Convention of the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation
European Urban Knowledge Network Limited
(EUKN)
Based on Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No. 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and the
Council of 5 July 2006 on a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC)

Preamble
The European Urban Knowledge Network (EUKN) is an intergovernmental urban network that
was established in 2004 under the Dutch EU Presidency. The key objective of EUKN is to
enhance, throughout Europe, the exchange of knowledge and expertise on urban
development, spanning urban policy, research and practice. EUKN aims to strengthen
territorial cohesion by providing support to (local) urban professionals in their efforts to
strengthen the socioeconomic position of cities. EUKN is characterised by a demand-driven
approach, based on the needs of urban practitioners and policymakers. EUKN has developed
an extensive, high-quality knowledge database, based on shared standards and protocols.
This extensive e-library provides free access to case studies, research results, policy
documents, contextual issues, network descriptions, updated news and meetings.
Each EUKN Member State is represented at the relevant public level in the Assembly, the
decision-making body of the EUKN EGTC. Each EUKN Member State has established a
National Focal Point (NFP), which functions as a two-way gateway: disseminating national
knowledge via EUKN at European level and disseminating European and international
knowledge at national level. All NFPs have a national website which is part of the EUKN
portal. The NFPs are supported by a small Secretariat, located in The Hague. The EUKN
Secretariat maintains the EUKN portal website and publishes the EUKN newsletters.
In order to reinforce and promote transnational cooperation between the members of EUKN,
it was decided to establish an EUKN EGTC. This convention derives specifically from the
application of Regulation (EC) No. 1082/2006 on a European Grouping of Territorial
Cooperation (EGTC).

ARTICLE 1 - NAME
The official name of the EGTC is ‘European Urban Knowledge Network (EUKN) EGTC Limited’
(hereafter referred to as the ‘EUKN EGTC’).

1

ARTICLE 2 – REGISTERED OFFICE
The registered office of the EUKN EGTC is:
Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
P.O. Box 20011
2500 EA The Hague
The Netherlands
The postal address of the EUKN EGTC is:
EUKN Secretariat
PO Box 90750
2509 LT The Hague
The Netherlands
Address changes within the Netherlands are not considered to be amendments to the
convention.
ARTICLE 3 – AREA OF INTERVENTION
The territory in which the EUKN EGTC will execute its tasks comprises all European member
states and European countries whose relevant public authorities are members of EUKN EGTC.
ARTICLE 4 – OBJECTIVE AND TASKS
4.1 Main objective
The main objective of the

EUKN EGTC is to facilitate and promote territorial, mainly

transnational cooperation aimed at strengthening the economic, social, territorial and
environmental cohesion of cities. To realise this objective the EUKN EGTC stimulates the
European exchange of relevant and validated urban knowledge and experiences, thereby
supporting sustainable urban development.
4.2 Operational objectives
Through European urban knowledge exchange, the EUKN EGTC aims to support urban
professionals in developing and implementing successful urban policy initiatives. The EUKN
EGTC stimulates the use of best practices, enhancing territorial and transnational cooperation
and strengthening the competitiveness and inclusiveness of European cities. In particular,
the EUKN EGTC aims to:
-

Enhance the sustainability of the network;

-

Improve the quality and added value of the EUKN EGTC’s products and services;

-

Position the EUKN EGTC as the central urban knowledge dissemination hub in Europe;

-

Support urban professionals through the development and implementation of specific
projects which are aimed at meeting their knowledge needs. This support may make use
of funding and subsidies from the European Union and other public or private sources.

2

4.3 Tasks
The specific tasks of the EUKN EGTC are to optimise the functioning and output of the EUKN
EGTC network by:
-

Collecting, creating and making accessible knowledge documents in the EUKN EGTC
database, generated by the National Focal Points and the Secretariat;

-

Enhancing European knowledge exchange by connecting urban professionals, with the
involvement of National Focal Points;

-

Strengthening the position of the EUKN EGTC within Europe through active liaisons with
other European networks and programmes;

-

Ongoing support and maintenance of the ICT infrastructure of the knowledge network
(including the hosting and maintenance of the central website and National Focal Point
sub-sites);

-

Developing and implementing effective communication strategies aimed at raising
awareness of the network and providing a deeper insight into how its functionalities can
be used;

-

Organising an annual dissemination conference and possibly other European events.

