European Epilepsy Academy Statutes

Article 1 - Name, headquarters, business year

  1. The association bears the name "Eurepa European Epilepsy Academy - Europäische Epilepsie-Akademie". It is to be entered into the official register of societies and will thence bear the additional title "e.V." (registered).
  2. The headquarters of the association is in Bielefeld.
  3. The business year of the association is identical to the calendar year.

Article 2 – Purpose of the association, tasks, non-profitmaking undertaking

  1. The purpose of the association is to improve education and further training of all people in Europe involved with epilepsy. The academy is to draw up and develop a decentralized system to organize training and further education for all people who are involved with epilepsy and in need of upgrading their qualification (e. g. physicians, social workers, psychologists, health scientists, educationalists, occupational and rehabilitation councillors etc.). It can take on research activities.
  2. The association shall be an exclusively non-profitmaking undertaking in accordance with Sections 51 and following of the (German) tax code.
  3. The association pursues no financial interests of its own; its primary considerations are not of a financial nature.
  4. The association's funds may only be utilized for their designated purpose. Members will receive no payment from the association's funds. No person may be favoured through expenditure for purposes contrary to the association's aims or by means of disproportionate remuneration.

    In the case of dissolution or suspension of the association or the cessation of its intended purpose, the association's funds shall pass to the "Michael Foundation" who is to utilize it directly and exclusively for charitable purposes in Europe.

Article 3 – Membership

  1. Membership is open to all individuals, and to all corporations affiliated to the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE).
  2. The General Assembly may nominate additional members.
  3. The General Assembly may nominate individuals proposed by the executive board who have performed distinguished services on behalf of the association to be honorary members.
  4. Membership is attained through a written application directed to the executive board.
  5. The executive board decides whether applicants are accepted for membership at its own discretion. The decision is sent to the applicant in writing. In the case of an applicant being rejected, the executive board is not obliged to give the applicant any reason for its decision.

Article 4 - Termination of membership

  1. Membership of the association is terminated through demise or resignation of a member, or through exclusion from the association.
  2. Resignation must be declared in writing directed to a member of the executive board with powers of representation. Resignation can be carried out at the end of the business year with a notice of 3 months.
  3. A member can be excluded through a resolution passed by the executive board if, after receiving two written reminders, it has failed to pay his/her membership fees. A member may only be excluded two months after the second reminder has been sent to the member and the reminder contains a reference to the impending exclusion. The member must be informed about the exclusion in writing.
  4. Exclusion from the association will be considered if a member has knowingly harmed the interests of the association, in particular if he/she has committed a grave violation of the statutes or regulations set down by the association's executive bodies. Exclusion of a member may be proposed by any member of the association. The executive board shall decide whether the member in question shall be excluded. Within one month following receipt of the decision of the executive board, appeal against the exclusion to the General Assembly is possible. If no appeal is made, the exclusion becomes effective after the period of appeal of one month has expired, otherwise following the appeal with the confirmation of the exclusion by the General Assembly.

Article 5 - Membership fees

  1. The General Assembly decides about membership dues and their amount.
  2. Honorary members will be exempted from membership dues.
  3. In appropriate cases, the executive board can partially or wholly exempt members from membership dues or postpone payments.

Article 6 - Executive bodies of the association

The executive bodies of the association are as follows:
  • the Executive Board
  • the General Assembly
  • the Scientific Advisory Board
The General Assembly has the right to nominate further executive bodies.

Article 7 - The Executive Board

  1. The Executive Board according to § 26 BGB (civil code) consists of the Chair, two Vice Chairs, the Treasurer and the Secretary.
  2. The association is represented by two members of the Executive Board.
  3. The expanded Executive Board comprises three additional members. Two of these are the Chairman and Secretary of the Commission on European Affairs of the International League Against Epilepsy.
  4. The expanded Executive Board agrees upon rules of procedure.
  5. The Executive Board is elected by the General Assembly for a period of 4 years. Each member of the Executive Board remains in office until new elections are held in which each member is elected separately. In the event that a member of the board prematurely leaves office, the executive board is entitled to select a substitute for the remaining period of office. Only members of the association may stand for election. With termination of the membership in the association, the office of a member of the Executive Board also ends.

