ERS governance and transparency

As a not-for-profit organisation, independence and integrity are at the heart of everything ERS does. This vision is achieved through strict governance principles, codes of conduct and transparency regulations.

Governance

The European Respiratory Society (ERS) is a non-profit organisation. Its governance and management are laid down in its statutes comprising:

 

Notable amendments to the ERS Constitution and By-Laws 2021-2022

ERS members who virtually attended the 2021 ERS General Assembly voted on notable amendments to the ERS Constitution and By-Laws, which were presented by the Secretary General, Prof. Joanna Chorostowska-Wynimko. Notable amendments, which are now ratified in the constitution following approval by the ERS membership, include:

  • An update to the conditions related to the conduct of ERS members.
  • Changes to the definitions of ERS officers, including conditions on holding more than one position within ERS at a time.
  • New Tobacco Control and Environment and Health Committee members are to be presented to the General Assembly for approval.
  • The mandate of incoming ERS publications editors will begin at the same time as all other ERS officers, i.e. after the ERS International Congress.
  • It is now specified that observers of the ERS management group may not be involved in industry-organised symposia at the ERS International Congress.

Related documents: Appendix I: ERS Election – procedure/update of regulations

Transparency

ERS is committed to being transparent in all its activities. All ERS officers and members of the Society’s committees, working parties and sub-committees complete an annual Declaration of Interest (DoI), which is published on our website or can be requested for consultation.

Visit the leadership page to view conflict of interest forms for the current executive officers.

 

Codes of conduct

ERS also operates within a number of established codes of conduct

 

Annual report

The ERS annual report provides an overview of our achievements and a financial report each year.

Additional information: Funding sources

 

Financial sponsors

A number of companies sponsor ERS or ERS activities throughout the year:

 

General Assembly – meeting minutes

 

Sustainability

ERS is working towards a more sustainable future. Several activities are underway to help us measure our impact as an organisation, considering the way we contribute to society through our work, and our emissions and environmental impact as a company. ERS strives to be a socially and environmentally conscious society.

Other policies

Translation of ERS resources

ERS resources may be translated with permission from the Society. Our members and/or contacts can complete our online request form specifying the item(s) they which to translate and for what purpose. The form will then be reviewed and providing those details meet our criteria, translation can proceed. Following that, and for the purpose of quality control, we review the translation and give approval for use. The individual/organisation requesting translation is responsible for full cost of translation of their required items.

 

ERS policy on in memoriam/obituary articles

ERS in memoriam/obituary articles are reserved as a mark of respect and tribute for those who have passed away who have contributed significantly to the respiratory field alongside their contributions to and connection with the Society – such as officially appointed past ERS officers or leaders in the field who were also ERS members. Official tributes from ERS include these channels:

  • Article on the ERS website
  • Newsletter article (past officers only)
  • Member notifications using our internal messaging tool (used at the discretion of the executive office)

ERS publications such as the European Respiratory Journal do not publish in memoriam/obituary articles.

Useful links

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ERS leadership and committees

The committees and councils that make up ERS


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ERS Ethics and Integrity Committee

A dedicated committee for all issues relating to ethics and integrity


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Contact us

ERS is based across three offices, over three countries. Each office can be contacted via telephone or email.


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