Regulations

“AIRCLIM-NET”

INTERNATIONAL THEMATIC SCIENTIFIC NETWORK
FOR PROBLEMS OF AIR POLLUTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE

INTERNAL REGULATIONS

Name
1. The name of the network is: “International Thematic Scientific Network for Problems of Air Pollution and Climate Change” and the agreed acronym: “AIRCLIM-NET”.
Objectives and thematic areas of the International Thematic Scientific Network for Air Pollution and Climate Change
1. The main objective of the Network is:
  
  Consolidation of RTD potential in the field of air pollution and climate change in order to raise the level of the carried out scientific research and promote its significance in the European Research Area.
2. Specific objectives of the Network are:
  - Supporting co-operation of RTD units carrying out research activity in air pollution and climate change by initiating, co-ordinating and undertaking mutual efforts in the field of research and implementation as well as further training within the scope of the Network’s activity
  - Establishing a forum for the exchange of information and dissemination of research results concerning air pollution and climate change
  - Supporting the participation of RTD units in Integrated Projects and Networks of Excellence realised under the Sixth EU Framework Programme by consolidating their experience and research potential
  - Supporting the participation of RTD units belonging to the Network in projects realised within Pre-Accession Funds, EU Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund
  - Development and promotion of the significance of Polish research in the field of air pollution and climate changes caused by changes in the emission of pollutants into the air and processes proceeding in the atmosphere on the territory of Poland in the European Research Area
  - Development, collection, processing and dissemination of scientific information within the scope of activity of the Network
  - Promotion of results and practical applications of the scientific research carried out within the Network
  - Development of international co-operation aimed at transforming the “AIRCLIM-NET” into an international network
3. Thematic areas of the Network include:
  - Changes in the emission of greenhouse gases and pollutants which are subject to international conventions
  - Analysis of changes in physico-chemical processes proceeding in the atmosphere resulting from changes in the pollutant emission
  - Modeling air pollutant concentrations on a local, regional and national scale taking into account the emission change forecast
  - Monitoring of changes in the air quality, meteorological parameters and climate change elements which have an impact on global changes
  - Demonstration techniques for spatial distribution of emission changes and climate change parameters
  - Sustainable development of cities and changes in the emission and urban climate
  - Changes in human exposure and biotic / antibiotic components of the environment resulting from pollutant emission and climate changes
  - Technical and economical aspects of air pollutant emission reduction
Seat of the Network
1. The seat of the Network is the seat of the Network Co-ordinating Unit.
Network organisational scheme
1. The Network organisational scheme shall comprise of the following bodies:
  1. Network Co-ordinating Unit
  2. General Assembly
  3. Steering Committee
Membership
1. A member of the Network may be any Polish or foreign RTD unit having a legal status or any legal entity conducting activity consistent with the thematic areas of the Network.
2. Membership in the Network is acquired by the Polish RTD unit upon signing an agreement between the party referred to in Clause 5.1 and the Network Co-ordinating Unit, under which the party undertakes to support realisation of objectives and tasks of the Network. The Internal Regulations are an integral part of the aforesaid agreement. A foreign RTD unit shall become a member of the Network upon submitting a membership declaration and getting an approval from the Steering Committee.
3. The Network integrates 21 original members, the list of which is enclosed in Annex 1 to the Internal Regulations.
4. The following is required to conclude the agreement, referred to in Clause 5.2, with new members of the Network:
  1. submitting by the party referred to in Clause 5.1 an application for membership to the Network Secretariat, from which it shall be handed down to the Steering Committee for approval,
  2. approving the application by the Steering Committee based on the assessment of the applicant’s capability to fulfil the tasks of the Network,
  3. resolution of the General Assembly to accept the new member at a qualified majority of 2/3 of votes.
5. A member of the Network may resign from the membership on his/her own request provided that a relevant application is submitted to the Network Co-ordinating Unit with a 1 month notice, or, may be excluded from the Network with an immediate effect for sound reasons, such as: breaching the Internal Regulations or taking no activity in the works of the Network. Exclusion of the member requires a qualified majority of 2/3 of votes.
6. The law applicable to the agreement referred to in Clause 5.2 shall be the Polish Law.
7. Any disputes arising from or related to the agreement referred to in Clause 5.2 which cannot be settled in an amicable way by the members of the Network shall be brought to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent Public Court in Warsaw.
8. Membership in the Network does not exclude membership in any other network.
Network Co-ordinating Unit
1. The Network Co-ordinating Unit is a RTD unit appointed by voting among Network members.
2. The tenure of the Network Co-ordinating Unit shall be 3 years.
3. The first Network Co-ordinating Unit shall be the Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas, Katowice.
4. The General Assembly of the Network Members shall be responsible for the election of the Network Co-ordinating Unit.
5. The Network Co-ordinating Unit shall appoint the Network Co-ordinator.
6. The Network Co-ordinating Unit shall be authorised to sign on behalf of the Network members agreements related to their joint efforts undertaken within the scope previously agreed, exclusive of financial liabilities of the members.
7. Activity of the Network Co-ordinating Unit is supported by the Network Secretariat.
General Assembly of the Network Members
1. The General Assembly of the Network Members includes authorised representatives of all members of the Network. Each member is entitled to one vote at the General Assembly. Resolutions are adopted by a qualified majority of 2/3 of votes, unless specified otherwise in the subsequent part of the Internal Regulations. The General Assembly may adopt binding resolutions provided that at least 50% of the Network members are present.
2. Ordinary Meeting of the General Assembly of the Network Members shall be held once a year.
  
