Statutes

The name of the Association

1. The name of the Association is: International Economic History Association.

The seat of the Association

2. The seat of the Association is Utrecht.

The duration of the Association

3. The Association is established indefinitely.

The aims of the Association

4. The aims of the Association are:

a) To maintain and develop personal contacts between scholars of all countries interested in economic history in its broadest sense;

b) To periodically organize academic meetings, and in particular international congresses of economic history;

c) To encourage all forms of research and publications relevant to the development and diffusion of economic history.

The means by which the Association wishes to achieve its aims

5. The Association will endeavour to achieve its aims by means of the organization of an international (world) congress. The goal is to ensure that this world congress takes place at least once every four years.

The financial resources of the Association

6. The financial resources of the Association are composed of:

a) The annual subscriptions payable by member organizations;

b) Subsidies, sponsorship and other sources of income that the Association has access to or can raise.

The annual term of the Association

7. The Association’s annual term is the same as the calendar year.

As concerns membership

8. Membership of the Association is open to scientific organizations devoted to economic history in either general terms or in one of its major specifications, who subscribe to the aims of the Association and who declare themselves to be willing to participate.

As concerns the application procedure

9.1. Prospective members should apply, in written form, to the Executive Committee of the Association.

9.2. Admission to membership of the Association is decided by the General Assembly on the basis of recommendation by the Executive Committee.

As concerns the obligations of members

10.1 Members must pay an annual subscription, determined on the basis of a recommendation of the Executive Committee and decided upon by the General Assembly.

10.2 The subscription is due at the start of the Association’s annual term. No refunds can be made if membership is ended during the annual term.

10.3 New members who join during an annual term must pay the subscription as of the next following annual term; for the part of the year during which the member was granted membership no subscription shall be owed.

As concerns the termination of membership

11. Membership is terminated under any of the following situations:

a) Termination by the member;

b) Termination by the General Assembly;

c) Expulsion from the Association by vote in the General Assembly.

As concerns termination of membership by the member

12. If a member wishes to terminate membership then this member must announce this in writing at least four weeks before the end of the annual term.

As concerns termination of membership by the General Assembly

13.1 The Association can end the membership of a member organization if the member organizations has not paid the full subscription for three consecutive years, if the member organization ceases to exist, if the member organization fails to fulfil any other duties in respect to the Association, or if for any other reason it is not reasonable for the Association to continue the membership.

13.2 The termination of membership by the Association occurs during the General Assembly; the General Assembly must inform the member concerned in writing of the termination and of the reason for the termination.

As concerns expulsion

14.1 The General Assembly can, on the basis of a recommendation from the Executive Committee, decide to expel a member; this decision can only be made if the member is found to have breached the statutes, regulations or decisions of the Association, or if the member organization has conducted itself in a manner so as to have caused undue harm to the Association.

14.2. Directly following a decision of expulsion by the General Assembly the Executive Committee notifies the member organization concerned, in writing, of the expulsion and of the reasons for the expulsion.

As concerns the organization of the Association

15. The organs of the Association are:

a) The General Assembly;

b) The Executive Committee.

As concerns the Executive Committee of the Association

16.1. The Association has an Executive Committee that, besides the officers to be mentioned, consists of 12 to 15 persons.

16.2 The General Assembly elects the Executive Committee from the directors of the member organizations of the association. The Executive Committee members can also be chosen from outside the directors of the member organizations.

16.3 The Executive Committee consists of at least the following titled officers:

a) President;

b) Vice-President;

c) Secretary General;

d) Treasurer.

One person may not hold more than one office.

16.4 The office of President is to be filled by the Vice-President of the previous electoral term. If the Vice-President does not accept the office then candidates for President may be nominated, or self-nominated, to the Executive Committee by any serving member of the Executive Committee, with the exception of the serving President, or by any member organization of the Association. Candidates for Vice-President may be nominated or self-nominated to the Executive Committee by any serving member of the Executive Committee, with the exception of the serving President, or by any member organization. Candidates for the office of Treasurer shall be nominated by a search committee appointed by the Executive Committee and chaired by the President. Additional candidates may be nominated by any serving member of the Executive Committee, with the exception of the serving Treasurer, or by any member organization. Candidates for the office of Secretary General shall be nominated by a search committee appointed by the Executive Committee and chaired by the President. Additional candidates may be nominated by any serving member of the Executive Committee, with the exception of the serving Secretary General, or by any member organization. For all positions on the Executive Committee the Executive Committee will endorse one or more of the nominees for election by the General Assembly.

