[EuroPython] European Python Conference Organisation

[Andrew Smart]

Yup, I found something which might be/probably is a sort of european
organisation.

Possible since 1989; there are currently around 800 so called EWIV (german
abbreviation, something like 'european economical interest association').

Background: you can found a EWIV association in any choosen european
country. In each country is a mapping between the EWIV and a given
association/organisational law. In different countries are different
restrictions to EWIV (e.g. in Irland a EWIV can not have more than 20
members, in Spain you can not move a EWIV to another country if it is again
national interest and stuff like that).

A EWIV is registered in one germany country (the usual registration offices)
and then published european-wide. A EWIV can move beetween countries without
bigger problems, like: founded in Germany, moved to Belgium. You don't have
to re-found the association.

The founding is as easy as any other: at least 2 people/organisations from 2
different european countries are needed. No funding necessary, minimal
formal requirements. The association can be founded for a given time or for
ever.

The association is a own legal person, can have treaties, bank accounts. If
there are unpaid debts the association cannot pay than the members will have
to pay.

EWIV's are used by companies as well by non-profit-organisations (example:
Choroi Association - GEIE).

EWIV's cannot be members of others EWIV's...

The whole document is about 105 pages; some questions are still open
(tax-deduction?).

The biggest problem, though, will be to get the registration offices to
register the EWIV. I doubt that many people in our well-feared bureaucratic
know about this...

Maybe one to two people other than should go hunting for english versions of
the document and more data:
Some anchors:
 - based on european regulation (EWG) 2137/85
 - there is a network called „REGIE“ which supplies informations and
contacts

Some address:
 Amt für amtliche Veröffentlichungen der Europäischen Gemeinschaften -
EUR-OP
 Section „Marchés publics“
 2, rue Mercier
 L-2985 Luxemburg
 Fax: +352/2929 42670

 Europäische Kommission
 Sekretariat von Herrn Reinhard Schulte-Braucks - GD XXIII/A/1
 Rue de la Loi 200, AN 80
 B-1049 Brüssel
 (Fax +32.2.295.97.84)

The law about EWIV in Belgium is based on:
 - law from 12.7.89 about the introduction of EWIV
 - regulation 8/1989 dating 31.8.89 about taxes

The link (105 German pages)
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/library/lib-entrepreneurship/doc/geie/h
andbkde.pdf

Andrew