DOUZELAGE Who we are! - Douzelage.org

DOUZELAGE – EUROPEAN TOWN TWINNING
145, route de Trèves
L-6940 NIEDERANVEN
Phone: +352 26 34 07 42 Fax: +352 26 34 07 47
ALTEA (E)
BELLAGIO (I)
BUNDORAN (IRL)
CHOJNA (PL)
GRANVILLE (F)
HOLSTEBRO (DK)
HOUFFALIZE (B)
JUDENBURG (A)
KARKKILA (FIN)
KÖSZEG (H)
KÖTZTING (D)
MEERSSEN (NL)
NIEDERANVEN (L)
OXELÖSUND (S)
PREVEZA (GR)
SESIMBRA (P)
SHERBORNE (GB)
SIGULDA (LV)
SUSICE (CZ)
TÜRI (EST)
ZVOLEN (SK)
DOUZELAGE
Who we are!
2008
1

DOUZELAGE – WHO WE ARE
Douzelage Constitution________________________________7
THE CHARTER__________________________________________________ 7
1st CODICIL ____________________________________________________ 9
2nd CODICIL___________________________________________________ 10
AWARDED WITH THE "GOLDEN STARS OF TOWN-TWINNING"_________ 11
WHO IS WHO _________________________________________________ 12
THE DOUZELAGE WEBSITE www.douzelage.org______________________ 14
CONSTITUTION _________________________________________________ 7
Douzelage Rules of Procedure _________________________15
Article I. RULES OF PROCEDURE ________________________________________ 15
Article II. MEMBERSHIP OF THE DOUZELAGE ______________________________ 15
(Local) Town Committees _________________________________________ 15
Variations_________________________________________________ 15
Interim membership _________________________________________ 15
Member towns participation___________________________________ 15
Honorary Members ______________________________________________ 15
Article III. ENLARGEMENT OF THE DOUZELAGE _____________________________ 15
Article IV. ADMISSION OF NEW MEMBERS __________________________________ 16
Application for Admission _________________________________________ 16
Presentation of Documents ________________________________________ 16
Examination of Documents ________________________________________ 16
Article V. THE GENERAL MEETINGS _______________________________________ 16
Article VI. DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ______________________________ 17
The duties of the President ________________________________________ 17
The Duties of the Vice-Presidents ___________________________________ 17
The Duties of the Honorary Treasurer________________________________ 17
The Duties of the Douzelage secretary _______________________________ 17
Article VII. ADMISSION OF NEW PROJECTS _________________________________ 18
Minor projects __________________________________________________ 18
Major projects __________________________________________________ 18
Article VIII. DOUZELAGE – EDUCATION COMMITTEE __________________________ 18
Article IX. EDUCATION SUB-COMMITTEES OBJECTIVES ______________________ 18
Article X. DOUZELAGE – YOUTH FORUM ___________________________________ 18
Article XI. YOUTH BOARD OBJECTIVES ____________________________________ 18
Article XII. DOUZELAGE – ON THE WEB _____________________________________ 19
Article XIII. DECISION TAKING AND VOTES __________________________________ 19
Quorum _______________________________________________________ 19
Majority _______________________________________________________ 19
Votes _________________________________________________________ 19
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Article XIV. VOTING PROCEDURE___________________________________________ 19
General rule____________________________________________________ 19
Secret ballot____________________________________________________ 19
Article XV. THE ELECTION PROCEDURE ____________________________________ 19
Article XVI. ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT___________________________________ 19
Committee of Scrutineers _________________________________________ 19
List of candidates________________________________________________ 20
Ballots ________________________________________________________ 20
Second ballot___________________________________________________ 20
Tie ___________________________________________________________ 20
Article XVII. AFFILIATION FEES _____________________________________________ 20
Article XVIII. AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION _____________________________ 20
Article XIX. AMENDMENTS TO AND SUSPENSION OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE_ 20
Amendments to the Rules of Procedure ______________________________ 20
Suspension of the Rules of Procedure _______________________________ 20
Contradiction between provisions ___________________________________ 20
Article XX. DISSOLUTION AND LIQUIDATION OF ASSETS ______________________ 20
Douzelage Contacts _________________________________ 21
The Douzelage Banner with the coat of arms of the 21 member towns.
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PREAMBLE
Douzelage European Town Twinning
The Douzelage movement was the brainchild of the Granville and Sherborne Twinning Associations in 1989. Delegates of the twelve
founder members, one for each European Community member state, met in 1991 in Granville to sign the charter formally bringing
Douzelage into existence.
