NSO Statutes

The new statutes of the Nordic Society Oikos went into force on 19 June 2020 after approval by the General Assembly.

Name: The name of the Society is the Nordic Society Oikos (hereafter NSO).
Legal position: NSO is a Nordic society and is incorporated under the laws of Sweden. NSO’s statutes in English have priority over any translation.
Aim and purpose: To support scientific research in ecology and related disciplines and to stimulate and enhance communication between stakeholders in ecological research in the Nordic countries and beyond.
Activities: The purpose of the society shall be pursued through the publication of journals and monographs in ecology and related disciplines, through the organization of congresses and symposia, and other activities that lend support to ecological research in the Nordic countries and beyond.
Membership is open for anyone who supports the general aim and purpose of the society and accepts to pay the membership fee. Being a member of NSO entails being a member of a national Oikos society. A member of NSO can be a member of more than one national society.
Membership fee to NSO is decided by the General Assembly (hereafter GA) of NSO. Membership to NSO requires membership to at least one national Oikos society.
NSO collects membership fees both for NSO and for national Oikos societies. NSO transfers the accumulated national Oikos society membership fees to said national Oikos society at the end of the fiscal year.
Board: The Board of the society has five regular members, one from each of the Nordic countries. For each member there shall be one deputy from the same country. The Board may appoint one additional Board member not representing a Nordic country. This member has a seat but no vote in the Board. One of the five regular members shall be the Chair of the Board. The position as Chair shall circulate among the representatives from the Nordic countries. The Director of the Oikos Editorial Office (hereafter OEO) has a seat but no vote in the Board and acts as the secretary to the Board. The secretary cannot be the Chair. Decisions are taken as majority decisions. The Board shall meet at least once a year. Board members are elected for a term of two years at the GA and can be re-elected for up to three additional terms.
The fiscal year is the calendar year. The right to sign documents and authorise payments rests with the Board but can, by decision of the Board, be transferred to an individual person within or outside the Board.
The publishing activity of the Society is managed by a Foundation, the OEO. The mutual obligations of NSO and the OEO are specified in a separate agreement. In accordance with the statutes of the OEO, the GA of NSO appoints members to the Board of the OEO, except for the Director of OEO who is appointed by the Board of the OEO.
Election Committee: The Election Committee has one member from each of the Nordic countries and proposes to the GA candidates for the Board of the NSO, including deputies from the same countries, and for the Board of the OEO. Proposed candidates shall be announced in the call for a GA.
General Assembly (GA):
1. A GA meeting shall be held every second year.
2. Members are called to a GA meeting by national Nordic ecological societies and by announcements on the websites of NSO and the OEO. The call shall be made no earlier than five months and not later than three months prior to the GA.
3. Motions to be voted on by the GA shall be received by the Board of the NSO not later than four months prior to the GA.
4. The agenda for a GA meeting shall include:
  1. Election of Chair for the GA
  2. Election of Secretary for the GA.
  3. Election of two persons to certify the minutes of the GA in addition to the Chair and the Secretary of the GA.
  4. Report from the Board of NSO for the period since the latest GA meeting, normally including two full calendar years.
  5. Information from the Oikos Editorial Office for the period since the last GA meeting, normally including two full calendar years.
  6. Financial report from the NSO for the period since the last GA meeting, normally including two full calendar years.
  7. Presentation of the audit report for NSO for the period since the last GA meeting, normally including two full calendar years.
  8. Approval of the business of NSO for the period since the last GA meeting, normally including two full calendar years, so that Board members of the NSO are relieved of their personal responsibility for the finances of the NSO for the accounting period.
  9. Decision on membership fee to NSO for the period to the next ordinary GA.
  10. Election of the Chair and 4 members of the Board of the NSO to serve until the next GA meeting.
  11. Election of a deputy for the Chair and deputies for the four Board members of NSO to serve until the next GA meeting.
  12. Election of members of the Board of the Oikos Editorial Office.
  13. Election of members to the Election committee. Appointing one of the members of the Election committee to act as Chair of the committee.
  14. Appointment of an auditing firm to audit the coming financial period for NSO. The auditing firm shall appoint two approved or authorized public accountants for the auditing.
  15. Appointment of an auditing firm to audit the coming financial period for OEO. The auditing firm shall appoint two approved or authorized public accountants for the auditing.
  16. Decision on where the next GA meeting will be held and who organises it.
  17. Propositions from the Board
  18. Motions from the members of the Society.
  19. Any other business.
  20. Closing the meeting

Extra General Assembly: An Extra General Assembly shall be held when at least 10 percent of the members of the NSO request such an Assembly, or when the Board has decided that an Extra General Assembly shall be held. An Extra General Assembly cannot be held within three months before and three months after a General Assembly. The call for an Extra General Assembly shall be announced not earlier than five months and not later than three months prior to the Extra General Assembly. Items not included in the call cannot be on the agenda of the Extra General Assembly.
Changes of statutes: Suggestions to change the statutes shall be submitted to the Board of the NSO not later than six months prior to the GA and be forwarded to the Chairs of national Nordic ecological societies and be posted on the website of NSO no later than three months prior to the GA. Each national Nordic ecological society is responsible for distributing suggested changes to members. Changes of the statutes have to be endorsed by two subsequent GA, of which one GA has to be an ordinary GA. At least 2/3 of the votes have to be in favour of the suggested changes. The society’s aim and purpose (§3) cannot be changed.
If the aim and purpose of the Society no longer can be upheld, a decision to dissolve the Society may be taken by two subsequent GAs, of which one GA has to be an ordinary GA. At least three quarters of the votes should be in favour of the decision. Any property or asset of the Society shall in case of dissolution of the Society be handed over to an organisation that supports scientific research in ecology.