API held an extraordinary general assembly, as well as the annual general assembly 2016 on Friday 26 February in the Maelbeek Room of the Residence Palace. The extraordinary general assembly discussed and approved a proposal for modified statutes.
The annual general assembly 2016 approved the financial reports for 2015, welcomed Martina Herzorg and Nicolas Gros-Verheyde as new members of the API Council, representing the German and French colleagues respectively, and discussed the upcoming evaluation meeting between API and the European Commission Spokespersons Service. A full report of both assemblies is published below. In the picture (by Thierry Monasse) you see from left to right API’s secretary-general Hans de Bruijn, API president Tom Weingärtner and treasurer Ann Cahill.
Report of the extraordinary general assembly and the annual general assembly 2016
API held an extraordinary general assembly (EGA) on Friday 26 February 2016, immediately followed by the annual general assembly 2016, under the chairmanship of Tom Weingärtner, API president. There were about twentyfive members present.
The EGA was held to discuss and approve the proposal by the Council for an update of API’s statutes. They were last modified in 2005. The president said that the main changes include the question of voting by proxy (1 instead of 2 proxies), a better description of the Council’s and the Bureau’s competences, the nominating process for the Council, and a fairer system for the payment of membership fees.
Member Tarek Mahmoud complained not to have been informed about this debate, and that members should earlier have been able to participate. President, treasurer and secretary-general explained that API functions as a representative democracy, and that this debate has been held in the API Council in the past year. The draft of the new statutes has been sent to all members two weeks ago, and now the last word is to the members in this EGA. Erisa Zykaj also wanted to have more time for that and called the process ‘not so democratic’. But nobody has any remarks to make about the contents. The president therefore puts the new statutes to a vote: 15 members support it, 2 abstain, so the new statutes are now approved and will be published in the official Moniteur Belge.
The extraordinary general assembly is closed, and the statutory annual general assembly (AGA) 2016 is immediately opened.
In recent years, the AGA was repeatedly held in December. However, according to the statutes (the old, as well as the new ones), the AGA should – if possible – be held in the first semester of the year. The API Council has decided to return to this statutory practice.
- Financial accounts. The assembly approved the annual accounts for 2015 and the report by the commissioners who found no discrepancies in the presented documents and tables. The draft budget for 2016 was already approved by the AGA in December 2015. There was a small deficit in 2015, due to the cost for the celebration of API’s 40th anniversary. This deficit can be erased if several sponsors pay the money they promised and have not done yet. Thomas Friedrich announces that one sponsor has very recently promised to pay 3000 euros.
- Confirmation of the nomination of new representatives for the French and German national groups within API. The Germans have elected Martina Herzog to represent them, and she has provided a list with the signatures of a majority of the German members, proving their support. The French colleagues have nominated Nicolas Gros-Verheyde. He has provided sufficient supportive e-mails, but the president insists that he provides written signatures from a majority of the French members, in order not to create a precedent. Some members do not agree. Erisa Zykaj suggests that the API board is making it difficult for Nicolas to become a Council member. This is strongly denied by the president and the SG. Nicolas is welcome in the Council, but has to fulfill the same requirements as other candidates. The president gives him enough time to do so.
- Proposal by the Council to re-elect György Foris and Thomas Friedrich as so-called free elected members of the Council. Up to three free elected members do not represent a national or geographical group, and chosen for two year terms. Tarek Mahmoud opposed the re-election of Thomas Friedrich because of the way he operated in the past regarding the Press Club Brussels Europe and Eriza Zykaj opposes his actions in the organisation of API’s 40th anniversary celebration. A vote is held, with 8 votes in favor of Thomas, 7 against and 2 abstentions. This means Thomas is re-elected.György Foris is not present, and therefore a majority does not want to vote on his re-election. As a consequence he is not now re-elected.
- The relations with the Spokespersons Service of the European Commission. API has held a survey among all accredited correspondents about the functioning of the SPP, which led to tens of mostly critical reactions. The API Bureau will have a yearly evaluation meeting with Margaritis Schinas and his staff on Wednesday 2 March.The assembly is also very critical. Issues mentioned are, in general terms: sometimes poor availability of spokespersons, often refusal to answer procedural questions, preferential treatment of certain correspondents, the disappearance of the much valued Top News, the way they give value judgements of journalist’s questions, the long time it often takes to get more detailed/technical answers. There is a plea for API to intervene more often when questions are not answered appropriately. The Bureau-members will take all these remarks with them to the meeting with Margaritis c.s.
Other business:
- Questions about the (slow) accreditation renewal procedure. The SG explains API’s involvement in this procedure, and that almost all correspondents have received their new badges before the expiration of the old ones on 1 March.–
- Complaints about the poor Internet/WiFi service at European Council meetings. This will again be raised with the responsible Council authorities.
