Statutes of the
AUSTRIAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
Vienna, 15. October 2025
*Please note that this version of the english statutes was automatically translated and has not yet been reviewed fully.
1. Name, Registered Office
According to the majority decision of the General Assembly on September 22, 2021, the association “Gesellschaft Österreichischer Chemiker” decided to change its name to “Austrian Chemical Society” with effect throughout the entire federal territory as of January 1, 2022.
The registered office of the association is Vienna. In the federal provinces, branches without their own legal personality are established. The association is a member of the “International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry” (IUPAC) as the overarching organization in the field of chemistry, as well as of the “European Chemical Society (EuCheMS)”.
2. Financial Year
The financial year coincides with the calendar year.
3. Purpose
The purpose of the association is to promote science and research as well as education in the field of chemistry.
The activities of the association are not aimed at profit.
The association pursues exclusively and directly charitable purposes within the meaning of §§ 34ff of the Federal Fiscal Code (BAO) as well as § 4a para. 2 item 1 of the Income Tax Act 1988 (EStG). Any purposes not privileged within the meaning of §§ 34ff BAO are completely subordinate to the privileged purposes and will be pursued at most to the extent of 10% of total resources.
4. Means of Achieving the Purpose
1) The association’s purpose shall be achieved through the ideal and material means listed in paras. 2 and 3.
2) The following serve as ideal means:
a) conducting teaching activities such as scientific symposia and conferences, individual scientific lectures, scientific congresses, as well as courses and training sessions;
b) carrying out research projects in all areas of chemistry;
c) preparing publications and documentation in connection with the activities mentioned under a) and b), as well as publishing its own research results;
d) awarding scholarships to university graduates and students of chemistry, in particular for solving important scientific problems, in compliance with § 40b BAO;
e) preparing scientific expert reports by its experts;
f) exchange and cooperation with other chemistry-related associations in Austria and abroad and with associations pursuing related objectives, in accordance with § 40 para. 3 BAO;
g) organization, coordination, and implementation of lectures, courses, workshops, and seminars;
h) informing members and the public about the purpose, objectives, and activities of the association;
i) establishment of a website and/or other electronic media including social media;
j) asset management;
k) insofar as it serves the association’s purpose, the association is entitled to employ auxiliary persons pursuant to § 40 para. 1 BAO, provided it is clearly recognizable that their activities are to be regarded as those of the association. The association may also act as an auxiliary itself;
l) transfer of funds as donations to other institutions, to the extent of less than 10% of total expenditures or under application of § 40a item 1 BAO to privileged institutions within the meaning of § 4a paras. 3 and 6, § 4b, or § 4c EStG 1988, with a corresponding designation, provided that at least one common organizational purpose exists. However, a cascading transfer of donation funds to another donation-privileged organization must not occur;
m) supplies or other services at cost under compliance with § 40a item 2 BAO to other charitable or benevolent organizations, provided at least one common purpose exists and these supplies or services do not exceed 25% of the total activity of the association.
Activities not covered by §§ 34 ff BAO may be carried out only to the extent of 10% of the association’s total activities.
3) The necessary material means for achieving the association’s purpose shall be raised through:
a) admission fees and membership dues;
b) subsidies and grants;
c) donations, collections, legacies, inheritances, and other contributions;
d) income from asset management such as interest;
e) income from lectures, courses, workshops, and seminars;
f) income from publications;
g) sponsorship funds;
h) advertising income;
i) fundraising;
j) income from acting as an auxiliary;
k) income from providing services to other entities within the meaning of § 40a item 2 BAO;
l) income from cooperations;
m) revenue from businesses constituting an economic enterprise (§ 31 BAO), which meet either the requirements of § 45 para. 1 BAO or § 45 para. 2 BAO, and furthermore from businesses that do not fall under § 45 paras. 1 and 2 BAO but fulfill the requirements of § 45a BAO or possess an exemption under § 44 para. 2 BAO.
Administrative costs related to the use of donations may not exceed 10% of donation income, excluding costs arising from the transmission obligation under § 18 para. 8 EStG.
The association’s funds may only be used for the purposes stated in the statutes. This includes the payment of reasonable administrative costs incurred in fulfilling the association’s purpose. No person may be favored by expenditures unrelated to the association’s purpose or by disproportionately high compensation. Members and officers of the association may not receive profit shares or any other benefits from the association. Furthermore, repayments to members are limited to the amount of their paid-in contributions or the fair market value of their non-cash contributions at the time of contribution.
5. Members
Members of the Austrian Chemical Society are:
a) Honorary Members
b) Supporting Members
c) Ordinary Members
d) Extraordinary Members
e) Student Members
f) Member Associations
a) Honorary Members are individuals who, on the basis of outstanding services to chemical science, technology, or industry, or to the promotion of the association, are appointed as such by the Executive Board.
b) Supporting Members may be companies or other legal entities, scientific institutions, and institutes that intend to promote the objectives of the association.
c) Ordinary Members may be academically trained chemists and technical college engineers in the chemical field, as well as other natural persons from Austria or abroad, who show interest in the purposes of the association and have rendered notable services to chemical science or practice, or to the professional standing of chemists, or who, due to their long practice in chemical enterprises, are able to render useful services to the association.
d) Extraordinary Members may be natural persons who do not meet the requirements for admission as ordinary members but who intend to support the activities of the association.
e) Student Members may be students of chemistry at a university or technical school in this field, provided they have reached the age of 18.
f) Member Associations are those chemical or related professional associations which, on the basis of specific agreements, join the Austrian Chemical Society as their umbrella organization; their admission is decided by the Executive Board.
