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.
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 address of the headquarters of EBCOG is listed in the appendix to the Constitution.
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 member countries; 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 on its own or in collaboration with the sub-specialities in O & G, a system of assessment and recognition of the quality of training and practice. This, among other procedures, may include written or oral examinations (exams) or both. 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 and the Executive Committee which is the administrative body of EBCOG.
Article 4.0
Composition and Functioning of EBCOG
4.1 Any UEMS member 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(ies) or Universities; the other will be one of the two national delegates to the Section. The mandates of all delegates should be endorsed by the National Medical Association which is recognised by UEMS. National Delegates should be representatives of their national specialist society(ies) or College. Preferably one representative should be academic and the other should be professional.
4.3 Membership of EBCOG shall be granted to any country which is a member of UEMS. However, only specialists coming from UEMS full members may become Officers of EBCOG.
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 4 Regional Executives and 1 Pan-European Executive. They are all 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. After the conclusion of their term, the President will transition into the position of Immediate Past President for 3 years. The term of office of the Secretary-General, Treasurer and Regional Delegates 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 of UEMS. 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. EBCOG recognises four subspeciality organisations – EAPM, ESHRE, ESGO, EUGA, which 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 other 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 European Commission.
Article 6.0
6.1 Each member country shall pay a yearly contribution to EBCOG as calculated by the Treasurers using the UEMS Key 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
1. 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.
2. 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 twelve 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.
3. 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.
5. 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 a Standing Committee. The Candidate should come from a country that is a full 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 broadly reflect the UN divisions of North, West, East and South; in the instance the UN classification does not correspond to Europe, then Council will make the decision on Regional distribution. Four members of the Executive will be elected on a regional basis, and the fifth elected member will be elected on a 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. On leaving office, the President will become Immediate Past President for a duration of 3 years, and is invited to Council with no voting rights.
5.6 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.
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. Standing Committee Chairs will serve for a term of three years. They can be re-elected for an additional three year term. On completion of the term they will transition to Past-Chair for a period of three years and remain in the committee for this term. The Chair-Elect of the Standing Committee will be appointed for a term of three years. All Standing Committee posts are nominated by the Officers, reviewed by the Executive, and approved by Council.
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 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.
6.5 Transitional arrangements as set out down below would apply for replacement of an Officer, an Executive member and Chair of the Standing Committee in the event of an untimely departure of one of the office bearers as cited above. This arrangement would ensure stability and seamless workflow. This transitional arrangement will ensure that election of all Officers and Executive members always take place every three years at the Autumn council meeting.
6.5.1 President: In the event of an unplanned departure of the President, the following process will be in place: if the President departs less than 6 months of the end of his/her three-year term, the President-Elect will act as the President for the remaining duration until a new President-Elect is elected at the next Autumn Council meeting.
If the President demits his position more than 6 months before the end of his three-year term, the remaining Officers, in collaboration with the Executive, will propose the appointment of an acting or caretaker President until the President-Elect takes up the position after completion of his/her 3 year term.
The Acting President could be either a Past-President of EBCOG or a senior member of the Council. The Secretary-General will set out the process for election of the next President-Elect, so that elections takes place at the Autumn Council meeting in sync with the election of other officers.
6.5.2 President-Elect: If the President-Elect departs less than 6 months before the end of his three-year term, the President along with the other officers may absorb the work of the President-Elect for the remaining duration until the election of a new President-Elect at the next Council.
If the President-Elect demits his/her position more than 6 months before the end of the three-year term, the remaining Officers in collaboration with the Executive will propose an acting or caretaker President-Elect until the next Autumn Council meeting where an election of a new President-Elect will take place.
The acting President-Elect could be either a Past-President of EBCOG, or a senior member of the Council. The Secretary-General will set out the process for seeking nominations for the next President-Elect, so that election for this position takes place at the Autumn Council meeting in sync with the election of the other Officers.
6.5.3 Secretary-General: If the Secretary General departs less than 6 months before the end of his/her three-year term, the remaining officers will share the responsibilities of the Secretary-General among themselves, until a new Secretary-General is elected at the next Autumn Council meeting.
If the Secretary-General demits their position more than 6 months before the end of the three-year term the Executive will appoint an acting Secretary-General.
In this situation, one of the members of the Executive will be invited to serve as acting Secretary-General until a new Secretary-General is elected at the next Autumn Council meeting. The President will set out the process of seeking nominations for the next Secretary-General, so that the election for this position takes place at the Autumn Council meeting in sync with the election of other officers.
6.5.4 Treasurer: If the Treasurer departs less than 6 months before the end of his/her three-year term, the remaining Officers will share the responsibilities of the Treasurer among themselves, until a new Treasurer is elected at the next Autumn Council meeting.
If the Treasurer demits his/her position more than 6 months before the end of the three-year term the officers in collaboration with the Executive members will appoint an acting Treasurer, until a new Treasurer is elected at the next Council election.
In this situation, one of the members of the Executive will be invited to serve as acting Treasurer until a new Treasurer is elected at the next Autumn Council meeting.
The President will set out the process of seeking nominations for the next Treasurer, so that election for this position takes place at the Autumn Council meeting in sync with the election of the other Officers.
6.5.5 Executives: In the event of untimely or unplanned departure of any Executive member, the Executive in discussion with Chair of committees and the Council members of the concerned region will nominate an acting Executive member from said region until the election of a new Executive member from that region takes place at the next Autumn Council meeting.
6.5.6 Chair of the Standing Committee: In the event of untimely or unplanned departure of a Chair of a Standing Committee, the Executive in collaboration with Standing Committee will invite one of the members of the Standing Committee to act as “Acting Chair of the Standing Committee” until the appointment of a new Chair of the Standing Committee can be elected at the next Autumn Council Meeting.
7. 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. The Immediate Past President is invited to all Council meetings during a period of 3 years following the conclusion of their term. This position holds no voting rights.
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).
8. Working Groups
8.1 A working group 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 group 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 group and standing committee must be discussed with the Treasurer before the proposal is submitted to Council.
8.4 Once a working group has completed its brief, and a final report has been made to Council, it shall be dissolved.
8.5 The minutes of a working group 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 Autumn.
9. 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 notice 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.
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 Council 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 (EFOG-EBCOG) to individual obstetricians and gynaecologists following their passing of the EBCOG examination, as organised by the EBCOG standing committee on examinations (SCE).
OCTOBER 2024