The name is a combination of "douze" for twelve and "jumelage" for twinning, and although the number of member states and the
number of our member towns has grown in the meantime, as the EU is sticking to its twelve stars, so we are sticking to our "douze".
The founder member towns were:
• Altea, Spain
A Costa Blanca resort with 300 days sunshine a year,
offering the visitor the old village conservation area,
art galleries, craft fairs, sailing school and golf course.
• Bad Kötzting, Germany
A delightful town in the Bavarian National Park close
to the Czech border, offering hill walking in the summer
and skiing in the winter and locally-brewed beer
all year round.
• Bellagio, Italy
The most beautiful town on Lake Como, with breathtaking
views, elegant hotels, villas and gardens, openair
concerts, walking and rock-climbing.
• Bundoran, Ireland
A family holiday resort on Donegal Bay, with clean
sandy beaches, good surfing, fishing, horse riding,
championship golf and Waterworld, the heated indoor
water adventure centre nearby.
• Granville, France
On the Bay of Mont St. Michel, an historic town built
on a high rock jutting into the sea, with long, sandy
beaches, a modern marina, a links golf course and
boat trips to Chausey and Jersey.
• Holstebro, Denmark
The cultural and business centre of west and central
Jutland, with its famous high-tech laser sculpture, music,
theatre, fishing and golf.
• Houffalize, Belgium
In a wild and picturesque part of the Ardennes, with
fishing, canoeing, walking, climbing, camping and
beer from the local Chouffe brewery.
• Meerssen, Netherlands
Close to the German and Belgian borders, near
Maastricht, set in an attractive part of the Netherlands
with green valleys and historic buildings.
• Niederanven, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg
Niederanven is a municipality with around 6.000 inhabitants
situated 10 km east of Luxembourg-City. Visitors
can enjoy a beautiful landscape and a marvellous natural
environment as the municipality includes a natural
reserve called "Aarnescht" and a large part of the largest
continuous wooden area of the Grand-Duchy of
Luxembourg called "Gréngewald".
• Preveza, Greece
A small port at the entrance to the Ambracian Gulf, a
birdwatcher’s paradise with plenty of fish, dolphins,
pelicans and turtles to observe as well, all set in
spectacular scenery.
• Sesimbra, Portugal
A photogenic fishing port and tourist resort 30 miles
south of Lisbon, near the mountainous National Park
of Arribida, with good beaches on the Costa Azul.
• Sherborne, United Kingdom
A beautiful, small English town with a tradition of
education, a Benedictine abbey, two castles and
mediaeval architecture.
Since 1991 three new towns have joined:
• Karkkila, Finland (1997)
A small iron-foundry town in an ice-age landscape, the culture centre for the surrounding area, one hour from Helsinki.
• Oxelösund, Sweden (1998)
Dominated by its port and steel works, the town enjoys excellent communications by sea, road and air being 110
km south of Stockholm.
• Judenburg, Austria (1999)
A prosperous, twelfth-century market town in the heart of Austria with extensive cultural, shopping, dining and
educational facilities.
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In a first step 5 new towns joined the Douzelage in 2004 in harmony with the European enlargement process:
• Chojna, Poland
Chojna is situated in the province of West Pomerania
and was founded in the 12th century. Most of
the old town is encircled by the 13th century defensive
walls with two gates preserved since 15th c. In
the historical centre you can visit the church of the
Virgin Mary designed by H. Brunsberg in 1389 and
the Gothic brick-built town hall built between the
13th and 15th century.
• Köszeg, Hungary
Köszeg was first recorded in a document from
1248. The inner city displays a wealth of monuments
and historical buildings hardly matched by
any other Hungarian town. Köszeg has several museums
located in the castle and offers a lot of facilities
excellent facilities for hiking and skiing in the
surrounding mountains.
• Sigulda, Latvia
Sigulda, a town in the Vidzeme Region, is situated
in the most picturesque part of the primeval Gauja
valley. Reddish Devon sandstone forms steep rocks
and caves on both banks of the river. Because of
this, since time immemorial Sigulda has been called
the Switzerland of Vidzeme.
• Sušice, Czech Republic
Sušice is one of the gateways to the central Šumava
Mountains. Here, on the banks of the goldbearing
Otava River, a settlement was founded by
Slav gold prospectors. Sušice has been made
world famous for its match-making industries. The
first written record dates to 1233. King John of
Luxembourg began building the town fortifications
still preserved.
