Frequently asked questions | WindEurope
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Frequently asked questions

Membership

What are the benefits of being a member of WindEurope

Our overriding interest as Secretariat is to provide meaningful products and services to our members. We provide them with 5 core products and services:

  • Profiling and networking: our conferences and exhibitions profile the industry and allow members to network across the value chain; our advocacy gives members direct access to governments;
  • Engaging governments to support wind;
  • Analysis and intelligence on wind markets, technology, costs and government policy;
  • Support for capacity-building: R&D, standard-setting and supply chain development;
  • Support for investments: we advise our members on funding and financing opportunities for their investments activity and connect them to banks and other financial institutions through our Finance Working Group.

The long-term vision, strategic objectives and short-term goals for each year reflect the current priorities and interests of our members and the context in which the industry finds itself.
Please have a look at our membership benefits page providing an overview of benefits and services.

What are the differences between the membership categories?

WindEurope membership categories are defined according to organisation type (A for association, C for corporation), turnover in wind, capacity installed and the services that corporations receive. For an overview of the benefits for each category, please click here.

How can I apply for WindEurope membership?

WindEurope membership is only open to organisations, not individuals. An annual membership fee is required, which helps finance WindEurope’s advocacy activities aimed at supporting the growth of the wind industry in Europe.

To join WindEurope, your organisation must fill in the membership contract, sign it and send it to the membership team ([email protected]) who will get back to you with a confirmation. Your application will then go through to WindEurope’s Board for approval.

Can my organisation become a member even though we are not based in Europe?

Yes, we have many non-European members from around the world – including the US, Asia, and South America – such as GE, Sentient Science, Renewable NRG Systems and TPI Composites. See the complete list of our members here.

My company is a subsidiary of one of your members. Is this subsidiary also considered a member?

Any affiliates or subsidiaries of which more than 50% is owned by a member of WindEurope may benefit from the mother company’s subscription on a case-by-case basis as decided by WindEurope’s Secretariat. This does not apply to joint ventures and other partnership vehicles established for a limited duration or for a specific project which must subscribe for membership separately.

Please refer to Article 8 of WindEurope’s Statutes or contact [email protected] for more information.

What is the cost of WindEurope membership?

The membership annual fee is based on the legal status of your organisation and your membership category. Please refer to the membership contract to view this year’s membership fee for each category.

As per Article 8 of WindEurope’s Statutes, membership fees are reviewed annually following the approval of the working budget by the WindEurope Board. This is usually limited to an annual inflation based on the Belgian Consumer Price Index. In 2019 membership fees were indexed at 2.16%.

How long is WindEurope’s membership valid for?

Membership will automatically be renewed every calendar year, unless it is cancelled before 30 September of the previous calendar year. Please see the question below for more information on our cancellation policy.

Please note that if you become a member after 30 September of each year then your membership will automatically be renewed on 1 January of the next year for a full year.

How can I cancel my organisation’s membership?

We care about our members and do our utmost to help you meet your goals. We recommend that you give a call to our membership team (+32 2 213 18 70) to discuss your cancellation reasons. If you are still considering cancellation of your membership after your call please contact the membership team via email ([email protected]). Please note that your cancellation will only be processed once you have settled any outstanding payments (membership, event or sponsorship related) you may have in addition to receiving a written response from us confirming your cancellation. Cancellation on the phone without any written record cannot be processed.

You must give notice of cancellation at least 3 months before the end of the calendar year.

E.g. If you cancel before 30 September 2019 your cancellation will be effective as of 1 January 2020. You will still have to pay for your 2019 membership fee in full as you will continue to benefit from our services and discounts until the end of 2019. Any cancellation request received after 30 September 2019 will be considered as a cancellation effective as of 1 January 2021.

For more information, please refer to Articles 8 to 10 of WindEurope’s Statutes.

Finance

My company name, VAT number or purchase order number needs to be changed on your invoice. Who should we contact and when?

VAT number: For legal reasons, we need your legal entity (represented by your VAT number) to appear on your membership contract. Please note that if a legal entity receives a new VAT number, that number needs to be legally registered for invoicing purposes. So if your VAT number has changed, please fill in the membership contract again and send it to [email protected]. This new contract will replace the old one and will allow us to make the necessary changes for your invoice.