ARTICLE 5 – MEMBERS
The EUKN EGTC’s members are the relevant public authorities in the following countries:
Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg,
the Netherlands, Romania and Spain. The details of the relevant authorities are listed in the
annexe.
ARTICLE 6 – DURATION OF THE EGTC AND CONDITIONS FOR DISSOLUTION
6.1 Duration of the EUKN EGTC
The EUKN EGTC will exist for an unlimited period unless the Assembly decides otherwise.
Provision is made for an evaluation every three years. The Assembly may decide to alter the
timeframe within which evaluations are conducted.
6.2 Conditions for dissolution of the EUKN EGTC
a) The EUKN EGTC will be dissolved if it is made up of members from only one Member
State, in accordance with Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No. 1082/2006 of the European
Parliament and the Council of 5 July 2006 on a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation
('the Regulation').
b) The EUKN EGTC shall be dissolved by the Assembly if a unanimous decision to this effect
is made by all its members. The dissolution of the EUKN EGTC takes effect three months
after the decision has been taken by the Assembly to dissolve the EUKN EGTC. Before the
EUKN EGTC can be dissolved, all outstanding contributions and financial commitments to
external parties need to be fulfilled. The initial financial commitment of EUKN members to
the EUKN EGTC covers a period of three years (2011-2013). The Netherlands is responsible
for coordinating the dissolution process, and will notify the Committee of the Regions at least
fifteen days before the date determined for dissolution.

3

The remaining budget will be redistributed to all members of the EUKN EGTC based on their
contribution, on condition that all external debtors have been paid. The Netherlands will
appoint a liquidator, subject to conditions agreed upon in the Assembly.
The EUKN EGTC database will no longer be hosted and will thus cease to exist. The
documents in the database can be retrieved by the EUKN members that published the
documents in the database (EUKN members remain owners of their own documents). The
documents should be retrieved within three months. If another organisation offers to host
the EUKN EGTC database, this must be negotiated with the Assembly. The Assembly has the
right to take a decision on the proposed takeover. If the database is not taken over, it will
cease to exist six months after the official dissolution of the EUKN EGTC.
ARTICLE 7 - APPLICABLE LAW
Members will comply with the Regulation, the convention and statutes governing the EUKN
EGTC, and the national statutory provisions of the Netherlands. The interpretation and
enforcement of the convention is subject to Dutch law. The EUKN EGTC operates under
public law, as a not-for-profit legal entity.
Furthermore, Dutch law is applicable to all administrative procedures, accounting and
budgetary rules, and staff contracts. Dutch law does not apply to internal arrangements
constituted by the members in the EUKN EGTC and their respective National Focal Points.
ARTICLE 8 - ARRANGEMENTS FOR MUTUAL RECOGNITION
In the interests of mutual recognition of the legal systems of the EUKN EGTC members from
other participating Member States, including for financial control issues, it is agreed that all
documentation needed for independent financial control should be made available in English.
ARTICLE 9 - PROCEDURES FOR THE CONVENTION
9.1 Procedure for approving the convention in the Netherlands (official seat of the EUKN
EGTC)
In accordance with Articles 4 and 5 of the Regulation, sections 2, 3, 7 and 11 of the Dutch
EGTC Regulation Implementation Act, section 34 of the Dutch Government Accounts Act
(2001) and section 4.1.1.1 of the General Administrative Law Act, the procedure for
approving the convention in the Netherlands is as follows:
•

The Dutch Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations sends a letter to the
responsible Minister in the respective EUKN member state inviting that Minister to send a
letter in return, approving his or her country’s participation in the EUKN EGTC. Preceding
this official confirmation of participation in the EUKN EGTC, countries inform the Dutch
Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations that they will start the official EGTC
approval procedure and that the Minister will be informed (within the deadline) of the
outcome.

4

•

The Member States that intend to join the EUKN EGTC approve participation in the EGTC
in accordance with their internal regulatory procedures and notify the Dutch Minister of
the Interior and Kingdom Relations of this approval (Article 4.3 of the Regulation).

