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PREAMBLE

Since the past iron, steel and mineral resources have connected people beyond all bounds. Towns and communities are hoping to get international partnership and friendship in a peaceful Europe in order to take care of the regional cultures of Europe.

The fundamental targets and strategies were settled at a working meeting in Arles sur Tech in the year 2000. The foundation of the union is the legal result of the resolutions passed at the foundation meeting on June 16th, 2001.

ARTICLES

Union "Ring of European cities of iron works" ("Ring der Europäischen Schmiedestädte"; "L`anneau des villes europeennes de la ferronnerie", "Kolo Miast Kowalskich Europy") in accordance with the resolution of the general meeting on June 16th, 2001.

§1 Name, Seat and Financial Year
1. The union is called "Ring of European cities of iron works".
2. Olbernhau is the seat of the union.
3. The union has to be registered (written down) in the national unionregister.
4. The financial year is the calendar year.

§2 Aim and purpose of the union
2.1. It's the purpose of the union
.) to support the communal development of the membertowns concerning
both the metal design and the ironcraft.
.) to promote the variety of local cultures and to set up a network of
establishing one's identity.

2.2. The purpose is realized by folowing contributions of the union:
2.2.1. Community of interests:
.) The union influences the metal design and the ironcraft with the
communal plans of development and supports the setting up of coordinated communal managementprogrammes.
.) The union bunches the interests of the membertowns and represents these
at European corporations.
.) The union assists the membertowns with arranging European means of
support and stands as representative of projects containing mainly common
interests.
.) The union helps creating a positive image of metal design and
ironcraft by taking qualified steps.

2.2.2. Communication:
.) The union and its members stand clearly for cooperation and
communication on up to date technical level.
.) The union supports exchanging programmes with membertowns and their
inhabitants.
.) The union supports communication by making clear and purposeful public
relation.
.) The union and its membertowns develop touristic offers, deal with them
and make sure that they are marketable.
2.2.3. Education and further education:
.) The union supports the investigation, conservation and development of the
metal design and the ironcraft.
.) The union organizes the exchanging of knowledge and Know How and
coordinates the improvement of institutions for education and further
education.

2.2.4. Innovation:
.) The union sets up basic studies and skeleton agreements.
.) The union checks the targets and strategies continuosly and brings them
up to date.
.) The union carries on expanding its network basically guaranteeing the
quality as well as the improvement.

§3 Public Utility
3.1. The union follows non-profit targets exclusively and directly. The means of the union are used only for statutory aims. The union's activities are unselfish.
There are no aims for personal economic use.
3.2. The members of the union don't get any donations from the means of the union which are not compatible with the aims of the union or which would promote unreasonable refundings.

§4 Membership
4.1. The members of the union are - exclusively - communities which have always been related strongly to metal design and ironcraft in the past as well as nowadays, communities which are willing to support the union's targets.
4.2. The membership is obtained by a written declaration of accession and its
acceptance by the general meeting.
4.3. The membership comes to an end by leaving and dismissal from the union.
4.4. A leaving has to be announced by letter and is permitted at the end of the calendaryear by keeping a period of three months.
4.5. A member can be dismissed by decision of the general meeting corporation, if it has given serious offence to the interests of the union, if it hasn't paid the annual subscription in spite of two demand-notes, and also if it has not attended the general meeting twice without any excuse.
The member must get the chance of justification before the decision.
4.6. The general meeting corporation decides on the nomination and the denying of honorary members.

§5 Subscriptions and donations
5.1. The members give annual subscriptions and financing contributions for
projects, the ammount of which is defined by the general meeting corporation.
5.1. Honorary members are excused from these obligations.

