|
European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology |
|
|
Disclaimer : Privacy Policy : Trademarks |
|
EFORT - JOINT EFFORTS
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
STATUTES OF THE EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS OF ORTHOPAEDICS AND TRAUMATOLOGY (E.F.O.R.T.)These Statutes were
SECTION 1. GENERAL MATTERSARTICLE 1. NAMEThe name of the Federation shall be “EFORT”. EFORT stands for the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. ARTICLE 2. LEGAL STATUS/SEAT The Federation is constituted as a society in conformity with Swiss Law (Article 60 et sequentes Swiss Civil Code) and has its legal domicile in Küsnacht (Zurich), Switzerland. ARTICLE 3. FINANCIAL STATUS, NON-PROFITMAKING CHARACTER The Federation shall be non-profitmaking. It acts selflessly and does not pursue primarily its own commercial aims. The funds of the Federation may only be used for the aims of the Federation. The members of the Federation receive no share of this profit and, as a result of their membership, no other grants from the funds of the Federation. No person shall benefit from expenses which are either contrary to the aims of the association or which constitute disproportionally high remuneration. In the case of dissolution or cancellation of the Federation or in the case of cessation of its present aims the assets, which remain after liquidation shall be transferred to the city of “Küsnacht (Zurich), Switzerland” which must use them directly and exclusively for the aim provided in ARTICLE 6. ARTICLE 4. RELATIONSHIP TO COCOMAC The Federation replaced the Co-ordinating Committee of the Societies of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery of the European Common Market, to whose contribution to the founding of the Federation the Members pay tribute. ARTICLE 5. LANGUAGE The language of the Federation shall be English. In verbal communications within the Federation English shall either be spoken or made available by simultaneous translation. ARTICLE 6. THE AIM OF THE FEDERATION: The aim of the Federation is the promotion of the sciences of orthopaedics and orthopaedic traumatology, especially - 6.1 To stimulate the exchange of knowledge and ideas in the fields of the prevention, the conservative treatment and the surgical treatment of diseases and injuries of the musculo-skeletal system. 6.2 To stimulate education and research in these fields. 6.3 To co-operate with Scientific and Professional Associations concerned with the requirements for training in, and practising, the speciality in Europe. 6.4 If requested by the National Associations, to co-ordinate the efforts undertaken in European countries to achieve these objectives. ARTICLE 7. TO ACCOMPLISH THESE OBJECTIVES, THE FEDERATION WILL: 7.1 Organise European Congresses. 7.2 Organise educational programmes and collaborate with universities and other qualified institutions. 7.3 Stimulate basic and clinical research. 7.4 Undertake any other activity, which could be useful in fulfilling its objectives. ARTICLE 8. DISSOLUTION The Federation can be dissolved by the General Assembly at an Extraordinary Meeting of the General Assembly, convened for the purpose. For this purpose a quorum shall be two thirds of the Delegates and a deciding majority shall be two thirds of the votes cast. In the event of dissolution the funds of the Federation shall be used according to the rules stated in ARTICLE 3. SECTION 2. MEMBERSHIPARTICLE 9.a) The ordinary members of the Federation shall be the National Societies of Orthopaedic Surgery and Orthopaedic Traumatology from European countries. b) The National Orthopaedic Societies from European countries, which do not wish to become ordinary members, may apply for Observer status. Such societies will have full access to all EFORT Congresses and events and may send one observer to the General Assembly. Observers shall have no voting rights. Under normal circumstances, observer status is valid for two years only. c) National Orthopaedic Societies, from countries outside Europe, may apply for “Associate Scientific Membership”. Such societies will have full access to all EFORT Congresses and events, and they may send one observer to the General Assembly. Observers shall have no voting rights. ARTICLE 10. Those Societies listed in Annex 1 shall become Members of the Federation by filing a written declaration of membership with the Executive Board. ARTICLE 11. Application for Membership from other European National Societies must be addressed by the Board of the applicant Society to the Secretary of the Federation at least four months prior to the next meeting of the General Assembly. ARTICLE 12. At the next meeting of the General Assembly after timely receipt of application for Membership the President shall put the application to the vote of the Members of the General Assembly. A simple majority of the Delegates (as defined in ARTICLES 17 and 18) voting shall decide. ARTICLE 13. Applicants for membership must meet the following conditions: a) The Society must devote