Finland

Name and Location
The name of the Finnish NPOC is Finnish Space Law Association (hereinafter referred to as the 'Association'). The Association is located in Rovaniemi.

Purpose
The purpose of the Association shall be:

• to promote, develop and maintain interest in space law;
• to promote research and training in the space law sector;
• to distribute information of the activities of the European Space Law Centre (ECSL) and to coordinate ECSL activities in Finland;
• and to maintain contact with the national and international organisations operating in the space sector.

Activities
In order to achieve its purpose, the Association shall:

• organise seminars, meetings and courses to study legal and scientific subjects in the space sector;
• collect and publish material with regard to space law
• and promote research and study in the space law sector with other similar means.

In order to promote its activities, the Association can receive donations and legacies, own real property necessary for the activities, and organise collections according to particular provisions.

Members
The members of the Association can be natural persons and organisations interested in space law studies or space sector in general. The members will be admitted by the Board on application.

The Board may also invite as honorary members people who have distinguished themselves in the space law or space sector or who have contributed to the activities of the Association. The member has the right to resign by informing the Board or the Chairman of the Board in writing or by oral announcement which should be written in the minutes of the Board.

Membership Fees
The members shall pay both a joining fee and an annual membership fee. The fees will be decided in the Annual Meeting of the Association. The Board may decide that the organisations pay a different fee. The honorary members shall pay no fee at all.

The Board
The activities of the Association will be administered by the Board of the Association. The Board comprises the Chairman, ordinary members (minimum 4, maximum 10) and two deputy members.

The person appointed as the Finnish National Point of Contact by ECSL shall always be a Member of the Board unless he (or she) refuses. He shall also act as the Chairman of the Board if he gives his consent and if he meets the qualifications set in the law. otherwise the Board will appoint the Chairman from among its members.

Other members of the Board shall be appointed by the Annual Meeting. The Board members shall hold office from the Annual Meeting where they have been appointed until the next Annual Meeting. The Board meeting will be convened by the Chairman or, when he is prevented, by the Vice-chairman whenever they deem it necessary or when at least two Board members insist on it.

The Board is quorate when at least half of its members - the Chairman and Vice-chairman included - are present. Decisions of the Board shall be taken by a simple majority. When the vote is even, the opinion which is supported by the Chairman wins. Elections, though, will be decided by drawing lots.

Representation
The Association shall be represented by the Chairman alone or by the Vice-chairman together with the Secretary or the Treasurer.

Auditors
The Annual Meeting shall appoint one Auditor and one Vice-auditor. The Auditors shall hold office from the Annual Meeting where they have been appointed until the next Annual Meeting.

Accounting Period and Auditing
The accounting period shall be one calendar year. Closing of the books with required documents and the annual report of the Board shall be given to the Auditor at least two weeks before the Annual Meeting. The Auditor shall give his written report to the Board at least seven days before the Annual Meeting.

Convening the Meetings
The Meetings of the members shall be convened by the Board. The invitations shall be sent to the members or shall be published in a newspaper issued in Rovaniemi at the earliest one month or at the latest seven days before the Meeting.

Meetings of Members
The Annual Meetings shall be held every year at the day decided by the Board before the end of March. The Meeting shall be held in Rovaniemi, unless the Board decides otherwise.

An extraordinary Meeting shall be convened if the Board decides so or if at least 1/10 of the Members of the Association demands a meeting to be held for a special issue. The Meeting shall be held within 30 days after the demand is made.

Each member of the Association shall have one vote at the meeting.

Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting shall take up the following issues:

If a member of the Association wants to take up an issue in the Annual Meeting he/she must inform the Board of the issue in good time before the Meeting.

Dissolution of the Association
In a case of dissolution of the Association the Meeting of the Association shall decide the way in which the assets of the Association shall be used for promoting activities connected closely to the purpose of the Association.