bureau

English translation: "Bureau" (Belgian Dutch term for the chair, secretary and tellers of a general meeting)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

Dutch term or phrase:	bureau
English translation:	"Bureau" (Belgian Dutch term for the chair, secretary and tellers of a general meeting)
Entered by:	Michael Beijer

01:20 Jul 18, 2015

The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2015-07-21 20:54:09 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)

Dutch to English translations [PRO]
Law/Patents - Law (general) / company law

Dutch term or phrase: bureau

In a Belgian notarial deed to enact decisions of the general meeting of all (two) shareholders . . 'Gezien het beperkt aantal aanwezigen wordt er niet overgegaan tot de vorming van een bureau.'

John Holloway KudoZ activity Questions: 2 (none open) (1 closed without grading) Answers: 60 Netherlands
Local time: 06:01

"Bureau"

Explanation:
See my Reference comment.

I think it might be better to use the Dutch term (preferably in quotes, and supplemented by some form of explanation in a footnote or brackets – your text permitting) than misuse an English one and potentially confuse people.

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Note added at 16 hrs (2015-07-18 17:58:45 GMT)
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e.g.: "Bureau" (Belgian Dutch term for the chair, secretary and tellers of a general meeting)

Selected response from:

Michael Beijer
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:01

Grading comment

Thanks all. I think this is the most useful solution.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +1

chair, secretary and tellers

philgoddard

office, board

Peter Simon

Chair

Edith Kelly

"Bureau"

Michael Beijer

Summary of reference entries provided

refs

Michael Beijer

Discussion entries: 8

John Holloway

Netherlands

ASKER

@Michael

23:25 Jul 21, 2015

The perfect reference. Liking the Belgian Dutch 'semi-figurative 'bureau'
: )

Michael Beijer

United Kingdom

@John:

22:53 Jul 21, 2015

Speaking of "desks", have a look at this one (where the word is being used to refer to both the group of people and an actual desk, albeit semi figuratively):

"Deze personen nemen plaats aan het bureau.

Op het bureau zijn neergelegd:
- de hieronder vermelde publicaties waarin de bijeenroeping van de huidige gewone algemene
vergadering werd bekendgemaakt aan de aandeelhouders en de obligatiehouders:
Het Belgisch Staatsblad, De Tijd, L’Echo evenals een kopie van de oproeping verspreid via …
- het afschrift van de oproepingsbrieven die, overeenkomstig de wettelijke voorschriften, op …
- het jaarlijks financieel verslag alsook het verslag van de commissaris,
- de per 31 december 2013 afgesloten jaarrekening en de geconsolideerde rekeningen,
- een uittreksel van de notulen van de vergadering van de Ondernemingsraad van 28 april 2014.
[…]

Het bureau heeft bevestigd dat het is nagegaan dat artikelen 22 en 23 van de statuten van de
vennootschap m.b.t. de deelneming aan de gewone algemene vergadering gerespecteerd werden."

(http://www.fluxys.com/belgium/nl-BE/financial info/generalme... )

Edith Kelly

Switzerland

Great

16:42 Jul 18, 2015

after illucidating, plenty of followers. Always good to let others do the groundwork and then come up with great suggestions.

Edith Kelly

Switzerland

John

07:43 Jul 18, 2015

could be a formality that has to be in the text but I'm not a Belgian legal expert.

Peter Simon

Netherlands

@John,

07:42 Jul 18, 2015

thanks, for your reaction, but how do we know there's an existing board? If that's the case, the only remaining solution is a management/presidium they don't want to set up ... case solved ...

John Holloway

Netherlands

ASKER

@ EdithK

07:40 Jul 18, 2015

Your references are strong. Perhaps the statement is indeed a formality, seeing that a chair was already present.

Edith Kelly

Switzerland

John

07:33 Jul 18, 2015

you posted a snippet of the text so difficult to know. OK two shareholders have met, taken decisions that have to be enacted. Question is who will enact them. The two shareholders? Some other body? And: is the MD one of the two shareholders? Bureau in connection with meetings is practically always the chair or the chair and vice-chairs or, in international organisations, the presidium.

John Holloway

Netherlands

ASKER

@ EdithK

07:27 Jul 18, 2015

Thanks. However, the MD was already present at the meeting and therefore acted as chair, would this still apply?

