Rules of Procedure for working committees at vgbe (VGB PowerTech e. V.)

Version 3.0

Revision status: 2021-09-21

1. Area of application

The Working Committees and Technical Pro­grammes within VGB PowerTech e.V. (hereafter referred as vgbe) are the main structural elements of the vgbe network of experts. They are grouped in Technical Competence Areas along the differ­ent technologies.

Working Committees and Technical Programmes form the fundament of the experience exchange both between members and with other stake­holder in the industry and are the main source for the association’s value adding deliverables to its member companies. In order to ensure efficient and effective work within the Working Committees and Technical Programmes these Rules of Proce­dure shall apply generally to all Working Commit­tees and Technical Programmes. Deviations from these rules shall require the approval of the Board of Directors of vgbe (vgbe-Board).

2. Organisation

  1. Technical Competence Centers (TCC) are in­stalled for the technology areas of hydro power, wind energy, gas, solid fuels and nu­clear of which each is steered by a Steering Forum (SF). Changes of the Technical Com­petence Centers require approval by the vgbe-Board.
  2. In order to fulfil the tasks of vgbe in accord­ance with the Statutes, Working Committees shall be formed in the Technical Competence Centers who, depending on their duties and tasks, are responsible for the implementation of the activities both in the Working Commit­tees themselves and in the Technical Pro­grammes (TP). The following structure shall be used:
    − Steering Forum (SF)
    − Technical Committee (TC)
    − Working Group (WG)
  3. As a temporary exemption a part of the com­mittee structure for the Technical Competence Center Nuclear will be integrated in its modi­fied form as described in their individual Rules of Procedure.
  4. Steering Forums may establish Technical Pro­grammes for topics and tasks limited in time and content with the approval of the vgbe-Board. In this case the vgbe-Board shall be in­formed about the objectives, scope of work, progress of work (regularly) and termination of a Technical Programme.
  5. If deemed necessary Technical Programmes may have to report to more than one Steering Committee of which one is the responsible one.
  6. With approval of the vgbe-Board, there shall also be the possibility to establish joint Working Committees with other associations.
  7. Steering Forums and Technical Committees shall be supervised by the vgbe administrative office. Generally Working Groups shall also be supervised by the vgbe administrative office. The responsible Steering Forum or Technical Committee may decide diverging arrangements.
  8. Representatives of Ordinary Members of vgbe shall be members of Working Committees.
  9. Representatives of Extraordinary or Sponsoring Members of vgbe shall be entitled to participate as guests in Working Committees. The responsible Steering Forum may decide diverging arrangements.
  10. The respectively applicable structure of the vgbe Working Committees and Technical Programmes shall be published on the vgbe website and in the vgbe Annual Report. Project Groups shall only be listed on the website to ensure transparency.
  11. The business languages shall be English and/or German.

