network
VIA REGIA - Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe

agreement

§ 1 name and legal form

  • The network is a voluntary association of corporate bodies under private und public law, person groups without a legal status as well as individuals. The network admits to humanistic and democratic traditions and a widespread cooperation in Europe based on equality, mutual understanding and tolerance between the people.
  • The network is international and open for all interested parties from European regions within the VIA REGIA corridor having been documented in historical research. The network is named “VIA REGIA – Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe“. It is - following the rules of the resolution CM/Res(2007)12 of the Council of Europe the exlusive representative of this award of the Council of Europe. Any use of the title beyond the network is not permitted.
  • In the participating countries the term „VIA REGIA - Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” can be used in the respective national language as well. It is possible to add regional appellations of route sections to the name.
  • The network is a non-profit organization having no legal capacity. not vested with legal capacity nor profit-oriented.

§ 2 objectives

  • Based on the resolution CM/ RES(2007)12 by the Committee of Ministers the objectives of the network are
    • revitalising the spirit of the east-west-European interexchange that is historically documented along amillennial route network known under the common name of VIA REGIA symbolising an essential basisfor European identity, and thereby
    • contributing to the cultural, social, political and economic European unification, and developing long-term European cooperations in the fields of research, heritage promotion enhancement, culture and arts, cultural and educational youth exchanges and cultural tourism in Europe.

§ 3 membership

  • Membership of the network „VIA REGIA – Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe“ is open to everyone who states its membership in writing. The statement confirms the acknowledgement of the rules of this agreement
  • New members have to present their objectives and activities in appropriate form.
  • If one member suggests to deny the admission of a new member and the simple majority agrees to the suggestion it is possible to refuse the admission.
  • Every member gets a copy of the award certificate of the VIA REGIA as “Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe”, signed by the general Secretary of the Council of Europe Terry Davis on 26th of September 2006 that is true to original.
  • The agreement is not limited in time.
  • Every member has the right to suggest changes in the agreement.
  • Changes of the agreement come into effect when at least two-thirds of the members agree in writing.
  • Subdivisions of members do not have own voting rights.
  • The network is considered as founded when it consists of at least three members originating from at least two countries.
  • The agreement ends
    • if the Council of Europe deprives the VIA REGIA network of the title „Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe“,
    • if the network consists of less than three members originating from at least two countries.
  • The membership will be terminated for the following reasons
    • any member may resign by sending his letter of resignation,
    • does not fulfil the agreement or acts against it. Objection is admissible. In this case the simple majority of the members has to agree to the termination of the membership of the respective member in written form. No recourse to legal action is permitted.

§ 4 rights and duties of the members

  • Every member has the right ,
    • to act under the title „VIA REGIA - Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe“,
    • to submit suggestions to all questions concerning the network and to put them up to discussion with all members of the network,
    • to establish bilateral and multilateral relationships to other members of the network especially for planning and realisation purposes of common projects.
  • member has the duty,
    • to fulfil the requirements of the Cultural Routes Programme of the Council of Europe following the resolution CM/Res(2007)12 and not to violate these regulations,
    • to use the title „VIA REGIA - Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” in connection with the logo of the Council of Europe for all own publications within the frame of VIA REGIA projects,
    • to realise own resp. support VIA REGIA related projects and/or to take part actively in joint projects of the VIA REGIA network resp. to support them,
    • to apply the rules of corporate identity if these have been confirmed in wirting by at least two-thirds of the members,
    • to fulfil the rules of this agreement. In order to organise the work of the network smoothly and result-oriented the networks acts on rules of procedure. The acknowledgement of the rules of procedure is part of this agreement.

network
VIA REGIA - Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe

rules of procedure

1. financing

  • The network has no own budget.
  • The membership of the network is for free.
  • Every member bears the costs for its membership of the network itself.
  • The financing of projects will be ensured by the members taking part in the projects. They share the costs following the costs projection and financing plan unless they made different agreements.
  • It is recomended to develop common funded projects.

Members that do not participate in projects cannot be pledged to take part in financing these projects.

A financial liability of the network is excluded. Within the frame of the legal arrangements those members are responsible for demands of third persons that concluded the respective arrangements.

2.authorization of a point of contact
In order to ensure smooth communication between

  • all members of the network,
  • external interested parties of the network and
  • between the network to the Council of Europe as well as to the European Institute of Cultural Routes,

the members authorise one member to fulfil the tasks of a European point of contact.

The authorization is given until cancelled when the simple majority of all members agrees with a corresponding suggestion. Every member has the right to make suggestions resp. to agree to take over the tasks of the point of contact itself.

The activities of the point of contact include:

  • being contact for all external requests concerning the whole network,
  • membership administration,
  • communication between the European Institute of Cultural Routes, the Council of Europe and all members in all questions concerning the whole network,
  • mediation of the information and communication between the members of the network and the European Institute of Cultural Routes.
  • the point of contact in particular develops the annual reports required for the evaluation of the network by the Council of Europe. The reports are based on the activity reports of the members that are forwarded unrequestedly. The annual reports follow the requirements of the Council of Europe and will be put up for discussion to all members in time.
  • ensuring the communication and information transfer between the members concerning all questions that affect the whole network.

Single members of the network are not authorised to assign tasks to the point of contact.

The work of the point of contact is unsalaried. The equipment needed should be provided for free by the authorized member.

3. working language
The working languages for every correspondence that concerns the whole network are English and/or German.

4. projects
All projects of the network and its members conduce to the realisation of the Cultural Routes Programme of the Council of Europe and to the special aims of the VIA REGIA network.

The members can:

  • plan, realise resp. support own single projects and/or
  • realise common projects in cooperation with other members and/ or external partners.
  • They are obliged to take part actively in at least one project that is realised by all members together.

Members act in sole responsibility concerning concept, financing and organisation of planned single and common projects. In order to prepare the evaluation of the working results of the VIA REGIA network for the Council of Europe every member has the duty to inform the point of contact about course and results of a given project.

In order to legitimate the title „Major Cultural Route of the Council of Europe“ the realisation of at least one common project implemented by all members is required. Such projects can be suggested by every single member. They are considered network projects with at least two-thirds of all members having agreed on the concept, and financing as well as organisation is ensured. In this case all members are obliged to take part in these projects actively.

5. Changes of the rules of procedure
Every member can apply for a change of the rules of procedure. They become valid if two thirds of the members agree to this suggestion in written form.