Terms of Engagement

Mandate and aim of the PERIIA Network

The PERIIA Network aims to prepare for the initiation of the Pan-European Research Infrastructure ILO Association as a formal European association. The members of the PERIIA Network mandate this preparatory work to the board in order to establish a legal statute for the future association.

While working toward this overall aim, the board will also follow the work programme adopted at the most recent General Assembly.

Membership of the PERIIA Network

Membership of the PERIIA Network is on an individual personal basis. A person is eligible for membership if they are a nationally appointed (in a member country of the Council of Europe) Industrial Liaison Officer (ILO) or Purchasing Advisor (PA) to any of the European Big Science Organisations, such as ESO, ESS, ESA, F4E/ITER, CERN, ESRF, XFEL, EMBL, and ILL.

An ILO/PA is external to the Big Science organisation and therefore not to be confused with, for example, a purchasing advisor within the procurement department of such an organisation.

There is no membership fee, but all costs incurred by membership (e.g. travel to meetings) must be paid by the member.

ILOs and PAs can join the Network by sending an application to the board member responsible for membership matters.

Members can cancel their memberships at any time by sending an email to this effect to the board representative for membership matters. Membership can automatically be cancelled if members stop working as ILOs/PAs. If they wish to remain active, they can become Associate Members of the PERIIA Network under the same terms of engagement except that Associate Members will not be allowed to become board members or vote to elect board members.

Governance of the PERIIA Network

The highest authority of the PERIIA Network is the General Assembly, which will meet at least once per calendar year. The board will announce the date as early as possible, and no later than 6 weeks in advance. Remote participation to the General Assembly will be made available when technically possible, but this cannot be guaranteed.

The annual work programme for the PERIIA Network board will be presented, discussed, and agreed at each General Assembly. Agreement should be reached by consensus. If consensus cannot be reached on the work programme or other matters, the decision is passed through a simple majority vote.

Members of the board will be up for election every 2 years, with an optional supplementary election after a year if a board seat becomes vacant. Candidates for the board can make their candidature known to the board up to 3 weeks prior to the General Assembly. In this case, the board will distribute their candidature presentation alongside the invitation and agenda for the General Assembly. Candidates for the board are recommended to participate in the General Assembly (either in person or remotely) but are not required to do so.

The PERIIA Network General Assembly seeks to elect the representatives to the board by consensus, taking into consideration balance among the represented Big Science organisations and the geographical distribution of participants. If consensus cannot be reached, appointments are decided by simple majority. The right to vote on candidates requires the member to be present at the general assembly (voting either in person or  remotely or using a proxy vote).

These Terms of Engagement are temporary and are not legally binding. They are valid until the legal status of the PERIIA association has been established. Changes to these Terms of Engagement can be made at the General Assembly by a 2/3 majority vote of the members voting either in person or remotely or using a proxy vote.

Draft agenda for the PERIIA Network General Assembly

  1. Presentation by the board of recent activity and report on progress toward the ultimate aim of the PERIIA association

  2. Election of 5-9 board members (re-election possible)

  3. Discussion of the work programme for the upcoming year

  4. Set up working groups

  5. AOB

Board of the PERIIA Network

The Board of the PERIIA Network is elected at the General Assembly, and comprises 5-9 members, taking into consideration balance among the represented Big Science organisations and the geographical distribution of participants.

The board itself will elect a Chair, Deputy Chair, Secretary, as well as a board member responsible for membership (a role that may be performed by one of the Chair, Deputy Chair or Secretary).

Dissolution of the PERIIA Network

When the Pan-European Research Infrastructure ILO Association is recognised as a formal European association, the board of the PERIIA Network will function as interim board of PERIIA until the first General Assembly of the PERIIA Association. The board will then initiate the closure and dissolution of this PERIIA Network. The board has the mandate to dissolve the Network without a General Assembly when the aim of the PERIIA Network has been achieved.