What is BEMEKO ?

BEMEKO (Belgian Measurement Confederation) is a de facto association of a network of Belgian scientific and technical societies/institutions concerned with measurement science and technology.

History of BEMEKO

BEMEKO was founded in 1978 (original statutes dated November 21st 1978) jointly by the “Inter-university Contact Group Electrical Measurements and Electronic Instrumentation” of the former FNRS/NFWO (National Funds of Scientific Research) and IBRA-BIRA Federation (Belgian Federation of Automatic Control). New statutes came into force on March 1st 1998 as a consequence of the dissolution of the bi-community FNRS /NFWO who financially supported the association. A further actualization of the statutes was signed on November 17, 2011 due to the dissolution of the IBRA/BIRA Federation in 2003 and the resignation from BEMEKO in 2011 of the French wing IBRA who assumed the secretariat.

Objectives of BEMEKO

The objectives of our association are :

• to represent Belgium in IMEKO (International Measurement Confederation) as the official National Member Organisation of this association,
• to promote in Belgium, by any appropriate way, national and international exchanges and diffusion of scientific and technical information on Measurement and Instrumentation.

Membership

BEMEKO is formed by the members who paid the annual membership fee. Any scientific or technical society/institution may be admitted as a member if it commits to the objectives of BEMEKO.

Management

BEMEKO is managed by a Steering Committee of three members elected for a renewable 3-years term by and among the BEMEKO members. The President is elected to the simple majority by the Steering Committee among its members. A member of this committee acts as Belgian Delegate to the IMEKO General Council (GC) which seats annually. The Secretary and Information Officer is an additional ex-officio member with a consultative voice only, without voting right.

The Steering Committee establishes and modifies its rules of internal order. It fixes the annual BEMEKO membership fee which at least must cover the annual Belgian membership dues to IMEKO and the working costs of the secretariat (post mail costs, Web domain name registration fee, ...). It appoints or dismisses the Belgian representatives to the Technical Committees (TC’s) of IMEKO. It approves all the events organized in Belgium under the auspices of BEMEKO - IMEKO. It makes to the members any proposal favouring the promotion of Measurement and Instrumentation in Belgium. It reports on a yearly basis its activities to the members.

The Delegate to the IMEKO General Council reports each year to the steering committee and to the members the annual session of this GC.

The secretariat tasks are assumed by the Secretary and Information Officer who collects the annual BEMEKO membership fees, pays to IMEKO the annual Belgian membership dues and assists the Steering Committee. He also creates, maintains and constantly updates the BEMEKO website on the basis of data received namely from the members. He takes in this respect any initiative to promote the association and its members.

Finances

The Member Organizations provide the financial means required for the operation of the Secretariat.

The Secretary supervises financial activities. All Officers serve on a honorary (unpaid) basis.