Statute

Art. 2. The ASSOCIATION is a legal entity and has full rights as such, separate assets and is managed independently in accordance with the laws of the country and the provisions of these Statutes. Its name, seal and rights to bank accounts are reserved and protected by the law.

Art. 4. The ASSOCIATION shall be incorporated for an indefinite period of time.

Art.6 (1) In order to achieve its goals the ASSOCIATION shall have the freedom to decide how to allocate funds for assisting its members in terms of the following activities:
-    advising its members on matters of legal, financial, accounting and professional nature;
-    providing protection to its members in cases of legal disputes arising from the performance of their professional services;
-    providing its members with preferential conditions for insurance related to their professional activities as translators/interpreters;
-    publishing a newsletter related to its members’ professional activities.
(2) The ASSOCIATION shall defend the rights and interests of its members in front of state institutions, the court, monopolistic organizations and other legal entities by:
-    undertaking activities to protect the rights and interests of its members in case they have been infringed or disregarded by state bodies, public organizations and institutions having administrative power or monopolistic status;
- requesting from the competent state institutions, public and other organizations to provide justification and advice with regard to legislative acts affecting the activities of translators/interpreters and suggesting suitable changes to Bulgarian legislation with the aim of creating a favorable legal and financial environment for the performance of professional translation/interpretation activities.
- The approved “Code of Ethics of Translators and Interpreters” is an additional and indivisible part of these Statutes. The ASSOCIATION shall make the necessary efforts to ensure its observation as a means of sustaining the good reputation of translation and interpretation professionals in society.
(3) The ASSOCIATION shall create and maintain links with the mass media and shall conduct specific activities aimed at informing the general public, the business, political and state institutions about the problems and opportunities the translation/interpretation profession encounters.
(4)The ASSOCIATION shall defend the interest of its members without undertaking and processing any assignments for translation.

Exclusion of a member

Art. 8 (1) Membership in the ASSOCIATION is voluntary.
(2) Membership of the founding members comes into effect upon signing these Statutes.
(3) Members of the ASSOCIATION can be individuals who provide translation/interpretation services, who accept the Charter of the ASSOCIATION and fulfill the following minimum requirements:

• Individuals who have at least 50 working days of oral interpretation; or

• Have translated at least 500 pages; or

• Have 2 years of experience working as translators.

(4) The requirements concerning translation/ interpretation experience set by the previous paragraph shall be evidenced by references/official notices from clients and intermediaries. In the references/official notices concerning the days of oral interpretation there should be a text included, certifying the candidate’s work as part of a team.

5 (a) Acceptance of new members shall be based on a voluntary wish expressed by the individual in a written application addressed to the Management Board of the ASSOCIATION. The application form shall be accompanied by a CV, a list of translations, publications or events with simultaneous or consecutive interpretation in accordance with the abovementioned Art. 8, par. 3, as well as:

1. References from two members of the ASSOCIATION; or
2. A reference from a translator with over five years of experience in the field and a reference from one member of the ASSOCIATION; or
3. A review from an appointed member of the Management Board and a reference from a member of the ASSOCIATION.

Newly-accepted members of the ASSOCIATION shall abstain from giving references in the first two years of their membership.

(b) The Management Board shall take a decision about the written applications not later than three months from the date of their submission and the candidates shall be informed in writing within one month after the decision of the Board.
(c) Candidates whose membership applications have been rejected by the Management Board may re-apply to the General Assembly. In this case the decision of the General Assembly shall be definitive.
(6) Membership in the ASSOCIATION can be terminated as follows:
1. A unilateral statement of voluntary resignation;
2. By decision of the General Assembly for exclusion of a member for non-fulfillment of the obligations laid down in the Charter;
3. In the event of death or judicial disability;
4. In case the ASSOCIATION terminated its activity;
5. Exclusion due to non-payment of the membership fee as set out in Art.15, para.5, item 5.

Art.9 (1) Members of the ASSOCIATION may be excluded on the basis of a decision of the General Assembly following a proposal made by the Management Board in the event of:
-    violation of the obligations envisaged in these Statutes;
-    any other actions conflicting with their membership in the ASSOCIATION.

(2) The Management Board defines the nature of violations and specifies the remedial time frame within which consequences should be removed, and in the event of non-compliance makes a proposal for exclusion.

Art.10 (1) Membership shall be deemed terminated in case a member:
-    has not paid membership fee as required in Art.15, para.5, item 5 of these Statutes;
-    has stopped participating in the activities of the ASSOCIATION.

(2) The above circumstances, in particular their duration and such that may lead to termination of participation, shall be asserted by the Management Board in accordance with the documents of the ASSOCIATION. The Management Board shall report the circumstances to the General Assembly and shall table a motion for termination of membership.

Art.11. In the event of membership termination, the ASSOCIATION is not obliged to refund membership fee payments.

