MINUTES OF THE 2015 FEPA CONGRESS
Minutes of the 2015 FEPA Congress, Athens, November 15th 2015
1. Welcome. FEPA President José Ramón Moreno opened the Congress and asked a minute of silence to express condolence with French people after terrible events in Paris in last days. Then welcomed all participants and gave the word to Mr Pantelis Leoussis, President of the Hellenic Philatelic Federation, which hosted the Congress. Mr Leoussis welcomed all participants and wished them a good and successful work. He further, speaking in French, expressed on behalf of the Greek philatelists their sympathy to the French colleagues for the Paris events and noted that Philately is building bridges and unite people. Mr Moreno expressed thanks to Mr Leoussisfor his kind hospitality.
The FEPA President expressed his gratitude to Mr. Pantelis Leoussis
The Congress continued following the Agenda.
2. Roll Call and choice of tellers
3. Minutes of the 2014 Congress in Lugano
4. Reports of the Board members
5. Financial Statements 2014
6. Budget 2015
7. Report of the Auditor
8. Regulations for Electronic Literature
9. Proposal for a new FEPA recognised class in Europe: Picture PostcardsRegulations
10. Proposal for the amendment of FEPA Statutes Article 10.4, removing the compulsory
automatic expulsion.
11. Possibility for the Open Philately exhibits of receiving the same medals and of the same
category of all other exhibits at FEPA and FIP levels.
12. Changes in the FIP Statutes
13. Changes in the General Regulations of the FIP for Exhibitions (G R E X)
14. FEPA Exhibitions
-Review of the 2015 FEPA events and those planned for the next years.
-Costas Chazapis : The experience of NOTOS. Proposition for a modern approach in
organising international exhibitions.
-Request for FEPA Support and Recognition from Members Federations
15. FEPA News Magazine
16. Fepanews.com
17. Next FEPA Congress
18. Any other matters
2.Roll Call. The Secretary Bojan Bračič made the roll call as follows:
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ALBANIA
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Thimjo Nika
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ITALY
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Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi
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AUSTRIA
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Fredi Kunz
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LATVIA
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Not present
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BELARUS
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Not present
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LIECHTENSTEIN
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Proxy to Austria
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BELGIUM
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Eddy Van Vaeck
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LUXEMBOURG
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Joss Wolf
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BULGARIA
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Spas Panchev
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MONACO
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Proxy to Italy
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CROATIA
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Dino Murič
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MONTENEGRO
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Tomo Katurić
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CYPRUS
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Nicos Rangos
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NETHERLANDS
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Jan Cees van Duin
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CZECH REPUBLIC
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Vit Vanicek
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NORWAY
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Tore Berg
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DENMARK
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Søren Chr. Jensen
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POLAND
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Proxy to Greece
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EGYPT
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Sherif Samra
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PORTUGAL
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Pedro Vaz Pereira
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ESTONIA
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Not present
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ROMANIA
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Leonard Pascanu
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FINLAND
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Ari Muhonen
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RUSSIA
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Proxy to UK
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FRANCE
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Claude Desarmenien
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SERBIA
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Aleksandar Boričić
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GERMANY
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Uwe Decker
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SLOVENIA
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Peter Suhadolc
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UNITED KINGDOM
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Chris King
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SPAIN
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Rafael Acuna Castillo
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GREECE
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Pandelis Leoussis
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SWEDEN
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Proxy to Norway
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HUNGARY
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Proxy to Slovenia
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SWITZERLAND
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Jvo Bader
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ICELAND
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Proxy to Denmark
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TURKEY
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Ziya Agaogullari
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IRELAND
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Not present
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UKRAINE
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Not present
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ISRAEL
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Moti Kremener
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There were 34 delegates present out of 43, an attendance of 79 %. Consequently all decisions adopted by the Congress were valid.
The Federations which had not paid their membership fee for 2015, are not shown on the list.
3. Minutes of the 2014 Congress in Lugano. As the minutes of the 2014 FEPA Congress in Lugano had been sent to all National Federations, President José Ramón Moreno asked the delegates for comments or questions. The minutes were confirmed unanimously.
4. Reports from the Board members. As the reports had been sent to the National Federations previously, no presentation was needed. Delegates had no comments to documents.
5. Financial Statements 2014 and 6. Budget 2015. Mr Moreno gave thanks to Mr Kunz for his exceptional and very transparent work as the FEPA Treasurer. Then he explained some of the major figures in income and expenses side of financial statements, specially raise of some expenses and appointed that FEPA covered costs only for the flights to the annual board meeting and the congress, all other travelling costs to events, where FEPA board members represent FEPA, are on their own.