• Türi, Estonia
Türi, a peaceful and hospitable town located in the
heart of Estonia on the Pärnu River has been declared
"the spring capital of Estonia" in 2000. With
its many parks protected by nature conservation
laws Türi is becoming an attraction centre for the
southern part of Järva County.
• Zvolen, Slovakia
Zvolen is an important railway junction and crossroads
of the road transport. The town with its historical
center and ancient castle is an administration,
transportation, business and cultural center of
Central Slovakia. The nearby airport of Sliač and
its daily service between Prague and Sliač opens
even more its way into the world.
The purpose of Douzelage is simply to foster opportunity and friendship amongst its member towns. Cultural, sporting and educational
exchanges between towns lie at the heart of this, as, in the longer term, do commercial and tourism initiatives. Education has
always been one of the most important features of the many events and projects organised by the member towns. Indeed, the possibilities
which would be created for furthering the educational aspirations of the member towns was one of the most important considerations
when forming the Douzelage.
Twice every year delegates from the member towns meet in a different town by rotation to discuss procedural and constitutional
matters, and more particularly to initiate new inter-town projects and be updated on on-going projects. In the spring a parallel education
meeting is usually organised, attended by teacher-delegates from each town, which makes a full report to the main meeting.
These symposia are often addressed by the local MEP and town or district dignitaries and provide an excellent forum in which to
further all the aims of the movement.
Douzelage is presided over by an international President assisted by two Vice Presidents from different towns all of whom are
elected by the delegates for a three-year term. The town Douzelage organisations are organised individually, with some committees
being run and funded by the local town council and others being entirely independent in both respects. English is the chosen language
for communication within Douzelage internationally, although French is widely used as well.
In 1993 the European Council honoured the Douzelage with the "Golden Stars of Town-Twinning" award for its efforts and commitment
in favour of a unified Europe.
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Douzelage Constitution
THE CONSTITUTION
The Douzelage Constitution was drawn up in the General Meeting held in Kötzting in 1999 and was unanimously approved at the
General Meeting in Altea in 2000.
DOUZELAGE CONSTITUTION
1. NAME OF THE ORGANISATION
The name of the organisation shall be The Douzelage
2. AIMS OF THE ORGANISATION
The Douzelage is a non-sectarian and non-party political body whose aims are:
(a)
(b)
(c)
to promote and foster the spirit of Europe and to establish among others educational, economic, tourist,
sporting and cultural links between the towns for the mutual benefit of the inhabitants thereof.
to organise fund-raising activities in support of the aims of The Douzelage.
to promote or support such other activities as may further the aims of The Douzelage.
3. PARTICIPATION
Membership of the organisation is restricted to one town from each of the member states of the European Union.
4. ORGANISATION
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
the Representatives of the member towns shall meet twice a year, and at such other times as may be deemed
necessary.
meetings will be chaired by the President or, in his absence, one of the two Vice-Presidents.
the Presidents and Vice-Presidents shall be elected for a term of three years. They are eligible for reelection
but each must be a citizen of a different town. They will be elected by an absolute majority at a general
meeting of The Douzelage, nominations having been received by the Returning Officer and circulated by
him at least four weeks before the meeting at which the elections are to be held. The Returning Officer will
be appointed at the previous meeting of The Douzelage.
matters of general policy are to be decided at general meetings and by simple majority. If in any vote there is
a tie, then the President, or whosoever may be in the Chair for the time being, shall have a casting vote
an annual subscription shall be paid to the Presidency at a level to be agreed at the Spring meeting of The
Douzelage. The financial year shall run from 1 April to 31 March and Annual Accounts will be submitted at the
Spring meeting for approval. The money thus subscribed is to be used for the expenses incurred by the Presidency
an Honorary Treasurer shall be appointed by the town holding the Presidency
the official written language of The Douzelage shall be English, and at Conferences French and English.
5. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
Amendments to the Constitution shall only be made at the annual Spring meeting. Notice of proposed Amendments shall
be given in writing to all towns two months before the date of the meeting. No Amendment shall be carried unless at
least two thirds of the towns assent.
6. DISSOLUTION
In the event of The Douzelage being dissolved, any property or monies remaining after any debts and liabilities have
been settled shall be distributed equally between the member towns.
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THE CHARTER
8

1st CODICIL
9

2nd CODICIL
10

AWARDED WITH THE "GOLDEN STARS OF TOWN-TWINNING"
In 1993 the Council of Europe honoured the Douzelage with the "Golden Stars of Town-Twinning" award for its efforts and commitment
in favour of a unified Europe.
