Internal functioning of producer organisations and inter-branch organisations
Article 17
The internal functioning of producer organisations and inter-branch organisations referred to in Articles 14 and 16 shall be based on the following principles: (a) compliance by its members with the rules adopted by the organisation in terms of fisheries exploitation, production and marketing; (b) non-discrimination among members, particularly on grounds of nationality or place of establishment; (c) the levying of a financial contribution from its members in order to finance the organisation; (d) a democratic functioning that enables the members to scrutinise their organisation and its decisions; (e) the imposition of effective, dissuasive and proportionate penalties for infringement of obligations laid down in the internal rules of the organisation concerned, particularly in the case of –non payment of financial contributions; (f) the definition of rules on the admission of new members and the withdrawal of membership; (g) the definition of the accounting and budgetary rules necessary for the management of the organisation.