CHAPTER 1 - NAME, PURPOSE
1.1. These Rules have been drawn up on the basis of the Statute of the Association of Artist Photographers of Romania, established by Decision no. 116/A/2007 of the Oradea Court of First Instance and by the General Assemblies of the Associate Members, and their purpose is to regulate the activity of the association, both in terms of its internal organisation and in terms of the association’s relations with its members and with third parties or organisations.
1.2. Hereinafter the abbreviation AAFR is used to refer to the Association of Artist Photographers of Romania.
1.3. AAFR is the legal successor of the Association of Artist Photographers, founded under Order no. 1657 of 28 November 1956 of the Ministry of Culture and Civil Judgment no. 7409, delivered by the People’s Court of the I.V. Stalin District, Bucharest, on 30 November 1957, on the basis of the Protocol concluded on 25 June 2007 with the Board of Directors of the present Association (an association with legal personality).
1.4. AAFR, as a national body established under Law no. 246 of 18.07.2005 (published in the Official Gazette no. 656 of 25.07.2005, approving Government Ordinance no. 26/2000, in accordance with Art. 4), is a legal entity formed by 3 artist photographers (founding members) who, by mutual agreement, have pooled and will continue to pool their material contribution, their knowledge and their work in order to carry out specific activities of general, non-patrimonial interest.
According to Art. 1(2) of Government Ordinance no. 26 of 30.01.2000, AAFR is a legal person governed by private law, with no patrimonial purpose.
AAFR is a cultural organisation of public renown, registered with OSIM (the State Office for Inventions and Trademarks) under number M 2011 06881. AAFR’s basic structures are its members, with whom it will be in direct contact, providing them with and receiving from them the information the members need for the proper conduct of activities in the field of art photography. This information will concern:
a.- national and international salons;
b.- the defence of the legal interests of AAFR members;
c.- the training and promotion of new talent;
d.- the organisation of creative camps initiated by AAFR or by partner organisations;
e.- the organisation of the International Salons of Photographic Art of Romania;
1.5. AAFR patronage is an honour, not a right. No appeal may be made against the decisions taken. The granting of AAFR patronage is approved by the President of AAFR.
1.6. Where patronage has been withdrawn, it may be granted again only after a new, complete application file has been submitted that provides guarantees that the future event will be properly organised.
1.7. AAFR will grant patronage to national and international salons of photographic art, to personal or group exhibitions and to other photographic events, at the request of the organisations, photo clubs or persons organising these events.
1.8. The written application for patronage (according to Annex 1) shall be sent to AAFR by post or by e-mail, as a PDF or scanned document, at least 2 weeks before the first date in the calendar of the salon concerned.
1.9. The cost of the medals will be communicated by AAFR by 31 December for the following year.
1.10. AAFR patronage is granted free of charge to all AAFR members and to those partner organisations in which at least 3 AAFR members are active.
1.11. The organisers of salons under AAFR patronage are required to include in the salon rules the patronage number granted, placed under the AAFR logo, as well as the composition of the jury, which they may change only with the consent of the President of AAFR.
1.12. The jury shall consist of at least three members, of whom 1 member must be on the list of persons approved by AAFR, named in Annex 2A. Where the salon organisers prefer a larger jury, two thirds of the jury must be approved by AAFR.
1.13. AAFR members are free to form photo clubs, circles, photographic groups or other forms of organisation. For direct cooperation with cultural organisations, they may conclude partnership protocols with AAFR.
1.14. AAFR will support, through various specific means, the activities of partner organisations operating in universities, unions, associations, photo clubs or photographic groups, with or without legal personality.
1.15. Members shall keep in contact with AAFR through:
a) the AAFR website: www.aafro.ro, which is the official communication interface,
b) the e-mail address of the President of AAFR: eugen.negrea@aafro.ro
c) the postal address:
Asociația Artiștilor Fotografi din România, str Dr. Turnescu nr. 6, sector 5, Bucuresti 050467
1.16. AAFR decides whether or not to affiliate with international organisations by decision of the Board of Directors. The decisions and the results of the affiliation will be communicated to its members.
1.17. The AAFR logo may be displayed in public (exhibition halls, printed matter, mass media, websites etc.), in accordance with Articles 36 and 37 of Law no. 84/1998, only with the consent of AAFR.
1.18. Displaying the official AAFR logo without the organisation’s consent constitutes a contravention and is sanctioned according to the law, and the natural or legal person involved shall be obliged to remove it immediately. Failure to remove a logo for which there is no approval from the AAFR Board of Directors constitutes an offence, for which the persons involved will be brought before the courts.