itself to orthopaedics, orthopaedic surgery and musculo-skeletal traumatology in general. b) The applicant Society must be open to all Orthopaedic Surgeons from the country in which it is active. ARTICLE 14. The individual members of the National Societies are not members of the Federation. The National Societies shall act in the interests of their individual members within the Federation. ARTICLE 15. Membership in the Federation (of a National Society) may be terminated: a) By resignation in writing addressed to the Secretary of the Federation. b) Upon exclusion by decision of the General Assembly following a vote in favour of a proposal for exclusion put by the Executive Board. For this purpose the quorum shall be two thirds of the Delegates and a deciding majority shall be two thirds of the votes cast. The proposal must be published at least 4 months in advance of the meeting of the General Assembly at which the vote is to be taken. The Executive Board may make a proposal for exclusion either on its own volition or upon the request for such a proposal from at least one third of the Members. c) The Membership shall be suspended at the discretion of the Executive Board if the Society has not paid its fees after two requests for payment, separated by six months. The membership suspension shall only stand if it is subsequently approved by the General Assembly. The suspension can be revoked by the General Assembly if the Member has paid its dues fully. ARTICLE 16. RIGHTS OF MEMBERS The Members exert their membership rights during the General Assembly through their Delegates. The Delegates shall use their voting rights during the General Assembly according to their best knowledge and conscience. They shall act in the interest of the Member they represent. Each Member has the right to bring motions, questions, proposals or complaints to the Executive Board through its Delegates, by direct address to the President. Each Member may ask for information concerning the business of the Federation at any time. SECTION 3. BODIES OF THE FEDERATIONThe Federation shall be administered by two Bodies:The General Assembly and The Executive Board. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLYCOMPOSITION:ARTICLE 17.The General Assembly shall be composed of the Delegates. Each Member produces two Delegates, subject to the provision under ARTICLE 20. ARTICLE 18. The Delegates shall be designated by each National Society. i.e. by the Members of the Federation. At least one Delegate should be a Member of the Executive Board of the National Society. ARTICLE 19. Delegates shall take office on the first day of the January following their designation. ARTICLE 20. There shall be only two Delegates from each country. When there are two Members from a participating country, the Members shall each have one Delegate. When there are more than two Members from one participating country, each Member shall designate one Delegate. Two Delegates shall then be chosen from amongst the members in rotating, alphabetical order of the initial letter of the title of the members. ARTICLE 21. If a Delegate is unable to attend, he may transfer his right to vote to the other national Delegate, or to another person who has been designated by his National Society, with the consent of the prevented Delegate, as Delegate for this specific purpose (but see ARTICLE 50). In case of vote for modifications of Statutes (Article 35), the transfer of vote can be only to the Delegate of the same country. ARTICLE 22. The Delegates shall be appointed for 2 years, renewable twice. MEETINGSARTICLE 23.Annual Meetings. The General Assembly shall meet each year. Meetings shall be convened by the Executive Board in writing, which shall establish the date, place and agenda at least three months prior to the meeting. ARTICLE 24. Extraordinary meetings. Extraordinary meetings can be convened by the President or at the request of three Members of the Federation at any time after giving three months notice of the date, place and agenda to all Members of the Federation. If there are six or fewer Members of the Federation, an extraordinary meeting may be convened at the request of one Member of the Federation. FUNCTIONSARTICLE 25.The General Assembly decides in all matters of the Federation unless such matters are transferred to the Executive Board or to committees. The General Assembly is therefore the highest authority within the Federation. ARTICLE 26. The General Assembly shall ensure that the aims of the Federation are implemented. ARTICLE 27. The General Assembly shall elect the Members of the Executive Board. ARTICLE 28. The General Assembly shall receive through the Secretary, and then approve or reject the Annual Report of the Executive Board. ARTICLE 29. The General Assembly shall receive and process applications from National Societies for membership to, and applications of the Executive Board for exclusion from the Federation (see ARTICLES 11, 12, 13, and 15). ARTICLE 30. The General Assembly shall determine the relocation of the legal