CONSTITUTION OF EBCOG
EBCOG is the Board of the Section of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of the Union
Européenne des Médecins Spécialistes (UEMS). As such, the functions of EBCOG
are bound by the statutes of UEMS, by national regulations, and by the relevant
European Economic Area directives..
Article 1.0
Under the name of the European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,
a Board (hereinafter referred to as a Council) is hereby established, to be governed
by this Constitution. The headquarters of EBCOG will be based in the UEMS building
at Rue de l’industrie, 24, B – 1040, Brussels.
Article 2.0
The aims and objectives of EBCOG are to improve the health of women and their
babies by seeking to achieve the highest possible standards of training and care in
the field of obstetrics and gynaecology (referred to hereinafter as O & G) in all
European countries.
2.1 The objectives shall be achieved as follows: i) Recommend the standards
required for the training of specialists and the means of maintaining those standards;
ii) Examine the content and quality of training in all countries of Europe; iii)
Recommend the criteria to which the specialist training centres should conform; iv)
Make proposals for unifying the training programmes to achieve specialist status; v)
Ensure that knowledge and skills of specialist obstetricians and gynaecologists are
maintained and updated at regular intervals.vi) Develop, with the sub-specialities in O
& G, a system to assess and recognise the quality of training and practice.vii)
Promote research relevant to the health of women and their babies viii) Facilitate the
exchange of specialist trainees between training centres throughout Europe to
harmonise and improve the quality of training.
2.2 Council has a responsibility to ensure that these objectives are pursued and to
regularly review what has been achieved.
Article 3.0
EBCOG shall have the following bodies: The Council which is the governing body of
EBCOG; the Executive Committee which is the administrative body of EBCOG and
the General Assembly which is the advisory body of EBCOG.
Article 4.0
Composition and Functioning of EBCOG
4.1 Any European country is entitled to membership of EBCOG providing the
requirements laid down in the Constitution and By Laws are fulfilled.
4.2 The Council of EBCOG shall comprise two delegates from each member country.
One delegate will be nominated by the National Scientific Society or Universities; the
other will be one of the two national delegates to the Section. The mandates of all
delegates must be endorsed by the National Medical Association which is recognised
by UEMS. National Delegates should be representatives of their national specialist
society(ies). Preferably one representative should be academic and the other
should be professional.
4.3 Membership of EBCOG shall be granted to any European country which is a
member of UEMS. However, the representatives of European countries that are not members of the EEA may join in debates but are not entitled to vote on matters
designated by the President to be of specific concern to the EAA, nor may their
representatives become Officers of EBCOG. Members of working groups and
experts may come from any European country.
4.4 Voting rights of members of Council are described in the By Laws.
4.5 EBCOG shall be administered by an Executive Committee comprising 4 Officers –
a President, a President-Elect, a Secretary-General and a Treasurer, assisted by 5
National Delegates. All of them are elected by the Council. The term of office of the
President will be three years and he/she will not be eligible for immediate re-election
to the same office. The President may be re-elected as President-Elect, but only
after completion of three years out of Office. The term of office of the SecretaryGeneral and Treasurer will also be three years, but they will be eligible for re-election
for a further term of three years. The term of Office of the President-Elect will be
three years. On completion of this term, he/she will automatically assume the Office
of President. All Officers of EBCOG shall also be Officers of the Section of O & G.
The election of Officers and of the Executive Committee is described in the By Laws.
4.6 Each Officer and each elected Executive member has full voting rights. The
Chairs of the standing committees also have full voting rights.
4.7 If a vote in Council is indecisive, the President may make the deciding vote.
4.8 Experts and representatives from collaborating organisations, which includes any
organisation for trainees in O & G, may be co-opted as non-voting members by
Council as described in the By Laws. However, EAPM, ESGO, ESHRE and EUGA
each have the right to nominate a delegate who shall have a substantive vote.
4.9 EBCOG may form working parties as described in the By Laws. Chairs of working
parties will not have a voting right.
4.10 The European Network of Trainees in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ENTOG)
has the right to nominate an O & G delegate who shall have a substantive vote.
