In support of Article 12 of the Law on Non-Governmental Organizations (Official Gazette of Montenegro nr. 39/11) the Founding Assembly of the non-governmental organization Association for Sustainable Development, Regional Cooperation and Olive Farming VALDANOS – Udruženje za održivi razvoj, regionalnu sardnju i maslinarstvo VALDANOS – OJQ Shoqata për zhvillim të qëndrueshëm, bashkëpunim rajonal dhe ullishtari VALDANOS – Ulcinj – Ulqin, at the session of 26.09.2012 adopted:
S T A T U T E
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1
The Association for Sustainable Development, Regional Cooperation and Olive Farming VALDANOS – Udruženje za održivi razvoj, regionalnu sardnju i maslinarstvo VALDANOS – OJQ Shoqata për zhvillim të qëndrueshëm, bashkëpunim rajonal dhe ullishtari VALDANOS – Ulcinj – Ulqin, is a non-governmental association.
Article 2
The name of the Association in the official state language is: Udruženje za održivi razvoj, regionalnu sardnju i maslinarstvo VALDANOS – Ulcinj, in the Albanian language: Shoqata për zhvillim të qëndrueshëm, bashkëpunim rajonal dhe ullishtari VALDANOS-Ulqin, in the English language: Assosiation for Sustainable Development, Regional Cooperation and Olive Farming VALDANOS – Ulcinj-Ulqin.
The abbreviated name of the Association is: Association for Sustainable Regional Olive Farming VALDANOS – Shoqata per ullishtari te qendrueshme regjionale VALDANOS – Udruzenje za odrzivo regionalno maslinarstvo VALDANOS.
Article 3
The head office of the Association is in Ulcinj, 26 November St. nn
Article 4
The work of the association is public.
Transparency of the Association is achieved through public statements, the publication of annual financial reports, and other data relevant to the work of the Association on the web page of the non-governmental organization.
Article 5
The Association is established for an indefinite period.
OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES
Article 6
The objectives of the Association are sustainable development, intensive regional cooperation between countries in the Balkans and the promotion and development of olive farming.
Objectives of the Association are the protection of natural resources, especially the protection of the existing fund of olive trees in the regional area of activity of the Association, the improvement i.e. the increase of that fund, the provision of indigenous and high fertile olive varieties, the use of biological fertilizers, the lesser use of artificial fertilizers, the use of ecological means for olive protection and the use of herbicides of biological origin, the use of other raw materials, the fight against urbanization which destroys the olive fund in accordance with applicable legislation, the provision of professional advice and services to olive farmers at any time as well as the contribution to the development of olive growing in Ulcinj, Montenegro and the Balkan region.
Article 7
The specific objectives of the Association are the preservation of existing plantations: regeneration (pruning to rejuvenate), fertilization, land treatment (plowing and cultivating), reconstruction of plantations (building dry stone walls), construction of access roads, space filling with tree seedlings, buidling up new plantations, as well as the protection of olives from livestock (goats, horses, donkeys, cows, wild poars, etc…).
Preserving the tradition of proprietary treatment and traditional bordering of old olive tree complexes (with no physical barriers between properties) in Ulcinj is one of the specific objectives of the Association.
Article 8
Activities of the Association are:
- Providing expert advice and services to all of the members, especially to olive farmers (growers) about sustainable and regional development and all stages of crop cultivation, agrotechnical measures of processing and protection of olives,
- Educating olive farmers and processors to produce quality olive oil and table olives,
- Improving and increasing the olive tree fund in the territory of the municipality of Ulcinj, protecting olives and olive groves from diseases and pests, as well as taking physical protection measures,
- Planning sustainable production, applying modern agrotechnical measures and expert advice,
- Contibuting to the development of olive farming in Ulcinj, Montenegro and the Balkan region,
- Promoting the use of professional regional clusters in order to develop olive farming.
