EUROPEAN ECONOMIC INTEREST GROUPING
EEIG AUDIOTEXT
AUDIOTEXT S T A T U T E
(unofficial draft for proposals and members changes)
EEIG under European Council Regulation (EEC) 2137/85
AUDIOTEXT (AT) Parties
Still to be decided by the founding members of the promotional AT
EEIG starting with:
Cooperación Internacional en Tecnologías Avanzadas
(C.I.T.A.) SL (Unipersonal), founded in 1996
C/ Fernando Poo, 16, E-28045 Madrid, Spain
Apartado Postal (P.O. Box) 17083, 28080 Madrid, Spain
Tel.: +34914743809, Cellular GSM: +34619776475
E-mail: miguel@cita.es
Internet Web http://www.cita.es
Contact: Miguel
Angel Gallardo Ortiz , Engineer
and Criminologist
LEGAL ADVISORS: José Antonio Ramos Mesonero and Josep
Jover i Padró (Lawyers in Spain)
with the support of Asociación para la Prevención y
Estudios de Delitos, Abusos y Negligencias en Informática y
Comunicaciones Avanzadas (APEDANICA), founded in 1992
(there are several organsations and individuals invited by us to become
members considering this draft).
AUDIOTEXT statute draft
Please send an EXPRESSION
OF INTEREST (EOI) on this:
The members hereby agree to form a EEIG under Council Regulation
(EEC) 2137/85 according to the present agreement, the Grouping’s own
terms and the law of the State of the Grouping’s address (Madrid,
Spain).
Art. 1 – Denomination and Power
- The Name of the Grouping shall be "AUDIOTEXT EUROPEAN ECONOMIC
INTEREST GROUPING" (AUDIOTEXT or AT)".
- All correspondence, acts and documents of the AT Grouping must
abide to provisions according to Art. 25 of the Regulation.
- The AT Grouping is empowered, as of the date of incorporation,
to negotiate contracts, perform legal acts, be entitled to deeds and
obligations of whatever nature, within the project and to stand in
court
according to art. 1.2 of the Regulation.
Art. 2 – AT Object (still to be detailed by internal member
discussion)
Specifically, asking for the financial and technical support of the
Partners and the European Commission, the Grouping is formed with the
purpose to set up a Thematic Network Project. Provisionaly:
- Transcriptions from audio to text
- Software and professional services to record trials
- Forensic multimedia (digital video)
- Expert witnessing and translations for European Courts of Law
Art. 3 – AT Official address
- The official address of the Grouping is
Cooperación Internacional en Tecnologías Avanzadas
(C.I.T.A.) SL (Unipersonal)
C/ Fernando Poo, 16, E-28045 Madrid, Spain
Apartado Postal (P.O. Box) 17083, 28080 Madrid, Spain
Tel.: +34914743809, Cellular GSM: +34619776475
E-mail: miguel@cita.es
Internet http://www.cita.es
Contact : Miguel
Angel Gallardo Ortiz, at
http://www.cita.es/conmigo
- The AT Grouping may have other offices at addresses in
different EU Member States
- The official address may be transferred to another location by
unanimous decision of the Members according to art. 14 of the Regulation
Art. 4 – AT EEIG Duration
The Grouping shall be active for three years since incorporation.
Termination may be delayed by unanimous decision of the Members. This
article limits can be negotiated considering legal, economic and
official advice.
Art. 5 – Extension of the AT EEIG
Should the duration of the AT EEIG, as per the above Art. 4, be
extended, each member may recede from the AT Grouping by means of a
registered notice to be addressed to the AT Board of Directors, to be
sent at least three months before the expiring date mentioned in the
Contract.
Art. 6 – AT Capital/Contribution (this figures must be negotiated
with www.cita.es seriously)
- The achievement of the AT Grouping social objectives shall be
guaranteed by the European Commission financial contribution and
membership fees only when necessary.