16.5 For the remaining Executive Committee positions the following procedure is followed. The slate of endorsed nominees presented to the General Assembly by the Executive Committee will include all those serving Executive Committee members who are allowed and willing to serve a second term. For the open seats the following procedure is followed. Every member organization can recommend one person for each open seat. The Executive Committee shall then endorse one of more candidates for each seat. When drawing up the slate of endorsed nominees the Executive Committee will take into account the suitability of the nominees and will attempt to ensure that the Executive Committee is a reflection of the diversity of scholars of all member organizations and of economic history in its broadest sense.

16.6 The slate of nominees prepared by the Executive Committee in the year before the World Congress should be circulated to all member organizations and published on the internet. Individuals originally recommended to the Executive Committee but not endorsed by the Executive Committee can be reinstated to the slate by any member organization. This can be accomplished by writing to the General Secretary at least three months in advance of the General Assembly meeting. One such re-submission would be allowed per member organization. These re-submissions should be accompanied by evidence that the individual so nominated is willing and able to serve.

As concerns the suspension or dismissal of members of the Executive Committee

17.1 The General Assembly may always suspend or dismiss members of the Executive Committee.

17.2 If, within three months of being suspended, a member of the Executive Committee has not been dismissed then the suspension is terminated.

As concerns the duration and the end of Executive Committee membership

18.1 The General Assembly elects Executive Committee members for the period up until the next World Congress, this entails that the Executive Committee elections take place at every World Congress; any member of the Executive Committee may stand for re-election for one additional term.

18.2 Executive Committee membership can come to an end as a result of:

a) Suspension by the General Assembly;

b) Resignation of the Executive Committee member; if the Executive Committee member resigns then he must take into account a notification period of 28 days.

18.3 If Executive Committee membership ends as a result of the end of the period for which the member was originally elected and no successor has yet been elected, then the Executive Committee member remains in his or her position until the General Assembly has either chosen someone to fill the position or has decided not to fill it, unless it cannot reasonably be required that the member continues in his or her Executive Committee tasks.

As concerns the meetings and decision making process of the Executive Committee

19.1 A meeting of the Executive Committee can be called by the President and/or by the Secretary General.

19.2 The convening of a meeting of the Executive Committee must be announced at least two months in advance.

19.3 At meetings of the Executive Committee one half of the members are necessary to constitute a quorum.

19.4 The Executive Committee takes its decisions on the basis of simple majority voting.

19.5 Every Executive Committee member has the right to vote in the Executive Committee meetings.

19.6 If the vote results in a tie vote then the President will reopen the issue to discussion. If at a second vote the result is still a tie then the President casts the deciding vote.

As concerns the tasks of the Executive Committee

20. The tasks of the Executive Committee include the following:

a) The Executive Committee determines the academic programme of every World Congress.

b) The Executive Committee is responsible for executing the decisions of the General Assembly and for ensuring the realization of the aims of the Association.

c) The Executive Committee proposes changes in the membership of the Association and it submits nominations for elections of Committee members to the General Assembly. It submits a detailed report on its activities to the General Assembly.

d) The overall responsibility for each World Congress rests with the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will sign a letter of understanding with the Organizing Committee and/or the person or institution in charge of the organization of the World Congress. In this letter the responsibilities and obligations of both parties are regulated. This will include the obligation to present the accounts of the World Congress to the Executive Committee within a year after the World Congress is organized.

As concerns limitations on the Executive Committee’s authority

21. No Committee member may, without prior permission from the General Assembly, enter into agreements to acquire, dispose of or encumber registered property or conclude agreements whereby the Association acts as surety or as a joint and several co-debtor, guarantees the obligations of a third party or provides security for the debt of a third party.

As concerns the tasks of the office-holding members of the Executive Committee

22.1 The President is charged with the tasks of:

– Ensuring that the statutes and decisions of the Association are adhered to;
– Chairing all meetings of the Executive Committee and the General Assembly;
– Acting as an advisor to the Organizing Committee of the World Congress.

22.2 The Vice-President is charged with the tasks of:

– Performing the tasks of the President in the case of the latter’s absence;
– Serving as Chair of the Organizing Committee of the World Congress.