The members of the Member Associations, insofar as they are not already primary members of the Austrian Chemical Society, are considered ordinary members or “affiliated” members (Sec. 7 lit. 3) according to the provisions of the relevant agreements.
6. Admission of Members
Applications for admission must be submitted and should be endorsed by a member of the association; the registration will be published in the association’s journal. Unless otherwise specified in Sec. 5, lit. a) and f), the Executive Committee decides on the application for admission. Rejection can only occur after consultation with the Executive Board. Notification of the decision is made in writing and does not contain reasons, even in the event of rejection.
7. Rights of Members
1) Members are entitled to use the facilities and privileges of the association, unless special regulations have been established by the Executive Board for certain membership categories. Legal entities (Sec. 5, lit. b and f) exercise their membership rights through a representative designated by them.
2) Members have the right to participate and vote in the General Assembly (Sec. 12 and 13), as well as active and passive voting rights.
3) The rights of “affiliated members” (Sec. 5, lit. f, para. 2) are determined by the agreements concluded with the individual member associations; they may attend the General Assembly (Sec. 12 and 13) as guests.
4) Members may, if they wish, also become members of working groups (see Sec. 18.2).
8. Duties of Members
Upon joining, each member submits to the provisions of the statutes and the rules of procedure issued by the Executive Committee. Members are obliged to promote the objectives of the association to the best of their ability and to refrain from anything that could harm the reputation of the association. Furthermore, members are obliged to pay the dues determined by the General Assembly on time.
9. Termination of Membership
Membership ends:
a) through death or, in the case of legal entities, loss of legal personality.
b) through voluntary resignation, which must be communicated by registered letter. The resigning member remains obliged to pay the membership fee for the current year.
c) through expulsion for failure to fulfill statutory obligations. Expulsion is decided by the Executive Committee by simple majority vote; the written notice of expulsion does not contain reasons.
10. Contributions
The contributions of the members listed in Sec. 5, lit. b) to e) are determined by the General Assembly and are due at the beginning of each year. Payment relief may be granted, upon request of a member, by the Secretary General or the Managing Director under the direction of the Executive Committee. Members joining in the first half of the year pay the full annual fee; otherwise, only half. Retired members and student members pay a reduced fee. Honorary members pay no fees.
11. Organs of the Association
The affairs of the association are managed by:
a) the General Assembly
b) the Executive Board
c) the Executive Committee
Announcements of the association are made in its official publication.
12. Ordinary General Assembly
1) The Ordinary General Assembly shall be convened annually by the Executive Committee with notification of the agenda at least four weeks before the appointed date, either in writing or through publication in the association’s journal.
2) The Ordinary General Assembly is responsible for:
a) receiving the management report,
b) receiving the annual financial statements and granting discharge,
c) election of the Executive Committee, the Executive Board, and the auditors (Sec. 17),
d) determining membership contributions,
e) approving the budget for the current year,
f) adopting and amending the statutes,
g) establishing and, if necessary, dissolving branches and working groups,
h) passing resolutions on motions submitted; such motions, insofar as they do not arise from resolutions of the Executive Board, must be submitted in writing to the Executive Board no later than two weeks before the General Assembly. The Executive Committee may refuse to consider motions submitted after this time or postpone them until the next General Assembly,
i) dissolution of the association.
3) Resolutions of the General Assembly are adopted by a simple majority vote. In the event of a tie, the chairperson has the casting vote. However, if amendments to the statutes or the dissolution of the association are involved, a two-thirds majority of all voting members present is required.
4) For the elections to be held under paragraph 2, lit. c) (Executive Committee, Executive Board, and auditors), the Executive Committee shall prepare election proposals and publish them together with any other proposals submitted. A separate vote shall be taken for each position to be filled unless the General Assembly agrees to a simplified voting procedure; simple majority applies, and in the event of a tie, the chairperson decides.
5) For the General Assembly to constitute a quorum, at least 50 voting members must be present. Should the General Assembly not be quorate, a second assembly shall take place half an hour later at the same location, which is quorate regardless of the number of members present, for the items listed under paragraph 2.
6) Minutes shall be kept of the resolutions of the General Assembly, which members may inspect at any time.
13. Extraordinary General Assembly
In urgent cases, the Executive Committee may convene an Extraordinary General Assembly; if at least one quarter of the voting members submit a written request to the Executive Board stating the reasons, it must be convened within four weeks of the receipt of such a request.