Article 5.0
The Executive Committee of EBCOG
5.1 The Executive Committee shall be responsible for:
- The management of the affairs of EBCOG.
- The establishment of the yearly budget and the use to be made of the available
funds. - The submission to Council of proposals for the establishment of standing and ad
hoc working groups necessary for the activities of EBCOG and for receiving the
reports from these groups. - The preparation of Agendas for Council meetings.
- Ensuring that the Constitution and the By Laws are correctly adhered to.
5.2 The day to day management of the affairs of EBCOG shall be the responsibility of
the President and Officers.
5.3 The Executive Committee will be responsible for ensuring that all relevant
communications from EBCOG shall be transmitted to the Executive Bureau of
UEMS. The Executive Bureau of UEMS is entrusted with communicating all
recommendations from the Sections and their Board to the Standing Committee of Doctors of the EU and the Advisory Committee for Medical Training for transmission
to the Commission of the EEA.
Article 6.0
6.1 Each member country shall pay a yearly contribution to EBCOG as
recommended by the Treasurers and agreed by Council each year. Details of
payments and the consequences of non-payment are in the
By Laws.
6.2 The Treasurer will present the accounts to Council at the meetings.
6.3 The financing of EBCOG is governed by its internal regulations and is not a
responsibility of the UEMS Management Council.
Article 7.0
Amendments to the Constitution and By Laws
7.1 Any proposal for an amendment to the Constitution must be submitted to the
Executive Committee by at least one quarter of voting members of Council. Once
passed by Council it must be forwarded to the Management Council of UEMS.
7.2 Any proposal for an amendment to the Constitution shall be circulated in writing
to all voting members of Council at least six months before a Council meeting at
which the amendment is to be discussed. The voting can be in person or by post as
described in the By Laws. At the meeting, when the amendment is discussed, there
must be a majority of two-thirds of National Delegates for the amendment to be
passed; the two-thirds majority to include postal votes as well as representatives
present at the meeting. If the majority is not reached, the amendment shall fail.
7.3 A By Law may be changed only if it has been placed on the Agenda in time for
the next meeting of Council. A change of a By Law requires a simple majority vote in
favour by Council.
Article 8.0
Dissolution of EBCOG
8.1 A decision to dissolve EBCOG shall be taken by a meeting of Council specially
convened for the purpose and composed of at least two-thirds of National Delegates
who may vote. Should this quorum not be reached, Council shall be reconvened
within the time limits prescribed by the By Laws. This second Council meeting in
extraordinary session may make a valid decision irrespective of the number of
National Delegates present.
8.2 In no case may EBCOG be dissolved unless there is a two-thirds majority of
those voting members of Council present who are in agreement. In the event of
EBCOG being dissolved under the above provisions or as a result of a legal or
judicial process, the Council shall appoint two or more commissioners charged with
the liquidation of the assets of EBCOG.
8.3 The Council shall determine the use of the net assets of EBCOG.
8.4 The liquidation shall be final only after approval of the liquidation accounts by the
members of EBCOG and with the agreement of the Section of O & G and of the
Management Council of UEMS. - BY LAWS OF THE CONSTITUTION OF EBCOG
- Duration of office, timing of nomination or national delegates, and deputising
1.1 National Delegates will normally have a term of service of three years with the
right of re-nomination for a further three years, making a maximum of six years.
1.2 National delegates must be in active clinical practice at the time of nomination.
1.3 A member state may change its delegate providing the Secretary-General of
EBCOG is given notice before the next meeting of Council.
1.4 In the event of a Delegate being appointed as an Officer of EBCOG, the member
country of that Delegate may appoint a replacement.
1.5 A member of Council who is unable to attend a meeting of Council must inform
the Secretary-General before the meeting. The Delegate may nominate a deputy
who for that meeting of Council has the right to vote. - Voting Rights of Members of Council
2.1 When a vote is taken, each member country has one vote only.
2.2 If a member country is in arrears of the annual subscription by more than six
months from the end of the relevant year, that country will lose its vote on Council.
This is dependent on the Treasurer of EBCOG having made at least two requests for
payment to the Secretary-General of the organisation responsible for payment.