22.3 The Secretary General is charged with the tasks of:

– Maintaining the archives of the Association;
– Recording the minutes and decisions of meetings of the General Assembly and of the Executive Committee;
– Being responsible for the correspondence of the Association;
– Compiling an annual report on the state of affairs within the Association;
– Being responsible for the making of public announcements on behalf of the organization and communicating with the appropriate officials of the member organizations of the Association.

22.4 The Treasurer is charged with the tasks of:

– Controlling and having overview of the financial resources of the Association, and dealing with the financial administration;
– The collection of debts owed, and the payment of any outstanding debts or bills that the Association has;
– Compiling an annual financial report;
– Assembling an annual budget estimate;
– Making financial reports to the General Assembly as directed by the Executive Committee;
– Serving as a member ex officio of the Organizing Committee for the World Congress and advisor as to the financial responsibility within this Organizing Committee.

22.5 The Executive Committee must ensure that the General Assembly can always appraise itself of the financial situation of the Association, and of the Association’s rights and obligations.

As concerns representation

23.1 Apart from the legal representation of the Association by the entire Executive Committee, the Association can also be represented by the President, or the Vice-President, and the Treasurer or the President, or the Vice-President, and the Secretary General. The signatories to such documents may be bound by the directions of the General Assembly or the Executive Committee.

23.2 The Executive Committee may empower one or more fellow Executive Committee members with complete or partial legal authority to represent the Association in its dealings with third parties; this authorization must be given in writing. A general authorization will be made known to third parties by being published in the commercial register of the Chamber of Commerce of the location where the Association is registered.

As concerns the convening of a meeting to the General Assembly

24.1 The General Assembly consists of one representative from each member organization of the Association, and an alternate. The General Assembly will meet at least once on the occasion of each World Congress, organized by the Association. No person can be a representative for more than one member organization. Members of the Executive Committee are not automatically representatives of their member organization.

24.2 The Executive Committee convenes ordinary or extraordinary meetings of the General Assembly in writing, and draws up the agenda for the meetings.

24.3 The Executive Committee may convene a General Assembly as often as this is deemed necessary, but at a minimum they must occur during every World Congress.

24.4 The call for a meeting must be made, by means of an invitation either handed to the member organizations or sent to their addresses, at least two months prior to the meeting’s scheduled date. The agenda for the meeting must be handed or sent to the member organizations at least one month before the meeting.

24.5 Every member organization has the right to put forward agenda items; member organizations have to propose such agenda items, in writing, to the Secretary-General at least one month before the meeting; the Secretary-General must disclose these agenda items, in writing, to the other member organizations, at least 14 days before the meeting.

24.6 The President of the Association or, in his or her absence, the Vice President shall preside over meetings of the General Assembly.

24.7 A meeting of the General Assembly must be called if one tenth of the member organizations requests one; the member organizations must make this request in writing and in doing so make known their reasons for the request; the Executive Committee must then call a meeting within 28 days of the request; if the Executive Committee fails to comply with the request within 14 days then those member organizations that requested the meeting can call one themselves by using the method described above or by a general call by email to all the member organizations; if necessary the meeting will provide for its own chair-person and be responsible for the recording of the minutes of the meeting.

As concerns the voting and quorum of the General Assembly

25.1 Only member organizations have the right to vote; all member organizations have one vote.

25.2 Except for in situations laid down in these statutes, the General Assembly takes its decisions on the basis of simple majority voting.

25.3 Decisions of the General Assembly that is organized at the World Congress are valid when at least one third of the member organizations is present. At other meetings of the General Assembly a quorum of one half of the member organizations is required.

25.4 In the event of a tie vote a new vote will be carried out and the President may vote as he or she sees fit, observing Book 2, Article 38, paragraph 3, of the civil code of the Netherlands (1).

As concerns the tasks of the General Assembly

26. The General Assembly is the supreme authority of the Association. It has within its power to determine all matters which are not reserved to the Executive Committee. In particular it is responsible for:

a) Approving reports from the Executive Committee and the accounts of the Association;

b) Conducting the election of the President, the Vice President, the Secretary General, the Treasurer and the other members of the Executive Committee;

c) Authorizing all changes in the Statutes of the Association;

d) Taking decisions for the dissolution and liquidation of the Association;

e) On the recommendation of the Executive Committee, conferring the title of Honorary President upon a retiring President of the Association. The immediate past President will be a non-voting member of the Executive Committee for one term.

f) Choosing a President if the serving President is not succeeded by the serving Vice-President.