- Notwithstanding the above, in order to supply the Grouping
with adequate funds to perform the activity foreseen to reach the
objectives, the Members will provide the Grouping with a start-up fee
of X.XXX Euros for funding, to be divided amongst them in equal shares,
so that no Member may have a majority share of the capital fund,
according to art. 17.1
of the Regulation. New Members joining the EEIG at a further time,
after
the incorporation, will provide an amount of X.XXX Euros.
- At the end of each Accounting Period following the first,
the Members, according to results and to forecast prepared by the
Administration for the following period, shall decide whether to
approve further contributions, to what extent and within which
time-frame, in particular to the purpose of balancing exceeding
expenditures versus contributions. Criteria shall follow the start-up
funding sharing system.
- The Grouping financing may also come from:
- yearly contribution to be approved each time by the Members
General Assembly
- public or private funding
Art. 7 – AT Mode of operation
Each of the Members, especially the Management of the AT Grouping,
shall
make available to the other Members its own experience and competencies
in
order to complete the projects in the best of ways, engaging themselves
from
this moment on, to keep all information on the projects, on the
research to
be performed and on the results that will be obtained, confidential and
secret.
Art. 8 – Third Party Liability
- Members shall have unlimited joint and several responsibility
for the debts and other liabilities of whatever nature of the AT
Grouping.
- Up to winding up of the Grouping, Members are liable to
satisfy the AT Groupings creditors only after these have asked the AT
Grouping for payment and have not been fulfilled within a reasonable
time-lapse,
according to art. 24 of Regulation.
- As far as inside pacts amongst Members, the Groupings
obligations shall be equally divided amongst the Members.
Art. 9 – Admission of New AT Members
- New AT Members – who anyway will satisfy requisites according
to Art. 4 of the Regulation, may be admitted by the majority of 2/3 of
the Groupings Members who will define conditions.
- Any new AT Member is exempt from liability towards the AT
Groupings debts arisen prior to his admission, with the exception of
a different decision taken by the majority of 2/3 of other AT Members.
- Any new AT Member shall agree to the terms of this agreement
and its internal regulations by undersigning a copy of this contract
supplied by the Grouping Management.
- Any new AT Member shall also comply with art. 19 of this
contract.
Art. 10 - Termination and Expulsion of Members
- Any Member shall be entitled to leave the AT Grouping further
to the agreement of at least two thirds of the Members, who shall
define the terms, as well as in case of just and true cause, and
according to
Art. 28 of the Regulation 2137/85.
- Termination is decided at the AT General Assembly, further to
a motivated termination proposal to be listed in the Assembly’s Agenda,
anticipated to all AT Grouping Members according to the terms of this
agreement.
- Any Member may be expelled from the AT Grouping, further
to decision of at least 2/3 of the Members, if it seriously fails in
its obligations or if it causes or threatens to cause serious
disruption to the AT Grouping.
10.4 Any Member may be expelled by right from the AT Grouping if:
he does not fulfil the conditions made by art. 4.1 of the EEC
Regulation, or (being an individual) he dies, becomes bankrupt or makes
any compositions or arrangement with his creditors or (being a company)
it goes into liquidation (other than a voluntary liquidation for the
purposes of a reconstruction or amalgamation).
Art. 11 – AT EEIG Regulation
- Within six months from the AT Grouping incorporation, the
Board of Directors may propose internal pacts to the Members General
Assembly for unanimous approval.
- The Grouping internal pacts may not establish rules in
disagreement with principles and rules of this agreement. These being
private AT
EEIG pacts, they need not be brought to outsider's knowledge, being for
AT EEIG Members only.
Art. 12 – Bodies of the AT EEIG
- Bodies of the AT Grouping are the General Assembly and the
Board of Directors
- If not otherwise stated, any decision is taken by the absolute
majority of the attending AT Grouping Members
Art. 13 – AT EEIG General Assembly
- The AT General Assembly is formed by all Members. It
represents the whole Members and its resolutions voted - according to
the existing law and this agreement – are binding for all Members.
