International Van of the Year rules

1. The Organization, its objects, its members

1.1 The International Van-of-the-Year organization is an international, registered organization with the trade name "International Van-of-the-Year".

1.2 The International Van-of-the-Year organization is an independent, democratic non profit organization formed by professional truck and/or road transport journalists created to form a jury which elects the annual "International Van-of-theYear" and to develop other activities as considered appropriate.

1.3 The jury shall consist of one member from each country involved in the election.

1.4 The jury members shall elect among themselves a board consisting of a chairman, complemented by a vice-chairman and a secretary. The board shall be elected every third year, beginning in 1992, or more often if circumstances require. There is no limit to the time a jury member can be a member of the board.

1.5 Membership may be held by only one person from each country involved. A jury member may engage one named colleague in his country to help or support him in the jury work as a deputy, but only the jury member has the right to vote. A deputy can represent the jury member at single meetings and other occasions, which must be announced to the chairman in proper time before the meeting in question.

A jury member can appoint a person who substitutes for him and who has the right to act as a jury member as far as described in the articles 3.1 and 3.4 of the rules. This person has to fullfill all the demands that normal jurymembers have to fullfill. The substitute can be appointed for the period of one calender year. After that period the jury member in question has to decide whether to return himself as a jury member or give up his membership. A jury member who wants to appoint a subsitute has to make known it in writing to the chairman before the beginning of the calender year in question. The chairman has to make known this fact to the other jury members and to the industry. Every jury member is free in forming a group of colleques, specialistists or operators from his country to support him in the selection of candidates.

1.6 Membership may be held only by journalists the majority of whose journalistic activities is in the field of trucks and/or road transport and who publish regularly in respected publications in the country they represent in the IVoY organization. Members are supposed to be respected and of leading status in their country in general and in the transport - distribution business in particular and must have a position that is independent from any van manufacturer. Each member is expected to publish the results of and editorially support the annual International Van of the Year election and/or other activities/events decided among the majority of the members.

1.7 The jury may appoint new members by voting. Candidates can be proposed by any jury member. Jury members are supposed to acquaint themselves with the candidate as a person and with the quality of his journalistic activities. It is the task of the chairman to invite the new member formally.

1.8 A jury member may be suspended for the following reasons:
a. If he no longer fulfils the requirements as mentioned in article 1.6;
b. If he neglects his right to vote;
c. If he himself wishes to be dismissed;
d. If the member deliberately breaks the rules or ethics of the International Van of the Year organisation.
e. If he or his deputy does not regularly attend the meetings and other events organised by or for the jury.

1.9 The jury may appoint founding members, ex-members or former officials to a livetime, non-voting honorary membership.

1.10 The IVoY organisation itself shall be financially independent from any manufacturer, distributor or dealer.

1.11 The financial needs of the IVoY organisation are covered by its members. The size of the financial contribution will be fixed every year by the jury and has to be paid in January of every year.

1.12 Decisions about important matters, such as suspension of a member, election of a new member or a honorary member, election of a chairman, a vice-chairman or a secretary, the appointment of an independent voting referee, change of rules, the development of other activities than the annual Van-of-the-Year election and the value of the financial contribution require agreement of two thirds of the jury members. An official meeting or voting shall be held if two-thirds of the jury members so wish.

2. Eligibility of award recipients

2.1 The main criterion for the nomination and the election of any van as "International Van-of-the-Year" its contribution to the standards of efficiency and the sustainability of transport of goods by road in the countries involved in the International Van of the Year Organization with respect to environment and safety of people.

2.2 Any purpose-built, light commercial vehicle up to 3500 kg GVW is eligible. Compared to previous models the van must contain considerable technological improvements. A minor facelift etc. does not make a van eligible.

2.3 The van nominated must be reasonably new and shall be produced in series at least three months before the beginning of the year of election.

2.4 Manufacturers do not have to "enter" their vehicle for the Award. Any eligible van will be automatically included in the assessment and voting.

2.5 On special occasions the jury can deviate from the requirements mentioned in chapter 2.3 and also from the requirements that follow as a result of article 2.3.

3. Award election procedure

3.1 Each jury member may nominate a van for the award providing it satisfies all the requirements under rule 2. Each nomination must be sent in writing to the chairman, not later than 50 days before the decided ceremony in the year before the official date of the award.

3.2 The chairman makes a list of the most nominated vans with a maximum of six. Nominations can be made known to the chairmen by the jury members. This list is sent to all jury members 45 days before the decided ceremony date, which depends on the commercial vehicle show chosen every year for the that purpose by the jury.

3.3 Jury members must have tested the eligible vans, if possible and if applicable on their own test route. They also must have had close contact, if possible, with operators using the eligible van.

3.4 Each judge has 12 voting points to allocate to any van or vans from the list of nominated vans. Not more than 7 points may be given to one individual van. The judge is not obliged to use all his points.
The vote shall be accompanied by a brief discussion of the reasons for his choice or of the reason why not all his points are awarded.

3.5 The votes must be sent 15 days before the decided ceremony date to an independent voting referee appointed by the jury (not later than 5 p.m. of the last day, g.m.t. +1). The referee collects the votes and tells the result to the chairman, not before all votes have been cast and within 24 hours after this date.

3.6 On the basis of the statements made by the individual jury members the chairman makes the official International Van-of-the-Year statement to be presented to the winner together with the award.

3.7 The result of the voting shall be made known to all jury members prior to the official ceremony.

3.8 The winning manufacturer will be notified immediately after the votes are counted. The award will be presented to the winning manufacturer on the decided ceremony date on a major European commercial vehicle exhibition, chosen every year by the jury. News of the Award Winner is embargoed until the moment that the award giving ceremony has ended. The winner may use the award till the last day of the calendar year involved. News of the Award Winner is embargoed until the moment that the award giving ceremony has ended. The winner may use the award till the last day of the calendar year involved.

3.9 The judges are supposed to present the official statement and the results of the voting in their magazines as soon as possible after the official announcement.

3.10 The judges are supposed to present the official statement and the results of the voting in their magazines. Members of the International Van-of-the-Year jury are supposed to generate as much publicity as possible around the election in their home countries.

3.11 Every judge is free to organize domestic presentations to the national distributors or representatives of the winning manufacturer after the official, international presentation of the award has taken place. One official replica of the award may be made per country involved in the International Van-of-the-Year Organization.

4. Miscellaneous

4.1 I.T.o.Y. is an international registered democratic non profit organisation.

4.2 A number of associate or life non-voting members are also listed.

4.3 Additional full members may be elected from time to time.

4.4 A full membership list is published periodically.

4.5 Each full member can vote at all management meetings.