Purpose & objectives
The European Meteorological Society (EMS) is a non-profit organization operating under its constitution approved by the General Assembly of its Member Societies.
Our vision: Together as a European meteorological network to benefit society.
Our mission is to benefit society at large through the broad expertise network of the EMS community, focussing on collaboration at the European level and support of national Member Societies. We facilitate this by providing annual meetings and other fora to enable the exchange of ideas and broadening of networks in meteorology, climatology and related fields; publishing journals and reports; issuing statements; supporting the advancements of early-career scientists; and rewarding major achievements in our domain.
Strategic Plan 2021 – 2024
The EMS Council approved the new EMS Strategic Plan in spring 2021.
It was decided that the strategic plan would be based on a set of strategic objectives, with the following being specified for each objective: context and role of the EMS, current activities and development activities. Council agreed on the following four objectives.
- There is a forward-looking, responsive and cooperative European meteorological community that includes professionals from the academic, public and private sectors.
- The activities of Member Societies and Associate Members are promoted and supported to maximize the benefits and outreach of those activities.
- Meteorological information is well understood and considered to the maximum possible extent by users, policy-makers and the public.
- The EMS is an influential and well-run organization with effective governance and use of social platforms/networks, based upon the committed involvement of its membership.
More details on the development of the Strategic Plan have been narrated in this news post by Bob Riddaway who is the father behind the long process that led to this plan.
EMS Constitution
Constitution of the European Meteorological Society
First adopted on 14 September 1999,
with amendments of 30 September 2007, 12 September 2010, 05 October 2014, 09 September 2020 and 31 August 2021.
Definitive version: English
Preamble
In the nations of Europe, Societies of professional meteorologists, weather and climate scientists, users of applied meteorology and dedicated weather amateurs have encouraged and enabled the advance of meteorology for many years.
On the eve of the 21st century, these Meteorological Societies have established a permanent organization for their cooperation, particularly to deal with those aspects of meteorology which can be solved only on a Europe-wide basis or are best approached on that scale. This organization is based on the following Constitution.
The Constitution
1 Name
The name of the Society shall be European Meteorological Society e.V., abbreviated as EMS.
2 Seat
2.1 The seat of the Society shall be the seat of the Secretariat of the Society.
2.2 The seat of the Secretariat is in Berlin, Germany.
3 Membership
3.1 The Society shall be an Association of European Societies, mostly at the national level, which shall be scientifically based Societies in the fields of meteorology and related sciences, and their applications. Europe is defined as the area of WMO Regional Association Six.
3.2 New Members shall be elected by vote of at least two-thirds of the Council of the Society. Any Society fitting the description set down in subparagraph 3.1 shall be eligible as a candidate for election as a new Member.
3.3 Members may leave voluntarily at any time.
3.4 Membership may otherwise be terminated only by vote of at least two-thirds of the Members participating at General Assembly of Members, called by the President, with at least four weeks notice.
3.5 In addition to Societies defined in 3.1 above, other bodies with an interest in the aims of EMS may be eligible for Associate Membership. Such bodies include non-European Meteorological Societies, National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, research and education institutes and departments and companies with interests in meteorology, related sciences and their applications, and Europe-wide bodies with similar interests.
4 Purpose
4.1 The aim of the Society is to promote the advancement of the science, profession and application of meteorology and related sciences within Europe for the benefit of the whole population.
4.2 To these ends, the Society will concentrate its efforts into activities which can only be carried out at the European level, or which are carried out more effectively at that level than by a single member Society. Among other activities, the Society organizes scientific meetings and lecture series and supports scientific publications and research for the public welfare. The Council may establish groups which have special interests at the European level.
4.3. The Society pursues only activities directly intended to promote public welfare in the sense meant by taxation regulations. It is to be recorded in the register of associations in the country that is the seat of the Society.
4.4. The Society acts disinterestedly, in the sense that it does not pursue primarily its own economic gain.
4.5. The assets and income of the Society may be used only for purposes set out in this Constitution. No Member shall derive financial benefit from the assets or income of the Society. Any person or party incurring expenses on behalf of the Society, and for the purposes set out in this Constitution, shall not be reimbursed excessively.
