PRIEDAS

In the event of divergence or of doubt between these statutes in French and the original version in English, the English language version prevails.

Matters related to the application of the present Statutes shall be determined by the courts of Brussels or by arbitration and the laws of Belgium shall apply.

Any omissions to the present Statutes are covered by the law of 27 June 1921 governing non-profit associations, foundations and European political parties and foundations.

All changes to the present Statutes must be formalised in accordance with the provisions of Title III of the Belgian law of 27 June 1921 on non-profit associations, foundations and European political parties and foundations.

Changes to these Statutes may only be made by Council voting with a three-quarters majority of the Allocated Votes. Changes to the Rule Book may only be made by Council voting with a two-thirds majority of the Allocated Votes with the exception of the Articles 6.5 and 6.6, which require a three-quarters majority of the Allocated Votes.

The Council shall adopt a Rule Book containing detailed rules for the functioning, management and operations of the European Green Party and the composition of its bodies in accordance with these Statutes.

In the event of the final liquidation of the European Green Party, after the settlement of contractual obligations to staff and other obligations, the remaining financial and other assets shall be transferred to the Green European Foundation.

In the event that European legislation provides for a different legal status for political parties and the Council of the European Green Party decides to adopt such a status, the financial and other assets of the European Green Party shall be transferred to the new legal entity.

Upon dissolution, the Council shall decide on (i) the appointment, the powers and the remuneration of the liquidator(s), (ii) the methods and procedures of the liquidation. All such decisions have to be duly filed at the clerk’s office of the competent Commercial Court and published in the Annexes to the Moniteur Belge in line with the applicable legislation.

As from the moment the decision of dissolution is taken, the European Green Party is required to mention at all times that it is ‘in dissolution’.

Upon a proposal to the Council by the Committee or by a minimum of one third of the Full Members, the Council may decide upon the dissolution and liquidation of the European Green Party provided the proper proceedings have been complied with. The decision by the Council to liquidate the European Green Party must be made by a three-quarters majority of the Allocated Votes.

The European Green Party may appoint a special proxy holder, and is legally bound by acts of such person within the limits of their power of attorney.

The persons specified in Article 9.2 hereof may represent the European Green Party and defend its interests in court and act as its legal representatives in any jurisdiction.

Contracts on behalf of the European Green Party normally require a single signature of a Co-Chair, the Secretary-General or the Treasurer.

The Committee is legally liable for actions of the European Green Party within the limits of the laws of the country where the official seat of the European Green Party is situated in accordance with Article 2 hereof.

The European Green Party processes personal data of supporters and participants on the basis of their consent under the Directive 1995/46/EC as well as the Belgian Privacy Act of 8 December 1992. Personal data is securely stored and not shared or disclosed to third parties without the consent of the data subject, unless this is necessary for the compliance with a legal obligation. The name and function of donors who donate over 1 000 EUR per year and of participants of the EGP Council meetings will be published. Data subjects have in particular the right to access their data and to request erasure or rectification.

Be reported to the European Parliament and entered as general revenue in the European Parliament section of the Budget, when it is not possible to return it.

Be returned to the donor or any person acting on the donor’s behalf, or,

Any donation that is not permitted under Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations will, within 30 days following the date it is received by the European political party or the European political foundation:

Donations from any public authority from a third country, including any undertaking over which the public authorities may exercise directly or indirectly a dominant influence by virtue of their ownership of it, their financial participation therein, or the rules which govern it.

Donations from any undertaking over which the public authorities may exercise directly or indirectly a dominant influence by virtue of their ownership of it, their financial participation therein, or the rules which govern it.

The EGP will publish a list annually, specifying both donor and donation, for all donations exceeding 1 000 EUR per donor or per online donation, except during election campaigns to the European Parliament or for donations exceeding 3 500 EUR, where publication will take place immediately on the EGP website.

The bookkeeping is conducted in accordance with the international accounting standards defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 1606/2002.

Annually, the Treasurer shall prepare the annual accounts and the budget; and present these to the Committee and the Finance Advisory Board in order to finalize them. The finalized annual accounts and budget will be submitted to the Council for approval. In this respect, the Council will hear the Finance Advisory Board. The annual accounts are audited by an auditor that is mandated by the European Parliament. The audit report will be communicated to the subsequent Council.

