The Standing Group on the European Union (SGEU) is a broad-based standing group affiliated to the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR). Primarily a group of political scientists, the SGEU fosters multidisciplinary collaboration across social science disciplines, including anthropology, economics, law, sociology, and social psychology, with a substantive focus on the EU.
The main activities of the SGEU include:
1. The organisation of biennial international conferences on the politics of the European Union,
2. The organisation of workshops for Early Career Researchers that study the European Union,
3. The sponsoring of summer schools on any aspects related to the politics of the European Union,
4. The organisation and sponsoring of workshops, panels and sessions at the ECPR Joint Sessions of Workshops, the ECPR General Conference,
5. The organisation of a monthly online seminar series on major issues related to the European Union,
6. The maintenance of a mailing list, a news service and a website.
Byelaws in Addition to the
Group Framework
1. The Standing Group on the European Union is governed by a Steering Committee consisting of nine (9) members elected by, and from, the Standing Group. Steering Committee members serve a three-year term, which can be renewed once for a further three (3) years without re-election (maximum six-year tenure). Elections are held every two (2) years for three (3) seats to maintain a staggered rotation.
2. Depending on the circumstances the Steering Committee may wish to set up a nomination committee for the elections.
3. Existing Steering Committee members will remain members until new members have been elected. Prior to the election, all but six of the existing Steering Committee members will resign and three new members will then be elected after having presented their candidacy.
4. If a member leaves after three years or prior to completing their tenure, a by-election shall be held to fill the vacancy.
5. Every two years, the newly elected Steering Committee elects the Standing Group’s Chair and the Vice-Chair. The Chair and Vice-Chair serve two-year mandates, renewable without re-election once for a maximum of four consecutive years.
6. The Treasurer position is combined with that of the Vice-Chair and operates under the same two-year mandate and renewal rules as set out in point 5 above.
7. The Chair submits an annual report to the Steering Committee. The Vice-Chair is also elected with the expectation that s/he will succeed the Chair.
8. The Vice-Chair (acting as Treasurer) submits a financial report to the Steering Committee at the end of each calendar year. S/he also provides a financial overview at the meeting of the General Assembly normally held at the biennial meeting (see point 13 below).
9. The Chair, Vice-Chair, and Treasurer must be affiliated with ECPR member institutions. The newly elected Chair immediately notifies ECPR Central Services of the names and functions of the new Steering Committee.
10. The Steering Committee will meet as necessary (either in person or by conference call) to take decisions. When voting on business matters, a quorum of six members is required. A majority of those participating in the vote is required to take decisions. In case of a tie, the Chair breaks the tie.
11. The Standing Group organizes a biennial conference. The Steering Committee issues a call for proposals to host the biennial conference. Decisions about the location and the host institution of the biennial conference are taken by the Steering Committee on the basis of a public call, which has been circulated among the members sufficiently in advance, specifying the expectations and the selection criteria.
12. As part of the decision on the host institution for the biennial conference, the Steering Committee appoints a Conference Chair that is responsible for the organization of the conference, the selection of papers and the conference budget.
13. During the Standing Group’s biennial conference, a General Assembly is held to which all Standing Group members are invited. At the General Assembly, the Steering Committee provides a report about the activities and state of affairs of the Standing Group.
14. No later than three months after each biennial conference, the Steering Committee receives and discusses a report by the Conference Chair on the organization, academic content and the financial results of the conference.
15. The Steering Committee may decide on the organisation and support of other activities that it engages in, subject to the availability of sufficient funding.
16. The timing of the elections, mentioned in point 1 and 9 above, can be determined by the Steering Committee.
17. Elections are usually held within three months after the biennial conference, allowing the existing Steering Committee to report to the General Assembly and the new candidates to introduce themselves at the General Assembly.
