Informatics Europe

 

The Research and Education Organization
of Computer Science and IT Departments in Europe

 
   

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Bylaws

Provisional bylaws of the Research and Education Organization of Computer Science and IT Departments in Europe (Informatics Europe)

                                                      I General Part

Article 1: Name and domicile
The full name of the organization is: “Research and Education Organization of Computer Science and IT Departments in Europe”. It’s an association according to Swiss Civil Law (Article 60 ff). The abbreviation of the name is “Informatics Europe”.

 

Article 2: Intended purpose and activities

Intended purpose

  1. Informatics Europe is devoted to the development of research and teaching in information and computer sciences, also known as Informatics.
  2. Informatics Europe is a nonprofit membership organization; members are organizations such as computer science departments of universities as well as public or private research laboratories. Informatics Europe maintains close ties with other academic and professional organizations.
  3. To act as the representative of the European Computer Science (Informatics) research and education community and foster high-quality research in the field.
  4. To foster the cooperation between education, research and industry.
  5. To establish effective relations between the computer science community and governmental authorities and provide links to other national and international organizations with complementary aims.

Activities
Informatics Europe aspires the following activities:

  • To organize the Informatics Europe Annual Conference;
  • To organize theme-specific conferences, workshops or other meetings;
  • Informatics Europe regular publications, such as the Informatics Europe Tech Watch Digest;
  • Informatics Europe electronic newsletter;
  • Publication of information on the Informatics Europe website;
  • Informatics Europe special reports on specific topics, either Informatics Europe initiated or commissioned by governments or other organizations;
  • Informatics Europe originated contributions to publications by other organizations;
  • Services to members, such as email alerts, information on developments in computer science education and research, career development help etc.;
  • Definition, publication and enforcement of standards of conduct and codes of ethics for professionals in computer science education and research;
  • Interactions with the general public, governments (local, national, international), the media, industry and other bodies, intended to raise and resolve issues related to computer science education and research;
  • To organize the Annual General Assembly and Extraordinary General Assembly of Informatics Europe members.

Activities of Informatics Europe may be pursued in English or any other European language convenient to each activity’s participants.

 

Article 3: Membership

  1. Informatics Europe members are organizations.
  2. There is a regular and an associate member status.
  3. Regular members, split in four categories, include:
  • University members: universities, as represented by their departments of computer science or equivalent;
  • Public research members: publicly-funded research organizations;
  • Industry members: industrial research laboratories or other industry organizations in the Information Technology;
  • National association members.

Regular membership status is subject to the payment of an annual fee, set every year for each membership category by the Executive Board. Regular members must be organizations incorporated in one of the member or candidate member countries of the Council of Europe, or Israel.

  1. Associate members are other organizations with which Informatics Europe collaborates. Associate member status is normally subject to reciprocal status for Informatics Europe.
  2. Regular and Associate Members must be approved yearly by the Executive Board.
  3. Informatics Europe makes no distinction of national origin among its members.

 

Article 4: Termination of the membership

Membership shall be terminated in the following cases

  1. Withdrawal by the member: withdrawal can only occur at the end of a fiscal year and requires a written 3-month notice.
  2. By expulsion for violation of bylaws and rules or for any other conduct prejudicial to the interest and correct functioning of the association.
  3. Any proposal to expel a member must be backed by at least one-fifth of all the regular members. The proposal to expel must be on the agenda for the General Assembly at which it is to be discussed so as to give the member the opportunity to present its case.
  4. A two-thirds majority of all the regular members is necessary to expel a member. Such expulsion will become effective 15 days after notification by registered mail.
  5. A member who has been expelled can only be re-admitted by the General Assembly with a two-thirds majority of all ordinary members.

 

II Organization

Article 5: Body

The association consists of:

  • General assembly
  • Executive board


III General Assembly

Article 6: Competence

The General Assembly shall be the highest authority of the association. Informatics Europe shall hold an Annual General Assembly, if possible in conjunction with another event such as the Informatics Europe Annual Conference. At an Annual or Extraordinary General Assembly, every regular member shall have one vote; associate members are permitted to attend but do not vote. In the Executive Board, every Executive Board member shall have one vote.