Article 9
The stamp of the organization is rounded and the abbreviated name of the Association is written in Latin script on the rim: Association for Sustainable Regional Olive Farming VALDANOS – Udruženje za održivo regionalno maslinarstvo VALDANOS – Shoqata për ullishtari të qëndrueshme regjionale VALDANOS.
In the center of the seal is a specially designed character: the logo of the Association.
INTERNAL ORGANIZATION
Article 10
The bodies of the Association are the Assembly and the authorised representative.
THE ASSEMBLY
Article 11
The Assembly is the highest administrative body of the Association.
Article 12
The Assembly consists of all members of the organization.
Article 13
The powers of the Assembly:
– to adopt the Statute of the Association;
– to adopt amendments to the Statute;
– to apoint and dismiss the authorised representative;
– to apoint and dismiss other Association bodies;
– to decide on joining alliances and other forms of linking associations;
– to approve the work plan for the following year and the work report for the previous year;
– to adopt the annual financial report;
– to decide on changes to objectives and activities, on termination of work and on the distribution of the remaining assets of the Association;
– to decide on other matters for which the statute does not establish jurisdiction to other bodies of the Association.
CONVENING OF THE ASSEMBLY
Article 14
The Assembly may be ordinary and extraordinary.
Regular sessions of the Assembly are held at least once a year.
An extraordinary session of the Assembly may be convened at the initiative of at least one-third of the membership no later than 30 days from the date of application for its convening.
A session of the Assembly shall be convened by written notice of the time and place of the meeting and the proposed agenda. The session is chaired by a person who is, by public vote, elected at the beginning of the session.
QUORUM FOR WORK AND DECISION-MAKING
Article 15
The Assembly can sit and decide if there is a simple majority of the association members present.
The Assembly can sit and decide if more than 50 percent of the total number of members who are authorized representatives are attend are present.
Article 16
If the meeting could not be held due to lack of quorum, it will be convened within seven days, with the same agenda.
Article 17
For the passing of the Statute and its amendments, a two-thirds majority vote of the members present or authorized is needed.
Any member of the Assembly as well as any authorized representative may initiate the process of amending the Statute.
Article 18
On other matters within its competence the Assembly decides by majority vote of the present members of the Association.
DECISION-MAKING
Article 19
The Assembly decides by public vote. Public voting shall be by show of hands or voting by roll call of names of members.
Article 20
The Assemble decides by secret voting on some issues, when it is required by a simple majority of the members of the Association.
Secret voting shall be by ballot.
Article 21
An absent member may vote by mail. The letter of absent member’s vote on issues on the agenda is valid and taken into account if it arrives by the Assembly session.
The chair shall inform the members present about the vote of the absent member.
EXCLUSION OF VOTING RIGHTS
Article 22
A member of the Assembly cannot vote when deciding on these issues:
– exemptions from certain duties and responsibilities of that member;
– determining requirements that it has in relation to that member;
– initiation and termination of ligitation against the member;
– other cases when the member has an interest contrary to the interest of the Association.
When the interest of the member referred to in paragraph 4 of this article is contrary to the interest of the Association, the Assembly considers each case.
Exclusion of voting rights of members only applied to the question of why it came to the exclusion.
MINUTES OF THE ASSEMBLY
Article 23
Minutes of the Assembly shall be kept on each meeting of the Assembly.
The minutes shall include basic information about the work of the Assembly, in particular:
– place and date of the meeting
– agenda
– names of members present
– name of the chairman
– name of the minutes taker
– workflow, in particular the issues discussed, the names of persons who participated in the discussion and the summarized content of their presentations
– the result of the vote on certain points on the agenda
– Chair statement on decision making
– dissenting opinions of members
– end time of the meeting.
Article 24
Every decision of the Assembly shall be recorded in the minutes.
The evidence for the convening of the Assembly shall be submitted with the minutes.
Article 25
The minutes shall be signed by the chairman and the minutes taker.