Article 8 - Responsibilities of the Executive Board

The Executive Board is responsible for all of the association's affairs unless the statutes of the association assign them to another of the association's executive bodies. The Executive Board is responsible for the the management of the association. It is responsible for the contents and standards of courses and examinations. A secretariat is to be set up to conduct the current business of the Academy. In particular, the Executive Board is responsible for the following tasks:
  1. preparing and convening the General Assembly, including the agenda;
  2. preparing the budget, accounting, drawing up the annual report;
  3. resolving applications for membership.

Article 9 - Meetings and resolutions of the executive board

  1. The Executive Board conducts its business in meetings convened by the Chair or, in his absence, one of the Vice Chairs. Invitations to the meetings are sent in writing or per facsimile message and shall include the agenda. A period of notice of at least 14 days is required.
  2. A quorum has been formed when all members have been invited and at least 3 members are present, including the person convening the meeting. The Executive Board passes resolutions by simple majority vote. In the event of a tie, the casting vote is made by the Chair or, in his absence, the Vice Chair who has been designated as leader of the meeting.
  3. The Executive Board may also pass resolutions in written form provided all members agree with the object of the resolution.
  4. Minutes are to be kept of the meetings and the resolutions. These minutes are to be signed by the Chair or a Vice Chair, and the Secretary. A list of participants is to be attached to the minutes. The minutes must also provide the following details: venue and date of the meeting, the resolutions voted on and the record of voting (yes, no, abstentions). Written approvals with a resolution are to be attached to the minutes as an appendix.

Article 10 - Office, Academy Secretariat

  1. The association will open an Academy Secretariat in Bielefeld as its office.
  2. In its capacity as an office, the secretariat shall implement the resolutions passed by the Executive Board. The secretariat will also look after the day to day administration tasks.
  3. The executive board will draw up a set of instructions for the Academy Secretariat.

Article 11 - The Advisory Board

  1. The Educational Commission of the ILAE will act as Advisory Board for Eurepa.
  2. The Educational Commission of the ILAE shall support and advise the Executive Board in specialist matters arising from the implementation of the association's aims.

Article 12 - The General Assembly

The General Assembly has exclusive responsibility for the following matters:
  1. acceptance of the annual report of activities;
  2. acceptance of the annual financial report presented by the Executive Board;
  3. acceptance of the budget for the upcoming year;
  4. setting the amount of the membership dues;
  5. election and recall of members of the Executive Board and the other executive bodies;
  6. passing resolutions concerning changes to the statutes and dissolution of the association;
  7. awarding and revoking honorary membership;
  8. acting as a reviewing authority in questions concerning acceptance or rejection of an applicant or exclusion of a member.

Article 13 - Convening the General Assembly

An ordinary General Assembly shall take place at least once per year. It shall be convened by the Executive Board in a written invitation giving a period of 4 weeks notice, and shall contain the agenda. The period of notice begins on the day following postage of the invitation. The invitation is regarded as being received by the member when it has been sent to the last address of the member made known to the association. The agenda is set by the executive board.

Article 14 - Extraordinary General Assembly

An extraordinary General Assembly shall be convened by the Executive Board if the interests of the association require such a meeting, or if one quarter of all members apply for such a meeting in writing stating the purpose and reason for the meeting.

Article 15 - Resolutions of the General Assembly

  1. The General Assembly is led by the Chair, or in his absence by one of the Vice Chairs or the Treasurer.
  2. The General Assembly is not held in public. Admittance of guests to the General Assembly is the responsibility of the person chairing the meeting. His decision can be overruled by a majority vote of the members. Minutes of the meeting are recorded by the Secretary.
  3. Each member has one vote.
  4. Resolutions usually are passed by the General Assembly by simple majority vote. However, a resolution to modify the association's statutes requires a 3/4 majority of all members present. A resolution to change the purpose of the association requires the approval of all members.
  5. A record is to be kept of all resolutions taken by the General Assembly and is to be signed by the Secretary and the person chairing the meeting.
  6. At elections, of several candidates the one is considered elected who receives the majority of the valid votes cast. In the case of a tie, a deciding ballot will be held.

Article 16 - Dissolution of the association

  1. The association can only be dissolved at a General Assembly and through a 9/10 majority of all valid votes cast.
  2. Insofar as the General Assembly has not nominated anybody else, the Chair and the Vice Chairs are appointed as jointly empowered to act as liquidators.
  3. The above provisions shall also apply in the event that the association is dissolved for other reasons or loses its legal capacity.
This version of the statutes has been accepted by the General Assembly in Singapore on July 11, 2007.