Statutes
IAVS is legally incorporated in The Netherlands where its Statutes are formally recorded. These Statutes form the basis for its operation and governance. The original Statues of the Association were adopted at the meeting of the Association (Association Internationale de Phytosociologie, Internationale Vereinigung für Vegetationskunde, International Society for Vegetation Science) during the International Botanical Congress in Paris in 1954. The 1954 Statutes formalized the constitution of the Association at Marseille in 1939 and its postwar reconstitution at Hilversum in 1947. The Statutes were significantly revised by the General Assembly at the meeting in Prague in 1982, and the current Statues were formally adopted by the General Assembly at the annual meeting in Freising in 2001
Statutes of the International Association for Vegetation Science. November 2001
Article 1 (Name, Languages and Seat)
1. The Association shall be known as Internationale Vereniging voor Vegetatiekunde.
It shall also be known as
International Association for Vegetation Science (IAVS),
Internationale Vereinigung für Vegetationskunde (IVV),
Association Internationale pour l’Etude de la Végétation (AIEV),
Asociación Internacional de Ciencias de la Vegetación (AICV).
2. The official languages of the Association for symposia, excursions, publications and other activities shall be Dutch, English, French, German, and Spanish. All official documents shall be published in Dutch and English.
3. The seat of the Association shall be in the municipality of Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Article 2 (Aims)
1. The aims of the Association are:
a. to promote research and education in vegetation science;
b. to promote the publication of research results in vegetation science;
c. to facilitate scientific and personal contacts among vegetation scientists of all countries;
d. to promote applications of vegetation science;
e. to increase awareness and to disseminate knowledge about vegetation.
2. These aims will be achieved by
a. the organization of scientific meetings;
b. the establishment of Working Groups and Committees dealing with special themes of vegetation science;
c. the publication and distribution of scientific journals and books;
d. other means.
Article 3 (Duration)
1. The Association is established for an indefinite period of time.
2. The fiscal year runs from January 1st to December 31st.
Article 4 (Membership)
1. Membership in the Association is open to all who are interested in vegetation science and are willing to support the aims of the Association. The Association shall consist of individuals who shall be either Full Members, Associate Members or Honorary Members. Full Members pay an annual membership fee. Associate Membership can be obtained by those who are interested in vegetation science but live in a country with currency exchange problems or have financial problems of another kind. Honorary membership is obtained through election by the Council after nomination by at least five members.
All members can participate at all meetings of the Association and have voting right at the General Assembly.
2. Membership is obtained by application to the Secretary of the Association.
3. Membership terminates:
a. through death of the member;
b. through notice by the member;
c. through notice by the Association;
d. through deprivation
4. Membership can be terminated by the member at the end of any fiscal year. This proceeds through a letter to the Executive Committee giving four weeks notice. If the notice has not taken place in time, membership is continued until the end of the next fiscal year.
Membership is terminated immediately:
a. if it cannot reasonably required of the member to continue membership;
b. within a month after a decision has reached the member including a limitation or reinforcement of the obligations of the members (unless it concerns a change in the financial rights and obligations);
c. within a month after a decision has reached the member concerning the change of the Association into another legal form or in case of a fusion.
5. The Executive Committee may give notice of termination on behalf of the Association to take effect at the end of the current fiscal year when a member, after
having been urged in writing repeatedly, has not settled financial obligations over the current fiscal year by the 1st of November. Termination requires at least four weeks’ notice.
If termination has not taken place in time, membership continues until the end of the next fiscal year. However, membership can be terminated immediately if it cannot reasonably required of the Association to continue membership. Notice of termination shall be in writing and contain the reasons for termination.
6. Expulsion from membership can only be proclaimed when a member acts in violation of the statutes, by-laws or decisions of the Association, or when the member damages the Association in an unreasonable way. Expulsion is by the Executive Committee. Notice of expulsion shall be in writing and contain the reasons for expulsion. The member concerned may appeal against the decision at the General Assembly within one month after receipt of the notice. During the term of appeal and pending the appeal the member is suspended. A suspended member has no right to vote.
7. When the membership ends in the course of a fiscal year the member shall pay the contribution for that year, unless the Executive Committee decides differently.