3. Steering Forums (SF)

  1. By order of the vgbe-Board and according to the Statutes, the activities of all Working Committees and the assigned Technical Programmes in one Technical Competence Center shall be supervised by the Steering Committee.
  2. The members of the Steering Forums shall be appointed by the Executive Board of vgbe. The Chairpersons of the Technical Committees (TC) may attend the meetings of the respective Steering Forum as guests. The nomination of further guests is possible. The Steering Forum is entitled to exclude guests from discussions on certain topics.
  3. A Steering Forum should have a membership of not more than 25 persons. Reappointments shall be possible, and they shall automatically be deemed effective for a further term of three years unless termination of membership is confirmed by means of written notification from the administrative office.
    Membership shall end
    a) upon request by the member company
    b) in normal cases when the member enters retirement or leaves the company member of vgbe
  4. The Steering Forums shall select a chairper- son and at least one deputy chairperson. The chairperson is ex officio member of the vgbe- Board and has to be approved by the General Assembly. The elections shall always be valid for three years or until re-election or new elec- tions. Re-election shall be possible.
  5. The Steering Forums shall hold meetings as required, with a minimum of twice per year. The invitations shall be sent out by the administrative office at the latest two weeks before the date of the meeting, in coordination with the chairperson.
  6. Decisions in the Steering Forum shall be taken with simple majority of the present members; in the event of a tie the chairperson respectively the deputy shall have the casting vote. Written decisions are allowed.
  7. The Steering Forums shall for their respective generation technologies
    − act as a platform for experience exchange of industry executives, focussing on general and cross-functional generation and storage issues, on strategic technical and environmental issues and on medium- to long-term research and development outlook
    − give advice to the vgbe Board in all ques- tions related to power and heat generation as well as storage and sector coupling technologies and
    − give strategic orientation and additional input to the vgbe scope of work and the development of the portfolio of products and services, and
    − initiate position statements regarding statutory regulations, guidelines issued by the authorities, and technical regulations
  8. The Steering Forums supervise the activities of the vgbe Working Committees and Technical Programmes assigned to the respective Technical Competence Center. The steering function inherits the following tasks:
    a) Fulfilling the purpose of the vgbe
    b) Determine the scope and structure of the assigned Working Committees and Technical Programmes within the Technical Competence Center
    c) Coordinating and monitoring the efficiency of the activities of all Working Committees and Technical Programmes in the respective Technical Competence Center
    d) Compiling the budget proposals for the assigned Working Committees and Technical Programmes for submission to the vgbe-Board
    e) Informing the vgbe-Board regarding relevant work of the Working Committees and results of the Technical Programmes
    f) Aligning of relevant topics for the assigned Technical Committees
    g) Deciding on proposals for the creation of new Technical Committees as well as the dissolution of existing ones
    h) Delegating tasks from the Steering Forum to the responsible Technical Committee
    i) Approving regular participation of guests in the meetings of Technical Committees
    j) Appointing members of Technical
    Committees proposed by ordinary members of vgbe
    k) Initiating and evaluating proposals by the Working Committees for Technical Programmes, research projects and events, and preparing the approval by the vgbe-Board.
    The Executive Board decides on the programmes and projects and their funding. The grants for financing do not constitute a levy within the meaning of the vgbe Statutes
    l) Supervising and where appropriate supporting of Technical Programmes, research projects and events

4. Technical Committees

  1. The members of the Technical Committees shall be nominated by the ordinary members of vgbe and shall be appointed by the Steering Forum for a period of three years. Reappointments shall be possible, and they shall automatically be deemed effective for a further term of three years unless termination of membership is confirmed by means of written notification from the administrative office.
  2. No Technical Committee should have a mem- bership of more than 30 persons. Membership shall end
    a) upon request by the member company,
    b) in normal cases when the member reaches retirement age or leaves the company member.
  3. The Technical Committee shall be entitled to nominate guests on the proposal of the vgbe members. Regular participation as a guest in the meetings of a Technical Committee shall require the approval of the Steering Forum. The Technical Committee shall be entitled to exclude guests from discussions of certain technical subjects.
  4. Each Technical Committee shall elect a chairperson and at least one deputy chairperson. The elections shall be valid for three years or until re-election or new elections. Re-election shall be possible. The chairpersons shall rep- resent the Technical Committee in the Steering Forum. Their participation is mandatory in case of such a request from the Steering Forum.
  5. The tasks of the Technical Committees shall be as follows:
    a) Fulfilling the purpose of the vgbe
    b) Coordinating and monitoring the efficiency of the activities of all subordinated Working Committees
    c) Informing the Steering Forums about the work of the
    associated committees
    d) Informing all vgbe members in an appropriate manner regarding the results of their work
    e) Preparing position statements regarding statutory regulations, guidelines issued by the authorities and technical regulations
    f) Discussing current problems in the technical subject area
    g) Completing the tasks assigned by the vgbe-Board or the Steering Forum
    h) Preparing vgbe-standards
    i) Exchanging experience
    j) Deciding on proposals for the creation of new Working Groups as well as the dissolution of existing ones
    k) Delegating tasks from the vgbe-Board or Steering Forum to the Working Groups in charge
    l) Approving regular participation of guests in the meetings of Working Groups, nominated by Working Groups and Extraordinary or Sponsoring members of vgbe
    m) Appointing members of Technical Groups proposed by all members of vgbe
    n) Proposing, evaluating and where appropriate supervising of vgbe research projects and events
  6. The chairpersons of the Technical Committees are accountable for ensuring the targetoriented fulfilling of tasks and value adding experience exchange. The Topic List shall form the basis of work with regards to scope of work and deliverables of a Technical Committee. It has to be reviewed every year, reported to the Steering Forum and published in the eNet of vgbe.
  7. The chairpersons of the Technical Committees shall report on the results of their work at the meetings of the Steering Forum. If the chairperson of the Technical Committee is not available, this task shall be performed by the deputy or the respective advisor.
  8. The Technical Committees shall hold meetings as required, however at least once per year. The invitations shall be sent out by the administrative office at the latest four weeks before the date of the meeting, in coordination with the chairpersons.
  9. In the meetings of the Technical Committees, a consensus of opinion shall be reached as far as possible. If voting is required, each member shall have one vote. Decisions shall be taken by a simple majority of the members present at the meeting. If necessary, written voting is possible, requiring the consent of at least half of the members to pass a resolution. In the event of a tie, the Chairperson shall have the casting vote.
  10. The coordination of activities between Technical Committees in case of over-arching technical issues shall be performed by the respective chairpersons and advisors.
  11. For the branch of nuclear power plants in the Technical Competence Center Nuclear, it shall be possible to define deviating rules in a separate Rules of Procedure.