  It shall be convened in writing by the Network Co-ordinator upon a mutual agreement with the Steering Committee regarding its date. Notifications including a detailed agenda of the meeting shall be sent with a 1 month notice, taking into account the date of the postmark. The Chairman of the meeting shall be the Network Co-ordinator or any other member of the Steering Committee appointed by the Co-ordinator.
3. Extraordinary Meeting of the General Assembly of the Network Members shall be convened by the Network Co-ordinator upon a mutual agreement with the Steering Committee provided that it is in accordance with the interest of the Network. Extraordinary Meetings of the General Assembly are convened upon a request of at least 1/3 of the Network members. The members’ request should refer to a relevant item of the agenda. Notifications shall be sent with a 2 weeks’ notice, taking into account the date of the postmark. If the notification on the meeting is properly formulated the Extraordinary Meeting of the General Assembly shall be capable of adopting resolutions regardless the number of the people present at the meeting. The Chairman of the Extraordinary Meeting shall be the Network Co-ordinator or any other member of the Steering Committee appointed by the Co-ordinator.
4. The General Assembly of the Network Members shall resolve on the following matters:
  1. Changes and amendments to the Internal Regulations; the aforesaid changes and amendments shall be approved by a qualified majority of 2/3 of the votes cast by the Network members in an open voting;
  2. Substantial matters pertaining key working policies and co-operation of the Network; the aforesaid decisions require the approval of a qualified majority of 2/3 of votes cast by the Network members in an open voting;
  3. Appointment of a new Network Co-ordinating Unit; adequate resolution shall be adopted in a secret voting by a qualified majority of 2/3 of votes cast by the Network members;
  4. Appointment and dismissal of the Steering Committee members; adequate resolution shall be adopted in a secret voting by a qualified majority of 2/3 of votes cast by the Network members;
  5. Approval of a Network Activity Report and Network Activity Plan for the next year, submitted by the Steering Committee once a year; the aforesaid decisions require a qualified majority of 2/3 of votes cast by the Network members in an open voting;
  6. Exoneration of the Steering Committee; the adequate decision shall require the approval of a qualified majority of 2/3 of votes cast by the Network members in a secret voting;
  7. Acceptance and exclusion of members; the adequate resolutions shall be adopted in a secret voting and require a qualified majority of 2/3 of votes cast by the Network members;
  8. Dissolution of the Network; the aforesaid resolution shall be adopted in a secret voting by a qualified majority of 2/3 of votes cast by the Network members;
  9. Any other activity which does not belong to general management but is related to the realisation of joint efforts of the Network.
5. Resolutions may also be adopted in writing in the form of e-mails, faxes, etc, provided that no member of the Network shall raise an objection to the Network Secretariat within 14 days from the delivery of the information. If required, this can also apply to the approval of the Network Activity Plan and Network Activity Report.
Steering Committee
1. The Steering Committee consists of the Network Co-ordinator and 6 persons, appointed by the General Assembly for 3 years. The appointed members of the Steering Committee represent major fields included in the thematic areas of the Network.
2. Meetings of the Steering Committee shall be held at least twice a year.
3. The Steering Committee shall resolve on all matters relating to the Network, unless a separate resolution adopted by the General Assembly is required. The Committee shall draft and put into force resolutions of the General Assembly, control current matters as well as submit reports to the General Assembly.
4. Each year the Steering Committee shall draw up a Network Activity Plan and report on its execution. The reporting year shall be the calendar year.
