EUROPEAN COMMISSION

TRAINEES ASSOCIATION

Statutes

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These Statutes govern the European Commission Trainees Association. They were adopted by the General Assembly and/or the Trainees Committee on 25 January 1993 and amended or revised by the same body or by the Liaison Committee on 3 February 1993, 8 March 1995, 6 October 1995, 31 January 1996, 7 March 1997, 10 March 1999, 20 January 2003, 15 September 2008, 25 August 2017, 31 October 2017, 16 March 2020, 15 October 2020, 12 August 2022, and 15 March 2024.

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PREAMBLE

Mindful of the Rules governing the official traineeship scheme of the European Commission (hereafter “the Rules”),

Considering, in particular, article 1.1.1 of the Rules [1],

An Association of Trainees of the European Commission (hereafter “the Association”) is hereby established.

The Association shall have no legal personality as an ’Association de fait’ under Belgian law. Thus, the rules governing this Association as laid down in these Statutes are for internal use only.

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TITLE I: AIMS AND CONDITIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP OF THE ASSOCIATION

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Article 1: Definition of Concepts

The concepts used in these statutes are defined below:

• Association: The European Commission Trainees Association

• General Assembly: the general meeting of members of the association

• T-Card: association membership card

• White Card: benefits card issued to honorary members of the association

• Trainee: An individual who is undergoing a trainee placement at the European Commission based on the official traineeships scheme of the European Commission

 

Article 2: Name

The name of the association shall be: European Commission Trainees Association.

 

Article 3: Aim of the Association

The association shall have the following aims, excluding any intention of financial profit:

1. To contribute to the achievement of the goals of the official traineeship scheme of the European Commission, without any discrimination based on any ground, such as nationality, gender, ethnic or social origin, religion, disability, age or sexual orientation;

2. To assist the trainees in discovering new opportunities, developing their skills, and building a network;

3. To liaise with and represent trainees towards the trainee bodies of the other European Union institutions and bodies;

4. To build a sense of community and a spirit of cooperation amongst the trainees;

5. To safeguard and improve the overall image of the trainees.

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Article 4: Members

1. Any trainee at the European Commission is eligible to become a member of the Association.

2. Members pay a one-time admission fee determined by the Trainees Committee and/or Liaison Committee to receive their T-Card.

3. All members are eligible to run in the elections for the Trainees Committee and the Auditor positions.

4. The Trainees/Liaison Committee shall keep a list of the members of the Association.

5. All members of the Liaison Committee, Trainees Committee and Auditors shall have the right to possess a White Card issued by the incumbent Liaison Committee or Trainees Committee. At the recommendation of the Trainees Committee, society heads may also be issued a White Card. The White card shall grant the same benefits as the T-card. White Card holders might be called upon for advice or reasonable assistance with or without remuneration at any of the Association’s functions or activities.

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Article 5: Rights and Obligations

1. Members enjoy discounts at the current partners of the Association.

2. Members have the right to register for all events organized by the Association that are aimed at trainees. The Trainees/Liaison Committee may however close registrations at capacity or require a fee to attend.

3. Members have the right to vote in the election of the Trainees Committee and Auditors.

4. Members are obliged to respect the Policies of the Association.

5. The right to register for events may be suspended by the Trainees Committee in the case of a grave violation of one of the Association’s policies.

 

Article 6: Termination of Membership

The membership of the Association is terminated automatically at the end of the traineeship contract. The T-Card will automatically expire at the end of the given membership period.

White card holders are entitled to benefits up to 3 years after their respective session ends but it may be rescinded at any time by the incumbent Trainees/Liaison Committee.

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Article 7: Session Contributions

The contribution amount shall be set by the Liaison/Trainees Committee for the incoming traineeship session.

 

TITLE II: STRUCTURE OF THE ASSOCIATION

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Article 8: Composition of the Association

The Association shall be comprised of the following:

1. General Assembly;

2. Trainees Committee;

3. Auditors;

4. Porte-paroles;

5. Subcommittees;

6. Societies.

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Article 9: The General Assembly

1. The General Assembly is a general meeting of the members of the Association. Every member of the Association has the right to participate and vote.

