Council for Francophone Affairs of the Administrative District of Biel/Bienne (RFB) - Seat (GORFB)

The Council for French-speaking Affairs of the Administrative District of Biel/Bienne (RFB) is based in Biel (Art. 41 para. 1 SStG).

1. The RFB elects from among its members every two years a President, a Vice-President, and three or four additional members, all of whom together constitute the board.

2. The municipality of Leubringen is represented in the board by at least one member.

2a. The 17 German-speaking municipalities of the administrative district of Biel/Bienne are collectively represented in the board by at least one person.

3. The election of the board takes place before the end of June. Current members may be re-elected.

The outgoing President, with the support of the General Secretariat, is responsible for the preparation and execution of the election. He or she sets the date and location of the election and issues the election notice to the members of the RFB at least ten days in advance.

If the outgoing President is no longer a member of the RFB, the preparation and execution of the election falls to the eldest member.

The members of the RFB may propose candidates for the election.

1. The outgoing President or the eldest member shall preside until all the members of the Bureau are elected.

2. The RFB shall appoint two vote counters from among its members.

3. The elections shall be held in the following order: President, Vice-President, other members of the Bureau.

4. The elections shall take place in a single secret ballot.

5. The candidate who receives the most votes shall be elected. In the event of a tie, the election shall be decided by the chairperson drawing lots.

6. The RFB may conduct an open show of hands vote if the number of candidates does not exceed the number of positions to be filled.

7. An open show of hands vote requires an absolute majority of the RFB members.

1. The President

a) convenes the members of the RFB to the plenary sessions;

b) presides over the plenary sessions;

c) represents the RFB externally, unless this task falls to the Commission on Education, Health, and Social Affairs;

d) signs jointly with the Secretary-General in the name of the RFB;

e) heads the Secretariat of the RFB;

f) informs the public about the activities of the RFB, unless this task is assigned to another body of the RFB.

2. The Vice President assumes the role of representing the President, and the oldest member of the RFB assumes that of the Vice President.

1. **The Office**

a **\*** prepares all matters to be presented to the RFB and can make motions;

b **\*** sets the agenda and decides the dates of the plenary sessions;

c **\*** proposes to the RFB the composition of the Cultural Commission, the Education, Health and Social Affairs Commission, and the ad-hoc commissions;

d **\*** prepares the expenditure decisions for the RFB;

e **\*** ...

2. The Office is authorized to make decisions on behalf of the RFB,

a when there is urgency, and it seems impossible or disproportionate to convene an extraordinary plenary session;

b **\*** when it refrains from taking a position on a matter because it does not particularly concern the French-speaking population of the administrative district of Biel/Bienne;

c **\*** when the plenary or a commission transfers the proposal or decision-making authority to it;

d **\*** when dealing with matters related to the application of the Federal Law of October 5, 2007, on National Languages and Understanding between Linguistic Communities (Languages Act, SpG).

3. The decisions of the Office pursuant to paragraph 2 are communicated to the RFB.

4. The members of the Office who hold neither the presidency nor the vice-presidency determine the voting results in their capacity as vote counters.

1. Each member of the RFB has the right to

a. Submit motions on matters to be addressed by the RFB;

b. Request the RFB to address a matter of their choice;

c. Participate in votes and elections, propose amendments, and nominate candidates;

d. Request that a vote be taken on controversial questions.

2. RFB members are subject to official secrecy. Article 58, Paragraph 1 of the Personnel Act (PG) of September 16, 2004, and Article 43 of the Act of June 4, 2013, concerning the Grand Council (Grand Council Act, GRG) apply mutatis mutandis.

1. The RFB shall convene for a plenary session at least once every quarter upon the invitation of the President.

2. A convocation is also possible

a) at the request of a cantonal directorate, the State Chancellery, or a municipality of the Biel/Bienne administrative district,

b) at the request of at least two members.

3. The invitation shall be delivered at least one week prior to the meeting date, along with the agenda and the necessary documents.

4. The notice period for convening a plenary session may be shortened in urgent cases, particularly for extraordinary plenary sessions.

5. Every member is obligated to attend the RFB meetings. In case of inability to attend, the President or the General Secretariat must be informed.

1. The RFB can only validly deliberate on agenda items that have been scheduled or those that are added to the agenda at the beginning of the meeting due to time constraints.

