Info on membership

Who is eligible for membership? - Rights and Obligations of members -  Fee policy and structure 
Fees through end 2009 - Termination of Membership 

Who is eligible for membership ?

The EIF ByLaws stipulate that the EIF Membership consists of three categories:

• Political Membership is open to all Members of the European Parliament who wish to subscribe to the EIF objectives.
• Business Membership is open to businesses of all sizes (*1) whose activities give them a strong European presence (*2) and who are ready to subscribe to the EIF objectives.
• Associate Membership is open to non-governmental organisations, business associations, academic institutes, and other private or public institutions that are likely to contribute constructively to the EIF objectives.

*  1) Professional service companies whose business activities include to represent or advise business clients are supposed to subscribe in their own name and to demonstrate a legitimate interest resulting from their own business objectives and not from that of any of their clients.

*  2) "European" means EU, EEA and EU applicant countries, and "strong presence" implies relative major investments or a significant European share in purchases or supplies of services or goods by such businesses.

Rights and obligations of Members

All Members have the obligation to contribute to the achievement of the EIF's objectives and to make their best endeavour to participate in the EIF's activities.

Business and Associate Members pay annual fees (see below).
Each Member has one vote in the General Meeting. Another Member from the same group of Membership may represent Members prevented from attending General Meetings in person. TOP

Fee policy and structure

­Business Members pay annual fees determined annually by the Board of Management. The fees may vary according to different categories of Business Members.

Associate Members may be asked to pay a nominal annual fee and contributions for each event or project that they attend or join. Certain categories of Associate Members may be exempted from contributions at the discretion of the Board of Management.

The fees for the following year are communicated to the Membership concerned at least 3 months before the end of the year, and to the General Meeting together with the budget proposal. Members are billed at least one month before the beginning of the year to which the fee relates. Payments are due by 1st April. TOP

Fees through end 2009

• Political Membership: no fees 
• Business Membership: 
  • Standard fee : Euros 10,000
  • Small & medium sized enterprises: Euros 2,000 
    (Firms with less than 250 employees on their payroll, net fixed assets of less then 75 million euros, and no more than one third of their capital in the hands of a larger company)
•  Associate Membership:
  • Associate members representing commercial interests and who themselves have corporate members: Euros 2,000
  • Associate members representing commercial interests and who themselves have corporate members, but where one or more of these is a member of EIF: Euros 1,000
  • Associate members representing non-commercial interests or having no corporate members: Euros 500

  For calender year 2009, fees will be applied pro rata from the date of notification of membership. TOP

Termination of Membership

­Political Members may resign. Their membership ceases automatically if and as soon as their membership in the European Parliament comes to an end. If - for whatever reason - their parliamentary immunity is lifted, membership is automatically suspended for this period.
Other Members may resign by the end of a calendar year with a notice period of 2 months.

Members may be excluded, even with immediate effect, if they have seriously violated their obligations as Members or if the conditions for Membership are no longer fulfilled. The Management Board, upon the initiative of one of its members, proposes the exclusion to the General Meeting and may decide to suspend the rights of the Member concerned until the decision by the General Meeting. In case of exclusion because of a serious violation of Members' obligations, annual fees remain due even if the calendar year has not expired at that moment. TOP

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