Revised rules of procedure of the governing board of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Approved by the Council on  24 July 2006 )
Date: 2006-07-24
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Cedefop, operation of the Institutions, rules of procedure

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Official Journal of the European Union

4.8.2006

REVISED RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE EUROPEAN CENTRE
FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING

(Approved by the Council on 24 July 2006)

(2006/C 182/02)

THE GOVERNING BOARD OF THE EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING,

nator of the Employers' group and one more representative of
the Commission Services.

Set up by Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 337/75 of
10 February 1975 establishing a European Centre for the
Development of Vocational Training (1),
‘the
founding Regulation’),

(hereinafter

Having regard to the first paragraph of Article 5 thereof,

HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING RULES OF PROCEDURE:

Appointment of the Chair and Vice-Chairs

Article 1

2. Without prejudice to the responsibilities of the Director
set out in Article 7 and 8 of the Founding Regulation, the
Bureau shall take decisions which are urgent or necessary for
governing the Centre between meetings of
the Governing
Board and shall, as delegated by the Governing Board, monitor
the implementation of the decisions of the Governing Board.

3.
The Bureau may not replace the Governing Board in
respect of acts which the founding Regulation has expressly
reserved to the latter: the list of candidates for a new Director
(Article 6(1));
the medium-term priorities and the work
programme (Article 8(1)) and the estimate of revenue and
expenditure for the following financial year (Article 11(1)); as
well as issues on the organisation, composition and method of
working of the Bureau

The Chairperson and the three Vice-Chairpersons shall be
appointed by the Governing Board in such a way that each
belongs to one of the four categories mentioned in Article 4(2)
of the founding Regulation.

4.
The Bureau's decisions shall be taken by consensus. If no
consensus can be reached, the Bureau shall refer the matter to
the Governing Board for decision (Article 4(12) of Founding
Regulation).

Article 2

1.
If the Chairperson is absent or unable to attend, his/her
duties shall be performed by one of the Vice-Chairpersons,
selected in the order laid down by the Bureau.

2.
If the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairpersons are absent
or unable to attend, these duties shall be performed by the
most senior or, in the case of equal seniority, by the oldest
Member present.

Bureau

Article 3

In accordance with Article 4(8) and (5) of the founding
1.
Regulation,
the Governing Board shall establish a Bureau,
which shall be made up of the chair and the three vice-chairs
of the Governing Board, the coordinator of the Governments'
Group, the coordinator of the Employees' Group, the coordi-

(1) OJ L 39, 13.2.1975, as last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No
2051/2004 of 25 October 2004, OJ L 355 of 1.12.2004, p. 1.

The Governing Board may decide to enlarge the Bureau
5.
with up to three additional members per group for meetings
with strategic issues for future Governing Board decisions.

The agreement of

6.
the Bureau on a
proposal made by one of them, or by the Director of the
Centre may be ascertained by a written procedure, as laid down
by the Governing Board.

the members of

Convening and venue

Article 4

Pursuant

to Article 4(6) of

the
1.
Governing Board shall be convened by its Chairperson, either
on his/her own initiative at least once a year, or at the request
of at least one third of the members.

founding Regulation,

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2.
The Director of the Centre shall, on behalf of the Chair-
person, notify each member of the date of a meeting not less
than 15 working days before the date thereof. He/she shall
simultaneously send them the draft agenda comprising the
items to be examined and any preparatory documents.

3.
If, in accordance with Article 4(6) of founding Regulation,
at least one third of the members of the Governing Board
the Board be convened the Chairperson shall
request
comply with the request within one month in accordance with
paragraph 2.

that

Article 5

As a general rule, meetings of the Governing Board shall be
held at the seat of the Centre.

Agenda

Article 6

1.
At the beginning of a meeting, the Governing Board shall
adopt the agenda, which shall consist of the items included on
the draft agenda referred to in Article 4(2) and any other items
falling within its competence proposed by the Chairperson or,
its
in accordance with paragraph 2, by one or more of
members.

2.
Any request by one or more members of the Governing
Board for the inclusion of an item on the agenda or its deletion
therefrom shall state the reasons on which it is based and shall
be sent in writing to the Chairperson at least one week before
the meeting. The Chairperson shall immediately bring any such
request to the notice of the other members of the Governing
Board.

3.
During a meeting, any member may propose the inclu-
sion of an item on the agenda for the subsequent meeting. At
the beginning of this subsequent meeting, the Governing Board
shall decide whether to include the proposed item on the
agenda.

Attendance at meetings

Article 7

1.
Besides the Chairperson, Vice-Chairpersons and members,
the following persons may attend meeting without being
entitled to vote:

— the Director and Deputy Director of the Centre.

On a proposal

from the Chairperson,

2.
the Governing
Board may allow the following persons to attend meetings of
the Governing Board or the Bureau without being entitled to
vote:

— members of the Staff Committee of the Centre,

— persons particularly qualified in matters which are the

responsibility of the Board.

Article 8

Proceedings

Article 9

1.
The presence of majority of members of the Governing
Board or of persons validly representing them shall constitute a
quorum, account being taken of Article 13, with at least one
third of its members present.

