The Society shall be called “ASSOCIATION EUROPÉENNE DE NEUROCHIRURGIE PÉDIATRIQUE” (in English “THE EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR PEDIATRIC NEUROSURGERY”), hereafter referred to as “THE SOCIETY”. Its registered seat is Geneva, Switzerland, while its functional seat will be situated, each time, to the city of the practicing President. The Society operates under the present By-Laws and alternatively under articles 60 on. of the Swiss Civil Code.

The Society shall be a non-profit association of ideal purpose.

The Society has as its purpose to pursuit a continuously increasing level of excellence in the field of pediatric neurosurgery through the following actions:

1. Organizing regular scientific meetings
2. Training in the field of pediatric neurosurgery by means of:
(a) Regular courses and congresses (conferences)
(b) An official publication
3. Active support and encouragement of scientific and clinical research namely in the fields of pediatric neurosurgery, pediatric neurology, pediatric neuroradiology, and pediatric neuro-opthalmology, etc.
4. Ensuring the representation of European pediatric neurosurgery worldwide.
5. Advancing standards of care in Europe for children requiring pediatric neurosurgery.
6. Working in collaboration with the UEMS (Union Européen des Médecines Spécialistes) and the EANS (European Association of Neurological Societies) to provide assistance in issues regarding training in pediatric neurosurgery.

In the aforementioned context, the Society shall pursuit a purpose of general interest.

The Society’s funding shall be ensured through:

1. Membership fees as determined by the Executive Board.
2. Gifts, foundations, legacies and other donations.
3. Proceeds of activities organized by the society.

The income provided by the Society’s funding will be irrevocably and exclusively used for the Society’s purposes as mentioned in Article 2.

1. Active members
2. Associate members
3. Affiliate members
4. Candidate members
5. Senior members
6. Honorary members

1. Active members shall be European neurosurgeons who practice pediatric neurosurgery as their primary function or have an active interest in this subspecialty. They should hold a valid professional license to practice this subspecialty in their country and they should also be regular members of their native national society for neurosurgery. Active members have the right to vote, as well as the right to be elected and hold office in various committees. They shall be required to pay their annual membership fee and to subscribe to the Official Journal of the society, unless exempted by the Executive Board.

2. Associate members shall be registered medical practitioners that meet the objectives of the Society. They should be practicing a medical subspecialty in relation with pediatrics. They shall be required to pay their annual society membership fee. While they will not have the right to vote or to be elected to the Executive Board, they can be appointed to a Committee.

3. Affiliate members shall be neurosurgeons with an active interest in pediatric neurosurgery, residing outside geographical Europe. They will not have the right to vote or to be elected, but they can be appointed to a Committee. They shall be required to pay their annual membership fee to the Society.

4. Candidate Members shall be neurosurgeons in training who have an active interest in pediatric neurosurgery and have acquired written support from their training program’s Director. Candidate membership is limited to five years. After that period of time, or before, if the requirements for full membership have been met, they can submit a request for full membership. Candidate members do not have the right to vote nor to be elected, but they can offer their contribution in various Committees. They are required to pay a fee. Neurosurgeons in training who apply for candidate membership during the biannual Congress or Training Course may be conditionally accepted, pending a formal application, along with all necessary supporting documentation, to be submitted directly to the Membership Committee.

5. Senior members. Active, associate and affiliate members that retire from the practice may apply to the Executive Board to acquire senior membership. Senior members are exempted from annual membership fees, as well as from their obligation to subscribe to the Official Journal of the Society; however, they can attend all meetings and participate in all the activities of the society. They will not have the right to vote; however, they may participate in Committees.

6. Honorary members shall be selected among distinguished personalities in the field of neurosciences. Nominations will be submitted in writing to the President of the society, in time to be circulated along with the agenda for the next executive meeting. A unanimous decision of the Executive Board is required to confer honorary membership. Honorary members can participate in the activities of the Society; they can also be members of standing or special committees. They are exempted from annual membership fees and they do not have the right to vote or be elected.