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WHO IS WHO
The Founders
André POIRIER, Granville (F)
Honorary Initiator of the Douzelage
Henry HAFFRAY, Granville (F)
Honorary Founder Member of the Douzelage
The Presidents
Karel MAJOOR, Meerssen (NL)
(1993-1996)
Honorary President
Jeremy BARKER, Sherborne (GB)
(1997-2003)
Honorary President
Ed WEBER, Niederanven (L)
(2003 - )
The Chairmen of Education
Lynne RADDALL, Sherborne (GB)
(1997-2001)
Barbara ZANDRAVELI, Preveza (GR)
(2002-2005)
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The Vice-Presidents
Bernard HUSSON, Granville (F)
(1999-2003)
Riitta HUOVINEN, Karkkila (FIN)
(1999-2003)
Alphonse HENRARD, Houffalize (B)
(2003 - )
The Secretaries
Günther PECHER, Kötzting (D)
(2003 - )
Karin ROBSON, Sherborne (GB)
(1997-2003)
Patricia SALVATORE-MOES, Niederanven (L)
(2003 - )
Douzelage Contact address
DOUZELAGE - EUROPEAN TOWN TWINNING ASSOCIATION
KULTURHAUS NIEDERANVEN
145, route de Trèves
L-6940 NIEDERANVEN
Phone +352 26 34 07 42
Fax: +352 26 34 07 47
e-mail: douzelaq@pt.lu
www.douzelage.org
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THE DOUZELAGE WEBSITE www.douzelage.org
It is very interesting how the means of communication have altered constantly. When Douzelage started, letters and phoning were
the norm, later faxes were used. Steadily e-mail then took over. Today the move is to communicate through the website
(www.douzelage.org), easily the best mode of communication and information.
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Douzelage Rules of Procedure
Article I.
RULES OF PROCEDURE
The Douzelage Constitution defines the aims and lays down the legal structure of the Douzelage. The Rules of Procedure are designed
to facilitate the operation of the Douzelage within that structure and to spread the workload between President, Vice Presidents,
Secretary and Treasurer.
1. The Rules of Procedure shall be drawn up and may be amended by the GM by a simple majority.
2. The provisions of the Rules of Procedure shall be binding on all the members.
Article II.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE DOUZELAGE
Membership of the Douzelage is restricted to one town in each Country that is member of the European Union.
The members of the Douzelage can be:
(Local) Town Committees
Variations
A (Local) Town Committee shall be open to membership to:
a. Local and/or regional authorities, 1
b. Local associations as far as they are officially mandated by their local authorities to represent their home towns,
c. Groups of interest.
Interim membership
While a (Local) Town Committee is in the process of being constituted, membership of the Douzelage may be granted by the GM on
a temporary basis to a representing local association. The conditions and duration of such a membership shall be laid down in a
written agreement.
Member towns' participation
The officially appointed representatives of the Member Towns shall take part in all votes. They shall be eligible to hold any office in
the Douzelage.
Honorary Members
The GM may confer the status of Honorary Member of the Douzelage to any person who has given distinguished service to the
Douzelage or has acted for the benefit of the organisation.
Article III.
ENLARGEMENT OF THE DOUZELAGE
During the 23rd GM in Houffalize 10 th - 13th October 2002, the following policy on Douzelage Enlargement was decided:
In accordance with the Douzelage Constitution, new towns from each of the ten candidate countries have been invited to join the
Douzelage.
In a first step five countries, the Czech Republic, Poland, Latvia, Estonia & Hungary, had been invited to officially join the Douzelage
at the first GM of the Douzelage after the countries in question had formally entered the European Union.
Towns from the other five countries will be phased in into the organisation in the years that follow. No further contacts should be
sought for the time being.
1
Referring to para 1.B. of EU Document "Town-Twinning User Guide 2003 for conferences and seminars".
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Article IV.
ADMISSION OF NEW MEMBERS
a. It is the responsibility of the President in co-operation with the Vice-Presidents, acting on a mandate from the
General Meeting, to seek out appropriate new towns in each country seeking membership of the European Union
or in countries already admitted but not yet having a Douzelage member town.
b. Selection should be on the basis of the three criteria already established:
- the population of the town should be around 8-10.000
- there should be a full range of schools
- It should be easy to access.
