Who is eligible for membership?

The EIF Statues 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 purpose.

• Business Membership is open to commercial or industrial companies widely represented in Europe, who are ready to subscribe to the EIF purpose.
  
  
• Associate Membership is open to commercial or industrial associations or associations of individuals (such as non-governmental organizations, business associations, academic institutions, and other private or public institutions) that is likely to contribute constructively to the EIF purpose.

Rights and obligations of Members

All Members are obliged to adhere to the objectives of the European Internet Forum. All EIF Members and their representatives should make all reasonable efforts to attend the EIF meetings and to participate in EIF activities.

Business and Associate Members are obliged to 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.

Fee policy and structure

Business Members and Associate Members pay annual fees determined annually by the Board of Management. The fees may vary according to different categories of Business Members and Associate Membets. 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 2 months before the end of the year. Members are billed in the first quarter of the year to which the fee relates. Payments are due by 1st April.

Fees through end of year 2016

Political Membership: no fees

Business Membership:

• Standard fee: Euros 10.000

• Small & medium sized enterprises: Euros 2.000 (Small & medium sized enterprises being defined as companies with less than 250 employees on their payroll, net fixed assets of less than 75 million Euros, and no more than one third of their capital owned directly or indirectly by 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 Business Member of EIF: Euros 1.000

• Associate Members representing non-commercial interests or having no corporate members: Euros 500

The annual fee is invoiced at the beginning of every year. For new members for calender year 2015, fees will be applied pro rata from the date of notification of membership.

Membership is automatically renewed for the next year. If a Business or Associate member does not wish to renew the membership, the Secretariat has to be informed by the end of the calendar year with a notice period of 2 months (i.e. by 1st November).

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.

Business and Associate 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 Steering Committee or Board of Management, upon the initiative of one of its members, proposes the exclusion to the General Assembly and may decide to suspend the rights of the Member concerned until the decision by the General Assembly. 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.

APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP