Bylaws

European Community on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences (ECCOMAS)

1. Name
It is agreed between the adherents that an International Association (hereinafter referred to as the “Association” is created under the French law of July 1st, 1901 and the order of August 16, 1901, called “European Community on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences (ECCOMAS)”. The legal seat of ECCOMAS is Paris. The operational seat and the secretariat will be decided by the Managing Board and should be confirmed by the General Assembly. The locations of the operation seat and secretariat can be changed by decision of the General Assembly.

2. Objectives
2.1 ECCOMAS will promote joint efforts of European universities, research institutes and industries which are active in the broader field of Numerical Methods and Computer Simulations in Engineering and Applied Sciences (i.e. Computational: Solid and Structural Mechanics, Fluid Dynamics, Acoustics, Electromagnetics, Physics, Chemistry, Applied Mathematics, and Computer Sciences) hereinafter called “fields of ECCOMAS” with the objective of
• exchanging scientific and technical information concerning basic and applied research;
• supporting the development of mathematical models, numerical and computer methods, simulations and numerical data bases;
• promoting advanced research for industrial applications;
• promoting European achievements in the fields of ECCOMAS on a worldwide scale;
• supporting the cooperation on a European level of universities, research institutes, and industries engaged in the fields of ECCOMAS;
• stimulating and promoting education in the fields of ECCOMAS;
• acting as an advisor to the European Commission for identifying, coordinating and disseminating innovative research directions in the fields of ECCOMAS;
• establishing advisory committees in strategic areas in the fields of ECCOMAS;
• providing forums and meetings for the dissemination of knowledge.

2.2 ECCOMAS is a natural partner of international Societies and Associations dealing with the fields of ECCOMAS, in particular, with the International Association for Computational Mechanics (IACM). The nature and the extent of the partnerships will be defined in separate agreements between the Organizations.

2.3 The Association is a non-profit organization and will use its funds only in agreement with its aims stated in the By-laws.

3. Activities
3.1 The Association will organize large-scale European congresses in the fields of ECCOMAS; promote thematic conferences, workshops, young investigator conferences/courses, and open industrial days within its fields, as well as any other activities serving the objectives of the Association.

3.2 It will encourage activities of the members related to the aims of ECCOMAS and try to improve the coordination between them.

4. Membership
4.1 The members of the Association may belong to one of the following categories:
• M1 National or Regional Associations and Scientific Committees in the fields of ECCOMAS with individual membership;
• M2 Associations in the fields of ECCOMAS whose members are research groups and industries without individual membership.

4.2 All members should ensure their proper and valid representativity by providing a copy of their By-laws and a yearly updated list of the names of their paying members or the number of these members that are active in the fields of ECCOMAS to the ECCOMAS secretariat.

4.3 Only members who have paid their annual membership fees have voting rights and are entitled to representation in the General Assembly and to propose candidates for the Managing Board.

4.4 Prospective members must apply in writing to the President. The General Assembly accepts or refuses the application acting on prior advice from the Managing Board.

4.5 The members of the Association can resign for the next year by sending a written notification to the President until September 30th of the year.

4.6 Members can be excluded from membership by the General Assembly if they carry out actions that contravene the aims or are in conflict with the By-laws of the Association. The proposal of exclusion of membership will be explicitly mentioned on the Agenda of the General Assembly. The decision of exclusion shall be adopted by a two-third majority of the votes cast by the members present at the General Assembly. Continued non-payment of the membership fee can be a reason for exclusion from the Association.

5. General Assembly
5.1 The General Assembly (GA) is composed of representatives of the members of the Association. The General Assembly is acting in accordance with the aims and objectives of the Association. The GA is the highest authority of the Association. It is responsible for all major decisions concerning the Association.

5.2 Each member Association will be represented in the GA by a number of representatives proportional to its active members and will designate the representative(s) with voting rights in the GA.
• For M1 members: One vote for 50 to 100 individual members. Two votes for 101 to 300 members. Three votes for more than 300 members;
• For M2 members: As for M1, with the “equivalent individual” membership obtained by multiplying the number of members by the equivalent number of individual members they represent.