2. i) The Trainees Committee shall convene an extraordinary Assembly if a written petition signed by at least 1/10 of the members of the Association so demands. The extraordinary Assembly must be convened within seven (7) working days after the presentation of the petition. ii) Its agenda shall be drawn up by the Trainees Committee and must include any motion submitted and signed by at least 1/20 of the members of the Association. The Trainees Committee shall ensure that all members of the Association are aware of the full agenda of the extraordinary General Assembly at least two (2) working days before the date on which the Assembly is set to take place. The information channels used by the Trainees Committee to disseminate the agenda should, at least, cover e-mailing.

3. All decisions of the General Assembly shall be taken by a simple majority of the members present.

4. The Chair of the General Assembly is held by a member of the Trainees/Liaison Committee. The Trainees/Liaison Committee decides who will hold the Chair of each General Assembly.

 

Article 10: The Trainees Committee

1. The Trainees Committee is the governing body of the Association elected by the General Assembly in accordance with Annex I - the Trainees Committee Election Procedure. The Trainees Committee shall comprise eight (8) members elected during the first month of the traineeship session by the popular vote of the trainees.

2. The Trainees Committee shall be composed of:

• General Coordinator;

  • The General Coordinator shall be tasked with primary representative duties, including external representation and partnership acquisition as well as the coordination of the Association’s contribution to the Farewell Conference. As the chairperson, they shall also draw up the agenda, chair the meetings of the Trainees Committee, and ensure that the Coordinators are performing their tasks. Together with the Treasurer, the General Coordinator will be part-owner of the bank accounts of the Association. It is the duty and obligation of the General Coordinator, together with the Treasurer, to organize the handover of the bank accounts to the new General Coordinator and Treasurer during the first month of the next session at their own cost. 

• Treasurer;

  • The Treasurer shall be responsible for the finances of the Association. They shall have veto power on all financial matters. They shall also liaise with and be accountable to the Auditors. The Treasurer shall present to the Auditors a statement of all transactions carried out by the Trainees Committee at their request. With the assistance of the Auditors, they shall serve as a financial consultant to the subcommittees to enable them to draw up reasonable budget requests. The Treasurer shall oversee the organisation and financial management of the T-Card system. In the absence of the General Coordinator, the Treasurer shall take up the chairperson’s responsibilities. Together with the General Coordinator, the Treasurer will be part-owner of the bank accounts of the Association. It is the duty and obligation of the Treasurer, together with the General Coordinator, to organize the handover of the bank accounts to the new General Coordinator and Treasurer during the first month of the next session at their own cost.

•  Secretary;

  • The Secretary shall be responsible for supporting the general administrative tasks of the association and the Trainees Committee. The Secretary oversees the internal infrastructure of the ECTA, both for work and for communications, while also assisting with administrative tasks in relation to events, the issuing of T-Cards, as well as the Yearbook. It is also the responsibility of the Secretary to take the lead in managing the Functional Mailbox of the association and responding to any general inquiries received.

• Social Events Coordinator;

  • The Social Events Coordinator ensures the social aspect of the trainees’ community and brings a variety of activities for trainees to get to know each other. The Coordinator organises events such as gatherings, parties, trips for the Blue Book community, and the EUROBALL - the Blue Book gala.

• Communications Coordinator;

  • The Communication Coordinator shall publish all news in a weekly Newsletter and ensure that all relevant information regarding the Association, including details of events organised by the Trainees Committee or any subcommittee, is regularly updated on the Association’s communication channels. The Coordinator shall also support the projects of the other coordinators with designs, such as but not limited to; the Euroball, the EU Trainees Job Fair, and the Yearbook. Lastly, the Coordinator oversees the Association’s website and communication channels (e.g. WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook). The Communication Coordinator is responsible for the Association’s phone.

