The statute of the RABNS

General provisions

 

The name

1. Hereby it is established the association called The Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies (RABNS). The Romanian name of the association is Asociatia Româna pentru Studii Baltice si Nordice (ARSBN).

 

Residence

2. The residence of the Association is in Târgoviste, Stanu Ion St., No. 34, Cod 130105, Romania.
3. The residence of the Association can by changed by a decision of the Coordination Council.

 

The juridical form

4. The Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies is a NGO, independent, without a lucrative purpose set up according to the dispositions of Governmental ordinance no. 26/2000, modified and completed by the law 246/2005 concerning the associations and foundations.

 

The aim

5. The aim of The Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies is the promotion of research activities in the field of Baltic and Bordic studies, the encouragement of knowledge in public benefit regarding this geographical area, including by the means of education, especially of higher education, the cooperation with similar institutions and associations from Romania and abroad, the promotion of the dialogue and cooperation on the axis the Baltic Sea – the Black Sea.

 

The goals

6. The Association aims at achieving the following goals:

a)     the elaboration and participation in research grants regarding the geographical area it covers;

b)     the organization of scientific conferences, seminars, symposiums concerning the geographical area it covers;

c)     the editing of the review Revista Româna de Studii Baltice si Nordice (RRSBN),with an initial periodicity of one issue every two years, subsequently to be transformed into a yearly journal;

d)     the popularization of the history of Baltic and Nordic areas of Europe in cooperation with high schools, gymnasiums, museums, libraries, other interested institutions, by distributing leaflets, brochures, posters, by publishing scientific studies, by disseminating the results of the scientific researches of its members;

e)     the staging of book and document exhibitions, the editing of volumes of documents and other volumes covering the history, culture and civilization of Baltic and Nordic Europe;

f)      the establishment of contracts and partnerships with similar organizations and associations from Romania and from abroad;

g)     the organization of various cultural and scientific manifestations with the aim of promoting Romania’s relations with these states and of the Baltic and Nordic culture and civilization in Romania and beyond;

h)     the organization in partnership with other institutions of summer schools designed to further the knowledge of Baltic and Nordic Europe;

i)      the promotion of the Baltic and Nordic languages;

7. The Association will achieve its aims both in Romania and abroad, in accordance with the legal and statutary dispositions.

 

Duration

8. The duration of existence of the association in unlimited.

 

Patrimony

9. The initial patrimony of the Association, constituted by the cash contribution of its founding members, is 300 lei.
10. The funds needed to achieve the goals of the association will be secured by annual subscriptions by its members, by donations, sponsorship and grants offered by physical or juridical Romanian and foreign persons interested in its activity, according to the law.
11. The completion of the budget of the Association can be achieved by direct activities and/or resources from the local budgets and from any other sources according to the dispositions of the laws.

 

Members

12. The physical and juridical persons who by their common will have set up The Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies enjoy the quality of members of the above-named association.
13. Members of the Association are also the persons whom this quality has been attributed by the General Assembly.
14. The Association can have the following categories of members:

a)     founding members;

b)     active members;

c)     honorary members;

15. The founding members are the physical and juridical persons who have founded the association, have constituted its initial patrimony and have established the chairing bodies of the association.
16. The active and honorary members are physical and juridical persons who have acquired the quality of members, according to the provisions of this statute.
17. The quality of active members can be achieved by the person who abide the following conditions:

a)     agrees with the statute of the Association;

b)     actions for the achievement of the goals of the Association;

c)     respects the conditions statutary established and the decisions of the leading bodies;

d)     has outstanding merits in the activity of supporting and promotion of Baltic and Nordic studies;

e)     requests by submitting an application to the Coordination Council the quality of member of the Association;

18. The quality of honorary member can be granted to individuals who have brought outstanding contributions to the development of Baltic and/or Nordic studies and who, by their activity, greatly support the achieving of the goals of the association;
19. The quality of member is attributed by the General Assembly at the proposal of the Coordination Council.
20. The quality of honorary member is also attributed by the General Assembly at the proposal of the Coordination Council.
21. The quality of member ceases in one of the following situations:

a)     when the member of the Association requests the withdrawal pending the notification of this intention by submitting a request to the Coordination Council;

b)     when a member of the association is excluded by a decision of the General Assembly for dishonestly violating the obligations as set up in the statute or for pursuing activities contrary to the aim and goals of the Association;

c)     by decease;

 

