EVSO® STATUTES


Denomination and Headquarters:

  • Article 1

The association is named: European Veterinary Society for Osteopathy (EVSO®).

  • Article 2

EVSO® is a non-profit European association (EU and Switzerland) governed by the present statutes and by articles 60 and following of the Swiss Civil Code. It is politically neutral and confessionally independent.

  • Article 3
  1. The headquarters of the association is in La Neuveville, Switzerland.
    b. The mailing address is determined by the Committee.
  • Article 4

The duration of the association is indeterminate.

Purpose of the Association:

  • Article 5

                o EVSO®'s original aim is to ensure the quality and promotion of Manual 
                   Osteopathic Veterinary Medicine (MOVM) in veterinary medical practice.
                o EVSO® aims to represent practitioners in the field of complementary and 
                   integrative medicine to European and national political and medical authorities. 
                o EVSO® is the European reference for Manual Osteopathic Veterinary Medicine 
                   (MOVM) and animal osteopathy


Members

  • Article 6
  1. The following may be members of the association:
    a) Veterinarians who have graduated from European or in Europe recognised 
        University Veterinary Schools.
    b) Veterinary students from European University Schools who have made a 
        written application and have been accepted by the Committee.
    c) Veterinary graduates from university schools in other continents, who have 
        made a written application and have been accepted by the Committee.
  2. b. Membership is lost:
       ● by death;
       ● by written resignation sent at least six months before the end of the fiscal year 
          to the Committee;
       ● by exclusion pronounced by the Committee, for "just reasons", with a right of 
          recourse before the General Assembly. The appeal period is thirty days from 
          the notification of the Committee's decision;
      ● default payment of contributions for more than one year, without supporting 
          documents.
          In case b)-d) the contribution of the year remains due.
  3.  The founding members are the members named in Appendix 1, present at the
          EVSO® Constitutive Assembly in Lisses (FR), on 11 May 2012.


Organs and Procedure

  • Article 7

The bodies of the association are: the General Assembly, the Committee and the Auditor.

  • Article 8

The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the association. It brings together all the members and non members of the association and makes the important decisions. Only EVSO members can vote (modified at GA 14th November 2020). The committee decides every year on the opening of the GA to the non-member public at the time of the annual convocation. ​It is responsible for:

  • the modification of the statutes;
  • the appointment of the members of the Committee and the Auditor;
  • vote the discharge of the Committee.


  • Article 9
  1. The General Assembly meets at least once a year in ordinary session.
  2. The General Assembly may be convened in extraordinary assembly by order of 
    the Committee or by one fifth of the members of the association.
  3. Invitations are sent by e-mail or exceptionally by post at least 42 days (6 weeks) 
    before the date of the General Assembly.
  4. Any proposal to be submitted to the General Assembly must reach the Committee 
    by e-mail with confirmation of receipt at least 21 days in advance.
  5. The agenda of the General Assembly is sent by the Committee to each member by 
    e-mail at least 10 days in advance.
  6. In exceptional situations the General Assembly may be held by video-conference. 
    In such cases, an electronic vote can be used.
  • Article 10
  1. Each EVSO® Member up to date with their annual membership fees for the year in 
    progress has the right to vote.
  2. Decisions of the General Assembly are taken by a simple majority of the votes of 
    the members present having the right to vote. In the event of a tie, the President or 
    Vice-President (in the order indicated in Article 12) has double counting.
  3. Decisions of the General Assembly concerning modifications to the Statutes are 
    taken by a majority of the votes of the members present and authorized to vote. In 
    the event of a tie, the President or Vice-President (in the order indicated in Article 
    12 has double counting. 
  4. Decisions concerning the dissolution of the association EVSO® are taken 
    according to the voting distribution of the three following groups:
        • the Committee weighs for 1/3 of the votes
        • the founding members (Appendix 1) as well as the honorary members 
           (EVSO®-A) who do not belong to the Committee account for 1/3 of the votes
        • the members EVSO®-C and EVSO®-B present not belonging to the 
          Committee or being founding member, represent 1/3 of the votes
    Each group will designate a group representative in the minutes before protocol 
    preceding the vote. The latter will be responsible for presenting to the Assembly 
    the voting result of his own group. In the event of a tie, his voice will count double 
    within his group.
  • Article 11

The General Assembly entrusts the administration of the association to the Committee which manages the assets and projects of the association

  • Article 12

          1. The Committee is made up of at least three members of the association, including 
             at least one President, a Treasurer and a General Secretary. In the absence of the President, he is replaced by the Vice-President, who is replaced by the                   General Secretary. 
          2. The members of the Committee are elected by a simple majority of voting 
              members for 2 years renewable, at a General Assembly. 
          3. The committee members have to be a member EVSO® or become member within 
              1 week. 