14. Executive Board
1) The Executive Board consists of the Executive Committee, the Assessors, the Heads of the Branches, the Heads of the Working Groups, the Chairs of the affiliated specialist associations, and the editors of the association’s journal appointed by the Austrian Chemical Society. The number of Assessors is limited to 15; they are elected by the General Assembly for a term of two years, beginning on January 1 of the calendar year following the election.
2) The majority of the members of the Executive Board, including the President and the majority of the Vice Presidents, must be academically trained chemists. In the event of premature resignation of a Board member, the Executive Board has the right to co-opt a new member for the remainder of the term. The number of co-opted Board members may not exceed ten.
3) The Executive Board is responsible for supervising the management of the Executive Committee and for making decisions in the cases specified in the statutes.
4) Meetings of the Executive Board are convened by the Executive Committee with notification of the agenda at least eight days before the scheduled date. In urgent cases, a meeting of the Executive Board may be held 24 hours after the invitation and notification of the agenda have been issued. For a quorum, at least five members of the Board, including the President or one of the Vice Presidents, must be present.
5) The Executive Board passes its resolutions by simple majority vote; in the event of a tie, the chairperson has the casting vote. Minutes shall be kept of each Board meeting, to be signed by the chairperson and the Managing Director (Sec. 19).
15. Executive Committee
1) The Executive Committee is the leading body of the association and consists of the President, three to six Vice Presidents, and the Managing Director, who, however, does not have voting rights in the Committee. The term of office of the President and the Vice Presidents is two years, beginning on January 1 of the calendar year following the election. Re-election of members of the Executive Committee (including multiple times) is permitted.
2) The President represents the association externally, presides over the Executive Board and the General Assembly, and is responsible for implementing their resolutions.
3) In the event of the President’s inability to act, one of the Vice Presidents acts as deputy.
4) In the event of the President’s premature resignation — for whatever reason — a new President must be elected; if necessary, an Extraordinary General Assembly must be convened for this purpose. The provisions of Sec. 12(4) apply accordingly. The term of office of this President begins on the day following the election and lasts two years, plus the time remaining until the end of the calendar year in which the election took place. The same applies to Vice Presidents if the number falls below three. Apart from this case, the Executive Committee may co-opt a new Vice President for the remaining term if one resigns prematurely.
5) The Executive Committee prepares the agenda for Executive Board meetings and determines their dates. It adopts its resolutions in Committee meetings, which are convened by the President or, in his/her absence, by one of the Vice Presidents at least three days in advance. Resolutions are passed by simple majority; in the event of a tie, the chairperson decides. For a quorum, at least three members must be present. Minutes shall be kept of each Committee meeting.
6) All legally binding documents of the association must be signed by the President or an Executive Committee member authorized by the President, and by the Managing Director.
16. Financial Administration
For budgeting, supervision, and fund management, the Executive Committee appoints one of the Vice Presidents. The day-to-day financial administration within the framework established by the Executive Committee, as well as management of the secretariat, is the responsibility of the Managing Director (see also Sec. 19). For signing authority, see Sec. 15.6.
17. Auditors
Two auditors are elected by the Ordinary General Assembly for a two-year term, beginning on January 1 of the calendar year following the election. They have the right to inspect the financial management at any time. If an auditor resigns before the end of the term, the Executive Committee appoints a new auditor, and this appointment must be reported to the next General Assembly. The auditors are required to present an annual report on the results of their audit to the General Assembly. This report, written and signed by the auditors, may also be presented to the General Assembly by the Executive Committee.
18. Branches and Working Groups
1) The General Assembly decides, upon proposal of the Executive Committee, on the establishment and, if necessary, dissolution of branches without their own legal personality in the individual federal provinces. The Heads of the branches are elected by the members residing in the respective area. The term of office of branch heads is two years and begins on January 1 of the calendar year following the election. The requirements for re-election are set forth in the rules of procedure.
2) The General Assembly decides, upon proposal of the Executive Committee, on the establishment and, if necessary, dissolution of working groups without their own legal personality for specific topics. The Heads of the working groups are elected from among their members (see Sec. 7.4). The term of office of the heads of working groups is two years and begins on January 1 of the calendar year following the election. The requirements for re-election are set forth in the rules of procedure.
19. Managing Director
The Executive Committee may appoint a Managing Director (see Sec. 16) to handle the day-to-day operations. The Executive Committee may also entrust the Managing Director with the official external representation of the association. The term of office is indefinite.
20. Arbitration Tribunal
Disputes arising from association matters shall be decided by an arbitration tribunal. Each party to the dispute shall appoint one arbitrator from among the members of the association, and the two arbitrators shall then elect a chairperson. If one party does not nominate its arbitrator within 14 days, the President of the Academy of Sciences shall appoint the arbitrator in place of that party; similarly, if the arbitrators cannot agree on a chairperson, the President of the Academy of Sciences shall appoint the chairperson of the arbitration tribunal. The tribunal decides by simple majority, and its decisions are final.
21. Dissolution of the Association
In the event of the dissolution of the association or the discontinuation of its privileged purpose, the association’s remaining assets, after covering liabilities, shall be used for the purposes specified in these statutes that are privileged under § 4a para. 2 EStG 1988.
Vienna, October 17, 2025