Articles of Association

 

SECTION I. - Name, head office, period, purpose

Art. 1. The not-for-profit association is established for an indefinite period and shall bear the name "European Registry for Internet Domains vzw”, abbreviated to "EURid."

Art. 2. The registered head office of the association is situated in the Flemish region.

Art. 3. The purpose of the association is to organise and to manage top-level domains, especially the .eu top-level domain (or its variants in other scripts) and to provide associated services.
The association should operate in the common interest and should be based on the principles of quality, efficiency, dependability and accessibility.
The association may use all resources that contribute directly or indirectly towards the fulfilment of this purpose, such as the acquisition and management of property.

Art. 4. The financial year will begin on 1st January and will end on 31st December.

 

SECTION II. - Members

Art. 5. The number of Members is unlimited and shall never be less than three (3).

Art. 6. Under the conditions defined below, any non-commercial legal entity serving a pan European stakeholder interest in the Internet may apply for or may be invited by the Board for membership of the association.

Art. 7. Applicant Members will submit their application, giving their motivation for adherence, by registered mail or e-mail to the registered head office of the association, marked for the attention of the Chairperson of the Board.
The Board will examine the application and decide on whether to accept it by a simple majority of votes.
The applicant Member will be informed in writing of the decision by the Chairperson of the Board, which does not have to justify the decision.

Art. 8. On joining the association, new Members will subscribe without reservation to the articles of association and its policies and procedures.

Art. 9. Members are under no circumstances liable for the commitments of the association.  

Art. 10. Every Member pays a contribution, which will be decided on each year by the Board.
The maximum amount of each Member’s contribution is € 12,500 per Member per year.

Art. 11. Members are free to leave the association by submitting their resignation.
Resignations must be sent by registered letter to the registered office of the association, marked for the attention of the Chairperson of the Board.
Resignations come into effect at the time they are received or as decided by the Board, and on condition that all undertakings entered into as a Member have been fulfilled.
Any Member who has not paid any contributions owed by that Member will be deemed to have resigned, effective 30 days after receipt of a registered letter from the Chairperson of the Board.

Art. 12. The exclusion of a Member may only be declared by the General Assembly if it was indicated in the notice of the meeting and after the Member has been heard.
The exclusion can only be declared when two-thirds (2/3) of the Members are present or represented and with a majority of two-thirds (2/3) of the votes present or represented.

 

SECTION III. - General Assembly

Art. 13. The General Assembly is made up of all Members, each having one vote.
Delegation is only possible between Members and each Member may represent only one (1) other Member.

Art. 14. The General Assembly's competence is regulated by law and these articles and include:

1. the amendment of the articles of association;
2. the appointment and dismissal of the directors and the determination of their remuneration in the event a remuneration is granted;
3. the appointment and dismissal of the statutory auditor and the determination of their remuneration;
4. the discharge of the directors and the statutory auditor, as well as, if applicable, the filing of the association claim against the directors and the statutory auditors;
5. the approval of the annual accounts and the budget;
6. the dissolution of the association;
7. the exclusion of a Member;
8. the conversion of the VZW into an IVZW, a cooperative company recognised as a social enterprise or into a recognised cooperative company social enterprise;
9. to make or accept a contribution for no consideration of a universality;
10. all other cases where the law or the articles of association so require.

All other powers are granted to the governing body according to article 27.

Art. 15. Each year at least one General Assembly will take place in the course of the first six (6) months of the calendar year.

Art. 16. Extraordinary General Assembly meetings will be held each time circumstances so require or whenever one-fifth (1/5) of the Members so request.
In the latter case, the Board must give notice of the meeting within one (1) a month from the letter of request.

Art. 17. Notice convening a General Assembly shall be issued by the Board via mail or e-mail to the Members not later than four (4) weeks before the General Assembly.
The notice shall contain the agenda.
Supporting documents shall be published on the association’s dedicated website at the same time.
The General Assembly will be held on the day and at the time and location established by the Board and indicated in the notice to attend the General Assembly.
Any matter proposed or supported by at least two (2) Members before the General Assembly shall be added to the agenda.

Art. 18. The Members may unanimously take, in writing, all decisions that fall within the powers of the General Assembly, with the exception of amendments to the articles of association.
In this case, the formalities of convening the meeting do not have to be fulfilled.
The Directors of the Board and if applicable, the auditor, may take note of these resolutions at their request.

Art. 19. The General Assembly will be chaired by the Chairperson of the Board.
The Chairperson will appoint a secretary and two (2) vote scrutineers.

Art. 20. Unless specifically defined otherwise in these articles of association or by law, any decisions confined to the agenda will be taken when half (1/2) of the Members are present or represented and by a simple majority of votes.

Art. 21. The General Assembly may only deliberate on a modification to the articles of association if this proposed modification appears on the agenda and is explained in the notice to the General Assembly.
The General Assembly may only decide validly about a modification to the articles of association when two-thirds (2/3) of the Members are present or represented, or, when changing the purpose of the association, when four-fifths (4/5) of the Members are present or represented.
If this requirement is not complied with, a second meeting may be convened with an identical agenda.
This meeting may then decide, regardless of the number of Members present or represented.
A two-third (2/3) majority of the votes is always required for a modification to the articles of association and a four–fifth (4/5) majority is required for a modification to the purpose.

