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EVBB Statute

Valid version: resolved at the General Assembly on 19 December 2025 in Munich. The registration of the Articles of Association took place in Düsseldorf.

Updated version adopted by the General Assembly on 19 December 2025 can be found here:

English Version | German Version

§1 Name, Registered Office, Fiscal Year

The European Association of Vocational Education and Training Providers (EVBB) e.V., hereinafter referred to as the “European Association,” is a European umbrella association registered in the German Register of Associations in Düsseldorf.

The registered office and place of jurisdiction of the association is Düsseldorf. Administrative operations are conducted at the office headquarters. The office may also be established in another EU country.

The fiscal year is the calendar year.

  1. The objective and purpose of the European Association is the promotion of general and vocational education. The Association fulfills its tasks particularly in the following areas:
  2. General education concerning social, economic, and socio-political issues, with particular consideration of European policy and policy toward developing countries, based on a socially responsible liberal economic and social order;
  3. Professional, vocational, and company-related education, further training, advanced training, and retraining;
  4. Academic education;
  5. Family-related and personal education;
  6. Education, further training, and advanced training in the fields of elderly care, disability support, and nursing services;
  7. Media development and media usage;
  8. Environment-related qualification and training.
    1. The implementation of these tasks takes place at the various locations of the members.
    2. In particular, the European Association pursues the purpose of promoting vocational education activities, developing, maintaining, and encouraging cooperation and exchange of information among its members, as well as between its members and national, governmental, and academic institutions, the EU Commission and its educational institutions, and all other institutions and organizations pursuing similar goals.
    3. The European Association (umbrella organization) may establish regional associations. The regional associations are members of the European Association. The European Association represents the common interests of its members before the institutions of the European Union, national and supranational authorities and institutions, associations, and the public. It is responsible for handling all fundamental issues affecting members generally. The independence of the members may not be restricted by measures taken by the European Association or its bodies. However, in accordance with the purpose of the European Association, prior coordination among members should be sought on fundamental matters.
    4. The European Association maintains neutrality with regard to the religion, origin, and political beliefs of its members.
    5. The statutory purpose is achieved in particular through the implementation, support, or participation in the following measures and projects:
    6. International exchange of trainers and trainees
    7. Exchange of experience at company and association level
    8. Organization of conferences and advanced training seminars at national and international level
    9. Participation in the development of vocational education, advanced training, further training, and retraining measures
    10. Cooperation between schools and business
    11. International exchange of young people aimed at familiarizing them with the economic, cultural, and social life of the host country
    12. Foreign language training
    13. Cooperation between universities and business
    14. The European Association may establish regional associations and admit associations as regional associations.
  1. The European Association exclusively and directly pursues charitable purposes within the meaning of the section “Tax-Privileged Purposes” of the German Fiscal Code.
  2. The European Association acts altruistically and does not primarily pursue its own economic interests.
  3. The funds of the European Association may only be used for purposes in accordance with the statutes. Members shall not receive any distributions from the funds of the European Association.
  4. No person may benefit from expenditures unrelated to the purpose of the European Association or from disproportionately high remuneration.
  1. The European Association consists of full members, associate members, supporting members, and honorary members. These may be natural or legal persons. Associate members, supporting members, and honorary members have the same rights and obligations as full members, except for voting and election rights. The Presidium determines the membership fee for associate, supporting, and honorary members. 2. Persons who have rendered outstanding service to EVBB may be granted the title “Honorary Member of the European Association of Vocational Education and Training Providers (EVBB) e.V.” by the Presidium.
  2. Membership ends through death, resignation, or expulsion.
  3. The Presidium decides on the admission of members with a two-thirds majority.
  4. Members may terminate their membership by resignation. Notice of resignation must be submitted by registered letter to the President of the European Association with six months’ notice prior to the end of the fiscal year.
  5. The Presidium may expel a member from the European Association for good cause. Such expulsion must be communicated to the member by registered letter. The member may appeal within four weeks. The General Assembly shall decide finally on the appeal, excluding recourse to the courts.

Upon termination of membership, all claims against the European Association expire.

The bodies of the European Association are:

  1. The General Assembly
  2. The Presidium
  1. All members are entitled to participate in the General Assembly. Each full member has one vote. Authorization to represent another member must be provided in writing.
  2. The General Assembly meets at least once a year. It is convened and chaired by the President or, in the event of the President’s inability, by one of the Vice Presidents.
  3. Invitations to the ordinary General Assembly, including the agenda, must be sent to members at least 14 days before the meeting date by mail. Invitations may also be sent by email or fax.
  4. An extraordinary General Assembly may be convened if:
  5. 20 percent of all members request it; or
  6. the Presidium considers it necessary.

In this case, the notice period may be shortened to seven days.

  1. Any properly convened General Assembly constitutes a quorum. Resolutions are adopted by simple majority of the members present and entitled to vote.

Amendments to the statutes require at least a three-quarters majority of the votes cast.

