Rules and Regulations of the ESC Council on Hypertension

Article 1 – Form & rationale

The Council on Hypertension is established as a Constituent Body of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) according to the Statutes and By-laws of the ESC. The Council has been developed from the Working Group ‘Hypertension and the Heart’. The internal governance of the Council is regulated by ESC Board approved Rules and Regulations.

Article 2 - Objectives of the Council

The Council encourages research, teaching, communication of knowledge, and participates in education, focusing on the cardiovascular aspects of hypertension.

Specific objectives include:

• To establish leadership of hypertension within the ESC
• To promote, organize and/or co-ordinate research in its specialty
• To gather and exchange information regarding research and related activities within the Council
• To contribute to the organization, preparation and delivery of the scientific program of the annual ESC Congress and to support and participate in other ESC scientific meetings and symposia
• To organize an annual scientific meeting of the Council
• To organize teaching workshops on suitable topics
• To contribute to the organization, preparation and delivery of joint sessions with sister societies in scientific meetings
• To promote and organize education in its specialty towards both the scientific community and patients organization such as the European Heart Network
• To organize and participate in educational activities within the ESC
• To contribute to task forces for the development and implementation of ESC guidelines or joint guidelines with sister societies
• To establish appropriate recommendations for the ESC regarding the field of its specialty
• To establish links with sister societies and patients organizations
• To develop position papers or consensus documents on suitable niche topics, if deemed appropriate in collaboration with sister societies
• To develop quarterly e-newsletters of the Council
• To contribute to the Council web pages within the ESC website
• To collaborate with the Cardiologists of Tomorrow to create a group and reach out to the young cardiologists with an interest in cardiovascular aspects of hypertension.

Article 3 – Council Board

The activities of the Council will be directed by a Nucleus. The members of the Nucleus are required to be Fellows of the ESC (FESC) in good standing to be eligible to such a position.

The Council consists of:

1.  The Nucleus

• Chairperson
• Vice-Chairperson
• Secretary
• Treasurer
• Liaison Officer or ‘Ambassador’ with sister societies
• Immediate Past-Chairperson

The Nucleus members are voting members and are elected as detailed in article 5.

2.  Ex-officio members representing

• ESC Associations (EACPR; EAPCI; EACVI; HFA; EHRA, ACVC)
• ESC Working Groups (CV Pharmacotherapy; Peripheral Circulation)
• ESC Councils (CV Primary Care; Cardiology Practice; CV Nursing and Allied Professions; Basic CV Science)
• Cardiologists of Tomorrow
• Scientists of Tomorrow

Each of these ESC bodies will be asked to nominate one person with a specific interest in hypertension.
These ex-officio Members have an advisory role only and are not entitled to vote at the Council Board meetings.

Article 4 - Roles & responsibilities

The Secretary is responsible for preparing an annual report on the activities of the Council to the ESC Board and to the membership, in agreement with the Chairperson.

The Treasurer is responsible for the financial affairs of the Council, which will be regulated in accordance with the governance of the ESC. The book-keeping will be done by the ESC.

The Liaison Officer is responsible for the relationships with national and international Societies devoted to hypertension and specialist societies with an interest in specific aspects of hypertension, such as societies of Nephrology or Endocrinology etc.

A Nominating Committee will be created and will include a Chairperson and 3 elected Members and will be in charge of supervising the good running of the Nucleus election (definition of eligibility criteria, number of candidates, gender and geographical representation).
The Chairperson of the Council Nominating Committee will be the immediate Past- Chairperson.

The 3 Members will be elected by the Council Membership and the list of candidates has to be approved beforehand by the Nucleus.
The members of the Nominating Committee will not be eligible for election for the next 4 years.

Article 5 – Elections of Nucleus Members

The members of the Council should elect the Nucleus (Chairperson, Vice- Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Liaison Officer) by a democratic process.

The Chairperson is elected for a period of 2 years, non-renewable.
The Chairperson automatically becomes the immediate Past-Chairperson for the next period of 2 years, after termination of his/her mandate.

The position of Vice-Chairperson will only be opened to a person who has been a member of the Nucleus for a minimum of two years. The Vice-Chairperson automatically becomes the Chairperson for the next period of 2 years.
A person may not be re-elected to these two positions.

The Secretary, Treasurer and the Liaison Officer are elected for a period of 2 years, renewable for 2 years. After a 4-year period or part of a 4-year period, a person cannot be re-elected to these positions during the following 4 years.

Ex-officio members of the Board are appointed by the respective ESC Constituent Bodies and by the Cardiologists and Scientists of Tomorrow. The ex-officio members are appointed for a period of 2 years, renewable for 2 years.

 
Article 6 – Membership

The Council consists of individual members with an interest in the field of hypertension and the mechanisms regulating arterial blood pressure. Potential individual members must complete the online membership application form. If an application is rejected, the reason for rejection may be given to the applicant but there is no obligation to do so.

Members of the ESC Working Group ‘Hypertension and the Heart’ will automatically become members of the ESC Council on Hypertension unless they specify differently.

Article 7 - Meetings

The Nucleus meets at least once a year, and can meet in conjunction with other events and hold conference calls when required. The complete Council Board (the Nucleus and the Ex-Officio Members) meets once a year at the ESC Congress.
The presence of 4 voting Nucleus Members at a Council Board meeting is needed for any decision to be considered valid.

Article 8 – Council General Assembly

A General Assembly is held once a year during the annual ESC Congress.

The agenda of the General Assembly is drawn up by the Chairperson and circulated to the Council Members no less than thirty (30) days in advance.

Article 9 – Decisions requiring a voting process (including elections for Nucleus Members)

Decisions that require the vote of the Councils members will be voted at least two months prior to the General Assembly. Voting will be electronic and will be made by a simple majority of the votes cast by the membership. Null and blank votes are included in the number of votes cast. In the event of a tied vote, a second round of voting will take place. In case of a second tied vote, the Chairperson will have the casting vote.

Article 10 – Changes in the rules & regulations

Any provision in the Council rules and regulations may be changed but must remain in compliance with the ESC Statutes. Any change is subject to the vote of the nucleus and submission for approval to the ESC Board.

Article 11 – EHH support

Facilities for administrative support of the Council are available from the ESC Specialty
Centre (Councils Office) at the European Heart House.