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Membership Rules

Last Updated 03 June 2026

Membership Rules

  1. Euro Clean Oceans Association is the legal owner of the trade association known as ECOA and is a not for profit organisation. It is a registered association at the Rotterdam Chamber of Commerce (KVK).
  2. The Board of ECOA will be comprised of up to 7 (seven) members, comprised of 3 Executive Directors, plus the Executive Director, who shall meet monthly, and 3 Non Executive Directors , and any Observers appointed by the Board, who will attend a quarterly Meeting and all be representative of the oil spill and marine pollution industries. Both the Executive and Non Executive Directors require to be paid up Corporate/Start up Members.
  3. One Executive Director shall be appointed as an Officer, the Chairman of the Association, a second director may be appointed as an Officer, as the Co or Vice-Chairman.
  4. The Association is managed and operated on a day to day basis by the Executive Director, who reports to the Board.
  5. The Board of ECOA will represent the balance of the membership. A quorum will be 3 (three) Directors, all decisions will be on a majority vote with the Chairman having a casting vote in the event of a tie.
  6. Members of the Board will be elected by eligible Corporate members of the Association, at an Annual or Extraordinary Members Meeting of the Association. (An eligible Corporate member is defined in rules 8 and 9). Other member grades will not be eligible to vote. A Board member must be an eligible Corporate member of the Association and have a fully paid-up subscription. A Corporate member must be nominated and seconded for election to the Board by two other eligible Corporate members. A Board member will serve for up to 3 years. If a member wishes to seek a further period as a Director, then at least 1 year must elapse after standing down before seeking nomination again.
  7. A Chairman and a Vice-Chairman will be elected by the Board of ECOA, and which decision requires approval by the eligible Membership at an Annual or Extraordinary Members Meeting. Both may hold office for a period of 2 years, which may be in addition to the period in which they have already served as a Director. The Vice-Chairman will in the absence of the Chairman, chair meetings of the Board and the Association.
  8. Membership Categories – Membership of the Association is available in four categories, i) Corporate, ii) Start up for new businesses, iii) Associate for Non-Corporate/ Government Agencies, iv) Individual.
  9. Membership of any level is only valid on payment of Annual Fees for the current membership year, beginning on October 1st of each year. Membership Fees will be set annually by the Board. If membership fees are unpaid after 4 months from the beginning of the membership year, a member shall be removed from the membership list. Corporate and Start up Members are required to have a registered office listed officially in the country of residence, and normally within the European geographic area“Defining Europe By Geography
    It stretches from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Mediterranean Sea in the south, and from the Atlantic Ocean in the West to the Ural Mountains in the east.”
  10. Membership rightsi) Corporate Membership of ECOA gives full voting rights and full access to all facilities and benefits offered by the Association, on payment of fees set annually by the Board. Corporate members will be offered public listing on the association website, with an entry to describe the company and a URL link to their website, and full promotion of the company within any directory and in any other place by ECOA. Corporate membership does not imply any qualification or accreditation of the company, nor does it provide any accreditation on individuals or their business.ii) Start up Membership gives full membership to new companies with an upper limit of t/o of €1 million pwer annum.iii) Associate Membership offers benefits, reflecting interest by the organisation, company or government agency in the oil spill/marine pollution industry. Associate members can attend all meetings and will be publicly listed in the web site and directory with an entry to describe the company/organisation and a URL link to their website. Associate members do not have voting rights, and it does not imply any qualification or accreditation of the company, nor does it provide any accreditation on individuals or their business.iv) Individual Membership is intended to offer those with a personal interest in the industry, eg those individuals from the industry or other industry sectors wishing to keep up to date with information, or students, an opportunity to join the Association, principally for contact with other Members at meetings. An Individual Member may have ONLY his name NOT that of his employer or company listed on the website, contact details will be held by ECOA and any enquiry passed on to the member by ECOA.
  11. Member Meetings/Events – The Association will meet or hold events approximately 3 times a year, including an Annual Meeting, at which elections may be held. At least one Non-Executive and the Association Executive Director will attend each meeting or event.
  12. Rule Changes – The Rules of the Association may be amended by a majority vote at the Annual or at an Extraordinary meeting, provided any change approved by the Board is proposed by and seconded by eligible Corporate members of the Association.
  13. Association Management – The Board will appoint an Executive Director to manage the Association, reporting to the Board of the Association, and to the membership at the Annual Members Meeting. The Executive Director will be engaged on a contract, the terms approved by the Board. The Executive Director and the Board will work within a set of financial authorities approved by the Board.

By following these Membership Rules, every member helps maintain a professional, responsible and collaborative association. These Membership Rules support fairness, protect ECOA’s reputation and ensure all members understand the standards expected throughout their membership.

Telephone: +33 (0)681056625
Email: info@eurocleanoceans.org