​Legal setup

Plantlife International (PIWC), a non-government organisational legal entity, started in 2000 the implementing of  the programme of Planta Europa and the co-ordinating of its activities.
PIWC retained legal responsibility for the activities undertaken by the Secretariat and had registered (trademarked) and controlled the name 'Planta Europa',
In 2007 Plantlife International announced not to be able to continue the activities of the Planta Europa Secretariat

From 2009 the Planta Europa Foundation, legal registrated in the Hague, The Netherlands, takes over the activities of the Planta Europa Secretariat.

From 1 January 2014 the Swedish Species Information Centre hosts the PE Secretariat. The financial aspects and bankaccount will still continued by the Planta Europa Foundation in the Netherlands.


Functions of the Planta Europa Steering Committee

The Steering Committee oversees the implementation of the Planta Europa Network's projects and resolutions. It works closely with the Secretariat and has overall responsibility for organising the Network's conferences.
It fixes levels and structure of any membership fees, within principles agreed at conferences. Financial commitments can only be made within the operating budgets agreed with the Secretariat.
The Steering Committee will propose candidates for the positions of President and Chair of the Planta Europa Network, who will be elected by the Network members at the conference.



​Meetings of the Steering Committee

Observers and advisers to the Steering Committee may attend at the invitation of the Chair. Those working for the Secretariat will also attend as requested by the Chair.
Steering Committee members will be responsible for their own expenses, although assistance will be given by the Secretariat on possible funding sources where appropriate. The Steering Committee will normally meet once a year.
The Network will hold full conferences no more than once every three years, to which all member organisations will be invited.
Voting at the conference will be on the basis of one vote per member organisation, normally by show of hands. Where requested, a secret ballot may be used.



​Election of the Steering Committee

Before the member organisations will be able to nominate Steering Committee members to a Nomination Committee, all nominations should be supported by five signatures from Conference delegates, and also by a short statement of the nominee's background, and interest in the work of Planta Europa.
The Nomination Committee will recommend new members to the Conference participants which will be asked to endorse the new Committee. The number of Steering Committee members should be determined by the level of activity of the Network.
At a minimum, this should consist of a Chair, Vice Chair, plus two members each from:
• central & eastern Europe
• western Europe
• northern Europe
• southern Europe



​Network operating principles

The Network should:
• be built on what already exists, especially existing organisations and networks
• be task oriented with minimum bureaucracy
• form a genuine partnership within the spirit of these guidelines
• include a fair geographical representation wherever possible
Specific tasks to be implemented by network members will be determined by Planta Europa resolutions passed at the conferences.
In general these should result in:
• a set of commonly agreed tasks designed to build the capacity of the Network to achieve its mission
• promotion of plant conservation at a European level.