The composition of and regulations for the Conciliation Panel are further defined in the Rule Book.

The Council shall elect a Conciliation Panel consisting of a minimum of 5 persons to assist in settling disputes between Members, persons and/or bodies of the EGP on issues relating to the interpretation of these Statutes or the Rule Book or other operational matters. The Panel shall report to Council with recommendations and Council shall determine the appropriate course of action. All persons and bodies of the European Green Party shall be bound by the outcome of this process.

The composition of and regulations for the Finance Advisory Board are further defined in the Rule Book.

The Council shall elect a Finance Advisory Board of 3 persons to work with the Treasurer and the Committee to supervise the financial management of the European Green Party, including its accountability and financial transparency and to give advice to the Council and the Committee of the European Green Party as well as to its Members on these matters. The Board shall also report to Council annually on whether the European Green Party has acted in accordance with the Statutes and Rule Book.

The gender balance will be monitored after each vote, and the Chair will inform the Council on the gender balance requirement in the remaining posts.

Unsuccessful candidates for the designated posts in rounds 1-4 may present themselves for election as further Committee Members in rounds 5-9. If so, their candidacy must be renewed by their main nominating Full Member, supported by two other Full Members, before voting in round 5 begins. In rounds 6 and subsequently all previously unsuccessful candidates will be automatically entered in the elections for the remaining positions unless withdrawn by the candidate her/himself.

If one candidate gains more than 50 % of the votes cast in the first round, the person is elected. Should no candidate gain more than 50 % of the first round vote, a second round will be run between the two highest scoring candidates. The candidate who receives more than 50 % of the votes cast in the second round is elected.

All nominations, letters of support and any additional material must reach the Secretariat two months prior to the meeting at which the election takes place.

All nominations must specify the particular post for which the candidate is being proposed (i.e. Secretary-General, Co-Chair, Treasurer or a Committee Member). Each Full Member may nominate and support several candidates. Nominations shall be accompanied by a brief introduction of the candidate which will be distributed to the Members with the final list of candidates.

Each candidate must be nominated by a Full Member and supported by at least two other Full Members.

In the case of resignation or incapacity of the Secretary-General, the Committee shall appoint (from its body) a Secretary-General ad interim within one month. This replacement shall continue in place until the election of a new Secretary-General at a subsequent Council meeting or until the Secretary-General is able to resume her/his duties. In the case of resignation, the timetable for election shall be advertised by the Committee within six weeks. The Council must make its decision within six months of the resignation/death/incapacity of the Secretary-General.

In case of resignation or of dismissal of a member of the Committee, an election to replace the member will take place at the following Council meeting. The person elected will stay in office for the period coinciding with the end of term of all the other Committee members. This period does not count towards the cumulative period of their mandate.

On the proposal of one-third of the Full Members, any member of the Committee can be suspended or dismissed by the Council by a two thirds majority of the votes cast after debate in Council where the member is given adequate opportunity to present her/his case

The Committee meets at least 6 times per year in person or by telecommunication means. It works in a consensual way and takes decisions by a simple majority vote.

The Committee is responsible for the execution of the Council’s decisions, the activities of the European Green Party office, the day to day management of the European Green Party and its finances within the budget and the guidelines approved by the Council.

The Committee is responsible for the permanent political representation of the European Green Party, it is entitled to make political statements on behalf of the European Green Party based on the Council’s decisions and the political agenda of the European Green Party and is politically responsible to the Council.

With regards to voting, the quorum and voting rules are applied in the same way as in Council, the Congress being an enlarged Council.

The rules regarding the conduct and proceedings of the Congress are to be voted on at the Council preceding the Congress in so-called Congress regulations. Furthermore, the preceding Council shall vote on the proposed allocation of delegates. Each Congress the Committee will appoint several experienced party members into a Congress Presidium which will be responsible for the correct proceedings and regulations during the Congress and which will allocate the speaking time in cooperation with the Chair and the Co-Chair. The Committee will propose the Congress Presidium to the Council preceding the Congress.

Members which do not qualify for a minimum of four seats via the proportionally allocated delegates shall be allocated additional seats (above the 400).

