II. MEMBERSHIP 

 

 

Article 10 – Members qualification

The association consists of Effective members (Affiliated, Individuals and Founders), Honorary members and Sympathizers members. 

 

1. Effective Members (Affiliated, Individual and Founder members).

 

a) The Affiliated members are the FA members, as defined in the Article 2 above. They pay an annual membership subscription whose amount is fixed by a resolution of the Executive Committee. The NFB acknowledges only one representative FA at the international level per People, Nation, Minority and Isolated Territory population. The status of Affiliated member involves a will of participation in the events organized by the NFB.

 

b) The Individual members are the members accepted by an individual way whose candidature is accepted by the Executive Committee. They pay an annual membership subscription whose amount is decided by a resolution of the Executive Committee. The status of Individual member shall imply a real will to have a constructive activity and to invest in the achievement of the association object of business.

 

c) The qualification of Founder member is granted to the cosignatories of the NFB founders statutes. A Founder member is a member of the Executive Committee for life. He pays an annual membership subscription whose amount is decided by the Executive Committee. In order to guarantee that the philosophy of the NFB founders is protected the longer possible; a Founder member shall own a power of veto upon any decision of the Executive Committee, submitting in this way the adoption of the resolution to a vote of the General Meeting. A Founder member who doesn’t pay his membership subscription in the delay decided by the Executive Committee is suspended of his power of voting and of his power of veto. 

 

2. Honorary members:

The Honorary Presidents and the Honorary Members are appointed by the General Meeting. This distinction is awarded to the persons who have been considered worthy of it, either by their function, and either by the good turns that they have done or they do to the association. The Honorary members are dispensed from the membership subscription payment but they can take part to the General Meetings with a consultative advice. 

 

3. Sympathizer members:

The qualification of Sympathizer member can be awarded to the persons and companies who will have merited it by their donations and legacy. 

 

 

Article 11 – Members´ roll

The members´ roll is kept in a register at the NFB´s registered office. All members can consult the register as well as all the reports and resolutions of the General Meeting, of the Executive Committee or of the persons whose a mandate was given by the NFB, and all the accounting files. The detailed roll will be filled up each year after the General Meeting. 

 

 

AFFILIATED MEMBERS 

 

Article 12 - Admission, suspension and expulsion

The General Meeting decides whether to admit, suspend or expel a member. 

 

 

Article 13 - Admission

1. Any Football Association which represents a People, a Nation, a Minority or an Isolated Territory population may become an Affiliated member of NFB.

 

2. A Football Association is able to be accepted with the qualification of provisory member. The status of provisory member doesn´t gives the right of participation in the debates. The provisory members are not allowed to participate to the NFB final events.

 

3. Any Football Association wishing to become an Affiliated member of NFB shall apply for by writing to the NFB general secretariat. 

 

4. The Football Association’s legally valid statutes shall be enclosed with the application for membership. They shall be written in one of the NFB official languages: French, English and Spanish.

 

5. The Internal Regulations regulates the details of the procedure for admission. It decides the preliminary conditions of admission for the Football Association candidates to the status of Affiliated member, according to precise criterions and in order to respect the original NFB philosophy, especially concerning the non interference of political or religious spheres within those Football Association which must guarantee their democratic functioning.

 

6. This article shall not affect the status of existing members. 

 

 

Article 14 - Request and procedure for application

1. The Executive Committee shall request the General Meeting either to admit or not to admit a Football Association. The Football Association may state the reasons for its application to the General Meeting.

 

2. The new Affiliated member shall acquire membership rights and duties as soon as it has been admitted. Its delegates are eligible to vote and be elected with immediate effect. 

 

 

Article 15 – Affiliated members’ rights

1. The Affiliated members have the following rights:

a) To take part in the General Meeting.

b) To draw up proposals for inclusion in the agenda of the General Meeting.

c) To nominate candidates for the NFB presidency.

d) To propose candidates for the Executive Committee and for the different NFB bodies.

e) To take part in competitions organised by NFB.

f) To exercise all other rights arising from these Constitution and other regulations.

 

2. The exercise of these rights is subject to other provisions in this Constitution and the applicable regulations. 

 

 

Article 16 - Affiliated members’ obligations

1. The Affiliated members have the following obligations:

a) to comply fully with the Constitution, Internal Regulations, regulations, directives and decisions of NFB bodies at any time.

b) to pay their membership subscriptions.

c) to ensure that their own members comply with the Constitution, Internal Regulations, regulations, directives and decisions of NFB bodies.

d) to respect the Laws of the Game.

e) to comply fully with all other duties arising from this Constitution and other regulations.