  • Article 12bis (modified at GA 2nd November 2021)

Conditions for applying for the presidency of EVSO®:​

  1. Has to be an EVSO®-C Member.
  2. Has to be elected by the committee and then be approved by the majority of the 
    voting members at the GA.
  3. President and Vice-President should not be in the board of the same school.
  • Article 13

The committee is responsible for:

  • taking the necessary steps to achieve the goal;
  • convening ordinary and extraordinary General Assemblies;
  • taking decisions on the admission and resignation of members and their possible exclusion;
  • ensuring the application of the Statutes, establishing regulations and to administer the property of the association.
  • Article 14

The members of the Committee commit the association by the joint signature (validation 
by e-mail) of two, including that of the President, Vice-Presidents or General Secretary. 
For all financial transactions, the signatures of the Treasurer and the President, VicePresident or General Secretary (in the order indicated in Article 12) are mandatory.


Various

  • Article 15

The management of the accounts is entrusted to the treasurer of the Association and is audited every year by the auditor appointed by the General Assembly.

  • Article 16

The amount of the membership feesis fixed by the General Assembly.

  • Article 17

The members of the association are not personally responsible for social debts that are only guaranteed by the social assets of the association.

  • Article 18

In the event of dissolution, the assets of the organization, once the accounts are completed, will be given to an organization pursuing a similar goal or to a humanitarian foundation. 

EVSO® Project 2.0

Article 19

      1. The EVSO® Project 2.0 is described in the document "EVSO Project 2.0", which is 
          available to all members on the website www.evso.eu in the members' area.
      2. The EVSO® Project 2.0 was accepted by the members present at the GA the 8th of 
         October 2022 in Barcelona.
      3. The EVSO® Project 2.0 was accepted by the directors and/or representatives of the 
          schools present: AVETAO, OSTEOVET, STOA medicines, TAO-Equilibre

Article 20

       1. The Extraordinary General Assembly of 25th April 2023 by videoconference 
           mandates the EVSO® Committee to set up this project in order to be able to 
           definitively act and decide on this project at the General Assembly the 6th 
           October 2023 in Avenches CH.
       2. The Extraordinary General Assembly of 25th April 2023 grants full financial powers to 
            the EVSO® President in collaboration with the EVSO® Treasurer and the Committee 
            Members in the realisation of this goal, and this until the General Assembly 2024. 
            These powers will be renewed if necessary.
       3. Each financial transaction exceeding Euro 1000 must first be accepted by the EVSO®
           Committee with a simple majority of all its members, and then recorded in the 
           protocol of the EVSO® Committee meetings.

Article 21

The Committee shall for this purpose deal with:
      1. Open a secretariat, and therefore hire a freelance secretary to actively take care of 
         the administrative procedures and the overall coordination of the Project EVSO® 2.0 
         and support the committee in secretarial tasks
     2. To create, in collaboration with the schools, a network of certified schools "EVSO®-Certified Schools” (ECS)

    3. To ensure, together with the schools, the financing of the project.
    4. To establish, together with the schools, the EVSO® Certification Commission 
        described in the project. 
    5. To create the different registers and documents, forms, flyers etc. described in the 
        project.


The present statutes as well as annexes 1, 2 and 3 were adopted by the Constitutive 
Assembly of May 11, 2012 in Lisses and modified in 2016 (Liège), 2017 (Lyon), 2020
(online), 2021 (online) and 2022 (Barcelona) during the various General Assemblies, as well 
as modified (current version) during the Extraordinary General Assembly of 25th April 2023.

