Introduction

The purpose of this document is to define how EDF plans, manages and reports on its external representation in line with its statutes. External representation includes all initiatives where individuals represent EDF officially, by acting or speaking on behalf of EDF in public events or meetings and by speaking on behalf of EDF to the press and news media.

This document will guide the EDF Secretariat:

• when planning which events and meetings EDF should participate in, who should participate, and in what way,
• when taking media requests.

This document also defines who must attend and speak at internal and external meetings.

This document does not preclude that, at all times, the EDF Executive Committee is responsible for deciding on EDF’s external representation.

Internal EDF meetings

• Annual general assembly meetings are chaired by the EDF President. The President may be replaced by Vice-Presidents as needed. Speakers representing EDF will be selected on an as-needed basis and can include the Treasurer and the Secretary for statutory roles.
• Board meetings– are chaired by the President. The President may be replaced by the Vice Presidents as needed. They are attended by all elected Board members and by guests from National Councils not represented on the Board. Selected staff are in attendance for in-person and hybrid meetings. Staff are also welcome to attend all online Board meetings.
• Executive Committees are chaired by the President, with Executive Committee members attending. Guests may be invited on an ad-hoc basis. The Executive Director and Deputy Director are present to assist in running the meeting. The Management team may be present during the meeting, as well as staff members responsible for logistics. The Executive Committee may also meet ‘in camera’, without staff except the Executive Director, for confidential matters. Other staff members may attend for specific items they work on.
• Finance Committee attendance is restricted to selected members of this committee. The Executive Director – or a staff member delegated by the Executive Director – supports the Treasurer in managing the meeting, creating agendas and Minutes. The Executive Director and the Treasurer are responsible for the decisions related to inviting other staff and members to attend.
• Membership and Credential Committee attendance is restricted to the selected members of this Committee. The Membership Coordinator supports the Secretary General in managing the meeting, creating agendas and minutes. The Secretary General and the Membership Coordinator can invite or allow staff to attend.
• The Human Rights and Non-Discrimination Committee is made up of Board members who choose to be part of this committee. There is a chair and a substitute from the Executive Committee. The Senior Policy Coordinator, support the Chair in managing the meeting, creating agendas and Minutes.
• Social Policy and Inclusion committee is made up of Board members who choose to be in this committee. There is a chair and a substitute from the Executive Committee. The Social Policy Coordinator, as well as other staff members appointed by the Management team, support the Chair in managing the meeting, creating agendas and Minutes.
• Youth committee meeting includes all members of the youth committee. The Membership and Youth Coordinator, as well as other staff members appointed by the Management team, support the Chair in managing the meeting, creating agendas and minutes
• Women’s committee – meeting includes all members of the Women’s Committee. The Women’s Rights Officer, as well as other staff members appointed by the Management team, support the Chair in managing the meeting, creating agendas and minutes.
• European NGO meetings – these include representatives of EDF European members. The meetings are organised by the Membership Coordinator, closely supported by the Policy and Capacity Building team, and take place 3 times per year, online.

Any EDF staff member can be called upon by the Management team to support any of the internal meetings.

External meetings, events, and media requests

Principles for deciding if EDF should attend an external event or media request:

• Is the event or request related to EDF core objectives and current strategic framework? Is it linked to legislation, initiatives, or policies we work on, or as direct implications for persons with disabilities?
• Is this event/media request likely to build important relationships for my work or for EDF? (policy partners, allies, potential donors, potential members)
• Is the event in other ways useful, e.g. to mainstream disability issues to a wider or influential audience or to raise awareness on specific issues?
• Does EDF have an obligation or commitment towards the meeting?
• Did this media request/event come with enough advance notice for our proper preparation?
• Is the event accessible for persons with disabilities?
• Are the costs of the event budgeted for, or covered by the organisers (including reasonable accommodation for EDF speakers)?
• Is the organiser an EDF member or close partner?
• Is it environmentally responsible to travel to the meeting? Example: It is not appropriate to take a plane for a 15-minute presentation for a non-strategic meeting.
• Would there be a better-placed speaker from within our membership? For example, if the topic is a national concern- our national member, or if the topic concerns a specific disability group, our EU member.

These principles should be used to accept or decline the meeting, event or media request.

Who should speak, attend meetings or events, or answer media requests on behalf of EDF?

EDF receive requests very regularly to speak with media or at external events.

According to Article 24 of our Statutes, the Executive Committee is empowered to decide on the external representation of EDF.  Members of the Executive Committee primarily do external representation.

