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Statutes of EACP

 European Association for Counselling Profession (EACP)

STATUTES

1 TITLE AND LOCATION

The promotion of counselling is a crucial aspect of addressing mental health and well-being.

Counselling supports mental health and wellbeing which is part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG3.4) and the counselling profession is recognized by The World Health Organization.

1.1 European Association for Counselling Profession (EACP) is an independent, non-profit professional organization with no political or religious leanings. Its aim is to bring together counselling associations/groupings, counselling educational organizations or other organizations that bring added value to the profession, and counsellors from all over Europe and pan-european countries, having a voice in the general and extraordinary assembly of the federation.

  • The address for correspondence will be that of the EACP’s Administration

2 OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSE

The Association promotes the development of Counselling in Europe and pan-european countries to improve people’s lives and well-being. We work for the development and advancement of Counselling as an independent profession and as an approach to interpersonal and intrapsychic relationships through empirical practice, training, education and culture, research. With initiatives to order, certify and give credit to both the profession and the professionals who practice it in the European territory. It is our aim to promote and implement common procedures on the training and accreditation of counselling professionals in all their approaches and specializations, manage the code of ethics and good professional practices and verify through the subscribed associations qualification for professional practice. Ensuring in that way, the quality of the services offered to the population.

  • The EACP is a professional body that seeks to:

2.1.1 identify the needs of the counselling profession to adequately operate in a highly fluid, and increasingly diversified society

2.1.2. promote the recognition and standardization of the counselling profession across European and trans-European member states,

2.1.3. collaborate with relevant kindred national and international stakeholders with the aim to achieve a European regulation of the counselling profession

2.1.4. safeguard and monitor the development and professional ethical practice of counselling and adequate training in counselling in Europe and elsewhere for the benefit of its members, and the safety and protection of clients and the public.

  • EACP will pursue these objectivesby:

2.3 Principles

 

The principles and values to which all individual and organisational members subscribe are:

  • Counselling seeks the integration of social, cultural and ethnic diversity in a holistic way.
  • Counselling is an explicitly contracted activity between counsellor(s) and client(s),be they individuals, families, groups or 
  • Counselling is an evidence-based scientific discipline that can be applied institutional, as well as in corporate settings. The counselling process is different from psychology, psychotherapy and coaching encompassing the use of a range of specific methods in support of social and emotional wellbeing
  • The nature and quality of the professional relationship between counsellor and clientis central to all forms of counselling and this therapeutic alliance facilitates the opportunity for clients to experience acceptance, change, and 
  • The multiplicity of counselling methods is assured, guaranteed and
  • A full counselling training covers theory, knowledge of various counselling processes, self-experience and supervised practice withclients, counseling processes and approaches, self-experience, personal therapy and supervised practice with clients
  • Training in counselling takes place at a defined level of knowledge, skills, experience, and reflective practice designed to produce counsellors who are qualified at a standard set by

The above principles are outlined in detail in the EACP Definition of Counselling, the EFCP Charter for Ethical Practice and the EACP Training Standards.

2.4 Philosophical Principles

 

Counselling takes place within particular sociocultural contexts and counsellors are required, at all times, to act in ways that are mindful of this wider social context.

The core values of counselling are based on respect for universal human rights and for individual and cultural differences. Counselling values underpin a set of attitudes and skills in which counsellors are responsible for respecting the integrity, authority and autonomy of the client and for acting in ways that protect the confidentiality of the client and the process.

These principles are outlined in detail in the EACP Charter for Ethical Practice.

3. MEMBERS

  • Membership of the EACPshall be open to individuals and organisations that support and endorse the objectives of the EACP and who meet the membership conditions determined from time to time by the Governing Board and approved by members entitled to vote at the Annual General
  • Membership criteria and criteria for accrediting individuals and organisations will be laid down in the EACPOperating 

3.3 Honorary Members:

 

The Governing Board may recommend to the Annual General Meeting that honorary membership and positions be conferred on certain individuals who have contributed significantly to the development of EACP.

4. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

The structural model of the Association is one in which the Annual General Meeting (AGM) has the ultimate authority for the general direction of the Association and to accept and approve the proposals of the Governing Board, which shall be composed of all countries represented through the national associations (NA) and the Executive Committee which shall be composed of a president, a vice-president, a secretary and a treasurer. The Governing Board is responsible for decision making and the carrying out of the policies. The Executive Committee is responsible for implementing and managing these policies and procedures.

