ECA Congress 2001

The 5th Ordinary Congress of the
European Canoe Association
Györ, 31 March 2001

MINUTES
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The President of the ECA opened the Congress expressing his pleasure with the great number of delegates of the National Canoe Federations and invited the Mayor of Györ and Mr. Ethele Barath, the president of Hungarian Canoe Federation to address to the Congress. After their brief welcoming speeches, an organ music recital was given for the delegates.
The President apologised for not having mentioned at the very opening Mr. Andre Vandeput and Mr. Otto Bonn, and he also warmly welcomed Mr. José Perurena, the new Secretary General of the International Canoe Federation.
Pointing out that the Congress is a joint venture between the Hungarian Canoe Federation and the City of Györ, he expressed his thanks to both for all the work they have done in the organisation of the Congress.

Mr. Francesco Conforti, the Secretary General of the ECA, did the roll-call of delegates and reported that
27 National Federations were represented at the Congress
AUT, BEL, BUL, CRO, CYP, CZE, DEN, ESP, FIN, FRA, GBR, GER, GRE, HUN, ISR, ITA, LAT, LTU, MLD, NED, POL, ROM, SLO, SUI, SVK, SWE, YUG, and accordingly

The President's proposal that the scrutineers for the period of the Congress be one from Czech Republic and one from Austria was accepted.

There were no comments, questions or remarks to the Report, which the delegates of the Congress were given, in written form.
VOTE:
· The Report of the President on behalf of the board of directors and the Secretary-General was approved unanimously. (Abstention: 0; Against: 0)

The Balance Sheet was presented to the delegated in writing and there were no questions on it.
VOTE:
· The Balance Sheet 1999 - 2000 was approved unanimously (Abstention: 0; Against: 0)

The Report of the Auditor had also been sent to the representatives of member federations. It accepts that the accounts have been organized correctly.
VOTE:
· The Report by the Auditor was approved unanimously (Abstention: 0; Against: 0)

8. CON.5.01. ECA STATUTES - AMENDMENTS

The papers with the proposed changes to the Statutes of the European Canoe Association were sent out earlier. The President explained that the leading idea of the Board of Directors was to make more coherent European Canoe Federation and to work together to make a strong International Canoe Federation.

- Item 2.1 (the aims of the ECA)
The Board proposed the following words to add to the aims:
"- To work together with the European member federations and act as a strong lobby within the International Canoe Federation."
Mr. Hans-Urlich Clerici of the Swiss Canoe Federation and Mr. Jens Kahl of the German Canoe Federation had comments to this proposal. The first objected the word "lobby" and said he doesn't see the need for the change. The latter agreed with the proposed principle of working together but suggested that before putting the changes in the Statutes the details of how the lobby is intended to be achieved should be set. The President explained, that should the Congress accept the proposal as the bare principle and the other proposed alterations as well, the Board will look at ways in which this lobby would be developed. Then the Board's proposal was put to the vote.
VOTE:
· The proposal was lost, as it did not get the 2/3 majority of votes.

- Item 5.4 (the Chairmanship of the ECA Congress)
All Congresses shall be held under the chairmanship of a selected Chairman. The Chairman should be a person who is not a member of the Board of the ECA or a National Delegate of the Congress. The President and the other Board Members do not have voting right, unless they act as Delegates with voting right.

Their representative Mr. Per Lindberg explained the proposal from the Swedish Canoe Federation, which suggests a Chairman of the Congress to be appointed for each Session. He said that their motion was put forward wishing to increase the democracy and the work during the Congress and that the Swedish Federation had experience with, so to say, "neutral chairman" during the Congress have been very good. So, they propose the same principle to be implemented to the ECA Congress.
VOTE:
· The Swedish Canoe Federation proposal was accepted.

- Item 6,2. Elections

INSERT AFTER 1ST SENTENCE
Only one person per Federation per Board position may be nominated.

· The proposed addition was accepted.

- Item 7.5 (the meetings of the ECA member federations)
The Board proposes a new paragraph to be added:
"The President and the Secretary General arrange meetings of the European Canoe Association federations prior to the International Canoe Federation Congress." The reason for this is to discuss matters of mutual interest at the Congress, which is already in the Statutes actually, as the President explained.
VOTE:
· The proposed addition was accepted.

