CONSTITUTION 2019-05-13T17:07:27+00:00

1. Name and registered office of the association

1.1 The association shall be called the European Forum for Research in Rehabilitation. The unofficial abbreviation EFRR shall be used to refer to the association.

1.2 The registered office of the association shall be in Helsinki.

2. The object and nature of operations of the association

The object of the association is to promote, for the public benefit, all education and research concerning the rehabilitation of people with disabilities, and to distribute any useful results obtained from such research.
The association particularly aims at
a) promoting a biopsychosocial and multidisciplinary approach in the field of research focusing on the consequences of various health conditions, and the interaction of such consequences and the environment from the viewpoint of an individual and the society. The multidisciplinary nature of the operations is an essential foundation of the association, enabling participation of rehabilitation research experts from the fields of medicine, vocational and educational rehabilitation, social and psychosocial rehabilitation or any other field of rehabilitation;
b) promoting the exchange of research results in these areas;
c) promoting the exchange of ideas and the development of cooperation projects in the field of rehabilitation research.

In order to realize these objects, the company shall
a) regularly organize European congresses in the member states,
b) organize workshops on special subject areas,
c) organize meetings, seminars, training and other similar activities,
d) provide information services and issue publications, and
e) cooperate with other similar organizations in the field.

3. Members and membership fees

An individual who accepts the object of the association can be admitted into membership. Members are accepted by the Council of the association based on an application. The annual membership fee will be determined by the annual meeting based on a proposal by the Council.

4. Meetings of the association

The annual meeting of the association will be held annually between January and May, on the date set by the Council. An extraordinary meeting shall be held when so decided by a meeting of the association, or when the Council deems it necessary, or when a minimum of one tenth (1/10) of the members entitled to vote request it from the Council in writing and for a specified purpose.
When the Council so decides, the meeting can be participated in by post or through a data communication connection or other technical medium during the meeting or before the meeting.
In meetings of the association, each member shall have one vote.
The opinion that has the support of more than half of the votes cast will be recorded as the decision of the meeting, unless otherwise determined in the rules of the association. If the vote is tied, the chairperson of the meeting shall have the casting vote; elections, however, are decided by lot.
The vote is conducted as a show of hands, unless the chairperson of the meeting requests a secret ballot. A secret ballot is executed as defined by the chairperson.

5. Calling a meeting of the association

The Council shall call a meeting of the association for the minimum of 7 days before the meeting by a letter posted to the members or by e-mail.

6. Annual meeting

The annual meeting of the association shall discuss the following items:
1. Opening of the meeting
2. Election of a chairperson, secretary, two examiners of the minutes and, when necessary, two vote counters.
3. Recording the presence of quorum and the legality of the meeting.
4. Approval of the agenda.
5. Presentation of the financial accounts, annual report and the report of the auditors of the accounts or operations for the year.
6. Adoption of the financial accounts and the discharge from liability of the members of the Council and other persons accountable.
7. Adoption of the action plan, budget and the membership fee.
8. Every two years, election of the chairperson and members of the Council.
9. Election of one or two auditors of operations and deputy auditors of operations, or one or two auditors of accounts and deputy auditors of accounts.
10. Processing of other items listed in the invitation to the meeting.
If a member of the association wishes to add an item to the agenda of the annual meeting, he or she must send written notice of the item early enough that the item can be included in the invitation to the meeting.

7. Council

The operations of the association are managed by a Council composed of the chairperson and a minimum of four (4) and a maximum of nine (9) members elected at the annual meeting. In its composition, the Council must observe, as far as possible, the multidisciplinary and international nature of the association. The members of the Council should be elected from different states. The Council’s term of office is two years. The Council elects a vice-chairperson from among its members and a secretary, treasurer and other necessary officers from among its members or from the outside of the Council. The chairperson or, when he or she is prevented, the vice-chairperson calls the meetings of the Council when he or she deems it necessary or when requested by the minimum of half of the members of the Council. The Council is quorate when at least half of its members, including the chairperson or vice-chairperson, are present. Votes are decided by a simple majority. If the vote is tied, the chairperson shall have the casting vote; elections, however, are decided by lot. A meeting by e-mail is possible if all members of the Council agree to this.

8. Scientific journal

The official journal of the association is called the International Journal of Rehabilitation Research.

9. Amending the rules and dissolving the association

Decisions on amendments to rules and the dissolution of the association shall be made in a meeting of the association with a minimum of three-fourths (3/4) of the votes cast. The invitation to the meeting must include a mention of an amendment to the rules or the dissolution of the association. When the association is dissolved, the assets of the association shall be used to promote the object of the association in a way determined by the meeting that decides on the dissolution. Should the association be abolished, the assets shall be used for the same purpose. The association shall comply with the provisions of the Finnish Associations Act.

10. Accounting period and audit of accounts

The accounting period of the association shall equal the calendar year. Financial accounts with the necessary documents, and the annual report of the Council, shall be submitted to the auditors of operations or accounts one month before the annual meeting at the latest. The auditors of operations or the accounts shall give their written statements to the Council no later than two weeks before the annual meeting.

11. Signatories for the association

The persons authorized to sign for the association include the chairperson, the vice-chairperson, the secretary and the treasurer, each alone.