Statutes & Membership

The name of the Group shall be the ESCMID Food- and Water-borne Infection Study Group (EFWISG).

1. To assemble a wide range of geographically-diverse expertise from the spheres of clinical and laboratory medicine, scientific research, epidemiology and public health medicine and educators in a single unified forum to address questions which relate to the diagnosis, management and prevention of FWI and to promote and disseminate knowledge of FWI.
2. To identify potential scientific, clinical and epidemiological studies as well as educational initiatives relating to the above.
3. To identify and pursue funding opportunities to support these projects.
4. To identify potential collaborating partners for these studies and initiatives.
5. To provide support for projects from initial design through to data analysis and dissemination of results.
6. To provide educational and training opportunities for those with an interest in FWI.
7. To provide a forum for the exchange of knowledge and ideas and the development of a consensus in strategies relating to FWI.
8. To work together with other ESCMID Study Groups and individual members of ESCMID as appropriate.

1. Propose an annual EFWISG workshop at each annual ECCMID.
2. Aim to organise and fund a symposium of food- and water-borne infection during the usual scientific meeting at ECCMIDs biennially, subject to approval of the ECCMID Programme Director and the ESCMID Scientific Affairs Officer.
3. Organise a triennial scientific meeting (in association with an ECCMID or standalone) to discuss new developments, develop projects or produce consensus guidelines relating to food- and water-borne infection. Invited lectures, plenary sessions and poster presentations may also be given. Financial support for these meetings will be sought.
4. Develop, under the auspices of ESCMID, consensus guidelines/reports and position papers relating to the diagnosis, management and prevention of food- and water-borne disease. These will be submitted preferably to the official journal of ESCMID, currently Clinical Microbiology and Infection, for publication.
5. Establish and foster co-operative and collaborative links with other learned societies, public health agencies and other bodies, including private enterprise, which have an interest in food- and water-borne infection.
6. Hold a Business Meeting at each ECCMID in which:
   a. The Executive Committee reports on the activities of the Group including decisions made by the Committee
   b. A budgetary statement is made by the Group’s Treasurer
   c. Results of the ballot for elections, when appropriate, to the Executive Committee are made known
7. Disseminate information about the Group and its activities through:
   a. Webpages on the ESCMID website
   b. Articles in ESCMID News
   c. An electronic biannual newsletter

1. Membership is open to all, whether individuals or representatives of organisations or bodies, which have an interest in the clinical, scientific and technical or public health aspects of food and water microbiology/ infection and who are active in healthcare, research or educational activities relating to these topics.
2. Applications for membership will be via a pro-forma which must be submitted to the Secretary of the Group for consideration by the Executive Committee.
3. There will be two categories of membership: Individual and Corporate. Individual membership is open to all those who do not meet the requirements for Corporate Membership. They need not be members of ESCMID, although non-ESCMID members will be encouraged to join the Society. Individual members who are not also ESCMID members will not be eligible to stand for election to the Executive Committee.
4. Corporate membership is open to private enterprises or bodies which represent industry, academic groups, and publicly-funded scientific or public health agencies who support the aims and objectives of the Group. Corporate members will be entitled to full participation in the activities of the Group (through a designated representative) including EFWISG meetings and workshops and symposia sponsored by the Group. Corporate members, however, will not have voting rights and will be ineligible for election to the Executive Committee. Participation of corporate members in scientific or clinical studies initiated or organised by EFWISG is welcomed, but will require formal contractual arrangements to be established before the commencement of any such study.
5. Individual and non-commercial corporate members will pay no membership dues. Other corporate members will pay annual membership dues of EUR 1000.

1. The Executive Committee of the Group will consist of six members (who are all members of ESCMID) and will include:
   a. Chair (who will have a casting vote)
   b. Secretary
   c. Treasurer
   d. Additional members who will be elected to ensure: i) that the widest possible range of skills, knowledge and expertise relating to food and water microbiology and infection can contribute to the group; ii) that a wide variety of professionals including clinicians, public health workers and researchers are represented in the group; iii) that there is broad representation from countries across Europe.
2. Members of the Executive Committee will be elected initially for a two-year period at the Inaugural Meeting of the Group at the 17th ECCMID in Munich in 2007. Candidates for membership who work in a private enterprise, but which they would not represent in an official capacity, should nevertheless make a public declaration (to be posted on the EFWISG website) to the effect that they will act in a purely personal capacity should they be elected.
3. Election will be conducted by a ballot using a simple majority principle.
4. Members of the Executive Committee will then appoint the Chair, Treasurer and Secretary.
5. Following the initial elections at the inaugural meeting, members of the Executive Committee may serve two further three-year terms in the same or other role on the committee up to a maximum of three consecutive terms.
6. After initial elections, further elections to the Executive Committee will be held by electronic ballot. Two members of EFWISG who are not members of the current Executive Committee will oversee the elections.
7. The Executive Committee will meet regularly in person, at least annually in person at each ECCMID, and via tele-or web-conferencing as necessary. The Executive Committee will be responsible for:
   a. Organising membership meetings
   b. Organising scientific meetings
   c. Collaboration with other partner organisations
   d. Identification and development of scientific, clinical, public health and educational projects
   e. Raising funds for projects.