In the absence of a quorum, the Chairperson shall close the
meeting and convene another as soon as possible.

2. Meetings of the Governing Board shall not be public, but
the outcome will be published unless matters are confidential.

3.

The Chairperson shall direct the proceedings.

The Chairperson shall give precedence to those wishing

4.
to raise a point of order or a preliminary matter.

If a speaker departs from the subject and has already been
5.
called to order twice by the Chairperson, the Chairperson may,
if the speaker's remarks are still not to the point, forbid him/
her to speak.

6.
If the Chairperson or any member disputes the admissi-
bility of a motion proposed by a member during the proceed-
ings, the matter shall be put to vote. The substance of such a
motion may be discussed only with the assent of the majority,
within the meaning of Article 10(1).

7.
If the Chairperson considers that a motion may impede
the Governing Board's proceedings, he/she shall forthwith put
it to the vote without debate.

Adoption of decisions

Article 10

1.
In accordance with Article 4(7) of the founding Regu-
lation, decisions by the Governing Board shall be adopted by
an absolute majority of its members.

2. Motions that the Governing Board should not express an
opinion on a question or that consideration of a question
should be postponed shall be voted on before any motion
dealing with the substance of the question.

A motion which deals with several questions shall be

3.
divided into its several parts if this is requested.

4. Where several motions are tabled on one and the same
question, the most far-reaching among them shall be put to
vote first. In the case of amendments, that amendment which
departs the furthest from the basic text shall be put to the vote
first. In the case of amendments to an amendment, there shall
be put to the vote first, beginning with the most far-reaching,
those amendments which seek to amend the amendment
which departs the furthest from the basic text.

Any member of the Governing Board who is unable to attend a
meeting shall notify the Director of the Centre.

The final vote shall be taken on the text resulting from

5.
previous voting.

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Article 11

1.
The voting figures shall be stated for each decision
adopted by the Governing Board. The decision shall be accom-
panied by a written statement of the views of the minority,
where the latter so requests.

The Director of the Centre shall, where necessary, give

2.
notice of the decisions adopted.

Method of voting

Article 12

1.

Voting shall be by show of hands or by roll call.

If the result of a vote by show of hands is disputed, the

2.
Chairperson shall proceed to a vote by roll call.

Nominations and appointments shall be made by secret
3.
vote if one of the members so requests or if the Chairperson
thinks it necessary.

4.
In the case of a secret vote, the Chairperson shall count
the votes in the presence of three scrutineers appointed by the
Governing Board each time a vote is taken. The Chairperson
shall declare the results immediately.

5. When a motion is put to the vote, any member present
shall, if he/she so wishes, be authorised by the Chairperson to
give a brief explanation of the reasons for his/her vote.

Voting by proxy

Article 13

1.
Any member unable to attend a meeting may authorise
any other member in his own category to vote on his/her
behalf. Members so doing must inform the Chairperson thereof
in writing before the meeting.

2.

A member may not be given more than two proxy votes.

A proxy vote is valid only for the meeting for which it

3.
has been given.

Closure of debates

Article 14

The Chairperson may move the closure of the debate
1.
when he/she considers that all members have had an opportu-
nity to express their views. Members may also move for
closure.

Any member asking to speak on closure shall be given

2.
precedence.

3.

Any motion to close the debate shall be put to a vote.

Written procedures

Article 15

1. Written procedures can be organised in two ways:

(a) via a proposal, which is sent

to all Governing Board
members, who are requested to give their positions to their
Bureau members for a decision by the Bureau;

(b) via a proposal for a decision following a failure to reach a

consensus in the Bureau (Article 3(5)),

The Governing Board shall

2.
lay down the practical
arrangements for implementation of written procedures, which
have to leave enough time for (electronic) voting and other
procedures to finalise the voting procedure.

Minutes of meetings

Article 16

1. Minutes shall be taken of each meeting.

2.

These minutes shall include:

(a) The list of those present and proxy votes,

(b) A record of the proceedings,

(c) The decisions adopted by the Governing Board with an

indication of the voting figures for each vote taken.

The Governing Board shall receive draft minutes within

3.
four weeks of the relevant meeting.

The minutes shall be submitted to the Governing Board

4.
by written procedure and shall be adopted by the Bureau.

5. Motions to amend the draft minutes shall be submitted to
the Director in writing no later than four weeks after they have
been received by the members.

The approved minutes shall be signed by the Chairperson

6.
and countersigned by the Director of the Centre.

Secretariat

Article 17

1.
In accordance with Article 7(2) of the founding Regu-
lation, the Director of the Centre shall prepare and organise the
work of the Governing Board and the Bureau and shall provide
the secretariat for their meetings. He/she shall assist the Bureau
and the Governing Board in preparing their decisions reached
in the meeting or via written procedure.

its
Correspondence intended for the Governing Board,
2.
Chairperson or the Director of the Centre shall be addressed to
the Centre.

Revision of the Rules of Procedure

Article 18

The Governing Board shall decide on the revision of its

1.
rules of procedure by an absolute majority of its members.

2.
The revision shall enter into force after the Council of the
European Union has received an opinion from the Commission
and has given its approval.