2. It can resolve that a specific matter must be scheduled for the next plenary session.

1. The plenary sessions of the RFB are not public.

2. The Secretary General participates in the plenary sessions in an advisory capacity.

3. The President, or, by decision of the RFB, the bureau or a member of the RFB, informs the public in due time about the results of the discussions that are of general interest.

4. Paragraphs 1 to 3 apply mutatis mutandis to the meetings of the bureau.

5. ...

1. The RFB and the office may invite representatives of the cantonal administration or municipal administrations to their meetings, particularly when dealing with matters related to school coordination with Western Switzerland and the Canton of Jura.

2. They may also invite other persons whose expert opinion is required for the consideration of a matter.

3. The persons invited to the meetings pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2 shall have an advisory vote.

1. For the RFB Plenum to have a quorum, the presence of the majority of all council members is required.

2. All votes are conducted by a show of hands, unless the plenum decides on a secret ballot in an individual case.

3. Resolutions are passed by a majority of the votes cast (Art. 7 para. 1 SStG).

4. The president participates in the voting and casts the deciding vote in the event of a tie (Art. 38 para. 2 SStG).

1. The RFB forms from among its members the Culture Commission, which consists of three to five members.

2. The members and the president of the Culture Commission are appointed by the RFB.

3. The composition of the Culture Commission is valid for the duration of a legislative period. Vacancies are filled for the remainder of the legislative period.

4. The duties and powers of the Culture Commission are specified in separate regulations issued by the RFB.

5. The RFB bases its cultural activities on the cultural policy framework developed by the Culture Commission.

6. The Culture Commission may invite the president or other members of the RFB to participate in its meetings in an advisory capacity.

1. The RFB, in consultation with the municipalities of Biel and Leubringen, establishes a permanent commission to coordinate the actions of the RFB with regional institutions and bilingual municipalities.

2. This commission, which is a joint body between the RFB and these two municipalities, selects its name and tasks and organizes itself.

1. The RFB can form ad-hoc committees from among its members for the purpose of reviewing or preparing specific transactions.

2. The members and the president of the ad-hoc committees are appointed by the RFB.

3. The ad-hoc committees are considered dissolved once they have fulfilled the mandate assigned to them or at the latest at the end of a legislative period.

1. The RFB forms from its midst the Commission for Education, Health, and Social Affairs, which represents it in its inter-cantonal relations and deals with matters related to the areas of education, health, and social affairs.

2. The Commission for Education, Health, and Social Affairs is composed of three to five members and represents the RFB in inter-cantonal relations in accordance with Article 45 of the SStG and Articles 16 to 18 of the Ordinance of November 2, 2005, on the Special Statute of the Bernese Jura and on the French-speaking minority of the administrative district of Biel/Bienne (Special Statute Ordinance, SStV)[5].

3. The Commission for Education, Health, and Social Affairs may authorize its President to represent the RFB in its inter-cantonal relations on a case-by-case basis.

4. The provisions of Article 13, paragraphs 2 to 4, apply mutatis mutandis to this Commission.

5. The Commission for Education, Health, and Social Affairs may invite the President or other members of the RFB to participate in its meetings in an advisory capacity.

The RFB ensures that the political forces are adequately represented in the office, in the cultural commission, in the education, health, and social affairs commission, as well as in the ad-hoc commissions.

1. The provisions of Article 10 regarding the confidentiality of plenary sessions and the information to the public apply mutatis mutandis to the meetings of the Culture Committee, the Education, Health and Social Affairs Committee, the Institutions and Municipal Bilingualism Committee, as well as the ad hoc committees.

1. The provisions of Article 11 regarding the invitation of representatives from the cantonal administration or the municipal administrations or other individuals to the plenary sessions shall apply mutatis mutandis to the meetings of the Cultural Commission, the Commission for Education, Health, and Social Affairs, the Commission for Institutions and Municipal Bilingualism, as well as the ad-hoc commissions.

1. The provisions of Article 12, paragraphs 2 to 4, apply mutatis mutandis to the meetings of the Culture Commission, the Education, Health and Social Affairs Commission, as well as the ad-hoc commissions.

1. The plenary assembly, the bureau, the culture commission, the commission for education, health, and social affairs, as well as the ad-hoc commissions, may engage experts and specialists to examine certain matters, within the financial resources available in the budget of the state chancellery for the RFB.

