COUNCIL OF EUROPE

COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS

________

RESOLUTION (98) 31

ON THE STATUTE OF THE EUROPEAN YOUTH CENTRE

AND THE STATUTE OF THE EUROPEAN YOUTH FOUNDATION

(Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 25 November 1998,
at the 650^th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies)

The Committee of Ministers,

Having regard to its decision on the adoption of the Statute of the European Youth Centre, at its 196th meeting on 12 January 1971,

Having regard to Resolution (72) 17 on the setting up of the European Youth Foundation and Statute of the Foundation, adopted by the Committee of Ministers at its 50th Session on 15 May 1972,

Having regard to the Final Declaration adopted by the Second Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe on 11 October 1997 and the Plan of Action established in this respect,

Having regard to Resolution (98) 6 on the Council of Europe policy in the field of youth, adopted by the Committee of Ministers at its 628th meeting on 16 April 1998,

Having regard to the Final Declaration of the Fifth Conference of European Ministers responsible for Youth, held in Bucharest (Romania) from 27 to 29 April 1998,

Convinced that the European Youth Centre and the European Youth Foundation constitute essential instruments of the Council of Europe’s policy and activities in the youth field,

Considering that it is necessary to adapt the European Youth Centre and the European Youth Foundation to the new realities of young people’s lives and youth work in Europe,

In order to ensure better coherence, transparency and efficiency in the implementation of the youth policy of the Council of Europe,

Resolves that, from 1 January 1999, the European Youth Centre and the European Youth Foundation shall be ruled respectively by the statutes appended to the present resolution.

Appendix to Resolution (98) 31

STATUTE OF THE EUROPEAN YOUTH CENTRE

Article 1 –

The European Youth Centre, hereinafter called the "Centre", shall be an educational establishment of the Council of Europe and a knowledge base on youth affairs, in particular youth policy and youth work, as well as emerging youth phenomena. As an instrument for the participation of European youth in the building of Europe, it shall contribute to implementing the youth activities programme of the Council of Europe. To this end, in the interests of both on-going education and cultural development, its aims shall be:

a

b

c

d

Article 2 –

The seat of the Centre shall be in Strasbourg, at the headquarters of the Council of Europe. The Centre shall operate in the venues established by the Committee of Ministers.

Article 3 –

1 The Centre shall have the following organs:

- the Joint Council on Youth Questions;

- the Programming Committee;

- the Advisory Council;

which are joint organs of the Centre and the European Youth Foundation.

2 The terms of reference of the above organs shall be adopted by the Committee of Ministers every year.

3 The secretariat of the organs of the Centre shall be provided by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

Article 4 –

Any Contracting Party to the European Cultural Convention which is not a member of the Council of Europe may be invited by a decision of the Committee of Ministers to participate in the activities of the Centre.

Article 5 –

1.     The Centre's income and expenditure shall be provided for and authorised in a subsidiary budget to the general budget of the Council of Europe and shall be submitted for approval to the Committee of Ministers.

2.     The Centre's income shall comprise:

a

.     its own receipts, such as trainees' registration fees and any other payments received;

b

.     contributions from Contracting Parties to the European Cultural Convention, not members of the Council of Europe, which have been invited by the Committee of Ministers to participate in the activities of the Centre according to the terms established by the Committee of Ministers, it being understood that the expenditure budget of the Centre shall be increased by an amount equivalent to these receipts;

c

.     payments made within the limits of the appropriation granted by the Committee of Ministers in the Council of Europe budget as a contribution to the subsidiary budget provided for in paragraph 1 above.

3.     The Secretary General shall have power to accept any grants, donations or legacies made to the Centre. Express authority of the Committee of Ministers shall, however, be required, if the donor has requested that these be used for a specific purpose. Such special resources and the expenditure they are intended to cover shall be included in the Centre's budget, the amount of which shall be increased accordingly.

4.     The Centre's assets shall form part of those of the Council of Europe. The accounts of the Organisation shall include a separate account for budgetary operations relating to the Centre. Such operations shall be submitted to the auditors in the same way as those of the Organisation.

Article 6 –

1 The Centre shall be placed under the administrative authority of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

2 The Centre shall be subject to the administrative and financial regulations of the Council of Europe.

Article 7 –

The provisions of the present statute may be amended by a decision of the Committee of Ministers after consulting the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) and the Advisory Council.