§6 Agencies of the Union
The union consists of following agents:
6.1. the general meeting corporation
6.2. the board
§7 General Meeting Corporation
7.1. The g. m. c. consists of all members of the union and decides in all matters of
the union, which are not part of the board's competence.
7.2. Each member can vote with one voice and is represented by the mayor or by a trusted person authorized by the mayor. One member can represent not more than two voices. The g.m.c. is competent to pass resolutions if there is a quorum of two thirds present (2/3 entitled members to vote).
7.3. The ordinary g.m. is in conference at least once a year after getting a written invitation by the president. It is possible to make resolutions by sendig a letter to all the members. It's also to be held according to special interests of the union. If one fourth (¼) of all the members make a resolution by letter, the president has to call an ordinary meeting within 30 days. The time-limit for dispatching the invitations is 4 weeks. The agenda has to be added.
7.4. The g.m. out of the ordinary discusses the matter of changing the statutes or
splitting up the union. The modification for the invitations is supposed to be
the same as in 7.3.
7.5. At the g.m. the members of the body have to make a report on the
status of the union and give an account. Votes of urgency are permitted if two thirds of the present members give consent to the urgency.
7.6. The g.m.'s tasks in particular:
.) Relieving the board
.) Election of the board and of the auditors
.) Laying down the (membership)subscriptions and financing contributions
for projects
.) Deciding the annual budget and the plans for actions
.) Passing the resolution for the agenda (standing orders)
.) Consulting and passing a resolution for changing the statutes
.) Amitting of a new member
.) Eclude members (see §4.5.)
.) Nomination and the denying of honorary members
.) Appointing counsellors and subcommitees
7.7. A written copy of each general meeting has to be made by the secretary,
containing at least the passed resolutions as well as the election results.
The written copy is signed by the president and the secretary.

§8 Board
8.1. The board consists of:
.) the president .) the vice president
.) the treasurer .) the vice treasurer
.) the secretary .) the vice secretary
The managing director coaches the board without the right to vote.
8.2. The president and the vice president make up the board within the meaning of article 26 of the "Federal Lawgazette" (§26 BGB). The president and the vice president are always authorized to individual representation. For internal affairs the vice president represents the union only if the president is prevented from being present.
The secretary - in the case of his prevention the vice secretary - is in charge with the correspondence and the report (of the meetings).
The treasurer - in the case of prevention the vice treasurer - keeps the account of the union, executes the financial transactions supervised by the president, and he is responsible for the book-keeping.
The managing director arranges all administrative preparations and executes the decisions(resolutions) of the body.
8.3. The members of the board are elected by bare majority for the period of 3 years. Their function isn't finished by the end of the period but by the election of a new board. These members are eligable for re-election.
8.4. The board is head of the union and has following tasks:
.) active realization of the statutory tasks and aims
.) giving the statement of accounts by the end of the financial year
.) preparing the managementplans and a rough estimate of the budget for the
current and the coming year
.) preparing the general meetings
.) realizing the passed resolutions of the general meetings
.) placing of orders and taking up staff
.) execution of the agenda
8.5. The board is competent to pass resolutions if half the number or more members are present.
The board passes resolutions with bare majority; with equality of votes the president gives the casting vote - in case of prevention the vice president. It is possible to make resolutions by sendig a letter to all the members.
8.6. The resolutions have to be put in writing by the secretary and signed by the
president.
8.7. The function of the board is honorary. Necessary expenses - if applied - are
refunded and have to be proved separately in the financial report.

§9 Managing office
The general meeting corporation can found a managing office to support the board. The managing director is responsible for the managing office and coaches the board. The rules of procedure describes the seat, aim and purpose and rights and duties.

§10 Auditors
They are elected by the general meeting corporation for the period of one year. Their re-election is possible. The treasurer has to give an insight into the accounts and the book keeping at any time. The auditors have to present a written report to the g.m.

§11 Receipts
The union hopes to get following receipts:
.) Annual subscriptions from the members
.) Subventions from the EU, the states, countries, districts, communities and other organisations
.) Receipts out from properties (holdings) which are created (founded, produced)
.) Payment for services done by the union
.) Financial contributions from members and cooperative institutions
.) Donations of things (objects) and money

§12 Disbandment of the union
12.1. The disbandment of the union can only be decided by an extraordinary general meeting, called for this reason, with the majority of (2/3) two thirds of the members.
12.2. The amount of property has to be shared among institutions of public benefit in the sector of metal construction and ironcraft.
12.3. As long as the g. m. doesn't decide in another way, the president and the treasurer are together substitutive authorized liquidators.