The Balance of the FEPA accounts have significantly increased since the present Board begins. The FEPA President expressed that the main task of the Board is to help its member federations in developing Philately and not to have more money at the Bank, but just a sufficient reserve in accordance to our modest economy. So, he presented the motion from the FEPA Board accepted after the suggestion of Nicos Rangos. The fees for the FEPA Patronage will be reduced by 50 % to those exhibitions where the frame fee will be 30 euros or less. The motion was accepted unanimously.
Mr Moti Kremener told that FEPA should think what will be done for promoting philately among youngsters. Mr Moreno agreed with this and answered that FEPA is doing on the problem and mentioned as example young Mr Dino Murić who was present as Croatian delegate. Mr Murić is President of the Club of Young Philatelists Trakošćan which organized philatelic schools for youngsters every year in last ten years period. Every year this school has about 200 participants. Other examples of excellent initiatives of our members in this field can be seen in our website and the “Youth Corner” section of our Magazine. Anyway, he agreed to Mr Kremener in the importance of this work and that the Board will not feel satisfied enough.
7. Report of the Auditor. The Auditor report showed that the Treasurer’s work was correct. The FEPA accounts showed exactly the real situation of the FEPA finances. Both documents were approved unanimously.
8. Regulations for Electronic Literature. Mr Giancarlo Morolliwho has prepared the document is not present because of family health problems, so we were not able to discuss it. All FEPA members will receive mentioned document by electronic way in following days.
9. Proposal for a new FEPA recognised class in Europe: Picture Postcards. Mrs Birthe King explained the intention of the new class and the regulations made for it. The fact is that in many FEPA Countries this class already exists in national and regional exhibitions. With accepting this class by the FEPA exhibitors will get a universal principles how to build exhibits from picture postcards and will be able to exhibit in different countries and international exhibitions under the same circumstances. Revision of regulations accepted today will be reviewed in 2018 after three years of practising them. Regulations will valid for all exhibitions under FEPA patronage, support or recognition granted after the acceptation of these regulations.
Mr Virvilis asked how many exhibitions with this new class included are expected in next three years.
Mrs Birthe King and Mr Moreno answered that we can expect about 15 to 20 of such exhibition mainly on national and regional level but also on European level.
Mr Vaz Pereira thanks to the FEPA for this new class which was already expected in Portugal and they will apply the regulations on their exhibitions immediately.
Mr Ambrus mentioned that that picture postcards exhibits can interrupt and fall down philately because exhibits from picture postcards are easily to create and material is cheaper. Mr Muhonen, Mrs King, Mr Suhadolc, Mr Vaz Pereira and few others did not agree with this as for good Picture Postcard exhibits, exhibitor must study material, create a good story etc. and good picture postcards aren’t cheap material. Mr Kunz and Mr Bonev point out that picture postcards are easy for understand for non-specialist as some traditional exhibits from traditional philately and postal history and attract visitors to philatelic exhibitions.
Mr Samra mentioned that FEPA must attract philately but picture postcards are not the philately.
The proposed Regulations and Guidelines for Picture Postcard Exhibition Class were accepted unanimously.
10.Proposal for the amendment of FEPA Statutes Article 10.4, removing the compulsory automatic expulsion. Mr Moreno explained the motion from the FEPA Board. After discussion which Mr Leoussis, Mr Vaz Pereira, Mr Samra and Mr Virvilis took place proposal with additional words “by the FEPA Congress” went on voting. Results were: 27 confirmed the proposal, 6 were against the proposal and 1 abstention.
Mr Kunz, the FEPA treasurer requested all those who are unable to pay membership fee in time to inform him about problem, only to know the situation.
11. Possibility for the Open Philately exhibits of receiving the same medals and of the same category of all other exhibits at FEPA and FIP levels. Mr Moreno explained the problem and intention of the FIP board not to increase the number of FIP Commissions. In this moment the FIP Board gave the opportunity to the Open Philately exhibitors to receive the same status and the same medals as exhibitors in other competitive classes. For that they must enter in one of FIP Commissions; FIP board proposed this would be the Commission for Thematic Philately.
Costas Chazapis and Eddy van Vaeck were against this proposal. Mr Virvilis mentioned that all FIP members should demand from the FIP board to establish Commission for Open Philately. Mr Vaz Pereira and Mr King supported the idea, Mr Jimenez explained that Open Philately will reach equal status with other classes through commission already existed. Mrs King clear up that after adopting Open Philately the new commission will be Commission for Thematic Philately and Open Philately so everything will be clear.
Voting results: 29 yes, 1 against, 4 abstention.