As concerns regulations

27. The Executive Committee establishes regulations for its own tasks.

As concerns the annual accounts

28.1 Within six months of the end of every financial year the Executive Committee will draw up an annual report.

28.2 Besides the annual accounts the annual report will include at least the following: – the report of the auditing committee; – a proposal regarding the selection of the members of the auditing committee; – the potential candidates for any vacant positions; – a proposal as to the level of the annual subscription; – an explanatory note to all the components mentioned in this article.

28.3 The annual accounts include at least: the financial accounts of the Executive Committee (including a financial balance and an overview of income and expenditure) and an explanation of the components.

28.4 The annual report will be submitted to the member organizations by email.

28.5 The Treasurer will, in writing or by email, justify his or her financial management; once the General Assembly has approved the annual accounts, the treasurer is relieved of his or her responsibility.

28.6 The General Assembly can, prior to approving the annual accounts, decide to have an accountant, or similarly qualified individual, inspect them.

28.7 Approval of the annual accounts by the General Assembly occurs by means of each member organization sending the Executive Committee an email wherein they state their approval of the annual accounts they have received.

As concerns the budget estimate

29.1 At least three months prior to the start of every financial year the Executive Committee will draw up a budget proposal for the following financial year and send this to all member organizations; this budget proposal must be accompanied by an explanation.

29.2 The General Assembly must approve the budget proposal before the end of the Association year by sending an email to Executive Committee wherein they state their approval of the budget proposal.

As concerns commissions and working groups

30.1 The General Assembly or the Executive Committee may establish commissions or working groups.

30.2 The General Assembly annually appoints an auditing committee of three members, who are not members of the Executive Committee, to investigate the accounts and responsibility of the Executive Committee; this auditing committee reports its findings to the General Assembly.

As concerns amendments to the statutes

31.1 The General Assembly can decide to amend the statutes; such a decision can only be made in a general meeting by a two-thirds majority vote of members of the Association present at the meeting of the General Assembly.

31.2 A meeting as described in paragraph one of this article must be called by the Executive Committee, in writing, at least two months in advance, and notification must be given that at this meeting amendments to the statutes or the dissolution of the Association will be proposed.

31.3 The Executive Committee must send the text of the proposed change to the member organizations at least two months in advance of the meeting.

31.4 The Secretary General passes on to the member organizations all written proposals for changes in the statutes received not later than three months before the meeting of the General Assembly.

As concerns the dissolution of the Association

32.1 The General Assembly can decide to dissolve the Association; such a decision can only be taken in a meeting of the General Assembly where two-thirds of the members are present or represented, and with at least a two thirds majority of the vote.

32.2 If the quorum described in paragraph one of this article is not present then the Executive Committee may decide to call a new General Assembly; in the second meeting, regardless of the number of members present, the decision is made on the basis of simple majority voting.

As concerns the liquidation of the authority and assets of the Association

33.1 If the Association is dissolved the General Assembly shall decide on the disposal of the assets of the Association and act as liquidator, unless a decision is made to choose to designate this role to a person authorized to conduct the liquidation of the Association.

33.2 The liquidation must occur in observance of the requirements laid down in Book 2, Article 23, section a. up to and including c. of the civil code of the Netherlands (2).

33.3 In the event of a financial surplus as a result of liquidation the General Assembly must decide how such money is to be spent in a way that respects and is mindful of the aims of the Association.

33.4 After liquidation, the annual books and documents of the liquidated Association must be kept for a minimum of seven years, by the person appointed to do so by the General Assembly; within eight days of the end of the liquidation process the person so appointed must report to the commercial register of the Chamber of Commerce his or her responsibility in this respect.

As concerns conflicts

34. The General Assembly acts as arbitrator in the case of any dispute between the Association and any of its member organizations.

The address of the Association

35. The address of the Association is Drift 10, 3512BS, Utrecht.

The Statutes have been adopted by the General Assembly meeting in Utrecht August 6th, 2009.

(1) This provision allows for statutes of an Association to declare that a person or persons who is a part of another organ of the Association or is not a member may have voting rights in the general meetings of the Association. The number of votes cast by such persons must not be more than half the number of votes cast by the members.

(2) This legal text sets out the obligations of person chosen to act as liquidator, in the eyes of the Dutch law. These include the obligation to declare for bankruptcy if it becomes obvious that the assets will not cover the debts, the responsibility of deciding what happens to excess assets, the publication in a national newspaper of the local council building where details of the liquidation accounts can be viewed, and that the responsibilities of the liquidator end when, to the liquidators knowledge, no more assets exist.