ESCMID Bylaws

a. The ESCMID Membership consists of:

1. Individual full (regular) members, i.e. members who have paid the dues of the Society.
2. Individual honorary members, i.e. distinguished physicians or scientists elected by the Executive Committee.
3. Corporate members, i.e. companies or institutions wishing to maintain closer ties with ESCMID.
4. Affiliated members, i.e. the individual members of affiliated societies. They do not pay membership fees nor are they entitled to any benefits from ESCMID except those provided through the intermediary of their mother societies.
5. Associated members, i.e. active members of ESCMID Study Groups. They do not pay membership fees nor are they entitled to any benefits from ESCMID except those provided through the intermediary of their study groups.

Membership may be terminated in case of professional, scientific, financial or other misdemeanours, considered by the Executive Committee to warrant such action.

b. The Assembly of Members is held during the annual Congress of the Society and shall hold plenary meetings. Regular members, honorary members, corporate members, chairpersons of ESCMID Study Groups and presidents of affiliated societies will be notified of the assembly by a personally addressed letter, by an e-mail message and/or by publication in the official journal or newsletter of the Society at least six weeks in advance of the assembly. The six week period starts with the date of the postmark. The notification will include the following: date, time and place of assembly and proposed agenda. As additional means to inform the members about the Assembly the invitation can also be disseminated by email or by publication in the official newsletter of the Society.

c. Members who wish to raise matters during an assembly may do so, but a vote on the matter requires written notification received by the secretary general at least 60 days prior to the assembly.

d. All members of the Society in good standing will be entitled to attend the Assembly.

e. The President of the Society will chair the Assembly.

f. Resolutions will be passed by a simple majority of the members present unless the matter concerns the statutes of the Society, in which case the support of at least two thirds of the members present will be required.

g. Full members, honorary members and representatives of corporate members have voting rights. Affiliated and associate members have no voting rights.

1. Principle
a. Affiliation is a process whereby ESCMID and other European professional societies can establish or strengthen their relationship in order to foster the cohesion among European societies active in the field of infection and to promote and widen their common interests and achievements in the scientific, educational and professional areas relevant to their respective memberships.

b. Affiliated societies constitute the European Council. It discusses issues relevant to the objectives of affiliation and serves as an advisory forum for the ESCMID Executive Committee.

c. Affiliation to ESCMID does not entail, for an affiliated society, any external control on its own organization, activities and internal electoral procedures by ESCMID.

d. Membership to the ESCMID European Council does not entail, for the affiliated society, any right of interfering with the ESCMID organization, activities and internal electoral procedures.

e. Members of affiliated Society are by definition "affiliated" (non-voting) members of ESCMID.

2. Eligibility for Affiliation
a. Eligible for affiliation are European national and continental specialist societies active in the fields of microbiology, infectious diseases and related disciplines.

b. Any application for affiliation must be approved by the ESCMID Executive Committee. Essential requisites are continuing activity, democratic governance and periodical renewal of their management.

3. The European Council
a. The affiliated societies are represented in the ESCMID European Council by their Presidents or by an ad hoc appointed nominee. It is an affiliated society's task to inform ESCMID about the election of a new President or the appointment of a new nominee.

b. The European Council meets at least once a year, preferably on the ECCMID opening day. The inherent travel and accommodation expenses are not borne by the ESCMID.

c. The agenda of the European Council meeting is developed under the responsibility of the Secretary General with the active participation of the affiliated societies, and sent out at least 4 weeks prior to the meeting. The ESCMID President acts as chairperson. The Secretary General acts as the Council's secretary and gives a progress report of the activities and achievements related to the European Council during the past year.

d. The European Council passes resolutions with simple majority.

e. Recommendations prompted by the European Council and the complete minutes of the Council meetings, signed by the ESCMID President and Secretary General, are published in ESCMID News and in the abridged version dispatched to all affiliated societies for distribution among their members.