Where Members participate in an alliance or coalition their votes will be calculated in proportion to the Green votes in the total votes based on the seats gained respectively by the alliance and the EGP Member.

the other 50 % of the 400 delegates are proportionally divided according to the highest percentage reached in the last national or last European elections.

50 % of the 400 delegates are proportionally divided according to the highest number of votes which the Member gained in the last national or last European elections. Votes above 2 million are divided by 4 for this calculation;

The composition of delegations for Congress meetings is based on the principle of a minimum of four delegates per Member. The allocation of votes for Full Members is based on their size and other criteria. In addition, GGEP and FYEG have the right to appoint six delegates each to Congress and have the right to six votes each.

The Congress is an enlarged meeting of the Council, which shall be convened by a decision of the Council and which meets at least once every 5 years.

All delegates from one Member or from the GGEP or the FYEG constitute a delegation.

Where EU provisions for the European political parties require decisions to be made only by Member Parties in the EU countries, the European Green Party will comply by consulting all Members and then taking a decision by vote of those Full Members in the EU countries.

amendments to resolutions and to other documents, election of Committee members, which shall require a simple majority of the votes cast.

admission of members, suspension and expulsion of members, changes to the Articles 6.5 and 6.6 of the Rule Book, changes to the EGP Statutes, liquidation of the EGP, which shall require a three-quarters majority of the Allocated Votes.

changes to the Rule Book, withdrawal of speaking, voting or participation rights in EGP meetings, withdrawal of access to information, which shall require a two-thirds majority of the Allocated Votes; and

Voting shall be by two-thirds majority vote of the votes cast with the exception of:

A quorum of a simple majority of the Allocated Votes shall be present before each voting session can take place.

In addition to Full Members, the Green Group in the European Parliament and the FYEG have the right to four delegates each and to four votes each within the Council.

The highest result reached in the last national or European elections is used for calculating the number of votes and delegates.

Adjustments to the number of delegates and votes shall be made immediately following elections, whose results change them.

Where Full Members participate in an electoral alliance or coalition, their votes will be calculated in proportion to the Green votes in the total votes of the alliance/coalition based on the seats gained respectively by the alliance and the Full Member.

in the case of Full Members which are regional parties these additional voting rights are proportionally distributed among those Members based on the highest % electoral results those Members have in the area where they run respectively.

the highest national or European % election result of both Members are calculated together and that sum is used for the allocation system. The additional voting rights are distributed to the Full Member with the highest % electoral result.

For the additional voting rights based on National and European % election results, the following system is used to give effect to the provisions of article 6.3.6.1 to 6.3.6.5:

The additional voting rights based on absolute numbers of votes as allocated under article 6.3.6.1 to 6.3.6.3 apply to each Full Member.

Election results for regional parliaments are not used for the allocation system in the European Green Party.

For those countries with more than one Full Member in the European Green Party, the rules of article 6.3.6.1 to 6.3.6.5 are applied as follows:

Full Members are entitled to 2 additional delegates if their total number of votes is 4 or more or to 4 additional delegates if their total number of votes is 8 or more.

The Full Member is entitled to a supplementary vote for each of the following thresholds reached during the last National or European elections: 4 %, 8 %, 12 %, 16 % and 20 %.

The Full Member is entitled to one additional vote for each of the following thresholds reached during the last National or European elections: 150 000 votes; 400 000 votes; 800 000 votes; 1 200 000 votes; 1 600 000 votes; 2 000 000 votes and every additional million votes.

All Members have the right to participate in the political discussions of the Council of the European Green Party.

advise the Green Group in the European Parliament on their decisions on the admission of MEPs who do not belong to a Member of the European Green Party, after consultation with the national Green party concerned;

elect the Committee and other representatives of the European Green Party, such as the Finance Advisory Board; the Conciliation Panel; the European Green Party representatives to the Global Greens Coordination; the European Green Party representatives to the GEF General Assembly;

coordinate initiatives and activities consistent with the Green Charter and the Global Greens Charter, agreed common policy and the Statutes of the European Green Party;

The Council shall consist of delegates representing Full Members, GGEP and FYEG determined according to the Rules for the allocation of delegates and votes as provided for in Article 6.3.6. Non-voting representatives of Candidate and Associate members, the Committee, EGP Office staff, and elected members of other EGP bodies can participate as well.