• Careers Coordinator;

  • The Careers Coordinator is in charge of the professional development of trainees. They assist the trainees by conducting the career survey, organising career events, coordinating peer-to-peer career coaching, and preparing the EU Trainees’ Job Fair.

• Alumni Coordinator;

  • The Alumni Coordinator provides the connection between the generations of Blue Book trainees. This entails events tailored for Alumni as well as networking events for both former and current trainees. Furthermore, the Alumni Coordinator prepares the session Yearbook, allowing the trainees to keep in touch after their traineeship.

• Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator.

  • The Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator works to ensure that all trainees are well represented in the Blue Book traineeships and organises events to raise awareness on different topics and aspects of being a vulnerable population. The topics that have traditionally been covered have been related to LGBTQAI+, disabilities, race and gender equality, social mobility and diversity.

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3. Each member shall represent the entire Association. All members of the Trainees Committee are equal in terms of votes. The Trainees Committee shall meet weekly. Each member of the Trainees Committee has the right to vote at such meetings. The Auditors shall have the right to be notified of, attend, and speak, but not to vote at the meetings of the Trainees Committee. The presence of at least five (5) members of the Trainees Committee in a meeting shall constitute a quorum. All decisions taken by the Trainees Committee shall require a simple majority of the members present.

 

4. The Trainees Committee can hold office hours to enable trainees to come to the Trainees Committee office. The office hours can be held online with a representative of the Trainees Committee.

5. The mandate of the members of the Trainees Committee shall expire upon termination of their training period.

6. (i) Any member of the Trainees Committee or the Auditors can request a vote of no confidence against any other member of the Committee or the Auditors on the following grounds:

(1) incapacity to perform the duties of the post;

(2) persistent unwillingness to perform the core duties of the post; or

(3) serious misconduct.

The vote of no confidence is endorsed if at least five (5) members of the committee vote in favour. Once a vote of no confidence has been passed, the opinion of the Traineeships Office shall be sought and duly taken into account. The member in question is immediately and automatically removed from his/her office and suspended from their position until the outcome of the following extraordinary General Assembly.

(ii) An Extraordinary General Assembly shall be convened within seven (7) working days following the removal of a member of the Trainees Committee. Before taking a vote on whether to suspend, remove or retain the impeached member of the Trainees Committee, the Assembly shall hear all parties. If the General Assembly endorses the decision of the Trainees Committee, that member is replaced by the next person in the original list of elected candidates.

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Article 11: Auditors

1. The Auditors shall comprise two (2) members who shall be elected alongside the Trainees Committee. If there are no candidates for the Auditors, the Liaison Committee shall select the Auditors from the members of the Association, giving priority to the candidates that did not get elected. Each member shall have the authority to represent the entire Court.

2. The Auditors are independent from the activities of the Trainees Committee. They shall be represented by at least one member of the group in all Trainees Committee meetings for transparency purposes.

3. The Auditors audit the books of the incumbent Liaison Committee and the Trainees Committee elected during their session.

4. The Auditors shall review all financial transactions made by the Trainees Committee and the Liaison Committee.

5. The Auditors produce two audit reports: the first report will cover the last month of the previous Trainees Committee, the period of the Liaison Committee and the first month of the current Trainees Committee (February – March or July – October); the second report will cover the remaining months of the current Trainees Committee except for the last one (April – June or November – January). The Auditors are required to certify that the Treasurer's documentation presents a true and fair view of the Association's accounts. The Auditors initiate, attend, and document inventory counts taking place at the end of the Liaison Committee's term.

6. The Auditors may audit the books of the subcommittees, selecting the subcommittees to be audited based on professional judgment.  

7. The Auditors furthermore assist the Trainees Committee in deciding the budget allocations to be granted to the societies.

8. The Auditors verify that all loans of the Social Fund (Annex III) are repaid to the Association by the end of the traineeship.