4. Benefits to Affiliated Societies
a. Membership to the ESCMID European Council.

b. Individual members become affiliated ESCMID members.

c. The affiliated societies are entitled to receive an abridged version of ESCMID News as electronic information bulletin 3 times a year by e-mail (May, September, January) as well as electronic mailings about professional issues of general interest. The administrative offices of the affiliated societies are responsible for their distribution among the individual members.

d. Subscription to CMI at a preferential rate.

e. Section in ESCMID News and ESCMID web site to announce and report on activities of affiliated societies.

f. Co-organization of ESCMID educational events.
 
5. Fees and conditions for Affiliated Societies
a. The mailing process is decentralised through affiliated societies which are responsible for distributing the information provided by ESCMID among their individual members.

b. Affiliated societies provide ESCMID annually with the name of the formal representative to the European Council and with an updated number of individual members.

c. Annual affiliation fee per society: EUR 50 (< 300 members), EUR 100 (300 to 1000 members) or EUR 250 (> 1000 members).

1. Members
a. The Executive Committee has at least nine members elected by a secret ballot and by simple majority from among the full individual members of the Society in good standing for at least the past three years. All Society members in good standing by at least one year will be entitled to vote.

b. One additional member may be co-opted. The Society must be notified of co-opted members, who are voting members of the Executive Committee and usually serve for one two-year term.

c. Members of the Executive Committee, either elected or co-opted, must be professionally active and may not serve for more than eight consecutive years.

d. The Chief Editor(s) of Clinical Microbiology and Infection will be ad hoc non-voting members of the Executive committee. Likewise, the Presidents of the annual ECCMIDs will serve as ad hoc non-voting members for the year preceding the congress and the calendar year in which the congress takes place. The Managing Director will be ex-officio non-voting member of the Executive Committee.
 
2. Meetings
Regular meetings will be held at least quarterly. Special meetings may be called by direction of the President or by the written request of a majority of the Executive Committee members. For special meetings, a minimum of 14 days' written notice must be given to all Committee members; the purpose of the meeting must be specified in the notice of the meeting. Elected and co-opted members who do not attend at least 75% of Executive Committee meetings within a 2-year time period must resign. Ad hoc members are invited to Executive Committee meetings in relation to the agenda items decided by the President. They are not entitled to receive the full meeting agenda and minutes.

Important issues must be decided, whenever possible, by the whole Executive during regular face-to-face meetings, which permit informed discussion. In exceptional cases, urgent preliminary decisions can be made by an individual officer and the President if all members of the Executive are informed by email. The decision becomes definitive if no objection is raised within the following week.
 
3. Functions
The functions of the Executive Committee will be as follows:

a. To manage and direct the Society as empowered by the Society's statutes and bylaws.

b. To receive and give careful consideration to reports of the European Council and the Society's members and constituent bodies.

c. To adopt, amend, repeal and enforce rules and regulations for the conduct of Society meetings and activities, not contrary to law, the statutes, and the bylaws.

d. To appoint subsidiary organization as it deems necessary or beneficial for the proper transaction of the Society's business.

e. To maintain a written record of its proceedings and to submit the report of each meeting at the next successive Executive Committee meeting for approval.

f.  To report the activities of the Executive Committee to the Assembly of Members.

g. To terminate, after due consideration, the membership of any person guilty of misdemeanour.
 
4. Order of Business
At meetings of the Executive Committee, business shall be transacted in such order as determined by the agenda, decided by the President after consulting all voting members and circulated by the Managing Director at least five days before the meeting. Any agenda modification shall be approved by the majority of those attending the meeting.
 
5. Quorum
A simple majority of Executive Committee voting members will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. For all decisions requiring a vote, apart from the Statutes amendments, a simple majority of at least five Executive Committee voting members will be determinative. A secret voting procedure may be decided by the President or requested by the majority of the voting members. In case of a tie, the president will have the casting vote.
 
6. Vacancies
A member of the Executive Committee may vacate the position by resignation or termination of Society membership. Any vacancy occurring in the Committee will normally be filled at the next scheduled election following the procedure outlined in §3-1a. An individual elected to fill a vacancy on the Executive Committee will serve for a full term.

The officers of the Society will be appointed by agreement amongst the voting members of the Executive Committee. The term of office begins at the meeting date of the Assembly of Members at the appropriate ECCMID after the performed elections. It lasts up to four years (up to two years for the co-opted members) and is renewable once. The President, President-elect and Past President serve for a term of two years only.
 
