes of at least four-fifths of the members shall be required for dissolution of the
Permanent Forum.
2. By judicial sentence.
Once dissolution has been agreed, the General Assembly or the Court shall open a period for
liquidation with the appointment of two liquidators among the representatives of member
universities. These liquidators, together with the President, the Vice-president and Executive
Secretary, will proceed to the liquidation of goods, payment of debts and cashing of loans,
etc. The assets of the Permanent Forum shall be distributed as donations among the members
or its liabilities met by them up to a maximum of the annual contribution. The cancellation of
accounts at the Register of Associations shall be requested.
INTERNAL REGULATIONS
Article 24 (Internal Regulations)
The Executive Committee may propose Internal Regulations to the General Assembly.
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