2Â Member’s_rights_and_duties
3_Finance
4Â The_Board_of_Directors
5_Executive_Committee
6_Science and Education Committee
7_Editorial_Team
8_Editorial_Board
9_Website and Multimedia Committee
10_Publications
11_Affiliation_by_other_European_societies_to_ESC
12_Congresses__meetings_and_events
13_ESC_granted_projects_and_scholarships
14_ESC_awards
15_Code of Practice
16_Social Media Guidance
17_Voting
Glossary
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Last update 15 September 2023
These Rules complement and are to be read in conjunction with the Statutes and Policies of the ESC.
There is a glossary of abbreviations at the end of this document.
All ordinary and honorary members as defined in Articles IV of the Statutes, are entitled to:
All members will:
The Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer are responsible for keeping accurate and up to date financial records.
The Executive Committee (EC) is empowered to agree any expenditure under 20.000 Euro, however any cost over 20.000 Euro on any one meeting/item (other than congress) should be ratified by the Board.
The annual membership fee shall be reviewed regularly by the EC, discussed by the Board and voted on at the GA.
The publishing costs of the proceedings /abstract book of a congress should be part of the costs of the meeting.
The annual subscription is due on 1st January. The Treasurer will send out a reminder no less than a month after the due date. A second reminder is sent when the fee is at least two months overdue and, if no response is received within three months, membership can be deemed to be canceled.
When a new individual member joins after 1st October, their subscription will, in the first instance only, last up to 15 months rather than the usual 12. The contract for affiliated societies states that bulk payment should be received by the ESC no later than 1 April.
Individuals belonging to a wide range of disciplines (for example: doctors, nurses, midwives, counsellors, psychologists, researchers, sociologists, academics, and educators) who have an interest in any aspect of contraception, sexual and reproductive health may become ESC Board Members. The term Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Professionals (SRHCP) will be used in ESC documentation.
They should have the time to commit to the Board and be willing to share their knowledge and skills and participate in ESC activities.
Board members must have paid their yearly subscriptions and serve for 4 years. They may stand for re-election once: a total of 8 years. A Board member must then stand down for at least 2 years before standing for election again.
There will be no replacement should a board member resign before the end of his/her mandate.
Board members need to be aware of the rules governing whether a person may be a member of more than one committee or group. This is shown in the table below:
EC
|
SEC
|
WMC
|
ET
|
EB
|
Â
|
|
EC
|
NO
|
NO
|
NO
|
YES
|
||
SEC
|
NO
|
YES
|
YES
|
YES
|
||
WMC
|
NO
|
YES
|
YES
|
YES
|
||
ET
|
NO
|
YES
|
YES
|
NO | ||
EB
|
YES
|
YES |
YES
|
NO
|
||
EC = Executive committee (a member of the EC is on the SEC and WMC)
SEC = Science and Education committee
WMC = Website and Multimedia committee
ET = Editorial Team
EB = Editorial Board
The election procedure is included in the Policies. An application form, that details necessary qualifications and criteria, is held at the Central Office and will be made available online. The appointment is by simple majority.
New members and re-elected members will be announced at the GA and will take up their positions at the following Board meeting. New members will receive a pack containing the following:
A Board member is entitled to:
A Board member will:
The election procedure is included in the Policies. An application form is held at the Central Office. Voting occurs in the order shown in 5.1 above.
All Executive Committee members will:
The following is a list of some of the duties of individual officer positions. These may vary depending on the needs of the society.
a) PresidentÂ
The President will:
b) Vice PresidentÂ
The Vice President in collaboration with the Central Office will:
c) Secretary
The Secretary will:
d) Assistant SecretaryÂ
The Assistant Secretary will:
e) TreasurerÂ
The Treasurer will, with the central Office:
f) Assistant TreasurerÂ
The Assistant Treasurer will, with the Central Office:
The election procedure is included in the Policies. An application form, that details necessary qualifications and criteria is held at the Central Office and will be made available online. The appointment is by simple majority.
To include:
The election procedure is included in the Policies. An application form, that details necessary qualifications and criteria. is held at the Central Office and will be made available online.
Editor-in-Chief
Deputy E(s)iC
Joint tasks and duties of the EiC, the deputy E(s)iC, and the Editors, together with the Central Office:
An Editorial Board (EB) is formed by the Editor-in-Chief, Deputy E(s)iC and Editors from experts in different fields in order to facilitate the peer-review process.
If any member of the EB is unable to complete their remit, the Editor-in-Chief will appoint a replacement.
