Procedure for Qualifying Membership Application

This document sets out the steps to be taken for a country to become a PIANC Qualifying Member. It starts with explaining the most important terms, derived from the Statutes and the Rules & Regulations (to be found at http://www.pianc.org/mission.php).

A. Terms and Definitions used in this document are explained as follows:

PIANC Headquarters (HQ): comprises the Presidency and the General Secretariat located in Belgium at Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 20 - Boîte 3, B-1000, Bruxelles (Belgique).

The International Co-operation Commission (CoCom): the PIANC Commission responsible for the contacts with new (member) countries/organisations.

Candidate Qualifying Member PIANC: status during which an organisation/governmental body within a country prepares for Qualifying Membership, thereby assisted by CoCom.

Qualifying Member PIANC: Membership whereby a (non-)governmental organisation represents a country within the General Assembly and the Council, having full voting right.

National Section PIANC: organisation within the country that is a Qualifying Member, with the purpose to develop interest and support for the Association by attracting members, organising seminars/workshops, issuing a (e-)newsletter, creating a website, etc.

B. Steps

1. Expression of Interest

There are different ways in which a country can express interest in becoming a PIANC Qualifying Member: via a group of individual PIANC members in that country, by a governmental organisation, etc. In all cases the procedure is started by a letter to PIANC HQ, expressing this interest and providing information about the existing maritime/inland navigation organisations (both public and private), which may support the membership.

2. Candidate Qualifying Membership

If the expression of interest is positively evaluated by PIANC HQ, the interested party will be informed of its Candidate Qualifying Membership. Contact will be made with PIANC CoCom, which will assist in the further process towards membership.

2.1 Towards a Qualifying Membership

CoCom will communicate with the party representing the country about the conditions to be met for the Qualifying Membership (identification of the (non-)governmental organisation, manner in which the subvention will be generated, etc.) and the rights and benefits of the membership. It is possible that a meeting or seminar is organised by CoCom with the local organisation, in which the role and products of PIANC are presented and the structure of the local organisation is discussed.

When all requirements are fulfilled, the local organisation will inform PIANC HQ by letter that it is ready for Qualifying Membership, which will be acknowledged by PIANC HQ. When payment of the first annual subvention fee has been received at PIANC HQ, the Qualifying Membership becomes official.

The whole process may take several months or longer, depending on the situation in the country concerned. When after 2 years still no significant progress has been made towards Qualifying Membership, the Candidate Qualifying Membership will be terminated by PIANC HQ.

2.2 National Section

During the first period CoCom will assist the new Qualifying Member in its development. This may include the set-up of a National Section. Different organisational aspects will be communicated (organisation of the National Section, its Secretariat, membership subscriptions, links to Regional Groups, etc.). As soon as the required structure is in place and sufficient Individual Members have been enlisted (generating an income from subscriptions that equals half of the minimum subvention), the Qualifying Member can inform PIANC HQ of this. From this moment on, PIANC HQ will communicate with the local organisation through the Board and/or the Secretariat of the National Section.