About us

The EBCC is an association under Dutch Law of like-minded expert ornithologists co-operating in a range of ways to improve bird monitoring and atlas work and thereby inform and improve the management and conservation of bird populations in Europe.

The aims of EBCC are to:

• Bring together ornithologists who are interested in the study of distribution, numbers, and demography of European birds.
• Encourage monitoring of bird distribution, numbers, and demography aimed at improving their conservation and management.
• Promote rigorously planned monitoring with clear objectives.
• Detect and if possible, understand changes, and provide relevant agencies with sound information to base conservation and management actions.
• Promote the development of indicators of the changing capacity of European landscapes to support wildlife.
• Encourage communication and collaboration between organizations, institutions, and individuals interested in monitoring bird populations and their distribution.
• Promote the exchange of news, ideas, and expertise through its journal, Bird Census News, webpage, social media (Facebook, Twitter), and through its conferences and workshops.
• Host major international conferences on a 3-year cycle across Europe with published proceedings.
• Work closely with international ornithological and conservation organizations, and encourage links between ornithologists, land managers, and policymakers.
• Run major international projects such as the European atlases (EBBA1 and EBBA2) and monitoring schemes (PECBMS, EBP, etc)
• Encourage and create specialist working groups to tackle relevant topics.

How does the EBCC operate?

The role of the EBCC Board

The governance of EBCC is defined by the EBCC Articles of Association (see Constitution). The day-to-day management of EBCC business and affairs is undertaken by a Board. The role of this Board is to advance the agreed aims of EBCC as best it can in a professional and progressive fashion within budget and other constraints. Members of the Board are drawn from a range of different organizations in Europe, but each acts on the Board in a personal and voluntary capacity.

The Board is composed of up to ten people: a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and up to six ordinary members. The Board meets twice a year, usually in spring and autumn, to discuss and manage EBCC business and affairs. Board members may reasonably request reimbursement of travel and accommodation costs in attending these meetings if such funds are not available from other sources. A number of observers, nominated by the Board, also attend these meetings from Wetlands International, Catalan Ornithological Institute, Czech Society for Ornithology, and BirdLife International. Observers act in an advisory capacity, linking the work of EBCC to ongoing activities and programs. These individuals have no voting rights on the Board.

The Board is elected on the Annual General Meeting (AGM), which is composed of two Delegates from each European country within the network. Delegates are ratified by the AGM following discussion and recommendations from relevant national organizations, institutes, and experts within each country. The AGM formally takes place every year, but the Delegates normally only convene every three coincidings with EBCC´s major international conferences. At the AGM, the Board presents a summary of its work since the last conference and a financial report. It also suggests and seeks venues for future conferences, and raises constitutional matters and any other relevant issues, which may be voted upon. The Board is renewed by a vote of the AGM at three-year intervals. In normal circumstances, the current Board would make a recommendation as to the composition of a new Board, but Delegates can also suggest new Board members. Each Delegate has a single vote at the AGM.

The role of the national Delegates

The two nominated national Delegates per country play a central role in the operation of EBCC. The role of the Delegate is to further the aims of the EBCC both at a national and international level, by promoting EBBC projects in their country, representing national views and communicating them to the Board, disseminating relevant EBCC news and information within countries, and engaging actively in EBCC initiatives.

At the same time, as Delegates are expected to contribute in various ways, the idea is of course, that the Delegates and the countries they represent should benefit from sharing ideas and knowledge from like-minded experts from other European countries.

Guidelines for selecting and appointing new Delegates are defined within the Articles of Association, as are procedures for replacing those who wish to stand down and those Delegates who are not able to engage actively with EBCC.

Delegates are encouraged to cooperate actively with the work of EBCC in some of the following ways:

• Attend the EBCC´s international conferences (including the AGMs), workshops and meetings – all are a high priority
• Actively engage with EBCC projects and working groups in a positive and participatory fashion
• Provide news and annual updates of relevant national monitoring/atlas projects for the EBCC website, social media and Bird Census News
• Promote EBCC´s aims and good reputation when appropriate opportunities arise, at both national and international level
• Maintain regular contact with the EBCC Delegate Officer and inform them of any changes in contact or other details.
• Respond in a timely fashion to requests from EBCC, that is, from the Board and EBCC initiatives
• Suggest new areas and initiatives for the development of monitoring work

When existing Delegates are unable to engage any more with the work of the EBCC in the ways described above, then the Board would seek to find suitable replacements in discussion and agreement with relevant national contacts.

EBCC Constitution for download