 

Article 12: Resignation and dismissal of a member of the Trainees/Liaison Committee

1. A member of the Trainees/Liaison Committee or an Auditor may resign if they so wish.

2. Early termination of or suspension from the traineeship leads to the automatic resignation from the Trainees/Liaison Committee or the Auditor function.

3. The Head of the Traineeships Office, after hearing the member in question, has the right to dismiss any member of the Trainees/Liaison Committee or any Auditor, effective immediately, if that member is unwilling, incompetent, or unable to fulfil his/her duties.

4. In the event of a resignation or removal from office, the respective member of the Trainees/Liaison Committee or Auditor is obliged to prepare an adequate handover for their successor.

5. Any vacancies arising from a resignation shall be filled by the remaining candidate(s) in the initial elections in the order of votes obtained on that occasion. In the event there are no remaining candidates left, no further elections for (a) new candidate(s) shall be organised if the Trainees Committee still consists of a minimum of three people. If the Trainees Committee consists of less than three people then the Trainees Committee will organise an election for the remaining vacancies following the procedure described in Annex 1. In the case that the incumbent Committee is a Liaison Committee, no elections will be held to fill in vacancies.

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Article 13: Porte-paroles

1. Porte-paroles are trainees that, depending on the DG, Agency or Service, shall be informally elected by the trainees in their respective DG, Agency or Service within the first month of the traineeship.

2. Porte-paroles shall represent the trainees in their respective DG, Agency or Service. They shall cooperate with the Trainees Committee in the performance of their duties. They shall, in particular, circulate all relevant information from the Trainees Committee to the trainees in their DG, Agency or Service. They may also be asked by the Trainees Committee to assist in the distribution of tickets for social events.

3. Porte-paroles may organise social events with the trainees in their respective DG, Agency or Services.

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Article 14: Subcommittees

The subcommittees assist the Coordinators in their work and give the opportunity for members to become active in the Association. There are at least five (5) subcommittees following the roles of the Coordinators: Social Events, Communications, Careers, Alumni, and Diversity & Inclusion. The Coordinators lead their respective subcommittees. The Subcommittees shall be formed no longer than two weeks after the election of the Trainees Committee.

1. The Social Events subcommittee has the mandate to organise the social activities and the ball of the trainees of the European Commission, known as “Euroball”. It does so in close collaboration with the Trainees Committee. The Euroball shall take place during the period of the respective traineeship session. The date should be decided in close cooperation with the Traineeships Office for potential mergers with other official Traineeship events based in Luxembourg.

2. The Communications subcommittee assists their respective Coordinator in all of their tasks such as design, website management, and content creation.

3. The Careers subcommittee has the mandate to organise career events, share communication about vacancies, coordinate peer-to-peer career coaching, and prepare the “EU Trainees Job Fair”, in close cooperation with the Traineeships Office. The “Job Fair” shall take place during the second half of the traineeship. It shall provide trainees with the opportunity to meet a wide range of potential employers.

4. The Alumni subcommittee has the mandate to expand the network of trainees by organising events with and for the Alumni of the Blue Book traineeship. The subcommittee shall reach out to trainees from previous sessions to expand the Alumni Network. The main responsibility of the subcommittee is the organisation of the “Yearbook” which consists of individual trainees’ data collected voluntarily – such as names, photos, placement in the EC, what they studied, or what they learned during their traineeship.

5. The Diversity & Inclusion subcommittee has the mandate to coordinate the efforts to make the traineeship experience inclusive, organise awareness-raising events, and conduct relevant surveys.

6. If the Trainees Committee deems it necessary, other subcommittees can be established and led by a member of the Trainees Committee. The Subcommittee needs to be approved by a simple majority of the members of the Trainees Committee.

7. Each Coordinator shall be in close contact with the General Coordinator and ensure that the Trainees Committee is kept informed of their subcommittee’s activities.

8. All subcommittees are subject to the Statutes of the Association and may be audited by the Auditors. They also fall under the scope of protection of the Trainees Committee and are covered by the Association's insurance scheme. However, the Trainees Committee declines any liability for subcommittee activities that have not received prior approval.