The President should then visit the town and explain the advantages and the obligations of membership of the Douzelage. The
President should be accompanied by one or more Vice Presidents and any other delegates that may be deemed appropriate.
Application for Admission
Candidates for admission must send their application to the President of the Douzelage.
Presentation of Documents
The following documents shall be attached to the application:
a) the statutes of the applicant Organisation (if applicable)
b) an account of the applicant Organisation's activities during the two years preceding the application; (if applicable)
c) the document evidencing the circumstances which brought about the formal recognition of the applicant Organisation
by the local administration of its town; (if applicable)
d) a written statement in which the applicant acknowledges having reviewed the Constitution and agrees to comply
with it as well as with the Rules of Procedures and to apply the decisions of the GM;
e) a written statement in which the applicant commits itself to pay its financial contribution to the Douzelage in accordance
with Article 4, paragraph (e) of the Constitution;
f) a formal declaration that the candidate town would accept to accommodate the GM according to a turn of role to
be defined by the GM.
Examination of Documents
The President of the Douzelage shall examine the application as well as the documents attached thereto in order to determine
whether the conditions for recognition and admission are satisfied.
If the documents annexed are in accordance with the conditions for admission as provided for by these Rules of Procedures, the
admission of the Town (Society) shall be submitted for consideration at the next session of the GM, together with the comments of
the President and the Vice presidents.
Should this not be the case, the President shall, after such further consultation with the applicant as may be necessary, submit to the
GM a report containing his/her comments in agreement with the President.
Article V. THE GENERAL MEETINGS
The President will chair the GM and, in his absence, one of the Vice-Presidents.
A binding agenda and all basic data for the decision-making is sent to the member towns at least two months before the meeting in
order to give them the opportunity to discuss these subjects in their (local) town committees. This will prevent that during the meetings
issues pop up of which the members are not familiar with. These items could even be followed by a proposed decision from the
President.
1. The GM shall be the supreme governing body of the Douzelage. It shall ensure the representation of all the member
towns.
2. The GM shall meet in spring every year and shall hold an extraordinary meeting at the request of at least one third of
its members.
3. A yearly progress report shall be presented to the GM in the name of the Executive Bureau. The GM shall determine
the main lines of the Douzelage policy on a yearly basis with a view to achieving its aims.
4. The Assembly of Delegates shall have the power to adopt and modify the Constitution, in accordance with Article XIV.
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5. It shall elect its Executive Board composed by :
• the President of the Douzelage,
• one Vice-President, expertise on European Funding and responsible to keep the relations with Brussels,
• the other Vice-President, responsible for the management of the projects, aiding and assisting will lead towns
with their projects,
• the Douzelage Secretary and
• the Douzelage Treasurer.
6. The GM shall approve the annual budget and accounts to be submitted by the Honorary Auditors and in general
terms the financial arrangements of the Douzelage, and shall determine the affiliation fees structure.
7. The GM shall propose new Members and shall decide on the admission of new Members, Associate Members or
Consultative Members, subject to ratification by the local authorities of the member towns.
Article VI.
DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD
The duties of the President
The President is the Chief Executive of the Douzelage and is responsible for its smooth running. The duties of the President consist
primarily of:
• acting as the overall guide to the Douzelage.
• writing the agenda in consultation with all the towns and sending out the minutes.
• representing the Douzelage on all official occasions.
• carrying out whatever other mandate has been given by the General Meeting.
• maintaining constant contact with members of the Douzelage and helping, encouraging and supporting them
in their endeavours and answering their queries whenever possible.
The President is reimbursed from the Presidential Fund for expenses both for the general running of the Douzelage (telephone, fax,
e-mail, stationery, postage etc.) and for travel when attending Douzelage functions and other necessary meetings.
The President is assisted by a Secretary who is paid an honorarium for an average of five hours work a week at a level set by the
General Meeting in the spring. It is paid quarterly in arrears from the Presidential Fund. The Secretary is also reimbursed for expenses
incurred in the fulfilment of duties, including travel to General Meetings. The appointment of the Secretary is at the discretion
of the town that holds the Presidency.
The Duties of the Vice-Presidents
The duties of the Vice-Presidents are:
- to give advice and support to the President.
- to stand in when the President is unable to be present.
- to carry out whatever mandate may be conferred on them by the General Meeting, such as relations with Brussels,
negotiation of European funding, helping towns with Projects.
The Duties of the Honorary Treasurer
The duties of the Honorary Treasurer are:
- To keep the accounts in accordance with the local legal requirements and to present the audited accounts to the GM
for approval at the Spring meeting.