- The AT General Assembly is chaired by the Chairman of the
Board or, in case of absence, by a person designated by the Chairman.
- Members having contributed foundation fee and recorded on
the Members List at least five days earlier than the General Assembly
date, are entitled to attend AT General Assembly.
- The AT General Assembly may be called at the AT Grouping
official address or elsewhere, within the European Union, on request
and on behalf of the Chairman.
- Members may take decisions both at a AT General Assembly
and by written consultation.
- The AT General Assembly may be called by registered letter,
e-mail or by fax 15 days before the General Assembly date. The notice
shall report the specific nature of the business to be transacted,
place, date and hour of the Assembly.
- The AT General Assembly shall decide only on the identified
agenda reported, unless all Members are attending (in person or by
proxy) and accept to deliberate on other items.
- Any single AT Member is entitled to request of the Chairman to
call a AT General Assembly, stating the day's business to be transacted.
- Should the AT Board of Directors decide to call for a written
consultation of the Members, the Chairman shall notify each Member, by
registered letter or by fax or electronic mail with acknowledgement of
receipt, on the different provisions upon which they are requested to
deliberate. The Members shall convey their answers within 15 days
after receipt of the requisition by registered letter or by fax or
electronic mail with acknowledgement of receipt by the different terms
indicated in the requisition.
- It is anyhow mandatory to hold one AT Annual General Assembly,
to be called by registered letter or by fax, within 3 months from the
closing date of the Accounting Period, to approve the assets and
liabilities
of the Grouping, the contribution and expenditures accounts and balance
sheet, the forecast budget and to decide further possible contributions
according to Art. 6 of this Agreement.
- The AT General Assembly shall be called to deliberate on
any new Member's admission, expulsion or on the termination of the AT
Grouping.
- All the AT General Assembly resolutions, with the exception of
those where unanimity is required as per art. 17 of the Regulation or
as per this agreement, shall be taken by the absolute majority of
attending Members. In case of written consultation, the resolution is
taken by the absolute majority of Members who have deliberated and
conveyed their answer within the terms stated in Paragraph 9.
- Each AT Member shall have one vote.
- Each AT Member may be represented by written proxy by another
AT Member. In any case, any Member cannot represent more than one other
Member.
- For a AT General Assembly to validly deliberate, at lease 50%
of the Members must attend, either in person or by Proxy. In case of
written consultation, at least 50% of the AT Members must send in their
answer.
- AT Members are entitled to be informed by the CS Board of
Directors, at any time, on the AT Grouping activity, as well as to
verify the AT EEIG Management activity by auditing records and
accounting books of the AT Grouping.
Art. 14 – AT Board of Directors and www.cita.es role
- A AT Board of Directors, made of a representative from each
Country, will be in charge of the AT Grouping administration. Countries
with more than four AT members nominate two representatives and
Countries with more than eight AT members three representatives. The AT
representatives of each Country will be nominated by the AT Members of
this Country with votes of absolute majority. If no candidate reaches
the absolute majority, the eldest AT member will be nominated
representative. The votes, co-ordinated by the AT Chairman of the
Board, could arrive although by letter, fax
or electronic mail.
- The AT Board of Directors is in charge until dismissed or
revoked by the AT General Assembly.
- In case the majority of the AT Directors in charge should
resign or in case – for any reason – the AT Directors would represent
less than 50% of the Members, the whole of the AT Board of Directors
shall
be considered dismissed and the AT General Assembly called for new
elections
- The AT Chairman will call a AT Board Meeting whenever it may
be deemed necessary or whenever at least two AT Directors will request
it.
- The AT Board of Directors Meeting is called by registered
letter or by fax or electronic mail 15 days before the Board Meeting
date.
- The AT Board of Directors resolutions are to be considered
valid when noted by the absolute majority of the attending AT Directors.
