Structure and operation of the EU

1997/05/01 Meñika, M. Karmen Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Unibertsitateak

Based on the militant work, since the Congress held in 1995, the main pillars of the EU are the partners and their respective formations. Formally the legal character of the Basque Summer University is the UEU Cultural Association, and so it is registered both in the CAPV and in Navarra. In Iparralde it is legalized as an association, following local legislation. However, the General Assembly, made up of all EU members, is the highest decision-making body of the EU. It meets once a year and it collects those carried out in the previous course and approves the actions and budgets of the following year. It sets the EU's guidelines for action.

Departments are conceived as a working or knowledge group. It is they who organize the EU courses, as well as those who drive the production of books or other activities. The meeting point for the coordination of departments is the Conference of Directors. It consists of the Directors of each Department (or its representatives), together with the Director and two representatives of the Secretariat. Its main function is to carry out academic planning. Meets 3/4 times a year.

For the preparation of courses or other activities it is necessary to carry out different jobs, search for places, organize the infrastructure, secure the economic resources, etc. Also think about the future. The Director, the Executive Team and the Secretariat are all involved. The Promoter Group is the main accelerator body of the EU. Its functions are related to the day-to-day march of the EU. Its main objective is to promote the actions necessary to carry out the planning of the departments approved by the Conference of Directors and to carry out everything related to the daily life of the EU. It is collected monthly.

The Executive Group consists of a minimum of 8 persons appointed by the General Board, plus the Director and the representative of the Secretariat staff. Among the members of this group is a representative of each EU knowledge group and a representation is sought as complete as possible by countries.

The other EU workplace is the secretariat. The Secretariat carries out the administrative and service work of the EU. Its main function is therefore to provide the EU with the necessary management, support and advisory activities so that the functions of the EU can be performed in the best possible way.

When we talk about the structure of the EU, we cannot forget a very important point: The EU is based on the militant work of many people and that is what makes it possible to a large extent. In the EU only three people pay the salary, that is, those who work in the office. The rest of those responsible do not receive money for their work, except for diets; in addition, the authors of books also grant the EU their copyright. Because there is no other way for an organization like ours to have a life of twenty-five years.