domicile and the location of the administrative office of the Federation. ARTICLE 31. The General Assembly shall have the power to set up Standing Committees and to transfer to them specific functions. ARTICLE 32. The General Assembly shall determine the Annual Dues. ARTICLE 33. The General Assembly shall determine the country in which Scientific Congresses shall be held. To this end the General Assembly shall invite applications to hold the Congress from each Member at least four years before the Congress is due. ARTICLE 34. The General Assembly shall have the power to take decisions necessitated by emergencies not foreseen in the Statutes. ARTICLE 35. The General Assembly shall have the power to change the Statutes. For this purpose, at least two thirds of the Delegates of the Federation’s Members (see Article 17) must be present or represented (see Article 21, second sentence) at the General Assembly (quorum) and a deciding vote shall be a two-thirds majority of the votes cast (qualified majority). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the quorum for amendment of the Statutes is not reached, the General Assembly shall be entitled to resolve on the amendment of the Statutes if the Delegates present or represented the General Assembly were produced by National Societies that in the aggregate present more than two thirds of all domestic members of the National Societies that pay dues to the respective National Society. ARTICLE 36. For all purposes other than those referred to in ARTICLES 8, 15 and 35, a deciding vote shall be a simple majority of the votes cast at a properly convened meeting of the General Assembly. Each Delegate holds one vote, subject to ARTICLE 21. ARTICLE 37. The decisions of the General Assembly are to be entered into the minutes of the meeting, which shall state the voting results signed by the Secretary. THE EXECUTIVE BOARDCOMPOSITION:ARTICLE 38. The Executive Board shall be composed of 8 Members as follows: The President The Vice President The Immediate Past President The General Secretary The Treasurer Three other Members (“Members at Large”) ARTICLE 39. The President and Vice President shall be elected to their offices for a two-year non-renewable period. The President, at the end of his term, may remain a member of the Executive Board for a further two-year period. ARTICLE 40. The President shall chair all meetings of the Executive Board and of the General Assembly. ARTICLE 41. The Vice President shall deputise for the President if the latter is unable to exercise his function. In this case he shall have all the rights and powers of the President. ARTICLE 42. The Vice President shall become the President at the end of the latter's term of office unless an alternative name is proposed for President by both Delegates from one Member country and seconded by both Delegates from two other member countries. The General Assembly shall then vote as described in ARTICLES 48 and 49. ARTICLE 43. The Secretary and the Treasurer shall be elected for a two-year period renewable twice. The dates of commencement of the terms of office of Secretary and Treasurer shall be so arranged that they are one year out of phase with each other. ARTICLE 44. The three other members shall be elected for two years renewable once. The term of office of one of these three members without portfolio shall start one year later than the other two members so that the terms of office will remain out of phase. ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD:ARTICLE 45.Candidates for the position of Vice-President should be either present or past Delegates to the General Assembly, or past Presidents of National Orthopaedic Societies, or former Chairmen of EFORT Standing committees, EFORT Congress Committees or Congress Scientific Committees. Candidates for the positions of General Secretary and Treasurer must be present or former members of the Executive Board, or of EFORT Standing Committees, or present or former co-opted members of the Executive Board. Candidates for membership of the Executive Board (Members-at-Large) must be or have been Delegates to the General Assembly or members of the Executive of their own National Society, or of another international Orthopaedic Society. ARTICLE 46. Candidates for membership of the Executive Board must be under 70 years of age. ARTICLE 47. No two members of the Executive Board may come from the same country. ARTICLE 48. The names of candidates must be proposed and seconded by Members of the General Assembly three months prior to the election. These names shall be passed to the Executive Board. ARTICLE 49. The election shall be held by secret ballot on the occasion of the General Assembly meeting during the second year in office of the President. If the ballot results in a tie, there shall be a second, and if necessary subsequent secret ballots until a majority is obtained (see ARTICLE 50). The election of members of the Executive Board shall be in the order: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and three other Members, as