Council meetings are normally open to the public unless the Council itself decides otherwise for all or part of its proceedings.

An extraordinary meeting of the Council may be convened by request of at least one-third of the Full Members.

The Council is the highest decision-making body of the European Green Party. It is convened by the Committee and must meet at least once a year in person. Council meetings may be held in person or by telecommunication means under conditions laid down in the Rule Book.

The European Green Party acts as the European partner within the structure of the Global Greens, which encompasses Green parties and associates at a global level.

The European Green Party has the right to a delegation of four members to the General Assembly of the Green European Foundation.

The Green European Foundation may nominate representatives to and participate in the working groups and networks of the European Green Party.

The coordination between the bodies is guaranteed at executive level by mutual representation of the Secretaries-General at respectively the European Green Party Committee and the Green European Foundation’s Board.

GEF is the exclusive partner of the EGP at the European level as regards European Foundations. The GEF is responsible for the promotion of the European-wide political debate. GEF and EGP should work closely together to make sure that their programmes are mutually supportive and that functions are assumed by the more appropriate and effective partner, given the mutual interest in Green activities.

Both the GGEP and the FYEG are entitled to appoint delegates to meetings of the European Green Party, including Council meetings, and to vote thereat.

The European Green Party is exclusively represented in the European Parliament by the GGEP or its successors and the GGEP in turn represents the special category (MEP) members within the EGP.

Relations with the Green Group in the European Parliament (‘GGEP’), the Federation of Young European Greens (‘FYEG’), the Green European Foundation (‘GEF’) and the Global Greens (‘GG’)

submit reports every two years to inform the European Green Party of their projects, progress and plans as part of their Green Agenda;

Candidate Members shall demonstrate progress on the implementation of any Action Plan specified by the European Green Party Committee in response to their application by reporting at least annually to the European Green Party.

not be under any legal or other restraint on their activities;

send their yearly accounts and election results to the European Green Party if not publicly accessible on their party website;

table resolutions and amendments as well as contribute other items to the agenda of Council meetings subject to the endorsement of four other signatures of those who are eligible to table draft Resolutions;

have access to internal reports of other Full, Candidate and Associate Members to the EGP with the obligation of confidentiality;

have access to the membership platform, regular information by the Office as well as access to knowledge and network databases and platforms;

appoint delegates and to vote at Council and Congress meetings under procedures detailed in Article 6.3.6 and 6.4.2 of these Statutes;

table resolutions and amendments as well as contribute other items to the agenda of Council meetings;

A list of the Member Parties of the European Green Party is attached to these Statutes as Annex B.

Members of the European Green Party may themselves request a restriction or suspension of their membership rights for a temporary period or may withdraw their EGP membership at any time by sending a registered letter to the Committee.

The Council may withdraw Full, Candidate or Associate Membership either temporarily or permanently. Any temporary exclusion may be lifted by a subsequent decision of the Council by a three-quarters majority of the Allocated Votes.

The proposal by the Committee to the Council to withdraw the membership of a Member can be appealed to the Conciliation Panel in writing at least two months before the Council. No further requests can be submitted to the Conciliation Panel concerning such membership issue.

The Member must be informed in writing at least three months in advance of the next Council meeting.

The Council, following a proposal by the Committee or at the request of 1/3 of the Full Members, may decide to withdraw the membership of any Member by a three-quarters majority of the Allocated Votes, after hearing the defence of the concerned Member.

At the Council, the Committee presents its proposal for the proposed measure. The concerned party has the right of explanation and presentation of its point of view.

Proposals for withdrawal and suspension of Membership are announced to the Council three months ahead of the Council.

In the case of non-payment of Membership Fees, the Committee, acting on the advice of the Treasurer, is authorised to withdraw voting rights of that Member prior to the opening of each voting session at the Council.

The Council shall vote on each such proposal by a two-thirds majority of the Allocated Votes with the exception of the suspension or withdrawal of Membership which requires a three-quarters majority of the Allocated Votes.

The Committee may propose to the Council the following disciplinary measures to be adopted for a specified period:

The Committee is responsible for evaluating any such alleged failures or acts and shall inform the Council delegates of the problem and any such disciplinary measures as they consider appropriate. An overview of any disciplinary measures proposed shall be presented at the beginning of each Council meeting.

