Statutes

Under the name “IG Hanf Schweiz (CI Chanvre Suisse / CI Canapa Svizzera / CI Chonv Svizra)” an association exists in the sense of Art. 60 ff. Swiss Civil Code with headquarters in Bern.

The purpose of the association is the organisation of all market participants in the hemp industry in Switzerland.

The association aims in particular:
To establish hemp sustainably in society, to become a contact for the authorities, and to establish standards for the distribution of hemp products.
The association is denominationally and politically neutral.

The association has the following means at its disposal for the pursuit of its purpose:

• Membership fees
• Income from own events
• Donations and contributions of all kinds

The membership fees are determined annually by the general meeting. Active members pay a higher fee than passive members. Honorary members are exempt from the fee.

The business year corresponds to the calendar year.

Natural and legal persons who support the purpose of the association can become members. Passive members without voting rights can become any natural and legal person who supports the association ideally and financially. Applications for membership are to be addressed to the executive committee. The executive committee can refuse admission without giving reasons.

The membership expires

• for natural persons, by resignation, exclusion or death
• in the case of legal persons, by resignation, exclusion or dissolution

A withdrawal from the club is possible at any time. The letter of resignation must be sent to the executive committee by registered mail at least four weeks before the regular general meeting. The full membership fee is to be paid for the current year.

A member can be excluded from the association at any time without giving a reason. The board of directors will decide on the exclusion; the member may refer the exclusion decision to the general meeting. The appeal is to be made by registered letter to the President within 30 days of notification of the exclusion decision to the attention of the General Meeting.

If a member fails to pay the membership fee despite a reminder, he or she can be automatically excluded by the board of directors. There is no right of appeal to the general meeting.

The organs of the association are:

1. the General Assembly
2. the Board of Directors
3. the auditors

The highest organ of the association is the General Assembly. An ordinary General Assembly takes place annually in the first half of the year. The members are invited to the General Assembly in writing two weeks in advance, enclosing the agenda. Invitations by e-mail are valid. Applications for the attention of the General Assembly must be submitted to the executive committee at least 21 days before the General Assembly. The Board of Directors or 1/5 of the members may request the convening of an extraordinary General Assembly of Members, which must take place within two months of the request being submitted.

The General Assembly has the following irrevocable duties:

1. Approval of the minutes of the last General Assembly
2. Approval of the annual report of the Board of Directors
3. Approval of the annual financial statements and the auditor’s report
4. Discharge of the Executive Board
5. Election or de-election of the executive committee and the auditor
6. Determination of the membership fee
7. Resolution on proposals of the Executive Board and members
8. Establishment and amendment of the statutes
9. Decision on exclusion of members
10. Resolution on the dissolution of the association
11. Awareness of the annual budget and the programme of activities

Each member has one vote at the General Assembly. A substitution is excluded. Legal entities shall be informed of their voting rights by an expressly designated representative. Passive members are invited to the General Assembly, but have no voting rights. Every duly convened General Assembly has a quorum regardless of the number of members present. The members pass the resolutions with a simple majority. In the event of a tie, the chairman has the casting vote. Changes to the statutes as well as the dissolution of the association require the agreement of a majority of the voters entitled to vote at ¾. Members do not have the right to vote in exclusion votes which concern them. At least one record of the resolutions passed is kept.

The Management Board consists of at least 5 persons. The term of office is 2 years. A re-election is possible.

The executive committee represents the association externally and manages the current business. The board has all the powers that are not transferred to another body by law or according to these statutes.

The following departments are represented on the board:

1. Presidium
2. Vice Presidium
3. Cashier
4. Secretary
5. Observers

With the exception of the President, who is elected by the General Assembly, the Executive Committee constitutes itself.

The executive committee meets as often as business requires. Three members of the Board of Directors may request that a meeting of the Board of Directors be convened, which must take place within the three weeks following the request.

The Board of Directors has a quorum when half of its members are present. It passes its resolutions and carries out its elections with the majority of the votes of the members of the Board present. The President shall vote; in the event of a tie, the President shall have the casting vote.

Board meetings must be convened in writing, as a rule ten days in advance, and must provide information about the items on the agenda. Invitations sent by e-mail are valid. Minutes must be taken of the proceedings.

Resolutions can only be passed on items not included on the agenda if all members of the Board of Directors agree.
The Board of Directors is generally active on a voluntary basis and is entitled to reimbursement of actual expenses.

The auditors consist of at least one auditor, who is elected every two years. The auditor is re-eligible. He audits the accounts of the Association and submits a written report to the General Assembly every year.

The association is bound by the collective signature of the president together with another member of the board.

For the debts of the association only the assets of the association are liable. A personal liability of the members is excluded.

The dissolution of the association can only be decided by a General Assembly convened exclusively for this purpose with a majority of the voting rights present at ¾.

In the event of dissolution of the association, the association’s assets will be transferred to an institution which pursues the same or a similar purpose. The distribution of the association’s assets among the members is excluded.

In the case of a merger with an institution pursuing similar or identical purposes, the General Assembly decides on the procedure at the request of the board.

These revised Statutes were adopted at the General Assembly of 4 September 2019 and entered into force on that date. They replace the statutes of 15 February 2019.