•

The Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations decides on the requests made by the
relevant authorities to take part in an EGTC based in the Netherlands, according to the
following procedure:
a) The Minister and the Court of Audit jointly examine the draft decree (section 34.2 of
the Government Accounts Act).
b) The Minister presents the draft decree to the Cabinet (section 34.1 of the
Government Accounts Act).
c)

The Minister informs the States General of the intention to establish an EGTC
(section 34, subsections 1 to 3 of the Government Accounts Act 2001 apply mutatis
mutandis). If, within 30 days of receiving written notification or within 14 days of
receiving further details, one of the two houses of the States General should express
its opposition to the proposed membership of the EGTC, the State will not join the
body or become its official seat.

•

The Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations notifies the members of the EGTC of
the outcome of the Dutch ratification procedure . The members of the EUKN EGTC
approve the convention and statutes, ensuring consistency with the approval of
participation of the Member States (Article 4.5 of the Regulation).

•

The Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations publishes the statutes, referred to in
Article 9 of the Regulation, of an EGTC that is to have its registered office in the
Netherlands. Publication takes the form of a notice in the Government Gazette stating
where the statutes have been deposited for inspection. The publication referred to above
constitutes the publication referred to in Article 5, paragraph 1 of the Regulation,
whereby the EGTC acquires legal personality.

•

The Dutch Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations notifies the present convention
to the Committee of the Regions according to Article 5 of the Regulation and sends a
request to the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities for publication
of a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union announcing the establishment of
the EGTC, with details of its name, objectives, members and re gistered office, in
accordance with Article 5 of the Regulation.

•

The EUKN EGTC must deposit authentic copies of the convention and the statutes at the
office of a chamber of commerce.

9.2 Procedure for amending the convention
Amendments to the convention require the approval of all members of the EUKN EGTC. A
proposal for amendment should be submitted by a member to the Assembly for decision.
Each member informs its national notification authority of the purpose of the amendment
and together with a copy of the proposal of the amendment. The Netherlands will notify the
Committee of the Regions. Each amendment must be published in accordance with Articles 4
and 5 of the Regulation.

5

ARTICLE 10 - FINAL PROVISIONS
Prior to the official notification process, the EUKN members taking part in the EUKN EGTC
officially inform the Netherlands of their national approval of the EUKN EGTC convention and
statutes. The Netherlands will notify the present convention to the Committee of the Regions
and send a request to the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities for
publication of a notice in the

Official Journal of the European Union announcing the

establishment of the EUKN EGTC, with details of its name, objectives, members and
registered office, in accordance with Article 5 of the Regulation.

6

Statutes of the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation
European Urban Knowledge Network Limited
(EUKN)

Based on Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No. 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and the
Council of 5 July 2006 on a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC)
Preamble
In order to reinforce and promote transnational cooperation between the members of EUKN
it was decided to establish an EUKN EGTC. These statutes derive specifically from the
application of Regulation (EC) No. 1082/2006 on a European Grouping of Territorial
Cooperation (EGTC).
ARTICLE 1 - NAME
The name of the EGTC is ‘European Urban Knowledge Network (EUKN) EGTC Limited’
(hereafter referred to as the ‘EUKN EGTC’).
ARTICLE 2 – REGISTERED OFFICE
The registered office of the EUKN EGTC is:
Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
P.O. Box 20011
2500 EA The Hague
The Netherlands
The postal address of the EUKN EGTC is:
EUKN Secretariat
PO Box 90750
2509 LT The Hague
The Netherlands
Address changes within the Netherlands are not considered to be amendments to the
statutes.
ARTICLE 3 – AREA OF INTERVENTION
The territory in which the EUKN EGTC will execute its task comprises all European member
states and European countries whose relevant public authorities are members of EUKN EGTC.
ARTICLE 4 – OBJECTIVE AND TASKS
4.1 Main objective
The main objective of the EUKN EGTC is to facilitate and promote territorial, mainly
transnational cooperation aimed at strengthening the economic, social, territorial and

