Network Statutes

Adpted statutes, November 2014

Unincorporated association of the “European network against the privatization and commercialization of Health and social protection”

Description of the association

1. Denomination: “European network against privatization and commercialization of Health and social protection”, hereafter called “Network”.

2. Headquarters : Chaussée de Haecht 53, 1210 Brussels, Belgium

3. Object and action :

3.1. Object :

The fundamental directions of the Network were established in the Declaration of Nanterre in May 2012. This means an universal accessibility, a funding that would be public or based on contributions depending on the countries. A social action, Health and a social protection that would be protected from all commercial logics, and a real health democracy.

Health is a right for everyone. The Network demands an equal access for everyone to Health, without limit, would it be financial, geographic, cultural, of gender or origin…

The Network defends a public financing that would be based on social contributions, depending on the countries, considering everyone financial capacities.

For the Network, the Health system must be based on public contributors or non-profits ones. Health is not a piece of merchandise. Everything related to Health must be protected from profit-seeking, especially when it faces up to the craving of multinational companies that just see there a massive and easy income.
The Network wants to spur on the health democracy by encouraging the people and the social partners to an active participation in determining the policies of Health and their implementation and in the management of health care. This should be on every levels: organization, funding, community/proximity health, Health decision-makers.

3.2. Action:

Realizing these 4 axis involves foiling liberal policies on a regional, national and European level. Therefore, the Network:

Promotes the exchanges between members from different countries;
Generates analyses, common propositions and claims ;
Heightens the public and Health agents’ awareness
Mobilizes and carries out actions.

The Network wants to build a strategy of enlargement at each levels :

• Start from the notion of health care to act on the health factors which are the right for a job, the working conditions, housing, environment,…;
• Start from the local and/or professional fights to go on with actions that would be more general and global, through a citizen mobilization;
• Increase the number of countries participating in the Network and the number of organizations in the countries represented or existing in Europe, which adhere to the common core;
• Starting from concerns purely related to Health to come out on a strategy that is targeting the causes of its deterioration. These are mostly the convergence of European austerity policies, the exploitation of debt, the application of the European treaties including the fiscal covenant;
• Extend the national analysis and actions by taking into consideration of the European issues, through large debates;
• The Network aims to be primarily an action/reaction tool to the events and actions touching our fundamental axes.
• In order to extend and strengthen our action capacities, the members of the Network and the Network will come with systematic contact initiatives with organizations and networks from other countries. Therefore, they will act actively in the national and international strong social events;
• Based upon the active participation of its members, the Network will develop a analysis grid which will be common to all the countries. It will enable to achieve a research on the different forms of privatization and marketing and their consequences on Health. Then will come the production of proposals and claims. In order to do that, an European project may be activated.

4. Composition:

The association is made up of a least five members that will be mandated, preferably, by a national platform subscribing to this present text, by a member organization (NGO, association, trade union, party, …) which has subscribed to this present text, or acting in their personal capacity. All members together constitutes “THE ASSEMBLY OF MEMBERS”.

5. Decisions:

Are made by consensus if possible. If not, by a two-third majority of members present or represented. Each present member may represent two excused members using a written mandate.
Any decision will be made the subject of a communication by mail to the whole Network. In case of a specific disagreement of a 1/5 of members, a new meeting will be convened.

6. Access to the association:

The Steering Committee accepts a new member based on its endorsement of the principles of these statutes. The resignation of a member will only be accepted by this Steering Committee. The decision can only be made with the majority of two thirds.

7. Date of creation:

The association is created on 1st of December 2014 and approves the present statutes. The listing of the founding members is attached enclosed. This enclosure is part and parcel of these present statutes.

8. Meeting frequencies :

The Assembly fixes in the usual way the meeting schedule. Apart of these ones, the Steering Committee can also convene some meetings. The assembly nominates one of the present members to chair.

9. Membership fees :

The membership is not linked to any contribution.

Association’s administration

10. Steering Committee:

In order to manage daily the association, a Steering Committee is provided; composed by at least five members who serve in their personal capacity or on behalf of an organization member, from at least two different countries. This Steering Committee has no jurisdiction over political line.

11. The Steering Committee executes the tasks entrusted by the assembly of the members and decides as part of its missions by consensus if possible. If not, by the two-thirds majority of members present or represented. Each present member may represent one excused member using a written mandate.

12. The Steering Committee fixes the frequency of its meetings depending on the needs.

13. The secretariat of the assembly and of the Steering Committee is performed by the permanent member of the Network. In case of absence, by a member of the Steering Committee.
14. The Steering Committee nominates at least three mandated people to represent the association towards outside and to manage the bank accounts opened under its name. The mandated people act in the name of the association at least in pairs.

Responsibility

15. The valid engagements taken in the name of the association bind jointly and severally all the members of the association and of the Steering Committee, provided that they were in compliance with the laws, decrees, and regulations on the one hand, in the interest of prudent management of family on the other.

Dissolution of the association

16. The association ceases to exist as soon as the assembly of the members has decided so, by a two-thirds majority. It appoints, if applicable, at least two liquidators of its assets. Assets that are allocated to an association that will be defined during its last meeting, and which act in a similar or close goal.

Publicity

17. A copy of these statutes are provided by the association to all its members.