the posts become vacant. ARTICLE 50. In the election of the Executive Board each Delegate at the General Assembly shall have only one vote. Transfer of the vote to the other National Delegate is not permissible in this case. ARTICLE 51. The candidate receiving the largest number of votes shall be deemed elected. ARTICLE 52. The Delegates elected to the Executive Board shall take office on the first day of January following their election. Outgoing Members of the Executive Board cease to hold office at the time the newly elected Members of the Executive Board take office. ARTICLE 53. Upon election to the Executive Board, Members of the General Assembly shall be known as Executive Members. ARTICLE 54. Executive Members shall remain in the General Assembly so long as they are on the Executive Board. ARTICLE 55. With the exception of the President, Executive Members shall have no vote at the General Assembly. The President (or in his absence the Vice President) shall have a casting vote, save in respect of secret ballots. ARTICLE 56. A Member of the General Assembly shall, upon taking office on his election to the Executive Board, be replaced on the General Assembly by a further Delegate from his country of origin. The further delegate shall be designated in accordance with ARTICLE 18 by the National Society, which has designated the Executive Member, for the remainder of what would have been the term of office of the Executive Member ARTICLE 57. If a member of the Executive Board withdraws from his office prematurely by death, illness or resignation, a successor is to be voted immediately whose period in office begins with the election and ends with the period of office of the succeeded member. MEETINGS:ARTICLE 58.Meetings of the Executive Board shall be called, as necessary, by the President. FUNCTIONS:ARTICLE 59.The Executive Board shall take all decisions necessary for the day to day running of the Federation. ARTICLE 60. The Federation is legally represented by the President and the Secretary. The have sole power of legal representation. ARTICLE 61. The Executive Board shall maintain the records of the Federation. ARTICLE 62. The Executive Board shall be responsible for the finances of the Federation. ARTICLE 63. The Executive Board shall prepare an Annual Report of its activities and decisions for submission to the General Assembly. This report shall include a statement of the Federation's finances prepared by the Treasurer. ARTICLE 64. The Executive Board shall be associated with the Congress Committee in the scientific and administrative organisation of Congress events. ARTICLE 65. The Executive Board shall receive reports from all Committees of the General Assembly. Action based upon these reports must be approved by the Executive Board and, thus annually, by the General Assembly. ARTICLE 66. The Executive Board shall implement decisions of the General Assembly. ARTICLE 67. The Executive Board shall have the power to appoint ad hoc Committees or to co-opt individuals for special purposes. Such Committees and co-options will cease after one year unless their continuation is approved by the General Assembly. ARTICLE 68. Decisions of the Executive Board shall be made by a majority of two-thirds of the votes cast. SECTION 4. FINANCES OF THE FEDERATIONARTICLE 69.The revenues of the Federation shall be derived from the Annual Dues of the Members, from grants, donations or any other sources. ARTICLE 70. The revenues may be used for any purpose related to the aims of the Federation. ARTICLE 71. The Annual Dues of the Members and the Associate Scientific Members shall be determined by the General Assembly. The contribution of each National Society (i.e. of each Member of the Federation or of each Associate Scientific Member) shall be calculated according to the number of the Society's domestic Members who pay dues to the National Society. The Annual Dues shall equal the amount resulting from multiplying the number of the Society’s domestic Members who pay dues to the respective National Society by the Annual Basic Contribution. The Annual Basic Contribution shall be determined by the General Assembly in EUROs and set out in the EFORT Contribution Regulation, which Contribution Regulation shall be an integral part of these Statues. The Contribution Regulation may be amended from time to time by the General Assembly with a simple majority of the votes cast. ARTICLE 72. The General Assembly shall in advance of the preparation of the accounts appoint a chartered accountant to audit the Annual Accounts of the Federation. ARTICLE 73. The fiscal year of the Federation shall commence on the first day of January. ARTICLE 74. The Federation shall be responsible for the representation allowances and the expenses of the Executive Board Members, but not for the expenses of the Delegates to the General Assembly. ANNEX 1List of National Orthopaedic Associations members of EFORT according to ARTICLE 10 of the Statutes
| |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Managed by PTMG
 |
 |
 |