Except where these Bylaws explicitly require a higher majority, all votes of an Annual or Extraordinary General Assembly, and of the Executive Board, shall be taken by simple majority  (strictly more than the half expressed as a real value) of the voters; in addition, any decision on a motion not circulated to potential voters at least four weeks before the vote shall require a number of voters equal to a majority of the potential voters.

Other voting modalities, such as authorizing proxies or email votes, are established by the Executive Board and published on the Informatics Europe Web site or other appropriate venues; any change to previously existing modalities requires approval by two-thirds of Executive Board members.

In addition, Informatics Europe shall, at six weeks' notice, hold an Extraordinary General Assembly under either of:

  • A decision of the Executive Board.
  • A request from a majority of the Regular Members.

 


IV Executive Board

Article 7: Formation

  1. The Executive Board consists of:
  • At most nine Members-at-Large, elected by the Annual General Assembly, for a period of two years;
  • Two Vice Presidents and a President, elected under the same modalities;
  • Ex officio: the previous President, if any, for a period of two years after expiration of his or her President's term;
  • Ex officio: the head of the professional staff of Informatics Europe, if any.
  1. The two-year terms are not immediately renewable more than once, except in the case of a Member-at-Large elected Vice President or President, or a Vice President elected President.
  2. The Executive Board sets election procedures. Any change to the previously existing procedures is subject to a vote of the Annual General Assembly, by at least two-thirds of the voters representing a majority of the Regular Members.
  3. All non-ex-officio members must be affiliated at the time of their election or reelection with a Regular Member of Informatics Europe in good standing. Executive Board members then serve in their own name and may elect to remember in the Executive Board even if they leave their organization.
  4. If an Executive Board member becomes unavailable before the expiration of his or her term, the seat remains unfilled until the next Annual General Assembly

 

Article 8: Governance

  1. The Executive Board is responsible for the operation of Informatics Europe. In particular, the Executive Board:
  • Represents Informatics Europe in relations with other organizations;
  • Sets membership dues, and manages the membership and finances of Informatics Europe;
  • Admits or denies requests for regular and associate membership, and requests membership in other organizations;
  • Decides on the location of the Informatics Europe offices;
  • Decides whether to hire paid professional staff and what tasks they should perform;
  • Fulfills the legal duties of Informatics Europe;
  • Creates and dissolves organizational units of Informatics Europe, such as working groups;
  • Sets general rules on the mode of operation of these units, such as admittance and privileges of observers;
  • Convenes, announces to members and organizes the Annual General Assembly once a year, and any Extraordinary General Assembly;
  • Brings any appropriate matter to the attention and vote of an Annual or Extraordinary General Assembly;
  • Takes any Informatics Europe governance and management decision not otherwise assigned by these Bylaws.
  1. The President directs the meetings and other operation of the Executive Board. The Vice Presidents replace the President in case of unavailability. The Executive Board may appoint other officers, such as a Secretary and a Treasurer, at its discretion.
  2. The Executive Board presents in advance of the Annual General Assembly, and submits to its approval, a report on its activities during the past year. If the vote is negative, the Executive Board shall organize, within six weeks, a new election of all the non-ex-officio members, for which the non-renewal rules shall apply as if the current terms had been run to completion.

 

V Finance

Article 9: Finance

  1. The annual budget of the Association shall be approved by at least two thirds of the ordinary members represented at an ordinary General Assembly.
  2. The Association shall be financed by its members. The fees for each membership class are set in advance by the executive board members during an ordinary General Assembly.

 

VI Final Provisions

Article 10: Change to these bylaws

Any change to these Bylaws must be both:

  • Approved by at least two-thirds of the Executive Board members;
  • Submitted to the Annual General Assembly, or an Exceptional General Assembly, at least four weeks in advance;
  • Approved by the Annual or Extraordinary General Assembly by at least two thirds of the voters, representing a majority of the Regular Members.

 

Article 11: Incorporation and Laws

Informatics Europe is incorporated as a nonprofit organization in Zurich. Any change of location is subject to a revision of these Bylaws.
The activities of Informatics Europe are subject to the laws of its place of incorporation.