The name of the non-profit scientific Society is "EUSCEA - European Science Events Association" (Europäische Gesellschaft für Wissenschaftsveranstaltungen).

1) The Society has its seat in Vienna and extends its activities particularly to the countries of the European Union and the countries associated with it; but it also operates beyond them.

2) The establishment of branch societies is not envisaged.

3) The business year is the calendar year. The first business year commences on 1st January 2002.

Section 2 Purpose

1) The purpose of the Society is the promotion of "Public Awareness & Understanding of Science, Technology & the Humanities (PAUSTH)" and promotional activities for science. The Society does this by creating a platform for the primarily European "Science Events" organisations thereby promoting, primarily, dialogue between the public, the media and the scientific community and thus between the groups of persons involved. The Society is not profit-oriented.

2) "Science Events" (ScE) are events where scientific topics are presented as comprehensibly and widely as possible to the public.

3) The target group is the general public.

4) The term ‘science' shall denote all the specialised areas that are taught at European universities; it also includes interdisciplinary areas of research.

5) The Society pursues exclusively and directly non-profit-directed goals. The Society acts unselfishly, it does not pursue proprietary economic purposes in the first place.

Section 3 Means of Attaining the Society's Purpose

The Society's purpose is attained through the immaterial and material means listed in paragraphs 2 and 3 below. Immaterial means shall include

a) conferences, lectures, meetings, events, discussions

b) the exchange, analysis and documentation of the experience made by the members

c) the development of appropriate activities generating dialogue between science and society

d) incentives and ideas for P.R. activities for science and the ScE

e) advising existing and newly created ScE organisations

f) co-operation with, and exchange between organisations having the same or similar spheres of activities (e.g., Science Centres, etc.)

g) open to comparable organisations having the same purpose

h) overview of the ScE activities, especially in Europe

i) carrying out P.R. and promotion activities for ScE alone or with other organisations

j) issuing appropriate internal and external information materials

k) the development of, and exchange between, travelling exhibitions and joint projects

l) participation in the ScE of other partners

m) advising organisations and individuals planning ScE, also for interested persons

n) support in attracting sponsors

o) organising the exchange of students, pupils, employees, etc.

p) the development, production and exchange of educational materials

The required material means shall be raised through

I) accession fees and membership dues^[1]

II) grants or subsidies from the public authorities

III) promotion by private and public agencies

IV) donations and sponsoring

V) income from the events and other appropriate measures serving the Society's purpose

VI) legacies and other contributions

Section 4 Types of Membership

The Society's members may be ordinary members, extraordinary members, sponsoring members and honorary members, and may be individuals or corporate bodies, depending on the type of membership.

a) Ordinary members shall comprise exclusively corporate bodies (enterprises, institutes, public institutions) which organise Science Events and whose appointed representatives shall fully participate in the Society's work. The Executive Committee shall ensure that the majority of the ordinary members have their seat within Europe.

b) Extraordinary members shall be those individuals or corporate bodies who/which show an interest in the Society's work.

c) Sponsoring members shall be those individuals or corporate bodies who/which support the Society by way of special promotions.

d) Honorary members shall be individuals or corporate bodies who/which are made honorary members in recognition of exceptional merits for the Society. The Executive Committee shall ensure that the majority of the honorary members originate from Europe.

Section 5 Acquisition of Membership

1) Applications for membership shall be addressed to the Executive Committee by at least one member of the Executive Committee.

2) The Executive Committee shall decide unanimously on the admission or ordinary, extraordinary, and sponsoring members. The admission may be refused without any reason being given.

3) The conferment of honorary membership shall be made by the General Assembly upon the Executive Committee's proposition.

4) Prior to the Society's constitution members shall be admitted provisionally by the proponent. Such membership shall not be fully valid until the Societyis properly constituted.

Section 6 Termination of Membership

1) Membership shall terminate upon a person's death, by voluntary withdrawal or by expulsion.; in the case of institutional members also by the end of the institution.

2) A member may withdraw only as at the beginning of a quarterly period; s/he/it shall have to notify such withdrawal to the Executive Committee in writing at least three months beforehand. If the notification is made too late, it shall not take effect until the next withdrawal deadline. The date of posting will determine the date of the notification. The membership fee for the respective business year shall be payable in full, irrespective of the withdrawal date.

3) The Executive Committee may expel a member on a two thirds vote, if such member fails to pay the membership dues for more than six months despite two written reminders and the granting of a reasonable additional time for payment. The obligation to pay the membership fees falling due shall not be affected thereby.

4) The expulsion of a member from the Society may be ordered by the Executive Committee on a two thirds vote also on account of other violations of the members' obligations, dishonourable conduct or interference with the Society's purpose.

5) The deprivation of an honorary membership may be decided by the General Assembly upon the Executive Committee's proposition for the reasons listed in paragraph 4 on a two thirds vote.

Section 7 Rights and Duties of the Members

1) The members are entitled to attend all the Society's events and make use of the Society's facilities. Only the ordinary members and the honorary members have voting rights at the General Assembly as well as the right to vote and to stand for election.