The EB will support the Editorial Team (ET). They will work in very close collaboration with the Editor-in-Chief, Deputy E(s)iC and the Editors.
The election procedure is included in the Policies. An application form, that details necessary qualifications and criteria. is held at the Central Office and will be made available online.
The tasks and duties of the EB are as follows:
Demonstrate:
– motivation to be a proactive member of the group
– an understanding of different types of marketing and communications media, including electronic and social media (e.g. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube)
– effective communication skills – responds to communications (emails)
– writing skills: ability to transform pieces of information/articles to social media posts etc.
The election procedure is included in the Policies. An application form, that details necessary qualifications and criteria. is held at the Central Office and will be made available online. The appointment is by simple majority.
The ESC may produce publications such as a Newsletter and a scientific Journal, proposed by the Executive Committee (EC) and approved by the Board.
The content of the ESC Newsletter will consist of a forum for members as well as Society related and other relevant information. Either the Secretary or the Assistant Secretary of the EC will be the Newsletter Editor and will be appointed by the EC.
Will be published at regular intervals as agreed by the Editorial Team & EC. It is free to paid-up members of ESC.
The Secretary General will produce a regular update for the Board.
International or national European organisations with similar or related aims may apply for affiliation to the ESC. Members of affiliated societies shall pay a 50 percent reduced annual fee (as suggested by the Executive Committee, approved by the Board). Those seeking affiliation must submit an application in writing to the Secretary. The Board shall ratify the final affiliation. This decision shall be followed by a signed contract including rights and duties of members of affiliated societies. The Central Office of the ESC shall receive a complete list of members including email and postal addresses from the affiliated Society. Members of affiliated societies have the same rights as other ESC members including voting rights.
Members of affiliated societies are entitled to:
Affiliated societies will:
The Executive Committee set up a Congress Management Committee (CMC) in 2019.
The election procedure is included in the Policies.
 The ESC may choose to organise an educational or other similar event (workshop, webinar etc) as it sees fit. Details will be made available.
Besides its own regular congresses and other events, the ESC may accept to organise a session at a national or international congress of societies with similar aims to the ESC on condition all costs are covered by the organisers.
Requests are collected at the Central Office. The Executive Committee is responsible for the final selection of meetings. The Science and Education Committee is responsible for the preparation of the scientific programme. The selected speakers must provide a short report for the EC and SEC after the event.
The process is included in the Policies.
Each request to organise an activity under the ‘’auspices’’ of the ESC, should meet the following criteria:
English is the official language of the ESC. Simultaneous translation can be available in 2 languages other than English, and / or the language of the host country, for ESC congresses, General Assemblies and other major meetings agreed by the Executive Committee (EC). The final decision on these languages shall be made by the EC.
Individuals or organisations may apply for financial support from the ESC for activities that are in accordance with the aims of the Society as described in the Statutes. They comprise:
This grant may be used to support an individual, group, institute or organisation with a project related to the aims of the ESC. Examples include: research, audit, review, needs assessment. The money must be used for a definite project within a definite time period.
 This grant may be used to support a regional or local course or meeting within Europe related to the aims of the ESC.
 New proposals are discussed and agreed by the SEC & EC. Details are made available on the website and in the Policies.
An ESC Medal is established to honour outstanding national or international recognised activity in contraception, abortion, sexual or reproductive health in accordance with the aims of the Society.
An ESCÂ Society Award is established to honour outstanding organisational support and activity within the ESC itself in accordance with the aims of the Society.
Applicants for both these ESC awards should either be current members of ESC or, if retired or not working, a previous member of ESC. Â In certain circumstances an applicant who is no longer living may be considered; in this instance the nominator should seek further advice from the Central Office.
One Medal and one Society award will be conferred at the time of the ESC congress. Only in very exceptional circumstances may more than one of each named award be conferred (maximum 4).
Nominations for such honours are put forward by Board members. A written proposal on a nomination form should be signed by at least 3 Board members and the CV of the nominee must be attached. Nomination forms are available from the website or the Central Office. Proposals should be sent to the ESC CO not later than 3 months prior to the Board meeting in the year preceding the congress.
All proposals will be initially scrutinized by the Executive Committee and will then be presented to the Board. Both ESC awards are decided during the Board meeting in the year preceding the congress. Members vote by secret ballot using simple majority for both awards.
Conferral of the ESC awards is carried out by the President or nominated deputy. The awarded person may be asked to present a lecture if its bestowal was based on scientific activities, and the award lecture should be published in the ESC Journal.