Members which fail to meet the specified membership criteria or other obligations or which act in such a way as to bring the European Green Party into disrepute may be subject to disciplinary measures unless or until the situation is resolved.

Further, the Committee is responsible for informing the Council when it assesses developments within parties that can harm the European Green Party and/or its reputation. If the Committee considers a party to be in breach of any of its terms of Membership, the Committee shall discuss this with the Member concerned and bring forward its assessment to the Council, accompanied by its recommendations for an action plan to address the problems thus identified and any necessary disciplinary measures. Council shall be asked to approve these recommendations. If a problem persists, the Committee may recommend (further) disciplinary action be taken as provided for in Article 4.4.11.

Any Member may request the Council to change its membership category by means of a letter addressed to the Council and sent to the European Green Party office, setting out the grounds for the proposed change. The Committee will then make a recommendation to the Council.

Where an applicant has MEPs, or is likely to, the Committee shall consult the GGEP and inform the Council of their views.

Where there is an existing Full Member in the same country or politico-geographic region as the applicant, that Member shall be consulted on the application and its views included in the documentation.

On the basis of the report of the fact-finding mission, the Committee makes a recommendation on the application to the Council at least six weeks ahead of the Council meeting where a vote on the application is to take place.

Having examined the Statutes, the political programme, the budget and any other relevant materials, the Committee decides whether to proceed with the application by organising a fact-finding visit to the country, in the course of which meetings are held with the applicant party and with relevant NGOs and other organisations or bodies.

Membership applications are submitted to the Committee of the European Green Party in English, including a confirmation of its consent to the Green Charter, Global Green Charter, the EGP Statutes and Rule Book, as well as an English version of its own political programme and statutes and information about the number of registered members, political representatives, budget and accounts.

The admission of Members and any subsequent suspension or withdrawal of Membership shall be decided by the Council and requires in each case a three-quarters majority of the Allocated Votes.

Elected Members of the European Parliament who are part of the GGEP but who do not belong to a European Green Party Full, Candidate or Associate Member can be granted special category membership by a decision of the Council.

Elected Members of the European Parliament (‘MEPs’) who are part of the GGEP and who belong to an EGP member party are automatically granted special category membership in accordance with the regulations governing political parties at European level and the rules regarding their funding.

which meet the membership criteria specified in the Rule Book and which have been duly approved by the Council.

green non-governmental organisations, movements or groups that are not yet parties due to the specific political situation of that country;

Green parties, which wish to become Full Members and which meet the application criteria as defined in the Rule Book, can become Candidate Members on approval by the Council and may subsequently apply to become Full Members after a minimum period of two years.

Full Members are Green parties from within Europe, as defined in Article 1.5, which have been duly approved by the Council and which fulfil the membership criteria as defined in the Rule Book.

Parties from within Europe can be accepted as Full or Candidate Members. Associate Members may be from outside these borders.

acts as the European partner within the structure of the Global Greens movement and subscribes to the Global Greens Charter annexed hereto (Annex C).

works in close cooperation with the Green Group in the European Parliament (GGEP), the Green European Foundation (GEF), and the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG),

stimulates and organises initiatives and activities on a European level in order to accomplish a common green political agenda and, to ensure close and permanent cooperation among all its Members, contributes to forming European awareness and seeks to express the political will of the citizens of the European Union as well as to realise the full potential of green political representation at all political levels,

is open to political parties and other groups with a green agenda, from within and outside the European Union, which can subscribe to the Green Charter and which fulfil the membership criteria as laid down in these Statutes and further elaborated in the Rule Book,

takes as its principles the Charter of the European Greens (further described as the Green Charter) annexed hereto (Annex A),

is a European political party within the terms of EU Regulation (EC) No 1141/2014 on the regulations governing political parties at European level and the rules regarding their funding,

The European Green Party, acting through the Committee, shall keep detailed financial accounts and shall report at least once a year to the Full Members on the state of the finances. The financial year of the organisation shall be from 1st January to 31st December.

The Committee may move the seat anywhere in Belgium by simple majority vote. The move must be published in the Moniteur Belge in accordance with the Belgian law.