  1. The General Assembly is responsible for:
  1. electing members of the Presidium;
  2. approving the financial plan and membership fee regulations;
  3. adopting the annual financial statements;
  4. discharging the Presidium;
  5. electing auditors;
  6. amending the statutes and dissolving the European Association;
  7. deciding on appeals against expulsions.
    1. Elections are generally conducted individually. Where several equivalent positions are to be filled, block voting, list voting, or list voting requiring only a relative majority are also permissible. In the event of a tie, a runoff election between the tied candidates is permissible.
    2. The General Assembly may take place in person, online, or in a hybrid format. The invitation must specify the form of the meeting. In the case of online or hybrid meetings, the provisions of paragraphs 1 to 7 apply accordingly, provided that members are additionally informed in due time of the access data to the online conference room and members participating online are considered present. Members are obliged not to disclose their access data to third parties and to keep them strictly confidential.
    3. Resolutions of the General Assembly may also be adopted in writing, by email, and/or through comparable electronic communication (“circular procedure”). The Presidium initiates the circular procedure with an appropriate response deadline. Such a resolution is valid if all voting members were involved, at least 30% of the participating members submitted their votes in text form by the deadline set by the Presidium, and the resolution was adopted with the required majority. After completion of the circular procedure, the results must be communicated to all members.
    4. Minutes must be taken of the General Assembly, recording the resolutions adopted and election results. The minutes must be signed by the chairperson of the General Assembly and distributed to all members.

The Presidium consists of at least five and at most sixteen persons and is composed of:

  1. the President;
  2. up to five Vice Presidents, including one Treasurer; and
  3. additional members of the Presidium.
    1. The executive board within the meaning of Section 26 of the German Civil Code (BGB) consists of the President, the Vice Presidents, and the other elected members of the Presidium.

The President or one Vice President represents the association jointly with another member of the Presidium.

  1. The term of office of the Presidium is three years. The Presidium remains in office until a new election takes place.
  2. The Presidium adopts resolutions by majority vote. Each member of the Presidium has one vote. In the event of a tie, the President’s vote is decisive.
  3. Meetings of the Presidium or participation in meetings may also take place using electronic media (virtual procedure), provided that the majority of the acting members of the Presidium agree to this procedure. Participation in or failure to object to such procedure shall be deemed consent.
  4. Resolutions of the Presidium or participation in resolutions may also take place in writing, by email, and/or through comparable electronic communication in text form (“circular procedure”). Such a resolution is valid if the majority of the acting members of the Presidium consent to this procedure. Participation in or failure to object to such procedure shall be deemed consent. Resolutions adopted by circular procedure must be included in the minutes of the next meeting.
  5. The Presidium regulates cooperation among the members and regional associations of the European Association and issues guidelines for work within the framework of the statutes. The tasks of the Presidium also include supervising ongoing business operations, convening and preparing the General Assembly, and handling all other matters not reserved for the General Assembly.
  6. The Presidium may establish committees, advisory boards, and boards of trustees for specific tasks and/or assign special duties to individual members of the Presidium.
  7. For the execution of the statutory tasks and day-to-day operations of the European Association, the Presidium appoints a Secretary General and, if necessary, deputies.

The Secretary General acts as a special representative within the meaning of Section 30 BGB. The Secretary General and deputy Secretaries General participate in Presidium meetings in an advisory capacity.

  1. The Presidium may grant former Presidents the title “Honorary President of the European Association of Vocational Education and Training Providers (EVBB) e.V.” Honorary Presidents may participate in all events of the bodies of EVBB e.V. in an advisory capacity.
  2. The Presidium may appoint representatives from regional associations as associate members of the Presidium.
  3. Members of the Presidium and statutory office holders shall not receive remuneration. However, they may receive an appropriate flat-rate attendance allowance and reimbursement of travel expenses. The amount of the flat-rate allowance shall be determined by the General Assembly.

Membership fees are collected from members of the European Association according to a separate fee regulation. The fee regulation is adopted by the General Assembly.

  1. The dissolution of the European Association may only be resolved at a General Assembly convened specifically for this purpose.
  2. At least three-quarters of the members must be represented at this General Assembly, and the resolution requires a three-quarters majority of the votes cast. If the first meeting lacks a quorum, a second General Assembly with the same agenda must be convened within four weeks. This second meeting constitutes a quorum in any case.
  3. In the event of dissolution or termination of the European Association, or if tax-privileged purposes cease to apply, the assets of the European Association shall pass to German Red Cross, which must use them directly and exclusively for charitable, benevolent, or ecclesiastical purposes.
  1. A member may be expelled upon application by a member of the Presidium through resolution of the Presidium if the member seriously violates the interests of the European Association or remains in arrears with membership fees despite repeated reminders.
  2. The expulsion of a member must appear as a separate item on the agenda of a

Presidium meeting and be communicated in due time to all members of the Presidium. Before the resolution is adopted, the member concerned must be given the opportunity to comment on the expulsion request.

  1. A two-thirds majority of the votes of the members present is required for the expulsion resolution. The Presidium’s expulsion resolution must be communicated to the member by registered letter.
  2. An appeal against the expulsion resolution is permissible before the General Assembly and must be submitted to the President by registered letter within one month.

The General Assembly shall decide finally with a two-thirds majority and excluding recourse to the courts.

  1. All gender-specific terms used in these statutes apply equally to all genders.
  2. The Presidium is authorized to amend the statutes insofar as requested or required by the tax office or the registry court. The next General Assembly must be informed accordingly.
  3. The above version of the statutes was adopted by the General Assembly on […] in […] and enters into force upon registration in the Register of Associations.
  4. The provision of §7 para. 3 shall apply with the proviso that the term of office of the members of the Presidium elected on […] shall, deviating from §7 para. 3, be only two years.