Constitution of the European Diabetes Epidemiology Group (EDEG)

Aims
The aim of the group is to assist in the collection, interpretation, dissemination and application of data relating to the epidemiology of diabetes mellitus, its diagnosis, complications and allied disorders. Although primarily a European group, it is committed to work in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and other organisations interested in diabetes epidemiology. The Group will also review work in progress, suggest future lines of research, review and comment upon the design, progress and outcome of epidemiological studies and clinical trials. It will advise the parent Association, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) as required, and will normally hold annually, a Scientific Meeting.

Membership
Ordinary Membership of the group will be awarded, after written application to the EDEG Secretary, to European residents who have, within a 5-year period, attended 3 meetings and presented a paper at 2 meetings. Individuals may only receive a bursary to fund the registration costs and the accommodation on only two of three occassions. Failure to attend 3 (three) successive meetings will lead to forfeiture of membership. To recover membership, the ex-Member will have to fulfil the criteria for membership as stated above.

Emeritus Membership will be awarded to members of the group who have organised an Annual Scientific Meeting. Emeritus Membership cannot be forfeited by reason of failure to attend three successive meetings. Only one person from the organising centre will usually be awarded this membership status each year.

Registration and accommodation fees for the Annual Scientific Meeting of the EDEG are waived for both Ordinary and Emeritus Members. A member who has registered for a meeting but fails to attend without due cancellation to the organiser, at least two weeks before the meeting, looses his/her privileges for the next meeting he/she attends.

Honorary Membership will be awarded to non-European residents with the same eligibility criteria as for Ordinary Membership. Honorary Members will receive all correspondence circulated to the Ordinary and Emeritus members, have the right to vote at the Annual General Meeting, but are not eligible for membership of the Committee of the EDEG, and are not covered by other privileges given to Ordinary and Emeritus Members.

Committee and its Officers
The Committee will consist of three Officers: a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman and a Secretary with three additional Ordinary or Emeritus Members. The President of the EASD, or his nominated deputy, is a member ex-officio. All elections to the Committee will be by a simple majority vote of Members of the Group present at the Annual General Meeting. One of the organisers of the next Annual Scientific Meeting will be an ex-officio member of the Committee.

Emeritus Members, Ordinary Members and Committee Members are eligible for election as Officers. Committee Members and Officers shall serve for a term of three years but, after completion of their term of office, are eligible for re-election without a break to serve in a higher Office. Committee Members are only eligible for re-election to serve in the same or a lesser position after a lapse of one year. The Committee shall have power to co-opt additional members for up to three years.

Meetings
At the Annual General Meeting, the Members of the Group, advised by the Committee and its Officers, will select the venue and the themes for future meetings. Final programme selection will be made by the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman and the Secretary of the EDEG, in collaboration with the Host Organising Committee. At their discretion, they may decide that attendees can only be first author of one oral or one poster presentation. Organisation of the meeting and its funding will be a joint responsibility of the Host Members assisted by the Officers, Committee and Members of the Group, as appropriate.

All contested matters shall be brought to the council of the EASD, to whom an annual report of the activities of the group shall be rendered.

As revised in Verona, Italy 10th May 1999

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Last up-date: 11 April 2000