Answers

5 hrs confidence:

Chair

Explanation:
of a meeting.

appoint a chair

Edith Kelly
Switzerland
Local time: 06:01
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

German,

English
PRO pts in category: 8

6 hrs confidence:

office, board

Explanation:
Under the circumstances, this is what I can think of. With lots of shareholders, they would set up an office to handle administration (main meaning acc. to Kramer's and Van Dale, esp. in S-Dutch like in Belgium), or they could set up a board of directors to manage the affairs of the company.

Peter Simon
Netherlands
Local time: 06:01
Does not meet criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Hungarian

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks. (However, there are only two shareholders and an existing board, in this case.)

14 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

chair, secretary and tellers

Explanation:
Resolved not to appoint a chair, secretary and tellers. There's no English equivalent of this as far as I'm aware, so you just have to spell it out.
See Sindy's very helpful reference.

philgoddard
United States
Does not meet criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 48

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thanks Phil. Indeed - no English equivalent. I coined 'secretariat' - which is not exactly right, but I think conveys the right idea.

16 hrs confidence:

"Bureau"

Michael Beijer
United Kingdom
Local time: 05:01
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 189

Grading comment

Thanks all. I think this is the most useful solution.

Notes to answerer

Asker: Indeed. All qualifications and cautions are worth putting on the table if we're considering a new loan word. But it does seem an obvious solution, as the thing it is describing does not appear in the target language world (and the meanings 'desk' and 'office' will be understandable to many English readers and are not far from the meaning of the source word in this special context).

Reference comments

12 hrs peer agreement (net): +1

Reference: refs

Reference information:
Van Dale Groot woordenboek van de Nederlandse taal (14e editie, 2005):

bureau:

#7 (verzamelnaam) voorzitter en secretaris van een vergadering

-------------------------- •••

JurLex:

bureau:
– office, bureau
– (inf.), (politiebureau) nick
– (overheid) section, department, unit
– (politiebureau) station
– ***(secretariaat) secretariat***

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Note added at 13 hrs (2015-07-18 14:32:48 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Apparently, some people also just use the word "bureau" or "Bureau" in English (not that I am specifically recommending this; just sayin').

See e.g.:

[1] "Minutes of the Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting Held in Mechelen on 30 April 2013

***Bureau***

The Meeting, which was held at the registered office of the Company, was opened at 10:05 a.m. CET under the chairmanship of Dr Werner Cautreels, Director of the Company. Dr Cautreels chaired the meeting in the absence of Mr Raj Parekh, who was excused.

The Chairman appointed Mr Johan Van den Eynde, residing at 9300 Aalst, Park Terlinden 12, as Secretary.

The Meeting elected the following persons as Vote Counters:
- Mr W. Swarte, residing at 3971 BL Driebergen, De Beaufortlaan 5B (The Netherlands); and
- Mr J. Adriaenssens, residing at 9420 Erpe-Mere, Ottergemstraat 31.

The ***Bureau*** consists of the Chairman, the Secretary, the Vote Counters and Mr Onno van de Stolpe, managing director (CEO)."

(http://www.glpg.com/files/8713/6817/7951/130430_AGM_130430_M... )

-------------------------- •••

[2] "Composition of the ***bureau***

The Chairman states that he has appointed Mr Dirk Lybaert as the Secretary of the Meeting. He proposes to appoint Mr Johan Robeyns and Mr Jean-Pierre Dekocker as tellers. No comments are made. The Chairman, Secretary and the tellers together constitute the ***bureau*** of the meeting." (http://www.proximus.com/sites/default/files/Documents/Invest... )

-------------------------- •••

[3] "LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY (“NAAMLOZE VENNOOTSCHAP”)
Registered office: Zinkstraat 1, 2490 Balen, Belgium
Company number VAT BE 0888.728.945 RPR/RPM Turnhout

MINUTES OF THE
ANNUAL GENERAL SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING
HELD ON APRIL 27, 2011

COMPOSITION OF THE ***BUREAU***

In accordance with the Company’s articles of association, the Chairman of the meeting designated Mrs. Virginie Lietaer, Company Secretary, as secretary of the meeting.

Upon proposal of the Chairman, the meeting selects the following persons amongst the shareholders or their representatives as tellers: Mr. Michel Guldentops and Mr. Benny Meir.

Together with the Chairman of the meeting, the secretary and the tellers constitute the ***bureau*** of the annual general shareholders’ meeting.

In addition, the following directors of the Company are present: Mr. Roland Junck, CEO, as well as Mssrs. Peter Mansell, Karel Vinck, Ray Stewart and Oyvind Hushovd."

