2. Approval of the draft agenda: The draft agenda is unanimously approved without any amendments.

Transcription

1 Minutes of the 16 th General Assembly of the International Association of Environmental Analytical Chemistry (IAEAC) hold in the Lecture auditorium, Congress Center Elzenveld, Antwerp, Belgium on Wednesday, 25 May 2012, 6:00 p.m. 1. Welcome address by the President: Jose Broekaert welcomes the 13 members of IAEAC present in the 16 th General Assembly of the IAEAC. 2. Approval of the draft agenda: The draft agenda is unanimously approved without any amendments. 3. Approval of the minutes of the 15 th Ordinary General Assembly held in Rome, Italy, on 5 October 2010: The minutes are approved without any amendments. 4. Election of a new EEC member: Markus Fischer: Jose Broekaert introduces Markus Fisher, professor of food chemistry at the University of Hamburg. His election as member of the EEC is approved by unanimity. 5. Report of the President for the period January 2011 to May 2012: Jose Broekaert reports first about the main changes occurred in the association since the last general assembly, namely the smooth replacement of the former administrative assistant, Mariane Frei, by Sonja Desplos; the move of the seat of the Association from Alschwil to Lausanne and the cooptation as a member of the EEC to strengthen our competence in the field of food analysis. Jose Broekaert mentions the journal of the association and thanks its editor, Joan Albaiges, for his work. He also thanks Dieter Klockow and Mariane Frei for preparing the Newsletter of IAEAC. Concerning the main activity of IAEAC, which is the organization of scientific conferences, the following took place during this period: (i) in March 2011, the IAEAC Symposium Novel Molecular Spectrometric Methods for Environmental Quality Survey was held at PittCon in Atlanta; (ii) in April 2011 the Latin- American Symposium on Environmental and Sanitary Analytical Chemistry took place in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, co-organized by RACAL; (iii) the TraceSpec meeting took place in Pau in May 2011, (iv) the 10th Workshop on Biosensors and Bioanalytical µ-techniques in Environmental and Clinical Analysis meeting was held in Weimar in June 2011; (v) in March 2012 a symposium on Biosensors was held at PittCon in Orlando. This is the third year a IAEAC Symposium takes place at PittCon and now a contract has been set up for the next five years to come. Now in Antwerp we are at ISEAC37, where a tribute is brought to René Van Grieken. Jose Broekaert thanks the organizers, especially Professor Janssens and Luc Van t Dack for the nice program put together and the perfect venue for the conference. In most of these meetings the R.W. Frei Award for the best poster was awarded. Next conferences for 2012 are: a conference in the field of pesticides is planned for October 2012 in Porto and the LC/MS Symposium will take place in Montreux in November

2 6. Presentation of the Honorary Membership of the IAEAC to Dieter Klockow: Jose Broekaert thanks Dieter Klockow for his work in IAEAC and awards him the honorary membership of the association. Dieter Klockow briefly thanks the EEC of IAEAC for the honor. 7. Report of the Secretary for the period January 2011 to May 2012: Montserrat Filella mentions in her report the meetings of the EC and the EEC hold in this period as well as the conferences being held, giving particular weight to the awardees of the Roland Frei Award. She thanks Sonja Desplos for her work. 8. Report of the Cashier on the accounts for the years 2011 and 2012: Joseph Tarradellas reports that even if the international financial crisis worsened during this period, the banks that manage the IAEAC assets reacted better than during the previous fiscal period ( ) and only minor losses were registered. Joseph Tarradellas recalls that IAEAC investments are on firms with socially accepted goals excluding weapons business and pollution-responsible groups. The aim of the capital reserve is to balance income and expenses on a medium-term basis and not to make profit. Indeed, the capital should be a reserve securing a number of years of working according to the goals of the IAEAC. The expenses of the IAEAC include grants, working costs, EC and EEC meetings, and the expenses for the journal, whereas the income is from the membership fees and the profit made with some conferences. The IAEAC did and does not get any support from governmental institutions nor from private companies. The cash-flow is about 300,000 CHF/year. He concludes that the IAEAC is in good financial health but mentions that during the period less conferences were profitable and recommends that IAEAC promotes new types of conferences bringing profit. 9. Report of the auditors: The auditors, K.-S. Boos and R. Niessner, controlled the accounts of the association during the fiscal period 2010 and 2011 and report that no errors were detected. They praise the careful work of the cashier, Joseph Tarradellas, and the administrative assistant, Sonja Desplos, and recommend to accept the report and to release the EC. 10. Discussion of the reports: A member of IAEAC inquiries about ways of increasing the association income. Joseph Tarradellas comments on his suggestions. 11. Acceptance of the accounts and formal release of the EC: Tania Tavares asks the members of IAEAC to release the EC formally, which is unanimously done. 12. Report on the International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry (IJEAC): Joan Albaiges reports on the present situation of IJEAC. The flow submission is satisfactory, with manuscripts being received every year, of which 120 get published (rejection 2

