4.1 Organisations: There shall be five classes of membership each of which shall represent a Nation or Nations within Europe: National Organisations, European Organisations, Ordinary Members (organisations), Associate Members (organisations), Members (organisations) with Observer status.

4.1.1 National Organisations: Shall be the National Body for Psychotherapy and shall be an umbrella organisation which is demonstrably the largest organisation, representing the broadest range of differing approaches to psychotherapy, in the country of which it is the National Organisation.

4.1.2 European Organisations: Shall be those organisations which have a membership from at least six European Nations and which support the aims and objectives of the EAP.

4.1.3 Ordinary Members (Organisations): Shall be Psychotherapy Organisations from European Countries, subject to the following conditions:

4.2 Individuals: Ordinary Members (Individuals), Special Members, Honorary Members

4.2.1 Ordinary Members (Individuals): An individual may be eligible for membership when fullfilling the following requests:

4.2.2 An academic degree of a University or equivalent according to national regulation and an Integral specialized training in a scientifically recognised method of psychotherapy according to 4.1.3.4. Courses in psychopathology and the comparative theory of neuroses must have been completed.

4.2.3 An Individual applying for EAP membership shall be a member of one of the organisations mentioned under 4.1.1 to 4.1.3, if such organisations exist in the country where the applicant permanently resides. Exceptions may only be made by the Governing Board of the EAP, when the applicant can present convincing reasons for not being a member of such an organisation.

4.2.4 Special Members: Special members can be appointed by the Governing Board and are persons who, through personal effort and/or financial support, promote the interests of EAP.

4.2.5 Honorary Members: The Governing Board may appoint Honorary members who are persons exempt from payment of the annual membership fee provided by Article 15.1.

5.3 Organisations are entitled to have a number of delegates proportional to the number of their fee paying members, i.e. organisations with

5.4 Any Delegate unable to be present at the General Meeting may arrange with another Delegate to vote on his or her behalf, on condition that he or she communicates both names to the Chief Executive in writing before the start of the meeting.

6.1 No person shall be an officer or a member of the Governing Board unless she or he is a delegate of a National, European or Ordinary Member (Organisation) or an Ordinary Member (Individual) as under Article 4.

6.2 The Governing Board shall be made up of the following persons:

6.2.1 Ex Officio Members: the President, two Vice-Presidents, the Treasurer, the Chief Executive.

6.2.2 One Delegate from each country's National Organisation, where it exists. Where such National Organisation exists, only delegates from that National Organisation may be appointed to the Governing Board.

6.2.3 Where no National Organisation exists, a country may elect a representative from among the delegates of its Ordinary Members (Organisations). Such a representative shall be elected by the Ordinary Members (Organisations) of that country on the basis of one vote per delegate and by simple majority of the votes cast at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

6.2.4 Where there is neither a National Organisation nor an Ordinary Member (Organisation) as defined, a country may elect or appoint an Ordinary Member (Individual) to represent it.

6.2.5 Each European Organisation may appoint one person to the Governing Board. Usually that person shall be the Chair or President.

6.3. Duties of the Governing Board:

6.3.1 The Governing Board shall carry out the decisions and policies of the EAP agreed in General Meeting. During the financial year and between Annual General Meetings, the Governing Board shall have all power to manage the activities of the EAP, not specifically attributed to another organ by these Statutes.

6.3.2 A quorum of the Governing Board shall be one half of the members plus one. All decisions of the Governing Board shall be determined on the basis one vote per member and by a simple majority of the votes cast. The Governing Board may co-opt representatives from among delegates of National, European or Ordinary Members either for a specific task or to fill a casual vacancy until the next AGM. The Governing Board may delegate specific tasks to such persons.

6.3.3 The Governing Board shall appoint such sub-committees, working parties or other groups as are needed to further the aims and objectives of the EAP, provided always that such bodies report back their actions and proceedings to the Governing Board promptly. At each meeting of the Governing Board it shall review the proceedings of any sub-committee and working parties appointed.

6.3.4 The Governing Board shall have the power to adopt and issue standing orders and/or rules of procedure which shall be subject to rewiew at the AGM and which shall not be inconsistent with the provision of the Statutes of the EAP.

6.3.5 The Governing Board shall present a statement of the annual accounts to the AGM, signed by the Treasurer. It will also determine the budget of the next financial year and the annual fee for member organisations and individual members, subject to the approval of the AGM.

