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1. TITLE 

The name of the Association shall be “The European Billiards and Snooker Association” or the EBSA in abbreviation, hereinafter referred to as “the

Association”. 

2. OBJECTIVES 

1) To act as the European Governing Body and to conduct and promote the European Championships in Billiards and Snooker in accordance with the rules of the World Governing Body (IBSF) as they stand today. 

2) To foster and promote the games of Billiards and Snooker, as played on an English Billiards table, throughout Europe. 

3) To decide venues and organising Association for the European Billiards and Snooker Championships. 

4) To monitor and establish standards of refereeing within all Member Countries. 

5) To establish and encourage coaching standards within all Member Countries. 

6) To gather and distribute all relevant information, which will help promote the games of Billiards and Snooker throughout Europe as a whole. 

3. DEFINITIONS 

1) “Council” shall mean the accredited Delegates of the Members of the Association, together with the Executive Officers comprising the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. The affairs of the Association shall be governed by the Council of the Association. 

2) “AGM” shall mean the Annual General Meeting of the Council of the Association, which shall be held once in each year, at a time and place coinciding whenever possible with the European 

Championships. 

3) “By-Laws” shall mean the enabling of the Rules and Regulations so enacted from time to time pursuant to Article 11 of the Constitution.

4) “Member Country” means the Country Association, which is a Member of the Association. 

5) “National Association” shall mean the Body recognised by its Country as the National Authority controlling the game(s). 

6) “Original Member” is a “Member Country” or an “Association” for the Games who, at the time of coming into effect of this Constitution, are an existing Member of the EBSA. 

7) “Associate Member” shall mean a Country Association, which is associated to the EBSA. 

8) “Honorary Member” is an Association for the games with no voting rights. 

9) “EBSA Referees Cmmittee” is the body within the Association, governing all refereeing matters. Refereeing for the European Championships shall be covered by article 14 of appendix 3 ByLaws/Conditions. 

10) “Year” is the period commencing with the end of any Annual General Meeting and terminating with the end of the next subsequent Annual General Meeting or the Association may determine such other period. 

4. MEMBERSHIPS 

1) No Member shall be granted affiliation or granted renewal of affiliation unless the Constitution and/or rules and regulations of the Member are in accordance with the Constitution and aims of the Association. 

2) A Member shall uphold an image of integrity plus a standard of ethics, which is acceptable to the Association. 

3) The Council shall be the sole judge of the right to Membership. 

4) An individual can be elected a Life-Member of the Association in recognition of outstanding service. A Life-Member shall have the right to attend meetings and speak but will not have voting rights and no Member will be nominated or elected until a motion has been successfully carried, that a Life Member be elected at that meeting. 

5) Member Countries, which are at the 1st April in arrears of affiliation fees for more than one year, will not be allowed to attend either the European Championships or the AGM and all subsequent voting rights suspended until the debt to the Association is cleared. 

6) Not withstanding the foregoing provisions, any member who is already a “Member Country” of the EBSA at immediate time of coming into effect this Constitution, shall remain a “Member Country” of this Association with all rights and privileges attached thereto, as if it has been fully accepted a Member Country. Only one Association from each Country shall be accepted as a Member. 7) All “Member Countries” who are not accredited National Associations shall take the necessary measures to ensure their due conversion at latest in the year of the first participation of cue games, including snooker, in the Olympic Games. All “Member Countries” shall then have to be the duly accredited National Associations. 

8) An Association from a Country falling geographically outside of Europe may apply as an “Association Member”. As EBSA Membership is confined to accredited National Associations, any organisation not in conformity thereto can equally apply to be converted to Associate Members of the Association with such entry and annual subscription fees payable as prescribed by the EBSA. 

5. MEETINGS 

1) There shall be two major meetings convened by the Association: 

a) Annual General Meeting 

b) Board Meeting 

2) The Chairman of the Association, or in his absence, the ViceChairman, shall be the Chairman of the Meetings. The Agenda of the Meetings will be determined by the Executive Officers of the Association. 

3) Associate Members and Honorary Members are allowed to attend meetings but hold NO voting rights. 

4) The Council will decide whether Guests and Observers will be permitted to the Meetings and each case will be judged on its merits. Observers will take no part in the Meeting. Guests are invited in the interest of the game and shall have the right to attend Meetings and speak. 

5) Urgent matters may be resolved by postal vote, two months notice of reply to be given from the date of posting. No reply will be considered as an abstention. 

6) In the case of an emergency, the matter will be resolved by the Executive Officers of the Association. 

7) Three months prior to the date fixed for the AGM, the Secretary shall issue a Notice of Meeting, setting the date and venue of the Meeting and details of the business to be transacted at that Meeting. 

6. VOTING 

1) Each financially affiliated Member Country will be entitled to one voting Delegate, with only accredited Delegate entitled to vote. Associate and Honorary Members are entitled to attend the AGM but shall have no voting rights. Any Executive Officer shall be entitled to vote, providing he/she is an accredited Delegate, with the Chairman holding a casting vote if needed. Elections will be determined by secret ballot. A Quorum will be 50% of the Member Countries. 

2) Two-thirds majority required for Constitutional changes. 

3) All other decisions by a simple majority. 

4) Proxy voting shall be allowed but shall be accepted only when the Hon. Secretary of the Meeting has received official notice from the Secretary or President of the absentee Member in a sealed envelope, at least two weeks prior to the Meeting and such notice advising him of the method of voting on any specific item on the Agenda. Such communications shall be considered as an attendance at the Meeting. The sealed envelope should have “PROXY” written in the left upper corner and will only be opened by the Chairman at the said Meeting. No Proxies transmitted by fax will be

accepted. 

