Membership rules
1 §
Name and domicile of the Chamber of Commerce
The Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce acts as a chamber of commerce in the area of operation determined by the Central Chamber of Commerce of Finland, and is domiciled in Helsinki.
2§
Duties of the Chamber of Commerce
In order to fulfil its duties, the Chamber of Commerce:
- promotes business operating conditions, entrepreneurship, healthy competition, internationalisation and the market economy in its area of operation;
- attends to common business interests in its area of operation, also promoting co-operation between the business sector and authorities;
- submits initiatives on the above issues and gives statements to authorities on issues concerning the business sector;
- carries out communication, publication, advice, training and research activities to promote entrepreneurship.
Public duties of the Chamber of Commerce:
- confirming foreign trade documents where such duty has been prescribed by way of legislation.
The Chamber of Commerce may also perform other public duties as prescribed.
3 §
Membership of the Chamber of Commerce
Members of the Chamber of Commerce may be any of the following:
- an incorporated society or foundation exercising commercial activities
- a private entrepreneur
- a registered association or incorporated society promoting commercial activities
- a municipality
The Chamber of Commerce may accept private persons as individual members. On the Board of Directors’ proposal, a person who has gained special merit in chamber of commerce activities may be made an honorary member of the Chamber of Commerce at its meeting.
Acceptance as a member of the Chamber of Commerce is decided by the Board of Directors. A member of the Chamber of Commerce may resign by notifying the Board of Directors or Chair in writing or by having his/her resignation entered in the minutes of the Chamber of Commerce’s meeting.
The Board of Directors may dismiss a member if he/she is noted to have acted in a manner that significantly undermines the operations of the Chamber of Commerce or the Central Chamber of Commerce.
Each member is obliged to pay the annual membership fee to the Chamber of Commerce. A resigning member must also pay his/her membership fee for the year of resignation. The amount of membership fees is decided by the Chamber of Commerce’s autumn meeting. The membership fee for societies or foundations exercising commercial activities and for private entrepreneurs is determined on the basis of their turnover or number of employees or a combination of these. The membership fee is specified separately for each association or society promoting commercial activities, for each municipality and for each individual member. No membership fee is collected from honorary members. The membership fee must also be paid for the year in which the member has joined the Chamber of Commerce unless otherwise decided by the Board of Directors. If the membership fee has not been paid by the end of the year, the Board of Directors shall dismiss the member from the Chamber of Commerce. Each member is annually obliged to provide the Chamber of Commerce with the information necessary for specifying the membership fee.
4 §
Administration of the Chamber of Commerce
The power of decision of the Chamber of Commerce is exercised at the meetings of the Chamber of Commerce and its Delegation. Affairs of the Chamber of Commerce are managed by the Board of Directors and the Managing Director with the assistance of the Office of the Chamber of Commerce. The Delegation may issue more specific orders on the arrangement of the Chamber of Commerce’s operations in the rules and regulations.
The Delegation may appoint committees for preparing and handling issues and establish Regional Boards and Chamber of Commerce Units to deal with local issues. The Regional Boards and Chamber of Commerce Units are not registered associations.
If, according to an arbitration agreement or another order, the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce or one of its bodies must appoint an arbitrator or arbitrators to resolve a business dispute, this duty shall be performed by the Arbitration Board of the Central Chamber of Commerce on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce.
5 §
Meetings of the Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber of Commerce’s meetings include the spring meeting and the autumn meeting. The meetings are held on dates specified by the Board of Directors, the spring meeting by the end of May and the autumn meeting by the end of December.
Spring meeting agenda:
1) presenting the financial statement, annual report and auditors’ statement;
2) deciding on confirming the financial statement and discharging the Board of Directors and other persons responsible from liability;
3) electing members for the Chamber of Commerce’s Delegation to replace those who resigned after the autumn meeting, unless already elected by an extraordinary meeting of the Chamber of Commerce;
4) handling other matters mentioned in the meeting invitation.
Autumn meeting agenda:
1) confirming the action plan, budget and membership fees for the coming year;
2) electing the Chair and three Vice Chairs for the Chamber of Commerce;
3) deciding on the number of members in the Chamber of Commerce’s Delegation and electing members for the Delegation;
4) electing the Chamber of Commerce’s representatives for the Central Chamber of Commerce’s Delegation for the next calendar year;
5) electing two auditors and two deputy auditors for the next calendar year, these must be auditors approved by the Chamber of Commerce or the Central Chamber of Commerce;
6) handling other matters mentioned in the meeting invitation.
An extraordinary meeting shall be held when decided by the Chamber of Commerce’s meeting or deemed necessary by the Board of Directors, or when at least one tenth of the Chamber of Commerce’s members entitled to vote demand this from the Board of Directors for a reason specified in writing. The meeting must be held within 30 days of the date on which the demand was presented to the Board of Directors.
Individual members and honorary members of the Chamber of Commerce have the right to participate in and speak at the Chamber of Commerce’s meetings. The Chamber of Commerce’s meetings are chaired by the Chair or, if he/she is unable to attend, a Vice Chair.
An invitation to the Chamber of Commerce’s meeting must be delivered to members in writing at least seven days before the meeting.