5 Organization
5.1 General Assemblies
5.1.1 There shall be a General Assembly of Members at least once a year. Invitations to the General Assembly have to be issued by the President in Textform; Textform includes e-Mail or corresponding digital formats. The General Assembly may be held as a physical meeting in the country of a Member, as a virtual meeting using video or telephone conferencing tools, or as a hybrid meeting involving both a virtual and physical presence. The General Assembly shall be chaired by one of the Officers (see par. 5.3), normally the President.
The General Assembly’s responsibilities include deciding on constitutional and financial matters, providing strategic direction, and electing representative Members to the Council (detailed in par. 5.2.2).
At a General Assembly, financial matters and matters ruled by par. 5.5.1 and par.9 shall be decided by a two-thirds majority of Members participating in the event. The presiding Officer shall have a deciding vote and shall also decide which matters are financial. Other matters shall be decided by a simple majority. The voting, either in person and/or electronically, shall comply with good practice and the arrangements specified in the Rules of Procedure for the General Assembly (par. 5.1.3).
Minutes have to be prepared about the content of the meeting. The chairperson is to sign them.
5.1.2 At General Assemblies, ten Members participating in the event shall constitute a quorum. Members may send any number of representatives to a General Assembly, but only one shall be designated by the Member to speak and vote on behalf of the Member in any particular discussion.
5.1.3 The General Assembly shall establish and adopt its own rules of procedure.
5.1.4 The General Assembly, having heard the report of the Council and Bureau, including a financial report and a statement (written or otherwise) by the Society’s Auditor, shall decide whether to approve the accounts of the Society for the past year. The General Assembly shall appoint an auditor for the forthcoming year.
5.1.5 The General Assembly shall decide about other tasks according to the Constitution and the law.
5.1.6 All Associate Members shall be eligible to attend General Assemblies as observers.
5.2 Council
5.2.1 There shall be a Council. It shall meet at least once between any two sessions of the General Assembly and is chaired by one of the Officers, normally the President. The Council Session may be held as a physical meeting in the country of a Member, as a virtual meeting using video or telephone conferencing tools, or as a hybrid meeting involving both a virtual and physical presence. The Council plans and directs the activities, and manages the properties and affairs, of the Society, in accordance with this constitution and decisions of the General Assembly of the Society.
5.2.2 The Council shall consist of representatives appointed by the governing bodies of the National Meteorological Societies of three permanent Members (France, Germany and the United Kingdom), plus six representatives of other Members elected by the annual General Assembly who shall each normally serve for a period of three years. The Council shall include one additional member in case the elected President is not already a representative (see 5.3.1).
5.2.3 Voting at the Council shall be by two-thirds majority on financial matters and by a simple majority on other matters. The presiding Officer shall have a deciding vote. The presiding Officer shall also decide which matters are financial matters. The voting, either in person and/or electronically, shall comply with good practice and the arrangements specified in the Rules of Procedure for the Council (par. 5.2.5).
5.2.4 At Council, seven Members participating in the session shall constitute a quorum.
5.2.5 The Council shall prepare its own Rules of Procedure, in accordance with rules under 5.2.2 and 5.2.3, for approval by a General Assembly.
5.2.6 The Council shall approve Rules of Procedure for the secretariat, including rules on financial matters.
5.2.7 Associate Members shall be represented at Council in one of two ways. Associate Members which are Europe-wide institutions shall be eligible for permanent observer status on the Council and provide an annual contribution as a fee or in kind agreed with the Council. Other Associate Members shall also provide an annual contribution as a fee or in kind agreed with the Council, but shall choose from amongst themselves one Associate Member to represent each of the categories of Associate Members which Council may designate from time to time. Associate Members elected to attend sessions of Council may, like other Representatives at Council, speak when invited by the Presiding Officer.
5.3 Officers
5.3.1 Bureau
The Bureau consists of the President, Vice-President and Treasurer.