3 rate: 80%). Taylor & Francis has increased the number of pages, from 1200 to The period of time between submission and decision is satisfactory: within days in 80% of the articles. Most submissions come from China, Iran, India. Country distribution of published papers is more balanced. Recently, Taylor & Francis has adopted more aggressive marketing policies, such as giving open access in some periods of the year, which favors the popularity of the journal ( downloadings, an increase of 300%). The journal impact factor is now 1.1 and the journal is placed in the middle of the rank when environmental sciences and analytical chemistry journals are considered. Jose Broekaert thanks Joan Albaiges for his excellent work as editor. 13. Report of the President of RACAL, the Latin-American branch of the IAEAC: Olga-Mata Rodriguez reports that the 9 th Latin-American Symposium on Environmental Analytical Chemistry took place in Brazil in April 2011 with 260 participants. The chairman was Renato Zanella. Montserrat Filella and Jose Broekaert, EC members, attended the meeting. A week-long workshop on speciation took place in Costa-Rica in November It was given by Montserrat Filella. There were 20 participants. The next Latin-American Symposium on Environmental and Sanitary Analytical Chemistry will take place in México in April It is organized by Carmen Duran. RACAL has sponsored the publication of a book Manejo de productos tóxicos en el hogar, prepared by REPMAR (Red Panamericana de Manejo Ambiental). The book has been freely distributed to schools, hospitals, etc. and to all RACAL members. It is also available in RACAL s webpage. 14. Revision of IAEAC statutes: Joseph Tarradellas explains the need for revising the statutes of the association, which is related to the move of the seat of the association from Basel Land to Canton de Vaud. Dieter Klockow suggests to change Overview to Mission statement in the new statutes. Joseph Tarradellas agrees but reminds that the legal version is the one written in French. Changes in the statutes (attached to these minutes) are unanimously approved. 15. Any other business: None. Date: 6 June 2012 J.A.C. Broekaert President M. Filella Secretary 3

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5 I A E A C INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY STATUTES English translation of the French Statutes (Please note that the Statutes in French are legally binding) Proposed changes MISSION STATEMENT The "International Association of Environmental Analytical Chemistry" (IAEAC) was created in Basel in The association aims to globally promote high quality analytical chemistry using appropriate methodologies to evaluate contamination by substances, which have an effect on the environment. Its activities are based on the understanding that the impact of man on the environment is dominated by the extensive use and release of chemicals. Other factors, however, are pertinent in these studies with respect to environmental quality. Consequently, IAEAC collaborates strongly with disciplines other than chemistry. The activities of IAEAC are designed to offer the possibility for scientists to exchange their results on relevant research with respect to the environment and to provide training in the most advanced analytical technologies. To reach these objectives, the organization promotes regularly events such as: Symposia, dealing with environmental issues in the broader sense, but always including analytical environmental chemistry as a central topic. Workshops, dedicated to novel and pertinent areas of environmental research. Short courses, aimed to familiarize scientists and technicians to new techniques applicable for environmental studies. These events take place on a global basis to maximize interactions between environmental analytical chemists and other environmental scientists of all countries to participate and address environmental concerns in all regions. IAEAC pursues these ideals for scientific and moral purposes and not for financial gains. Its activities and organised events are intended, however, to be financially self-sufficient. 1. NAME AND SEAT Article 1 - Name Under the name "International Association of Environmental Analytical Chemistry" (IAEAC), there exists an association in accord with the Articles 60ff of the Swiss civil code. Article 2 Legal residence The association has its seat at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne (VD), Switzerland. 2. MEMBERS Article 3 Composition of the members The IAEAC consists of active members and active student members. 5

6 Article 4 Active members 4.1 The active membership is opened to: - All persons working in the field of the analysis of pollutants. - All persons involved with the assessment of pollution. 4.2 Active membership can be requested through sending an application to the executive committee of the IAEAC (via its secretariat). The executive committee can refuse the admission of an applicant without giving any reason. Article 5 Student active members Based on a justified application, graduate students can be granted a non-contributory candidacy towards active membership, for a maximum period of three years. During this time, the active student members can make use of advantages offered by the IAEAC, however, without the right to vote during the general assembly of the association. The executive committee can refuse a candidate without giving any reason. Article 6 Cancellation of membership The active membership of IAEAC can be cancelled by the following mechanisms: Through withdrawal: A member of the association can resign any time. This withdrawal must be announced to the executive committee in writing (via the secretariat). Through exclusion: Members who act against the ideals and the interests of the association can be excluded from membership by the executive committee. The decision must be unanimous by the executive committee taken following an appropriate hearing. The executive Committee has the right to exclude a member after two years of non-payment of contributions. 3. ORGANISATION Article 7 The bodies of the association The organs of the IAEAC are: 1. The general assembly 2. The executive committee 3. The extended executive committee 4. The auditors 5. The regional branches Article 8 General assembly The general assembly is the principal body of IAEAC. It consists of active members and active student members. Article 9 - Capabilities The general assembly has the following capabilities: 1. Approval of the statement of the decisions taken during the previous general assembly. 2. Approval of the biennial report of the president. 3. Approval of the biennial finances. 4. Acceptance of the budget submitted by the executive committee. 5. Election of the president, of the members of the extended executive committee, and of the auditors. 6. Fixing the amount of the membership fees. The year of the association is identical to the calendar year. 7. To make decisions on proposals from members or from the executive committee. 8. Revisions of the statutes. 9. Dissolution of the association. Article 10 Summons 10.1 The executive committee has to summon a general assembly every two years. Normally, the general assembly takes place during a symposium The place and the hour of the assemblies are notified to the active members (and partners, if necessary) at least one month before the assembly. The summons will contain the agenda, the date and the place of the assembly. Subject to an opposing decision, only points in the agenda can be subject to the approval of the general assembly The executive committee can convene further assemblies at any time. In addition to which, it can call an extraordinary assembly if this is required by at least one fifth of the active members. 6