7

environmental cohesion of cities. To realise this objective the EUKN EGTC stimulates the
European exchange of relevant and validated urban knowledge and experiences, thereby
supporting sustainable urban development.
4.2 Operational objectives
Through European urban knowledge exchange, the EUKN EGTC aims to support urban
professionals in developing and implementing successful urban policy initiatives. The EUKN
EGTC stimulates the use of best practices, enhancing territorial and transnational cooperation
and strengthening the competitiveness and inclusiveness of European cities. In particular,
the EUKN EGTC aims to:
-

Enhance the sustainability of the network;

-

Improve the quality and added value of the EUKN EGTC’s products and services;

-

Position the EUKN EGTC as the central urban knowledge dissemination hub in Europe;

-

Support urban professionals through the development and implementation of specific
projects which are aimed at meeting their knowledge needs. This support may make use
of funding and subsidies from the European Union and other public or private sources.

4.3 Tasks
The specific tasks of the EUKN EGTC are to optimise the functioning and output of the EUKN
EGTC network by:
-

Collecting, creating and making accessible knowledge documents in the EUKN EGTC
database, generated by the National Focal Points and the Secretariat;

-

Enhancing European knowledge exchange by connecting urban professionals, with the
involvement of National Focal Points;

-

Strengthening the position of the EUKN EGTC within Europe through active liaisons with
other European networks and programmes;

-

Ongoing support and maintenance of the ICT infrastructure of the knowledge network
(including the hosting and maintenance of the central website and National Focal Point
sub-sites);

-

Developing and implementing effective communication strategies aimed at raising
awareness of the network and providing a deeper insight into how its functionalities can
be used;

-

Organising an annual dissemination conference and possibly other European events.

ARTICLE 5 – MEMBERS
The EUKN EGTC’s members are the relevant public authorities in the following countries:
Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg,
the Netherlands, Romania and Spain. The details of the relevant authorities are listed in the
annexe.
ARTICLE 6 - MEMBERSHIP PROCEDURES
6.1 Integration of new members

8

New members must agree to the measures and procedures described in the EUKN EGTC
convention and statutes. Only European countries represented at the relevant level may
become members of the EUKN EGTC. The approval of the Assembly is a necessary condition.
A EUKN EGTC candidate group may be established, enabling the integration of a number of
new members simultaneously. Prior to formal inclusion in the EUKN EGTC, members of this
candidate group will take part in EUKN on the basis of a Memorandum of Understanding. The
Assembly will decide on the accession of potential EUKN members to the EUKN EGTC
candidate group.
6.2 Resignation of a member
Members wishing to resign from the EUKN EGTC must notify the Assembly by mean of an
official letter. The Director of the EUKN EGTC liaises with the member in question and
presents a proposal to the Assembly. This proposal includes details of the expected financial
impact of the resignation and the consequences for the products and services of the EUKN
EGTC. A member is always permitted to resign on condition that all outstanding annually
committed financial contributions are paid. The initial financial commitment encompasses a
period of three years (January 2011 to December 2013).
A member that has resigned remains liable to the EUKN EGTC and third parties for the EUKN
EGTC’s activities until all financial commitments have been paid. A member that has formally
resigned no longer has any liability towards the EUKN EGTC.
6.3 Exclusion of members
If a member state no longer fulfils its financial obligations, the Assembly decides, upon a
proposal to that effect, to exclude that specific member state. During the exclusion process,
the member to be excluded no longer has the right to vote. The excluded member remains
liable to third parties for the EUKN EGTC’s activities until the day of the definitive exclusion
decision.
ARTICLE 7 – DURATION OF THE EGTC AND CONDITIONS FOR DISSOLUTION
7.1 Duration of the EGTC
The EUKN EGTC will exist for an unlimited period unless the Assembly decides otherwise.
Provision is made for an evaluation every three years. The Assembly may decide to alter the
timeframe within which evaluations are conducted.
7.2 Conditions for dissolution of the EGTC
a) The EUKN EGTC will be dissolved if it is made up of members from only one Member
State, in accordance with Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No. 1082/2006 of the European
Parliament and the Council of 5 July 2006 on a European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation
('the Regulation').

