This topic is closed for discussion. Accordingly to the vote results, an Independent International Not-Profit Association will be established to coordinate and represent the European Space Weather and Space Climate Community.
What are all possible viable options to setup organisation that represents us?
This channel is devoted to discussing all various available options to setup the organisation that represents us, as well as their viability (acording to the key factors defined by the Interim board). The interim board already analysed many different options (as given bellow), but we invite the community to propose other possible options to setup organisation that represents us. Please consider only options not already considered by the Interim board, include as much detail already known and state how the key factors are met. The list will be updated accordingly. The interim board will analyze all proposed options by June 18th and any viable optionwill be offered in the vote sheet.
To discuss and propose different options and their viability use slack channel 2: options. In order to participate in the discussion please fill out the registration form. The discussion will take place in Slack. Note that you only need to register once, i.e. you do not need to register for each channel separately.
List of options which were regarded so far, but were found unviable:
1) ESA (European Space Agency): ESA is an intergovernmental organisation of very restricted number of member states, it is primarily a business association and acts as a funding agency. Therefore, it does not satisfy key factor 1.
2) COSPAR (Committee on Space Research): COSPAR is a Scientific Committee of International Council for Science, with strong international component and without regional offices or boards. European board could not be set-up within COSPAR and thus it does not satisfy key factor 2.
3) SCOSTEP (The Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics): SCOSTEP is the thematic body of the International Science Council with strong international component and without regional offices or boards. European board could not be set-up within SCOSTEP and thus it does not satisfy key factor 2.
4) IAGA (International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy): IAGA is one of the associations of International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), a non-governmental, scientific organisation, with strong international component and without regional offices or boards. European board could not be set-up within IAGA and thus it does not satisfy key factor 2.
5) EGU (European Geosciences Union): EGU is a non-profit (regional-Europe) association with several scientific divisions. However, their statutes and by-laws do not allow key factors 5, 6 and 7 and is thus not a viable option (for more details see Lilensten et al., 2021).
6) IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers): IEEE is a non-profit organisation divided into regions, with every region having sections corresponding to different countries. Region 8, where Europe is, also hosts Africa and Middle East. IEEE is also divided into societies and technical councils, but these do not have regional centers. Therefore, a European Space weather board could not be set-up within IEEE and thus it does not satisfy key factors 2 and 3.
7) EAS (European Astronomical Society): EAS is a non-profit organisation devoted to astronomy and astrophysics (and space science), it does not have sections for different scientific branches and according to the constitution, a Space weather board could not be set-up within EAS and thus it does not satisfy key factor 3.
8) ISES (International Space Weather Services): ISES is a collaborative network of space weather service-providing organisations around the globe. It gathers existing organisations (does not ‘create’ them) and thus it does not satisfy any of the key factors. However, if ESWC established a new organisation, there may be a possibility to join ISES in the future.
9) IAU (International Astronomical Union): IAU is a non-profit organisation, organised in scientific comissions that deal with various topics, but with strong international component (thus it does not satisfy key factor 2). IAU European Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (IAU European ROAD) is one of 11 regional offices of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Development, however, devoted to a mainstream task without division into specific topics, a Space weather board could not be set-up and thus it does not satisfy key factor 3.
10) IAF (International aeronautical federation) / IAA (International Academy of Astronautics): International non-profit non-governmental organisations with some specific regional-interest groups, but overall strong international focus (thus they do not satisfy key factor 2). They have not responded on suggestions of viable ways to set up ESWC within their frameworks, (e.g. some voting schemes to be limited).
List of options which were regarded so far and were found viable:
1) Establishing own organisation in the form of INPA (international non-profit association)
INPA has its own legal personality and, consequently, its own assets and liabilities and legal capacity to do things in its own name as well as perform economic activities. Therefore, INPA satisfies all key factors. INPA can be established in almost any country, however, due to simplicity and because Brussels is the seat of the European Union, it is proposed that INPA is established in Belgium (for a more detailed overview see Lilensten et al., 2021).
2) Organising Space Weather board in the scope of EPS (the European Physical Society)
EPS is a not-for-profit association organised through Divisions, Groups, and Sections, which are all autonomous, with own budget and assets and with statutes, by-laws and a clear hierarchical structure that act essentially under the loose rules of the EPS. Therefore, EPS satisfies all key factors (for a more detailed overview see Lilensten et al., 2021).