1. President
The President will be the chief executive officer of the Society and will chair all meetings of the Executive Committee. He or she will ensure that the statutes and bylaws are enforced and that all resolutions and orders of the Executive Committee are carried out. He or she will be empowered to represent the Society in all legal matters. The President will chair the Assembly of Members and the European Council. The President's term will be two years and is not immediately renewable. The President will have served as President-elect for a term of two years before taking over the presidency at the Assembly of Members during the appropriate ECCMID. In the case of a temporary absence or disability of the President, the President-elect will have all the powers and perform all the duties of the President. Should the President be permanently disabled the Past President will assume his/her responsibilities.
 
2. President-elect and Secretary General
The President-elect ensures continuity and will have such powers and perform such duties as assigned to him or her by the Executive Committee or the President. The President-elect will succeed the President upon expiration of the President's term of office.

He or she also acts as the Secretary General, and will be responsible for the general conduct of the affairs of the Society and will represent the Society in all contacts with other Societies if not decided otherwise by the Executive Committee.

He or she is the Secretary of the European Council, develops the agenda of the Council’s meetings and gives a progress report of the Council’s activities and achievements during the past year (see also §2-3c).
He or she will be responsible for all the Society’s electoral procedures, membership issues and the Executive Office arrangements.
He or she cooperates with the President in preparing agenda and minutes of the Executive Committee meetings.
He or she will furthermore perform other duties as assigned to him or her by the Executive Committee or the President.
The President-elect and Secretary General will serve for two years.
 
3. Treasurer
The Treasurer is empowered to represent the Society in all financial matters. He or she will have custody of the Society's funds and securities. He or she will submit to the Executive Committee annually a detailed budget of proposed and anticipated expenditure and income for the forthcoming fiscal year of the Society, as well as detailed financial accounts for the current fiscal year. He or she will disburse funds only upon itemised demands and according to the instructions of the Executive Committee. Exceptionally, and with the President’s approval, the Treasurer may commit sums up to a total agreed by the Executive Committee, obtaining approval subsequently. An annual professional auditing of the financial accounts of the Society will be made by an accountant at the close of each fiscal year and will be reported to the next Executive Committee meeting following the close of such fiscal year. The Treasurer will submit detailed statements of income and expenditure to each annual Assembly of Members, after approval by the Executive Committee.
 
4. Past President and Publication Officer
The Past President will normally chair the Publications Subcommittee. In addition, he or she will chair the Awards Subcommittee as well as the Nomination Subcommittee for the nomination of candidates to the Executive Committee. The Past President will serve for two years.
 
5. Scientific Affairs Officer
The Scientific Affairs Officer will be responsible for the study groups, co-ordinate their  activities help to ensure that they have adequate resources, review their requests for ESCMID support of scientific meetings and start up of research projects, and will be responsible for the formation of new study groups. The Scientific Affairs Officer cooperates with the ECCMID Programme Director in developing the scientific programme of ECCMID. The Scientific Affairs Officer chairs the Scientific Affairs Subcommittee.
 
6. ECCMID Programme Director
The ECCMID Programme Director chairs the ECCMID Organising Committee and acts as chair of the ECCMID programme committee. He or she will be responsible for all aspects of the scientific programme of ECCMIDs, in cooperation with the Education and the Scientific Affairs Officers, in coordination with local ECCMID Presidents and with the help of the Scientific Secretariat operated by the Executive Office.
 
7. Professional Affairs Officer for Clinical Microbiology
The Professional Affairs Officer for Clinical Microbiology will be responsible for liaison with other organizations in Clinical Microbiology, including the relevant Section of the UEMS, and for professional policy issues in the field of Clinical Microbiology, such as matters relating to professional training, mobility, recruitment, and practice guidelines. The officer should be involved in the practice of Clinical/Medical Microbiology. He or she co-chairs the Professional Affairs Subcommittee.
 
