ECOLISE was founded in 2014 and is registered as an international non-profit association under Belgian law (AISBL). As of 2019 it has 46 member organisations, registered as legal entities in 18 different EU member states, plus Macedonia and Switzerland. The activities of the members extend to all EU member states, as well as internationally.
Members include international networks of community-based initiatives such as the Transition Network (representing over 1200 Transition initiatives), the Global Ecovillage Network (15,000 ecovillages), the Permaculture movement (3 million practitioners globally) and ICLEI, the association of local governments for sustainability; national and regional networks; and other specialist bodies engaged in European-level research, training and communications to support community-led action on climate change and sustainability.
The organisation comprises a general assembly, which meets annually and sets overall strategy; a council (currently 11 members) and presidency, which are elected for a two year term and oversee the implementation of the ECOLISE strategy; an executive board, comprising the president, vice president and executive director; and a secretariat, which includes the executive director, four thematic coordinators and research advisers.
The work of the council and secretariat is also supported by a number of working groups, focusing on: policy and advocacy; communications; knowledge and learning, and resource mobilisation and outreach. The working groups include council members, representatives of other member organisations and, where relevant, experts drawn from outside the network.