1.19. The activity of AAFR is financially supported by its members through the payment of an annual fee. The contribution is 150 lei per year and is paid in the first half of each year into the AAFR account: RO19BACX0000000162112001, opened with UniCredit Bank. Alternatively, the annual fee may be paid via PayPal, in the amount of 30 euros, to info@siaf.ro
1.20. The activity of AAFR may also be financially supported through donations. The donation contract can be downloaded from the AAFR website. Donations of books, documentary photographs, magazines or catalogues are welcome, to enlarge the book collection kept in the AAFR archive.
CHAPTER 2 - MEMBERS, RIGHTS, DUTIES
2.1. Any natural person, regardless of nationality, sex, age, political or religious affiliation, who acknowledges, respects and applies these Rules of Organisation and Functioning of AAFR may become a member of AAFR.
Registration is made exclusively on the AAFR website, in the “Registration” section.
AAFR membership is obtained after payment of the registration fee. Artist photographers from other countries who acknowledge, respect and apply the Rules of the Association, published on the AAFR website, may also become AAFR members.
2.2. AAFR members may be:
a.- Associate Members
b.- Beginner Members
c.- Members
d.- Honorary Members
a.- Associate Members are the founding members of AAFR and also form the Board of Directors. They lead AAFR in its relations with its members and with domestic and international bodies, for the proper conduct of photographic activities on the territory of the country and for the participation of AAFR members in photographic activities abroad.
b.- Any photographer who acknowledges, respects and applies the AAFR Rules, in accordance with Art. 2.1 of Chapter 2, may become a Beginner Member. Once their application is approved, the beginner member will receive an AAFR Member card and will enjoy all the rights arising from this status.
c.- Any beginner member who, within 2 years, can prove participation in at least 2 national or international salons under AAFR or FIAP patronage, with at least 4 accepted works, may become a Member. The application for promotion to AAFR Member status is sent to the e-mail address of the President of AAFR.
d.- The status of Honorary Member (Hon.AAFR) is obtained as a result of outstanding activity at local or national level in support of, and in the organisation and promotion of, art photography in Romania and around the world. The title of Honorary Member is a recognition, not an obligation, and is granted in appreciation of artistic merit.
e.- AAFR distinctions are awarded twice a year by the President of AAFR.
2.3. AAFR may award various distinctions to its members, provided they hold at least the status of AAFR Member. The following distinctions may be obtained for artistic merit: Art.AAFR, E.AAFR or M.AAFR. The Honor AAFR distinction is awarded to persons who have rendered outstanding services to the Association and, implicitly, to Romanian photographic art.
2.3.1 a.- Artist AAFR (Art.AAFR) is awarded to members who have at least 40 works accepted in national salons under AAFR patronage and international salons under FIAP patronage, or if at least three personal or group exhibitions of their work have been organised under AAFR patronage. The 40 accepted works must include at least 10 different titles, in at least 10 national or international salons or competitions recognised by AAFR.
b.- Excellence AAFR (E.AAFR) is awarded to members who hold at least the A.FIAP or Art.AAFR distinction and have at least 250 works accepted in national salons or competitions under AAFR patronage or international ones under FIAP patronage, or if at least five personal exhibitions of their work have been organised under AAFR patronage. The 250 accepted works must include at least 30 different titles, in at least 30 national or international salons recognised by AAFR.
c.- Master AAFR (M.AAFR) is awarded to members who hold at least the E.FIAP/g distinction. The candidate will submit a portfolio of 20 photographs, coherent and unitary in theme and form, in digital format or printed in a standard format, together with a CV. The portfolio will be sent to the President of AAFR, who will present it to the Board of Directors. The Board will decide, by an absolute majority of votes, whether to admit or reject the application. If the application is rejected, the Board of Directors will give reasons for its decision. The decision of the Board of Directors cannot be appealed. The candidate may apply again with a different portfolio. Applications are examined once a year.
d. - Members who have obtained the Art.AAFR, E.AAFR or M.AAFR distinction will receive a badge and a diploma certifying these titles.
2.3.2 a.- The Honor AAFR distinction cannot be applied for. It is a recognition, not an obligation, and is granted in appreciation of direct support given to the Association. In awarding this distinction, the AAFR Board of Directors considers:
I. - prominent personalities from various fields of activity who support AAFR;
II. - people of art and culture who promote Romanian photographic art abroad;
III.- personalities from banking or business who consistently sponsor the activity of AAFR;
b. Applications for AAFR distinctions are sent by e-mail to the President of AAFR twice a year, by 1 May or by 1 October.
