Article 8

• The work of the EL organs has to be performed openly and transparently, its documents are to be published. The EL documents and materials are supplied to all member parties and political organisations.
• For the concrete mode of work of all bodies as well as regulations concerning the decision-making process rules of procedures have to be worked out and to be adopted by these organs on proposal of the council of chairpersons.
• Respecting the values of gender democracy the share of women in all organs (except the Council of Chairpersons) must be 50%.
• Being a pluralistic association, proceedings of the EL have to be chosen that guarantee the rights of different sensitivities.

Article 18

• The Executive Board carries out the decisions on the basis and orientations of the Congress and in accordance with the Council of Chairpersons
• It determines the political guidelines of the EL between the Congresses. It proposes, plans and convenes political initiatives, for the EL, convenes conferences or thematic meetings. It sets up permanent or ad-hoc working groups, whose responsible staff are chosen by, and whose tasks are fixed by the Board.
• The Executive Board convenes the Congress, fixes the proposals for time-table and venue, and suggests the standing orders and agenda.

The Executive Board is also authorised to name ad-hoc working groups etc. on special political issues and questions in accordance with the plan of action established by the Congress in accordance with the Council of Chairpersons.

1. The meetings are chaired by the chairman or the treasurer. In case none of both is able to participate in the meeting, one of the board's members is elected by the Executive Board to chair the meeting.

2. The meetings are attended by the elected members of board and the head of secretariat (without right of vote). The meetings are not public. The Executive Board can invite guests or call in staff members.

3. Representatives of parties with the status of an EL-observer or those parties, which have requested or are requesting for an EL-observer-status, can participate in the meetings of the Executive Board with the right to speak.

4. The Executive Board has a quorum, if a majority of it's elected members attend the meeting.

5. Decisions are made unanimously by the attending elected Executive Board members in an open vote. Decisions concerning personnel issues are voted by secret ballot at the request of one of the board members.

6. All Executive Board members as well as invited guests and called-in staff members have the right to speak. The order of speakers results from the order their requests to speak in compliance with the gender quotation. At the beginning of a meeting the Executive Board can decide about a limit in speaking time for each agenda item.

7. Only Executive Board members can do requests to the rules of procedure. The word is granted immediately. Before the decision about requests concerning the rules of procedure a pro and contra speaker is given the word.

8. The Executive Board decides about a working schedule for the time till the first congress, which contains key aspects of the political tasks, the dates of meetings and its main political contents as well as the party responsible for invitation and realisation of the respective Executive Board's meetings. The working schedule will be released on the internet. If politically necessary, the meeting schedule can be changed by a majority of the elected members of the Executive Board. 9. The agenda for each meeting is proposed by the respective inviting party in co-ordination with the EL-chairman. The agenda is agreed by the Executive Board in consensus of the attending elected members of the board.

10. A protocol is made about each meeting; in charge is the party being responsible for invitation and realisation of the meeting. On request the voting has to be logged by name. The protocols are released on the internet.

11. Every member of the board has the right to release press statements in his name. Statements to the press of the whole board have to be agreed by the board.

12. These rules of procedure become effective by decision of the EL Executive Board on 10 July, 2004.