Alternatively, the words ‘European Greens’ can be used. For official documents, the logo with ‘European Green Party’ will be used.

The logo of the European Green Party is a green rectangle with a stylized sunflower — consisting of twelve yellow petals – slightly tilted to the right, and with the words ‘European Green Party’ in white letters (font: Jaldi) positioned on the right of it.

The Full Members form the European Political Party ‘European Green Party’, also called ‘the European Greens’. The name may be abbreviated as necessary to ‘EGP’.

Through the present statutes the Full Members set up a European Political Party (Parti Politique Européen, PPEU), governed by the dispositions of Title III and IIIter of the Belgian law of 27 June 1921 on non-profit associations, foundations and European political parties and foundations.

‘Rule Book’ means the detailed rules for the functioning, management and operations of the European Green Party and the composition of its bodies adopted in accordance with these Statutes.

‘Allocated Votes’ means the total number of votes assigned at each Council meeting to Full Members, determined according to their size and other criteria under a formula detailed in the Rule Book, and to the Green Group in the European Parliament and the Federation of Young European Greens as specified in Article 5.3 and further detailed in the Rule Book.

These Statutes replace and supersede the previous Statutes of the European Green Party published in the Moniteur Belge on 19/09/2013 .

The European Green Party represents Green Parties from all over Europe, and we are part of the Global Green family. We stand proudly for sustainable development and respect of human rights, built on the values of environmental responsibility, equality, freedom, justice, diversity and peace. Greens face the challenges of the 21st century by seeking to shape society in an innovative way. We propose policies for social solidarity and coherence compatible with sound economic and financial governance and which guarantee sustainability within our changing societies. For us and for generations to come.

Annex A

The Charter of the European Greens

European Green Party Guiding Principles

Adopted at 2nd EGP Congress, Geneva, 13-14 October 2006

Who we are

The European Greens proudly stand for the sustainable development of humanity on planet Earth, a mode of development respectful of human rights and built upon the values of environmental responsibility, freedom, justice, diversity and non-violence.

Green political movements emerged in Europe while the continent was divided by the Cold War and amidst the energy crises of the mid-seventies. At that time, it became clear that the pattern of economic development was unsustainable and was putting the planet and its inhabitants in grave environmental, social and economic dangers. Existing political parties were incapable of dealing with this challenge.

Our origins lie in many social movement: environmentalists and anti-nuclear activists concerned with the growing damages to our planet; non-violent peace activists promoting alternative ways to resolve conflicts; feminists, struggling for real equality between women and men; freedom and human rights movements fighting against dictatorial and authoritarian regimes; third-world solidarity movements supporting the end of colonization and more economically balanced relations between the North and the South of our planet; activists campaigning against poverty and for social justice within our own societies.

From these origins, European Greens have come together to form our own political family. We stand for a free, democratic and social Europe in a peaceful, equitable and environmentally sustainable world. We defend values like justice, human and citizen's rights, solidarity, sustainability and the right of each individual to lead their own lives, free from fear.

From the beginning, Greens have advocated thinking globally and acting locally. To develop cooperation at European level, a coordination body was founded in 1984, transforming itself in 1993 into the European Federation of Green Parties. In 2004, underlining the objective of a deeper cooperation, the Federation was transformed again into the European Green Party. European Greens are part of a thriving global Green movement.

Guiding principles

The guiding principles which provide the framework to the political actions by the member parties of the European Green Party can be defined as follows:

I. Environmental Responsibility

Taking responsibility for our biosphere is a central tenet of Green values. Society depends on the ecological resources and the health and resilience of the planet, and we bear an over-riding obligation to future generations to protect this inheritance.

We advocate strongly the need to live within our ecological means. We must maintain biological diversity and combat global warming through sustainable use of renewable resources and the careful husbandry of non-renewable resources. The responsible use of bio-diversity is of critical importance for meeting the food, health and other needs of the growing world population. But beyond any notion of utility, Greens believe that each of the diverse species of life on our planet has an intrinsic value and beauty and therefore deserves to be protected.

Our European pattern of production, consumption and commerce are contributing to the continued poverty of the majority of the planet's inhabitants and causing severe environmental degradation and climatic instability. Industrialised and industrialising countries can no longer postpone action to respond to these challenges. The urgent need to change these patterns necessarily means a profound adjustment process if we are to reverse this damaging exploitation of our common home.

