Who Can Become EGARA-Member?
EGARA is founded in 1991 as the European umbrella association for the actual 17 national associations of automotive recyclers in Europe. As such, EGARA represents the professional, environment-conscious automotive recyclers in Europe. Our mission is to facilitate and develop the economic activities of European Automotive Recyclers, to stimulate the development of environmentally justified working methods for the companies, to stimulate product and material reuse.
The primary business of the members is to sell quality second-hand automotive parts. In order to obtain these, we have to dismantle cars, ELVs and damaged cars. When dismantling, we ensure the protection of the environment from hazardous 'elements' present in the vehicle and follow the strict rules of operation required for environmental protection.
As a European umbrella association we, of course, work together with relevant European organizations. During the development of the EU-directive on End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV’s), EGARA has provided input to the directive, both at the Commission level and at Parliament level, as well as having discussions and meetings with other European Trade Associations in the Automotive sector, e.g. car-producers, producers of components and parts, recycling industries etc. Therefore EGARA is the only European association truly representing Automotive Recyclers. EGARA is the only recognized European Car Recycling Association in all Member-Countries and it has therefore very good relations to the different official institutions.
Who can become EGARA-Member?
We incorporate only one national and representative Car-Recycler-Association per country in our group. Private companies and commercial organizations and/or associations cannot be included. EGARA has created a transparent procedure for integration of new members. It is up to EGARA to decide who can become member. There is no right to be incorporated in EGARA.
Independency
The independency of the interested recycling-organisation must be proved. Members, Sponsors and Supporters from industry, government or others may be a reason to a refusal of a new member due to interest conflicts. The judgement of such a subjective and possibly negative influence for EGARA-Issues is a matter of EGARA-Board and must not be explained to third parties. It is never the meaning to discriminate anybody but independency is one of our main power. It is a fact, that our interest can only be represented by a homogeneous structure. Mixed groups cannot fulfil their duty, due to different interests. Of course we are always ready to cooperate and to collaborate with third parties in order to solve environmental and other problems.
Actionplan
EGARA-Board resolves every year an action plan with the estimated activities for the following year.
Attendance at meetings
EGARA-Meetings: All member-countries are encouraged to participate at all EGARA-Board-Meetings. Each country should in minimum send one representative who participates the meeting in English language.
Other Meetings: The Executive-Committee decides on participation in European issues. EGARA-Board decides on participation on international events, always anticipating cost-benefit analysis.
Decisions
Only EGARA-Board has the power to decide fundamental issues like integration of new members or signing contracts. The Executive-Committee can decide about daily business and proposals. Passed resolutions by EGARA-Board are binding for EGARA-members.
Voting
Each country one vote (one fee=one vote). Rules for voting are written down in our statutes. Statutes are only available for members.
Executive Committee
The ExCo consist of the chairman and of four other members of the EGARA-Board, elected by the EGARA-Board. This committee has to organise the daily business of EGARA.
Secretariat at STIBA-Office
EGARA has the registered office in the Netherlands at STIBA-Office (the Dutch auto-recycler-association). It makes sense to have also the entry point for all administrative work of EGARA in this place
Information material
EGARA restricts print media to very few exceptions like the brochure of Standards for selling green parts etc. EGARA-Members are free to create print media or films etc. for their own country.
Public Relation
It is not EGARA’s duty to make public relations for their members. EGARA provides
European authorities and the car industry, as well as third parties with the necessary information. All EGARA-Members are invited to provide their own country with the necessary information themselves always with respect to confidential issues.
Procurement of information
As well known Association in the car-recycling industry EGARA gets normally the necessary news, due to their living contacts to other parties. Naturally we are glad to receive important information from our members and their countries. Our members are invited to inform the ExCo even in the beginning of coming problems in order to react as soon as possible.
Web-page:
Our homepage is our visiting card for the general public. An interested person should find the main information about our activities and the links to the country-organisations.
Newsflash:
In minimum one newsflash per year should be placed in our web-page, to show to the general public, what we care about.
On our agenda in our web-page are all important events mentioned for our organization.
Financing:
Annual fee:
This is the main source of money for our association
Others:
As an European organization EGARA participates in different projects, accepted by the EGARA-Board, where contributions come from for cooperation and for active work in commissions and groups.
Sponsoring or subsidization:
This kind of financing is only possible when accepted by the EGARA-Board and when there is no fear of dependence.
Targets:
As forseen in the ELV-Directive we fully support the target and the order of the recycling ladder:
- Prevention
- Reuse
- Recycling
- Energy-Recovery
- Landfill
Reuse is the most effective Recycling you ever can reach. Without spoiling further resources and energy we can deliver fitting and checked spare parts. Dismantled in harmony with nature and with respect to safety is this a valuable contribution to the environment and the economy. As recycling spare part is still an original spare part, and when safely removed, checked, labelled and proper stored, no danger for the consumers.
To prove our competence in quality, EGARA decided long time ago to create Standards for the safe reuse of quality recycling spare parts. EGARA-Members and the members in their country-organizations have to implement certification-systems, monitored by independent third parties (incorporated in existing national certification systems).
Conflicts:
Every interest group has also their antagonists. So do we some times with the producing and supplying industry and the steel-industry as well as with consultant organizations.
Each sold reused recycling spare part prevents the production and the sale of a new or remanufactured spare part, and keeps a car longer on the road that doesn’t need to be replaced with a new car.
A Recycling spare part is still an original spare part, - but much cheaper.
There is no harm with reused spare parts, when safely removed, checked, labelled and proper stored and mounted properly.