6.3.6 The Governing Board shall have the power to employ an administrative Secretariat working for the EAP.

6.4 Tenure of office of the Governing Board

The Chief Executive and the Treasurer and all ordinary members of the Governing Board shall resign each year and may offer themselves for re-election. The President and the two Vice-Presidents may not offer themselves for re-election.

7.1 The Executive Committee of the EAP shall consist of the President, two Vice-Presidents, the Treasurer, the Chief Executive, the External Relations Officer and two ordinary members of the Governing Board appointed by the Governing Board from among its numbers. Minutes of its decisions will be taken down and presented to the Governing Board.

7.2 Any member of the Executive Committee shall have a right to demand a meeting of the Executive Committee. Three members of the Executive Committee must be present in order to make a binding decision.

7.3 In financial matters the Treasurer resp. the Chief Executive togehter with the President resp. his substitude is authorized to sign. On order of the presidency the Treasurer can get authorized to sign up to the amount of ATS 50.000,00.

7.4 The office supports and carries out the tasks on behalf of the Board and the Presidency and fulfills all administrative affairs. The office is guided by the Chief Executive.

8.1 The President — or any Officer appointed by the Governing Board — shall represent the EAP to outside bodies.

8.2 The President shall organise the AGM and Annual Conference by an invitation sent to all members together with the agenda.

8.3. There shall be two Vice-Presidents, one shall be the immediate past President and the other shall be the President elect.

8.4 Papers of the association will be signed by the President and the Secretary, in case of their disability through their substitude.

9.1 The Ordinary General Meeting of EAP will take place once a year, normally during the last weekend in June.

9.2 Proposals for the agenda must be sent to the President not less than 8 weeks in advance. The invitation and the agenda, together with the required documents, must be sent not less than three weeks before the GM (date as postmark).

9.3 Any business may be debated during a GM. The GM will start with emendations to the agenda. Items that were presented too late to be included can be put on the agenda provided two-thirds of the voters from both Chambers agree. Decisions taken on this basis will be submitted to an obligatory referendum, whereby Member Organisations and Individual Members will be asked to accept or reject these decisions within two weeks after the GM (postal vote).

9.4 The Governing Board may convene an Extraordinary General Meeting at any time. In urgent cases the agenda and accompanying documents may be sent at the latest 10 days (date as postmark) before the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM). The decisions taken by an EGM will be submitted to an obligatory referendum, except when the EGM has been convened according to the procedure (delays, agenda) applying to an Ordinary GM.

9.5 A quorum of the GM will be recognized whenever it has been convened in accordance with the statutes when at least half of the ordinary members are present. If this number is not present within 30 minutes after the time designated for the opening of the session, the GM starts with the ordinary members present with the same agenda out of regard for the members present. In case of a tie the President shall declare the motion lost. Elections will be on the basis of absolute majority on the first ballot, of relative majority on each further ballot. Should the Meeting so decide, a secret ballot will be organized for elections or votes. The removing of an EAP Board Member will be put on the agenda as a separate item and the assembly will vote on its execution.

9.6 The General Meeting will settle all periodical business, in particular

— it will elect the tellers

— it will agree the minutes, the annual reports, the annual accounts, the budget; it will settle the level of the membership fee

— it will elect the members of the Governing Board and elect amongst them a President, who shall be from the country where the next AGM shall take place, two Vice-Presidents, a Chief Executive and a Treasurer

— it will elect the Auditors

— it will decide all proposals presented by the Governing Board, the Delegates or the Individual Members

— it will elect the Arbitration Court

9.7 The GM will be competent for agreeing, modifying or complementing the statutes, whereby any of these will require a majority of two-thirds of the votes cast by members of both Chambers.

9.8 Minutes of the GM and a notice requesting the payment of the membership fee agreed upon will be sent no later than one month after the GM.

9.9 The GM will be empowered to decide the winding up of EAP. This will require a two-third majority of the votes cast by both Chambers. Following such decision any money, goods or property owned by the EAP shall, after satisfaction of all proper depts and liabilities, be transferred to the World Council for Psychotherapy for the promotion of psychotherapy or to some other similar organisation.

10.1 The Governing Board shall appoint a Membership Sub-Committee consisting of the President or one of the Vice-Presidents, the Chief Executive plus a member of the Governing Board.

