ALDA participates in the work of the European Alliance for the Statute of the European Association (EASEA). The Alliance works towards mobilising support for a statute for European Associations. Currently Associations can’t formally be considered as European Associations, but have to register nationally and function as either national or international organisations.
The campaign seeks to make it possible for Associations to adopt a European legal standard that would allow Associations to hold an official status as European association. This legal standard wouldn’t necessarily replace national laws for registration of associations, but could work as an optional possibility for Associations wishing to be considered as European. Such a statute would promote the role of civil society in European politics, would respect the right to create associations at all levels and would remove the administrative constraints that some European associations are facing today.
The campaign for a statute for European Associations was launched in November last year with a written declaration for MEPs. So far almost 90 MEPs have signed the declaration. The declaration has to be signed by a majority of the Members of the European Parliament, only then can it formally be forwarded to the European Commission.
The Alliance and ALDA encourage individuals and Associations to contact their MEPs and ask them to sign the written declaration. ALDA will also work with the Alliance to ask MEPs to sign the declaration during the European Parliament session in Strasbourg from January 17-20. The time limit for securing enough signatures is 17 February 2011.
For more information and the written declaration in various languages please visit: www.europeanstatuteswrittendeclaration.eu