- Item 9 (the Board of Directors)
The Board proposes the "deciding on two International Canoe Federation Board members in addition to the President and the Secretary General to represent the ECA on the ICF Board of Directors" to be added to 9.5 The Duties of the Board of Directors. The President explained that this motion was motivated by the changes of the system on the ICF that have only just taken place. The ECA still has one member on the ICF Board elected by the ICF Congress for four years and other two members there for two years. Since there were attempts that the counter-proposals to be put forward at this session, the President reminded the delegates that the only motions that can be discussed are those on the Agenda and that any motion can be put on the Agenda if sent in by the due date. He stressed once again that there is enough time before the next Congress to put in account the proposal on this matter. The Hungarian delegation wished to propose as an amendment the word "Secretary General" to be taken out and be replaced with the words "three members of the Board", but as there was no seconder to this amendment, the proposal was put to vote as it stood.
VOTE:
· The proposal of the Board was lost.

- Item 11 - (Secretary General)
ADD NEW TEXT
- The Secretary General represents the ECA on the Board of Directors of the ICF.
· The proposal of the Board was lost.

- Item 12.3 (Change vote)
The proposal aiming at bringing the applications for chairmanships and the nominations for the ECA positions in the same time framework. It is just clerical issue about the formal procedure.
VOTE:
· The proposal was accepted.

9. CON.5.01. EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS RULES - AMENDMENTS

- Item 4 - an official Under 23 European Championships
There were, actually, three issues to be discussed on this matter:
1) The ECA Board wished to have an official Under 23 Championship in principle.
In favour of the Board proposal: 19 votes

2) The German proposal was to organize European Championships on two levels: Junior Championships and Under 23 Championships, instead of the Senior Championships.

3) The Swedish proposal is that ECA should continue to have Senior Championships and that the Under 23 Championships should be held in the time as the European Junior Championships.

4) ECA Board proposal (Sprint racing) that Under 23 European Sprint Racing Championships be held at the same time as the European Junior Sprint Racing Championships. No competitor may enter in both of these Championships.

As Sweden withdrew their motion in favour of the Board's motion, the VOTE was as follows:
In favour of the German proposal: 5 votes

The German proposal was lost.
In favour of the Boards proposal: 19 votes

The proposal from the Board was accepted, i.e. it was officially accepted to have:
- Under 23 Championships which in racing will be held at the same time as the Junior Championships.

- Item 5 (the proposal put forward by the Swedish Federation)
Representatives of the Swedish Federation explained that their proposal is about the long-distance races in sprint, which was taken out from the programme at the ICF Congress in Madrid, in 1992. They consider it would be good to have it back in the European Senior Championships programme.
VOTE:
· The Swedish proposal that the long-distance races in sprint be again put in the European Senior Championships programme was lost.

- Item 6 (the proposal from the ECA Board for sprint racing)
At the ICF Congress it was agreed to have "B" finals, but the Board considers that in European events there are fewer countries than in the international events, and therefore they are proposing that there be no "B" finals at the European Sprint Racing Championships.
VOTE:
· The Board proposal not to have "B" finals at the European Sprint Racing Championships was accepted.

Election of the Vice-president
The delegates were informed that Mr. Clerici has withdrawn from the election both for the Vice-president and for the board member. There was also withdrawal from Hungary for Mr. Gustav Kadler for the vice-presidency, so there were three candidates for this position: Corneliu Barsanescu from Romania, the existing Vice-president, Pelle Lindberg from Sweden and Halina Pikula from Poland. Mr. Francesco Conforti explained the voting system: only one name on the voting form can be put down.

