Statutes

You will find below the up-to-date English version of the AEAJ Statutes, adopted the 24 March 2000 in Trier and lastly modified the 12 May 2023 in Versailles.

The original legally binding version of the AEAJ Statutes is in German. Click here to download the original German version.

Art. 1: Objectives

1) The Association of European Administrative Judges (hereinafter: The Association) pursues the following objectives:

- to promote the legal protection of individuals against public authorities and the legality of administrative action in Europe, thereby contributing to the integration of Europe in freedom and justice,

- in achieving this goal, to respect the legal cultures of the Member States of the European Union and the Council of Europe,

- to contribute to expanding the knowledge of European administrative judges about legal protection in administrative law disputes in Europe and, to this end, to exchange information on legislation and case-law in this field,

- to strengthen the position of administrative judges in an ever closer Europe and to promote their professional interests at national and European level.

(2) The Association shall pursue these objectives in particular by:

1. representing the interests of European administrative judges to the institutions of the European Union and the Council of Europe,

2. holding meetings of administrative judges,

3. publishing a newsletter.

Art. 2: Membership

(1) The Association is a European apex organisation in which national associations of administrative judges from Member States of the European Union and the Council of Europe can become members.

(2) If there is no national association of administrative judges in a particular country, a choice is open between admitting organisations representing judges from ordinary courts as well as from administrative courts, and admitting individuals entrusted with the duties of an administrative judge.

(3) In each country where individual members join the Association, these shall appoint from amongst their midst, if need be, one person authorised to receive communications, one person authorised to exercise the right to vote, and one person responsible for the payment of membership dues.

(4) Supranational associations of administrative judges shall be able to join the Association as associated members without the right to vote. Administrative judges from countries where an association is already a member and legal academics, who are not administrative judges, may join the Association as observers without a right to vote.

(5) For the purposes of this provision, an administrative judge is, irrespective of its actual designation at the national level, any person who has been appointed as an independent judge to ensure the legality of administrative acts and to review the decisions taken by public authorities.

(6) The initial membership of the Association is composed of the founding members. New members are admitted by the General Assembly upon application.

(7) The membership of individual members in the meaning of paragraph (2) shall cease upon the establishment of an independent national association in the meaning of paragraph (1) or by exclusion from the Association.

(8) Members shall be expelled by a reasoned resolution of the General Assembly on account of conduct detrimental to the Association or on account of non-payment of membership fees for a period of 3 years, despite written reminder and subsequent warning on expulsion.

Art. 3: Organs

The organs of the Association are the General Assembly (Art. 4) and the Board (Art. 5).

Art. 4: General Assembly

(1) The General Assembly consists of all voting members. Associate members have the right to attend and speak.

(2) The General Assembly shall have an ordinary meeting if possible every year, at least once every two years, and it shall meet for an extraordinary meeting if this is requested by the Board or one third of the countries represented by members of the Association. At least one month before the start of the meeting, members shall receive the invitation to attend the meeting, accompanied by the agenda. The letter of invitation and the agenda shall be deemed to have been received by the member if they were addressed to the last address known to the Association. Each country is entitled to submit by written request new items to be added to the agenda until a fortnight before the start of the meeting at the latest.

(3) Each member shall send one representative to the General Assembly; however, this representative may not be a member of the Board. Members may transfer their right to vote to another member or to the General Secretary by written proxy.

(4) The General Assembly shall have a quorum if it has been duly convened.

(5) Each member has one vote. If several members come from the same European country, this country has only one vote; the exercise of which the members from that country should agree upon. Should the members concerned fail to come to an agreement, this shall be treated as an abstention by that country. Members shall lose their right to vote if they are in arrears with the payment of all or part of their membership fees for over one calendar year; if there are several members from the same European country, they shall lose their right to vote if the membership fees for this country (Art. 7(2)) are not fully paid for a period exceeding one calendar year.

(6) The General Assembly is responsible for all matters which have not been assigned to the Board. The General Assembly responsibilities include in particular the adoption of resolutions to amend the statutes, the election and the control of the Board, the setting of membership fees, the election of two financial auditors, and the dissolution of the Association. Resolutions of the General Assembly are passed by simple majority. Amendments to the Statutes and the dissolution the Association require a two-thirds majority. The minutes of the General Assembly have to be protocoled and must be signed by its chair.

(7) A representative of the European Commission and of the Council of Europe may attend the General Assembly as an observer, as well as other international jurist associations if this is approved.

Art.5: Board

(1) The Board shall be composed of the President and two Vice-Presidents. The members of the Board shall be nationals of different Member States of the European Union or the Council of Europe. Before each election of the Board, the General Assembly may decide that the Board shall include up to two additional members, which the General Assembly may appoint as Vice-Presidents.

(2) Board members are elected for a term of two years. They remain in office until a new Board member is elected. Re-election is permitted up to four times. New Board members may be elected for the next or the following term. The Board shall meet as needed, but at least once a year.

(3) The Board shall have a quorum if over half of its members are present. Board resolutions (shall) require a majority of the members present.

(4) In urgent cases, if supported by a majority of the Board members, resolutions can also be adopted by circulating e-mails, fax transmissions, regular mail or (by) similar (possible) means.

(5) The Board shall take decisions on all matters which cannot be postponed until the next meeting of the General Assembly.

(6) The President shall execute the resolutions of the General Assembly and the Board and deal with day-to-day business of the Association. The President shall convene and chair the meetings of the General Assembly and (of )the Board.

(7) The Board nominates a Treasurer.

(8) The Board may appoint a General Secretary to assist it in carrying out its tasks.

Art. 6: Representation

The association is represented according to Art. 26 BGB (German Civil Code) by its President alone or by one of its Vice-Presidents. Moreover, the respective President of the Administrative Court of Trier is empowered to do notifications to the "Vereinsregister".

Art. 7: Financial resources of the Association

(1) The financial resources of the Association are:

- membership fees;

- donations and subsidies from member associations or any public authority, and in particular any European Union authority, provided that it will be accepted by the Board;

- income resulting from association's activities.

(2) The Association shall collect annual membership fees. Payment is due on 31 January of the current calendar year; for new members, on 31 January of the year following their admission.

(3) The membership fees are the same for all countries. However, the General Assembly may authorize the Board to set lower fees for certain members. If several members come from the same country, they shall divide the contribution for that country among themselves.

Art. 8: Financial Year

The financial year runs from 1 January to 31 December.

Art. 9: Seat and Legal Status of the Association

(1) The seat of the Association is located at the Academy of European Law (German: Europäische Rechtsakademie, ERA), 4, Metzer Allee, Trier (Federal Republic of Germany).

(2) The association is established under German law.

(3) The association shall be entered in the German registry of associations (Vereinsregister).

Art. 10: Foundation and Entry into Force

The Association was founded on 24 March 2000 in Trier. The last modifications to the Statutes were adopted by the General Assembly on 23 May 2008 in Bari, on 7 May 2010 in Freiburg, on 8 June 2012 in Lisbon, on 15 October 2021 in Lyon and on 12 May 2023 in Versailles.