Chapter ². General
Article 1. (1) The Bulgarian Union of Standardizers is a national, independent, voluntary, apolitical, creative-professional community of specialists, who carry out practical or research activities and/or are interested in development and putting into practice of standardization and related accreditation and certification of products, services, quality systems and personnel.
(2) The name of the Union is “BULGARIAN UNION OF STANDARDIZERS" (BUS).
(Ç) BUS is recorded by the Law for the nonprofit legal entities as association with private benefit and do not shares out a profit. It constitutes an independent balance and has in its possession independent bank accounts in national and foreign currencies. It has reserved and protected copyright over one’s own mark, sign and round seal.
(4) Head office of the BUS managing council is:
1000 Sofia, municipality Sredets, 108, G. S. Rakovsky street.
(5) BUS is a regular member-establisher of Federation of scientific and technical unions, and by judgement – a collective member of other creative-professional unions and legal entities with nonprofit goals.
(6) BUS term of action is unlimited.
Chapter ²². Goals – Objectives - Facilities
Article 2. BUS goal is to assist the creative-professional progress and realization of its members, to protect their creative-professional interests, to organize and energize their activity for solving the problems of standardization scope, accreditation and certification in business and social area.
Article 3. The main BUS tasks are:
1. presentation and protection of creative-professional interests of its members in accordance with this Charter and laws currently in force;
2. rising the social status of the specialists in standardization, accreditation and certification, and in this connection to create and introduce to the competent authorities the normative documents and to co-operate actively for their approval and implementation;
3. support the professional progress of its members, giving them the opportunity to extend the qualification;
4. assisting the creation of normal conditions, social climate and to co-operate for the developing and implementing of standard innovations in the market economy, including branch and company standardization;
5. Organizing the study and distribution of Bulgarian and foreign experience in the area of standardization, accreditation and certification.
Article 4. BUS uses the following basic tools for obtaining its goals and tasks:
1. to carry out training for extending qualification and re-qualification of the specialists working in standardization, accreditation and certification and also of some other concerned managers and specialists by organizing and conducting scientific-scholar seminars, courses, schools and other similar forms;
1à. to confer members who meet specified requirements qualifications “specialist”, “expert”, “independent expert”;
2. to organize national and international events concerning the standardization, accreditation and certification, like congresses, conferences, symposia, “round tables”, discussions, exhibitions and others;
3. to organize creative-professional visits and meetings for sharing experience in the country and abroad;
4. to develop analyses, forecasts, projects of normative documents, standard documents and others;
5. to realize investigating, developing, expert, consultancy and other activities for solving definite tasks and implementation of innovations regarding standardization and certification provision of the companies, creating for this purpose its own teams or joint teams with other organizations;
6. to publish periodical printed and other informative materials concerning standardization and related accreditation and certification;
7. to assist the companies in providing them with Bulgarian and foreign standards and standard information;
8. to participate in celebrating of World standards day – 14 October;
9. to collaborate with other unions of the Federation of scientific and technical unions; with Bulgarian council for voluntary certification, national authorities on standardization, accreditation, certification and metrology, Alliance of scientists in Bulgaria, Federation of consumers in Bulgaria, technical comities on standardization, Association „Club 9000", high education schools and with other creative-professional unions and trade-unions, state authorities and non-governmental organizations, associated with the goals and tasks of its activity;
10. to be a member of related international organization for standardization, accreditation and certification and to participate in their work.
Chapter ²²². Membership - Rights and obligations
Article 5. (1) The membership in BUS is voluntary and is prestige and recognition of the creative-professional qualities of the specialists.
(2) The membership in BUS is individual and collective.
(3) An individual member of BUS can be every specialist, who carries out practical, studying, research or normalizing work under standardization, accreditation and certification and/or accepts its goals, tasks and Charter.
(4) The individual membership is realizing in associations (clubs) of specialists engaged in standardization, accreditation and certification or in sections of scientific-technical organizations of the Federation of scientific and technical unions.
(5) Acceptance of new members in the association takes place after handing a written application and paid entrance membership fee.
(6) The collective members can be entrepreneurs or legal entities - state authorities, cooperative, public and private organizations, high education schools and other bodies interested in BUS activity.
Article 6. The members have right:
1. to participate in activity of associations and of all BUS bodies
2. to elect and to be elected in all BUS bodies;
3. to use with priority standard information, printed works and other documents, placed at disposal by BUS;
4. to accept from the association and BUS bodies public protection, support and collaboration for realizing of its creative-professional interests;
5. to participate with priority in various events, organized by the union bodies and BUS associations;
6. to receive assistance, and when possible, material support, for participation in events organized by related international, regional and national organizations;
7. to acquire qualifications “specialist”, “expert”, “independent expert”.