Rights and obligations of the members
Art.12 (1) Members shall be entitled to use the assets of the ASSOCIATION and benefit from the results of its activities in the manner set out by the General Assembly
(2) Members shall be entitled to:
1. Participate in electing the management bodies and be elected to them. Every member shall have the right to one vote in the General Assembly.
2. Participate in all initiatives undertaken to further the goals and aims of the ASSOCIATION.
3. Receive information about the decisions taken by the management bodies as well as information about the ASSOCIATION.
4. Request for cessation of illegal decisions of the management bodies of the ASSOCIATION or such that are in contradiction with the statutes.
(3) Members are obliged to pay their membership fee on a regular basis.
(4) Members are obliged to observe the Charter and the Code of Ethics, as an inseparable part of the Charter, to abide by the decisions of the management bodies of the ASSOCIATION, to contribute to the efforts for achieving the goals of the ASSOCIATION and manage its assets properly.
(5) Membership rights and obligations, with the exception of property rights, are non-transferable and are not passed on to other persons in case of termination of membership or death.

Art.14. The ASSOCIATION shall have to following management bodies:
1. General Assembly
2. Management Board
3. Auditing Board
4. Chairperson

Art. 16. (1) The Management Board is an executive and representative body of the ASSOCIATION. It shall consist of five members elected by the General Assembly of the ASSOCIATION for a term of 5 (five) years. The Chairperson of the Auditing Board, or a member of the Auditing Board authorized by the Chair, has the right to be present, without the right to vote, at the meetings of the Management Board.

(2) The members of the Management Board shall represent the ASSOCIATION jointly and separately – in accordance with a Decision of the Board, recorded in Minutes.

(3) The Management Board shall:

1. organize the implementation of the decisions of the General Assembly and manage the activities of the ASSOCIATION.

2. Represent the ASSOCIATION. For specific tasks other members of the Board may be authorized besides its Chairperson.

3. Within the scope of their prerogatives, ensure that the interests of the members of the ASSOCIATION are protected before all institutions in the country and abroad.

4. Coordinate the day-to-day activities of the ASSOCIATION and provide support to members within the scope of the rights delegated to the Board.

5. Report to the General Assembly on an annual basis.

6. In case the Chairperson cannot perform his/her obligations for a long period of time due to serious illness or absence from the country, the Management Board shall elect a temporary chairperson from amongst its members. The mandate of the temporary chairperson shall expire upon the first meeting of the General Assembly or when the reasons for his/her election have ceased to be valid.

7. Discuss and make decisions on all matters regarding the ASSOCIATION, with the exception of those, which, according to these Statutes, are within the competence of the General Assembly.

8. Dispose of the assets of the ASSOCIATION in compliance with these Statutes.

9. Prepare and submit a draft budget to the General Assembly.

10. Prepare and submit to the General Assembly a report about the activities of the ASSOCIATION.

11. Determine the address of the ASSOCIATION.

12. Confirm compliance with the requirements for experience in translation of the candidates for membership.

13. A decision of the Management Board is valid if more than half of its members are present. A member may also be present via conference call where the identity of the person is evident and when it allows that person to participate in the discussions and decision- taking.

14. Decisions are taken by majority vote of the members present.

15. The Management Board may take a certain decision in a non-attendance meeting if it has been approved by 3 (three) members, duly recorded in the Minutes signed by the Board members.

Art.18 (1) The Auditing Board is a body of the General Assembly, which is elected from the members of the ASSOCIATION for a period of five years. The Auditing Board shall consist of three members who elect their Chairperson among themselves.

(2) The Auditing Board shall:

1. Monitor that the Statute is complied with when performing the activities of the ASSOCIATION.

2. Supervise that the decisions of the General Assembly and the Management Board are implemented;

3. Examine the financial activities of the ASSOCIATION and monitor that the assets are taken care of and maintained with due diligence.

4. Check about the status of correspondence, the Minutes book, the accounting books for membership fees, income from donations, legacies and others.

5. Notify the Management Board about any violations of the financial, contractual or Statute requirements, the Code of Ethics, and, if necessary, convene an extraordinary General Assembly.

Art.20 (1) Acting within the scope of their delegated rights and autonomy, the management bodies of the ASSOCIATION may propose for vote before the General Assembly a set of detailed rules governing the performance of their functions. Decision on these rules is taken with a qualified majority. The rules must be in conformity with the law and these Statutes.
(2) The rules shall be approved, repealed or amended with a majority of 2/3 of the members present at the General Assembly of the ASSOCIATION.

Art.22 (1) The ASSOCIATION may terminate its existence when its members have declared their wish to do so or when its aims have become impossible to fulfill. The decision to terminate its activities is taken by the General Assembly with a majority of 2/3 of the members present. In this event a liquidation committee is appointed whose purpose is to finalize all the activities of the ASSOCIATION.
(2) Save for a decision of the General Assembly, the ASSOCIATION may terminate its activities pursuant to a decision of the Sofia City Court, company division, – under the procedure and in cases prescribed by the law.

Art.24. (1) Liquidation shall take place upon termination of the activities of the ASSOCIATION. Liquidation shall be carried out by the liquidation committee as required by Art.22 (1) of these Statutes. The names and the addresses of the members of the liquidation committee shall be registered in accordance with the legal procedures.
(2) The relevant provisions of the Law on Commerce shall be applicable with regard to the manner of liquidation and the powers of the liquidation committee.

Art.26. After distribution of the assets, the liquidation committee is obliged to apply at the Sofia City Court, company division, for deletion of the ASSOCIATION’s registration.