Each application for admission as full member must be supported by two active members of the Society. Their written recommendation, along with a dully filled-in application form and curriculum vitae, should be submitted to the Chairman of the Membership Committee. Applications will be reviewed by the Membership Committee, and its recommendation will be submitted to the Society’s members during the General Assembly. Admission of a new member requires a majority vote from those present.
Rejection of an application does not preclude a future application for admission.

1. Resignation
Members who wish to resign from the society should submit their resignation in writing to the Secretariat, who shall inform the Executive Board. The resignation is effective as of the end of the civil year. Delay of notice is determined at six months, serious reasons exempted.

2. Expulsion
The following will notably constitute grounds for expulsion from the Society:

a.   Failure to pay membership fees. Any member required to pay a membership fee by the society’s statute, who is more than two years behind payment, after receiving three notices to pay, will be expelled effective immediately. For readmission, the official procedure for admission to the Society will apply.

b.   Proven intention to discredit or damage the reputation or the activities of the Society. A proposal for expulsion must be submitted in writing to the Chairman of the Membership Committee, accompanied by full and detailed justification. The Membership Committee will investigate the allegations and report to the Executive Board. The Executive Board will convene with two members, who have been admitted to the Society more than five years ago and do not hold an official function within the society. The Committee may either accept the recommendation issued during this deliberation or continue its inquiry. At the end of its inquiry, the Committee shall send a final report to the Executive Board.
The Executive Board’s voting and final decision will be made in secret. The member in question will be sent prompt notification of the decision in writing. Should the member in question eventually resign during this procedure, the procedure will be considered as closed and it will not be brought to the attention of the General Assembly.
The member in question has a right of appeal against this decision, without having the possibility to address the Committee of Appeals in person. He must be accompanied by a colleague or a representative of his choice.

The Society is governed by an Executive Board, assigned to administrate the Society’s funds and to exercise any other function in accordance with its By-Laws. The President and the Treasurer of the Society have an individual right of signature. Executive Board members exercise their mandate on a voluntary basis. Indemnity of personal and travel expenses of the Executive Board is reserved.

1. Executive Board
The Executive Board shall consist of the following officers:

• President
• Immediate Past President
• Future President - President Elect – Vice-President
• Secretary
• Secretary Elect – Vice-Secretary
• Treasurer
• Treasurer Elect – Vice-Treasurer
• President of the next biennial meeting
• Chairman of the By-Laws Committee
• Chairman of the Nominations Committee
• Chairman of the Training and Education Committee
• Chairman of the Membership Committee
• Chairman of the Advisory /Liaison Committee
• Chairman of the Scientific Committee
• Chairman of the Communication Committee
• Occasional statutory members

2. Duties of the Executive Board
The governance of the Society shall be vested in the Executive Board, who shall be responsible for handling the society’s activities and shall perform these duties as defined in the Society’s statute. The Board is subject to the Society’s orders; no action can be taken if in conflict with actions taken by the Society.
It is the responsibility of the Executive Board to organize the biennial meeting. The time and place of the meeting are submitted for approval to the General Assembly. Members are notified personally of the date and time of the meeting at least two years in advance by any means of communication the Executive Board considers appropriate. It is up to each member to notify the Secretariat of any changes regarding its communication with the Society.  
The Executive Board shall meet at least two times a year, during the Training Course and one of its semi-annual meetings. The President may call supplementary meetings, providing a one month’s notice at the least.
The presence of the President, the Secretary and at least half of members of the Executive Board is required for its quorum. If there is no quorum, no member of the society can decide on the constitution of the Society. The Executive Board’s decisions are taken on a majority of the present members’ basis, provided the By-Laws mention no specification to the contrary.
Remote electronic participation, including voting, is permitted for Executive Board Members, when physical presence is not possible:

• Executive Board members can attend Executive Board meetings virtually.
• Executive Board members who attend virtually can participate in voting.
• Decisions are to be taken on a majority basis.