2.4. AAFR members have the following rights:
a.- To take part in the activities organised by AAFR, to be informed about them and to benefit from the free access or facilities specified for each of the activities announced;
b.- To be supported by AAFR (as far as possible) in the activities they organise, through free specialist advice and through the direct presence of members of the Board of Directors, when requested;
c.- Members of the Association may receive accreditation and authorisation to represent AAFR in the domestic and international activities in which they ask to take part; requests must be made in good time and addressed to the Board of Directors for approval;
d.- All members may receive AAFR distinctions, under the conditions of these Rules;
e.- AAFR members may benefit from free use of one of the halls that AAFR can make available in various towns in the country and abroad, if they wish to organise personal exhibitions
2.5. AAFR members have the following duties:
a.- to pay the annual fee
b.- to acknowledge, respect and apply the AAFR Rules and the decisions of the Board of Directors;
c.- to support AAFR, within their personal means, in carrying out the actions undertaken both nationally and internationally;
d.- to show exemplary moral conduct; to show respect and mutual support towards AAFR and its members;
e.- to act only in the spirit and in the interest of the Association, in all circumstances;
f.- to contribute to discovering, promoting and training young talent in the field of photographic art, to bring them closer to AAFR by involving them in the local, national and international photographic movement, and to recommend their admission as beginner members;
g.- to contribute to the promotion of photographic art nationally and internationally, in the spirit of the provisions of the AAFR Rules;
h.- not to undertake actions contrary to the Rules of Organisation and Functioning of AAFR or to AAFR members; not to denigrate, or take part in actions that would in any way affect, the prestige and image of the Association or of AAFR members.
2.6. AAFR membership is lost under the following conditions:
a.- on request;
b.- if, within 3 years, the member does not take part in any international or national exhibition or salon organised by AAFR.
c.- if the member does not pay the annual fee for 2 consecutive years;
d.- as a sanction, for serious actions directed against the interests of AAFR and its members.
2.7. The loss of AAFR membership is decided by the Board of Directors.
CHAPTER 3 - MANAGEMENT OF AAFR
3.1. The governing body of AAFR is the Board of Directors. It analyses and decides how to resolve all matters related to the activity of AAFR. It keeps in permanent contact with AAFR members, informing them in good time of the domestic and international activities to come. The Board of Directors maintains contact with partner organisations and with international organisations in the field, as well as with other national bodies, organisations and associations from other countries with which AAFR has cooperative relations.
The composition of the Board of Directors is as follows:
I. - President: Eugen Negrea E.FIAP/g
II.- Vice-President – Csaba Balasi MFIAP, FIAP Liaison Officer.
III.- Secretary General: Naghy Ludovic E.FIAP/d3
Decisions of the Board of Directors are taken by simple majority vote.
CHAPTER 4 - DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSOCIATION
4.1. AAFR may be dissolved by Decision of the General Assembly of Associate Members, by Court Decision, and AAFR members shall be informed within 30 calendar days of the date of the decision.
4.2. The assets and funds existing at the date of dissolution will be transferred to the successor organisation or organisations in accordance with Art. 57, Chapter IX of Ordinance no. 26/2000, as amended by Law 246/2005 (effective 28.07.2005).
4.3. The Board of Directors is obliged to announce the dissolution of the association to the national and international organisations with which AAFR has established cooperative relations.
4.4. The handover and transfer, both to the administrator and to the legal successor, shall be made by a notarial deed, in the presence of all members of the Board of Directors, signed by them and by the representatives of the legal successors.
CHAPTER 5 - FINAL PROVISIONS
5.1. Unforeseen situations and new developments at national and international level that may be included in the activity of AAFR are resolved by the Board of Directors.
5.2. These RULES may be amended or supplemented on the proposal of the Associate Members.
5.3. These RULES were approved by the General Assembly of Associate Members held in Bucharest on 22.09.2013, on the basis of the Decisions of the Oradea Court of First Instance no. 39/A/28.03.2008, no. 156/A/28.11.2008, no. 4/A/16.01.2009, no. 158/A/2011, no. 105/A/2012 and on the basis of Civil Judgment no. 7409 of 30.11.1957 of the People’s Court of the I.V. Stalin District, Bucharest.
(Valid from 22 September 2013, updated on 29 September 2026. This is an English translation; in case of doubt, the Romanian text prevails.)