API-IPA’s annual general assembly will take place ONLINE on Thursday 1 October 2020, at 10:00 h
The annual general assembly was originally planned for early April of this year. But due to the corona-crisis the event had to be cancelled at that time. In the following months it was not possible to organise it again, The API statutes state that an assembly must take place at least once a year. Therefore the API Council has decided that the assembly will take place online, via the Zoom-platform.
The assembly is for API-members only. Voting is only open to members who have paid their 2020 membership fee, and are a member for at least four months. Members who want to attend must register by sending an e-mail to info@api-ipa.org ultimately on Tuesday 29 September. Only members who have registered will receive the Zoom-link enabling them to attend. If you have not paid your 2020 membership fee yet, do so without delay at CRELAN: BE36 1030 3877 2281
The agenda will consist of the usual presentation and approval of the annual accounts for the year 2019, and the 2020 budget, followed by the report by the secretary-general of API’s activities in 2019 and a look back at the extraordinary months behind us by API-president Katalin Halmai.
Main item on the agenda will be a discussion about our experiences with the communication by the European institutions (Commission, Council, Parliament), NATO, and the Belgian authorities during the corona-crisis. Briefings and press conferences were and still are held online, ministerials and summits can not be attended physically, travel outside Belgium is difficult. How does this affect our work as correspondents, how do the institututions take our wishes and specific circumstances into account, what lessons can be learned, and – as it looks like this situation will continue for several months more – what needs to be changed or improved in the short term in the institutional communication? Your opinions will guide us in our dealings with the institutions.
(The invitation and agenda were sent to members by e-mail. If you have not received it, please let us know)