New company name: If your company name has changed but not your VAT number, please email a formal letter stating this to [email protected].

If your invoicing details (PO number, invoicing contact, address) need to be changed, please contact us ([email protected]) as soon as possible.

What is WindEurope’s invoicing procedure?

To comply with the EU VAT Directive 2006/112/EC, the invoicing-payment stages are as follows:

  1. Your organisation receives a “request of payment” document
  2. Your organisation pays the amount stated on this request of payment within 30 days after receiving the document
  3. WindEurope issues a regular VAT invoice (with the same amount) immediately after receiving your payment

According to this Directive, the VAT invoice can only be issued when the service has been delivered or the payment has been received. The Member State of the supplier is the one that may decide to apply different rules about the moment of invoice issuance. WindEurope is based in Belgium and Belgian authorities say that, for intracommunity services, VAT is chargeable only when the service has been delivered or paid. See question 12 for more information.
Please contact [email protected] for any finance-related issues.

Why does WindEurope first issue a “request of payment” and not a VAT invoice?

The Member State of the supplier is the one that decides to apply rules about the moment of invoice issuance.

Member States may impose on taxable persons an obligation to issue an invoice in respect of supplies of goods or services made in their territory, other than those referred to in Article 220.

EU VAT directive 2006/112/EC, Article 221, 1).
WindEurope is based in Belgium, and Belgian authorities say the VAT for intracommunity services is chargeable only once the service has been delivered or payment has been received.

Every taxable person shall ensure that, in respect of the following, an invoice is issued, either by himself or by his customer or, in his name and on his behalf, by a third party:

(1) supplies of goods or services which he has made to another taxable person or to a non-taxable legal person;
[…] (5) any payment on account made to him by another taxable person or non-taxable legal person before the provision of services was completed.

EU VAT directive 2006/112/EC, Article 220
The chargeable event shall occur and VAT shall become chargeable when the goods or the services are supplied.

EU VAT directive 2006/112/EC, Article 63
Where a payment is to be made on account before the goods or services are supplied, VAT shall become chargeable on receipt of the payment and on the amount received.

EU VAT directive 2006/112/EC, Article 65
WindEurope Membership is a continuous service and the chargeability of the VAT for continuous supply of services depends on the supplier’s Member State. WindEurope is based in Belgium, and Belgian authorities say that continuous services are considered as supplied at least once a year, on 31 December.
Member States may provide that, in certain cases, the continuous supply of goods or services over a period of time is to be regarded as being completed at least at intervals of one year.

EU VAT directive 2006/112/EC, Article 64, 2).
Les prestations de services pour lesquelles la taxe est due par le preneur de services en vertu de l’article 51, § 2, alinéa 1er, 1°, qui ont lieu de manière continue sur une période supérieure à une année et qui ne donnent pas lieu à des décomptes ou à des paiements durant cette période sont considérées comme effectuées à l’expiration de chaque année civile, jusqu’à ce qu’il soit mis fin à la prestation de services.
English translation: Supplies of services for which VAT is payable by the customer pursuant to Article 51, § 2, paragraph 1st, 1°, which are supplied continuously over a period of more than one year and which do not give rise to statements of account or payments during that period, shall be regarded as being completed on expiry of each calendar year until such time as the supply of services comes to an end.
BE VAT code, Article 22.

How can I pay my membership fee?

You have two options:

By bank transfer to our bank account:
Bank account holder: Wind Europe ASBL
Account currency: EUR
IBAN: BE73 3630 4209 0360
SWIFT/BIC: BBRUBEBB
Bank: ING Belgium, Avenue Marnix 24, 1000 Brussels
WindEurope VAT no: BE 0476 915 445

By credit card(if you have a sufficient limit).
Please contact our finance department ([email protected]) instructing for the payment and sending the following information:

  • Card holder name
  • Card number
  • Expiration date
  • CVC number

What happens if I fall behind on the payment of my membership?

If the initial request of payment has not been settled within 30 days, our finance department will start the credit control process to receive your payment. If no action is taken on your side, your dossier will be sent to a debt collector. You will not be able to order any other services –e.g. exhibition stand reservation– until your membership fee is fully paid. We encourage you to discuss any issue you may have related to your membership or your invoices with the membership team as soon as possible.

If you need further explanation or have other questions regarding our membership offer, please contact us at [email protected]

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