"THE C.O.M. NEWS", MARCH 2006 nr. 115

                                                                                                    Congrés C.O.M. a Zutphen


Roll-call of Member countries.

1. General President’s address.
2. General Secretary’s report.
3. General Treasurer’s financial report.
4. Certification of accounts and discharge to the General Treasurer and Board of Directors.
5. C.O.M.P.E. Member in charge report.
6. C.R.O. Member in charge report.
7. Administrative proposals (results).
8. C.O.M. Board of Directors elections (re-elections) for the offices of:
              • Assistant General President
              • General Secretary
9. World Championships (country and dates).
10. World Championships candidatures (Northern and Southern Hemispheres).
11. International Shows.
12. Ratification of the decisions taken by the C.O.M.-B.D. and O.M.J.-E.C.

The General President opened the meeting at 11:00 hrs.
Mr. Pierre Stijnen, President of the A.N.B.v.V. Federation, organiser of the 2006 World Championships, welcomed the delegates of the member countries.
The C.O.M. General President also welcomed the members of the Organising Committee of the 2006 World Show. In the name of the C.O.M.-B.D. and O.M.J.-E.C., he expresses the following fellow-feeling:

“I regret with all my heart that you have been forced to cancel the 2006 World Show due to the problems caused by regulations in the fight against the Avian flue. We restate our sympathies towards the Organising Committee, seeing that a World Championship with a partial participation of the member countries cannot be either a complete or even a representative show. We sincerely hope your Insurance may cover a significant part of the expenses, and there will certainly be an opportunity in the future to get a new candidature from you to organise a World Show in Zutphen.”
Since C.O.M. exists (more than fifty years now!), this was the first time its Congress took place out of the scene of a World Championship.

Present: For the C.O.M.-B.D: C.G. Maandag, B. Yeves Valero, J.P. Nery d’Azevedo, E. Gracia and W.J. Mulder.
               For the C.O.M.P.E./C.R.O.: G. van Limbergen. For the O.M.J.-E.C.: P. Groux, M. Level, J. Moll Camps and J.P. Rotzetter. Delegates from 10                member countries.
               Absent (apologies): the C.O.M. Vice-president R. Hoffmann (hospitalised), the C.O.M.-S.H. President L. Beraldi, the O.M.J.-E.C. members G.                Cortese, A. Paparella and L. Bon (retained by a snowstorm).

The C.O.M. Assistant General Secretary announced the countries in attendance, namely: Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.

1. Address by the C.O.M. General President (see Appendix No. 4).
2. The Assistant General Secretary read the activities report (see Appendix No. 5).
3. Financial report of the General Treasurer: a copy of the Balance Sheet was distributed to the delegates of the member countries (see Appendix No. 6).
4. The General President invited questions from those present. There being no comments, the accounts were approved and discharge granted to the General     Treasurer and to the other members of the Board of Directors.
5. Mr. Gaston van Limbergen read the C.O.M.P.E. annual report (see Appendix No. 7).
    Mr. Gaston van Limbergen read the C.R.O. annual report (see Appendix No. 8).
6. Administrative proposals (results):

Proposal No. 1 (C.O.M.-B.D.):
To keep the registration fee per exhibit bird at a maximum of € 8,00 and the price of the general catalogue at a maximum of € 12,00, as from the 2007 World Championship and for three years (2007, 2008 and 2009 World Shows).
Reason: to protect the breeders from unjustified increases.
C.O.M.-B.D. advance notice: YES.
Result: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain: YES (10). Italy: NO (1).
Congress decision: YES.

Proposal No. 2 (U.O.F.-C.O.M. France):
That the Organising Committees of the World Championships appoint someone who can speak French to be in charge of the conveyors (French being the official language of C.O.M.); that a conveyor from each country may at least understand French; and that the instructions to conveyors during a World Show are issued in French.
C.O.M.-B.D. advance notice: YES, favourable.
Result: Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain: YES (6).
Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Israel and Netherlands: NO (5).
Congress decision: YES.

Remark: This proposal has been subject to further debate to conclude if it stands to reason to accept only French as the official language of the C.O.M.

7. Elections (re-elections) for the offices of C.O.M. Assistant General President and General Secretary:
            • C.O.M. Assistant General President, candidate: - B. Yeves Valero (Spain), re-eligible.
                        There was no need to vote. Mr. B. Yeves Valero was automatically re-elected for a three-year term ending in 2009.
            • C.O.M. General Secretary, candidates: - A. van Roelen-Janssen (Belgium)
                        - C. Lemee (France)

            The candidates were invited by the General President to introduce themselves to the Congress.
            (In accordance with C.O.M. Statutes, art. 12, the C.O.M.-B.D. and O.M.J.-E.C. members are elected by the member countries in secret vote, by             absolute majority in the first round or simple majority in the second or subsequent rounds).
            The ballot papers were distributed to the 10 countries entitled to participate in the voting.
            First round results: A. van Roelen-Janssen: 7 votes and C. Lemee: 3 votes
            Mrs. A. van Roelen-Janssen was therefore elected for a three-year term ending in 2009.

8.  Next World Championships (countries and dates): see details on page 6 of the present “The C.O.M. News”.
9. Candidatures for the World Championships of the Northern Hemisphere: see details on page 6 of the present “The C.O.M. News”. C.O.M.-Portugal had      presented themselves as candidates to organise the World Championship in the year 2010. During a meeting in Zutphen on 3rd September 2005, the C.O.M.      Board of Directors decided unanimously to grant C.O.M.-Portugal the organisation of the 2010 World Show, now officially confirmed at this C.O.M.      Congress.
     For 2011, member countries may present their candidatures (only via their National C.O.M. or equivalent entity) by letter to the C.O.M. General President      before 30th June 2006. This will be the closing date to permit a final decision and formal notification to the C.O.M./O.M.J. Congress in Montilla (Spain).
10. International Shows: this year (2006), 20 International Shows will be held: 8 in Italy, 6 in Spain, 2 in Belgium, 1 in France, 1 in Germany, 1 in Netherlands and      1 in Portugal.
     These events, recognised by C.O.M. provided that the organisers accept the new established regulations, are listed in the present “The C.O.M. News” (pages      11 to 17).
11. In accordance with the C.O.M. Statutes, the C.O.M.-B.D. and O.M.J.-E.C. decisions (see also Minutes of the O.M.J. Congress, hereafter) were submitted to this C.O.M. Congress, and ratified. Please note the C.O.M./O.M.J. administrative communications and disciplinary sanctions (“The C.O.M. News” No. 114, page 23).

There being no further business to discuss, the General President brought proceedings to an end at 12.00 hrs.

C.G. Maandag                                      E. Gracia
C.O.M. General President                       C.O.M. Assistant General Secretary

ATTENTION

An informal meeting was also held on the occasion of this Congress, in which the attending member countries split into three groups to work on four different issues.

Detailed information is provided in the attached hereto Appendix No. 11.