Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How is ALTE constituted?

ALTE is an International Non Governmental Organisation (INGO). The Council of Europe granted ALTE INGO Participatory Status in November, 2003. Participatory status may be granted by the Council of Europe to INGOs which are particularly representative in the
field(s) of their competence, fields of action shared by the Council of Europe; which are represented at European level, that is to say which have members in a significant number of countries throughout greater Europe; which are able, through their work, to support the achievement of that closer unity mentioned in Article 1 of the Council of Europe's Statute; are capable of contributing to and participating actively in Council of Europe deliberations and activities, and may be invited to provide, through their specific activity or experience, expert advice on Council of Europe policies, programmes and actions.

In addition, ALTE was granted Special Consultative NGO Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations in 2006.

ALTE was originally constituted as an EEIG - European Economic Interest Grouping -
under European Law and this has determined certain aspects of the way it works as a grouping. ALTE was set up, like other EEIGs, to create a new legal entity based on EU law to facilitate and encourage cross-border co-operation.

When setting up the association in 1991/2, it was found to be difficult for some potential members to enter into associations under foreign rules or jurisdictions and so the use of new procedures under European law was thought appropriate. At that time (1992) the ALTE EEIG was one of the first to be established in the education sector.

An EEIG may be set up in any one of the EU Member States, and operate in any part of the EU. It can also enter into arrangements with organisations outside the EU, although these organisations cannot themselves become members of an EEIG. ALTE's rules on membership eligibility derive from this restriction:

Full membership of the association is only open to organisations from member countries of the European Union and European Economic Area.
ALTE also admits Associate Members as well as Affiliates (from outside the EU), the main difference being that the Associate Members and Affiliates do not have voting rights within the formal arrangements of the EEIG.

The use of the word "economic" in the title of the grouping can be misleading. The ALTE EEIG is not a commercial organisation and does not have commercial gain as the group's objective. In fact, in the regulations for establishing an EEIG it is made clear that an EEIG itself cannot be formed with the object of making a profit. In EEIGs where non-profit making organisations are involved, their contribution is generally seen in terms of "the services and skills they can provide".

EEIGs, like ALTE, can rightly be regarded as "interest groupings" which carry out particular activities for the benefit of the members (which are quite separate from the Members' own "businesses").

Alternatively, ALTE might be seen as a "consortium", since an EEIG must comprise at least two members from two different Member States who remain economically and legally independent throughout their co-operation.

In the regulations the concept of 'economic activity' can be interpreted very widely and examples of universities or research institutes are given as potential participants in an EEIG. In the case of ALTE, the member institutions are all publicly-funded organisations, such as ministry departments, cultural institutions, universities, and research institutes, or other not-for-profit organisations with charitable status. Although several large examination boards are members, these all have charitable status and there are no "corporations" within ALTE (see list of Members and their status).

Members of an EEIG decide how the EEIG will be run and each member has at least one vote in formal procedures. The members are required to appoint a "Manager" who runs the EEIG and to make normal daily decisions. The members determine the limits of the Manager's powers, as well as deciding where the Secretariat should be based. In the case of ALTE, the selection of Manager and the location of the Secretariat are both decided through a vote taken by Members every three years. In addition to the Manager and Secretariat, there are several sub-committees, which oversee decisions in a number of areas (e.g. related to finance, membership etc.). All major decisions are taken by the membership during formal business meetings, which are held twice a year.

The activities of ALTE are funded by the Members through an annual subscription (2000 euros for Full Members and 1000 euros for Associate Members). See membership information.

The annual subscription is used to fund the work of the Secretariat, to organise the meetings and conferences and to support the work of the sub-groups.

[Back to FAQs]