10.2 All applications for membership must be submitted to the Chief Executive.

10.3 The Chief Executive will examine the applicant organisation or individual, subject to the conditions as set out in article 4 of these statutes, and recommend admission or non-admission to the Membership Sub-Committee. He may also recommend that an organisation be admitted to Associate Membership if it is not yet able to meet the requirements for Ordinary Membership but has demonstrated an intention and potential to meet the requirements within three years.

10.4 Only upon receipt of a letter of acceptance can an organisation or an individual claim membership of the EAP.

The Membership Sub-Committee will review the grounds for membership of all organisations and individuals within the EAP not less than once every five years and presents its report and eventual proposals to the Governing Board within the five year period.

12.1 The withdrawal from the association can be announced any time without mentioning any reason, and will be legally binding after the end of the running business year. The mebership fee has to be paid fully for the running business year of the withdrawal. The resigning member has a legal claim to all statutory services of the EAP until the end of the running business year.

12.2 Membership will be cancelled by the death of a member as well as by termination of a member organization, by withdrawel of one´s own free will or by suspension.

12.3 Any complaint about a member organisation made in writing to the President shall be notified to the next meeting of the Governing Board. Reasons for withdrawal of membership are: Violation of the Ethical Guidelines of the EAP, not meeting any more the requirements for EAP membership, failure of paying the membership fee.

12.4 If the Governing Board has reasonable cause to believe that an organisation has ceased to meet the criteria of membership of the EAP, it shall require the delegates of that organisation to discuss the matter with the Governing Board or one or more of its members appointed for that purpose. If the Governing Board comes to the opinion that the criteria for the relevant category of membership are no longer met, it shall require the organisation either to take such action as is necessary to meet the requirements or to withdraw from the EAP. If the organisation shall not satisfy the Governing Board and shall not resign, the Governing Board shall propose to a General Meeting that the membership of the said organisation shall be withdrawn. Such a resolution shall be carried if it receives a majority of two third of the votes cast.

12.5 Suspended organizations are not allowed to claim to the EAP membership (f.e. EAP stationery). Suspended members may be allowed to apply for membership again at the earliest after three years and after removal of the matter of exclusion.

13.1 Auditors will examine all the financial affairs, including the annual financial statements of the EAP, and will submit their report to the AGM.

13.2 The auditors will have no other official function within the EAP.

14.1 EAP will have the following financial means: annual membership fees, donations and interest.

14.2 The financial year ends one month before the AGM and on the first day of that month.

14.3 The Treasurer will supervise the finances, the payments and the bookkeeping; he or she will arrange for financial drafts.

14.4 As a rule, the delegating organisations will reimburse the expenses of their Delegates to EAP. In case of difficulty a request for a contribution may be presented to the Governing Board of EAP. The Board may grant a contribution provided that EAP’s financial situation allows it.

15.1 The Organisations mentioned in article 4 will pay an annual membership fee for each member working as a psychotherapist. The level of this fee will be decided by the AGM. Individual Members will also pay a fee decided by the AGM. Membership fees must be paid no later than three months after the General Meeting.

15.2 If Member Organisations or Individual Members fail to pay their annual membership fee as set by the GM by the decreed time, they will have forfeited their right to vote at the next Annual General Meeting. If they continue to be in arrears after such Annual General Meeting, the Governing Board may decide to withdraw their membership. Organisations or individuals whose membership has been withdrawn may appeal against this decision at the following GM. The GM will be the last instance of appeal.

15.3 All members shall respect the Ethical Guidelines of the EAP as agreed by the AGM and published by the Governing Board.

17.1 All differences which may appear within the EAP will be decided by the Arbitration Court.

17.2 The Arbitration Court is composed out of three ordinary members of the association. It will be built up such as to every part of the dispute has to name a member to the presidency within 28 days. Those will have to vote a third person unanimously, who will be the chairman of the Arbitration Court. By equality of votes it will be decided by lot.

17.3 If the nomination of the arbitrators through the parties of the dispute is not taken up in time or a chairman has not been named to both arbitrators within 28 days, then the nomination will be taken up by the presidency. Members of the presidency who are at all events a party of the dispute are not allowed to take part in the passing of the resolution.

17.4 The Arbitration Court will pass their decision after hearing the parties of dispute in presence of all members by simple majority of votes. It will decide to the best of one´s knowledge and belief. The resolution of the Arbitration Court has to be sent by letter to all parties of the dipute.

17.5 Against the decision one can use the right of appeal within two weeks after receiving the award addressed to the General Assembly. The written appeal has to be sent to the presidency under statement of arguments. A final decision will be carried out during the next General Assembly.