 

2. Violation of the above-mentioned obligations by any Affiliated member may lead to sanctions provided for in this Constitution. 

 

 

Article 17 - Suspension

1. The General Meeting is responsible for suspending an Affiliated member. The Executive Committee may, however, suspend an Affiliated member that seriously and repeatedly violates its obligations as a member with immediate effect. The suspension shall last until the next General Meeting, unless the Executive Committee has lifted it in the meantime.

2. A suspension shall be confirmed at the next General Meeting by a three-quarter majority of the votes taken. If it is not confirmed, the suspension is automatically lifted.

3. A suspended Affiliated member shall be suspended of voting at the General Meeting. The Disciplinary Committee may impose further sanctions.

4. Affiliated members which do not participate in at least one international game over a period of two consecutive years shall be suspended from voting at the General Meeting until they have fulfilled their obligations in this respect. 

 

 

Article 18 - Expulsion

1. The General Meeting may expel an Affiliated member:

a) if it fails to fulfill its financial obligations towards NFB; or

b) if it seriously violates the Constitution, Internal Regulations, regulations and decisions of NFB; or

c) if it loses the status of a Football Association representing football for its People, Nation, Minority or Isolated Territory population.

 

2. The Affiliated member must be officially informed and invited at the General Meeting which will have to decide about its destiny.

3. The presence of an absolute majority of Effective members entitled to vote at the General Meeting is necessary for an expulsion to be valid, and the motion for expulsion must be adopted by a three-quarter majority of the votes taken.

4. The decision shall be notified to the party concerned by the Executive Committee within eight days. 

 

 

Article 19 - Resignation

1. An Affiliated member may resign from NFB with effect from the end of a calendar year. Notice of resignation must reach the general secretariat no later than six months before the end of the calendar year and be sent by registered letter.

 

2. The resignation is not valid until the Affiliated member wishing to resign has fulfilled its financial obligations towards NFB and its other members. 

 

 

Article 20 - Bodies

1. An Affiliated member’s bodies shall be either elected or appointed in that Football Association. A member’s statutes shall provide for a procedure that guarantees the complete independence of the election or appointment.

 

2. Any Affiliated member’s bodies that have not been elected or appointed in compliance with the provisions of par. 1, even on an interim basis, shall not be recognized by NFB

 

3. Decisions passed by bodies that have not been elected or appointed in compliance with par. 1 shall not be recognized by NFB. 

 

 

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS 

 

Article 21 – Individual members

1. Any person wishing to become a member of NFB shall apply for by writing to the Executive Committee specifying his motivation. The Executive Committee decides within one month since the reception of the candidature. The Executive Committee owns a complete liberty of appreciation and has not, in any circumstances, to justify its resolution.

 

2. The Individual members shall not have the right to remuneration, except when one of them is appointed by the Executive Committee to carry out one or more specific tasks, in which case the remuneration awarded shall not exceed the amount usually accepted for this type of service.

 

3. The NFB’s profits shall not be distributed among the members, but shall remain the property of the NFB and shall be used exclusively for its objectives.

 

4. This article shall be without prejudice to the rights of a member who has become a creditor of the NFB following a sale, loan or other transaction. A member who is a creditor of the NFB shall have the same rights against it as all other creditors. 

 

 

Article 22 - Resignation

1. An Individual member may resign from NFB at any moment. Notice of resignation must reach the President and be sent by registered letter.

 

2. An Individual member who doesn’t pay his membership subscription in the delay decided by the Executive Committee is suspended of his power of voting, then declared resigning after an unavailing back pay.

 

3. The resigning member can not ask for the refund of the paid membership subscriptions. 

 

 

Article 23 - Expulsion

1. The General Meeting may expel any Individual member:

a) if he fails to fulfill his financial obligations towards NFB; or

b) if he seriously violates the Constitution, Internal Regulations, regulations and decisions of NFB; or

 

2. The Individual member shall be officially informed and invited to the General Meeting which will have to decide about its destiny.

 

3. The presence of an absolute majority of members entitled to vote at the General Meeting is necessary for an expulsion to be valid, and the motion for expulsion must be adopted by a three-quarter majority of the votes taken.

 

4. The decision shall be notified to the Individual member concerned by the Executive Committee within eight days.

 

5. The expelled Individual member can not ask for the refund of the paid membership subscriptions.