- To set a budget for the following and recommend what the subscription should be for the ensuing year.
Two Honorary Auditors should be named who will control cashbooks and would certify its exactness during the Spring meeting.
The Duties of the Douzelage secretary
The Secretary will assume all the tasks of the administration of the Douzelage. To guarantee a follow-up and an effective control of
business as well as optimal information of all the delegations, any official correspondence should necessarily pass through this
secretariat which will register it and make the appropriate distribution.
The Secretary is paid a Honorarium for five hours a week at a level set by the GM and which is paid quarterly in arrears from the
Presidential Fund. The Secretary is also reimbursed for expenses incurred in the fulfilment of his or her duties. The appointment of
the Secretary is at the discretion of the town that holds the Presidency.
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Article VII.
ADMISSION OF NEW PROJECTS
Each member town of the Douzelage is free to propose whatever Projects it wishes. The town proposing the Project shall be the lead
town.
A project is by nature limited in time. A successful project will after the project period be integrated in the daily running of the organization
and get its own icon on the Douzelage website. This means that the same project should not appear again and again on the
agenda.
Projects are generally of two kinds:
Minor projects
Smaller local or regional projects negotiated privately with one or more other towns that need no discussion at General Meetings
(e.g. youth or cultural exchanges) and which can be run without the participation of all members, and projects, which integrate all
partners. Local or regional projects should absolutely be promoted.
Major projects
Larger Projects which do need discussion at General Meetings to gain support from other towns. For these, the lead town is asked to
fill in the agreed form which is circulated to all towns before the next General Meeting. Each town joining the Project should immediately
inform the lead town who their contact person is.
Article VIII.
DOUZELAGE – EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Aware, that a good education and access to the advantages language skills can bring to our Youth, most importantly in an enlarging
Europe as of today, the Douzelage established, parallel to the Douzelage Committee, an Education Sub-Committee that can work
independently on education matters.
a. The Education Committee consists of teachers and educationalists from the member towns.
b. It sets its own agenda and elects its own chairman by secret ballot.
The Education Sub-Committee meets parallel to the spring General Meeting once a year and is chaired by the Education-President,
assisted by a Secretary, to be preferably originated of the same town as the president.
Article IX.
EDUCATION SUB-COMMITTEES OBJECTIVES
Education Sub-Committees objectives are:
- to facilitate contacts among European Schools;
- to improve the quality and effectiveness of education;
- to promote projects and ideas;
- to improve foreign language learning;
- to improve education and training for teachers and trainers;
- to co-ordinate in the best possible way the already existing current education programs.
Article X.
DOUZELAGE – YOUTH FORUM
Many sides have acknowledged the important role Youth has to play in the European ongoing construction process. But still, in many
cases these statements are only made of empty words.
In order to support and develop our European town twinning on a basis of young peoples' interests and aims, a Youth Forum has
been created in the framework of the Douzelage.
It was recognized to be of a major importance, to guarantee the future of our twinning program and to involve Youth of our Community
and in the program's philosophy and activities.
The inclusion of our young people in the Douzelage activities brings a kind of "young wind" and dynamism into the whole twinning
idea.
Article XI. YOUTH BOARD OBJECTIVES
The Youth Board objectives are:
- to strengthen the European dimensions at all levels of young people's problems and interests in relation with
education, sports, arts and crafts;
- to improve quality of knowledge of languages in the European Union;
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- to exchange and live new experiences;
- to discuss politically linked situations each specific young people's related countries and most often involving
their problems to prepare for future jobs;
- to enlarge young men's horizon of possibilities to develop themselves in the European Union;
Article XII.
DOUZELAGE – ON THE WEB
Douzelage presence on the Web has been translated by a portal which has been installed by the Oxelösund Web-specialists. A
Web-working group, composed by IT-specialists of each partner town, constantly improves the presentation of our Douzelage on the
World Wide Web.
A site has been installed for the needs of the Education-Sub-Committee to be used by the school classes and the teachers as well.
A Youth Website for the young people of our Douzelage has been created on the Douzelage-Website with a proper chat room and a
Youth Forum open for discussion.
Article XIII.
DECISION TAKING AND VOTES
Quorum
Decisions may be taken when a majority of the members whose names have been notified to the Presidency are present.
Majority
Matters of general policy are to be decided at GM and by simple majority.