9

b) The EUKN EGTC shall be dissolved by the Assembly if a unanimous decision to this effect
is made by all its members. The dissolution of the EUKN EGTC takes effect three months
after the decision has been taken by the Assembly to dissolve the EUKN EGTC. Before the
EUKN EGTC can be dissolved, all outstanding contributions and financial commitments to
external parties need to be fulfilled. The initial financial commitment of EUKN members to
the EUKN EGTC covers a period of three years (2011-2013). The Netherlands is responsible
for coordinating the dissolution process, and will notify the Committee of the Regions at least
fifteen days before the date determined for dissolution.
The remaining budget will be redistributed to all members of the EUKN EGTC based on their
contribution, on condition that all external debtors have been paid. The Netherlands will
appoint a liquidator, subject to conditions agreed upon in the Assembly.
The EUKN EGTC database will no longer be hosted and will thus cease to exist. The
documents in the database can be retrieved by the EUKN members that published the
documents in the database. The documents should be retrieved within three months after
the dissolution of the EUKN EGTC. If another organisation offers to host the EUKN EGTC
database, this must be negotiated with the Assembly. The Assembly has the right to take a
decision on the proposed takeover. If the database is not taken over, it will cease to exist six
months after the official dissolution of the EUKN EGTC.
ARTICLE 8 - APPLICABLE LAW
Members will comply with the Regulation, the convention and statutes governing the EUKN
EGTC, and the national statutory provisions of the Netherlands. The interpretation and
enforcement of the statutes is subject to Dutch law. The EUKN EGTC operates under public
law, as a not-for-profit legal entity.
Furthermore, Dutch law is applicable to all administrative procedures, accounting and
budgetary rules, and staff contracts. Dutch law does not apply to internal arrangements
constituted by the members in the EUKN EGTC and their respective National Focal Points.
In this matter the law of the respective member state applies.
ARTICLE 9 – AGREEMENTS FOR MUTUAL RECOGNITION
In the interests of mutual recognition of the legal systems of the EGTC members from other
participating Member States, including for financial control issues, it is agreed that all
documentation needed for independent financial control should be made available in English.
ARTICLE 10 – PROCEDURES FOR AMENDING THE STATUTES
A proposal for amendment should be submitted by a member to the Assembly for decision.
Amendments to the statutes require the approval of all members of the EGTC.

10

Each member informs its national notification authority of the purpose of the amendment
and provides it with a copy of the proposed amendment. The member informs the
Netherland when the amendment procedure according to national law has been completed.
Each amendment must be published in accordance with Articles 4 and 5 of the Regulation.
The Netherlands will notify the Committee of the Regions and send a request to the Office for
Official Publications of the European Communities for publication of a notice in the Official
Journal of the European Union announcing details of the amendment of the EUKN EGTC, with
details of its name, objectives, members and registered office.
ARTICLE 11 – WORKING LANGUAGE
The official language of the EGTC EUKN is English; hence all official documents are in
English. English is also the working language at official meetings and European events of the
network and English is also the official language for the EUKN Secretariat. The National Focal
Points communicate with national actors and at national events in the respective national
language.
ARTICLE 12 - FINANCES
12.1 Annual contributions from the EUKN EGTC’s members
The annual contributions from the EUKN EGTC’s members are dedicated to the European
coordination structure and services and activities carried out at European level. The costs of
hosting a National Focal Point in the EUKN member countries are not included in this budget.
The annual contribution from the members depends on the size of the relevant country’s
population. This weighted contribution acknowledges a differentiation in membership fee.
The Assembly decides upon the financial contribution. The budget is managed via a specific
dedicated accountability system.
In the initial phase of the EUKN EGTC, the financial contribution is a commitment for a period
of three years, from January 2011 until December 2013. The membership contribution is
paid in advance and in principle in the first semester of each year. Any member that fails to
pay for more than a year may be excluded from the EUKN EGTC, after a decision to this
effect by the Assembly. In the initial phase of the EUKN EGTC, the Netherlands, as official
seat, financially supports the realisation of specific ambitions.
12.2 Application for EU funding
In order to enhance the implementation of the specific objectives and specifically to support
and strengthen the activities and services of the National Focal Points and EUKN members in
general, the EUKN EGTC is entitled to submit applications to access European or other public
(non-EU) funding and subsidies.

