Council: The Board

ADDENDUM 1

Articles 14 and 16 of Rules of Procedure of U.E.M.S., Lisbon, 2.10.1987

Article 14 - VOTING PROCEDURE

I

Voting is done verbally, country by country, or show of hands, in three stages: one for those ‘for’ one for those ‘against’ and one for those ‘abstentions’. However, the President may, on his own initiative or at the request of a full member, decide to proceed with a vote by secret ballot.

II

Any vote relating to persons shall be carried out by secret ballot,

III

Decisions are taken by absolute majority of validly expressed votes, except for contrary provisions in the Statutes or the Rules of procedure.

IV  

When a vote implies a formal stand to be taken by U.E.M.S. in relation to a third party as well as for a vote on the amount of the annual subscription and the breakdown key, the majority of two-thirds of full members present or represented is required, when the two-thirds are calculated, if the figure includes a decimal, it is agreed that the figure shall be rounded off to the nearest unit.

V 

The procedure for voting by secret ballot for the election of members of the EXECUTIVE is supervised by an election committee (‘Bureau de vote’). The election committee is formed by three delegates representing three full member countries present in the Assembly, excluding members of the Executive in office and candidates for office subject to ballot.

These three delegates are chosen in relation to their length of service within the Management Council and also seniority in terms of age: they appoint among themselves the person who shall assume the office of President of the Election Committee. The Election Committee is responsible for the correct compliance with the voting procedure, in particular the circulation, collection and sorting of ballot papers.

Once the Election Committee is formed and throughout the whole duration of the vote, the President of the meeting shall relinquish his place in favour of the President of the Election Committee who declares the vote open, once he has ensured that all candidates have effectively left the meeting room and are located in a room where it is impossible for them to hear the discussions and a fortiori, intervene in them. After the candidates have departed, the President of the Election Committee reads the list of candidates’ names for each office and asks the Assembly to give its opinion on the validity and acceptability of each candidate. If a candidature shall be submitted to a vote, the vote takes place by secret ballot.

Once the voting procedure has started, no candidature shall be withdrawn or introduced. However, between two rounds of voting, the President of the Election Committee may propose that the Assembly allows the voluntary withdrawal of a candidate.

To be declared elected, a candidate shall receive the absolute majority of votes of full members present or represented. If no absolute majority emerges at the first round, a second round shall take place at the end of which if no candidate has received the majority required, a third round is organised between the two candidates having received the largest number of votes in the previous round.

If no majority emerges, the candidate with the longest service within the Council is declared elected. If the length of service is equal, the older candidate is elected.

Once the collection and sorting of ballot papers is carried out, the President of the Election Committee proclaims the result which is entered in the minutes, after which, he declares the vote closed and relinquishes his place in favour of the meeting President who recalls the candidates absent during the vote and informs them of the result of the vote.

Article 16 - SPEAKING RIGHTS

A 

The delegates and their alternates have the right to ask the President for the floor at any time when they want to address the Plenary Assembly (except in the cases provided at Art. 8 of these Rules of Procedure). The accompanying experts may only speak with the agreement of the President if they are proposed by the head of the delegation or his alternate.

B

Guests and observers may be admitted to Plenary Assemblies with the Executive’s permission. They may only take the floor when the President expressly asks them to do it: their statement shall be concise and strictly confined to the subject under discussion.

ADDENDUM 2

Article 13 of Statutes of U.E.M.S., Brussels 20.7.1958

Article 13

I 

The U.E.M. S. may create, within its association, study sections at the level of each speciality at the rate of one section per speciality. The status of specialist doctor effectively practising the speciality concerned is required to represent a full or associate member within these sections which shall be named ‘specialist sections of the European Union of Medical Specialists’.

II 

Each specialist section exists solely as a group of specialist doctors expert in their speciality expressly mandated by the Management Council acting in the name of the European Union of Medical Specialists. Each specialist section is responsible to the Management Council, and exclusively to the latter, and must regularly report on all its activities. It does not enjoy therefore, any autonomy whatsoever.

III   

Each specialist section develops its activities strictly within the terms of reference specified for it by the Management Council. Initiatives which it is called upon to take must directly or indirectly relate to the speciality which it represents. It shall not have direct relations with third parties external to the European Union of Medical Specialists, without the express agreement of the Executive or the Management Council, the latter forming the obligatory intermediaries for referring any motion to third-parties or for any action taken in the broadest sense of the term.

ADDENDUM 3

Articles 14, 15 and 16 of Statutes of U.E.M.S., Brussels 20.7.1958

Article 14

I 

The Statutes can only be amended upon the proposal of the Executive or upon a written proposal of more than one-third of full members. The full text of the amendments proposed will be taken up in the agenda of an Extraordinary Plenary Assembly of the Management Council which will be called specially for this purpose.

II 

The amendment will be passed if a two-thirds majority is obtained from the full members.

III 

To avoid any mistakes in interpretation, all modifications proposed will be drafted in the language of the original text.

The language used by the European Union of Medical Specialists for papers which it publishes shall be French or English.

Article 16

The dissolution of the U.E.M.S. can be proposed by the Executive, or upon written request, by more than half the full members of the U.E.M.S.

It may only be pronounced by an Extraordinary Plenary Assembly of the Management Council convened specially for this purpose and will be conditional upon a two-thirds majority of full member countries.

ADDENDUM 4

Article 8 of Rules of Procedure of U.E.M.S., Lisbon 2.10.1987

Article 8

Any irregularity in the payment of the subscription entails suspension of the right to vote. The irregularity shall be submitted to the Management Council which shall decide upon other measures to take, notably the prohibition to speak at meetings.