Article 1 Name & address of the Federation         

The European Federation of Sports Medicine (EFSMA) is an independent multinational group of European National Sports Medicine Associations, recognised by FIMS (International Federation of Sports Medicine).

The EFSMA will have the address of its Secretary General.

Article 2 Aims and objectives

A. To have Sports Medicine recognized as a speciality/subspeciality in all of Europe.

B. To develop and harmonize education in Sports Medicine throughout Europe and for Sports Medicine to be included in the basic curricula and further education at Medical schools for doctors, but also for physiotherapists, nurses and other health care professions, school-gymnastics teachers and sports trainers.

C. To be a common pan-European forum in Sports Medicine for the improvement of communication between Sports Medicine organisations in Europe; to coordinate European Sports Medicine actions and to cooperate with the sports science disciplines in Europe.

D. To increase understanding of the importance of physical activity and sports training for the whole European population and disseminating knowledge of the principles and methods of Sports Medicine for the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries and diseases.

E. To encourage the exchange of scientific results and experiences, for instance by promoting the organisation of biannual European Congresses in Sports Medicine, to take initiatives when needed for consensus conferences and similar theme meetings, and to encourage and engage in common research projects.

F. To establish common strength and propagate a Sports Medicine code of ethics throughout Europe.

G. To promote, stimulate and advocate the publishing of books, journals, booklets, leaflets and other literature on the art and science of Sports Medicine.

Article 3 Membership

The EFSMA is open to National Sports Medicine Associations and Societies of European countries, recognized as autonomous by the United Nations, who agree to the aims and objectives of the Federation.

The Council of Delegates shall admit not more than one voting member from each country, which is recognized as representing the interests of Sports Medicine in the concerned country. If two or more organisations of national character exists in any country, using different languages, these associations could participate in the meetings, but the country still has only one vote (internally determined).

Applicant national associations must submit the following documents for consideration by the Executive Committee before the petition can be presented to the Council of Delegates:

A. Application in writing signed by the president and the secretary of the national association.

B. Copy of the statutes of the national association.

C. List of the names of the board members and their functions.

D. Total number of members in each category of membership.

E. Letter of recommendation attesting the fact that the applicant association is the representative Sports Medicine organisation in that country, from one of the following authorities: National Medical Association or Society, National Ministry of Health or National Olympic Committee or National Sports Association.

In the event of changes to any of the above, a revised copy of the institutional document, current list of officers etc. shall be forwarded to the Secretary General of the EFSMA.

The Federation will keep a register of its member associations containing names, address, number of members, statutes and activities.

Article 4 Removal and restoration of membership

Every member country which fails to pay the membership fee for two years will be removed from membership after being given two months notice.

Every member who acts in contravention of the aims and objectives of the Federation will be excluded by a resolution against the association passed to that end.

Resignation to be accepted by the Executive Committee.

National Associations whose membership in the EFSMA has been terminated for any reason, may be enrolled as members with the approval of the Executive Committee on written request and on payment of arrears if any.

Article 5 Executive Committee

The board function of the Federation is performed by the following elected of office bearers, who shall constitute the Executive Committee:

One President, two Vice-presidents, one Secretary General, one Treasurer, three ordinary members and two alternatives natives, i.e. seven office bearers with two substitutes (the latter ones to be called when an ordinary committee member has been prevented from coming).

A. President

The president is the chief executive and responsible for the general supervision of the work of the Federation and shall preside over all meetings. The president shall call meetings of the Executive Committee, either on the president’s own accord or at the request of the members of the Executive Committee.

B. Vice-presidents

A Vice-president shall preside over the meetings and shall exercise the duties and powers of the President in the absence of the President. The Vice-presidents shall also assist the President in his/her duties and shall work in consultation with the President.

C. Secretary General

The Secretary General shall be responsible for executing the decisions of the Executive Committee and the Council of Delegates, shall keep proper records of proceedings of all meetings held, shall have custody and control of the records of the Federation.

D. Treasurer

The Treasurer shall keep all the accounts of receipts and expenditure shall be responsible for all funds of the Federation and shall prepare a balance sheet and income and expenditure account annually, duly audited by the elected auditors.

E. Members

All other members shall assist the Executive Committee in the manner desired/required by the Executive Committee office bearers.

The Executive Committee may form a Subcommittee for the purpose of supervision or management of special tasks of the Federation. The number of members in such a subcommittee shall be determined by the Executive Committee and the chairman of the subcommittee should be a member of the Executive Committee.

Article 6 Council of Delegates

All the affairs of the Federation, including financial and otherwise, shall be approved by the Council of Delegates.

