Interregional Trade Union Councils’ (IRTUCs) Coordinating Committee
Internal Rules Of Procedure
Adopted at the Executive Committee meeting of 24-25 June 2024
Introduction
The IRTUCs Coordinating Committee met on 24 October 2023 and on 10 April 2024 and discussed the necessary changes to the 2017 Rules of Procedure after the ETUC Congress in accordance with the ETUC Constitution. The IRTUCs Coordinating Committee recommends the following updated Rules of Procedures to the Executive Committee for adoption.
Interregional Trade Union Councils’ (IRTUCs) Coordinating Committee
Internal Rules Of Procedure
1. Setting up an IRTUC
The IRTUCs bring together the regional trade union organisations of the national confederations affiliated to the ETUC, in the cross-border regions concerned.
The national confederations concerned as well as the ETUC Secretariat must give their approval prior to an IRTUC being set up and its constitution drawn up.
The statutory governing bodies of the IRTUC shall elect the President of the IRTUC.
The IRTUC may set up its own working groups charged with examining specific problems.
The IRTUC shall invite representatives of the national confederations concerned to participate in its work. The national confederations concerned shall support fully, to the extent permitted by their resources, the actions developed by the IRTUCs and shall organise regular meetings of their representatives in the different IRTUCs. For this purpose, national confederations may designate National Coordinators to dynamize and activate existing IRTUCs.
All IRTUCs are requested to inform the ETUC Secretariat immediately of any change in their contact details and in particular of any change in their representation on the IRTUC Coordinating Committee.
2. The IRTUCs Coordinating Committee
The IRTUCs Coordinating Committee shall be composed of the Presidents of the IRTUCs or other active representatives, delegated by the IRTUC, coming from ETUC affiliated organisations.
When applicable, the IRTUCs National Coordinators of the national confederations are entitled to attend the IRTUCs Coordinating Committee meetings as observers.
The IRTUCs Coordinating Committee shall:
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contribute to defining ETUC positions related to European Union policies, and more particularly those concerning border regions,
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fix the common operating rules and define the strategy of the IRTUCs within the EURES Cross-Border Partnerships.
The ETUC Secretariat, together with the IRTUCs Steering Committee, shall organise a meeting of the IRTUCs Coordinating Committee twice a year.
The IRTUCs Coordinating Committee shall also elect from amongst its members its representatives and bring the IRTUCs’ perspectives and positions to the ETUC Standing Committees. Such representatives shall remain for a four-year term of office regardless of their role or function in their IRTUC.
The IRTUCs Coordinating Committee shall nominate from amongst its members, by a consensus, and respecting the geographic allocation of functions, the gender balance and the youth balance its active members who will represent IRTUCs at the ETUC Congress.
The IRTUCs Coordinating Committee shall elect from amongst its members the IRTUCs Steering Committee composed of a minimum of 5 members and a maximum of 8 members, including the President and the two Vice-Presidents.
The IRTUCs Coordinating Committee shall elect the President and two Vice-Presidents from amongst its members, for the period between two ETUC Congresses, namely four years. Their mandate shall be maintained even if there is a change of President in the IRTUC due to the relevant IRTUC’s Constitution.
To ensure an effective continuity, one of the Vice-presidents would be the outgoing IRTUCs President regardless of his/her current role within the IRTUC. If a member of the IRTUCs Steering Committee leaves before the end of his/her mandate, a call for a replacement will be made.
According to the ETUC Constitution, as amended by the ETUC 15th Statutory Congress in May 2023, the principles of rotation, of geographic diversity, of gender balance and of fair representation of members younger than or aged 35 shall be respected during the elections of the Steering Committee. The IRTUCs Coordinating Committee may fix other criteria according to the issues and priorities decided by the IRTUCs Coordinating Committee.
3. The IRTUCs Steering Committee
The IRTUCs Steering Committee shall meet regularly (at least three times a year), upon convocation by the President in coordination with the ETUC Secretariat, one time during the period between the Coordinating Committee meetings and directly before the Coordinating Committee meeting. The IRTUCs Steering Committee meetings can take place online.
The IRTUCs Steering Committee, in coordination with the ETUC Secretariat, shall:
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fix the agenda of the IRTUCs Coordinating Committee,
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ensure that the decisions of the IRTUCs Coordinating Committee are carried out,
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coordinate the IRTUCs activities,
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give new impulses and propositions for the IRTUCs European work.
4. The President
The President shall:
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chair the meetings of the IRTUCs Coordinating Committee and Steering Committee,
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represent the IRTUCs, together with the ETUC Secretariat, before the Commission and the other European institutional bodies,
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represent the IRTUCs at the ETUC Executive Committee meetings.
5. The ETUC Secretariat
In coordination with the President and the IRTUCs Steering Committee, the ETUC Secretariat:
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coordinates the IRTUCs,
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organises the functioning of the IRTUCs Coordinating Committee; it shall convene two meetings a year,
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organises the meetings of the IRTUCs Steering Committee,
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may organise an annual meeting of the trade union EURES advisers,
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may organise seminars in order to examine in-depth problems specific to certain border regions,
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is responsible for integrating the problem of workers from cross-border regions into ETUC policy (mainstreaming).