8.
a. Members of the Association may be organized in Regional Sections.
b. A Regional Section shall consist of at least 15 members who are geographically related. Sections shall have a President and statutes. Sections, their statutes, and the nomination of the Presidents of the Sections must be approved by the Council.
c. Members with a common interest in a special field of vegetation science may establish a Working Group. Each Working Group shall have one or two Co-ordinators. Each Working Group and its Co-ordinator(s) must be approved by the Council.
d. Members with expertise in a special field of vegetation science can form a Committee. The Members of a Committee are appointed by the Council. They shall choose one of their members as Chairperson.
e. National societies for phytosociology, plant ecology and related fields may be affiliated with the Association following approval by the Council. Members of affiliated societies may participate at scientific meetings of the Association.
Article 5 (Donors)
1. Donors are those who are admitted as donors by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may terminate donorship by written notice.
2. Donors are obliged to pay a yearly contribution, the minimal size of which is established by the General Assembly. It is also possible to become a life-time donor by paying a single lump sum, the minimal size of which is established by the General Assembly.
3. Donors have only the right to attend the General Assembly, where they have the right of speech but no right of vote.
Article 6 (Membership dues)
Full members shall pay annual dues. Associate members and honorary members are exempt from paying dues. The annual dues shall be determined by the Council.
Article 7 (Council)
The Council shall consist of at least 40 members who are elected by ballots sent to all members of the Association. Members of the Council are elected for a term of four years. Members of the Council can be immediately re-elected for up to two consecutive terms. At least 60 candidates for membership in the Council shall be proposed by the general membership.
Article 8 (Executive Committee)
1. The Executive Committee shall consist of at least three and at most seven members, who shall appoint, from their own membership a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and a Publication Officer.
2. The Council shall appoint the Executive Committee from its own membership.
3. Members of the Executive Committee can be suspended and dismissed by the General Assembly, with the reasons given. Decisions must be made by a two-thirds majority of the votes.
4. A suspension ends if the General Assembly has not decided on dismissal within three months. The suspended Member of the Executive Committee may defend his/her position in the General Assembly and be assisted by a lawyer.
5. Members of the Executive Committee are elected for a term of four years. Members of the Executive Committee can be immediately re-elected for up to two consecutive terms.
6. If the number of Members of the Executive Committee is reduced to fewer than the number mentioned in sub 1, the Executive Committee is nevertheless authorized to govern the association. The Executive Committee is obliged to ask the Council to fill the vacancies as soon as possible.
7. The articles 11 to 14 included are as far as possible applicable to meetings and decision making of the Council.
Article 9 (Executive Committee)
1. The Executive Committee shall be in charge of the daily affairs of the Association.
2. The Executive Committee can, with the previous approval of the General Assembly, enter into agreements concerning the acquisition, alienation or encumbering of registered goods and enter into agreements where the Association is committed as surety or co-debtor, supports a third party or offers security for the debt of somebody else.
Article 10 (Executive Committee)
1. The Executive Committee represents the Association.
2. Responsibility for representation may also be assigned to the President, together with the Secretary or the Treasurer, or to the Secretary together with the Treasurer.
Article 11 (General Assembly)
The place where a General Assembly is held shall be determined by the Council.
Article 12 (General Assembly)
1. To the General Assembly are admitted all members of the association who are not suspended and those who are invited by the Executive Committee or the General Assembly. A suspended member has access to the meeting where the decision on his/her suspension is discussed and has the right to speak.
2. Each Member has one vote in the General Assembly, with the exception of suspended members. Members can delegate, in written form, their vote to another member. Each member can cast at most five proxy votes.
3. A unanimous decision of the members of the association, even if not assembled, and if made with the previous knowledge of the Executive Committee, has the same validity as a decision by the General Assembly. Such a decision may be prepared in writing.
4. The President determines voting procedures during the General Assembly.
5. All decisions for which no larger majority is required by the Law or these Statutes, are taken by an absolute majority of votes. If the votes on substantial matters are evenly divided, the proposal is rejected. If the votes on persons are evenly divided, the decision is assigned by lot. If at an election with more than two candidates are involved and none of them has received the absolute majority of votes, voting is repeated between the two persons with the largest numbers of votes, if necessary after an intermediate vote.