Larissa Vicart                                                                                               Véronique Weber

President EVSO®                                                                                        General Secretary EVSO®

Avenches CH, 6th October 2023                                                              Avenches CH, 6th October 2023



Annex 1

Founders

​present at the EVSO® Constitutive Assembly in Lisses (FR), on 11th May 2012


Dr. Frédéric Ab-der-Halden

Dr. Jean-Jacques Breton

Dr. Frank De Craene ᵼ

Dr. Fabrice Fosse

Dr. Jean-Marc Hames

Dr. Eric Lebas

Dr. Alain Lecat

Dr. Yoann Le Foll

Dr. Jean-Philippe Liot

Dr. Isabelle Lussot-Kervern

Dr. Sarah Miccichè Walzinger

Dr. Jean-Pierre Pallandre

Dr. Roberto Ré

Dr. Marie-Odile Sautel

Dr. Serge Sawaya

Dr. Eva Schmidt

Dr. Sabine Scholz

Dr. Christian Struchen

Dr. Dorothea Brigitte Traenckner

Dr. Xavier Tricot ᵼ

Dr. Christine Warzecha

 

Annex 2 - Membership levels
The Extraordinary General Assembly of 25th April 2023 mandates the EVSO® Committee to 
set up the Project EVSO® 2.0 in order to be able to definitively act and decide on this project,
if possible at the General Assembly 2024.

The period between the Extraordinary General Assembly of 25th April 2023 and the General 
Assembly implementing the project is called "Transition Period".


Acceptance of members

​3 levels of EVSO® membership are recognised in the transition period: 
EVSO®-A 
EVSO®-B 
EVSO®-C

Members EVSO®-A, EVSO®-B and EVSO®-C are practicing veterinarians in their country (with the exception of veterinary students who are eligible for EVSO®-B status) and in good standing with their respective legislation.


EVSO®-A

Honorary members are elected by the General Assembly. They must have an important place in the history of osteopathic veterinary medicine, and / or must show an important commitment in the field of research or a political implication for the promotion of the objectives of EVSO®.

EVSO®-A members have:

  • the right to vote at the General Assembly.
  • their name published on the EVSO® list of the website
  • the right to use the EVSO® name and logo

EVSO®-B

Core members must complete the EVSO® registration form and pay an annual fee, the amount of which is set at the Annual General Assembly. Students can only obtain the EVSO®-B member status.

EVSO®-B members have:

  • access to the website, members only section. They get preferential rates at EVSO® congresses.
  • the right to vote at the General Assembly.
  • the opportunity to see their name appear on the site, with a clear distinction 
    compared to EVSO® C members.
  • the right to use the EVSO® name and logo 
  • the obligation to pay an annual membership fee, the amount of which is defined at the 
    Annual General Assembly.

EVSO®-C
Certified members have:

  • the same rights as EVSO®-B.
  • the right to vote at the general meeting.
  • their name and exact coordinates are published on an EVSO® list of certified members on the website
  • the right to use the EVSO® name and logo.
  • the obligation to pay an annual membership fee, the amount of which is defined at the Annual General Assembly

The Certifications are on hold until the establishment of EVSO® Project 2.0.

The implementation of the EVSO® Project 2.0 will change the conditions to apply for the different levels of EVSO® membership

     •     The details of these new levels are described in the EVSO® Project 2.0, which is available to all members on the website www.evso.eu, member's area.

     •     After having fulfilled some necessary conditions (training hours, sponsorship, etc.) trainees from EVSO® - certified schools (ECS) will be able to abtain                     statues of: "EVSO®-GRADUATE- MEMBER"
     •    After having fulfilled some necessary conditions (sponsorship, case report, EVSO® exam, etc) "EVSO®-Graduate members" will be able to obtain the status            of: "EVSO®- CERTIFIED MEMBER”

     •    EVSO®-C members as of the date of the General Assembly 2023 will automatically obtain the title of "EVSO®-CERTIFIED MEMBER" as long as they are up               to date with their fees. 

Remuneration of Committee members and active members of the various committees was decided in AG Liège 2016. The amount of this remuneration will be decided annually and submitted to the GA for approval.


A Finance and Fees Regulation was created at the Lyon 2017 Annual General Meeting (see Appendix 3). It must be renewed every 2 years at the General Assembly


Annex 3

FINANCE AND FEES REGULATIONS
The Extraordinary General Assembly of 25th April 2023 mandates the EVSO® Committee to set up the Project EVSO® 2.0 in order to be able to definitively act and decide on this project, if possible at the General Assembly 2024.

The period between the Extraordinary General Assembly of 25th April 2023 and the General Assembly implementing the project is called "Transition Period".


Article 1: Purpose

This regulation determines the financial competences of the Committee as well as the remunerations of EVSO® members performing a service for the association.


Article 2: Legal aspect

This regulation is based on the amendment of the Extraordinary General Assembly of 25th April 2023.