8. Professional Affairs Officer for Infectious Diseases
The Professional Affairs Officer for Infectious Diseases will be responsible for liaison with other organizations in Infectious Diseases, including the UEMS Section for Infectious Diseases, and for professional policy issues in the field of Infectious Diseases such as matters relating to professional training, mobility, recruitment, and practice guidelines. The officer should be involved in the practice of Infectious Diseases. He or she co-chairs the Professional Affairs Subcommittee.
 
9. Education Officer
The Education Officer will be responsible for the Society's programme of postgraduate and continuing medical education in Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. He or she will also be responsible for the ESCMID Summer School. He or she chairs the Education Subcommittee.

1. Managing Director
The Executive Committee and its officers are supported by the Executive Office headed by the ESCMID Managing Director. The Managing Director shall assist with the execution of the Executive Committee’ resolutions and will manage the Executive Office accordingly.
 
2. ECCMID Presidents
The ECCMID Presidents serve as non-voting ad hoc members to the Executive Committee for the period starting at the preceding ECCMID until the end of the calendar year in which the congress takes place.
 
3. CMI Editor(s)
The CMI Editor-in-Chief and the editor responsible for the CMI supplements, if applicable, serve as non-voting ad hoc members to the Executive Committee.

The officers and the other Executive Committee members will receive no compensation that would adversely affect the Society's tax-exempt status. Officers and other Executive Committee members will be reimbursed for documented expenses while conducting Society business.

The Society may have standing subcommittees. All subcommittees are accountable to the Executive Committee and can take no unilateral action. These subcommittees include:
 
1. Awards Subcommittee (AS)
The Awards Subcommittee will be responsible for all awards and research grants of the Society. The AS consists of the Past President (chair), the Scientific Affairs Officer and two members of the Scientific Advisory Subcommittee. The latter are jointly selected and proposed by the Past President and the Scientific Affairs Officer for approval to the Executive Committee. The awards and research grants will be announced in ESCMID News and on ESCMID's website. Members of the AS will serve for one year.Decisions on applications for travel grants from ESCMID members for a maximum 1000€ shall be taken by the two Professional Affairs Officers. A list of all decisions (including the reasons for both approvals and rejections) is presented to the ESCMID EC at least once a year.
 
2. Nomination Subcommittee (NS)
The membership may nominate candidates for election to the Executive Committee, who must be put on the ballot, if the following requirements are fulfilled:

1. The nomination must be supported in writing by at least 30 members in good standing by at least one year, and sent by either fax or regular mail to the Secretary General by August 31st of the election year,
2. At least 15 supporting members must come from countries other than the country of the nominated candidate,
3. Nominees who fail to be elected may not be nominated again for the immediate following term of office.

The selection of further candidates to be considered for election to the Executive Committee shall be made by a Nominating subcommittee.

a. The Nomination Subcommittee will consist of the Past President, who will serve as chairperson, two members of the Executive Committee, and two members elected by the European Council. The two members from the Executive Committee will be nominated by the Past President and approved by the Executive Committee, to represent a balance of speciality, region and gender.

b. The NS will select candidates to be proposed for election to the Executive Committee, having ensured that the candidates are prepared to take office.

c. In accordance with the name and objectives of the Society, the NS will, when selecting nominees, keep in mind an equitable professional, gender and geographic distribution among the European countries.

d. Members of the Nomination Subcommittee will serve for a term of one year.

1 Areas
The planning, organization and administration of Society publications will cover seven areas:
a. Clinical Microbiology and Infection (CMI)

b. ESCMID News

c. ESCMID's website

d. Books and guidelines

e. ESCMID’s online library

f. Audio-visual and electronic communications

g. Publications related to other activities (e.g. proceedings of symposia and conferences)

2 Publication Subcommittee (PS)
The Publication Officer (normally the Past President) will convene and chair the PS consisting of the President, the President-elect, the Treasurer, the Managing Director, the Editor-in-Chief of CMI, the Supplements Editor, the Managing Editor of CMI and the Publisher. The duties of the chairperson of the PS will be as follows:

a. To provide the Executive Committee with an annual financial report on CMI

b. To obtain from the Editor-in-Chief of CMI and the Publisher an annual report of the Journal's operations.

3. The Society's Official Publication
The official publication of the Society will be a journal devoted to the fields of clinical microbiology and infectious diseases. The name of this journal is Clinical Microbiology and Infection (CMI).
 
4. Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board
a. The Executive Committee will appoint the CMI Editor-in-Chief, who will serve for maximum five years. The Editor-in-Chief will be eligible for reappointment for further periods, as deemed appropriate by the Executive Committee.

b. The CMI editorial board members will be nominated by the Editor-in-Chief. The editors, assistant editors and associate editors will be appointed by the Editor-in-Chief with the approval of the Publication Committee. Editors and editorial board members will serve for a term of maximum five years, and will serve a maximum of two terms.

1. ECCMID
A European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) is held annually. The congress lasts a maximum of four consecutive days, with an opening ceremony permitted on the evening of the first congress day. Organization of the Congress and development of the scientific programme are subject to the Guidelines for the Organization of European Congresses of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (Annex I).
 
2. Venue
The ad hoc Subcommittee for Congresses and Meetings (appointed by the Executive Committee and consisting of at least the Programme Director, two additional members of the Executive Committee, the Managing Director and a representative of the professional congress organizer) will study the prospective locations and dates for upcoming congresses and make recommendations to the Executive Committee, which will decide on the final location and dates. The Executive Committee will select the venue of congresses at least four years in advance. The venues and dates for congresses will be announced at the Assembly of Members, in ESCMID News and on the Society's website.
 
3. President of the Congress
The President of the congress will become a non-voting ad hoc member of the
Society's Executive Committee for the 12 months preceding the congress and the rest of the calendar year in which the congress takes place. At later times the President of Congress may be invited to Executive Committee meetings if required by the agenda, particularly for the congress reports.
 
4. Organization of Congresses
Congresses will be conducted according to the Guidelines for the Organization of European Congresses of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, appended as Annex I to these Bylaws.

he Society intends to stimulate and participate in congresses, symposia, workshops and other meetings of national, regional and international importance. For meetings held under the auspices and supported by ESCMID the Guidelines for ESCMID Support of Events Organized by Other Organizations, appended as Annex II to these Bylaws, apply.

a. For the purpose of advancing scientific knowledge and disseminating professional guidelines in the fields of clinical microbiology and infectious diseases, the Society will encourage and co-ordinate study groups. The Guidelines for ESCMID Study Groups are to be followed (Annex III).

b. Study groups will be co-ordinated by the Scientific Affairs Officer. Topics for new study groups may be suggested by any Society member. All proposals for the formation of study groups must be submitted to the Scientific Affairs Officer for approval after review of their application by the SAS. All newly formed study groups will be announced to the Society members.

c. Participation in study groups as full members will be open to all Society members and as associate members to members of external groups interested in particular topics. Those interested in joining an ongoing study group will submit an application to the chairperson of the study group in which he or she is interested.

d. Each study group must elect from among  its members an Executive Committee composed of at least a chairperson, a secretary and a treasurer, who will be a member of the study group. The officers of the study group Executive Committee must be professionally active and regular ESCMID members.

e. All chairpersons of study groups will prepare and present annually to the Scientific Affairs Officer and Scientific Advisory Committee a report of the group's activities, plans and accounts.

f. All study groups should be prepared to contribute to the educational activities and congresses of the Society and are invited to submit proposals of Postgraduate Education Courses and ECCMID symposia.

g. Study groups are expected to finance their own activities and report their annual accounts and budget to their members. The Society will consider making start-up funds available to new study groups as well as consider request of partial financial support of scientific meetings, education courses and development of research and grant applications. Study groups complying with the Guidelines are entitled to receive EUR 500 per year as contribution to their administrative costs. Members of the Executive Committee of study groups will receive no financial compensation for their activities, other than reimbursements of expenses covered by an approved grant of ESCMID for scientific meetings, courses and start up of research projects.

The promotion of knowledge in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases is one of the central roles of ESCMID. The Society supports Postgraduate Education Courses and Technical Workshops, which are arranged according to the respective Guidelines (Annex IV).

ESCMID can have partnerships with national, European and international societies or organizations that have complementary objectives, activities and memberships according to the respective Guidelines (Annex V). These relationships must be based upon a written Memorandum of Understanding.