The rights of the members

22. The members of the Association enjoy the following rights:

a)     to take part in the voting at the General Assembly, to elect and be elected as members of the chairing bodies of the Association;

b)     express their opinions in sittings, assemblies, conferences, in mass-media regarding the activity of the Association;

c)     participate in the activities, projects and programs initiated and engaged in by the Association;

d)     be informed regarding all activities and strategic directions of the Association;

e)     collaborate in the publications of the Association, including its journal;

f)      participate in the activity of the Association with studies, papers, initiatives and notices having the aim of finding a solution to various scientific, economic and organizing issues;

g)     regularly receive all the documents elaborated by the Association as well as its publications;

h)     be included in the webpage of the Association;

23. The quality of honorary members does not confer voting rights to the persons who have acquired this quality.

 

The obligations of the members

24. The members of the Association have the following obligations:

a)     to know and respect the statutary provisions;

b)     respect the decisions of the chairing bodies;

c)     act for the attainment of the aim and goals of the Association;

d)     participate in the actions initiated by the Association;

e)     maintain and look after the patrimony of the Association;

f)      pay the contributions in the time, to the amount and modality established by the decisions of the General Assembly;

25. The honorary members have no obligation to pay contributions.

 

The General Assembly

26. The General Assembly is the supreme leading body of the Association.
27. All members of the Association are members of the General Assembly.
28. The General Assembly has the following duties to perform:

a)     approves the statute of the Association as well as any ulterior modifications it might suffer;

b)     debate and approve the budget of revenues and expenses, the execution of the budget, the account balance, as well as the activity reports of the Coordination Council and the Censors Commission;

c)     states its position regarding the annual expenses of the Coordination Commitee;

d)     approves the annual program of activities of the Association;

e)     establishes the general aims, elaborates the strategy and the action plan of the Association;

f)      approves the membership and excludes from its members according to the present statute;

g)     elects and recalls the members of the Coordination Council;

h)     elects the chairman and, upon the proposal of the chairman, the secretary of the Association;

i)      designates the editorial body of the Revista Româna de Studii Baltice si Nordice (RRSBN);

j)      approves any other measures necessary to the fulfillment of the goals of the Association;

29. The General Assembly can be ordinary and extraordinary.
30. The ordinary General Assembly is convoked by the chairman once a year, in general at the beginning of the year, by regular mail, e-mail, fax, telephone or other means of communication.
31. The extraordinary General Assembly is convoked upon the call of the chairman or of a third of the founding and/or active members when exceptional circumstances impose it in regard to the good development of the activity of the Association, the summons being done by regular mail, e-mail, fax, telephone or other means of communication.
32. The date, place where the sitting will take place and the detailed agenda of the sitting of the General Assembly will be brought to the knowledge of the members of the Association with at least 14 days before the date chosen for the ordinary General Assembly and 7 days before the date chosen for the extraordinary General Assembly.
33. The General Assembly is statutary constituted if in the chosen day a half plus one of its members are taking part in the sitting. Among the participating members are counted also those who, without being in person present in the sitting, attend the debates and express their viewpoints and votes by modern means of communication such as videoconference, webcam, chat etc., subsequently signing the records and decisions adopted.
34. In case the necessary quorum is not met, the General Assembly is rescheduled within three months.
35. The date of re-schedule is decided by the vote of the majority of the attending members.
36. If the quorum is not achieved at the date of re-convocation, it will follow within 14 days a new summons, respecting the terms of this statute, when the General Assembly adopts decisions regardless the number of attending members.
37. The General Assembly is chaired by the chairman.
38. Before the beginning of the debates, the chairman is obliged to take the roll call.
39. The secretary draws up during the sitting of the General Assembly the record, insures its signature and passes the members or any interested person an extract of the decisions adopted.
40. The decisions of the General Assembly are adopted by a simple majority.

 

The Coordination Council

41. The Coordination Council insures the daily leadership of the Association, by implementing the decisions adopted by the General Assembly.
42. The Coordination Council consists of chairman, secretary and three other members.
43. The members of the Coordination Council are elected by the General Assembly for four years.
44. The Coordination Council has the following main duties:

a)     presents the General Assembly the project of statute and proposals for its modification;

b)     presents the General Assembly the project of annual activity of the Association;

c)     designates, upon the proposal of the chairman, the chairmen of the sections of the association, such as follows:

·       The Section for Lithuanian Studies;

·       The Section for Latvian Studies;

·       The Section for Finnish and Estonian Studies;

·       The Section for Scandinavian Studies;

·       The Section for Polish and Russian Studies;

d)     establishes the nature, the quantum and “the  destination” of the expenses;

e)     appoints and dismisses the employees of the Association, establishes the salaries and payments to be paid, establishes the duties of the employees;

f)      decides upon the conclusion of juridical acts in the name of the Association;

45. The Coordination Council meets four times a year in ordinary sitting.
46. Upon the request of the chairman or at least a third of the members of the members of the Coordination Council, it can have an extraordinary sitting.
47. The Coordination Council is convoked by the chairman.
48. The decisions of the Coordination Council are adopted by a simple majority.
49. Any member of the Coordination Council can delegate his voting rights to other member of the council.
50. The chairman envisages the implementation in due time and in a proper manner of these decisions.