2) The members are obliged to use their best efforts for the promotion of the Society's interests and to abstain from any action that could be prejudicial to the Society's reputation and purpose. They have to comply with the Society's Statutes and Articles and the decisions of the Society's executive bodies. The ordinary, sponsoring and extraordinary members are obliged to pay their accession fee and the respective membership dues in the amounts determined by the General Assembly.

Section 8 The Society's Executive Bodies

The Society's executive bodies are the General Assembly, the Executive Committee, the Auditors, and the Arbitral Tribunal.

(It is for the sake of brevity that only the male designations of persons, like Chairman [he] are used here. It goes without saying that these terms also refer to their female counterparts where applicable.)

Section 9 The General Assembly

1) The ordinary General Assembly shall take place at least once a year.

2) An extraordinary General Assembly shall be convened by decision of the Executive Committee, the ordinary General Assembly, or upon a written, substantiated request by at least one quarter of the members entitled to vote, or if requested by the Auditors or the General Secretary.

3) The members shall be invited to attend the ordinary General Assembly or an extraordinary General Assembly at least four weeks before the date of the meeting. The convocation notice for the meeting shall be accompanied by the agenda. The convocation shall be effected by the General Secretary.

4) Motions on the General Assembly shall be submitted to the General Secretary in writing at least two weeks prior to the deadline set for the convocation notice for the General Assembly.

5) Valid decisions - except decisions on a motion to convene an extraordinary General Assembly - may be made only on items included in the agenda.

6) All the members are entitled to attend a General Assembly. The ordinary members and honorary members are entitled to vote. Each member has one vote. Corporate bodies shall be represented by their designated nominee. The transfer of the voting right to another member by way of a written proxy are permitted.

7) The General Assembly has a quorum, if half the number of all the members entitled to vote or their representatives (paragraph 6) are present. If the General Assembly lacks the quorum at the hour set for the meeting, the General Assembly shall take place 30 minutes later with the same agenda, and shall have a quorum regardless of the number of persons appearing, if at least three members are present, including at least one member of the Executive Committee.

8) Elections and decisions at the General Assembly shall normally be made by a majority of votes. Decisions on amendments of the Statutes and Articles or on the dissolution of the entire Executive Committee or the Society shall require the approval by a qualified majority of two-thirds of the valid votes cast.

9) The President shall preside over the General Assembly. If he (and his deputy) are prevented, the oldest attending member of the Executive Committee shall take the chair.

10) Votes may also be cast in writing. For this purpose all the members entitled to vote shall have to be requested in writing to do so. The vote may be expressed only by "yes" or "no". At least half the number of all the members entitled to vote shall have to respond.

Section 10 Range of Duties of the General Assembly

The following acts are reserved to the General Assembly:

a) the acceptance and approval of the report on the Society's activities and the statement of accounts;

b) the approval of the budget;

c) the election and removal of members of the Executive Committee and the Auditors; the approval of legal transactions between members of the Executive Committee and Auditors, on the one hand, and the Society, on the other hand;

d) the formal approval of the Executive Committee's actions;

e) determining the accession fee and the membership dues of ordinary, extraordinary, and sponsoring members;

f) the conferment and deprivation of honorary membership;

g) decisions on amendments to the Statutes and Articles and on the voluntary dissolution of the Society;

h) deliberations and decisions on other items on the agenda.

Section 11 The Executive Committee

1) The Executive Committee consists of six members, i.e., the President and the Vice President (deputy), the General Secretary and his deputy, the Treasurer and his deputy.

2) The Executive Committee shall be elected by the General Assembly. If and when an elected member of the Executive Committee retires, the Executive Committee shall have the right to co-opt another eligible member to replace him, such co-option to be subsequently approved at the following General Assembly. Should the Executive Committee, without complementing itself through co-option, fail to function altogether or for an unforeseeably long period, each Auditor shall be obliged to convene an extraordinary General Assembly for the purpose of electing a new Executive Committee. Should the Auditors not be able to act or not be available either, each ordinary member realising the emergency situation shall have to request the competent court without delay to appoint a trustee who shall have to call an extraordinary General Meeting immediately.

3) The term of office of the members of the Executive Committee is two years. Elections are held every year. In one year, elections are held for the posts of President, Vice-President and Vice-Treasurer, and in the other year for General Secretary, Vice-General Secretary and Treasurer.

4) Re-election is possible.

5) The Executive Committee shall be convened by the President in writing or orally. If he and his deputy are prevented for an unforeseeably long period of time, any one of the Executive Committee members may call a meeting of the Executive Committee.

6) The Executive Committee shall meet at least once in a calendar year. A written vote shall pass for a meeting. In other respects, Section 9 shall apply mutatis mutandis, except as otherwise provided.

7) The Executive Committee shall have a quorum, if and when all the members had been invited and at least half the number of its members, including the General Secretary, are present.

8) The Executive Committee's decisions may be made in writing without a meeting having to be held, if all the Executive Committee members receive a signed written request from the President to cast their votes and at least half the number of all the Executive Committee members have voted.

