Statutes of The European Federation of Addiction Societies

(Status version 3. Approved October 24th 2024)

1.Name and Purpose

1.1   Under the name European Federation of Addiction Societies (hereafter called the “Federation”) there exists an Association of National and European societies involved in addiction prevention, care, research and policy strategies.

1.2   The purpose of the Federation is to promote education and the attainment of the highest level of knowledge and understanding in the field of Addiction in all European countries in so far as such activities shall be wholly non-profit and charitable making in nature. Addiction disorders comprise all disorders related to the use of psychoactive substances and non-substance-related disorders (e.g. gambling and gaming). EUFAS also aims to foster collaborative initiatives between European countries.

1.3   To that end but without restricting the foregoing main object of the Federation and in so far as the same shall be wholly charitable, the Federation intends:

1.3.1  To foster and encourage interdisciplinary scientific research, investigation and demonstration in the field of addiction and related disorders.

1.3.2  To improve the quality of instruction in the professions dealing with these disorders.

1.3.3  To supply information to, to operate with, and to advise through its committees, any society institution interested in these problems.

1.3.4  To establish and maintain an efficient strategic partnership with the European Commission, other international and national learned societies, governmental organisations, professional associations and other groups, societies, institutions and individuals who contribute to progress in the field of addiction and related disorders.

2.Means

The means of attaining these ends shall consist more particularly of:

 2.1    Organising or co-organising one conference of addiction per year in one of the countries represented in the membership of the Federation.

 2.2    Appointing special Committees, groups or individuals for the purpose of studying all problems related to the aims of the Federation.

 2.3    Fostering and facilitating in all countries the proper methods of study and means for action, of meeting and of exchange of ideas, concerning progress attained in the field of addiction and related disorders.

 2.4    Disseminating information through journals, books, and electronic media.

 2.5  EUFAS can appoint an official peer-reviewed journal with a formal contract of collaboration.

 2.6    Making known its activities as well as those of conferences and national or regional meetings and those of its Committees by all appropriate means and, in particular, through the medium of its official publications.

 2.7    Collaborating with other institutions in so far as they endeavour to improve human health in the field of addiction and related disorders.

 2.8  EUFAS will support European Research Award(s).

3.Membership

3.1 The Federation is an association composed of National or European Societies (or addiction sections of professional societies) relating to the field of addiction and related disorders research. Member Societies other than charter members shall be those Societies whose applications for membership have been accepted by majority vote of the Executive Committee.

 3.2. Umbrella organizations that are not exclusively European, or organizations in fields not directly related to addiction, can be integrated as affiliated or partner organizations, but not as full members of EUFAS. 

 3.3    To permit participation in the Federation by qualified individuals residing in a country without a National Society of addiction and related disorders to be registered in the Federation, these may be represented by a neighbouring state whose society (or section) is a member of EUFAS.

 3.4    Application for membership must be made in writing to the President and be accompanied by a list of the current officers and members of the Society or Section and a copy of its statutes can be requested.

4.Organisation

4.1 The Federation has the following executive bodies

  • The General Assembly

  • The Executive Committee

  • The Auditors

4.2 The General Assembly

4.2.1 The General Assembly is composed of the delegates of the member societies and sections and of the current Executive Committee. The President of the Federation is the Chairman of the General Assembly.

4.2.2      When a Member Society or Section cannot be present at the Assembly, he or she can request to be represented by the representative of another society. Both have to send an email to the entire EC for notification at least one week before the General Assembly.

4.2.3      The ordinary General Assembly is held annually at the place and date fixed for the session of alternating member society’s national congresses.

4.2.4      The General Assembly shall be convened by the President. Notice shall be given at least 20 days prior to the meeting in writing stating the agenda.

4.2.5      Extraordinary meetings shall be called according to necessity or if so requested in writing by at least 20% of the members stating the purpose of such meeting.

4.2.6      There is a quorum of the General Assembly if 20 % of the total of the Member Societies is present.

4.2.7      The voting power of the Member Societies will be one vote per society. Voting at the GA meeting will need to be in person, unless agreed otherwise by the EC.

4.2.8      If the quorum is not reached during the annual General Assembly, an additional extraordinary General Assembly shall be organised with the same agenda. For this GA no quorum is required, and decisions will be made following the guidelines as formulated in § 4.2.12.

4.2.9      The General Assembly elects the President, the first Vice-President, the second Vice-President, the Secretary and the Treasurer and a maximum of four additional members. See section 8 for details on the nomination process.

4.2.10    The General Assembly approves the accounts.

4.2.11    The General Assembly determines the membership dues pursuant to Article 12.

4.2.12    The General Assembly passes resolutions and carries out elections, to the extent this Statutes or the law do not provide otherwise with the absolute majority of the votes cast. A two-thirds majority of the votes represented is required, for the amendment of the Statutes, for amalgamation or dissolution of the Federation. If the votes are equal, the Chairman shall have the deciding vote.

4.3 The Executive Committee

4.3.1 The Executive Committee is composed of the President, immediate Past-President, the first Vice-President, the second Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, plus a maximum of four officers without official portfolio, and the current editor-in-chief of the official journal of EUFAS. All members are elected, except the immediate Past-President, who was elected during the previous GA, and the current editor-in chief of the official journal of EUFAS, who is co-opted.