 

The Chairman

51. It is elected by the General Assembly for a four year mandate, having the possibility to be reelected in this capacity.
52. Any member of the Association has the right to candidate to the chairmanship.
53. It is elected the member of the Association who totalizes a minimum of 50% of the votes in the first ballot.
54. If no candidate gets the 50 percent votes, in the second ballot only the first two classified candidates will be running, the one receiving the biggest number of votes in the second ballot being declared winner.
55. The chairman has the following duties:

a)     coordinates and leads the activity of the Coordination Council;

b)     represents the association in its dealings with governmental bodies, state institutions, juridical institutions, other governmental and nongovernmental organizations from foreign countries;

c)     approves the expenses within the chapters approved by the General Assembly;

d)     coordinates and leads the activity of the secretary of the Association and its accountant;

e)     insures the administration, according to the law, of the goods and funds of the Association;

f)      nominates the secretary of the association, his proposal to be eventually approved by the General Assembly; if the proposal does not secure the simple majority of votes, the chairman is obliged to present another proposal until the simple majority is reached;

g)     proposes the chairmen of sections upon the condition that his proposals are approved by the Coordination Council;

56. The chairman can delegate deliberately, temporarily and limited its competences.

 

The Vicechairman

57. Is chosen for a 4 years mandate at the proposal of the president, pending the aproval of the general assembly, having the right of being chosen two times to the office;
58. Any member of the association can be proposed to this office;
59. It is elected the member proposed by the chairman who gets a minimum of 50% of the votes;
60. The vicechairman deputizes the chairman on the former’s request having general attributes of coordination and direction alongside the chairman;

 

The Secretary

61. It is elected for a four year mandate upon the proposal of the chairman, upon the condition that his proposal is approved by the General Assembly, having the possibility to be elected for only two mandates consecutively in this capacity;
62. The secretary has the following duties:

a)     draws up the records of the General Assembly and of the Coordination Council;

b)     creates the honorary book of the Association;

c)     is responsible for communication within and outside the Association;

d)     performs the secretariat tasks;

 

The Honorary Chairman

63. The General Assembly elects the honorary chairman from among personalities of the public life from Romania, the Baltic and Nordic states or from among the diplomats of the Nordic and Baltic states accredited to Bucharest;
64. The honorary chairman takes part in the sittings of the General Assembly and the Coordination Council, is a private of the adoption of strategies and goals of the Association and has the right to affirm his viewpoints and positions on various aspects regarding its activity, without however enjoying voting rights.

 

The Honoray Council

65. Is made up of personalities from Romania or abroad or from the diplomats of the Baltic and Nordic states to Bucharest. The proposal to be invited to occupy a seat of member of this body is made by the Coordination Committee and approved by the General Assembly.
66. The members of the Honorary Council can participate in the General Assembly and Coordination Committee meetings and have an important role in the decisions concerning the association’s strategies and objectives.

 

The Sections

67. The activity of the members of the association will occur within and outside the sections.
68. The sections represent units of research, education and cooperation which approach especially topics regarding the geographical areas they cover.
69. The sections of the Association are as follows:

·       The Section for Baltic Studies;

·       The Section for Nordic Studies;

70. The chairmen of the sections are proposed by the chairman and approved by the Coordination Council.
71. The chairmen of the sections are mandated for four years and enjoy the possibility to be reelected.
72. The members of the Coordination Council, including the chairman and the secretary, can perform only a duty a duty of chairman of section.

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Founding members:

 

Conf. univ. dr. Florin Anghel

 

Master Ioana Asavoaie

 

Prof. univ. dr. Ion Calafeteanu

 

Prof.univ.dr. Ion Ciuperca

 

Radu Cosasu

 

Ph.D. Cand. Elena Dragomir

 

Master Tatiana Dragutan

 

Dr. Armand Gosu

 

Master Julien Guinart

 

Master Marina Melania Irimia

 

Ph.D. Cand. Oana Laculiceanu

 

Conf. univ. dr. Silviu Marian Miloiu

 

Master Suzana Gloria Miron

 

Dr. Cosmin Popa

 

Dr. Alexandru Popescu

 

Former Ambassador Neagu Udroiu

 

Dr. Bogdan Alexandru Schipor

 

Ph.D. Cand. Adrian Vitalaru