If the minutes consist of more than one page, the chairmain and the minutes taker shall place their abbreviated signature(initials) on each page.
Article 26
Members of the Assembly have the right to review the minutes by its preparation and signing of the chairman and the minutes taker.
Minutes from the Assembly are kept in the archives of the Assembly as a document of lasting value.
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE
Article 27
The authorized representative is elected by the Assemblu of the Association for a term of 4 years.
The day of taking office of the President of the Association is determined by the decision on setting.
AUTHORIZATION OF THE AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE
Article 28
The President of the Assembly:
– conctracts and takes other legal actions on behalf of the association;
– is responsible for the legality of the work of the Association;
– manages the affairs of the Association in accordance with the decisions of the Assembly;
– submits to the Assembly the draft financial statements;
– performs other duties in accordance with the law, statute and other acts of the Association.
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE
Article 29
The president of the Association is accountable to the Assembly and submits to it regular work reports.
For each session of the Assembly of the Association, the President of the Association shall submit a report for his operations for the period between the two sessions.
DISMISSAL OF THE AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE
Article 30
The President of the Association may be removed from office in the following cases:
- If there are losses in the operations of the Association,
- If the Association is harmed because of his/her negligent or improper work or abuse of power, or if it could have been detrimental,
- Due to the inability to organize and manage the entrusted tasks and activities within his scope.
Article 31
The Assembly decides on the dismissal of the President.
The decision of the Assembly on the dismissal of the Association President shall be final.
EMPLOYEES OF THE ASSOCIATION
Article 32
The employees will be recruited in accordance with law, the Act on job classification adopted by the Assembly of the Association.
CONNECTION
Article 33
The Association can connect and join in alliances or other appropriate associations in the country and abroad.
FUNDING
Article 34
The Association acquires assets from membership fees, contributions, gifts, grants, bequests, interest on deposits, dividends, rents, income from business activities and from other ways that is not inconsistent with law.
PERFORMANCE OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
Article 35
The Association performs the following economic activities as part of its activities:
Import and trade of plants, pesticides, manure and mineral fertilizers and other materials needed for the members of the association.
MEMBERSHIP IN THE ORGANIZATION
Article 36
All legal and natural persons may be members of the Association, insofar they accept the objectives and activities defined by the Statute of the Association, on the recommendation of one of its members.
Membership is gained by signing the application.
A member register shall be kept on the record of members of the Association.
TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
Article 37
A member may withdraw from membership by giving a written statement of resignation.
Membership is also terminated based on a decision of the Assembly in the event of non-compliance with the provisions of this statute or damage to the reputation of the Association.
The initiative for the exclusion from the Association may be submitted by any member of the Association.
The member must be allowed to explain the reasons because of which the proposal was submitted for a decision on the termination of his/her membership in the Association.
RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERS
Article 38
A member has the right to:
1) equal footing with other members in achieving the objectives of the Association;
2) participate directly in decision-making in the Assembly, as well as through the bodies of the Association;
3) elect and be elected to the Association;
4) be promptly and fully informed of the activities of the Association.
A member is obligated to:
1) actively contribute to the objectives of the Association;
2) participate, in accordance with interests, in the activities of the Association;
3) pay the membership fee;
4) perform other duties as assigned by the Assembly.
INTERIM AND FINAL PROVISIONS
Article 39
One third of the Assembly members may initiate the process of dissolution of the Association.
The dissolution of the Association is decided by two-thirds majority vote of members present in the Assemly.
Article 40
In the case of dissolution of the Association, the decision on the disposal of assets is made by the Assembly by two-thirds majority vote of all members.
Article 41
To any issues that are not directly regulated by this Statute, the provisions of the Law on NGOs will be applied.
Article 42
This Statute enters into force on the date of registration.
Date, __________________
in _____________ . Chairman of the Founding Assembly,
Xhaudet Cakuli