Article 4 Membership

4.1 FIATA members may be

a) Association Members;

b) Group Members;

c) Individual Members;

d) Honorary Members.

4.1.1 Members shall contribute to the achievement of FIATA objectives as best they can and be governed by the Statutes, the business regulations and the directives of the Presidency and shall uphold the resolutions of the General Meeting.

4.1.2 Members have to disclose information to FIATA, particularly for statistical purposes.

4.2 Association Members

Association members are organisations representing the entire or part of the forwarding sector of a territory or a region, which are to be laid down by the Presidency.

4.2.1 Acceptance and exclusion of an Association member shall be made by resolution of the General Meeting on a motion by the Presidency. This decision is final.

4.2.2 Each Association member holds (active and passive) the right to present motions, as well as nomination and voting rights.

4.2.3 The Association member is entitled to use the FIATA logo on its own stationery. Only the Association member is entitled to put FIATA documents at the disposal of its own members according to the directives of the Federation.

4.2.4 In exceptional cases the General Meeting may, following a proposal by the Presidency, accord an Individual member the status of an Association member; this for the period in which the territory or the region does not establish an Association and as long as no definitive decision has been made on an application for As- sociation membership of FIATA.

4.2.5 The secretariat shall inform the current Association member of the territory or the region concerned immediately in the event of an application for Association membership by a further organisation. The previous Association member is entitled to lodge an objection which shall be made to the Presidency within four weeks. The General Meeting shall rule on such objection.

4.3 Group Members

Group members may be

a) International organisations representing the forwarding branch of a group of territories or regions; b) International forwarding groups representing the same or similar interests to FIATA;

c) International associations whose members are active only in a sub-sector of the forwarding branch.

Membership according to a) is only possible if all the members of the international organisation are associations, which in turn are Association members of FIATA.

4.3.1 The acceptance and the exclusion of a Group Member shall be made, on motion by the Presidency, by resolution of the General Meeting. The decision is final.

4.3.2 Every Group Member is entitled to voting and election rights through its delegate.

4.4 Individual Members

Individual Members are forwarding enterprises or legal entities closely associated with the forwarding branch.

4.4.1 The acceptance of membership of a forwarding enterprise requires the written approval of the Association member of the territory or the region from where the application is made. The acceptance and the exclusion of an Individual Member shall be made by resolution of the Presidency. The decision is final.

4.4.2 Individual Members are not entitled either to present motions nor do they hold voting and election rights.

4.4.3 An Individual Member may at his own choice, display the FIATA logo on his stationery, printed materials and advertising. However, it shall under no circumstances display the FIATA logo on any transportation document of whatsoever description.

4.5 Honorary Members

Honorary Members are persons who have been of particular service to FIATA or the forwarding industry.

4.5.1 The grant or the annulment of honorary membership shall be made, on motion by the Presidency, by resolution of the General Meeting.

4.5.2 Honorary members are in this capacity not entitled either to present motions nor do they hold voting and election rights.

4.6 Commencement, Suspension and Termination of Membership

4.6.1 Membership commences with the written information of the resolution on membership and receipt of the admission fee and the membership contribution stipulated in the information.

4.6.2 Membership shall be suspended if the member does not meet its financial obligations in due time. The secretariat shall inform the member of its suspension in writing. Suspension shall be deemed annulled with the receipt of all amounts outstanding.

4.6.3 Membership shall end

a) with withdrawal subject to observance of six months’ notice, per the end of a calendar year. Statement of retraction of membership shall be submitted to the secretariat by registered letter;

b) by cessation of legal personality of the Association, Group or Individual member;

c) in the event of an Individual Member also if the member failing to fulfil its financial obligations within four weeks of the second written warning and/or, in the case of a forwarding enterprise if the latter’s membership of an Association member shall terminate;

d) by exclusion, in the event of annulment, on motion of the Presidency by the General Meeting, if a member shall act in gross contravention of the interests of FIATA, is in arrears with two membership contributions or in the event of other important grounds being extant. Important grounds shall be deemed, for example, if the membership has been suspended twice. Before exclusion or annulment the member shall be given two weeks’ grace to justify its position to the Presidency. The member’s attention shall be drawn to this right in writing.

4.6.4 Membership of delegates in FIATA bodies shall lapse automatically if the member providing the delegate shall discontinue Association or Group membership of FIATA. Honorary membership shall not be affected by this provision.

4.6.5 In the event of suspension of membership rights pursuant to point 4.6.2, the Presidency shall determine whether membership of an organ or body shall lapse for a delegate provided by this member.

4.7 Admission fees and membership contributions

Members are bound

a) to pay the admission fee within four weeks of written information of acceptance (cf. 4.6.1);

b) to pay the annual membership contribution by 31st May of the current calendar year in each case.

4.7.1 The membership contribution, which is correlated to membership status and FIATA needs according to the budget, shall be structured in various contribution categories. Allocation of category shall, in the case of Asso- ciation and Group Members, be oriented to the economic resources of the member and the member’s territory or region. The Presidency shall determine the relevant categories.

4.7.2 The amount of the contribution rates shall be determined by the General Meeting. The maximum membership contribution may, on no account, exceed CHF 75,000.00.

4.7.3 Details shall be set out in contribution regulations, which shall be submitted to the General Meeting for approval. The Presidency shall decide on temporary exceptions and shall determine the amount of the admission fees.

4.7.4 Honorary Members are not bound to payment of membership contributions.

4.7.5 A retiring, retired or excluded member remains committed to pay all amounts outstanding by the date of such withdrawal including costs and interest.