Articles of Association

We are a non-profit, private legal entity. We are subject to the legislation governing the operation of Associations, as well as the specific legislation governing the operation of Consumer Associations (Regulation 2251/94, as modified and currently in force, on “consumer protection”).

 

ARTICLE 1

ESTABLISHMENT - NAME - REGISTERED OFFICE

A pan-hellenic association is hereby established under the name Ενωση Καταναλωτών "Η Ποιότητα της Ζωής", abbreviated Ε.Κ.ΠΟΙ.ΖΩ. For the use abroad, the name of the association shall be translated as follows: Consumers' Association "The Quality of Life", abbreviated E.K.PI.ZO. The registered office shall be in Athens.

 

ARTICLE 2

PURPOSE

The object of E.K.PI.ZO is to protect consumers and ameliorate the quality of consumers' lives. To this end, E.K.PI.ZO shall more specifically, pursue its activities as regards to consumers':

1.     safeguard of health and safety
2.     full and proper information and education
3.     representation before all decision-making authorities in consumer issues as well as before justice
4.     amelioration of the quality of products (hygiene, content, durability) as well as of services
5.     control of products' cost and prices
6.     control and restriction of advertising
7.     in general, promotion of the general interest of consumers.

 

ARTICLE 3

MEANS

To implement its objects the association shall use every legal and particularly:

1.     collaborate with similar organizations, cooperatives, scientific, working, trade, environmental and social associations, local authorities, public institutions and undertakings and, finally, European and international entities.
2.     publish informative leaflets, magazines, books as well as conduct studies, researches, comparative tests, etc.
3.     organize events, conferences, television and radio programs on consumer issues, communications and steps to the competent services and authorities
4.     establish a laboratory for product testing
5.     establish local agencies/departments, committees, etc.
6.     form a legal department under the title "Legal Protection Office" charged with the provision of legal information and advice to consumers, with the promotion and representation of the individual and collective interests of the consumers before justice, courts - of all levels and jurisdiction - administration and, in general, before all concerned authorities or decision making bodies.

 

ARTICLE 4

MEMBERS - RIGHTS - OBLIGATIONS

I. E.K.PI.ZO shall be made up only of natural persons which may be :

a) Regular,

b) Correspondent, and,

c) Honorary

 

1.     Regular membership shall be open to anyone who agrees with the purposes and general principles of E.K.PI.ZO and joins forces for their fulfillment. Candidate regular members submit an application to the Board of Directors and are endorsed by the Board with the majority of its members, within one month following the date of the application. In case of rejection, the applicant may apply to the General Assembly. Regular members participate in the General Assembly. They have the right to express freely their opinions, submit their proposals, vote, elect and be elected, as well as participate in bodies, committees, working groups and practical activities and obligations of the Association.

They are bound to:

1.     avoid any activity which is prejudicial to the object of the Association and not have any professional or other activity infringing the object and general principles of the Association.
2.     pay regularly the annual membership fee. The Board of Directors shall decide upon the amount thereof. Voting rights shall be suspended until the Member has paid his membership fee.
3.     act in conformity with all provisions and general principles of the Articles and with the decisions of the Board of Directors and the General Assembly.

1.     Correspondent members are endorsed by the Board of Directors. Correspondent membership is open to all natural persons, who agree to the objects and principles of the Association, receive the association's magazine and pay the fees upon the amount of which shall decide the Board of Directors. Correspondent Members enjoy all rights of Regular Members but shall not have any voting rights.
   
   
2.     Honorary members are endorsed by the Board of Directors on a justified decision. Honorary membership is open to all natural persons who offer significant services to the Association and, in general, to the consumer movement. Honorary Members enjoy all rights of the Regular Members but shall not have any voting rights.

 

II. End of Membership

The membership of any member shall terminate:

1.     By resignation of the member notifying the Board of Directors in writing. Re-registration may be admitted by application and payment of eventual fees.
2.     Upon expelling by decision of the Board of Directors. Before such decision, the Board shall address to the member a written recommendation. Such decision may be related to:
3.     a member whose activity is contrary to the object of the Association or infringes the decisions of the Association's bodies, or
4.     infringes the Articles, or
5.     behaves in prejudice to the principle of human dignity

 

ARTICLE 5

ADMINISTRATIVE BODIES

The Association shall be governed by: a) the General Assembly and b) a Board of Directors.

The General Assembly shall have ultimate authority and decide on every matter which the law or these Articles have not entrusted to the competence of other bodies. The decisions of the General Assembly are binding for all Members, present and absent. The General Assembly controls and supervises the other bodies of the Association and has the exclusive competence to:

1.     approve the Board of Directors activities report
2.     decide on amend the Articles of the Association
3.     decide on and approve the budget and the annual accounts
4.     elect and revoke members of the Board of Directors
5.     decide on the modification of the object of the Association
6.     decide on the dissolution of the Association

Decisions of the General Assembly shall be carried by a full majority of age of members who are present and have paid their fees (50 + 1), except in the case provided for in e) and f), in which applies the article 10 of these Articles.

The General Assembly shall only be valid if at least one-third of the members, who have paid their fees, are present. If this quorum is not achieved, the following Assembly takes place the same day of the following week, without notification, in the same place and agenda, and may proceed irrespective of the number of members present, provided that they are not less than 20.

Convening of the Assembly shall be announced to the members by the Board of Directors 15 days in advance of the meeting.