2. The participation of experts and specialists in the meetings of the commissioning bodies is governed by Article 11.

1. Members of the RFB shall receive a meeting allowance amounting to

a) 200 Francs for a half-day meeting,

b) 300 Francs for a full-day meeting.

2. Meeting allowances are granted for participation in plenary sessions as well as in the meetings of the Bureau, the Cultural Commission, the Education, Health and Social Affairs Commission, and the Ad-hoc Commissions.

2a. Meeting allowances for participation in the meetings of the Institutions and Communal Bilingualism Commission will only be granted to those members who serve as representatives of the RFB on the Commission.

3. The President of the RFB as well as the Presidents of the Cultural Commission, the Education, Health and Social Affairs Commission, and the Ad-hoc Commissions shall receive a double meeting allowance. This also applies to the Vice Presidents who actually lead a meeting.

3a. The President of the Institutions and Communal Bilingualism Commission shall receive a double meeting allowance, provided that he or she serves as a representative of the RFB on the Commission. This also applies to the Vice President who actually leads a meeting.

The members of the RFB receive the same travel allowances as the members of the Grand Council.

1. The RFB can provide opinions on matters that are of particular importance for bilingualism and especially for the French-speaking population of the city of Biel, which are submitted to it by the Municipal Council or the City Council (political involvement).

According to Article 5 of the SStV, the municipalities of the administrative district of Biel/Bienne may assign additional tasks to the RFB against payment.

1. The Secretary General has the following duties

a. Support and advise the RFB, the President, the Bureau, the Cultural Commission, the Commission for Education, Health and Social Affairs, the Commission for Institutions and Municipal Bilingualism, as well as the ad-hoc commissions in handling their affairs;

b. Organize meetings and keep minutes for the Plenary, the Bureau, the Cultural Commission, the Commission for Education, Health and Social Affairs, the Commission for Institutions and Municipal Bilingualism, as well as the ad-hoc commissions;

c. Review all matters submitted to the RFB, conduct all necessary investigations, and prepare decisions in consultation with the Bureau and the Plenary;

d. Draft opinions provided in the context of political participation;

e. Together with the General Secretariat of the Bernese Jura Council (BJR) and in cooperation with the French-speaking Coordination Conference of the Directorate of Education (FRAKO), review matters concerning school coordination with Western Switzerland and the Canton of Jura;

f. Maintain relations and ensure cooperation of the RFB with the BJR, the Cantonal Administration, the municipal administrations of Biel and Leubringen, the Forum for Bilingualism, and other public or private organizations and associations;

g. Prepare the RFB annual activity report;

h. Organize media contacts, ensure they are informed according to the instructions of the responsible organ, and draft press releases;

i. Manage the operating budget, maintain the accounts of the RFB, and annually submit a draft budget to the State Chancellery;

k. Ensure operation and maintain the archives of the RFB;

l. Perform additional tasks assigned by the President, the Bureau, or the Plenary;

m. Annually submit a list of political goals to the RFB and ensure their monitoring and realization as far as possible;

n. Coordinate a permanent working group for networked support of bilingual and French vocational training in Biel;

o. Ensure regular contacts with the members of the Cantonal Parliament from the Biel/Bienne constituency (if possible and necessary before each parliamentary session);

p. As far as possible, support, advise, and strengthen the socio-cultural institutions and organizations of the Biel/Bienne administrative district regarding bilingualism and French-speaking affairs;

q. Ensure the organization of RFB elections at every legislative change, as well as supplementary elections;

r. Submit and represent funding applications under the Federal Languages Act (support for multilingual cantons);

s. Manage and assume responsibility for the RFB Fund according to the regulations and under the supervision of the RFB;

t. Represent the RFB in working groups, at events, and in project organizations.

1. The Secretary General is administratively affiliated with the Office for Bilingualism, Legislation, and Resources (OBLR) of the State Chancellery of the Canton of Bern. He or she is independent in the exercise of his or her functions, accountable only to the RFB and its President, and acts according to their instructions.

2. The periodic employee evaluation is conducted under the leadership of the Head of the Office for Bilingualism, Legislation, and Resources (OBLR) of the State Chancellery.

The relationships between the RFB and the BJR, as well as their cooperation, are established in a regulation jointly adopted by the two councils.

1. These rules of procedure shall enter into force on September 1, 2006.