INTERNAL RULES

ART. 1	The Club of Bologna has been founded by UNACOMA and is a registered mark of UNACOMA. It has been established in 1988 for the study and definition of strategies for the development of agricultural mechanisation worldwide, taking into consideration technical, economic and social advances and changes in agriculture on an international level. The Club of Bologna evolved from the conclusions reached at the International Symposium on Agricultural Mechanisation organized by the Italian "Unione Nazionale Costruttori Macchine Agricole” (UNACOMA), (National Union of Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers), held at the headquarters of the International Exhibition of Agricultural Machinery Industries (EIMA) in Bologna, Italy, in 1987.

ART. 2	The Club of Bologna is an independent, non-profit association with the aim to promote scientific and cultural goals. It works under the auspices of CIGR (International Commission of Agricultural Engineering) and collaborates closely with FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) and UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Developmenr Organisation) of the United Nations.

ART. 3	The Club will work towards its objectives through exchanges, discussions and sharing of experience and knowledge of scientists, researchers, technicians, managers, agricultural machinery manufacturers and farmers who are concerned with the fundamental problems in this field, on the basis of collected pertinent information, specific and general studies and analyses, and on the refinement and development of logical concepts of a scientific and political nature.

ART. 4	Membership in the Club of Bologna is open to those holding a senior position in the field of agricultural mechanisation. Participation in the Club does not require any enrolment fee; however the travel expenses for participation in any meeting shall be borne exclusively by each participant.

ART. 5	The Club of Bologna is composed as follows: Full and Corresponding Members Management Committee Advisory Board President

ART. 6	There shall be two categories of membership: Full Members, chosen among those most knowledgeable and active in the scientific, cultural and management sectors of agricultural mechanisation, who will have a direct responsibility within the Club and Corresponding Members, generally not directly invited to the meetings of the Club. The Full Members have the right of a full participation to the Club activities. The Corresponding Members may participate to a Session only upon invitation by the President or the Management Committee. They are also invited to contribute to the sessions through written reports, remarks, etc. Normally Full Members are chosen within the Corresponding Members.

ART. 7	The Club of Bologna is directed by a Management Committee consisting of high-profile Full Members chosen among the various countries and confirmed by UNACOMA. The Director of UNACOMA is a permanent member of the Management Committee. The Management Committee cannot normally exceed 15 members. The Past-President is ex-officio invited to the Management Committee.

ART. 8	The Management Committee will meet, as a rule, every year in Bologna in order to: propose new memberships (Corresponding, Full and Management Committee Members); propose the nomination of a former President as Honorary President; define future study and analysis programmes of the Club as well perform evaluations of programmes after their accomplishment; verify the status of research in progress; evaluate opportunities for establishing Study Groups among Club members; plan Club meetings and working sessions; exclude from the Club of Bologna any member whose contribution over the prior meeting(s) has not been meaningful or significant to the Club, as determined in the sole discretion of the Management Committee; consider any needed revision of the present internal rules.

ART. 9	The Advisory Board is composed by three Members: the Director General of UNACOMA; a representative of the agricultural machinery manufacturers, nominated by CEMA (usually, the CEMA Director General) a Representative of the research world, elected among and by the Management Committee Members. The tasks of the Advisory Board are as follows: to advise the President to nominate a Provisional President in the case of the President unavailability or resignation

ART. 10	The President of the Club of Bologna is chosen and appointed among the members of the Management Committee by UNACOMA. The regular term of the President is four years, with the possibility of a second term.

ART. 11	The working sessions of the Club of Bologna can be defined as follows: plenary: those which concern all Club full members; closed: limited to study groups; open: by invitation, with the participation of non-members such as political figures, scientists, managers and experts in the field of finance. These sessions can take place in any country represented by Club members.

ART. 12	Membership in the Club of Bologna morally binds each participant to confidentiality as regards any information obtained by research undertaken or information emerging from the plenary and/or closed sessions, unless approval is given by the Club itself for public release of results obtained, on the basis of common agreements.

ART. 13	The Administrative Secretariat of the Club is assured by UNACOMA, with headquarters in Rome, Italy. The duties of the Administrative Secretariat are: to guarantee the distribution of documents (in English) to the Members of the Club; to maintain contact and liaisons among individual Members; to collaborate in the organization of the Management Committee, of Study Groups and sessions meetings when they do not take place in Italy; to undertake the organization of the above when they occur in Italy; to publish the printing of the Proceedings.

ART. 14	The Technical Secretariat of the Club is located at the same address as the President of the Club. Its duties are: to provide the organization of the various members’ meetings, the Management Committee and eventually Study Groups meetings, in collaboration with the Administrative Secretariat in Rome; to manage the contacts with the key-note Speakers and the final drawing up of the key-note reports; to manage the various correspondence and contacts with the Club Members; to provide the update of Members’ database and website information; to prepare the Proceedings of the meetings; to undertake the preparation of the technical material for the meetings, including the Agenda.