MEMBERSHIP/Becoming a member

Becoming a Member

National Youth Councils

International Non-Governmental Youth Organisation

The membership application procedure consists of a series of clearly defined steps explained in detail below. These guidelines are for first time applicants, re-applying applicants and those who are already members but wish to change their membership status.

A. How to become a member

If you write to the European Youth Forum informing it that you would like to become a member, your letter will not be considered an 'Application' but merely an 'Expression of Interest'. The European Youth Forum will respond by sending you all the necessary information to help you file an 'Application'.

B. How to file an 'Application' and what documentation has to be sent

An 'Expression of Interest' will only be considered an 'Application' and registered as such when the Secretary General of the European Youth Forum receives all the required documentation for the membership status for which you are applying. This must be sent in one package by registered mail to the European Youth Forum, 120 Rue Joseph II, B-1000, Brussels, Belgium. Once the documents have been received, you will be sent a confirmation of receipt. If this confirmation is not forthcoming, you must assume that the application did not arrive safely and act accordingly by taking the appropriate steps. In considering which type of membership you would like to apply for, please refer to Article 3 of the statutes included on this website. If you want to apply for a change of membership status, you will still have to resubmit all the documents listed below.

National Youth Councils

  • If you are applying as a National Youth Council , the following information must be submitted in English or French as well as in the original language.
    1. Statutes/ Constitution, or any other legal document governing how your organisation functions
    2. Rules of Procedure/ Standing Orders/ By-laws or any other document governing how your organisation functions
    3. A written statement that your organisation fully accepts the statutes and aims of the European Youth Forum
    4. A proof of the legal existence of your organisation.
    5. A copy of your accounts for the last financial year
    6. A draft budget of the current financial year
    7. A list of your Bureau/Board members with their positions, age and background organisations.
    8. A summary of your current work plan (maximum two A4 pages)
    9. A full up-to-date list of your member organisations, with their membership status. For each of your members you must provide
      • the translation of the member's name as well as the name in your own language
      • the number of individual members under 35 years of age plus their percentage of the total membership (you can give an estimate if full figures are unavailable)
      • whether the member is from any or more than one international non-governmental youth organisation
        Please answer the following questions using a separate sheet of paper for each question
    10. Is there an age limit for membership in the organisation's highest decision-making body? If so, please state this limit.
      If not, please state the percentage of members of the organisation's highest decision-making body who are under 35 years of age.
    11. Do you know of any other youth structures or youth councils present in your country?
    12. Please describe (briefly) your relationship with the government of your country.

Please supply any further information or clarification that you think will assist the Consultative Body on Membership Applications in ascertaining the extent to which your organisation fulfils the criteria for membership in the European Youth Forum.

International Non-Governmental Youth Organisations

  • If you are applying as an international non-governmental youth organisation , the following information must be submitted in English or French as well as in the original language.
    1. Statutes/ Constitution, or any other legal document governing how your organisation functions
    2. Rules of Procedure/ Standing Orders/ By-laws or any other document governing how your organisation functions
    3. A written statement that your organisation fully accepts the statutes and aims of the European Youth Forum
    4. A copy of your accounts for the last financial year
    5. A draft budget of the current financial year.
    6. A list of your Bureau/Board with their positions and age
    7. A summary of your current work plan (maximum two A4 pages)
    8. A full up-to-date list of your member organisations, with their membership status. For each of your members you must
      • provide the translation of the member's name as well as the name in your own language
      • indicate the country from which they come
      • specify the number of individual members under 35 years of age plus their percentage of the total membership. If you do not have national structures, please state the number of individual members in each European country (an estimate if full figures are unavailable)
      • indicate whether your member is a member of more than one international non-governmental youth organisation
      • indicate whether they are a member of the national youth council in that country
    1. Please answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper for each question
    2. Is there an age limit for membership in the organisation's highest decision-making body? If so, please state the limit. If not, please state the percentage of members in the organisation's highest decision-making body who are under 35 years of age.
    3. Please describe briefly your relations with international institutions.

Please supply any further information or clarification that you think will assist the Consultative Body on Membership Applications in ascertaining the extent to which your organisation fulfils the criteria for membership in the European Youth Forum.

C. What happens once the application is complete and has been received by the European Youth Forum?

Once the European Youth Forum has received your application, the Secretary General has the responsibility of forwarding the application within 15 days to the Consultative Body on Membership Applications (CBMA). This body is made up of four representatives of the member organisations of the European Youth Forum, two from international non-governmental youth organisations and two from national youth councils, appointed by the General Assembly. The CBMA will examine the documents submitted for the application, e.g. membership statistics, statutes. In its examination of your application, the CBMA may request either further documentation or a study visit - should the latter be the case you will be informed well in advance by the secretariat. A cross-check of the membership of the applicant organisation may be conducted by the Secretariat of the European Youth Forum, requiring information from our member organisations, NYCs and INGYOs on their membership/contacts with your organisation. On the basis of the information in its possession, the CBMA writes up a report and submits it to the Bureau of the European Youth Forum. The CBMA has no fixed deadline it must comply with to complete the report. However, the applicant will be kept up to date on any developments.

D. What happens once the application has been sent to the Bureau?

Once the CBMA has submitted its report to the Bureau, the latter gives a recommendation on the membership application which is then put on the agenda of the General Assembly. Again you will be kept fully informed of the process.

E. When is the application voted on?

The General Assembly or the Extraordinary General Assembly of the European Youth Forum are the only bodies that can vote on a membership application. The General Assembly, made up of the members of the European Youth Forum, decides on the admission of a member by a two-thirds majority of votes cast, not counting abstentions. The applicant organisation is invited to attend the General Assembly and given the opportunity to speak. If there is a favourable vote by the General Assembly, the status of member is acquired on the day following the closing of the General Assembly. In the case of a negative vote, a new membership application will only be taken into consideration after a period of two years has elapsed.

Please note that there are no statutory deadlines for the application procedure, but based on the experience of the CBMA, it takes around 1 year to finalise your application. Certain cases may require more time.

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