5. Project groups

  1. Project Groups shall be established by the responsible Technical Committee.
  2. A Project Group shall process the specific tasks defined by the responsible Technical Committee in charge within a defined period. To ensure a target-oriented work a task order form based on a predefined template has to be prepared in the first meeting and to be aligned with the employing Technical Committee specifying targets, non-targets, deliverables, timeline, man-day budget, members and reporting scheme.
  3. The Project Group shall inform the responsible Technical Committee on a regular basis about the progress of work.
  4. Upon completion of the task the responsible Technical Committee shall be informed in written form about the results.
  5. The Project Group elects a chairperson and at least one deputy.

6. Technical Programmes

  1. A Technical Programme (TP) is a project-oriented approach to implement one or a combination of several activities according to the defined objectives in the vgbe Statutes. Technical Programmes provide more flexible implementation conditions in terms of participation, funding and structuring compared to the feebased approach in the vgbe Technical Competence Centres.
  2. A Technical Programme is limited in time and has a clear focus on the objectives to be achieved and the services to be provided.
  3. A Technical Programme may consist of, for example:
    a) Development and coordination of studies on topics of common interest
    b) Initiation, coordination and/or implementation of joint research projects
    c) Development of databases or other tools and services
    d) Conducting a structured exchange of experience on cross-cutting themes covering two or more technologies from which additional activities can be launched and/or coordinated
  4. In order to achieve a broader exchange, a Technical Programme may also be carried out in cooperation with other associations, research institutes, laboratories, industrial partners or universities.
  5. A Technical Programme can be conducted as an internal or as an open programme. Only vgbe members can participate in an internal Technical Programme. In an open programme both vgbe members and non-vgbe members can participate.
  6. The Technical Programme shall be managed by a Steering Committee (SC). The Steering Committee shall appoint a Programme Manager.
  7. If the programme includes several projects, these may be led by project managers or a Project Management Group (PMG) reporting to the respective Steering Committee.
  8. The Programme Manager reports to the responsible Steering Forum of the Technical Competence Centre. If several Steering Fo- rums are involved in the Technical Programme, information is provided in parallel. One Steering Forum has the main responsibility.
  9. After completion of a Technical Programme or project, the responsible Steering Forum or the Project Management Group is informed in writing about the results.

7. Conduct of meetings

  1. All meetings shall be performed in the most efficient and productive way. Modern means of communication should be used in a reasonable form to achieve cost-effective and result-oriented added value to the participants and members.
  2. The invitations to the meetings shall be sent out by the administrative office in accordance with these Rules of Procedure. The invitation shall be sent with an agenda enclosed, which shall list all the subjects for discussion. At the latest two weeks before the start of the meeting, the administrative office shall publish the documents for the meeting in the eNet of vgbe. These should in particular include the following:
    — A directory of the documents corresponding to the subjects for discussion
    — status or assessment reports on the subjects for information
    — if needed resolution proposals or recommendations for action for decision
  3. The participants in meetings of the Working Committees are obligated to treat the information received as confidential, as the disclosure of such information to third parties could jeopardise the business interests of a vgbe member, the interests of vgbe or the ongoing work of the Working Committee. The Code of Conduct of vgbe, as amended from time to time, shall apply.
  4. The advisors from the administrative office or a nominated member of the committee shall record the minutes of meeting, and these minutes shall be published usually within four weeks after the date of the meeting in the vgbe eNet. The minutes shall focus on the achieved added value and therefore contain information, in anonymised form where appropriate, about the exchange of experience, about the consequences of this, and about all subjects for discussion, knowledge gained, and resolutions passed. The minutes shall be treated as confidential. They shall be sent to the members of the working committee and also to the following persons:
    a) Minutes of meetings of the Steering Forums shall be sent to the members of the vgbe Board of Directors, on individual request in each case.
    b) Minutes of meetings of Technical Commit- tees shall be sent to the members of the Steering Forums, to the members of the Scientific Advisory Board and to the mem- bers of the vgbe Board of Directors on individual request in each case.
    c) Minutes of meetings of Working Groups shall be sent to the members of the responsible Technical Committee in charge, to the members of the Scientific Advisory Board, and to the vgbe Board of Directors on individual request in each case.
    d) Minutes of meetings of the Technical Committees shall be sent upon written request to all ordinary members or their nominated representatives.
    These regulations shall not apply to the minutes of Working Committees in the Technical Competence Center Nuclear, for which the distribution list shall be defined separately in each case.
    The minutes shall be recorded in English and/or German language, and shall include German and English summaries.
    The summaries shall be published on the eNet of vgbe accessible to all registered members.
  5. For meetings in Technical Programmes the above statements shall apply mutatis mutandis.

