Council approves a new Constitution and unit fee

摘要

In its 2004 meeting, held in Mulhouse on March 26 and 27, the Council of the European Physical Society concluded the longstanding discussion of two substantial items: Council approved a thoroughly revised Constitution with new By-laws, and Council also adopted a revised unit fee. These votes are bound to have major, positive consequences for the further development of our Society. Here I want to highlight just a few features of the new EPS Constitution and By-laws. First of all: they are more easily readable. Some of the arcane terminology of the previous versions has disappeared. The former "Ordinary Members according to Art. 4b", for example, which actually were the National Physical Societies that had joined the EPS, are now called Member Societies and the "Individual Ordinary Members" have become Individual Members. At the same time, the annual fee for Individual Members has been noticeably reduced from the previous amount of 36.4 Euros: those who belong to a Member Society pay now 20 ? (or 15 ?, if they are below age 30, or are retired). Students and teachers may now also join the EPS as Individual Members; they pay 15 ?, and need not belong to a Member Society.