STATUTE OF THE EUROPEAN YOUTH FOUNDATION

Article 1 –

1.     The European Youth Foundation, hereinafter called the "Foundation", is an establishment of the Council of Europe. The aim of the Foundation is to promote youth co-operation in Europe by providing financial support to such European youth activities as serve the promotion of peace, understanding and co-operation between the people of Europe and of the world, in a spirit of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

2.     The Foundation will thus provide financial support in particular for the following activities, carried out by international and national non-governmental youth organisations and networks as well as by other non-governmental structures involved in areas of youth work, relevant to the Council of Europe’s youth policy:

a

.     educational, cultural, social and humanitarian manifestations of a European character;

b

.     activities aiming at strengthening peace and co-operation in Europe;

c

.     activities designed to promote closer co-operation and better understanding among the youth of Europe, particularly by developing the exchange of information;

d

.     activities intended to stimulate mutual aid in Europe and in the developing countries for cultural, educational and social purposes;

e

.     studies, research and documentation on youth matters.

3.     The initiative in financing certain activities of the same nature as those specified in paragraph 2 of this article may, in particular cases, be taken by the Foundation itself following a decision of the Programming Committee.

4.     The Foundation may also make grants to international non-governmental youth organisations and networks, with a view to covering all or part of such administrative expenses as are entailed in the carrying out of activities for which the Foundation provides financial support, in accordance with the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 of this article.

5.     In the exercise of its functions, the Foundation shall take into account any bilateral or multilateral agreement or activity concluded or undertaken with a purpose similar to its own.

Article 2 –

The members of the Foundation are the member States of the Council of Europe.

Article 3 – 

Any Contracting Party to the European Cultural Convention which is not a member of the Council of Europe may be invited by a decision of the Committee of Ministers to participate in the activities of the Foundation.

Article 4 –

The seat of the Foundation shall be in Strasbourg, at the headquarters of the Council of Europe.

Article 5 –

1 The organs of the Foundation are:

a.     the Joint Council on Youth Questions;

b.     the Programming Committee;

c.     the Advisory Council.

The Joint Council, the Programming Committee and the Advisory Council are joint organs of the Foundation and the European Youth Centre.

The terms of reference of the Joint Council on Youth Questions, the Programming Committee and the Advisory Council shall be adopted every year by the Committee of Ministers.

2 The secretariat of the organs of the Foundation is provided by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

Article 6 –

1 The Foundation's income and expenditure shall be provided for and authorised in a separate budget within the general budget of the Council of Europe and shall be submitted for approval to the Committee of Ministers.

The Foundation's income shall comprise :

a.     Contributions by the member States of the Foundation, the total amount of which shall be determined by the Committee of Ministers and apportioned between the member States, according to the contribution scale adopted annually for the Council of Europe ordinary budget.

b.     Voluntary contributions from member States of the Foundation. Such contributions shall not, in respect of any state, exceed 10% of the total amount of contributions provided for in sub-paragraph a of this article. However, any member State whose contribution, according to sub-paragraph a of this article, exceeds 10% of the total amount paid by the member States may make a voluntary additional contribution of an amount exceeding 10% of the total but not exceeding the highest contribution made.

c.     Contributions from Contracting Parties to the European Cultural Convention, not members of the Council of Europe, which have been invited by the Committee of Ministers to participate in the activities of the Foundation in conformity with Article 3 of the present statute and according to the terms established by the Committee of Ministers.

d.     Grants, donations or legacies made in favour of the Foundation and accepted, in accordance with the provisions of the regulations referred to in Article 7, paragraph 1, by the Committee of Ministers with the agreement of the Programming Committee.

e.     All other receipts arising out of the Foundation's activities and approved by the Programming Committee.

2 The Foundation’s expenditure budget shall be increased by an amount equivalent to the receipts as referred to in paragraphs b, c, d and e above.

3 The credit balance in a financial year shall be added to the Foundation’s resources for the following year and the expenditure budget will be increased by an equivalent amount.

Article 7 –

1 The Committee of Ministers shall, after obtaining the opinion of the Programming Committee, adopt regulations containing the basic rules governing the manner and conditions of the use of the Foundation's resources;

2 The Foundation shall be subject to the administrative and financial regulations of the Council of Europe, unless otherwise provided within the present statute.

3 The Secretary General of the Council of Europe shall put at the disposal of the Foundation the administrative and technical service necessary for its functioning.

Article 8 –

The provisions of the present Statute may be amended by a decision of the Committee of Ministers after consulting the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) and the Advisory Council.