- The AT Board of Directors is charged of the AT EEIG Management
and will be empowered to perform all administrative functions listed in
the AT EEIG objectives.
- The AT Board of Directors will especially be in charge of:
- with the exception of provisions reported at paragraph 15.4 of
this agreement, fulfil the formalities concerning registration and
publicity foreseen for AT EEIG and in general fulfil all requirements,
communications, registrations or publications foreseen by the
Regulation.
- provide for cost accounting foreseen for the AT Grouping
and for other provisions required by law, as well as tax requirements.
- monitor the project scheduling, according to directions
indicated by the AT Assembly, and verify that project costs are within
limits
- if deemed necessary, assign specific task to any party's
representative, who shall then become responsible for performing the
work assigned.
- keep an updated list of the AT Members partners of the AT
Grouping, indicating address, domicile and location.
- The AT Board of Directors will engage itself to immediately
inform all AT EEIG Members of any temporary loss in balance.
- The AT Board of Directors shall notify all AT Members the
death, resignation or expulsion of any AT Member.
- Subject to the provisions of European laws, of the Regulation
and this agreement, the business of the AT Grouping shall be managed
by the Chairman of the AT Board who may exercise the powers of the AT
Grouping within the financial limits set down by special resolution,
following
the criteria listed below:
- Single signature for amounts up to: X.000 Euros
- Double signature " " " XX.000 Euro
- Triple signature " " " from XX.001 Euro up
Art. 15 – Chairman of the AT Board and www.cita.es role
- The Chairman of the AT Board will be appointed by the AT
Board of Directors by absolute majority of the AT Board. Nevertheless,
each member, at the time of subscription of this AT Statute, will
express,
although by fax, his own vote for the nomination of the first AT
Chairman.
The member who reaches the absolute majority of the votes will be
turning
out as elected.
- The AT Board of Directors – if not already done so by AT
General Assembly – may appoint within itself a Deputy Chairman, by
absolute majority.
- The Chairman of the AT Board – and the Deputy AT Chairman –
shall legally represent the AT EEIG with power to sign. AT Members may
unanimously deliberate to appoint the AT Grouping representation
to other AT Members as well.
- The AT Chairman shall act as administrator. He (She) will be
in charge of executing any of the AT Boards deliberations whenever the
AT Board itself has otherwise deliberated. In particular the AT
Chairman shall:
- fulfil all obligations needed for the AT Groupings
incorporation
- define the workprogramme and its activities
- supervise the advancement of the work phases according to
the time schedule provided by the Assembly
- liaison with the European Commission for approval and
financing of the project
- manage the EU advances and assign to the partners the stated
quota according to the Assembly deliberations.
- be in a position to organise, upon the Members Council
proposal, committees or workgroups charged to execute or prepare his
decisions.
- decide to call Extraordinary AT General Assemblies.
- further to AT Board of Directors deliberation, organise
written AT Members consultations.
- monitor the AT Groupings abiding its fiscal, accounting and
publicity obligations
- at the end of each accounting periods, proceed to the
preparation of the social balance sheet and the contribution and
expenditures account to be submitted to the AT General Assembly
approval, together with his own management report
- The AT Chairman is entitled to reimbursement of expenses
incurred while performing his activities for the AT Grouping, as well
as a fee defined by the AT General Assembly.
- Every AT Manager shall be indemnified out of the assets of the
AT Grouping against any liability incurred by him in defending any
proceedings whether criminal or civil in which judgement is given in
his favour or in which relief is granted to him by the court from
liability for negligence, default, breach of duty, or breach of trust
in relation to the affairs of the AT Grouping
- The AT Grouping will provide adequate and sufficient insurance
to cover any risk of the AT Grouping or liability as mentioned
in point 15.6 related to the activities of the AT Manager.
Art. 16 – EEIG Accounting Periods
- The accounting period starts on January 1 and closes on
December 31 of each year. The first accounting period shall start on
the day of the AT Grouping incorporation and will close on December 31,
same year.