Article 7. The members are obligated:
1. to respect Charter and decisions of the BUS bodies and the association;
2. to extend their professional qualification and creative activity and to collaborate for obtaining BUS goals and tasks;
3. to pay in regularly the specified membership dues.
Article 8. The membership in BUS breaks off:
1. By expelling the member base on motivated proposal of Management Council – when the Charter is broken and/or actions conflicting to the goals and tasks of BUS and lowers its reputation were allowed, as well when membership dues is not paid for more than 12 months;
2. At voluntary resign BUS;
3. At termination of the registration of BUS.
Chapter ²V. Structure and organization
Article 9. (1) The basic organizational (structural) unit of BUS is the association. An association consists of at least 5 individual members.
(2) The association is built on production, branch or territorial principle.
(Ç) The management is elected on the General meeting of the association for four years mandate and consisting of chairman and secretary. For larger organizations electing of a deputy chairman is allowed.
(4) The associations execute their activity according to the plan confirmed by the general meeting and receive finance from the association’s budget.
(5) The associations elect delegates for the regional conferences of BUS and on these conferences the delegates of BUS general meeting are elected in accordance with the determined by BUS Management Council delegation norms. When there are no regional organizations, delegates are elected directly for participation in the BUS general meeting.
Article 10. (1) Regional organizations are built in the regions in order to coordinate and assist the activity of the associations of their region.
(2) Regional organizations elect their own management (regional management of BUS) on regional general meeting.
(Ç) Regional management is elected for four years mandate and consisting of chairman, deputy chairman, secretary and members.
(4) Regional management votes a plan for its activity and forms a budget.
(5) Regional management of BUS can be legal entity.
(6) Regional organizations of BUS are self-supporting according to their budget.
Article 10à. (1) To confer the qualifications “specialist”, “expert”, “independent expert” on BUS members a Committee is established to the BUS Management Council for this purpose.
(2) Certificates are issued by the name of BUS Management Council on the grounds of the Committee protocol.
(Ç) Only the original certificate is valid for establishing the expert’s identity.
(4) A lost or destroyed certificate is considered invalid and upon a request the person can receive a new certificate and this is recorded in the BUS register.
Chapter V. Property and budget
Article 11. (1) BUS uses material and technical base of the Federation of scientific and technical unions under article 27 of its Charter, as well as own or granted by other organizations which are BUS collective members.
(2) BUS cash resources are accumulated by:
1. Individual membership dues specified by the general meeting;
2. Collective membership dues;
3. Creative and qualification work;
4. Revenues from auxiliary activity;
5. Publishing and some other activities in the field of standardization, accreditation and certification;
6. Sponsorship;
7. Donations and wills;
8. Interests and dividends.
(Ç) BUS can have loans of national and foreign currency by decision of the Management Council, taken with common majority by the presented members.
(4) By decision of the BUS Management Council creative, social and other funds can be created.
Chapter V². Management - Representation.
Article 12. The management bodies of BUS are:
1. general meeting;
2. Managing council;
3. Executive board.
Article 13. (1) Management Council convokes an ordinary general meeting every year – at expiration of the mandate of the BUS management bodies.
(2) The regular General meeting:
1. Defines the general directions in the BUS activity and votes a program for their implementation;
2. Accepts the reports of Management Council;
3. Takes decision for amendments and annexes to the Charter;
4. Takes decision for re-organization or liquidation of BUS;
5. Fixes the rate of membership dues for individual members and the minimum rate of membership dues for the collective members;
6. Accepts a BUS frame budget within the duration of the management bodies mandate;
7. Cancels decisions of other BUS bodies when they are in contradiction with the laws or the Charter;
8. In case of liquidation takes decision for distribution the rest of BUS property after satisfying the creditors;
9. Confers title “Honorary member of BUS“.
(2à) After expiration of one mandate the General meeting elects by open or secret voting the Management Council members for a four years mandate. The commission on elections, determined by the General meeting, makes proposals for the Management Council members. The proposed candidates should have given their agreement for their election. Proposals for Management Council members can be given also on the General meeting.
(3) BUS Management Council summons General meeting according to the fixed agenda.
(4) On its initiative or on request of one third of the members, the BUS Management Council can summon extraordinary General meeting. In the last case if within a month Management Council did not extend an invitation for summoning of General meeting, the court convokes it in the BUS head office on written request of the concerned members or of authorized person.
