Statutes

First article. – The association known as the “Professional Trade Union Association of the Accredited Press” and abbreviated as “the Ministerial Press” aims to devote itself to the defense of the general and private, moral and material interests of its members and of the profession; and this by all legal means of expression.

Art. 2. – The registered office is established in Paris, 57, rue de Varenne and may be transferred to any other place by simple decision of the office.

Art. 3. – The Association is made up of active professional journalists, honorary members and benefactor members. The number of active members is limited to 300 for the French press and 100 for the foreign press. The number of foreign members may not exceed 25% of the total number of members of the Association. A list of accredited journalists who will apply to join the Association is drawn up. After the formalities provided for in article 4 of these statutes, they will be classified in the order of presentation of the candidatures to be admitted as and when the vacancies.

Art. 4. – To be an active member of the Association, one must provide proof of accreditation, as a journalist holding a professional card, either to the Presidency of the Republic, or to the Presidency of the Council, or to the various ministries. A written request must also be made, accompanied by the countersignature of two sponsors who are already members of the Association. The office rules on the admission of applications. Any rejected candidate may appeal this decision to the general meeting.

Art. 5. – Active members are required to pay an annual subscription fixed by the general meeting on the proposal of the office, preceded by the payment of an admission fee fixed in the same way. They fully and exclusively benefit from all the rights granted to members of the Association.

Art. 5a. – Any member who no longer belongs to the Association may apply to the office for honorary membership. The office is authorized to accept or refuse such an application. The status of honorary member does not confer any right other than the title and authorizes its holder only to attend meetings, it being specified that he cannot participate in them with a deliberative voice and is not qualified to take part in the ballots. of whatever nature.

Art. 6. – Benefactor members are those who, through their subscriptions or through equivalent services, contribute to the prosperity of the Association.

Art. 7. – Benefactor members are admitted by the office of the Association by a majority of votes, except for appeal before the general assembly.

Art. 8. – The honorary members chosen because of their titles or their personality must belong or have belonged to the political press.

Art. 9. – Honorary members are appointed by the assembly
general on presentation of the office.

Art. 10. – The association is administered by an office composed of the president and eight trustees. The office is in charge of taking all urgent decisions and expediting current affairs. Board member functions are free.

Art.11. – The administration of the Association can only be entrusted to adults of either sex, not deprived of their civil or civic rights, even if they have benefited from the raising of national indignity in the terms of the order of December 24, 1944.

Art. 12. – All the members of the office are elected in general assembly, by secret ballot. They are chosen exclusively among the active members. They must be of French nationality. The members of the office are re-eligible without delay. No one is elected on the first ballot if he has not obtained an absolute majority of the votes. In the second round, the election takes place by relative majority; in the event that the candidates obtain an equal number of votes, the election is acquired in favor of age.

Art. 13. – The members of the office are elected for two years. It is provisionally provided by the office for the replacement of vice presidents and trustees who have died or resigned, unless ratified by the next general meeting. The members of
office thus appointed shall remain in office only for the duration of the term of office which had been entrusted to their predecessors. An assembly
general provides for the replacement of the deceased or resigning president in the month following his death or his resignation.

Art. 14. – The president ensures the regularity of the functioning of the Association, in accordance with the statutes, he chairs the meetings of the office and the general assemblies of which he ensures the regularity. He signs all acts of deliberation, he represents the Association in justice and in all acts of civil life. Each year, it provides the competent authority with the statistical and financial information required by law. The vice-presidents assist the president and replace him if he is unable to attend.

Art. 15. – The secretary general or, in the event of impediment, a trustee appointed by the office is responsible for summonses, drafting of minutes, correspondence, preservation of archives as well as maintenance of the personnel register. . He presents the proposals for admission, expulsion or exclusion to the office.

Art. 15a. – The treasurer is responsible for centralizing receipts and payments. He arranges for the regular keeping of accounting books. He collects the contributions of the active members and, after approval of the office, the subscriptions of the benefactor members. He is responsible for the funds and securities of ! 'Association. He pays on mandate approved by the president or by one of the vice-presidents delegated for this purpose. He receives all sums due in any capacity whatsoever to the Association by completing, for this purpose, all the necessary formalities. He proceeds to the purchase, the sale, and, in general, to all operations on titles and securities ordered by the office.

