Draft Resolution

To simplify the registration of EGP supporters,

 

The EGP council, considering that

  • Individual Supporters have an important role in the future of the EGP, which is expressed both by the acceptation of the EGP Supporters’ Network, intended to boost participation, in March 2009, and the acknowledgement by the EGP future working group that progress should be made on the issue;

  • The current procedure of registration through the member parties is rather complicated, especially for parties with limited administrative capacity, time consuming because each registration requires steps by both the parties and the EGP, and illogical, because the scheme – although not meant to create a separate structure – is intended to establish a direct link between individuals and the EGP and to facilitate direct contacts between individuals and groups;

  • Online registration and international payment collection have become very simple;

  • The right of individual parties to refuse non-members they don’t trust, which was the main reason for decentralised registration, can also be safeguarded by allowing parties that wish to do so, to check new registrations of non-members from their country or region after registration, and, if they have reasons to object to their admission, to declare the registration void (although no party has ever used its veto right);

  • The change requires a quite modest time investment on the EGP level – see attachment for the registration plan – and is ‘budget neutral’ because all costs are paid out of the supporters’ fees and, provided the new facility is properly advertised, will bring more than enough new supporters to cover the extra investment needed,

Decides to change the current practice, voted in Dublin in 2004, as follows (additions in green, words and phrases deleted in red):

  • (a) According to statutes, only MEPs and or honorary members have the right to have an individual membership. All others are considered as individual supporters

  • (b) People from all European countries can ask to become supporters

  • (c) Individual supporters are only entitled to receive material by e-mail. This may include EGP material as such (Update, resolutions, press statements, reports from the EGP meetings/regional networks, Global Greens) but also material from the Green Group in the European Parliament (e.g. press releases), and the EGP Supporters’ Network.

    Under the responsibility of the national parties, it is possible to issue “supporter” cards. As the cultures are so different from one country to another it is not possible to dictate a common card for everybody. Nevertheless, a proposal for common design has been made by the EGP (see below). The content should clearly mention “Individual supporter – European Greens”, and the name of person on one side. The National Parties have the right to add some details in their language on the other side of the card. These details have however to receive the prior agreement of the EGP Committee.

  • (d) The Council sets the rules under which Individual Supporters can, after application and registration, according to deadlines fixed for each meeting, attend the meetings of the EGP and its regional networks. Their speaking rights are however limited by those speakers having priority (Council delegates, MEP’s, member party leaders etc…). They have no voting rights.

  • (e) An individual living in a European country where a member or observer party exists, can only become a supporter through that party. The admission criteria and practicalities regarding registration, collection of the supportership fee etc. shall be decided and managed by the respective national or regional party. An individual living in a European country where such a party does not exist, can apply to a member or observer party in another country. It is an objective that individuals living in a European country where such a party does not exist, should be able to apply to the EGP office, but this will depend on resources being available there. Individuals can register as EGP Supporter through an online registration form on the website of the EGP. They will be asked to agree to the EGP Charter and a short set of ‘netiquette’ rules. Member and observer parties have the right to refuse the admission of non-members from their state or region. They will automatically receive a list of new subscriptions for that purpose, and should send a motivated veto to the Nework within a month. The Network will inform the registrant and recommend her/him to get in the clear with the party. If after that month no veto is received, the new supporter is accepted.

  • (f) No more than every two months, but at least every six months, EGP member and observer parties shall provide the EGP secretariat with the data regarding the individual supporters. The secretariat will consolidate the data in a single database. The parties are responsible for updating the individual supporters data and for keeping those accurate. The database is managed under the responsibility of the EGP. The administration costs* of the online facility are paid out of the supporters’ fees.

  • (g) The minimum amount that the EGP receives for every individual supporter shall be 12 Euros a year. The parties have to collect the fees and send this money plus the email address of each supporter to the EGP. The fees will be earmarked and put aside for individual supportership services until a proposal for their use has been accepted. The supportership fee is 12 Euros per year, which will be collected through a secure online payment facility.

  • (h) The EGP Committee will, in close co-operation with the member and observer parties, develop a vision, plan and practice of what the supporters shall be offered. This shall be reviewed by the Council at the latest in autumn 2006.

*see separate proposal for estimation

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