5. The Steering Committee is capable of adopting resolutions at the presence of at least 2/3 of its members. Resolutions are adopted by a simple majority of the votes cast. Resolutions on urgent matters can be adopted in writing by means of an e-mail or fax provided that no objection is raised by any member of the Steering Committee and submitted to the Network Secretariat within 7 days from the receipt of the information. If the Steering Committee is not capable of adopting a resolution, the matter shall be resolved by the General Assembly upon a request of any member of the Steering Committee.
Network Secretariat
1. The Network Secretariat shall be comprised of 2 persons employed part-time by the Network Co-ordinating Unit.
2. The Network Secretariat shall be responsible for the following:
  1. Current matters related to the Network;
  2. Administrative activity for the Network Co-ordinator and the Steering Committee;
  3. Dissemination of scientific information among members of the Network as well as information on calls for proposals for projects realised under the 6^th EU Framework Programme and other tenders connected with the thematic activity of the Network;
  4. Organising meetings of the Steering Committee and the General Assembly of the Network;
  5. Developing draft resolutions of the Steering Committee and the General Assembly and their implementation;
  6. Updating the database on the members of the Network;
  7. Edition of an E-Information Bulletin on the Network activity entitled “Problems of Air Pollution/Climate Changes” in Polish and English;
  8. Development of the Network website in Polish and English;
  9. Financial matters related to the Network activity.
Financing the Network activity
1. Activity of the Network shall be financed by:
  1. KBN grants (Polish State Committee for Scientific Research) awarded once for the period of two years for international co-operation carried out in the form of a scientific network (Decree of the President of the Polish State Committee for Scientific Research dated 30^th November 2001 on Criteria and Methods of Awarding and Settlement of Financial Resources Assigned in the State Budget for Science [Journal of Laws. No. 146 from 2001, Item 1642])
  2. Own financial means of the Network members
  3. Grants and financial means obtained from other sources
2. Costs of the Network activity include:
  1. Costs incurred by the Network Co-ordinating Unit relating to the activity of the Network including costs borne by the Network Co-ordinator and Network Secretariat;
  2. Costs of the Steering Committee activity;
  3. Costs connected with the participation of members in the Network;
  4. Costs of joint efforts undertaken within the Network.
Joint efforts undertaken within the Network
1. Joint efforts undertaken within the Network shall include undertakings specified in the Network Long-Term Activity Plan approved by the General Assembly of the Network Members, in that:
  1. Organisation of seminars to exchange information and experience of the Network members within the carried out scientific research;
  2. Organisation of annual scientific conference on problems of air pollution and climate change with the participation of representatives of other networks, both Polish and European, sharing similar fields of interest;
  3. Updating the database on the carried out RTD works in the field of air pollution and climate changes;
  4. Organisation of workshops with representatives of industry, public administration and local governments aimed at problem identification and implementation of RTD results;
  5. Edition of an E-Information Bulletin entitled “Air Pollution and Climate Change” in Polish and English.
2. Status of a joint effort undertaken within the Network may also be granted to proposals submitted by members of the Network for calls announced both in Poland and abroad, including calls for proposals under the EU Programmes, provided that an appropriate resolution shall be adopted by the General Assembly.
Amendments to Internal Regulations
1. Amendments to Internal Regulations may be made upon a request of the Steering Committee and shall require acceptance of 2/3 of the total number of the Network members.
2. A request for amendments to Internal Regulations may also be made by at least 7 members of the Network.
Effective date of Internal Regulations
1. The effective date of the Internal Regulations shall be the date of signing the agreement referred to in Clause 5.2 by members of the Network