If in any vote there is a tie, then the President, or whosoever may be in the Chair for the time being, shall have a casting vote (according
to Article 4, paragraph (d) of the Constitution).
Votes
a. The Chief of delegation of each member Town, or his/her replacement shall exercise the vote of that Town.
b. Votes by proxy shall not be allowed.
c. The President of the Douzelage, as an ex officio member, shall have no vote in the Assembly.
d. Observers shall not have the right to vote.
Article XIV.
VOTING PROCEDURE
General rule
As a general rule, votes shall be taken by a show of hands.
Secret ballot
The vote shall be taken by secret ballot if a simple majority of the member towns present and voting so decides.
Article XV. THE ELECTION PROCEDURE
The election of the President, the Vice-Presidents as well as the member towns shall be held by secret ballot.
The elections will be by an absolute majority,
Article XVI. ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT
The election of the President shall be held in accordance with the provisions stipulated in Article 4, paragraph (c) of the Constitution.
The President and Vice-Presidents shall be elected for a term of three years and may only be re-elected for one further term.
Committee of Scrutineers
For this purpose, a Committee of Scrutineers composed of five persons from among the delegates shall on the proposal of the
President be appointed by the GM by a simple majority. The term of office of the Committee shall be limited to the duration of that
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session. The members of the Committee shall not be candidates for any elected position. The Committee shall appoint its Chairman
before the election and the Assembly shall be informed of the appointment immediately.
List of candidates
Nominations should be transmitted to the Returning Officer to be nominated by the GM prior to the election meeting at least four
weeks before the meeting at which the elections are to be held. A precise target date should be defined.
Ballots
Ballots bearing the names of all candidates for the office of President shall then be issued and the election of the President shall take
place.
Second ballot
In case no candidate for the office of the President obtains an absolute majority on the first ballot, a second ballot shall be held, and
the candidate who has obtained the smallest number of votes shall be deleted from the list.
Tie
If there is a tie between candidates having obtained the smallest number of votes, both their names shall be deleted from the ballot.
If, on the second ballot, no candidate obtains an absolute majority, successive ballots shall be held in the same circumstances as
those stipulated above until one candidate obtains the absolute majority required.
Article XVII. AFFILIATION FEES
The affiliation fees consist of an annual subscription, this day fixed to 300 (three hundred) euro; any modification of this amount can
intervene only after general agreement of all the partners.
Affiliation fees shall be paid in accordance with rules specifying a fees scale which shall be approved by the GM and incorporated in
the annual budget, based upon the following principles:
Article XVIII. AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION
In pursuance of Article 5 of the Constitution, the texts of proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be communicated to the
Secretary in such time as will permit the transmission of copies thereof by the Secretary to all Member Towns not later than five
months before the opening of the session of the GM at which they are intended to be considered.
The GM shall decide on which date the adopted amendments shall enter into force.
Article XIX.
AMENDMENTS TO AND SUSPENSION OF
THE RULES OF PROCEDURE
Amendments to the Rules of Procedure
Amendments of, or additions to these Rules may be adopted at any General Meeting, provided that the Assembly has received and
considered a report thereon by an appropriate Commission appointed by the GM.
Suspension of the Rules of Procedure
Apart from the respective provisions of the Constitution the Assembly may at any General Meeting decide by a simple majority to
suspend the application of any Rule of these Rules of Procedure, provided that notice of the intention to propose suspension has
been communicated through the Secretary to delegations not less than 1 month before the beginning of the meeting at which the
proposal is to be made.
Contradiction between provisions
In case of any contradiction between any provision of these Rules and any provision of the Constitution, that of the Constitution shall
prevail.
Article XX. DISSOLUTION AND LIQUIDATION OF ASSETS
A resolution for the dissolution of the Douzelage shall be passed by the GM by a majority of two-thirds of its members.