5.3.2 President
The Council shall appoint as President an individual who is a member of one of the Member Societies. The appointed President will automatically become a member of the Council if that person is not already a representative.
The appointment shall normally be for a term of three years and ends with the election of a new president. Presidents shall not be eligible for re-election.
5.3.3 Vice-President
The Council shall elect a Vice-President from amongst its members. The appointment of the Vice-President shall normally be for a term of three years and ends with the election of a new Vice-President. The Vice-President shall be eligible for re-election.
5.3.4 The President acts as representative of the Society.
5.3.5 If the President resigns or is unable to carry out the presidential functions through to the end of the period of office the Vice-President shall have the same powers and duties as the President till the election of a new President. In those circumstances the election of a new President shall take place as soon as possible.
5.3.6 Treasurer
The Council shall elect a Treasurer from amongst its members. The appointment of the Treasurer shall normally be for a term of three years and ends with the election of a new Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be eligible for re-election.
5.4 Cross-membership of Member Societies
The President of each Member Society shall ex-officio be a member, free of charge, of all other Member Societies.
5.5 Secretariat matters
5.5.1 Secretariat
There shall be a Secretariat of appropriate size, composition and location. These shall be decided by a two-thirds vote of the Members participating and voting at a General Assembly, having heard a recommendation by the Council .The Secretariat shall coordinate and assist the work of the Officers, the Council and the General Assembly.
5.5.2 Executive Secretary
5.5.2.1 The Executive Secretary shall be the senior official employed by the Society.
5.5.2.2 The Executive Secretary shall report to the Council, act as its Secretary and direct the work of the Secretariat.
5.5.2.3 The Executive Secretary shall be appointed by the Council, for such period as it may decide and on terms which accord with the law of the country in which the Secretariat is located. Other staff, if any, shall be appointed by the Executive Secretary, within a complement agreed by the Council and on terms agreed by the Council which accord with the law in the country of employment.
5.5.2.4 The terms of appointments shall be agreed by Council by simple majority vote.
5.5.3 Bank account.
There shall be a bank account in the currency of the country in which the Secretariat is located. On the decision of Council, accounts may be set up elsewhere and in other currencies. Orders and payments up to an amount which shall be decided by Council from time to time shall be valid on the signature of any one of the Officers of the Society or that of the Executive Secretary or a named deputy, if any. Orders and payments exceeding that amount shall be valid on the signatures of either an Officer and the Executive Secretary (or nominated deputy), or on the signature of the Executive Secretary alone following written authorization for each occasion by an Officer of the Society.
6 Funding
The Society shall be a non-profit-making body funding its activities by revenues raised from those activities, as well as by annual membership fees from Member Societies, contributions from Associate Members, donations and other income.
7 Communications
7.1 Communications within the Society, and between the Society and its Members, shall be in English. However, important documents, such as contractual documents, may, upon request to the Executive Secretary by one or more Members, be in either the English, French or German languages. Documents to be used in litigation or for other legal purposes in the State in which the seat of the Society is located shall be in a language of that State.
7.2 Each document appearing in more than one language shall state which language version is definitive.
8 Applicable law
In case of a legal dispute, the applicable law shall be that of the State in which the seat of the Society is located.
9 Changes in this Constitution
This Constitution may be amended at a General Assembly by a two-thirds vote of the Members participating in the event, if at least eight weeks’ notice is given for the Assembly and for the proposed amendments. Such an Assembly may be either an annual General Assembly or one called for the purpose, either by the Council or by at least six Members of the Society.
10 Arrangements for dissolving the Society
The Society shall be dissolved only by a decision of a General Assembly. Arrangements shall be made according to the law of the State in which the seat of the Society is located. Assets, which remain after dissolution of the EMS, can only be transferred to another geo-scientific Society acting for the public welfare. If the Society is dissolved, or if the Society changes its Constitution in such a way that the Society’s purposes would no longer be tax-favoured, then its assets shall pass either to a charity recognized as a corporate body under the public law or to another corporate body which has tax-favoured status for the purpose of promoting geo-science.