- The provisional budget for the AT Grouping's activities shall
be compiled within four months from the starting of the Accounting
Period
- Should the Accounting Period yield profits, these – unless
destined to support the AT Grouping's activities or to cover its costs
– shall be accounted as capital increase.
- The balance of exceeding expenditures versus contributions
shall be covered by AT Members according to art. 6 of this agreement.
Art. 17 – Auditing
- Auditing of financial assets, yearly cost statements and
current operations to be reported on accounting books is performed
according
to the law by one or more Auditors non-Members of the AT Grouping.
- The AT General Assembly shall name the Auditor/s
Art. 18 – Winding up and liquidation
- The AT Grouping may be wound up by unanimous resolution of the
AT General Assembly according to art. 12 of this agreement.
- The AT Grouping must be wound up when:
- the time-lapse defined in art. 4 of this agreement expires
or whenever any of the wounding up clauses foreseen in the contract
arises.
- the fulfilment of the Groupings objectives or the
impossibility to achieve them.
- the requisition of art. 4.2 of the Regulation are not met.
- by deciding the AT Grouping wounding up or be ascertaining the
wounding up of the AT Grouping Members appoint one or more liquidators
who shall fulfil the obligations charged upon them by AT EEIG regulation
Art. 19 – Exploitation
- The AT Board of Directors shall appoint a Patent office to
ascertain the patentability of the results of the project carried out
by
the AT Grouping, saving the rights, if any, of the inventors).
- The AT General Assembly, on the basis of the patentability
study and related costs, shall decide by absolute majority of those
present whether to register the equipment or the technology.
- The patenting costs shall be equally shared among the AT
Members agreeing to patenting.
- The AT Members engage themselves as of now to draw up a
separate Agreement with the purpose to define commercial exploitation
and/or patenting of the results. It remains anyhow understood that the
AT Grouping as
such shall not proceed neither to patent nor to register, limiting its
activities to feasibility studies.
Art. 20 – Severability
- Any controversy arising among the AT Members pertaining
validity, interpretation and execution of this agreement and any
related act, in particular concerning just cause or reasons for
exclusion as of art. 10 of this agreement or to the evaluation of the
resigning AT Members quota, not mandatorily submitted to the competent
legal authorities according
to the Regulation or other applicable normative, shall be brought to an
Arbitrator. Any Member might appoint an Arbitrator.
- Any nomination shall be notified to other AT Members within 20
days from the date of the arbitration requested by one or more AT
Members.
- Should the arbitrators be of an even number, the arbitrators
so appointed shall unanimously appoint another arbitrator.
- Should there be no unanimity, the nomination shall be
deferred, by the most diligent AT Member, to the President of the Bar
Association of the AT Grouping's domicile, who shall also name the
arbitrator for
those AT Members who did not abide to the terms.
- The arbitrators appointment will be defined by majority and
will be binding for all AT Members, agreeing as of now to the
negotiated ex equo et bono solution of the upcoming controversies.
Members shall deliberate accordingly within the AT Grouping
Art. 21 – AT Governing Law
Any matters not contemplated under this agreement shall be
governed in
all respect by EEC Regulation and the law of the AT EEIG legal domicile
(Madrid, Spain).
Art. 22 – Disputes
Any other disputes or differences arising from or in connection
with this agreement shall be settled under the Court of the AT
Grouping's legal domicile (Madrid, Spain).
Please send an EXPRESSION OF
INTEREST (EOI) to the project manager:
Cooperación Internacional en Tecnologías Avanzadas
(C.I.T.A.) SL (Unipersonal)
C/ Fernando Poo, 16, E-28045 Madrid, Spain
Apartado Postal (P.O. Box) 17083, 28080 Madrid, Spain
Tel.: +34914743809, Cellular GSM: +34619776475 E-mail: miguel@cita.es
Internet http://www.cita.es
Contact : Miguel Angel
Gallardo Ortiz, at
http://www.cita.es/conmigo