11

12.3 Auditing and budgetary rules
Dutch law is the applicable law in respect of auditing and budgetary rules. The Assembly
approves the annual budget of the EUKN EGTC. The Director of the

EUKN EGTC is

responsible for designating the independent external auditor. Assembly members may
propose an independent external auditor on condition that the auditor has knowledge of
Dutch auditing and budgetary rules and is listed in the Dutch Auditor Register. The decision
to adopt the annual state of account shall be approved by the Netherlands The annual state
of account will be sent to the Assembly for notification. The independent external auditor will
carry out an audit to verify the correct spending of the budget and whether the auditing
arrangements of the Secretariat are in agreement with official budgetary standards.
12.4 Liability of EGTC members
The EUKN EGTC has limited liability, which means that all member states participating in the
EUKN EGTC have limited liability to the extent that they are financially responsible for their
financial contribution to EUKN based on their annual contribution. In the initial phase of the
EUKN EGTC, the financial commitment is based on a contribution for a period of three years
(from January 2011 to December 2013). If a member resigns from the EUKN EGTC without
fulfilling its financial obligations, the Assembly acknowledges its shared responsibility to find
a solution which guarantees the basic functioning of the EUKN EGTC and its Secretariat,
respecting existing service and staff contracts. The Director will present a revised budgetary
proposal to the Assembly which outlines measures to be taken.
13. THE OFFICIAL SEAT AND ITS RESPONSIBILITIES
The EUKN EGTC consists of a number of organs listed in Article 14. The Netherlands as
official seat of the EGTC is not a designated organ, but has the following specific
responsibilities:
-

Managing the acquisition of legal personality and publication in the Official Journal as set
out in Article 5 of the Regulation;

-

Following the notification process in the event of the amendment of the EUKN EGTC
convention and/or statutes or its dissolution;

-

Approving the annual audit report and sending it to the Assembly for notification;

-

Managing the overall European implementation of EUKN. To this extent an executive
agency will be appointed which will be responsible for the functioning of the EUKN
Secretariat.

ARTICLE 14 – THE ORGANISATION OF THE EGTC
The organs of the EGTC are:
•

The Assembly;

•

The Director;

•

The National Focal Points;

12

•

The Secretariat.

15 – THE ASSEMBLY
15.1 Composition
The members of the Assembly are representatives of the participating members of the EUKN
EGTC. The members are the relevant public authorities in the following countries: Belgium,
Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, the
Netherlands, Romania and Spain . The details of the relevant authorities responsible for urban
policy are listed in the annexe.
Members are represented in the Assembly by a maximum of two delegates per country. Each
country has one vote . Members may invite experts or legal representatives as observers who
do not have the right to vote.
15.2 Chair and vice chair
Each year the Assembly elects the chair and one vice chair. Candidates take part in this
election on a voluntary basis. The selection process is based on an open invitation to
members of the Assembly. If there is more than one candidate for a particular post, the
Assembly selects the chair and the vice chair by a simple majority in a secret ballot. The
chair can be re-elected for three successive periods. The chair and vice chair are responsible
for:
•

Preparing the agenda of Assembly meetings, supported by the Director;

•

Liaising with EUKN EGTC members and the Director on strategic issues in preparation for
the Assembly meeting

•

Preparing the strategic thematic agenda of the EUKN EGTC. This agenda is aimed at
strengthening the strategic position of the EUKN EGTC in Europe. This agenda is to be
officially approved by the Assembly;

•

Chairing Assembly meetings.