(5) General meeting can take decisions only on items previously announced in the invitation’s agenda.
(6) To the delegates of the General meeting invitations are sent at least 45 days before the opening date. The invitation contains the norms specifying the representation of the delegates, as well as the agenda, date, hour and place for its implementation, also on whose initiative it is convoked. The Management Council’s chairman, deputy chairman and secretary by rights participate in the General meeting.
(6à) The invitation is published in Official journal and is placed on the board for announcements in the building on 108, Rakovsky street, a month before the fixed day.
(6b) The general meeting is legal, if more than a half of the appointed delegates participate in it. The meeting is postponed with an hour when quorum is absent and is carried out on the same place and at the same agenda. decisions can be taken no matter how many delegates attend.
(7) Every delegate of the General meeting has right on a vote. No one member has right to vote when the matter in question concerns himself, his wife (her husband), his relations on direct line, on lateral branch – up to fourth level, or by marriage – up to second level including.
(8) the present delegates take the decisions with common majority, except amendments and annexes of the Charter and those concerning the reconstruction and liquidation of BUS, which are taken with qualified majority 2/3 from the number of the present delegates on the General meeting. The Management Council members are elected with majority from fixed quotas.
(9) The decisions are recorded, entered in a minute book and signed by persons authorized from the General meeting.
Article 14. (1) The Management Council guides the BUS activity between general meetings.
(1à) BUS Management Council has 21 members. Number of the BUS Management Council members is fixed from the General meeting. The members are elected from the General meeting for a 4 years mandate. The members of Management Council are divided in three quotas, which include BUS members from:
1. Ministries and other state authorities;
2. Branch associations, other nonprofit legal entities and/or individuals;
3. Trade unions, high education schools and/or scientific organizations.
(1b) On election of the Management Council delegates of General meeting fix the number of each quota according to the total number of 21 members, which is the accepted number of Management Council members according to the previous paragraph. As elected are considered those persons who gather the most votes in the frame of the corresponding quota.
(1c) During the Management Council mandate a member may leave it at his own reasons, after a written request or he can be expelled from the annual General meeting. A member of Management Council can be expelled before ending the mandate, when:
1. It is proved that he does not observe laws and/or BUS Charter rules;
2. He is effectively convicted from the legal authorities for a criminal act;
3. He is abroad for more than 6 months without interruption;
4. He does not participate the 2/3 of the Management Council conferences in period meantime two annual General meetings with good reasons.
(1d) When within the mandate a member has left Management Council, on the soonest General meeting an election is carried out in order the Management Council quota to be fulfilled. The elected in this way members are authorized till the end of the Management Council mandate.
(2) The Management Council solves all the matters concerning the BUS activity, except those of the competence of the General meeting.
(Ç) The Management Council:
1. Ensures the fulfillment of the decisions and recommendations of the General meeting;
2. Accepts plan for the BUS activity, consider and approve every year the annual budget;
3. Considers and discuss the BUS annual report;
4. Convokes BUS General meeting according to the Charter and define the representative norms of delegates;
5. Accepts projects of documents, which will be presented for final approval of the General meeting;
6. Fixes the range of membership dues for each collective member on the ground of written proposal;
7. Co-ordinates and supports the activity of BUS regional organizations and the associations;
8. Organizes the implementation of educative and creative-professional activity, as well as the national and international scientific-technical events;
9. Takes decisions for publishing printed matters of BUS and other publishing activities;
10. Takes decisions for participation in corporations and companies of local and international importance;
11. Takes decision for paid and unpaid earning or transferring of property;
12. Organizes and approves sections, committees, work groups and expert councils for executing definite activities. After exhausting their activities, which they are created for, they can be dismissed. Number of the members depends on the scope of the work and a chairman and secretary manage them, but when it is necessary by deputy-chairman as well;
13. Forms funds, which can be used from the entire system of BUS;
14. Determines a Chairman and Secretary and the members of the Committee conferring the qualification levels for experts; confirms the regulations for its work;
15. Elects by direct or secret voting the members of Control committee and of the Executive board;
16. Appoints the delegates for the General meeting of Federation of scientific and technical unions or of other organizations, where BUS is collective member.
(4) The Management Council consists of a Chairman, a Deputy-Chairman(s), a Secretary and the rest are regular members, elected by the General meeting. On its sessions can participate also members with deliberative vote. Every regular member, incl. the Chairman and the Deputy-Chairman(s) and the secretary has right on a vote.
(4à) The Management Council elects the Chairman, the deputy chairman(s) and the secretary of BUS among the regular members by secret or direct voting and common majority for the duration of its mandate.