7 Artcle 11 Vote and Elections 11.1 The general assembly decides and votes with the simple majority of the votes cast Votes and elections are by a show of hands unless a secret ballot is required by at least five active members For changing statutes and for dissolution of the association, a majority of two thirds of the votes cast is required. Article 12 - Statements The secretary of the executive committee produces a statement on the taken decisions. Article 13 Executive committee and Extended executive committee 13.1 The executive committee consists of a president, a vice- president, a secretary, and a cashier The extended executive committee is formed by the executive committee and by one to six active members The members of the extended executive committee execute their mandate for the IAEAC without payment. They are paid appropriate expenses for their activities within the association The president and the other members of the extended executive committee are elected for a period of four years by IAEAC members at the general assembly. The extended executive committee decides internally and nominates a vice-president, a secretary and a cashier The members of the extended executive committee can be re-elected The resignation of a member of the extended executive committee must be notified in writing to the president and can take place at any time In case a seat becomes vacant further to a resignation or a death, a substitute for the member to be replaced is elected by the next general assembly. However, the executive committee can temporarily fill the vacancy. Article 14 Representation and tasks 14.1 The executive committee takes care of the business of the association and represents the latter It manages the activities of the association by means of the collective signature of the president and another member of the executive committee. For specific decisions the executive committee can delegate this to one of its members It allocates the finance to the symposia of the association. Article 15 - Operation 15.1 The executive committee decides by the simple majority of the members present. A minimum of three members must be present The president s vote is decisive in the case of no majority Each member of the executive committee has the right to call in an executive meeting. Location and time of the meeting have to be made known to the other executive committee members sufficiently ahead of the meeting The votes are carried out by a show of hands. Article 16 - Functions 16.1 The president manages the works of the general assembly, the executive committee, the extended executive committee; the president represents the association and drafts the biennial report. If necessary, she/he is substituted in these tasks by the vice-president The secretary produces the statements and manages the information concerning the activities of the association The manages the finances and the means of the association according to the instruction of the executive committee and drafts the biennial financial report The executive committee can appoint the services of a paid secretarial service. Article 17 Temporary responsibilities For the preparation and the execution of specific tasks, the executive committee can designate, or else active members can be temporarily integrated into the executive committee. Such nomination is limited to a maximum of two years. Article 18 Election of chairman and co-chairman for specific scientific symposium For the scientific symposia, organized by the association, the extended executive committee nominates a chairman and a co-chairman. In principle, the chairman is the representative of the host country and the cochairman, a representative of the extended executive committee of IAEAC. 7

8 Article 19 - Auditors 19.1 The accounts of the association are verified before the general assembly by two auditors The auditors, who, in principle, have to be active members, are elected by the general assembly for a period of four years The auditors report in writing to the general assembly. Article 20 Regional branches and support committee 20.1 The executive committee can create regional offices. Regional offices will be organised by a regional secretary, a member of the association, elected by the members of the association living in the regions. The regional secretaries are authorized to attend the meetings of the extended executive committee without the right to vote The executive committee can create a committee of support dedicated to promote the activities of the association about events and about scientific activities. 4. MEANS Article 21 Origin and uses of means 21.1 The means of the IAEAC consist of - contribution of the active members - donations from sponsors - other income and donations 21.2 Profits generated by the activities of the association remain with to the association for its functioning, its activities and to promote the organisation of future events. Article 22 Sponsors 22.1 The sponsors are persona ficta according to the civil law. They give financial, administrative and technical support to symposia and to activities of IAEAC Concerning their support for symposia and activities of the association - they will be mentioned on a special "sponsor" list - they will receive free of charge the relevant publications of the association - however, they have no right to vote. 5. MISCELLANEOUS Article The members of the association assume no personal responsibility for the obligations taken by IAEAC The members of the association have no right to the assets of IAEAC For all legal actions between members of the association and the association itself, proceedings will be held at the seat of the association The statutes of the association are written in French and translated into German and into English. The French text is conclusive In case of dissolution of IAEAC, the general assembly decides on the use of the remaining assets. These funds can be used only for scientific ends, in conjunction with the ideals of the association. Rewritten due to modifications to the statutes: Basel, April Basel, March Basel, August Allschwil, November 2002 Allschwil, August 2005 Version for approval at the General Assembly of IAEAC on 23rd May 2012 at Anvers, Belgium. 8