Article 3: Financial competence of the Committee

See EVSO® Statutes 2023, article 20, paragraph 2 and 3:
     2. The Extraordinary General Assembly of 25th April 2023 grants full financial powers to 
          the EVSO® President in collaboration with the EVSO® Treasurer and the Committee Members in the realisation of this goal, and this until the General                        Assembly 2024. 
          These powers will be renewed if necessary.
     3. Each financial transaction exceeding Euro 1000 must first be accepted by the EVSO®Committee with a simple majority of all its members, and then                          recorded in the protocol of the EVSO® Committee meetings.

See EVSO® Statutes 2023, article 21, paragraphs 1 to 6:The Committee shall for this purpose deal with:

      1. Open a secretariat, and therefore hire a freelance secretary to actively take care of the administrative procedures and the overall coordination of the EVSO®           Project 2.0 and support the committee in secretarial tasks
      2. To create, in collaboration with the schools, a network of certified schools "EVSO®-Certified Schools” (ECS)
      3. To ensure, together with the schools, the financing of the project.
      4. To establish, together with the schools, the EVSO® Certification Commission described in the project. 
      5. To create the different registers and documents, forms, flyers etc. described in the project. 


Article 4: Participation in the sessions as official representative EVSO®

There is no provision for compensation for participation in the various sessions, except for compensation for transport costs, calculated on the basis of the equivalent of the cheapest public transport price (train, plane), but this as far as the meeting will be announced to the Committee at least 15 days previously, and a meeting protocol will be sent to the committee within 10 days. Exception made for the mandated secretary, who will be paid at the agreed hourly rate. Exceptions can as well be made by approvement of the committee on written request at least 2 weeks in advance. 


Article 5: Committee

Committee members get a compensation of the expenses of transport, calculated with the equivalence of the price of the least expensive public transport (train, plane). The members of the Committee are exempt from their annual membership fees. In the transitional period, a remuneration of 150€ per month will be paid to each committee member by active trimester (minimum total 12 hours per trimester).
This remuneration can be renewed at the annual General Assembly if necessary.


Article 6: Other remuneration (modified at GA 2nd November 2021)

Any other remuneration that exceeds the financial standing of the Committee requires a special request at the EVSO® Annual General Assembly.

1 - Remuneration of EVSO-C Reviewers: 

The official reviewers listed on EVSO® Reviewer's list or designed by EVSO® participating to EVSO®'s Clinical Case Review on EVSO® demand will be remunerated according to the model below:

  • 1/3 of the review income will be distributed to EVSO® 
  • 2/3 will be distributed to the reviewers equally

2 - Remuneration of the speakers on EVSO®'S webinar:

On demand, with the committee's approval.

3 - Remuneration of a Secretary to implement the tasks referred to in Article 21 paragraphs 1 to 6. 
4 - Remuneration of official representatives in mission related to the implementation of the Project EVSO® 2.0


Article 7: Enforcement and duration

This regulation was approved at the AG Lyon 2017, on September 23rd
It must be renewed every 2 years at the GA.

It is completed and accepted at the Extraordinary General Assembly of 6th October 2023. 


Article 8: Membership fees & Regulation (added at GA 2nd November 2021)

Membership fee to become an EVSO® Member is 150€ per calendar year.

The calendar year starts on January 1 and ends on December 31

The membership fee covers the current calendar year and is due by 31 March of the current year.

There will be no prorating.


Article 9: EVSO® Sponsorship (added at GA 2nd November 2021):

Provision of funding for a thesis or research topic with following conditions.

Conditions:

  • Applicant must be an EVSO® member.
  • Applicant must be at least in the final stages of osteopathy veterinary study according to current EVSO® standards.
  • Make a written request to the committee for the amount of expenses.
  • Request must be prior to the start of the research.
  • The committee reserves the right to accept or decline depending on the interest of the study. The committee can provide expertise as technical, academical & intellectual support, which should be accepted. The study design has to be approved by the committee.
  • Materials invested by EVSO® remain owned by EVSO® to permit borrowing equipment to others (ex: editorial costs, use of software).
  • The sponsorship (grant) does not include travel, consultancy or additional examinations 
  • The financial support cannot exceed 300€.
  • Obligation/recommendation to publish with an impact factor of min 0.4 (College 0.8). A bonus of 200€ will be granted if so.
  • EVSO® has the right to publish it on its website.
  • EVSO® name must be mentioned and the candidate must work with its scientific committee.
  • Language of writing: preferably in English, mother language accepted with an abstract in English