2.3 A member country can only have its vote restored by payment of all arrears and
dues for which it is responsible. - Suspension of Membership of EBCOG
3.1 Any member country that is more than one year in arrears of payment of the
subscription to EBCOG will have its membership withdrawn unless there are
extenuating circumstances agreed by Council. Normally, to regain membership, all
arrears must be fully paid up.
3.2 A member country may withdraw from EBCOG. The national association of that
country must give notice of at least six months in advance of its intention to the
Secretary General of EBCOG.
3.4. Membership of countries unable to pay the subscription
Council recognises that a country applying to join EBCOG may be unable, for
acceptable reasons, to pay the subscription. Such a country can become a voting
member of EBCOG only on the decision of Council following a recommendation by
the Treasurer who, at the time the application is considered by Council, will present
the reasons for non-payment. Membership of EBCOG by such a country is
dependent on the understanding that payment of all or part of the annual subscription
will commence at the earliest opportunity. Whenever considered appropriate the
Treasurer may raise the issue of payment with the Delegates of that country or
national society responsible for the payment. - Election of the Officers of EBCOG
5.1 Any officer of EBCOG must have been an elected member of the Executive or a
Council national representative, or having worked for EBCOG as a member of aStanding Committee or a Working Party. The Candidate must come from a country
that is a member of UEMS. All nomination(s) must be supported by their national
Society and submitted to the Secretary-General of EBCOG.
5.2 Voting is secret and election is by a simple majority. If there are more than two
candidates after the first vote, the two with the highest number of votes will go
forward for a second vote. In the event of a tie, there will be a further vote to achieve
a result. If the result remains tied, lots will be drawn by the outgoing President for one
of the two remaining names.
5.3 For the election of Officers and Executive Members ONLY, different countries will
have different, specified, numbers of votes depending on their size and the number
of constituents they represent. The number of votes will be determined by the
repartition of the UEMS key.
5.4 Council must take note of the need for regional representation when nominating
for membership of the Executive Committee. Council may refuse to accept
nomination(s) if this principle is not adhered to. Consideration must be given to
regional representation in the Executive Committee so that countries from different
parts of Europe are equally represented to meet the strategic objectives of EBCOG.
The regional division should reflect the UN divisions of North, West, East and South.
Four members of the Executive will be elected on a regional basis, and
The fifth elected member will be elected on pan-European basis.
5.5 The President cannot be re-elected for a next term. However, the President may
be re-elected as President-Elect, but only after completion of three years out of
Office. The Secretary-General and the Treasurer can be re-elected for a next term.
The term of Office of the President-Elect will be three years. On completion of this
term, he/she will automatically assume the Office of President.
5.6 For all these positions nominations must be in the hands of the SecretaryGeneral three months before the election. The nominee must agree by written reply
that he or she accepts the position.
5.7 Each Officer and each elected Executive member has full voting rights. The
Chairs of the standing committees also have full voting rights.
6. The Executive Committee
6.1 The Executive Committee will be made up of the Officers of EBCOG and five
National Delegates elected as members of the Executive Committee.
6.2 Delegates will normally be appointed to serve on the Executive Committee for a
maximum of three years. Executive members can be re-elected for another term of
three years.
6.3 Nominations for members of the Executive Committee will be called for by the
Secretary-General at the Council meeting before an outgoing member(s) of the
Executive Committee is/are due to retire. Nominations must be received at least 3
months before the next meeting of Council.
6.4 National delegates must take note of the need for regional representation when
nominating for membership of the Executive Committee. Council may refuse to
accept a nomination(s) if this principle is not adhered to. - 6.5 The system of voting used for election to the Executive Committee shall be the same as that used for the election of Officers. (See By Laws 5.3 and 5.4). For all these positions, nominations must be in the hands of the Secretary-General three months before the election. The nominee must agree by written reply that he or she accepts the position.
- Experts and Representatives of Collaborating Organisations and Experts Invited
onto Council
7.1 Experts are individuals whose knowledge and views are essential to the effective
working of Council. They may be invited to attend Council. They will usually be
chairman of major working committees of EBCOG who are not members of Council,
although any individual whose expertise is considered by Council as essential to its
deliberations is also eligible. Council may invite a maximum of five experts. Invited
members of Council may take part in debates of Council but may not vote.