 

Article 15: Societies

 

1. Societies are flexible interest groups aimed at helping the trainees to find their common interests.

2. To be formed, a Society only requires a ‘Society Head’ to register with the Trainees Committee. The Trainees Committee reserves the right to refuse the registration of a Society.

3. The Society Head is required to be a member of the Association.

4. Within this framework trainees can organise or participate in activities related to almost everything related to their interest.

5. Societies may receive funding subject to the discretion of the Trainees Committee in accordance with the Society Funding Policy.

6. The Trainees Committee shall publish a list of all societies, including their function.

7. All societies are subject to the Statutes of the Association and may be audited by the Auditors. They also fall under the scope of protection of the Trainees Committee and are covered by the Association's insurance scheme. However, the Trainees Committee declines any liability for society activities that have not received prior approval.

 

Article 16: Liaison Committee

1. The Traineeships Office may allow up to four (4) trainees to stay on at the end of the October traineeship period for one month (March) and up to three (3) trainees at the end of the March traineeship period for three months (August, September, October). The members of the Liaison Committee will be granted a new contract by the Traineeships Office for the required period. The Traineeships Office may send out a call of interest and interested members of the Trainees Committee can apply.

2. The role of the Liaison Committee is to ensure continuity in the Association. They shall be, in particular, tasked with welcoming new trainees, organising activities until the election of the new Trainees Committee, organising the elections of the new Trainees Committee and Auditors and assisting the new Trainees Committee during its first weeks.

3. The Liaison Committee is responsible for all bills and financial transactions made under its authority. The Liaison Committee shall present a written report of all its activities and financial transactions to the new Trainees Committee at the first meeting of the latter. At the end of the Liaison Committee's term of office, the Treasurer of the Liaison Committee shall prepare a financial report on the state of the accounts, which shall be audited by the new Auditors. The new Auditors are required to certify that the Treasurer's report presents a true and fair view of the Association's accounts.

4. The Liaison Committee shall receive a handover from and shall be thoroughly instructed in coordination tasks and financial management by the outgoing Trainees Committee. In turn, the Liaison Committee shall pass on this information and knowledge to the incoming Trainees Committee.

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TITLE III: GENERAL AND FINANCIAL CONDITIONS AND ACTION CARDS

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Article 17: The Finances of the Association

1. The Association is self-financed and does not receive any funds from the European Commission. It finances its activities through membership fees (i.e. the T-cards sale), proceeds from social and other events and sponsorships. The Liaison Committee and the Trainees Committee shall be responsible for the collection of T-card fees. Such T-cards shall provide various discounts or special offers in cultural and linguistic institutions, bars, shops, etc., as well as at parties and trips organised by the Trainees Committee.

2. The Liaison Committee and the Trainees Committee are responsible and accountable to the Auditors and the General Assembly for the collection of proceeds from social and other events.

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Article 18: The Accounts of the Association

1. The Association shall have a common Fund deposited in two bank accounts and titled the "Comité des Stagiaires Madou Plaza Office 23 42 ING Green Account" and “ING Savings Account Comité des Stagiaires Madou Plaza Office 23 42”, hereafter referred to as the "Trainees Committee Accounts".

2. The signatories for the Trainees Committee Accounts shall always be the General Coordinator and the Treasurer of the Trainees Committee, or at least one member of the Liaison Committee. At least two signatures are required for any withdrawal from the Trainees Committee Accounts and no credit cards or cheque books may be issued on the Trainees Committee Accounts or any other Association account.

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TITLE IV: ADOPTION, AMENDMENT AND REVISION OF THE STATUTES

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Article 19: Amendment of the Statutes by the Trainees Committee

1. Should the Trainees Committee want to amend the statutes, they shall submit the draft of their amendments to the Traineeships Office for consultation.

2. To forward the proposal to the General Assembly, five (5) votes in favour shall be required in the Trainees Committee.

