ARTICLE 1 NAME - SEAT

In accordance with the law of 25 October 1919, modified by the law of 6 December 1954, an international society with scientific aims shall be established called the "European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology", hereinafter ESTRO, with its registered offices in Brussels. The address of the registered offices may be changed by decision of the Board.

ARTICLE 2 AIMS

The aims of the ESTRO shall be to:

1. Foster radiation oncology in all its aspects
2. Develop the standard of radiation oncology, radiophysics, radiation technology and radiobiology in Europe
3. Improve the standards of cancer treatment by establishing radiation oncology as a clinical speciality integrated with other cancer treatment modalities
4. Promote international exchange of scientific information on radiotherapy and oncology and related fields of science such as radiophysics and radiobiology
5. Set standards for education and practice in radiation oncology and associated professions
6. Establish relationships and co-operation with international, regional and national societies and bodies in the field of radiation oncology.

ARTICLE 3 MEMBERSHIP

1. ESTRO shall consist of full members, junior members, emeritus members, honorary members, corresponding members, affiliated members, sustaining members and company members
2. Full members shall be medical doctors, physicists, biologists and other scientists who are specialists or have their main activity in the field of radiotherapy and oncology
3. Junior members shall be medical doctors, physicists or biologists in training for specialisation in radiation oncology, which will make them eligible for full membership
4. Emeritus members shall be members who retire from active professional life. Their title is conferred on them by the Board. They have the same rights as full members. However, they are not eligible for election to office
5. Honorary members shall be individuals who have made a significant contribution to the achievement of the goals of the society
6. Corresponding membership shall be open to members of societies outside the geographical area of Europe. Corresponding members shall have the right to attend the meetings of the General Assembly and speak but not to make motions, vote or be eligible for office
7. Affiliated memberships shall be open to individuals whose principle professional activity is in the field of radiation technology. Affiliated members shall have the right to attend the meetings of the General Assembly and speak but not make motions, vote or be eligible for office
8. Sustaining membership shall be open to organisations not eligible for membership of ESTRO. Sustaining members shall have no voting rights, and are not eligible for election to office
9. Company membership shall be open to industrial companies involved in the construction of equipment and production of drugs for the treatment of cancer. They are not eligible for membership, have no voting rights, and are not eligible for election to the office
10. Full members, junior members, corresponding members and affiliated members shall be admitted to membership after the Board has voted on their admission by an ordinary majority of votes. Honorary members are appointed by the Board
11. Emeritus members and honorary members shall be exempt from payment of membership dues. All other members shall pay their dues as fixed by the General Assembly
12. All members can at all times terminate their membership by sending notice of their resignation in writing to the Secretary. A member can be excluded from the Society by a decision of the General Assembly taken by a majority of two-thirds of all votes cast at the meeting
13. Members shall have no individual rights to any of the assets of the Society

ARTICLE 4 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1. The General Assembly is constituted by all members of the Society. Only full members and emeritus members have the right to vote.
2. The General Assembly shall meet at least once a year during the annual meeting. The General Assembly shall be convened and chaired by the President. Every voting member can have him/herself represented by another voting member, in the possession of a written mandate, with a limitation to a single mandate
3. The General Assembly shall be responsible of
   • approving of the annual report, the annual budget and the accounts
   • determination membership fee
   • election and dismissal of Board members
   • changes in the statutes
   • the dissolution of the society
4. Except for exceptional cases defined in these statutes, all decisions of the General Assembly shall be taken by a simple majority of the votes cast at the meeting. The reports of the General Assembly are drafted by the Secretary, co-signed by the President and mailed to all members of the Society
5. In case of the dismissal of Board members, a written ballot sent out to all the members of the General Assembly should confirm the decisions voted upon by the General Assembly. The results of such a ballot will be considered as valid if at least one third of all members with voting rights have responded to this ballot.

ARTICLE 5 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

1. The Society shall be governed by a Board of Directors. The Board shall have full power in matters of management and administration which have not been reserved by law or by the present charter to the General Assembly
2. The Board shall consist at least of seven persons, among them the Past-President, President and President-elect. If the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Executive Administrator and the Editor-in-Chief of the journal of the Society, appointed by the Board, are not elected Directors, they become members of the Board automatically without voting rights by virtue of their office. At least one Board member shall have the Belgian nationality
3. Only full members shall be officers of the Society. The Board members and the president shall be appointed by the General Assembly in a secret vote. The Board is entitled to co-opt a maximum of one Board member.
4. The elected President is automatically a member of the Board for a duration of six years: the first two years as President-elect, the following two years as President, and, finally the two years as Past-president. The President’s real term of office begins two years after his election
5. The duration of the mandate of the Board members shall be in principle three years
6. The Board appoints a Secretary who is responsible for the implementation of the decisions and the policy of the Board. The Board also appoints a Treasurer who is responsible for the preparation of the budget, the reports of the budget figures and all financial matters. The Board appoints an Executive Administrator, who is responsible for the daily administration of the Society, the execution of the approved budget and the compliance with established rules and procedures. The Board also appoints an Editor-in-Chief for the journal of the Society
7. The Board shall meet when convened by the President. Decisions are taken by simple majority of the votes, on condition that a minimum of three Board members are present. Whenever a vote ends undecided, the President has the casting vote. The minutes of the Board are drafted by the Secretary and co-signed by the President who keeps them at disposal of the members
8. The president represents the Society, presides over the Board, the General Assembly and the annual meeting
9. The Society is only validly represented in all transactions by a joint signature of the President and one of the following officers: the President-elect, the Past-president, the Secretary or the Treasurer or the Executive Administrator. The Treasurer or the Executive Administrator will be allowed the autonomous decision in smaller transactions. The extent of this responsibility will be determined by the Board. Legal actions, both as claimant and as defendant are conducted, followed up and expedited by the Board, represented by its President or one of the Board members assigned by him/her.

ARTICLE 6 COMMITTEES

The Board shall institute standing and ad-hoc committees as required to conduct the business of the Society.

ARTICLE 7 BYE-LAWS

The Board shall prepare bye-laws in which all procedures relating to the General Assembly, the membership and the Board are required.

ARTICLE 8 FINANCE

The financial year shall be closed every year on 31 December. The Board has the obligation to submit every year the accounts of the past financial year and the budget for the coming year for approval to the General Assembly.

ARTICLE 9 AMENDMENTS

Every proposal to amend the laws shall emanate from the Board, from the ad-hoc committees or from 20 voting members. The Board shall announce at least three months beforehand to the members of the Society the date of the General Assembly which is to decide on the aforementioned proposal. The proposal shall be submitted to the General Assembly together with the recommendation of the Board. No decision will be taken unless the proposal gets a majority of two-thirds of the votes of the voting members present, or voting by proxy, cast in a secret ballot. The amendment of the laws shall be valid after their approval by Royal decree and publication.

ARTICLE 10 DISSOLUTION

For the dissolution of the Society the same procedure shall be followed as for the amendment of the laws. In the event of the dissolution of the Society, all its assets will be transferred to (an) organisation(s) with similar aims. The Board will be charged with the liquidation.

ARTICLE 11 GENERAL CLAUSE

For all matters not regulated in the present laws, the provisions of the law of 25 October 1919, as modified by the law of December 6, 1954, are binding.