4.3.2      Past presidents of EUFAS, prior to the immediate Past-President, are permanent guest members of the Executive Committee, with no voting right.

4.3.3      The Executive Committee may hold meetings at any time and in any place, which may be convenient to its members. It shall have full power to formulate by-laws not in conflict with the Statutes, subject to ratification by the General Assembly.

4.3.4      There is a quorum of the Executive Committee if the President and three other members, totaling at least four members, are present.

4.3.5      Each member (including the President) of the Executive Committee has one vote. The Executive Committee passes resolutions, to the extent the law or the Statutes do not provide otherwise with the absolute majority of the members present.

4.4 The Auditors

The Auditors shall audit the annual accounts and records. The Auditors shall prepare a report addressed to the Executive Committee, which in turn presents such report to the General Assembly.

5.Terms of Office

5.1 Past Presidents are entitled Honorary Presidents without term. They can participate in meetings of the Executive Committee as guest without a right to vote. Only the immediate Past President is an Executive Officer of the Federation. In the event of the prolonged incapacity or death of the President, the First Vice-President assumes his office and duties for the remainder of the fiscal period.

5.2    The term of office of the President, the first Vice-President, the second Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer and the other officers is two years. President and first Vice President are eligible for one re-election, the other officers may be re-elected several times.

5.3    Each society should officially designate to the secretary a representative of the society at least 2 weeks prior to the GA, through a formal email. If this has not been done, there will be no possibility to take part in any vote.

5.4  Every year, at least four weeks before the GA, the secretary will send the program of the GA to all member societies. The SG will remind the need for the societies to officially designate their representative.

6.Fiscal Period

The fiscal period is a two year’s period. It defines the term of the Executive Committee and of its members and all Special Commissions and Committees.

7.Special Commissions

The Executive Committee or the General Assembly may set up Special Commissions (“Task forces”), each to develop a special task for a specific period of time. As many members as required to complete the task will be appointed to each Special Commission and one member will be designated as Chairman.

8. Nomination Committee

8.1    Not less than one year before the end of the fiscal period, the Executive Committee shall elect three delegates to serve as a Nomination Committee under the chairmanship of the immediate Past President.

8.2    This Nomination Committee shall invite nominations from the member societies for any of the positions to be filled.

8.3  The Executive Committee may decide the number of candidates to be nominated for each of the four officer posts, and up to four additional officer posts. Having ascertained the willingness of the candidates to serve and following approval of the nominations by the Executive Committee, the Chairman of the Nomination Committee shall submit their names to the vote of the General Assembly. The Secretary shall supervise the ballot in the Assembly and record the results.

8.4  Members of the Nomination Committee cannot propose their own names to the vote.

8.5  The election process is chaired by one of the immediate past-presidents of EUFAS. If he or she cannot chair the election, he or she has to delegate the chair to the EC among the other former presidents of EUFAS.

8.6  An in-person vote shall be conducted if there are more candidates than positions.

9. Award Committee

Every two years the EUFAS Award will be granted by EUFAS in collaboration with its official journal. It will be given to a European researcher in good standing who has mainly conducted human addiction research. The award committee is composed of two members of the EC (with a two year’s term) plus the editor-in-chief of the official journal under the leadership of the past president. A specific process for the award has to be followed with the official journal of EUFAS and the EC.

10. Constitution and Special Committees

Special Committees may be appointed by the President of the Federation and ratified by the Executive Committee. A Special Committee may act through representatives duly appointed. The Chairmen of the Special Committee are directly linked to the Executive Committee. The other members of the Special Committees, as well as the Chairmen, are members of the General Assembly.

11. Languages

The official language of the Federation shall be English.

12. Finances

12.1     For the accomplishment of its purpose the Federation disposes of contributions of third parties.

12.2     For all obligations of the Federation only the Federation’s property is liable. Any personal liability of the members is excluded.

12.3     Each Member Society shall pay to the Federation an annual subscription, the amount of which shall be determined by the General Assembly. The amount of such subscription shall be payable in advance to the Treasurer until the last day of March. Upon suggestion by the Executive Committee the General Assembly can waive membership fees for a limited number of years.

12.4     The Executive Committee shall determine all matters of finance, such as the site of the Treasury and the making of grants and loans.

12.5     No portion of the assets of the Federation shall be paid, directly or indirectly, to any Member Society or Officer of the Federation, except for reasonable payment for services actually rendered or repayment of expenses incurred in the interests of the Federation.

12.6     The Treasurer shall keep proper books and records of account.

13. Dissolution of Federation

13.1     The Federation may be dissolved or may be amalgamated with another body having similar objects on the proposal of the Executive Committee ratified by a two-thirds majority vote of the General Assembly.

13.2     In the event of its dissolution the assets of the Federation may not be divided among its members and shall be transferred to another international charitable body or bodies of like interests.

13.3     In the event of annulment of cessation of its present purpose, the assets of the Federation may not be distributed among its members but shall be assigned to another international charitable body or bodies or like interests, which must use the assets exceptionally and directly for welfare purposes.

13.4     In the event of dissolution of the Federation the members are not entitled to the Federation’s assets.

14. Final Provisions

The original statutes were approved by the inauguration Meeting of the Federation in Paris, September 15th, 2010. The last revision was approved during the 2024 General Assembly which took place in Lisbon, Oct 24, 2024.