3. The General Assembly shall be convened to vote on the amendment proposal by a simple majority. The text of the proposal shall be sent to the members no later than a week before the General Assembly.

 

Article 20: Amendment of the Statutes by the Liaison Committee

1. (i) The Trainees Committee may recommend the Liaison Committee to amend certain provisions of the Statutes. The written recommendation shall specify which provisions the Liaison Committee may amend. The text of the recommendation shall require a simple majority in the Trainees Committee.

(ii) For the amendments to be adopted, a simple majority shall be required in the Liaison Committee. Prior to the vote, the Liaison Committee shall consult the draft amendment with the Traineeships Office.

 

2. (i) The Trainees Committee may recommend the Liaison Committee to revise the entire Statutes. The recommendation shall require five (5) votes in favour from the Trainees Committee.

(ii) For the revision to be adopted, unanimity shall be required in the Liaison Committee. Prior to the vote, the Liaison Committee shall consult the draft revision with the Traineeships Office.

 

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ANNEX I: THE TRAINEES’ COMMITTEE ELECTION PROCEDURE

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Article 1: Right to Stand

1. The Trainees Committee shall comprise eight (8) members. There will be two (2) Auditors.

2. Every member of the association that is based in Brussels shall have the right to stand as a candidate in the elections for the Trainees Committee and Auditors.

3. Each candidate for the Trainees Committee or the Auditors has to indicate their position(s) of choice prior to the election. The candidate can only apply for a maximum of two positions and will only be elected for one.

 

Article 2: Election Procedure

1. Candidates shall submit their applications to the Liaison Committee in the manner determined by the Committee. The Liaison Committee shall, as soon as possible, inform the candidates of the election procedure as well as the general and specific duties required from the Trainees Committee members and Auditors.

2. The Liaison Committee shall also ensure that the candidates fill out a short questionnaire assessing: (1) their motivations; (2) expertise or competence; and (3) teamwork skills. It is advisable that at least one member of the Trainees or Liaison Committee speaks French at a proficient level.

3. Names of candidates shall appear in alphabetical order and grouped according to the position they are running for. No more information other than the name of the candidate shall appear on the voting platform.

4. The election of the Trainees Committee and the Auditors must take place as soon as possible.

5. During the electoral General Assembly, candidates shall be given equal time to present themselves. The order of presentation shall be alphabetical.

6. The election shall be decided by a simple majority. The members of the Trainees Committee and the two (2) Auditors with the greatest number of votes will be elected. Each member of the Association is entitled to a maximum of eight (8) votes for the Trainees Committee, one (1) per voted position, and two (2) votes in the case of the Auditors. If after the elections there are positions that have not been filled, the Liaison Committee can choose to offer such positions to the candidates who were not elected for their preferred position(s).

7. If elected, the trainee must contact their supervisor for the agreement of undertaking this voluntary activity. In exceptional circumstances, the Trainees Committee members can re-submit their application to be elected once again. Given the mandate of each session, they will need to participate as a new trainee to be re-elected by the popular vote of trainees.

 

Article 3: Election Results

1. The number of votes cast for each candidate shall remain the exclusive knowledge of the Liaison Committee and shall not be disclosed at the presentation of the new Trainees Committee or any stage. The Traineeships Office shall keep this information; it shall be used in the event of the need to fill a subsequent vacancy on the Trainees Committee or if there are any allegations of impropriety.

2. The names of the newly elected Trainees Committee and Auditors shall be published on the Association website immediately, as soon as the candidates with the most votes have confirmed and their traineeship supervisors have given their acceptance.

3. In the event that two (2) or more candidates achieve the same number of votes in an election for either the Trainees Committee or the Auditors, a decision shall be taken by the Liaison Committee on the same day of the elections.

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Article 4: Incompatibility of functions

1. The position of the Porte-Parole is incompatible with any other function within either the Trainees Committee or the Auditors, except in the case the trainee in question is the only trainee in their respective DG,

Agency, or Service.

