Executive Committee: Functions
7.1 The composition of the Executive Committee of the Federation is defined in Statute 6.1.
7.2 The Executive Committee shall normally meet not less than once each year. The Executive Committee will decide on the place of the meeting, giving consideration to rotation through the different regions. Ordinarily, a meeting will be held in conjunction with an International Congress of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and, where possible, with a meeting of a regional organization. The Agenda, including any supplementary Agenda, shall be presented by the General Secretary to each member of the Executive Committee in writing before the meeting.
7.3 The Executive Committee shall:
a. implement the aims and objectives of the Federation as defined in Statute 1 and as prescribed for the Officers in Statute 8;
b. conduct an annual review of the workings of the Federation, make plans for the future and render an annual report to the Adhering Bodies, Associate Adhering Bodies and delegates;
c. decide whether any proposed change in the nature of an Adhering Body or Associate Adhering Body or the number of the Group of an Adhering Body requires approval by the delegates under the provisions of Statute 2.14;
d. in accordance with the provisions of Statute 5.5c and 5.10, communicate to a General Assembly its opinion of any proposal to terminate the membership in the Federation of any Adhering Body or Associate Adhering Body for any serious cause, and of any explanation of the matter provided by the Adhering Body or Associate Adhering Body;
e. as soon as possible after the resignation or death of a General Secretary or Treasurer, appoint a replacement to act until a new General Secretary or Treasurer, respectively, has been elected and installed at the closing of the next Ordinary General Assembly;
f. decide the date and place of an Ordinary General Assembly with due regard to the provisions of Statute 5.1;
g. set up such committees and editorial boards as are necessary for the purposes of the Federation, determine their terms of reference and receive their annual reports;
h. appoint the members of committees, editorial boards and representatives of joint committees and other bodies and approve or disapprove the proposed co-option of members of the committees and editorial boards;
i. receive the budgets of the Committees of the Federation and, if desirable, comment thereon to the Chairman of each Committee;
j. conduct each three years, a review of each committee;
k. designate the currency in which the unit subscription to the funds of the Federation shall be expressed;
i. receive from the Treasurer a proposal for the appointment of a registered accountant as auditor, and either approve it or refer it back to the Treasurer;
m. receive from the Treasurer an audited account of the income and expenditure of the Federation for each year of the triennium ending on December 31 in the year preceding that in which the next Ordinary General Assembly is held;
n. receive from the Treasurer no later than March 1 of the current calendar year, a working budget for the forthcoming calendar year to carry out the plans of the Executive Committee, and either approve it or refer it back to the Treasurer;
o. receive from the Treasurer a budget for the Federation for the triennium beginning on January 1 of the year in which the Ordinary General Assembly is held, and either approve it or refer it back to the Treasurer.
7.4 The Executive Committee may
a. propose to a General Assembly amendments of the Statutes and By-Laws;
b. request the General Secretary to summon an Extraordinary General Assembly (Statute 5.9);
c. request the General Secretary to conduct a mail vote of the delegates of the Adhering Body on a proposed action concerning which the Executive Committee wishes a decision in the absence of an Ordinary or Extraordinary General Assembly. The Proposal shall be explained in detail. Except when otherwise provided in the Statutes and By-Laws, a majority of the votes received within ninety days following the mailing of the ballots shall be required for adoption of a proposal. A proposal cannot be adopted unless 50% or more of the delegates reply;
d. decide about the participants of the Federation in the setting up of any Joint Committee with any other Federation or with other scientific bodies, approve terms of reference of such Joint Committees and appoint the representatives of the Federation thereon;
e. set up any Committee or other body it may deem necessary for the aims of the Federation and formulate the terms of reference of such a body;
f. approve or disapprove the proposed co-option by Committees of any persons so nominated;
g. appoint and reappoint Editors of publications of the Federation for three-year terms in accordance with By-Law 21;
h. confirm the appointment or reappointment of Co-Editors and Assistant-Editors of publications of the Federation where such appointment or reappointment has been made by an Editor (By-Law 22);
i. communicate, through the General Secretary, to a General Assembly its views on matters to be considered by the General Assembly.
7.5 At each meeting the Executive Committee shall, under the provisions of Statute 8.6, receive a report of the actions of the President taken since its last meeting and shall decide upon any further action in these matters.
7.6 All members of the Executive Committee shall have the right to vote at meetings of the Executive Committee. No member of the Executive Committee may have more than a single vote in respect of a motion under consideration by the Executive Committee.
7.7 Except where otherwise provided in the Statutes and By-Laws, decisions of the Executive Committee shall be determined by a simple majority of the votes cast. In the event of an equal division of votes, the Chairman shall then vote and make the final decision (Statute 8.5b).
7.8 In all its decisions the Executive Committee shall be guided by the tradition of free international scientific cooperation.