The processes are included in Policies and Procedures
The Executive Committee has agreed that members of the EC, Board, all members of other ESC committees and the members of any groups working under the auspices of the ESC, including those contributing to congresses, and any other event should disclose any perceived conflict of interest. This is a normal request and is common to most organisations.
Such conflicts of interest may arise as a result of receiving sponsorship or payment of expenses by commercial organisations, consultancy fees, editorial fees, research grants, speaker’s fees, travel costs over and above those required to attend a meeting or other benefits in kind. It can also include holding of shares in pharmaceutical organisations or medical equipment manufacturers by yourself or immediate family or membership of charities or pressure groups with conflicting interests.
Having such a relationship or affiliation as noted above does not prevent an ESC representative working on any committee or group, giving a presentation or other activity, provided that the conflict of interest is declared. This declaration may be to either the chairman of the committee or group or to the ESC Central Office or an audience.
ESC officers will be asked to sign that they agree to declare any conflict of interest and provide the ESC Central Office with a current list of any conflicts of interest they have.
The principles set out below reflect the European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health (ESC) relationships with third parties to safeguard the integrity and reputation of the Society.
The ESC founded in 1990 and registered in Paris was established to promote sexual health and wellbeing for all.
It offers a platform for all health care professionals working in the area to share, new ideas, research, clinical experience and evidence-based medicine for the benefit of all.
This document should be read in conjunction with:
As the ESC actively pursues its mission and seeks out relationships with others to achieve its goals, any agreements or relationships must enhance and support the ESC, and any activities or relationships that could tarnish the integrity or reputation of the ESC or the trust placed in the Executive Committee and Board must be avoided.
A conflict of interest arises where, under certain conditions, there is a risk that professional judgment may be influenced more by secondary interests than by primary interests.
A conflict of interest may arise as a result of receiving sponsorship, payment of expenses by commercial organisations; consultancy fees; editorial fees; research grants; speaker’s fees; travel costs over and above those required to attend a meeting or other benefit in kind.
It can also include holding of shares in pharmaceutical organisations or medical equipment manufacturers by an individual or immediate family and membership of charities or pressure groups with conflicting interests
In line with the ESC transparency policy all members of Executive Committee, Board and other working committees and groups including ad hoc groups must declare any conflict of interest in advance.
A conflict-of-interest policy will also apply to those who contribute in an official capacity to ESC Congresses and other events bearing the ESC logo or while representing the ESC. This is particularly the case with respect to sponsored symposia.
Having such a relationship or affiliation as noted above does not preclude an ESC representative working on any committee or group; giving a presentation or other activity, provided that the conflict of interest is declared. This declaration may be to either the chairman of the committee or group or to the ESC Central Office and will be disclosed to other members of the committee or group, as appropriate.
On appointment all ESC officers, committee members and members of any group working on behalf of the ESC will be asked to declare any conflict of interest and provide a signed agreement. Such a declaration should be updated annually or if there is any significant change. The form is available from the Central Office and on the website.
Refs:
European charter of Medical ethics http://www.ceom-ecmo.eu/en/european-charter-medical-ethics-67
EFPIA Code https://www.efpia.eu/relationships-code/the-efpia-code/
Conflict of Interest in Medical Research, Education, and Practice. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22937/
Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Conflict of Interest in Medical Research, Education, and Practice; Lo B, Field MJ, editors.
Washington (DC):Â National Academies Press (US); 2009.
This is covered further in the Policies.
 The two types of voting used are defined as following:
A secret ballot is used to make all appointments (eg to the EC or SEC). An open ballot, for example, by a show of hands, can be used for non-appointment decisions ie when the Board, for example, is asked to make a decision between 2 or more ideas. However, the President can ask for a secret ballot if s/he feels it is more appropriate.Â
A proxy vote can be used when the second of a country’s two Board members does not attend a Board meeting or the General Assembly in person.
The Board member will need to apply to the Central Office for the form.
The criteria for its use are:
When there is only one applicant:
Counting votes: the following will be recorded:
Voting may be undertaken by any method agreed by the Executive Committee. This may include postal voting; voting in person; by internet or e-voting using the ESC or other approved website.
BMÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Board Member
CMCÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Congress Management Committee
COÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â ESC Central Office
EBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Editorial Board
ECÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Executive Committee
ESCÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â European Society of Reproductive Health
ETÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Editorial Team
SECÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Science and Education Committee
SRHÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sexual and Reproductive Health
WMCÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Website and Multimedia Committee