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ALTEA (SPAIN)
Ma Pepa Rostoll Zaragozi
Ayuntamiento de Altea
Plaza Jose Ma Planelles 1
E - 03590 ALTEA (ALICANTE 9)
℡ 0034 96 688 04 45
(from 9 to 15.00)
0034 96 688 0072
douzelage@cv.gva.es
BAD KÖTZTING (GERMANY)
Evi Maurer
Douzelage-Komitee
Stadt Kötzting
Herrenstrasse 5
D-93444 KÖTZTING
℡ 0049 9941 602106
0049 9941 602137
evi.maurer@koetzting.de
BELLAGIO (ITALY)
Donatella Gandola
Comune de Bellagio
Via G. Garibaldi n. 1
I - 22021 BELLAGIO (COMO)
℡ 0039 031 950815 int. 8
0039 031 950513
segreteria@comune.bellagio.co.it
BUNDORAN (IRELAND)
Joe McNulty
Town Clerk's Office
Bundoran
CO. DONEGAL
Ireland
℡ 00353 72-41230
00353 72-42567
bundoranudc@eircom.net
CHOJNA (POLAND)
Cezary Janusch Salamoncyk
2 Ludowej Demopcracji
74-500 CHOJNA
℡ 0048 91 414 14 69
cesal@interia.pl
GRANVILLE (FRANCE)
Jean Marc Julienne
Mairie de Granville
BP No. 409
F - 50404 GRANVILLE
℡ 0033 233 50 06 62
jm.julienne@club-internet.fr
HOLSTEBRO (DANEMARK)
Mette Grith Sørensen
Birkelundskolen
Nørre Boulevard 57-61
DK-7500 HOLSTEBRO
℡ 0045 9912 8300
0045 9741 0320
mette.soerensen.dh@debergske.dk
Douzelage Contacts
HOUFFALIZE (BELGIUM)
Di Pinto Manuela
Administration Communale
Rue de Schaerbeck
B - 6660 HOUFFALIZE
℡ 0032 6128 0040
0032 6128 0041
manuela.dipinto@publilink.be
JUDENBURG (AUSTRIA)
Andrea Kober
Stadtgemeinde Judenburg
Bürgerservice
Hauptplatz 1,
A-8750 JUDENBURG
℡ 0043 3572 83141 250
0043 3572 83141 222
a.kober@judenburg.at
KARKKILA (FINLAND)
Seija Laine
Karkkilan kaupunki
PL 50
FI-03601 KARKKILA
℡ 0035 8922 5051
0035 8922 505208
seija.laine@karkkila.fi
KÖSZEG (HUNGARY)
István Mátrai, Dr.
Borsmonostori u. 3.
H-9730 KÖSZEG
℡ 0036 94 360-653
imatrai@freemail.hu
MEERSSEN (NETHERLANDS)
Jan Swanenvleugel
Postbus 90
NL - 6230 AB MEERSSEN
℡ 0031 4336 61607
0031 4336 48100
douzelagemeerssen@gmail.com
NIEDERANVEN (LUXEMBOURG)
Ed Weber
Niederanven Douzelage
Committee
145, route de Trèves
L-6940 NIEDERANVEN
℡ 00352 26 34 07 42
00352 26 34 07 47
sicnnven@pt.lu
OXELÖSUND (SWEDEN)
Mats Ericsson
Oxelösunds Kommun
S-61381 OXELÖSUND
℡ 0046 155 38105
0046 155 30534
mats.ericsson@oxelosund.se
PREVEZA (GREECE)
George Alisandratos
El Venizelou Bahoumi-2
GR - 48100 PREVEZA
℡ 0030 682 21441
℡ 0030 682 22212
0030 682 27553
dpreveza@otenet.gr
SESIMBRA (PORTUGAL)
Dra Anabela Santos
Câmara Municipal de Sesimbra
P - 2970 SESIMBRA
℡ 00351 212 288 200
00351 212 288 265
dsedct@mun-sesimbra.pt
SHERBORNE (UNITED KINGDOM)
Chris MacAdie
Kingfisher House
21, Kings Road
Sherborne, DT9 4HU
℡ 0044 01935 814067
0044 01935 814068
chris@chrismacadie.com
SIGULDA (LATVIA)
Diana Kondratenko
Pils Iela 6
LV-2150 SIGULDA
℡ 00371 26563664
prese@sigulda.lv
SUŠICE (CZECH REPUBLIC)
Vera Svobodova
Pod strazi 134,
CZ - 342 01 SUŠICE 2
℡ 00420 376 52 00 31
vera.svobodova@cmail.cz
Anezka Nova
anezka.nova@seznam.cz
TÜRI (ESTONIA)
Katrin Soomets
Türi Municipality
Kohtu 2 Järva County
EST - 72213 TÜRI
℡ 00372 384 8231
℡ 00372 5332 6401
Katrin.Soomets@tyri.ee
ZVOLEN (SLOVAKIA)
Michaela Mitašíková
Mestský úrad,
Nám. slobody 22,
SK - 960 01 ZVOLEN
℡ 00421 455303253
00421 455331428
mmitasikova@zvolen.sk
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