(http://www.nyrstar.com/investors/en/shareholderinformation/D...–%2027%20April%202011/Minutes%20of%20Annual%20General%20Shareholders%20Meeting%20held%20on%2027%20April%202011.pdf the)

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Note added at 13 hrs (2015-07-18 14:34:39 GMT)
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that last link was broken; try this: http://goo.gl/8ELOvh

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Note added at 16 hrs (2015-07-18 17:50:01 GMT)
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One more ref where the word "Bureau (of the Meeting) is used for this BE concept, and one ref using the word "Secretariat":

-------------------------- •••

**** BUREAU:

"Minutes of the Ordinary Shareholders’ Meeting
held at the registered office on 26 May 2015

A. COMPOSITION OF THE ***BUREAU***

The Meeting is opened at 2:08 p.m. under the chairmanship of Mr Luc Missorten (permanent representative of Revalue BVBA), chairman of the board of directors.

The chairman appoints Mr Jonas Deroo as secretary of the Meeting.

The chairman proposes to appoint Steven Vandenbogaerde and Johan Adriaenssens as vote counters. The Meeting [unanimously] marks its consent with these appointments. / Given the limited number of attendees, no vote counters are appointed, as allowed under the articles of association of the Company.

The chairman, the secretary and the vote counters ***together form the bureau of the Meeting (the “Bureau”).***

B. VERIFICATIONS BY THE BUREAU

The chairman reports to the Meeting on the findings and verifications made by the ***Bureau*** regarding the registration of the participants, with a view to the composition of the Meeting.

[…]"

(http://www.ontexglobal.com/sites/default/files/20150526_minu... )

-------------------------- •••

**** SECRETARIAT:

"SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC SA

French Public Limited-Liability Company with Board of Directors and capital of EUR 2,316,847,784

Registered office: 35 Rue Joseph Monier 92500 Rueil Malmaison
Registered in Nanterre, R.C.S. 542 048 574

[…]

Article 12: Chairman of the Board of Directors – Office of the Board of Directors

[…]

3. The Board of Directors shall appoint a Secretary who may be chosen outside of the
Directors and shareholders, who, along with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, will
form ***the Secretariat***. If in the event the Secretary is absent, the Board of Directors will
design one of its members or a third party to replace him/her."

(http://www2.schneider-electric.com/documents/financial-state... )

########################

Whether you end up using "Secretariat" or "Bureau" (neither 100% correct as there is no English word for this BE concept, but I think I'd go with "Bureau"), I would definitely stick the Dutch word "Bureau" behind it in brackets, and/or explain it somewhere.

########################

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Note added at 3 days20 hrs (2015-07-21 22:06:59 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

one last ref showing what it means in (Belgian) Dutch:

~

"GECOORDINEERDE STATUTEN van LIMBURGSE RECONVERSIE MAATSCHAPPIJ
in 't kort "LRM"
Naamloze Vennootschap te 3500 Hasselt, Kempische Steenweg 555,
Ondernemingsnummer (RPR BE Hasselt) 0452.138.972 - BTW-nummer
452.138.972

[…]

Artikel 30: BUREAU.
De algemene vergaderingen worden voorgezeten door de VOORZITTER VAN DE RAAD VAN BESTUUR; indien de voorzitter belet is wordt hij vervangen door de ondervoorzitter met de meeste anciënniteit als bestuurder. In geval van belet van beiden wordt de vergadering voorgezeten door de tweede ondervoorzitter en bij gebreke hieraan, door een andere bestuurder.
De voorzitter stelt een SECRATARIS aan, die buiten de aandeelhouders mag worden gekozen; de vergadering kiest één of twee STEMOPNEMERS.
DE IN DIT ARTIKEL GENOEMDE PERSONEN VORMEN HET BUREAU."

(http://www.lrm.be/data/acms/docs/OverLRMdownloads/22_statute... )

Michael Beijer
United Kingdom
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 189

Note to reference poster

Asker: Thanks Michael. I used 'secretariat' (which is not quite correct but the closest existing English word I think). I also think coining the word 'bureau' for this 'foreign' concept makes sense.

Asker: This is a foreign concept in search on an English term. Why not submit 'bureau' as an answer? As you say it's already in use and the 'new' word might help other translators. I don't want to do anyone else an injustice but I think you're the only one to actually (albeit informally) suggest 'bureau' as an anwer (?)

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