5.3 The GA will confirm the members of the Managing Board (MB) designated by the Associations and will elect among them the President of ECCOMAS. The President is elected for one four-year term only.

5.4 The GA will convene annually. If necessary, electronic voting can be carried out. An extraordinary GA can be called by at least one third of the members. The GA is convened by the MB and will be chaired by the President. The rules for electronic voting will be defined by the MB in accordance with legal prescriptions in terms of confidentiality, objectivity and representativity.

5.5 The GA decides on the admission and exclusion of members, according to articles 4.1, 4.4, 4.6 and sets the rules for modifications of the By-laws. A modification of the By-laws must be approved by at least two thirds of the members of the GA. The GA will discuss and approve the annual audited financial report and will vote on the annual budget. The approval/voting can be done electronically.

5.6 Any member can be represented by a proxy, provided that a written notification has been sent to the Secretariat.    A member cannot proxy vote more than two Member Associations.

5.7 Except in those cases stated in the By-laws, a resolution shall be adopted by a simple majority of the votes cast. A resolution adopted by the GA will be valid if and only if at least one third of the members are present or represented. A resolution on an item not included in the Agenda can be adopted provided the extended Agenda is approved by a unanimous vote.

5.8 Resolutions and minutes of the GA shall be recorded in a register, signed by the President and kept at the seat of the Secretariat of the Association. All members of the Association shall be notified of the decisions taken.

6. Managing Board
6.1 Each member Association will be represented by one member in the Managing Board with voting rights equal to its corresponding voting rights in the GA. Membership in the MB is restricted to two four-year terms.

6.2 The Managing Board will be in charge of managing the scientific, technical, and financial affairs of ECCOMAS.    The MB is vested with all powers necessary for the administration and management, except for the powers restricted to the GA. The MB will empower an Executive Committee with responsibility for daily administration.

6.3 The Executive Committee will be formed by the President, the two Vice-Presidents, the Treasurer, the Secretary, and by up to two members, all of whom to be elected among the members of the MB. The Vice-Presidents are elected for one four-year term only. The Executive Committee has to report to the MB.

6.4 The MB will convene preferably twice a year. Half of the members may call for an extraordinary meeting. In between meetings, electronic voting can be applied. The MB sets up the Agenda of the GA.    Its resolutions will be adopted by a simple majority of the MB members present. The President will hold a casting vote in the event of a tied vote.    A decision of the MB is valid if at least one third of the members of MB are present or represented. The rules for electronic voting will be defined by the MB in accordance with legal prescriptions in terms of confidentiality, objectivity and representativity.

6.5 Any member can be represented by a proxy, provided that a written notification has been sent to the Secretariat.    A member cannot proxy vote more than two Member Associations.

6.6 The MB is empowered to establish ad hoc committees when deemed appropriate.

6.7 The MB will present the audited financial report and annual budget to the GA.

6.8 Past Presidents will be co-opted in the MB for one term only after their Presidency. They have no voting right. In addition to the Past President the MB is entitled to co-opt up to 5 persons on the basis of specific merits and expertise. They have no voting rights.

6.9 Resolutions and minutes of the MB shall be recorded in a register, signed by the President and kept at the seat of the Secretariat of the Association. The President will make them available to the members of the Association.

7. Finances
7.1 The fiscal year begins on January 1st and ends on December 31st.

7.2 The annual fees of each Association member vary according to the overall number of members in the respective member Association. The annual fees should be fixed by the MB.

8. Amendments of the By-laws and Dissolution
8.1 Any voting member can present a proposal to the MB to amend the By-laws or to dissolve the Association. Each proposal aimed at the amendment of the By-laws or the dissolution of the Association shall be considered by the Managing Board and communicated to the General Assembly.

8.2 If the Managing Board wishes this proposal to be discussed by the General Assembly, it shall give at least 3 months notice of its intention. A decision is adopted only if passed by a 2/3 majority of the members qualified to vote.

8.3 Any issue that is not anticipated by the By-laws can be decided by the General Assembly.

8.4 The amendment to the By-laws will become effective immediately after having been adopted by the GA.

8.5 The GA will decide the way the Association will be dissolved