STATUTE Of the Union of Central and South-Eastern European Capitals

Based on the "Protocol of Co-operation agreement  between the Capital-Cities of the Countries of the South-East Europe" wich is an integral part of the statutes, the signing cities agreed to the following statute at their 5th annual conference in Belgrade on April 23, 2001.

The signing cities of the Conference are at present:
Ankara - Athens - Beograd - Budapest - Bucharest - Kiev - Ljubljana - Nicosia - Podgorica - Sarajevo - Skopje - Sofia - Tirana - Vienna

The protocol was signed on October 6, 1995 in Athens. The city of Ankara  signed the protocol at the 3rd Conference on February 7, 1998 in Bucharest. The City of Zagreb has participated to meetings of the Conference, but has not signed the protocol.

                                                              SECTION I      

Constitution, aims, actions, duration and headquarters

ARTICLE 1
The Union shall be formed of the Capitals of the Central and S/E European Countres. Any Capital  of a Central and S/E may apply for membership of the Union. Admission shall be subject to the unanimous agreement of the member cities.

ARTICLE 2
The aim of the Union is to maintain permanent ties between the municipalities of the member cities.

The Union shall encourage exchanges between the citizens of the member cities in every field in order to develop a keen sense of European fraternity based on mutual understanding.

The Union shall contribute to the furtherance of the European idea in the member countries and in the rest of Europe.

ARTICLE 3
In accordance with its objectives the Union shall carry out studies, organise meetings and actions, and take all initiatives conducive to the promotion of economic, social and cultural progress of the citizens in the member cities of the Union.

The Union shall give  priority both to exchanges of experience, information and documentation in all fields of municipal activity, and to contact between the municipal authorities local goverment officers and technicians as well as the groups, societies, associations or institutions which on various counts, are responsible to those authorities.

ARTICLE 4
In a spirit of solidarity, the Union shall endeaveour to establish or re-establish ties of friendship and cooperation with the non - members of the Union.

ARTICLE 5
Membership of the Union shall not be a barrier to the existence of ties of friendship, twinning, agreements for cooperation of privileged relations between one of its members and an other capital, town or local government body, provided that such ties do not conflict with the objectives of the Union.

Likewise, membership shall not exclude privileged relations or agreements between two or more member cities, outside the framework of the Union.

ARTICLE 6
The Union shall not pursue any objectives of an ideological, partisan or racial nature. 

The Union shall not interfere in the municipal affaires of its member cities.

ARTICLE 7
The Union of Central and South - Eastern European Capitals is constituded for an unlimited period.

ARTICLE 8
The Union shall have its headquarters in the capital of the country holding the Presidency.

ARTICLE 9
The permanent secretariat is situated in City of Athens. Every member city of the Union dedicates a member to the Standing Committee, who is also the focal point of the sending  city.

 SECTION II

The Instruments

ARTICLE 10
The instruments of the Union are the Presidency, the General Assembly and the Standing Committee.

ARTICLE 11
The President of the Union serves the Mayor of the City hosting that year the Conference.

ARTICLE 12
The General Asembly shall consist of delegations from the member cities. It shall meet every year in the member city of the country holding the Presidency.

ARTICLE 13
The Standing Committee shall consist of as many delegates as there are member cities. The delegates shall be designated by their government authority. The Standing Committee shall meet at least twice a year.

ARTICLE 14
The General Assembly and the Standing Committee can only meet validity when at least half of their delegates attend. The General Assembly adopts the rules of procedure of the Union.

 SECTION III

Union Funds

 ARTICLE 15
The Union Funds shall consists of :

• Membership fees payed in by its members
• Any subsidies it may be awarded
• Other income
• Donations and legacies duly accepted by the General Assembly

ARTICLE 16
The anual membership fees due from each member shall be fixed by the General Assembly upon a proposal from the Standing Committee.

SECTION IV

Amendments to the Statute and Dissolution

ARTICLE 17
The Statute of the Union may be amended by the General Assembly with a majority of three quarters of its members.

ARTICLE 18
Dissolution of the Union shall result solely from resolution of the General Assembly passed by a three quarters' mayority of its members.

 In the case of dissolution, the General Assembly shall decide on the use of the Union's liquid assets, which may only be attributed to one or more bodies, associations or institutions pursuing analogous objectives to those of the Union.

 SECTION V

Miscellaneous

ARTICLE 19
The Union's official language shall be English.

ARTICLE 20
The methods of application of this statute shall be determined by internal regulations adopted by the General Assembly.

Ankara - Athens - Belgrade - Bratislava - Budapest - Bucharest - Kiev - Ljubljana Nicosia - Podgorica - Sarajevo - Skopje - Sofia - Tirana - Vienna -

The present Statute has been signed at the 6th  Conference of the Mayors of South-Eastern European Capitals and the founding meeting of the Union of Central and South-Eastern European Capitals in Ljubljana on September 23, 2002 by

ATHENS - Ms Evangelia Velenza, Vice-Mayor

BELGRADE - Ms Radmila Hrustanovic, Mayor

BRATISLAVA - Mr. Josef  Moravcik, Mayor

BUCHUREST - Mr. Christian Iftimoaie, Chief Executive- International Relations Department

LJUBLJANA - Ms. Viktoria Potocnik, Mayor

NICOSIA - Mr. Nikos Hadjicolau, Senior Administrative Adviser

PODGORICA - Dr Miomir Mugosa, Mayor

SARAJEVO - Prof. Dr. Muhidin Hamamdzic, Mayor

SKOPJE - Mr. Goran Mihailov, Secretary of the City Council of the Skopje

SOFIA - Mr. Venzeslav Nikolov, Deputy Mayor

TIRANA - Mr. Leonidha Tosca, Chairman of the City Hall Council

VIENA - Dr. Michael Haupl, Mayor