9) The Executive Committee shall adopt its decisions by a majority of the votes cast. If the number of the votes cast is equal to, or larger than, the number of the rejecting votes cast, the motion shall be deemed carried.

10) The President shall preside over the Executive Committee meetings. If he and his deputy are prevented, the General Secretary shall have to take the chair.

11) Apart from an Executive Committee member's death or the lapse of his term of office, the office of a member of the Executive Committee shall terminate if he is dismissed or resigns.

12) The General Assembly may at any time dismiss the entire Executive Committee or individual Executive Committee members. Such dismissal shall take effect on the date on which the period of office of the new Executive Committee or the new Executive Committee member commences.

13) The members of the Executive Committee may at any time tender their resignation in writing. The statement of resignation shall be addressed to the President, or to the General Assembly if and when the entire Executive Committee resigns. Such resignation shall not take effect until a successor is elected or co-opted (paragraph 2).

Section 12 Range of Duties of the Executive Committee

The following matters fall in particular within the scope of the Executive Committee's activities:

a) the management of the Society and

b) the admission and expulsion of Society members.

Incumbent on the Executive Committee shall be all the duties that have not been assigned to another executive body. Its scope of activities shall specifically include

I) the convocation of the ordinary and extraordinary General Assembly;

II) the administration of the Society's assets;

III) the preparation of the annual budget and the drafting of the report on the Society's activities and the statement of accounts;

IV) the preparation of the General Assembly;

V) the employment and dismissal of the Society's staff;

VI) the deferral of payment, or the reduction, of membership dues for specific members for one term of office at a time.

Section 13 Special Duties of Individual Executive Committee Members

1) The President represents the Society externally. Written communications executed by the Society require the President's signature to be valid; in respect of money matters (= any drawings on more than one quarter of the Society's assets) the signatures of the President and the Treasurer.

2) Both the President and the Treasurer may delegate this signatory power to the General Secretary in special cases.

3) Any legal business transacted between the Executive Committee members and the Society requires the General Assembly's approval to be valid.

4) Legal powers to represent the Society externally or to sign on its behalf may be conferred only to members of the Executive Committee, with the General Secretary to be informed accordingly in each individual case.

5) In the event of imminent danger the President and/or the General Secretary shall be entitled to give instructions on their own responsibility also on matters which come within the sphere of activities of the General Assembly; such instructions shall require the subsequent approval by the Society's competent executive body.

6) The Treasurer shall be responsible for the proper handling of the Society's monetary assets.

7) If the President, the General Secretary and the Treasurer are prevented, their respective deputies shall take their place.

8) The General Secretary shall manage the Society's current business. He shall be responsible for keeping the minutes of the General Assembly and the Executive Committee and for executing the duties assigned to him by the President.

Section 14 The Auditors

1) The two Auditors shall be elected by the General Assembly for a period of two years. Re-election shall be possible.

2) The Auditors are responsible for controlling the current business and examining the statement of accounts. They have to report the findings of their examination to the General Assembly.

3) In other respects, the provisions regarding the termination of the Executive Committee members' office by resignation or death shall apply mutatis mutandis to the Auditors.

Section 15 The Arbitral Tribunal

1) Any and all disputes arising from the societal relationship shall be settled by the Society's internal Arbitral Tribunal.

2) The Arbitral Tribunal shall be composed of three ordinary members or honorary members of the Society. It shall be formed by one party to the dispute naming a member in writing to the Executive Committee, who is to act as an arbitrator. Upon the Executive Committee's request, to be made within two weeks, the other party to the dispute shall on his/its part name a member to the Executive Committee within another two weeks to act as a member of the Arbitral Tribunal. Following notification to be given by the Executive Committee within two weeks, the named arbitrators shall elect a third ordinary member within two further weeks to act as the chairman of the Arbitral Tribunal. In the event of a parity of votes, the decision among the named persons shall be made by drawing lots.

3) The Arbitral Tribunal shall take its decisions in the presence of all its members and by a majority of the votes cast. The Secretary General, or another Executive Committee member if he is prevented, shall attend all the meetings without having a right to vote. The Arbitral Tribunal shall take its decisions to its best knowledge and belief. Its awards shall be final for the Society's internal purposes.

4) The Arbitral Tribunal's award may also be arrived at in writing if the chairman of the Arbitral Tribunal so requests. The award shall have to be signed by two members of the Arbitral Tribunal.

Section 16 Dissolution of the Society

1) A voluntary dissolution of the Society can be decided upon only at an extraordinary General Assembly convened specifically for that purpose, and only by a two-thirds majority of the valid votes cast.

2) This General Assembly shall also decide on the Society's liquidation if and when any Society assets exist. In particular it shall have to appoint a liquidator and pass a resolution as to whom such liquidator shall transfer the Society's assets remaining after the liabilities have been covered. Such assets shall, where possible and permissible, benefit an organisation pursuing the same or similar purposes as this Society does in terms of its non-profit character.

3) The last Executive Committee shall have to notify the competent authorities of the voluntary dissolution within the period prescribed by law, and shall also be required to announce it in writing in any other manner in accordance with the laws.