The political challenge facing us is the task to restructure the global agenda so that economic and trade policies serve social and environmental objectives and not just economic indices. Our answer is sustainable development, which integrates environmental, social and economic objectives for the benefit of all. Sustainable development can only be achieved through global cooperation to overcome the economic contradictions between the developing countries, the emerging economies and the industrialised world. Every citizen of the world has the same right to a fair share of the world's resources and also bears the same obligation to ensure that future generations can enjoy the same benefits.

Greens always seek to apply the precautionary principle. We will not support measures which present potential threats to human health or environmental well-being. But neither will we accept delay in implementation of new precautionary measures solely on the ground that scientific studies are not sufficiently numerous. Whatever the domain, - peace, energy, food and agriculture, life sciences, transport, technology, medicine, –decisions and action must systematically follow the least harmful option.

Specifically as regards nuclear energy, Greens stand for a nuclear-free Europe, because of the civil and military threats it poses, because of the burden it puts onto the future generations and because of the security apparatus it needs. For Greens, the priority is to develop decentralized and renewable alternative energies.

II. Freedom through Self-Determination:

Individual autonomy

We Greens believe all human beings — regardless of sex, age, sexual orientation or identity, ethnic origin or disability- have the right to make their own choices, to express themselves freely and to shape their own lives. This freedom is not exclusively about material possessions; it includes the social, cultural, intellectual and spiritual dimensions of human life.

These inalienable rights should be guaranteed by law and taught in schools as basic foundations of our societies. They should be fulfilled by empowerment of the people, by the opportunity for all women and men to make a living for themselves and their families and, where necessary, by social and material support, sufficient to lead a dignified life and to fully participate in society. Where these rights are lacking, we Greens will fight for them, proposing solidarity, education, development cooperation and protection from violence, oppression, and discrimination.

Inclusive democracy

Our belief in democracy is founded upon the mutual recognition of all individuals as equals. To encourage a maximum level of commitment, the political and decision-making processes have to be democratic, inclusive, transparent and fully accessible in a way comprehensible to ordinary citizens. The radical changes needed for sustainable development require that all take a common responsibility and a fair share of the burden. Elected representatives have the duty to consult and fully inform their constituents throughout the whole decision making process.

We must always think globally, even whilst acting locally. To ensure the highest level of citizens' involvement and benefit, the authority to decide should be vested in the lowest effective level. Conversely, whenever a problem requires action on a higher level, the consequences for the lower levels should be taken into account and differences respected. Minority interests must be given adequate attention and protection.

We are committed to strengthening democracy throughout Europe, at local, regional, national and supra-national levels. We want to strengthen the democratic responsibility and accountability of multi-lateral institutions.

III. Extending Justice:

Green policies are based on the principle of justice. This demands a fair distribution of society's goods and this, in turn, requires special attention to the needs of the weakest. Attention to the weakest is especially of importance at the global level, where Europe has a specific responsibility to stimulate economic growth in the developing countries. Because we have to address the problems of a changing world, our notion of justice goes far beyond traditional redistribution policies. Greens stand for social justice, for gender equity, for justice between generations, and for justice at the global level. Despite the practical conflicts arising between them, these dimensions of justice must not be played off against each other.

Social justice ensures that everyone has access to vital societal resources: education, work and democratic participation. Fair access must be defended in the face of existing social imbalances, and needs to be institutionally safeguarded. Education is a decisive factor in the ability to shape one's own life. Using our labour skills enables us to bear the fruits of our abilities and thus defines a key part of our identity. Democratic participation is a basic requirement for becoming involved in society and helping to shape it.

Gender equity. Justice is also gender equity. Women and men should enjoy the same power to define how society will develop. Moreover, they should be able to live their lives free from violence. We Greens want to develop the institutional framework which guarantees women equality at home, at work, in public office and in other positions of influence. We want to facilitate the harmonisation of family and professional life for both genders.

Justice between the generations. The motto ‘We have only borrowed the world from our children’ is more appropriate today than ever before. Today, our children's future is at risk. Justice between generations means an obligation for the older generation to hand down our environmental, social and cultural heritage to the younger ones in a sustainable way. It also includes an obligation for the younger generations to care for the elder population. It should be ensured that all generations can participate fully in society.