Art. 16. – The office meets each time it is convened by the president and at least every three months. Convening is mandatory when requested by the majority of its members. The office can only deliberate validly if the majority of the members who make it up by statute attend the meeting. The members of the office may be declared automatically resigned from their functions in the event of unjustified absence at three consecutive meetings of the office.

Art. 17. – A control commission appointed each year by the general meeting, outside the office, and composed of three members meets at least once a year at the end of the financial year to control the accounts for the financial year. This extends from January 1 to December 31 of each year. The control commission verifies:
a) all the operations carried out by the office;
b) the Association's portfolio and funds. It provides a written report to the general assembly. This report is attached to the minutes of the deliberation of this meeting.

Art. 18. – The Association meets in ordinary general meeting once a year, during the first semester at the behest of the office, to deliberate on the reports presented to it, to rule on the questions submitted to it by the office and renew it, under the conditions provided for in article 13 of these statutes. In addition, the president can convene, with the approval of the office, an extraordinary general meeting in serious and urgent cases, and obligatorily in the event of modification of the statutes. The convocation of the general meeting is compulsory when it is requested, either by a quarter of the members of the Association, or by the majority of the members of the office.

Art. 19. – The ordinary general assembly deliberates by an absolute majority of the active members composing the Association. In the event that this quorum is not reached, a second general meeting is convened within the following fifteen days and deliberates by a majority of the members present or represented.
The extraordinary general meeting which deliberates on the statutory modifications must be composed of at least half of the members
assets. Deliberations are taken by a majority of those present or represented. Each active member can be represented, by delivering a "voucher
to be able" signed, by another member. Each member cannot represent more than three other members of the Association.

Art. 20. – Is null any decision taken in any meeting of the general meeting or of the office which has not been the subject of a convocation
regular.

Art. 21. – Any discussion that is political, religious, philosophical or foreign to the aims of the Association is prohibited in meetings of the office and the general assembly.

Art. 22. – The receipts of the Association consist of:
1. admission fees;
2. contributions from active members;
3. subscriptions from benefactor members;
4. subsidies allocated by the State, the departments and the
municipalities. Receipt is given in the name of the Association.

Art. 23. – The expenses include:
1. management fees;
2. all expenses necessary to carry out the provisions of this
the first article of these statutes.

Art. 24. – A relief fund is set up. It is intended to help members of the Association who find themselves in need, as well as their families. The office is in charge of the management of this fund, and the control commission of the control of the operations.

Art. 25. – The annual surplus of receipts over expenditure is carried each year to a special account which takes the name of “fund of
Reserve ".

Art. 26. – The exclusion is pronounced by the office unless ratified by the general meeting:
1. Against members who have not paid their annual subscription one month after the end of the financial year. However, the application of this article may be suspended by the office for members who prove that circumstances beyond their control have prevented them from paying their dues. Exclusion is preceded by formal notice sent by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt. The exclusion is effective if the formal notice has not been complied with within fifteen days.
2. Against members who are guilty of an act contrary to honor. The members referred to in paragraph 2 above are invited, by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt, to appear before the office. The latter hears them or hears their duly mandated representatives; if they do not appear on the day indicated or if they do not provide explanations in writing, their exclusion may be pronounced without further formality. Remains a member of the Association, and as such holder of all the rights and all obligations attached to this quality, any journalist having contributed to it for five years, if his professional activity has ceased, except for cause detrimental to his honor. Any member may voluntarily withdraw from the Association at any time by notifying the office in writing. However, the contribution is due for the past months.

Art. 27. – The statutes can only be modified on the proposal of the office or on that of a quarter of the members present at the meeting
general. In the latter case, the proposal is submitted to the office, two months before the general meeting to which the members are convened.
by individual letter indicating the agenda.

Art. 28. – Dissolution can only be pronounced in a special general meeting convened in accordance with legal requirements and which can only rule by a majority of two-thirds of the members present and by an absolute majority of the members registered with the Association.

Art. 29. – In the event of dissolution, the funds will be paid to one or more press associations, by decision of the general meeting pronouncing
dissolution provided that they are recognized as being of public utility.

Art. 30. – Exclusive jurisdiction for all disputes concerning the Association is granted to the courts of the department of Paris.

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