7.2 Council may also invite any organisation with consultant status, defined as one
that has interests allied to those of EBCOG, to send a representative who will have
the same status as a co-opted expert. There is no limit to the number of such
individuals Council may invite.
7.3 Each Officer and each elected Executive member has full voting rights. The
Chairs of the standing committees also have full voting rights.
7.4 EAPM, ESGO, ESHRE and EUGA each has the right to nominate a delegate
who shall have a substantive vote.
7.5 The delegate of ENTOG has full voting rights (see article 4.10 of the
Constitution). - Working Parties
8.1 A working party and standing committee may be set up on the recommendation
of the Executive Committee and with the agreement of Council.
8.2 A brief for any working party and standing committee, its composition including
the name of the Chair and its budget, must be agreed by Council.
8.3 The budget of a working party and standing committee must be discussed with
the Treasurer before the proposal is submitted to Council.
8.4 Once a working party has completed its brief, and a final report has been made to
Council, it shall be dissolved.
8.5 The minutes of a working party and standing committee must be sent to the
Secretary-General in good time for circulation to the next meeting of Council. Each
Standing Committee Chair will submit an annual report to the Council meeting in
November - Meetings of the Executive and Council of EBCOG
9.1 Normally meetings of Council will occur at least every year and will be preceded
by a meeting of the Executive Committee. The Officers may at any time request an
extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee and/or Council.
9.2 Regular meetings of the Executive Committee and Council must be preceded by
the circulation of an Agenda and of the minutes of the previous meeting by the Secretary-General of EBCOG to reach members at least 3 weeks before the date of
the proposed meeting.
9.3 Any member of Council may place an item for discussion on the Agenda of
Council. A member may not raise an item for discussion without having given prior
warning of intention to the Secretary-General.
9.4 At the start of a meeting of Council, the President will indicate any additional
items on the Agenda which are for discussion. Non-starred items will be
automatically approved without discussion unless a National Delegate requests at
the start of the Meeting that he/she wishes the item to be discussed by Council.
9.5 The working language of EBCOG is English. Meetings of the EBCOG Council will
be attended by an interpreter only if necessary. Written and spoken translations into
any other language, and the cost of such translations, must be agreed by the Officers
of EBCOG.
10. Subscriptions from Member Countries
10.1 A single contribution will be made annually by the national associations of
member countries, payable to the Treasurer of the UEMS Section Obstetrics &
Gynaecology
11. Amendments to the Articles of Association, By Laws and Dissolution
11.1 Voting for an amendment to the Constitution or By-Laws, or dissolution of
EBCOG is normally achieved by attending the meeting of Council at which the
subject is on the Agenda for debate. It is mandatory for all member countries to vote
on an amendment to the Constitution. If neither National Delegate representing a
member country is able to attend the meeting of Council, they must inform the
Secretary-General so that a voting slip can be sent to them. Postal votes, the
contents of which shall be kept secret, will be aggregated with votes cast in Council.
12. Congress
12.1 EBCOG will hold a Congress known as the European Congress of Obstetrics
and Gynaecology (The European Congress) regularly. The Congress is to be held in
venues of EBCOG member countries.
12.2 Individual fellows of EBCOG will be entitled to reduced registration at the
Congress as determined by the Congress Management Committee.
13. Awarding of Honorary Fellowships
EBCOG can from time to time confer Honorary Fellowships to distinguished
individuals.
14. EBCOG Fellowship by Examination
14.1 EBCOG may award European Fellowship in Obstetrics & Gynaecology (EFOGEBCOG) to individual obstetricians and gynaecologists following their passing of the
EBCOG Examination, as organised by the Examination Committee of EBCOG.
14.2The Council may also award Fellowships of EBCOG at its discretion.
14.3 All Fellows (except Honorary Fellows) of EBCOG will pay an annual
subscription - 14.4 The annual subscription will be determined by the Council and payable on the
first day of January each year.
NOV 2018