Commission Implementing Decision of 22 November 2013 on setting up the European Social Survey as a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ESS ERIC) (2013/700/EU)

Article 4 U.K. Admission of Members and Observers

1. New Members must satisfy the following conditions for admission:

(a) the admission of new Members shall be approved by a simple majority of votes of the General Assembly;

(b) all applications for membership shall be in writing addressed to the Chair of the General Assembly and copied to the Director;

(c) the application shall describe how the applicant will contribute to the ESS ERIC objectives and activities described in Article 2 and how it will fulfil its obligations referred to in Chapter 3. In particular, an applicant must have shown, to the satisfaction of the General Assembly, that it has the means and sustained commitment to do the following:

(i)

ensure at their own expense data collections and surveys which the ESS ERIC may operate when necessary in pursuance of its principal task (at least on a biennial basis) are carried out to the specifications drawn up by the Director and agreed when necessary by the General Assembly; and

(ii)

be required to make financial contributions to the balanced budgets of the ESS ERIC with the initial contributions being as set out in the attachment hereto; and

(iii)

contribute, through the contributions set out in Article 17(5) or otherwise, to the central costs of the ESS ERIC in accordance with the funding formula established when necessary by the General Assembly under the Statutes; and

(iv)

abide by and participate in the governance arrangements of the ESS ERIC in accordance with the Statutes.

2. All members shall as a condition of membership enter into a deed of adherence substantially in the form as approved by the General Assembly when necessary.

3. Entities listed in Article 3(1) who are not yet in a position to join as Members may apply for Observer status. The following shall be admitted as observers (each an ‘Observer’):

(a) any entity capable of being an observer within the definition of the Regulation and admitted by the General Assembly as an Observer, provided that doing so is considered by the General Assembly as being in the best interest of the ESS ERIC and in furtherance of its principal task and activities;

(b) any Member which has lost its voting right, temporarily or otherwise, under Article 5(4), shall with the approval of the General Assembly be awarded the status of Observer until its voting right is reinstated or its membership comes to an end.

4. The terms for admission as Observers are the following:

(a) Observers shall be admitted for a 4-year period; after this time the Observer shall apply to the General Assembly for extension(s) of the status of Observer;

(b) the admission or readmission of Observers shall require the approval of the General Assembly;

(c) applicants shall submit a written application to the ESS ERIC statutory seat;

(d) any Member which has lost its voting right, temporarily or otherwise, under Article 5(4), shall with the approval of the General Assembly be awarded the status of Observer until its voting right is reinstated or its membership comes to an end.

5. Each Observer shall appoint (through its relevant Ministry, Government Department or their respective delegated body), and inform the General Assembly in writing of such appointment, one named natural person to represent such Observer (the ‘Observer Representative’) at meetings of the General Assembly and in any other dealings of the General Assembly or otherwise between the Observer and the ESS ERIC.

The Observer Representative of an Observer admitted under Article 4(3) shall be the National Representative appointed by such entity in its capacity as Members. Each Observer shall also appoint, and inform the General Assembly in writing of such appointment, one named natural person to act as the alternate of the Observer Representative if the Observer Representative is unavailable or unable to carry out its, his or her duties.

6. The following persons shall ex officio be invited to attend those parts of the meetings of the General Assembly which are not considering Reserved Matters, with speaking but not voting rights and the right to receive all relevant papers:

(a) a representative of the European Science Foundation or any successor body;

(b) the Chair of the scientific advisory board of the General Assembly to be established under these Statutes (‘SAB’);

(c) the Chair of the methods advisory board of the General Assembly to be established under these Statutes (‘MAB’);

(d) a representative of the National Coordinators’ Forum as described in Article 13 (the ‘NC Forum’);

(e) the Director and the Deputy Directors of the ESS ERIC;

(f) a representative of the Host Institution; and

(g) a designated representative of any other non-Member country which has expressed an intention to participate in the European Social Survey and which has been approved by the General Assembly.