5) No Proxy Delegates are allowed. 

7. OFFICE 

1) The Association shall be registered in the Country of the Secretary. 

2) The business address of the Association shall coincide with the office of the Secretary, or as otherwise decided by Council. 

3) The official language of the Association shall be English. 

8. OFFICERS 

1) The administration of the affairs of the Association shall be in the hands of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and a Treasurer who shall be elected for a term of two years and be eligible for reelection at the end of a term of office. Should any Officer step down before his term of office has been completed, a caretaker position will be installed for the remaining period of that office. Positions will be selected by election or as per Article 5.5 of the Constitution. 

2) To insure stability and continuity of the Association, the Executive Officers shall retire in rotations as follows: 

a) Chairman and Treasurer 

b) Vice-Chairman and Secretary 

3) The Secretary shall be responsible for issuing copies of the Minutes of each Meeting, approved by the Chairman of the said Meetings, to each Member and Executive Officer. 

4) In addition to the elected Vice-Chairman, the Member Country hosting the next ensuing European Championships following the AGM shall nominate a representative to oversee the preparations for and conduct of such Championship and he shall be the exofficio Vice-Chairman for the relevant period. 

5) The Association Secretary must receive nominations for all elective Officers of the Association in writing at least six (6) weeks prior to the date of the AGM at which elections are scheduled. All nominations received shall include an acceptance of nomination by the said nominee, approved by his or her National Association and a seconding by another Member Country. All nominations received shall be circulated to all Member Countries at least four (4) weeks before the AGM. 

6) Referees & Rules Committee: The administration of the Referees & Rules affairs shall be in the hands of a Sub Committee who will be nominated by the EBSA Chairman and managed by one of the EBSA Executive Board members. The EBSA Referees & Rules Committee shall: 

– Formulate competition format, rules and conditions to be followed by all its Member Countries, or as otherwise readjusted thereto, with prior approval of the Board;

– Select referees for any EBSA or IBSF event. 

9. NOTICES OF MOTION 

1) The Secretary must receive all Notices of Motion six (6) weeks prior to the date of the Meeting. 

2) All Notices of Motion to be circulated to all Member Countries four (4) weeks prior to the date of the Meeting. 

3) Any amendments to Motions adopted at the Meeting, shall be circulated to all absentee Members and shall take effect immediately. 

10. FINANCE 

1) An Annual Affiliation Fee shall be payable by all Members and remitted to the Association as per the By-Laws. 

2) The Treasurer and two other persons designated by the Association shall open an account at a bank authorised by the Council. Cheques for less than €1,000 shall bear the signature of one of these three persons. Cheques for more than €1,000 shall bear the signatures of two of these three persons. 

3) The Treasurer shall send copies of the Statement of Audited Accounts and Finance from the financial year from the 1st January to the 31st December to each Member two (2) weeks prior to the

AGM. 11. BY-LAWS 

The Constitution empowers the Association to enact, from time to time, by-laws for the proper administration of the Association. Amendments of by-laws can be affected either at Meetings or under Article 5.4 thereof. 

12. INTERNATIONAL BILLIARDS & SNOOKER FEDERATION 

Members of the Association shall affiliate to the IBSF. 

13. WINDING UP 

If, at any time, Members of the Association agree by the appropriate majority to wind up the Association, the net assets of the Association shall be distributed in such a manner, as the Association in the Council Meeting convened for the purpose shall decide. 

Updated June 2011 BY-LAWS 

(These By-Laws are enacted pursuant to Article 11 of the Constitution) 

1. EBSA MEMBERSHIP 

1) An accredited National Association of Billiards and Snooker is eligible to apply for EBSA Membership as a “Member Country” on prescribed forms 

available from the Secretary. 

2) Other Associations of Billiards and Snooker or Associations from Countries falling geographically outside Europe are eligible to apply for EBSA 

Membership as “Associate Members” or “Honorary Members” on prescribed forms available from the Secretary. Honorary Members are not required to pay a membership fee. 

3) The Membership Fee payable to the Association by both categories shall be €200. Annual renewal fees shall become payable on demand by the Secretary on the 1st day of January each year. Members whose Annual Fees are in arrears of one year or more, shall cease to be Members of the EBSA. 

4) Associations applying for EBSA Membership must submit the duly completed application form, together with a copy of their current Constitution, registration certificate and any other relevant information in support of their application. 

5) If an EBSA Member should, by a majority vote of Members at the AGM or a Council Meeting, be found not to comply with Article 4.1 of the 

Constitution, the said Member will be granted nine (9) months from the date of such a Meeting to amend their Constitution and/or Rules and Regulations. Failure to comply will result in automatic suspension of Membership for duration until its compliance. Such a suspended Member shall not be allowed to enter the Championships or attend any Association Meetings. 

6) A Member Country who is found to have carried out such functions and activities which are contrary to Article 4.2 or to the aims and objects of the Association and thereby bringing disrepute to the game and the Association may be suspended or expelled, as the case may be, from its Membership after due enquiry by an independent Committee so appointed by the Council. 

2. Administration 

1) The Association shall reimburse all justifiable expenses incurred by the Executive Officers in the proper carrying out of their respective duties on behalf of the Association. 

June 2011