Overview
Role
The European Blind Union is a non-governmental, non profit-making European organisation founded in 1984. One of the six regional bodies of the World Blind Union, it is the only organisation representing the interests of blind and partially-sighted people in Europe.
EBU aims to protect and promote the interests of all blind and partially-sighted people in Europe. Its objects and powers are set out in Article II of its Constitution. EBU currently has 42 member countries, each represented by a national delegation. Its work is directed by an Executive Board of 13 elected members who are accountable to a General Assembly held every four years.
The Central Office of EBU is based in Paris. It is responsible for communication within EBU and for information to the general public. It produces a monthly Members Newsletter in English, and a thematic Focus Newsletter.
EBU provides a European platform for its membership to share views, expertise and information and to act together on matters of common interest.
The Annual Report looks in detail at the work carried out in the previous year.
Structure
General Assembly
Each EBU member organisation is represented by a national delegation that participates in the EBU General Assembly held every four years.
The General Assembly of Members is EBU's supreme governing body. Some functions carried out at the General Assembly meetings include election of the board of officers, approval of constitutional amendments, (financial) reports on work carried out in the past mandate, strategic plans for the next four years.
The founding Assemblies of EBU and WBU were held in Norway, in August of 1984. Since then, another ten General Assemblies have taken place every three, and later every four years.
The last general assembly was hosted by the Portuguese Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted (ACAPO) in Lisbon, Portugal, from 11-14 February 2024.
Resolutions passed at all EBU General Assemblies (pdf file)
Executive body
The EBU is led by a board consisting of 5 officers (President, first and second vice presidents, treasurer and secretary general) and up to 8 ordinary members. They are elected by the EBU membership at the General Assembly for the period of four years. Board members are accountable to the General Assembly. All board members are blind or partially sighted.
The Board usually holds 3 to 4 face-to-face meetings a year. Detailed information about its composition, voting procedure, powers and functions can be found in the EBU Constitution.
Project groups
The implementation of the EBU strategic plan is entrusted to project groups led by EBU national members and is monitored by the Board.
EBU Central Office
The EBU Central Office is based in Paris, France. It supports the Board and project groups in their work and is a central contact point for information to the EBU membership, partners, external parties and the general public.
EBU is a registered charity in France W751105073
Guiding Documents
EBU Constitution
The EBU Constitution is the governing instrument of EBU.
Strategic plan
The key priorities and initiatives are articulated in the EBU Strategic Plan for the four year working period.
Action Plan
Discussed and approved by the EBU Board at its meeting held on 11 February 2023 in Helsinki, the Action Plan 2023 sets out actions to be conducted in 2023 to implement the Strategic Orientation Plan.
Anti-harassment and Gender Equality
- EBU Gender Equality Committee / Working Group Action Plan.
- The EBU Anti-harassment Policy was presented and unanimously approved by the EBU Board during its online meeting on June 20, 2020
UNCRPD
The United Nations Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities is an important instrument in EBU work, take a look at our database on the application of the convention in different countries.
Financial Resources
Our Finances in 2023
Summary of developments and key figures in 2023:
As in previous years, the CERV programme by the European Commission (606568,05 Euro) as well as the membership fees paid by our national members (243945 Euro), constituted the main sources of income for EBU. In addition, three EC-funded projects that are now finished (PASCAL, UPOWERWAD and PARVIS) contributed 132000 Euro to our income in 2023. The total amount of income equals 920777 Euro.
As for the expenditures, they amounted to 770960 Euro in 2023. Main positions making up this total sum remain the salaries and related social charges for our staff (432966 Euro). Other running costs such as the office rental, various maintenance services, fees to buy external support services for accounting and HR support, just to give few examples, also contributed to our expenditures in 2023. Worth mentioning that a contribution of 30000 Euro was given to the host of our 12th General Assembly. Moreover, we continued our support to the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities in Ukraine with an amount of 40000 Euro.
Conclusions:
As this quick overview of key figures shows, EBU had a very good financial year in 2023. Finally, I would like to take the opportunity to thank our national members for paying their membership fee with a great deal of discipline. This remains, next to the European Commission funding, a key source of income for EBU, allowing us to have a very healthy financial situation.
The EBU Solidarity Fund.
The statutes of the new European Blind Union Solidarity Fund were approved by the EBU Board at its meeting in Paris on 29 October 2016.
This fund is intended to provide a mechanism for organisations of blind and partially sighted people to seek support/relief if they experience financial difficulties in, among others, paying their membership fees, developing projects, organising or participating in meetings.
For full details on the EBU Solidarity Fund and how to apply for assistance contact the EBU office