In recognition of the position of the Netherlands as official seat of the EUKN EGTC, either the
chair or vice chair is from the Netherlands.
15.3 Main responsibilities
The Assembly is the decision-making body of the EUKN EGTC. The main responsibilities of
the Assembly are:
-

Amending the convention and statutes;

-

Dissolving the EUKN EGTC;

-

Approving the integration of new EUKN EGTC members;

-

Approving the exclusion of a EUKN EGTC member state if financial obligations are no
longer fulfilled;

-

Selecting the Assembly chair and vice chair on an annual basis;

13

-

Approving or amending the strategic thematic agenda of the EUKN EGTC prepared by the
chair and vice chair;

-

Adopting and monitoring the annual budget of the EUKN EGTC in accordance with Article
11 of the Regulation;

-

Adopting and monitoring the annual work plan of the EUKN EGTC;

-

Approving annual reports on the activities of the Secretariat and the National Focal
Points;

-

Approving and amending the general organisation of the EUKN EGTC Secretariat;

-

Formulating general basic quality conditions which form the basis for the service level
agreements between member states and their respective National Focal Points;

The Assembly may propose an external auditor, with due regard for Dutch auditing and
budgetary rules.
15.4 Decision-making procedures
All Assembly members have equal decision-making powers. Decision-making procedures are
aimed at reaching consensus, but do not rule out voting on the basis of simple majority.
Each country has one vote. The position of a member can also be provided in writing 15
working days before the Assembly meeting.
In the event of an irreconcilable difference of opinion, the Assembly may request the Director
to prepare an alternative proposal, to be submitted to the Assembly for further decisionmaking. The Director will prepare this proposal within one month. An additional Assembly
meeting will be convened no later than one month after the alternative proposal has been
circulated by the Director.
The general Assembly decision-making processes may include a procedure whereby all
members officially state in writing whether they agree to a proposal. This procedure, which is
prepared by the Director, runs as follows:
-

A proposal consisting out of a explanatory memo and clearly formulated decision
is sent to all Assembly members by email;

-

Assembly members inform the Director within 15 working days of their position;

-

The Director gathers all responses and informs the chair and vice chair of the
outcome of the procedure ;

-

In consultation with the chair and vice chair, the Director will decide whether it
is necessary to convene an additional Assembly meeting. If so, it will be held
within 20 working days .

The presence of two-thirds of the Assembly me mbers at an Assembly meeting is required in
order to make the following strategic decisions:
-

a decision regarding the amendment of the convention and statutes;

-

a decision regarding the dissolution of the EUKN EGTC;

-

a decision on the integration or exclusion of a n EUKN EGTC member;

14

-

a decision on members’ contributions.

Decisions will be taken on the basis of consensus. If a two-thirds quorum is not present, the
Assembly meeting will be postponed. The next Assembly meeting will decide on the matter,
on condition that more than half of the members are present.
15.5 Meetings
The Assembly convenes at least twice a year. Additional meetings may be organised. Written
invitations to Assembly meetings, including the agenda, are sent 20 working days in advance
by the Director. Working documents on which a decision is required are sent at least five
working days before the Assembly meeting.
The Director is responsib le for conveying the minutes of meetings to all Assembly members
for validation and approval. The Director must do so no later than two weeks after the
Assembly meeting.
16 – THE DIRECTOR
As stated in Article 10 of the Regulation, the EGTC has a Director. The Director represents
the EUKN EGTC in relations with third parties within the limits of his responsibilities. In
principle the Director serves a five-year term. The Director may serve for another five years
if the Assembly so decides. The Director is the head of the Secretariat and is responsible for
the day-to-day management of the EGTC, focusing on carrying out Assembly decisions.
Every three years the management of the EUKN Secretariat will be evaluated as part of an
overall evaluation of EUKN.
16.1 Main responsibilities of the Director
The main responsibilities of the Director include:
-

Appointing the external independent auditor, in line with the decision taken by the
Assembly;

-

Presenting the annual state of account to the Netherlands, as official seat of the EUKN
EGTC;

-

Presenting the annual work plan, reports on the activities and budget report to the
Assembly for approval;

-

Representing the EUKN EGTC at operational level in Europe and acting on its behalf.
Engaging actively with other European programmes, urban networks and the European
Commission with a view to intensified collaboration;

-

Liaising with potential new EUKN EGTC members and EUKN EGTC members that wish to
leave the EUKN EGTC, in line with decisions taken by the Assembly;

-

Leading the Secretariat with a view to ensuring its optimal functioning.