8. Working results

  1. Every Working Committee shall prepare a standardized one-pager report twice a year as the basis for any reporting and decision making to superordinate working committees. The template will be provided by the administrative office of vgbe.
  2. In addition to the distribution of minutes, the administrative office shall inform vgbe members and the interested professional community regarding the results of Working Committees, in anonymised form where appropriate.
  3. The information shall be released in an appropriate form using the eNet, the website, the international journal, by member newsletters, or at vgbe events.
  4. vgbe standards and other publications shall be distributed by vgbe energy services GmbH. vgbe members shall receive these publications at preferential prices.
  5. Commercial exploitation of the results of the committees’ work, e.g. by means of patent registration by vgbe or individual members of the committee, shall fundamentally be excluded. Exceptions shall require the approval of the entire Working Committee and of the vgbe Managing Board.
  6. As regards the granting of utilisation rights relative to the created works and results to vgbe, with the exception of the non-transferable personal rights according to the copyright law, the following stipulations shall apply to the subject matter and granting of rights:
    a) The subject matter of the granted rights shall be the created works and results produced within the framework of work performed at or by vgbe
    b) vgbe, as the carrier of the joint work, shall exercise the rights assigned to it for exclusive use and exploitation. Authors and/or co-authors shall transfer to vgbe for the duration of the statutory copyright the exclusive unrestricted spatial, temporal and content-specific utilisation right relative to all created works and all results for all types of use.
    The relevant statutory principles shall apply:
    “Created works” in the meaning of copyright law are the intellectual property of the author. Only the author is entitled to exploit his work. The copyright is inalienable. The author is entitled to transfer or grant utilisation rights to third parties.
    The term “results” is added as a supplement to the term “created works” in this context, where such results cannot constitute “created works” in the meaning of German Copyright Act (UrhG), even though the term “author” implies this.
    c) The approval to grant these rights under Article 5a, b shall be considered given a priori through participation in committee work and being informed of these Rules of Procedure, or through explicit approval in written form.

9. Rights and obligations of members of Working Committees

  1. Prerequisites for membership in a Working Committee shall be willingness and ability to actively participate in the work.
  2. The members shall have unrestricted access to all documents of the respective Working Committee. The members of a Working Committee participating in the creation of vgbe-standards shall receive an author’s copy free of charge.
  3. The members of the Steering Forums shall have access to all documents of all Working Committees on request.
  4. The members of the Working Committees shall receive the international journal of vgbe at a preferential price as personal subscribers.
  5. The members of the Working Committees shall support vgbe in the pursuit of the purpose of the association to the best of their abilities.
  6. In case of absence a representation by proxy shall be nominated after consulting the chairperson of the Working Committee or the vgbe administrative office.
  7. Participation in all Working Committees is vol- untary and no remuneration shall be paid.
  8. According to the description of the vgbe activi- ties recorded in the Statutes of vgbe, routine activities such as committee work, the preparation of standards and white papers or any other official publication, maintenance of databases and joint R&D activities shall be performed at all stages in a transparent and traceable manner. In this process, the focus on technical matters is of particular importance. Furthermore, the Code of Conduct issued directly by member companies for their employees in relation to this range of subjects shall apply.

10. Distinctions

Where proposed by the Managing Board, the Chairman of the vgbe Board of Directors shall an- nounce distinctions for committed cooperation in vgbe Working Committees.

11. Validity

These Rules of Procedure shall be valid with ef- fect from the resolution of the vgbe Executive Board dated 21 September 2021. The transition period for changeover to these updated rules ex- pires on 30 June 2022.