(4b) Members with deliberative vote are:
1. The Chairman of the Control committee;
2. An authorized in written representative of every collective BUS member.
(5) The members of Management Council, except the Secretary, are working on a principle of public service.
(6) The Management Council is convoked on session from the Chairman at least once in 4-6 months.
(7) The Chairman is obliged to convoke a session of Management Council at written request of 1/3 of its regular members. If the Chairman did not convoke a session of Management Council within a week period, such a session can be convoked from every concerned regular member of Management Council.
(8) The Management Council can take decisions if more than a half of the regular members are present on the session.
(9) The regular members present on the session take all the decisions of the Management Council by common majority. The Management Council can take decision also without carrying out a session, if all the regular members sign a protocol with this decision without objections and remarks.
(10) The sessions of BUS Management Council are leading by the Chairman, but when he is absent – by the authorized Deputy-Chairman or other member of the Management Council.
(11) The Chairman takes all necessary decisions in the scope of the Charter and for its activity reports to the Management Council.
(12) The secretary receives a reward assigned from the Management Council in the frames of the confirmed BUS budget and in conformity with the particular results from his activity. When is necessary the Management Council nominates collaborators to the Secretary, who can work on the pay roll reward or on fee. The Management Council fixes the pay roll rewards, but the Chairman of Management Council – the fees. The secretary can involve collaborators on fee for specific short-term tasks.
Article 15. (1) the control committee consists of three members, who appoint one of them for a chairman.
(2) the control committee:
1. Controls legally spending of the financial resources and material possession of BUS;
2. Ensures control on the activity of BUS bodies elected by the Management Council and reports to the General meeting;
3. Considers and make proposals by the complaints of the Management Council or BUS members, which are decided to be expelled.
Article 15à. The Committee for conferring of qualifications is managed by a Chairman - Management Council member, who is elected by the Management Council for the duration of its mandate. Committee works on normative documents, elaborated by the Committee and confirmed by Management Council.
Article 15b. (1) The Executive board, consisting of 7 members, realizes BUS activity meantime the Management Council sessions.
(2) The Chairman, the deputy Chairman and the Secretary participate by rights the Executive board. The Management Council can replace the rest members partially or entirely during its mandate.
(3) The Executive board realizes the assigned by BUS Management Council tasks, and prepares all materials for its sessions.
Article 16. (1) The Chairman and the Secretary of Management Council represent BUS to all organizations and authorities in the country and abroad together or separately.
(2) The deputy-chairman replaces the chairman when the last is absent, and executes tasks assigned by Management Council and/or by the Chairman.
Article 17. The management of the BUS regional organizations has structure and organization like the Management Council, but with dimensions in conformity with necessity of the corresponding region, where the activity is carried out.
Chapter V²². Insignia of honour and Awards
Article 18. (1) For long term activity separate BUS members can be distinguished by:
1. “Honorary diploma” – by Management Council decision;
2. Material awards and cash prizes - by Management Council decision;
3. Title “Honorary member of BUS” - by General meeting decision;
4. Proposal for the Federation of scientific and technical union’s award or state award - by General meeting decision.
(2) At the end of each calendar year the Management Council can distinguish with material award or cash prize by proposal of the Executive board individually BUS members, who have shown particular activity and beneficial work during the year.
(3) The value of the material awards and/or cash prizes corresponds to the items of BUS budget provided for this purpose.
Chapter V²²². Transformation and liquidation
Article 19. (1) The transformation of BUS is taking place under conditions and order of article 12 of the Law for nonprofit legal entities.
(2) Termination of BUS legal entity is taking place under conditions and order of article 13 of the Law for nonprofit legal entities.
(3) BUS liquidation by decision of the General meeting is implemented by the Management Council or by appointed person.
(4) For liquidation order and the rights of liquidators are applied stipulations of the Trade law.
Article 20. (1) Distribution of the rest BUS property after satisfying the creditors is performed according to the decision of the general meeting by article 13, paragraph 2, item 8 of this Charter.
(2) Management Council fixes resources for maintenance of liquidation, including the payment to the liquidators.
Chapter ²Õ. Concluding provisions
# 1. This Charter is adopted by BUS on the Constituent assembly, held on 30.04.1991, amended and supplemented on the Second Extraordinary Congress (27.04.1994), on the Third Congress (13.10.1997), on the Fourth Congress (04.05.2001) and on the general meeting, held on 18.03.2003.
# 2. BUS general meeting decides unsettled cases in this Charter.