Article I. Purpose of the Commisssion
The European Seismological
Commission (ESC) is a scientific organisation created in 1951 by the International Association of Seismology and Physics
of the Earth’s Interior (IASPEI) and is a regional commission of IASPEI. Administrative
and scientific decisions should be consistent with the general rules / decisions
of IASPEI.
The
ESC mission is to promote the science of Seismology within the scientific
community of the European and Mediterranean countries (encompassing the area
from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge to the Ural Mountains and from the Arctic Ocean
to northern Africa), by promoting research studies, to extend and enhance
scientific co-operation and to train young scientists.
The following objectives are
of particular interest:
a)
Facilitate exchange of ideas and personal meetings between scientists by
means of the General Assembly of the ESC, workshops and seminars on special
topics, and discussion forums on emerging issues.
b)
Encourage co-operation between individuals and organisations by establishing
Working Groups (WGs) on seismological problems of common international interest,
with emphasis on new research topics.
c)
Promote inter-disciplinary studies involving Seismology.
d)
Encourage co-operation with other European and non-European scientific and
engineering communities.
e)
Organise, and encourage others to organise training courses in Earthquake
and Engineering Seismology, especially for young scientists.
f)
Operate within the bylaws, regulations and recommendations of the International
Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth´s Interior (IASPEI).
Article II. Membership
Membership in ESC is by country.
Each country that adheres to IUGG and is situated within the region defined
in Article I is a member and has the right to nominate a national representative
to the ESC, referred to as a "Titular Member".
Titular Members form part
of the ESC Council (see Article IV).
Titular Members should be nominated by the national committee of IUGG. They
are appointed for two successive administrative periods (see Article X) and may be re-appointed thereafter. If no candidate
is nominated by the national committee, the Executive Committee (see Article V) may propose a candidate
to the appropriate national organisation.
Titular
Members are responsible for: a) The votes on behalf of their country; b) The dissemination of ESC information
and announcements on a national basis. In the case of absence from a General
Assembly, a Titular Member may delegate his duties to a compatriot present
at the General Assembly or to a member of the Executive Committee. If a Titular
Member fails to fulfil the duties described in Article II of the Bylaws, the
ESC Executive Committee may approach the national committee to nominate a
new member.
Article
III. The General Assembly
A General Assembly is the time period from the Opening Plenary meeting through the Closing Plenary meeting. Scientific sessions and administrative meetings are scheduled during the General Assembly. Anyone interested is invited to take part in the General Assembly.
The
ESC Council decides upon the location of the next General
Assembly. If no decision is reached by the Council, the choice of a place
and date is left to the Executive
Committee. The letters of convocation for a General Assembly shall
be sent to all members of the Council at least three months before the date
chosen. An extraordinary General Assembly must be called by the Executive
Committee if requested by the President or by at least one third of all Titular
Members.
Article IV. The Council
The ruling body of the ESC is the Council, consisting of the Titular Members, and the Executive Committee.
The
Council meets at least once during every General Assembly for elections. Before
the Closing Plenary meeting, the Council shall decide on: 1. Date and place
for the next General Assembly, based on invitations received; 2. Resolutions
forwarded by the Resolutions Committee; 3. Other matters referred to the Council.
All decisions are announced at the Closing Plenary.
Article V. The Executive Committee
The administrative body of the ESC is the Executive Committee, consisting of:
a)
Members elected by the Council at each General Assembly: the President, the
Vice-President, the Secretary General,
the Assistant Secretary, and three
additional Executive Committee members.
b)
Members by right: the immediate
Past-President, the immediate Past-Vice-President, and a representative of
the International Association of Seismology
and Physics of the Earth's Interior (IASPEI), delegated by IASPEI.
c)
The European-Mediterranean Seismological
Centre (EMSC), the European Association for Earthquake Engineering (EAEE),
the Observatories and Research Facilities for European Seismology (ORFEUS),
and the Asian Seismological Commission (ASC) can be represented in the Executive
Committee by one delegate each, provided that ESC is also represented in their
ruling bodies. They take part in the discussions, and shall have power of
voting provided there is reciprocity.
The President, the Vice-President the immediate Past-President, the immediate past Vice-President, and the Secretary General shall all be from different country affiliation.
The
President is eligible only for one administrative period. The President shall chair the Executive Committee
and the Council, and act on behalf of the ESC in accordance with policies
and procedures adopted by the General Assembly and the Executive Committee.
The
Vice-President is eligible only for one administrative period. The Vice-President shall assure the smooth progress of the activities
related to the organization of the next General Assembly, and shall assume
the duties of the President when the President is unavailable.
The Secretary General shall conduct the correspondence, preserve the administrative archives, assist the President and the Vice-President on matters related to the ESC, and implement or monitor the implementation of the decisions of the Executive Committee.
No person may hold the Secretary General office for more than four consecutive
administrative periods.
The
Assistant Secretary shall assist the Secretary General on the ESC administrative
duties, on the organization of the next General Assembly,
and during the different administrative meetings that take place at the General Assembly.
No person may hold the Assistant Secretary office for more than four consecutive
administrative periods.
The three additional Executive Committee members, together with the Past-Vice-President, shall administratively supervise the activities
of the Working Groups (see Article VII).
No person may hold an additional Executive Committee member office for more
than two consecutive administrative periods.