Elections for the Secretary General
Since Halina Pikula was elected the Vice-president of the ECA, she was no more a candidate for the Secretary General, so there were two candidates for this post: András Füleky from Hungary and Branko Lovric from Croatia.
VOTE.
1. András Füleky 7 votes
2. Branko Lovric 20 votes

Elections for the members of the Board
From the original list of candidates for the Board, Halina Pikula was a Board member and is now a Vice-president, Branko Lovric was a Board member and is now a Secretary General. Mr. Clerici had withdrawn from the list, Mr. Antal Hajda from Hungary had also withdrawn and so had Mr. Kadler Gustav from Hungary. So, there were 7 candidates left and as there was voting for four places - 2 places for four years and 2 places for two years - the delegates could vote for up to four persons. The vote for more than four persons would be spoiled. The two candidates who achieved the highest votes were going to be elected for four years, and the next two for two years.

Getting 20 votes, Luciano Buonfiglio was elected the member of the Board for four years in the first ballot.
The President admitted that at the beginning of the Congress it was wrongly announced that the absolute majority will be 14 as after having read the Statutes of the ICF and after the discussion, it was established that the simple majority should be half and above half. So, for 27 National Federations represented, the simple majority is 13,5. As Mr. Lindberg got 14 votes, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the ECA for two years' period.
The election for the second four years place and the second two years place in the Board respectively was then between Viktor Kirin and Elly Müller.
1. Viktor Kirin 15
2. Elly Müller 12
Victor Kirin was elected the member of the Board of Directors of the ECA for four years period and Elly Müller for two years' period.

11. CON.5.01. ELECTION OF THE ECA AUDITOR

As there was only one candidate for the ECA Auditor, Mr. Andre Vandeput he was elected by acclamation.

12. CON.5.01. FIXING OF THE ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION FEE FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS

The Board proposed that the annual subscription fee for the next two years should be 100.00 - EUROs, paid in EURO.
VOTE:
· The Board proposal for the annual subscription fee for the next two years was accepted.

13. CON.5.01. EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 2006 AND 2007

Only the events to take place in 2006 and 2007 were discussed, as the previous events were discussed at previous congresses and any spare places from the 2005 backwards can be filled by the Board of the ECA.
- The delegate of the Slovenian Canoe Federation informed the Congress participants that, due to some changes in the Organizing Committee and in the clubs that took over the organization of those events, the 2003 Wild Water Junior and Senior European Championships will not be possible to be held in Slovenia.
The President of the ECA expressed his regret about this situation as Wildwater Racing is really suffering at the moment because of lack of people wishing to organize championships. He also suggested the delegates to discuss with their respective national federations the possibility to run the Senior and Junior Wild Water Championships in 2003 and to inform the ECA if they are interested.

The year 2006
- The Senior Sprint Racing 2006
Greece informed the President before the Congress that they would like to transfer the event to the Junior Sprint Racing event in 2006. So, for the Senior Sprint Racing event in 2006 there were two candidates: Racice in Czech Republic and Pontevedra in Spain. The representatives of both countries made their presentation trying to point out the advantages of their respective places in all aspects.
VOTE:
Racice 15 votes
Pontevedra 12 votes

· The European Senior sprint Racing Championship in 2006 will take place in Racice, the Czech Republic.

- The Junior Sprint Racing Championship in 2006
There was only one applicant for this event, Greece. The technical delegate will have problems viewing the venue at the moment as it is still being built for the Olympic Games.

In the absence of another event, Greece was awarded - subject to technical appraisal - the Junior Sprint Racing Championship 2006.

- The Senior Slalom Competition 2006
The only candidate was France and its candidature was accepted.

There were no other applications for the year 2006.

The only application for 2007, at this point of time, is Greece once again for the Junior Slalom European Championships.

For racing, the Junior event will include the Under 23 Championship for Greece, and for 2006 the Junior event will be the Junior and Under 23 together.

The delegates were asked to send letters to the Secretary General of the ECA should their respective federations have an idea of filling some spare places for the other competitions.

As the President began the closing address to the delegates with thanks to the interpreters who enabled the delegates to understand each other and to the Hungarian Canoe Federation and to people of Györ for their organization of this Congress,

Mr. Jaroslav Pollert from the Czech Federation asked to say a few words. As these issues were not on the Agenda of the Congress, he was advised by the President to individually contact all the Federations and if he wished to he could put motions to the next ICF Congress to resolve these matters.
The President then closed the 5th Ordinary Congress of the ECA with thanks to the delegates for their attendance.