Art. 22. Decisions taken by the General Assembly are recorded in minutes signed by the Chairperson and the secretary, as well as by any Member(s) who so request.
The minutes will be delivered by electronic means to the Members.
Any extracts to be issued, must be signed as accurate equivalent extracts by the Chairperson, by two (2) Directors or by the managing Director.
Extracts will be provided to third parties who so request on condition that they have a valid interest. Minutes are kept at the association's registered offices, where all Members may inspect them.

 

SECTION IV. - Board of Directors

Art. 23. The association is governed by the Board, which consists of at least three (3) Directors and not more than seven (7) Directors.
The Directors shall adhere to a conflict of interest policy, see article 27.

Art. 24. The Directors are appointed by the General Assembly on the nomination of the Members in accordance with the internal policies and procedures.
A Member may only nominate one (1) candidate from its own organisation.
Nominations for Director, Chair person and/or vice-Chairperson of the Board must be submitted by a Member via e-mail to a dedicated mailing address at the registered head office of the association for the attention of the Chairperson.
Each nomination will state the name and capacity of the nominee.

Art. 25. The mandate of a Director of the Board is valid for a renewable term of up to four (4) years. This term commences immediately after the General Assembly during which the Director is appointed and ends after the completion of the General Assembly held in the year in which the mandate expires, with the exception of the provisions of article 26 or as set forth in the VZW Act of 23rd March 2019, as modified to the present time.

Art. 26. In the event of a mandate of a Director being vacated in the Board before the end of its term, the remaining Directors have the right to co-opt a new Director.
The next General Assembly must confirm the mandate of the co-opted Director.
Upon confirmation, the co-opted Director completes the mandate of his predecessor for the remainder of the term, unless the General Assembly decides otherwise.
In the absence of confirmation, the co-opted Director's mandate ends at the end of the General Assembly, without prejudice to the regularity of the composition of the governing body up to that time.

Art. 27. The Board possesses all competences not attributed to the General Assembly by the VZW Act of 23rd March 2019 or by these articles of association.
The Board can establish internal policies and procedures regarding conflicts of interest, corporate governance and confidentiality, etc.
The most recent version of the internal policies and procedures is dated May 2023.

Art. 28. The Board will manage the affairs of the association and will represent the association in all judicial and extra-judicial acts.
The Board may, under its own responsibility, assign its competences partially to a third party.
The Board shall execute written instructions when transferring its competence.

Art. 29. Directors are only responsible for the exercise of their mandate, without bearing any personal responsibility regarding the undertakings of the association.

Art. 30. The Board will meet at least four (4) times per year.
The Board will be convened by the Chairperson or by two (2) Directors.
Invitations to the meeting will be sent out by the Chairperson via e-mail at least one (1) week before the meeting.
The notice will also contain the agenda.
The Board may only decide on those points contained on the agenda, unless unanimously agreed by all Directors.
The Board may, in urgent matters, also convene meetings in the form of teleconferences upon a 24-hours’ notice via e-mail or telephone call, containing the agenda.

Art. 31. Resolutions of the Board may be passed by unanimous written consent of all Directors, except for those decisions for which the bylaws exclude this possibility.

Art. 32. The Board is only validly assembled if more than half (1/2) of the number of Directors is present or represented.
If this requirement is not complied with, a second meeting with the same agenda may be convened. This meeting may then decide regardless of the number of Directors present or represented.

Art. 33. Any Director may have himself represented at meetings of the Board by another Director.
A Director authorised in this way may only represent a maximum of one (1) other Director.

Art. 34. Meetings will be chaired by the Chairperson and decisions will be taken by a simple majority. In the event of the votes cast being even, the vote of the Chairperson will be decisive.
All votes will be taken verbally, except where a Director wishes the vote to be in the form of a secret ballot.

Art. 35. The Board may set up specific committees for which it will lay down the composition, competences and operating method in the internal policies and procedures.
Any such committees may, for example, provide advice to the Board regarding topics associated with the purpose of the association.

Art. 36. The Members, committee members and Directors will be reimbursed for any reasonable expenses that they may incur in attending the committee meetings, in accordance with the expense policies.
In addition, the General Assembly will set the presence fee for the committee members and the Directors.
The operating costs of a committee will be borne by the association.

Art. 37. The decisions of the Board will be recorded in minutes signed by the Chairperson and the secretary, as well as by any Director who so requests.

 

SECTION VI - Dissolution and liquidation

Art. 38. The association will not be dissolved as a result of the departure of any Member.
If, as a result of the departure of a Member, the number of Members becomes fewer than three (3), the association will be given the opportunity to remedy the situation within a period of one (1) year.

Art. 39. The General Assembly may only dissolve the association if four-fifths (4/5) of the Members are present or represented.
If this requirement is not complied with, a second meeting may be convened.
This meeting may then decide, regardless of the number of Members present or represented. Decisions in this regard will always be taken with a majority of four-fifths (4/5) of the votes present or represented.

Art. 40. In case of dissolution, the patrimony will be transferred to a non-profit association whose purpose approaches as much as possible that of the present association.

 

SECTION VII - Final conditions

Art. 41. For any matter not governed by these articles of association, reference is made to the VZW Act of 23rd March 2019 introducing the Companies and Associations Code and containing various provisions, as amended to date.