      The role of the Membership committee is to review applications of organization and individuals.

The AGM and any Extraordinary General Meeting can be held in a hybrid form.

4.1 THE GOVERNING BOARD

  • The Governing Board provides an opportunity for Member representatives and elected Officers to determine the development ofEACP.
  • The Governing Board shall be responsible for the proper functioning of EACPin accordance with these Statutes, the Operating Regulations and the applicable 

4.2 THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

 

  • The Executive Committee is responsible for the efficient discharge of the duties laid down in the Operating Regulations and is accountable to the Governing Board and through it to the AGM.

   4.3. ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

 

 

      4.3.1.     Original documents, accounting and tax records, must be kept for five years and stored on any appropriate medium, including digitalised originals in accordance with national legislation.

4.3.2. The three main signatories are

                    The President, the Treasurer and the Secretary.  

 

4.3.3. Good practice requires that financial transactions such as bank transfers and checks are to be signed by two out of the three signatories .

5. THE OFFICERS

5.1 THE PRESIDENCY

 

  • The President and Vice President may be individual members in addition to being members of a National Association (NA) and shall be elected and voted into office by the associations (NA) and bodies entitled to vote.
  • The result of the elections for President and Vice-President will be formally reported at the next Annual General Meeting (AGM) following their
  • The President shall represent EACPand its policies both internally and to outside 
  • The President shall normally chair the AGM, Governing Board, and Executive Committee
  • The President is an ex-officio member of all committees of theEACP.
  • The President and the General Secretary, or officers appointed by them in the event of their unavailability, will sign legal documents of theEACP.
  • The Vice-President, at the request of the President, will deputise for the President in all of the above duties and may, from time to time, take on specific projects as defined by the

5.2 THE GENERAL SECRETARY

 

  • The General Secretary is appointed by the Governing Board and the appointment is ratified by the Annual General
  • The General Secretary is accountable to the Governing Board and through it to the Annual General Meeting, and should work in close collaboration with the President and other officers, the Board Committees, and the Governing
  • The General Secretary is responsible for ensuring that EACPworks at all times in compliance with its own Statutes, Operating Regulations and internal regulations, and with any applicable 
  • The General Secretary has particular responsibility for ensuring that an accurate record of proceedings is taken at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), regular Governing Board and Executive Committee meetings and for that record to be securely
  • The General Secretary is responsible for ensuring that all EACPadministrative procedures and processes are sound and that they are discharged 

5.3 THE TREASURER

 

  • The Treasurer is appointed by the Governing Board and that appointment ratified by the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
  • The Treasurer is accountable to the Governing Board and through it to the AGM and should work in close collaboration with the President and other officers, the Board Committees and the Governing
  • The Treasurer is responsible for ensuring proper financial accountability in theconduct of EACP This will include delivering regular financial reports to the Executive Committee, preparing and presenting annual budgets and annual accounts.
  • The Treasurer’s responsibility is to have the accounts audited annually by a professional independent accountant.
  • The Treasurer is responsible for presenting the audited report at the annual general meeting and to publish it on the EACP’s website.

6. FINANCES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

  • The EACPfinances derive from enrolment fees, annual subscriptions, gifts, conference fees and other income. The EACP may invest, purchase, let or otherwise acquire property and other goods and services in pursuit of the objectives of the 
  • The Executive Committee determines the annual membership fee, which will be ratified by the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
  • Only paid up members are eligible to vote at the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
  • The fiscal year will run from January to
  • In financial matters the Treasurer, or the General Secretary, together with the President, or his or her nominee, are authorised to sign up to the amount authorised by the Governing
  • The general assembly must approve the request for an accounts audit made by the governing board and, if applicable, requested by at least 25% of the members represented with the right to vote. In the event that there are insufficient funds to do so, the requesting members may be asked to pay the costs in the first instance and the rest of the members if there are still insufficient funds.

7. MODIFICATION OF THE STATUTES, DISSOLUTION OR LIQUIDATION

  • These Statutes may be amended or supplemented or modified only during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) under the procedures laid out in the Operating
  • The dissolution of the EACPmay be decided only by an Extraordinary General Meeting convened especially for that purpose.
  • In case of an emergency an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) should be called.
  • The Extraordinary General Meeting in deciding to dissolve the EACPshall act according to what is stipulated by the respective legal authorities and decide as to the allocation of the assets after the liabilities of the EACP have been paid off.

8. GENERAL

  • The official working language of the EACPis the English 

 

Download Statutes of EACP