The Board of Directors can convene by decision an Extraordinary Meeting of the General Assembly on important issues of the Association. The Board of Directors may be required to convene an Extraordinary Assembly on important issues of the Association at the written request of the 1/5 of its members.

 

ΑRTICLE 6

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Association shall be administered by a Board of Directors, composed of 7 members, appointed every 2 years by the General Assembly on secret ballot. At the election of the Board of Directors may vote only Regular Members of the Association who have paid their fees.

The elected Council shall meet ten days after the elections under the presidency of the person who received the majority of the votes and proceed to the appointment of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary on specialized matters. The Board shall meet regularly at least once a month, at a precise day and time. The Board shall meet extraordinarily upon notice from the President or at the request of at least 4 members indicating the reasons of such convening. Deliberations of the Board of Directors shall only be valid if at least half plus one of its members are present. Decisions shall be carried out by simple majority vote of those present.

Should a member of the Board be absent unjustified at three consecutive meetings or eight regular meetings altogether, it shall be excluded and replaced. The Board of Administrators may be wholly revoked by decision of the General Assembly, convened according to article 96 of the Civil Code. The decision must be adopted by a full majority of age. Resignation of the Board of Directors may only submitted to the General Assembly. Meetings of the Board shall be open and behind closed doors. The Board shall decide on open meetings. In the open meetings all members of the Association may participate, but shall not have any voting rights. The President can expel all those making noise without the consent of the majority of the Members of the Board.

In all judicial and non-judicial actions before all authorities and before justice the Association shall be represented by the President. The President convenes and presides the meetings of the Board of Directors. In general the President supervises the management of the activities of the Association and takes care of the fulfillment of the objects of the Association. Pay orders of the Association shall validly by signed by the President and the Treasurer. All documents of the Association towards third parties shall validly be signed by the President and the Secretary General. If the President is absent or unavailable, Vice-President shall perform his duties.

The Secretary General informs the members of the Board of Directors on the agenda, sees to that the meetings of the Board and of the General Assembly are recorded in a minute-book, signs together with the President the documents, correspondence, etc., keeps the register of the members and is in charge of the Association's archives and seal. If the Secretary General is absent or unavailable, Treasurer of Special Secretary shall perform his duties.

The Treasurer of the Association is responsible for the treasury. He encashes the duplicate sealed receipts and pays any order for every expenditure upon approval of the Board of Directors, signed by the President and himself and sealed with the seal of the Association. If the Treasurer is absent or unavailable, Secretary General shall perform his duties. In the event both Treasurer and the President are absent or unavailable, any member of the Board upon delegation by the Board shall perform these duties.

The Board of Directors can assign specific duties or delegate some of its powers to its members or appoint to any member or third party any of its competencies or its representation.

 

ARTICLE 7

ELECTIONS

Ordinary General Assembly shall elect the Board of Directors every two years.

Each Regular Member who has paid his fees and has been registered to the books of the Association at least two months in advance shall have one vote. Candidate may be each Regular Member of the Association who has paid fees and has been registered six months in advance.

Each Correspondent Member shall have one vote and may be candidate if he has been registered one year in advance and has been registered as a Regular Member at least two months in advance, according to article 4(a) of the present Articles.

The elections are administered by a three member supervisory committee, elected by the General Assembly with a non-secret vote. The person who receives the majority of votes chairs the elections. The names of candidates are all in one ballot. Applications of the candidates shall be submitted to the Secretary General at least 3 days in advance.

With regard to the Board of Directors, the General Assembly shall appoint 7 members and 3 deputies.

The voter can cross as many candidates as the members of the Council are.

 

ARTICLE 8

RESOURCES

The resources of the Association shall be:

1.     membership fees
2.     contributions and other incoming from the sale of documents published by the Association
3.     incoming from public events
4.     State grants and grants from local authorities
5.     Funding by the European Union, international organizations and international consumer associations.

 

ARTICLE 9

SEAL

The seal of the Consumers' Association "The Quality of Life" shall carry its name. The Board of Directors shall decide upon the symbol.

 

ARTICLE 10

AMENDMENT - DISSOLUTION

Amendment of the Articles and dissolution of the Association shall be decided by the General Assembly or the Extraordinary General Assembly. The deliberation shall only be valid if at least half of members are present. Decision shall only be valid by a three-fourths majority vote of those present.

In the Ordinary or Extraordinary General Assembly meeting with regard to an amendment of the Articles, Members of the local agencies of E.K.PI.ZO shall vote in these agencies.

In case of dissolution, all assets of the Association shall be transferred to other consumer, ecological or environmental associations upon decision of the General Assembly.

 

ARTICLE 11

GENERAL PROVISIONS

The Association may become member of a federation or other Association upon decision of the General Assembly.

The Board of Directors shall be responsible for the writing of the internal regulation of the Association's operation and its annexes as well as for any other matter which is out of the competence of other bodies of the Association.

The Council is authorized to accept modifications or addendum of the provisions of the present status, which will be indicated by the competent judicial authority, so as this revision to be approved by the law.

 

ARTICLE 12

These Articles, as modified, consist of 12 articles and have been approved by the General Assembly today convened on this issue. These Articles shall take effect, as modified, as from the registration onwards in the public registry of Associations kept in the First Instance Court.

 

 

Done in Athens, 22.02.1995

 

The President of the                   The Secretary General of the

General Assembly:                               General Assembly:

Matheos Terezakis                                     Maria Kitraki