 The document ‘roles and responsibilities of the executive’ indicates the key external representation responsibilities of Executive Committee members, and nominates some focal points in the Board.However, there are some cases where external representation can be delegated to the Board or the Secretariat:

• when a Board member outside the Executive Committee is more suitable for a certain topic,
• when no Executive Committee member is available.
• In the case that specific technical expertise is needed, representation can be delegated to a member of the EDF Secretariat or Expert Groups who are not part of the Board.

Some external representation is delegated routinely to the EDF Secretariat, such as representation in technical bodies or technical meetings in Brussels. This is either decided during an Executive Committee meeting and recorded, or in direct consultation with the President when required by time constraints.

Meetings where an Executive Committee member must be present, where possible, include:

• All meetings with Commissioners, Presidents of EU Institutions, or Political groups, and Ministers at national level.
• Political level interventions and meetings with European Commission counterparts at the level of Director or higher (Director, Director-General). Meetings with Heads of Unit can be taken by the EDF Executive Director, Deputy Director, or other Management Team members, along with the responsible EDF staff member, but it may include Executive Committee members for specific files, issues and meetings of strategic importance.
• European Parliament: meetings with a rapporteur on a key piece of legislation for EDF, for example, the Equal Treatment Directive. General meetings with MEPs can be taken by the Executive Director, Deputy Director or the staff member working on the relevant file[1].
• Disability Intergroup meetings and annual meeting with the Disability Intergroup bureau.
• Council ministerial meetings and EU Presidencies events.
• COSP is attended by the EDF President and supported by the Executive Director and/or Deputy Director and/or Senior Policy Coordinator. Other staff and Executive members may be involved according to the programme and resources available.
• CRPD Monitoring Framework: EDF Deputy Director
• European Development Days and European Humanitarian Forum (an Executive Committee Member is supported by the international cooperation team).
• For issues pertaining to Youth, representatives from the Youth committee will represent EDF, where possible.
• For issues related to Women’s Rights and Gender equality, representatives from the Women’s Committee will represent EDF where possible.

Secretariat staff will represent EDF at:

• Technical meetings in the EU institutions
• Meetings with technical bodies

Meetings at the Secretariat level of networks and agencies

• Meetings where other participants are not at the Political/elected representative level.

EDF staff should be attending in a supporting capacity to all meetings where the Executive Committee is representing the Forum, unless otherwise agreed with the relevant Executive Committee Member.

Media requests

Requests for interviews should be assigned to the Executive Committee member assigned as a focal point for the specific topic.

If the area of work is not assigned, the EDF Communications Manager will gauge the urgency of the request:

• Non-urgent requests will be assigned to the EDF President or sent to the Executive Committee for decision.
• Urgent requests may be taken by the Executive Director, the Deputy Director, or other staff member.
• This decision will be taken jointly by the Deputy Director and the Communications Manager.

In specific cases – where attribution to a specific person might bring negative consequences such as harassment – the Deputy Director and the Communications Manager may decide to attribute the comment to an unnamed EDF spokesperson.

For issues pertaining to Youth, representatives from the Youth committee will represent EDF.

For issues related to Women’s Rights and Gender equality, representatives from the Women’s Committee will represent EDF.

Preparation for the meetings

While the EDF Executive Committee represents the whole of the association in their meetings, it is the responsibility of the Secretariat to prepare, including speaking points when needed, and ensure that EDF gives a comprehensive input, including perspectives of the full diversity of persons with disabilities.

In case EDF should be represented but the staff responsible is unavailable (due to prior commitments or workload), the following procedure can be taken:

• Discuss with your line manager and/or the relevant member of the Management team to identify potential replacements.
• Discuss during weekly team meeting possible replacements.

Representation towards the Belgian authorities, UN and EU institutions for administrative purposes

For official purposes, EDF is represented in Belgium by Yannis Vardakastanis, and the delegates to the General Assembly of 2020 decided to delegate this representation to the EDF Executive Director.

The EU Transparency register is updated by the Executive Director, who can delegate it to another member of the secretariat.

The EDF passes for the European Parliament by the Executive Director, who can delegate it to another member of the secretariat.

Planning and monitoring

All of EDF’s key external meetings and events are kept in one Word document managed by the Secretariat. This is used to report to the Board and for planning of future work.

Our monitoring sheet is used for the annual monitoring and collects information on our advocacy meetings, sponsorship, high level meetings, etc.

EDF staff ensure that the meeting is well planned, with briefings on time, and that each meeting is reported on accurately.

The EDF Director also communicates in the Monday Board e-mails on key external representation.

Reimbursement/ speaker fees

If EDF staff speak on behalf of EDF, then speaker fees go directly to EDF bank account.

If speaker fees are available to the Executive Committee or Board member, or other EDF representative, they may receive those fees directly.