3. Offices and duties in the Society
The President and President Elect shall serve for two years; they cannot be candidates for reelection. After the end of their mandate, they are eligible to exercise other functions.
The Secretary and the Treasurer shall serve for four years; following the expiration of their mandate, they are eligible for election to another office.
The Chairmen of the Committees shall serve for four years; they can be reappointed to their position for a supplementary two years mandate, on condition that they have obtained the support of the majority of members during a vote at the General Assembly. Chairmen must report to the President on the activities of their Committees every three months. This is to ensure an effective communication within the Society and to maintain the coherence of its management.

a.     The President shall preside in all meetings of the society, as well as all meetings of the Executive Board. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Committees and is empowered to appoint ad hoc committees. The President shall hold office for two years and cannot be re-elected for a second consecutive mandate. Should the President resign during his mandate, the Future President (President Elect) will undertake the President’s office and assume presidential duties until the next semi-annual meeting. The Immediate Past President will assume the duties of the President Elect.

b.     The Future President (President Elect) will act as Vice President in the absence of the President. He shall be appointed for a period of two years. At the completion of this period, he will assume the President’s duties (vide supra).

c.     The Secretary shall keep the proceedings of the society’s and Executive Board’s meetings. He shall notify candidates of the results of elections. After deliberating with the President, he shall write and communicate the proceedings of the meetings, as well as the meetings’ agenda and future meetings.

d.    The Secretary Elect acts as an assistant to the Secretary and may replace him/hers, if necessary. He/She automatically assumes the Secretary’s duties upon expiration of the latter’s mandate.

e.     The Treasurer and the President are in charge of the management of the Society’s financial affairs. The Treasurer shall keep the Society’s accounts, which shall be submitted to the Executive Board; he reports to the Society’s members during the General Assembly. He shall collect the membership fees and disperse the monies as instructed by the Executive Board.

f.     The Treasurer Elect acts as an assistant to the Treasurer and may replace him/her, if necessary. He/She automatically assumes the Treasurer’s duties upon expiration of the latter’s mandate.

g.     The Congress President shall be responsible for the organization, financing and operation of the biennial meetings, with the exception of the Scientific Program. The latter is the responsibility of the Executive Board and delegated to the Scientific Committee. The Congress President exercises his mandate for a period of two years and may be reappointed to his duties; during his mandate, he is a member of the Scientific Committee, in charge of matters related to the Congress.

h.     Occasional statutory members can be nominated for a period of two years; they are re-eligible.

i.     An Archivist may be appointed by the Executive Board, in order to preserve the society’s Archives, and occasionally to prepare reports, at the Executive Board’s request.

j.     The Society can appoint an auditor.

With the exception of the Nominating Committee, the members of each committee will be selected by the Committee Chairman and serve for a term of two years. This term of office can be extended by another two years, with the approval of the society’s members at a General Assembly.

The society’s standing Committees shall be the following:

1.   The Statute Committee. It is constituted by its chairman and two members. The Statute Committee will regularly review the Statutes and submit its recommendations to the Executive Board. An amendment of the Statute requires the support of the Executive Board’s quorum, as well a 2/3 majority at the General Assembly. The Chairman of the Committee is in charge of procedures within the society.

2.   The Nominating Committee. It is constituted by its Chairman, the Secretary and the Immediate Past President of the Society, the Chairmen of the Liaison Committee, the Training and Education Committee and the Membership Committee, as well as two members elected by the  members’ assembly. The Nominating Committee shall propose candidates for the society’s offices. Its recommendations will be examined by the Executive Board and then submitted to the members’ General Assembly during the biannual Congress; a majority vote of the present is required.

