[members-discuss] Input from Membership on RIPE NCC Charging Scheme Model

Dear Colleagues,

The RIPE NCC Executive Board asks that the membership consider the
charging scheme model that the RIPE NCC currently uses.

The current "one LIR-one fee" charging scheme was first used for the
RIPE NCC Charging Scheme 2013. This scheme was introduced following the
formation of a Charging Scheme Task Force in 2011, a discussion of the
issue on the Members Discuss mailing list, and the presentation of three
types of charging schemes for the members to vote on at the September
2012 General Meeting (GM).

The three types of charging scheme presented to the members in 2012 can
be seen at:
https://www.ripe.net/participate/meetings/gm/meetings/september-2012/documents/options-for-ripe-ncc-charging-scheme-2013

Since the approval of the "one LIR-one fee" charging scheme, annual fees
per LIR have reduced from EUR 1,800 per annum to 1,400 per annum. Since
2015, members can also vote to approve the redistribution to the members
of any surplus accumulated by the RIPE NCC in a year.

The Executive Board believes that the current charging scheme model
still meets the three broad criteria that the Charging Scheme Task Force
recommended for the RIPE NCC Charging Scheme:

- The Charging Scheme model that is decided upon should be applicable
for several years.
- There should be stable fees per member.
- A small number of members should not pay most of the membership fees.

However, the Executive Board recognises that the membership has grown
considerably since the current charging scheme model was introduced and
that some members now feel that the current model is not a equitable way
to pay for the RIPE NCC's activities. This is evident from emails the
board has received, from comments received in the RIPE NCC Survey 2016,
and from discussions among the members on RIPE working group mailing lists.

The Executive Board therefore proposes to discuss this issue at the
upcoming GM. We ask that prior to the GM the membership discusses this
issue on <members-discuss at ripe.net>, keeping the discussion focused on
whether or not the "one LIR-one fee" model is the best model for RIPE
NCC charging schemes and, if not, what the alternative should be.

The Board has been contacted with a question regarding how a member
could propose a topic to be voted on at a General Meeting. I would like
to confirm that the board is always open to proposals regarding agenda
items for the General Meeting. For the full background on how the agenda
for a RIPE NCC General Meeting is set, please refer to articles 15.3 -
15.6 of the Articles of Association; as provided at the end of this email.

Finally, I encourage all members to register to participate in the
upcoming GM to ensure that the decisions reached reflect the overall
wishes of the membership as far as possible. All details about the GM,
including how to register, are available at:
https://www.ripe.net/participate/meetings/gm/meetings/october-2016

Best regards

Nigel Titley
RIPE NCC Executive Board Chairman

RIPE NCC Articles of Association
https://www.ripe.net/publications/docs/ripe-602

===

15.3 The agenda for the Annual Meeting shall include the following subjects:
a. the adoption of the Financial Report;
b. the discharge of the Executive Board with regard to its actions as
they appear from the Annual Report;
c. the filling of any vacancies in the Executive Board.

15.4 The following subjects shall be placed on the agenda for the Annual
Meeting or on the agenda for another General Meeting to be held in the
same calendar year:
a. a discussion of the draft Activity Plan and draft budget after a
presentation by the Executive Board;
b. the adoption of the Charging Scheme with respect to the coming
financial year upon proposal of the Executive Board;
c. a discussion of the policy and the quality of services (to be)
rendered by the Association.

15.5 If applicable, the agenda for the Annual Meeting or another General
Meeting shall also include the following subjects:
a. the extension of the period within which the Executive Board shall
submit the Annual Report (as referred to in paragraph 14.2), which shall
also constitute an extension of the period within which the Annual
Meeting - at which the Annual
Report is to be submitted - shall be held;
b. the filling of any vacancies in the Executive Board;
upon proposal by the Executive Board: adoption of amendments to the
Standard Service Agreement;
c. upon proposal by the Executive Board: approval of new arbiters and/or
dismissal of current arbiters and/or adoption of amendments to the
arbitration procedure;
e. other proposals and/or discussion points put forward by the Executive
Board or (a group of) Members of the Association (pursuant to paragraph
15.6) and announced in the convocation for the Meeting.

15.6 On the written application of a group of Members who are jointly
entitled to cast at least two percent (2%) of the total number of
possible votes, other subjects will be added to the agenda. Such an
application, accompanied by the verbatim text of the resolutions
proposed by the said Members, shall have to be sent to the Executive
Board at least two weeks before the Meeting.
The Executive Board shall immediately send the verbatim text of the
resolutions proposed by the said Members to all the Members of the
Association.