6. If fewer than 50 members are present or represented, voting must be by postal ballot.
Article 13 (General Assembly)
1. The General Assembly is presided over by the President, or by the eldest Member of the Executive Council when the President is absent.
2. The opinion of the President about a decision made at the General Assembly is decisive. The same holds for the contents of a decision insofar as this regards a non-written proposal. However, if the opinion of the President is questioned immediately after being expressed, a new vote may be required by the majority of the General Assembly, or by a Member if the vote was not by call or in writing. Through the new vote the consequences of the earlier vote lapse.
3. Minutes of a General Assembly shall be recorded by the Secretary or a person designated by the President. These minutes are established in the same or the next General Assembly and signed by the president and the secretary of that meeting.
Article 14 (General Assembly)
1. The fiscal year of the Association is equal to the calendar year. The General Assembly shall meet at least once a year, within six months after the end of the fiscal year, unless this term has been extended by the General Assembly. During the meeting the Executive Committee submits a report on the past period and on the activities carried out. The Executive Committee also submits a financial balance and a profit and loss account.
These documents are signed by the Members of the Executive Committee. If the signature of one or more Members is missing, an explanatory note is appended.
2. If there is no report from an accountant on the reliability of the documents mentioned in sub 1, the General Assembly appoints, yearly, a commission of at least two members who are not Members of the Executive Committee.
3. The Executive Committee is obliged to provide this commission with all information required to show the cash and assets, and to show the financial documents of the Association.
4. The commission investigates the documents mentioned in sub 1 and sub 3.
5. In case special book-keeping expertise is needed, the commission can, at the expense of the Association, ask an expert to assist.
6. The commission reports to the General Assembly.
Article 15 (General Assembly)
1. General Assemblies are called by the Executive Committee as often as it considers this necessary or according to the Statutes.
2. Upon receipt of a written request from at least 50 Members, the Executive Committee shall call a General Assembly, which shall be held within four weeks after the request has been received. In case the request is not answered within two weeks the requesting Members can call a General Assembly themselves through a letter to all Members at the expense of the Association. In this letter the agenda of the meeting must be included.
3. The General Assembly is called through a written notice to the members with voting right, giving 14 days notice.
Article 16 (Changes in the Statutes)
1. Changes in the Statutes can only be made through a decision at the General Assembly in the call for which meeting the proposal for changes shall be announced.
2. Those who have issued a proposal shall make the text of the proposal available at a place suitable for the Members for at least five days prior to the end of the day on which the proposal is to be discussed.
3. Changes in the Statutes can only be made by a majority of at least two-thirds of the votes. If fewer than 50 members are present or represented, voting must be by postal ballot.
4. Changes in the Statutes become effective after they have been notarized. Each Member of the Executive Committee is authorized to sign this document.
5. The sub-articles 1 and 2 are not applicable if all members with voting right are present or represented at the General Assembly and the decision on changes in the Statutes is unanimous.
6. After the changes have been inserted, the Executive Committee shall put an authentic copy of the resolution for a change and of the full text of the Statutes at the register of the Chamber of Commerce.
Article 17 (Dissolution)
1. Article 16 sub 1 - 3 applies to any decision by the General Assembly on dissolution.
2. The General Assembly decides on disposal of the assets of the Association, as far as possible in line with the aims of the Association.
3. The financial settlement is carried out by the Executive Committee
4. After its dissolution the Association continues to exist if this is necessary for the financial settlement. During the settlement the Statutes will continue to apply as far as possible. In documents issued by the Association, the words ‘ in liquidation’ shall be used.
5. The settlement ends when no known assets are left.
6. Documents of the dissolved Association must be kept for ten years after the settlement. They are kept by whoever is designated by those involved in the settlement.
Article 18 (By-laws)
1. The General Assembly can establish by-laws on topics which are not or not sufficiently covered by these Statutes.
2. By-laws shall not contain clauses which violate the law or these Statutes.
3. Article 16 sub 1, 2 and 5 apply to changes in by-laws as well as their establishment.
Article 19 (Final clause)
The General Assembly exerts authority in any matters not allocated to other organs by law or the Statutes.