3.   Membership Committee. Membership applications shall be submitted to the Chairman, who, after deliberating with the Committee, will examine the applications and submit his recommendations through the Executive Board to the General Assembly. The Committee is also responsible, along with the Executive Board, for managing the procedure of expulsion of members who no longer fulfil the conditions required for membership.

4.   Training and Education Committee. The Committee shall formulate and enact Educational Programmes in Neurosurgery. It shall also work with the contemporary Chairman of the Training Course to decide the scientific programme and structure of the Course. It will also work with the publishers of the Official Journal, and promote and facilitate the publication of appropriate educational material.
In order to facilitate the proceedings of  the Training and Education Committee, in addition to the Chairman, 6 supplementary members will be selected by the Executive Board to participate in this Committee. In view of the importance of training, this Committee’s members must ensure representation from as wide a range of member countries as possible.

5.   The Scientific Committee. This Committee has as its specific task to determine the format, structure and content of the biannual Congress. It will collaborate with the President of the Congress, who is a Committee member during his mandate. The Committee is also responsible for the nomination of candidates regarding various bursaries.

6.   Advisory/Liaison Committee. This Committee shall be responsible for the Society’s relations with other associations, in order to promote the interaction of activities of educational and scientific value, and to ensure that there is no overlap or conflict with other important events in the field of neurosurgery or pediatric neurosurgery. The Committee has a Chairman who will be responsible for identifying groups of interest regarding pediatric neurosurgery in all European countries and for establishing a contact with them. The Committee will meet during the biannual Congress and it will consist of its Chairman and two members from each national group, along with four members respectively selected from each region of Europe.

7.   Web and Communications Committee. This Committee will be responsible for the administration, maintenance, and evolution of the society website. It will be consisted of its Chairman and two Society members; they will closely collaborate with the Society’s President and Secretary.
The Committee will meet at least once every year, during the biennial Congress and the training seminar.

8.   Ethics Committee. This Committee shall be responsible for the ethical aspects of the society matters. It will be consisted of its Chairman and at least one Society member.

9.   The President is empowered to convene special or ad hoc committees, if necessary. The President ensures the chairmanship of these committees, whose mandate is limited to a defined period of reference.

The Society shall meet once every two years. Society scientific meetings will be in presence, unless hampered by critical global situations, in which case a platform based online congress may be considered with the approval of the Executive Board. These meetings will be consecrated to the scientific programme. The date and location of the biennial meeting will be determined at least two years in advance. English will be the official language of the Society and its proceedings. Interval supplementary meetings can also be held.
A members’ meeting will take place during each official meeting of the Society; during that meeting, the Executive Board will convey to the Society’s members the following:
1.    A report of activities, a Treasurer’s report and a communications report
2.    Newly assigned functions
3.    New members’ admission
4.    Statute amendments
5.    Approval of recommendations regarding issues presented by the Executive Board
In exceptional circumstances, the President or any member of the Executive Board or any member elected for an office in the Society can call a Special Assembly. The convocation must be announced three months in advance, followed by a specific agenda for the Assembly. Any discussion not included in the agenda will not be authorized. The quorum required for such a meeting is determined as 2/3 of the persons invited.

The Society recognizes the need for coordinated and continuous training and encourages Postgraduate Educational Programs. The Society will run an official postgraduate course, organized and implemented by the Training and Education Committee and approved by the Executive Board.
The Society will work in collaboration with the UEMS and the EANS to define standards for training in the field of pediatric neurosurgery.

Suggested amendments to the present By-Laws should be submitted in writing, and supported by three full members to the Chairman of the By-Laws Committee three months before the General Assembly. The proposal will be put to the vote at the General Assembly; a 2/3 majority is required for the proposal to be accepted.
The voluntary dissolution of the Society must be based on a written motion submitted by at least 1/3 of its members. A 2/3 majority is required for the motion to be approved.
In case of dissolution of the Society, whether voluntary or not, its assets remaining after due payment of its financial obligations should be allocated to organizations of an ideal relevant purpose.