Global justice. Justice is also our yardstick on the international level. As the global economy connects people and increases our interdependence, this moral obligation also becomes a practical imperative. Worldwide sustainable development and universal human rights are at the core of our concept of global justice. These must be underpinned by an independent institutional monitoring framework for corporate social responsibility and fair trade.

Justice requires solidarity, non-discrimination and citizens' involvement. Solidarity helps create self-confident individuals — it strengthens citizens instead of patronising them. All public authorities should work in partnership with citizens to create and defend institutions that enhance solidarity. For this reason we also want to invest in networks and communities, which, with state encouragement, practice mutual support.

IV. Diversity, an Indispensable Condition

The richness of civilisations, societies, and cultures has developed through diversification. We Greens are ourselves the result of the merging of a host of social movements, and we believe diversity is a condition for success, survival even, in almost every field of activity. Diversity increases the resilience of organisations and groups whenever they are confronted with unexpected changes. It is a safeguard against intolerance, extremism and totalitarianism. And it is an indispensable source of inspiration and renewal.

Human diversity has many dimensions: gender, social, cultural, spiritual, philosophical, religious, linguistic, economic, ethnic, sexual, regional. These may be expressed by individuals or by social groups. We cherish this diversity. It should however never be used as a pretext for questioning universal rights.

Where people share the same limited space, differences may easily be perceived as threats. Even in the smallest community, the strong tend to make use of their dominant role whereas the weak often find themselves pushed to conform. Safeguarding diversity therefore requires recognition, mutual understanding and respect – and, only too often, active protection.

V. Non-Violence

Non-violence forms a key part of the philosophical background of Green theories and conditions our approach to all problems. No lasting solution to any conflict between individuals, social groups or States can be imposed by force. A basic green principle is that the means used to achieve an objective must be compatible with the objective itself. So the political search for justice and peace cannot be achieved by violent means.

Violence is not just physical. Human actions and global economic structures can deprive people of their human rights and exacerbate social injustice. Poverty is perhaps the most insidious form of violence. To eliminate poverty, we promote international bodies that aim at economic equity and put people's livelihoods and security first, as well as binding global rules for the protection of human rights.

Insofar as armed conflicts are concerned, we are convinced that the use of army or police forces as an isolated strategy cannot be successful in the long run. Greens want to see less military intervention and the implementation of the concept of a civil foreign and security policy. This requires the development of powerful tools for conflict prevention and civil conflict management.

Nevertheless Greens recognise that military means may be called upon by the international community as a last resort. Where there is a threat of mass violence against civilians, deployment of peace-keeping military forces may be justified as a deterrent. When preventative measures have failed, armed intervention may be necessary. Recourse to military means will be subject to the rule of international law and is only legitimate if the following conditions are met:

— the existence of an explicit mandate of the UN Security Council;

— the agreement to the primary objective of intervening in order to save and protect lives through preventing violence;

— the existence of a political strategy defining how such military intervention should end and a peaceful and stable situation be established.

VI. To sum it up, Sustainable Development

Greens recognize that the values of environmental responsibility, freedom, justice, diversity and non-violence can be – and are to some extent – shared by other political families. What defines Greens is that we consider these values as interdependent and inseparable. As a whole, they determine all our actions directed towards the sustainable social, cultural, environmental and economic development of our societies on planet Earth. We apply them not only to our external policies but to our own political conduct as well as to the organisation of our own party.

Europeans were the pioneers of the process of industrialization which is at the heart of some of our worst global problems. As citizens of one of the wealthiest continents on Earth, we Europeans carry a major responsibility for the reversal of the destructive trends it has generated and for initiating an alternative and sustainable development model. The scope of the issues at stake is such that it is beyond the powers of any single state to achieve this aim. Therefore we need cooperation in which all of Europe — from Dublin to Tbilisi, from Helsinki to Lisbon, from Ankara to Reykjavik — will be able to participate.

The European Union is well placed to facilitate this cooperation, providing that:

a) it remains open for further enlargements;

b) it restructures itself into a truly democratic institution,

c) it reorients its priorities towards an environmentally and socially sustainable model of development and