The
immediate Past-President is a member by right of the Executive Committee for
one administrative period. The immediate Past-President shall be responsible of the improvement and expansion of
the international activities and the impact of the ESC, including the collaboration
with other scientific organizations.
The immediate Past-Vice-President is a member by right of the Executive Committee for one administrative period. The immediate Past-Vice-President shall assist the Vice-President on the activities related to the organization of the next General Assembly.
The
Executive Committee functions include:
· To realise the goals and objectives of the ESC as specified in Article I, and act according to the ESC Bylaws,
· To implement the decisions and policies established by the General Assembly,
· To nominate the ESC representatives in other scientific organizations when needed,
· To establish Working Groups that will contribute to the objectives and activities of the ESC,
·
To enhance the transparency of all
ESC activities including, not yet limited to, reporting of its activities
and those of the Working Groups,
·
To prepare the administrative agenda
of the next General Assembly, and coordinate the scientific programme,
· To prepare new proposals for modification of the Bylaws or internal regulations to be submitted to the Council for approval.
The Executive Committee meets at least once a year and during the General
Assembly. The Executive Committee meeting requires at least 2/3 of the voting
members to be present. The decisions shall be taken by a majority vote.
In case of a tied vote, the President's vote is decisive.
Article VI. The Committees
Resolutions Committee: At the Opening Plenary meeting of each General Assembly, the President appoints a Resolutions Committee consisting of one member of the Executive Committee and at least two other members. All resolutions to be presented at the Council meeting for decision must be transmitted in writing to the Resolutions Committee not less than 24 hours before the said meeting. The Resolutions Committee is responsible for wording the resolutions to conform to the terminology of IASPEI and IUGG. The Committee shall post all resolutions and recommendations at least 12 hours before the Closing Plenary meeting.
Nominating Committee: The President appoints a Nominating Committee consisting of not more than four members. This committee must be approved by the Executive Committee at the first business meeting of each General Assembly. The Nominating Committee proposes nominees for positions in the Executive Committee. Members of the Nominating Committee are ineligible for membership in the Executive Committee. In addition to candidates nominated by the Nominating Committee, additional nominations for each office may be made from the floor at the Council meeting. A country cannot be represented by more than one person in the Nominating Committee.
Special Committees: The President, with the approval of the Executive Committee, may appoint special
committees to propose solutions for specific administrative problems.
Article VII. The Working
Groups
Working Groups are formed within the ESC to address particular scientific
problems, and they are established by the Executive Committee following evaluation
and endorsement of proposals.
The forming of a Working Group requires a written proposal to the Secretary
General including:
a)
A clear definition of the objectives to be achieved, i.e.: a title that clearly
reflects the issue, a short description and the expected duration;
b)
The list of participants that have agreed to be involved;
c)
The nomination of a Chairperson that would coordinate the Working Group activities
and be responsible for reporting to the Executive Committee;
Working Groups are encouraged to include not less than four participants
from at least two different countries.
Working Groups are encouraged to conclude their activities within four years.
If needed, the Working Group could extend its activity beyond the four-year
time limit: A written extension proposal to the Secretary General is required,
and it has to be approved by the Executive Committee.
The Working Group Chairperson shall be responsible for reporting its progress
to the Executive Committee at least once a year, and creating and maintaining
a Web site that describes the activities and the achievements of the Working
Group.
The Working Group will be dissolved when either:
1.
The objectives are fulfilled,
2.
The majority of its participants so
decide,
3.
The four-year term, and any approved
extension have been completed,
4.
Failing to report according to the
requirements of the Executive Committee.
Article VIII. Administrative Period
The
administrative period is normally two years, and comprises the time interval between
the Closing Plenary meetings of two consecutive General Assemblies.
Article IX.
Elections
The Council elects the Executive Committee and confirms the Working Groups and the Titular Members.
The President appoints a chairperson and two tellers to carry out the elections.
A person cannot have more than one vote by reason of his different offices. Vote by proxy is allowed. The election of the President, the Vice-President, and the other members of the Executive Committee is carried out successively. In general, voting is by secret ballot. In cases of a foreseen unanimity, voting may be executed by show of hands.
All decisions by the Council will be made by a simple majority of the eligible votes cast. In case of a tied vote, the President's vote is decisive. For cases other than election of the Executive Committee, voting by secret ballot is performed only if requested by at least one member.
The members of the Council may cast their vote in writing by mail.
During
the interval between the General Assemblies, with the decision of the Executive Committee, when necessary, mail balloting may be conducted to
obtain a Council decision. In such cases, the approval requires 2/3 of all
eligible votes.
Article X. Amendment
of Bylaws
Drafts
of proposed amendments must be made available to all members of the Council
prior to the General Assembly. They must be approved by two thirds of all
members of the Council with voting power. If a quorum of two thirds of all
members of the Council is not obtained, the same amendments may be approved
by two thirds of the eligible votes held by the members present during the
next General Assembly.
Article XI. Interpretation of the Bylaws
The
English text is the guide for the interpretation of the Bylaws. In case of
any ambiguity, the statutes of IASPEI will serve as a reference.
Article XII. Approval of the Bylaws
The
text of these Bylaws has been approved by the ESC Council at the General Assembly
on 26 August 1988, with amendments approved at the General Assemblies
on 12 September 1996, and 7 September 2006.
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/esc_bylaws_geneva.htm
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