Minutes of the Chamber of Commerce’s meetings shall be signed by the Chair and secretary of the meeting and inspected by two persons appointed for the task.
Each member as specified in Section 3, Subsection 1 of this document has one vote at the Chamber of Commerce’s meetings. In matters of opinion, the decision of the Chamber of Commerce’s meeting shall be the opinion that is supported by more than half of the votes given, unless otherwise specified in these rules.
Those elected in elections shall be the persons receiving the most votes; however, if only one person is elected, more than half of the votes given is required. When the votes are even, the Chair has the casting vote in matters of opinion, and elections are determined by lot. If deciding on the transfer of the majority of the Chamber of Commerce’s assets, the decision shall be the opinion that is supported by two-thirds of the votes given. If the Board of Directors or General Meeting of the Chamber of Commerce so decides, the General Meeting may also be attended by post or by means of telecommunication or other technical means during or before the meeting.
6 §
Delegation
The Delegation of the Chamber of Commerce consists of the Chair, Vice Chairs and at least 40 and at most 146 members.
Members for the Delegation are elected at the Chamber of Commerce’s meeting for three calendar years. Onethird of the members of the Delegation shall resign at the end of each year, each in their turn. If a member of the Delegation resigns during the term, a new member may be elected for the remaining part of the term.
An invitation to the Delegation’s meeting must be delivered to each member in writing at least seven days before the meeting. If the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce so decides, the General Meeting may also be attended by post or by means of telecommunication or other technical means during or before the meeting.
Duties of the Delegation:
1) deciding on the number of members in the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce and electing members other than the Chair and Vice Chairs;
2) appointing committees for preparing issues;
3) preparing the Chamber of Commerce’s action plan and budget;
4) deciding on matters proposed by the Board of Directors;
5) providing the Board of Directors with instructions in extensive and important issues.
Each member has one vote at the Delegation’s meetings. In matters of opinion, the decision of the Delegation’s meeting shall be the opinion that is supported by more than half of the votes given. Those elected in elections shall be the persons receiving the most votes. When the votes are even, the Chair has the casting vote in matters of opinion, and elections are determined by lot.
The ordinary meeting of the Delegation, which deals with items 1 and 2 on the Delegation’s list of duties, is held annually in January on the date specified by the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce. Item 3 on the Delegation’s list of duties is dealt with annually at a meeting of the Delegation held right before the Chamber of Commerce’s autumn meeting.
7 §
Board of Directors
The operations of the Chamber of Commerce are led by the Board of Directors, which takes care of the Chamber of Commerce’s administration and the appropriate management of its operations. The Board of Directors is chaired by the Chair of the Chamber of Commerce and vice-chaired by the Vice Chairs, and has at least five and at most 16 members. The one-year term of each Board member ends at the end of the Delegation’s January meeting following the election. An invitation to the Board of Directors’ meeting must be delivered to members in writing at least seven days before the meeting. The Board of Directors has a quorum when at least one-third of its members are present, one of whom is the Chair or a Vice Chair. At meetings of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce, the decision shall be the opinion that is supported by more than half of the votes given. When the votes are even, the Chair has the casting vote in matters of opinion, and elections are determined by lot. The minutes of the Board of Directors’ meeting are inspected by the Chair.
8 §
Managing Director
The Chamber of Commerce has a Managing Director responsible for performance of the Chamber of Commerce’s duties in accordance with the instructions and orders of the Board of Directors.
The Managing Director is elected by the Board of Directors. The election of the Managing Director must be confirmed by the Delegation.
9 §
Authorised signatories for the Chamber of Commerce
The authorised signatories for the Chamber of Commerce are the Chair, Vice Chair and Managing Director, each of them separately.
10 §
Financial statement and audit report
The Chamber of Commerce’s financial year is the calendar year. The financial statement must be submitted to the auditors by the end of March the following year. The auditors must provide the Board of Directors with the audit report by the end of April. The Board of Directors shall present the financial statement and audit report to the Delegation which, after approving the financial statement, shall submit it to the spring meeting for confirmation.
11 §
Changing the rules
The decision to change the rules must be made at the Chamber of Commerce’s meeting by two-thirds of the votes given. The intention to change the rules must be mentioned in the invitation to the meeting.
12 §
Closing down and winding up the Chamber of Commerce
The winding up of the Chamber of Commerce must be decided at two consecutive meetings of the Chamber of Commerce, one of which must be an ordinary meeting. The winding up must be decided at the latter meeting by two-thirds of the votes given.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry may cancel the Chamber of Commerce’s license if it does not meet the requirements specified in Section 3 of the Chamber of Commerce Act.
If the Chamber of Commerce is closed down or wound up, its assets must be spent on a purpose close to the Chamber of Commerce’s operations as decided by its last meeting.
13 §
Associations Act
Unless otherwise specified in the Chamber of Commerce Act, the Chamber of Commerce’s operations shall be governed by the Associations Act.
14 §
Entry into force
These rules shall replace the earlier rules of the Helsinki Chamber of Commerce. The rules shall enter into force after being registered in the Finnish Patent and Registration Office’s Register of Associations.