16.2 Designation/recruitment procedure of the Director
The assembly appoints the director.

15

16.3 Side activities of the director
The director has the obligation to inform the assembly of his possible side activities in view of
a conflict of interest. In case of a conflict of interest the director shall desist from the side
activity in question.
16.4 recruitment procedure of personel
The EUKN EGTC may employ personnel directly or make use of seconded personnel. If
seconded personnel are employed, the Netherlands, as official seat of the EUKN EGTC, is
responsible for designating an executive agency that will employ the Director. The contact
details of this executive agency are listed in the annexe. The recruitment procedure and the
Director’s employment contract are governed by Dutch law.
17 – NATIONAL FOCAL POINTS
As stated in Article 10 of the Regulation, additional organs may be established. The National
Focal Points form an integral part of EUKN as a network, as they liaise with the local, regional
and national levels within the participating EUKN members and at European level. National
Focal Points operate within the EUKN EGTC (where necessary) on the basis of individual
service level agreements with members of the EUKN EGTC. These individual service level
agreements include general basic quality conditions on the functioning of the National Focal
Point Networks. The Assembly will decide on the general basic quality conditions. Dutch law
is not applicable to the individual service level agreements between EUKN EGTC members
and their respective National Focal Points.
17.1 Main responsibilities of National Focal Points (NFP)
The main responsibilities of the National Focal Points include:
-

Disseminating their national knowledge on urban issues in English using the EUKN EGTC
templates;

-

Publishing and maintaining a NFP website in English within the EUKN EGTC Content
Management System;

-

Supplying the agreed number of validated knowledge documents to the EUKN EGTC elibrary;

-

Composing and implementing an NFP Action Plan based on the EUKN EGTC annual work
plan;

-

Ensuring the capacity to provide (and update) adequate descriptions of national urban
policies;

-

Being alert to the knowledge requirements of their target audience.

Optional activities:
-

Sending out a national EUKN EGTC newsletter;

-

Organising access to research capacity;

-

Organising conferences and seminars;

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-

Setting up learning and capacity building programmes to national stakeholders.

18 – THE SECRETARIAT
As stated in Article 10 of the Regulation, additional organs may be established. A Secretariat
is established within the EUKN EGTC. The Secretariat is responsible for the day-to-day
coordination of the EUKN EGTC. The Secretariat supports the functioning of the EUKN EGTC
and its organs as listed in Article 14.
18.1 Management of the Secretariat
The Secretariat is headed by the Director of the EUKN EGTC. The basic organisation of the
Secretariat encompasses the following positions:
-

Programme manager

-

Programme Officer

-

Information specialist/webmaster

-

Capitalisation Officer

The EUKN EGTC may employ personnel directly or make use of seconded personnel. If
seconded personnel are employed, the Netherlands, as official seat of the EGTC, will appoint
an executive agency that will be the legal employer of the EUKN Secretariat. The contact
details of this executive agency are listed in the annexe. These procedures are governed by
Dutch law. The official working language of the Secretariat is English.
18.1 Main tasks of the Secretariat
The main responsibilities of the Secretariat include:
-

Managing the EUKN EGTC CMS and ICT infrastructure;

-

Preparing the annual work plan and annual financial documents to be approved by the
Assembly;

-

Implementing strategic decisions taken by the Assembly;

-

Implementing the EUKN EGTC budget, in line with the decisions taken by the As sembly
and supervised by the Director;

-

Coordinating, guiding and supporting the National Focal Points to implement the
decisions at operational level, based on the decisions taken by the Assembly;

-

Liaising across Europe between the participating countries and organisations in the EUKN
EGTC;

-

Actively

promoting the EUKN

EGTC

at European level and outreach to urban

policymakers and practitioners.
ARTICLE 19 - FINAL PROVISIONS
Prior to the official notification process, the EUKN members taking part in the EUKN EGTC
officially inform the Netherlands of their national approval of the EUKN EGTC convention and
statutes. The Netherlands will notify the present statutes to the Committee of the Regions
and send a request to the Office for Official Publications of the European Communities for

17

publication of a notice in the

Official Journal of the European Union announcing the

establishment of the EGTC, with details of its name, objectives, members and registered
office in accordance with Article 5 of the Regulation.

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