All member nations shall be entitled to vote provided the annual membership payment has been made by the rule one country, one fee, one vote.

In order to conduct the affairs of the Federation, the Council of Delegates shall exercise its powers through the Executive Committee.

The Council of Delegates shall be the high powered body and all its decisions, taken in normal or extraordinary meetings, shall be binding on all its members.

Article 7 Meetings

A. Council of Delegates

The Council of Delegates shall meet every second year (preferably in connection with the European Congress of Sports Medicine) to transact the following business:

1. Confirm the minutes of the last meeting

2. To approve and adopt the report of the work done by the Federation and the audited statement of accounts.

3. Elect new office bearers of the Federation.

4. Transact all other business as circulated in the agenda.

5. Any other matter with the permission of the Executive Committee and if a majority of the participating members of the Council of Delegates so wishes.

Notice for the Council of Delegates meeting of the Federation shall be issued not less than 3 months before the meeting date.

B. Executive Committee

An ordinary meeting of the Executive Committee shall be held annually on a date fixed by the Secretary General and shall be notified to all members at least 3 months in advance.

C. Extraordinary Meetings

Extraordinary Council of Delegates meeting of the Federation could be held as may be deemed necessary by the President or in pursuance of the direction issued by the Executive Committee and shall be held within 3 months from the date of receipt of a requisition signed by no less than 2/3 of the members, explaining the urgency.

Notice for the extraordinary Council of Delegates meeting shall be issued not less than two months before the meeting date.

Extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee may be held to handle urgent matters or on the request of half of its members.

Notice for the extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee may be issued not less than one month before the date fixed.

D. Official Language

During the meetings the official language shall be English.

Documents, for information and discussion, shall be distributed in English and if possible in French.

Article 8 Funds and economy

A. The funds of the Federation shall be raised as follows:

Annual membership fee is 100 Euros or the equivalent in USD.

Grants, donations, gifts from members and other institutions, government agencies or sponsors.

B. No member shall be entitled to any remuneration whether holding any office or not.

C. The funds of the Federation shall be deposited in any scheduled bank approved by the Executive Committee in the name of "European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations".

The bank accounts shall be operated under the signatures of any one of the President, the Secretary General or the Treasurer.

Two signatures are required for transactions of amounts greater than 1000 Euros.

D. The financial year shall be from January l^st to December 31.

E. The annual membership fee shall be paid by the member associations not later than July 1^st. A member in good standing at the end of the previous financial year may participate in a Council of Delegates taking part in the first six months of the year.

F. The accounts of the Federation shall be audited every year by two auditors appointed bv the Council of Delegates

Article 9 Rules of elections

A. Term of election

The mandate period for the office bearers in the Executive Committee is four years, half of them are elected at each Council of Delegates meeting every second year in order to secure continuity and experience of the committee work by this parallel time shift.

B. Election committee

The Council of Delegates appoints an Election Committee of the EFSMA after every four years, consisting of a chairman (preferably the past president of the EFSMA) and two other members, all from different countries.

C. Election qualification

A candidate for election shall be a representative of a member association of the EFSMA, duly recommended as such by the member national association, which has paid the annual membership fee.

Members of the Election Committee shall be ineligible to contest.

D. Qualification of voters

All member nations shall be entitled to vote in the election of office bearers, provided the annual membership payment has been made, by the rule one fee - one country - one vote.

There will be no proxy votes.

E. Procedure of elections

The election Committee shall announce the full schedule of elections at least 90 days in advance to be sent out to the Member Associations. A written proposal for nominations shall be made to the Election Committee from a Member National Association at least 60 days before the Election and is to be signed by the candidate to whom it relates and the President or Secretary of the nominating Member Association.

A list of nominations shall be published 30 days before the Election by the Secretary General to the Member National Associations.

No Member Country shall propose or second more than one candidate for one and the same post.

A nominee for a position as officer who is not elected may be nominated from the floor as a nominee for election as an ordinary member of the Executive Committee.

The elections shall be made through secret ballot (or, if the President asks approval from the Council of Delegates, by show of hands) and the names of the elected office bearers will be presented immediately after the count to all the representatives.

Article 10 Decisions

A quorum of 50% of the members must be present before decisions can be made.

All the decisions to be made in the meetings of both the Executive Committee and the Council of Delegates are to be taken by simple majority (over 50%) of the present participating members of the Federation. The President has the casting vote.

To make changes in the statutes of the Federation (including dissolution of it), a two thirds majority of the participating delegates is required.