 

ANNEX II: THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

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Article 1: Censuring the performance of the Trainees Committee or the Auditors

1. One-tenth (1/10) of the Association's members may convene an extraordinary General Assembly and propose a vote of no confidence in order to censure the Trainees Committee or the Auditors, either individually or as a whole.

2. This extraordinary General Assembly shall be chaired by the General Coordinator or any other member of the Trainees Committee. If all members of the Trainees Committee refuse to chair the Assembly, the members of the Association present at the Assembly shall elect a chairperson by simple majority.

3. Two-thirds (2/3) of the members present - who shall number no less than one-sixth (1/6) of the total members of the Association - are required to pass a vote of no confidence for a member of the Trainees Committee or Auditor. Once a vote of no confidence has been passed, the impeached subject is immediately and automatically removed from office and is not allowed to stand for re-election.

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Article 2: The role of the interim Committee

1. Should the extraordinary General Assembly pass a vote of no confidence for the entire Trainees Committee, it shall immediately elect an interim Committee of three (3) members which shall hold new elections during the same General Assembly. The three (3) members of the interim Committee shall chair the rest of the extraordinary General Assembly, shall act as tellers in the election of the new Trainees Committee and shall not be eligible to stand for election.

2. Should the entire Auditors and the entire Trainees Committee be removed at the same General Assembly, the interim Committee shall hold elections for the Auditors before those of the Trainees Committee.

3. If elections are convened by an interim Committee, the rules laid down in Articles 1 and 2 of Annex I shall apply.

4. If the General Assembly passes a vote of no confidence for (an) individual member(s) of the Trainees Committee, the member(s) dismissed is/are replaced by the first non-elected person(s) following the impeached member in the rank of the original vote-counting list of elected candidates.

 

ANNEX III: THE SOCIAL FUND

 

Article 1: Conditions

1. The Social Fund is a financial support provided by the Association to trainees. The Treasurer is responsible for managing the Social Fund and is accountable to the Trainees Committee and the auditors. In the absence of an elected Trainees Committee, the Liaison Committee has the authority to approve a Social Fund loan during and before the first month of the traineeship of the concerned session.

2. The Treasurer or a Liaison Committee member (“the Manager” hereafter) shall be charged with keeping an independent record of all transfers made; the payment of the loan and the refund of the full loan amount.

3. The maximum amount for a Social Fund loan corresponds to 50% of the amount of a monthly allowance as paid by the European Commission to Blue Book trainees.

4. The total amount allocated to the Social Fund shall not exceed 20% of the total funds available to the Association on the first day of the traineeship session.

5. During the last month of the traineeship, Social Fund loans shall not be issued;

6. It is mandatory that none of the details regarding the beneficiary, reason or amount of any social loan are disclosed to third parties, except to the Traineeship Office if the need arises.

7. At the request of the loan applicant, all information kept by the Trainees Committee/Liaison Committee shall be removed from the server and internal documents, under the condition that the full amount of the loan has been repaid and that the auditing report of the concerned months has been finished.

 

Article 2: Procedure to request a loan

1. The procedure for the benefit of the Social Fund is as follows:

(i) Any member of the Association has the right to request, receive, fill out, and submit Part 1: Application of the Social Fund Application form of their specific session;

(ii) The Manager will analyse the request from the applicant and judge it based on the current Association finances and the risk associated with approving the loan;

(iii) If the Manager considers that the loan should be granted, they present it to the Trainees Committee/Liaison 

Committee,

e/Liaison Committee adopts or vetoes the Manager's proposal;

(v) If the Trainees Committee/Liaison Committee adopts the proposal, the Manager signs the application document (Part 2), sends it back to the loan applicant, and proceeds to transfer the agreed upon loan amount within five (5) business days;

(vi) Full repayment of the loan must be made ten (10) business days after the payment of the next allowance from the European Commission to the Blue Book trainees from the moment of the original transfer of the loan. At the time of repayment, a receipt with the signature of both the Manager and the borrower and the date (Part 3) will be delivered to the Trainees Committee/Liaison Committee.

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