12., 13. Changes in the FIP Statutes and Changes in the General Regulations of the FIP for Exhibitions (GREX). The proposal from the FIP Board for changing these documents came only a few days before the FEPA Congress. Mr Moreno suggested that all FEPA members should have enough time for study mentioned motions and give their suggestions after that. All comments and suggestion from national federations, associations or unions should be send to the FEPA board before March 16th 2016 as the latest. The FEPA board will make a summary from all received comments. The final comments will be discussed in the next FEPA Congress.
Mr Vaz Pereira warned that Europe has minority in the FIP Board who wants to take over more and more influence so all should examine all suggested changes very carefully and give their comments.
14. FEPA Exhibitions. Mr Moreno congratulated to all organizers who prepared successful philatelic events in 2015. Then he listed the philatelic exhibitions in 2016 to which FEPA already granted support or recognition:
Lubrapex, Viana do Castelo, Portugal, April 27th to 30th 2016. FEPA Support.
Balkanfila 2016, Tirana, Albania, May 5th to 9th 2016. FEPA Recognition
Gmunden 2016, Gmunden, Austria from the 25th to the 29th of August 2016. FEPA Recognition
After presentations by separate delegates from Members Federations the FEPA Recognition was granted also to the following exhibitions:
3rd Continental Philatelic Exhibition 2016, Cairo, Egypt, December 31st 2015 to January 6th 2016, as requested by Mr Sherif Samra.
Nordia 2016, Finland, April 8th to 10th 2016, as requested by Mr Ari Muhonen.
Eurospace 2016, Prague, Czech Republic, April 12th to 17th 2016, as requested by Mr VitVanicek.
Rossica 2016, Berlin, Germany, May 18th to 21st 2016, as requested by Mr Uwe Decker.
Exfilna 2016, Zaragoza, Spain, September 14th to 18th as requested by Mr Rafael Acuña Castillo.
MrAri Muhonen gave information about progress in preparing Finlandia 2017. At the exhibition will participate 46 countries and 40 commissioners are already appointed.
Mr Costas Chazapis gave explanations about some new approach in organising international exhibitions, which they got through organising NOTOS 2015. Exhibitions should be friendly to exhibitors that means low frame fee. This can be reached with cutting some costs as medals, catalogues in paper form, entry forms by e-mail etc.
Mr Panchev motioned that our aim should be exhibition on European level, regional bi- and three-lateral. In 2018 Sophia will be Capital of Sports and in 2019 Plovdiv will be European Capital of Culture. Union of Bulgarian Philatelists will organize exhibitions on mentioned occasions.
Mr Crevato-Selvaggi praised the NOTOS 2015 Exhibition as exhibition without paper. He offered software from Italia 2010, which can help organizers of philatelic exhibitions.
15. FEPA News Magazine. Mr Moreno appealed to all delegates that FEPA News magazine needs support in advertisements. One full colour page format A4 cost only 500 € what can be of great interest for national posts.
Next number will issue in January 2016. Articles from FEPA members about their activities are welcome and should be send to editor by December 15th 2015 at the latest. Intention to published articles (reservation of space) must be communicate with editor as soon as possible.
16. Fepanews.com. FEPA website is continually updates all time thanking to webmaster Ari Muhonen. Even if the daily work is done by Mr Moreno, posting the news, Mr Muhonen solves all possible problems and updates the other sections. But we need the information about all philatelic events from FEPA members and the data for the calendar of events.
17. Next FEPA Congress. The Congress unanimously decided to grant the FEPA Congress 2016 to the Portuguese Federation. It will be in Viana do Castelo on April 30th 2016 during the Exhibition LUBRAPEX 2016, which gets FEPA Support. This allows that the decisions of the FEPA Congress which may imply motions, candidacies or other requests to the FIP Congress could be presented in due time as the deadline is the May 26th 2016, 5 month earlier than the FIP Congress which will take place in Taipei on October 26th 2016.
Mr. Anthony Virvilis receiving the FEPA Medal for Exceptional Service to Philately
18. Any other matters. Mr Crevato-Selvaggi expressed an idea to invite into FEPA other European Philatelic Federations which are still not FEPA members. Mr Rangos will talk about this matter with philatelists from Malta.
The FEPA President Mr Moreno presented the FEPA medal for 2014 to Mr Tony Virvilis and the FEPA Certificate of Appreciation for the Club of Philatelists, Collectors of Specialized Fields, 00-15 Praha, Czech Republic to Mr Vit Vaniček.
Before the end of the Congress, Mr Moreno asked a minute of silence to express honour to Mr Francis Kiddle who passed away last month.
Bojan Bračič ,
FEPA Secretary
Photos by Sergey Rodin
