Hi,
Dutch law requires bylaws to be in Dutch. You can have the notary draft
them bilingually (e.g. also in English) for an additional fee, but the
legal interpretation will always be using the Dutch language version.
This is mostly because it is sometimes hard to translate Dutch legal
terms exactly.
--
ralphm
On 24/02/2026 16.31, Dave Cridland wrote:
One thing that I couldn't see covered, but has been in previous
explorations of this nature - would this (and similar options) require
our bylaws to be in some non-English language?
While I appreciate that many of us don't speak/read English natively,
it is nevertheless the language most of us can read the most (if that
makes sense). If the legal form were in Dutch, then much as I
appreciate the value of encryption...
On Tue, 24 Feb 2026 at 13:51, Guus der Kinderen
<[email protected]> wrote:
Dear XSF community,
Documentation has been prepared outlining example approaches for
relocating the XSF's legal home to the European Union. These
proposals are intended as lightweight, pragmatic illustrations of
how such a transition could work. They are not intended to define
the eventual legal form, and no decisions have been made.
Please note: although I am currently a Board member, these
proposals were created on my own accord and do not reflect any
shared opinion or decision of the XSF Board.
Currently, the examples focus on structures under Dutch law and
assume a complete migration from the U.S. to the EU. They are
meant to help the community explore possibilities, understand
trade-offs, and discuss potential paths forward.
The proposals can be found at:
https://wiki.xmpp.org/web/XSF_EU_Legal_Transition_Proposal
Please review these examples, ask questions, and share feedback -
maybe even add alternative proposals of your own. Your input will
help ensure that any future decision is well-informed, practical,
and aligned with the needs of the XSF community.
Kind regards,
Guus
