	I. NAME, LEGAL FORM AND AIMS Article 1 Name and legal form The Association of Towns awarded the Europe Prize (hereinafter referred to as the "Association") shall be operative by agreement with the Council of Europe. Article 2 The Secretariat shall be located at the headquarters of the Association at the time in question, ie in the town holding the chairmanship. The Chairman in office shal1 be responsible for public relations. The records of the Association shall be kept at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. Article 3 Aims and activities The aim of the Association shall be to achieve greater unity among its members through exchange of information and discussion of questions of common interest, particularly in the following fields: -twinnings; -encounters between public, semi-public and private organizations, particularly in the cultural sector; -European events; -measures for the promotion of European solidarity and understanding between peoples. II. MEMBERSHIP Article 4 Conditions of admission Towns awarded the Europe Prize, instituted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 20 June 1955 on the recommendation of the Parliamentary Assembly, may become members of the association. Article 5 Rights and obligations The. members shall in particular have the right to be represented at meetings, conferences, courses, seminars and colloquia organized by the Association. They shall end eavour to give the Association the benefit of their knowledge and experience. Article 6 Termination of membership Members may terminate their membership of the Association at any time simply by means of a written declaration to the Chairman of the Association. They may rejoin at any time by means of a written application to the Chairman. III. a. ORGANIZATION Article 7 Chairmanship The Chairman of the Association shall be elected by a relative majority of the general meeting of members, which shall comprise the mayors of the towns and their representatives. In the event of his absence, the Chairman shall appoint a deputy. The Chairman's term of office shall be 2 years, with the possibility of re-election for a further 2-year term. Article 8 Composition b. Council The Council shall comprise the following members, each with 2 representatives: 1. the town currently chairing the Association 2. the town which previously chaired the Association a 3. the town next in line to chair the Association 4. 3 other towns selected on the basis of different geographical location and active involvement 5. a representative of the Council of Europe The members of the Council shall be elected for a two year term by a relative majority of the Genera1 Assembly of members. Each town shall appoint a person for dealings with the Association of Towns awarded the Europe Prize and to represent the town's young people. Article 9 Powers The Council shall take any measures, initiatives or decisions it considers appropriate to achieve the aims of the Association. In particular it may: I. organize conferences, courses, seminars and colloquia; 2. present each year the programmed of activities for the following year; 3. draw up a progress report every two years. Article 10 Meetings Meetings of the Council shall be convened by the Chairman. Where important matters are concerned, the Chairman of the Committee on Regional Planning and Local Authorities of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe shall be consulted. The Council and the General Assembly shall meet at least once a year . Meetings may be held in a town other than the one holding the chairmanship. Article 11 Convening of meetings and agenda The Chairman shall give at least two months' notice of meetings of the Council and the General Assembly. He or she shall draw up the agenda, which shall be appended to the letter convening the meeting. Article 12 Records A record shall be kept of decisions of the Council and the General Assembly. This document, drawn up in the working languages, shall be signed by the Chairman. Article 13 Decisions The Council shall take decisions by a simple majority of voting members present. The decisions shall be forwarded in the form of recommendations to the mayors of prize-winning towns and, where appropriate, to the organizations concerned. Article 14 Committees The Council may decide to set up advisory or technical committees to assist the Association in its work. Article 15 Experts and observers The Council may invite experts to its meetings to discuss specific problems. It may also allow representatives of the advisory or technical committees to attend its meetings as observers. Article 16 Working languages The working languages of the Association shall be English, French and one other language common to at least four prize-winning towns. Other languages may be allowed at the expense of the delegations using them. Article 17 Working documents Documents relating to the items on the draft agenda shall be drafted by the Chairman in the working languages of the Association. They shall in principle be sent to all members at the same time as the invitations to the meeting. IV. FINANCE Article 18 The Chairman shall, through the Prize-winning Towns he or she represents, bear all the operating costs of the Association. The cost of organizing meetings, including that of simultaneous interpretation into the working languages, shall be borne by the prize-winning town in which the meeting is held. V. ENTRY INTO FORCE These statutes shall enter into force following a majority decision by the General -Assembly, three months after being signed by a least four members. VI. DISSOLUTION Article 19 The General Assembly may decide at any time to dissolve the Association. Statutes adopted by the General Assembly on 8 May 1999 in Braunfels and signed by the following towns awarded the Europe Prize: Town of Braunfels (Germany) City of Czestochowa (Poland) City of Klagenfurt (Austria) Town of Royal Leamington (Great Britain)