The name of the organization shall be "The Nordic Respiratory Academy (hereafter referred to as the "Academy"). The Academy shall be governed by these Statutes and the articles of the Danish Civil Code.

Section 1. The incorporation of the Academy shall be in Denmark
Section 2. English shall be the official language of the Constitution and Bylaws.
Section 3. The Academy’s congress venues will be located in the Nordic countries, i.e. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Officers of the Academy will come from these countries. The congress venue can also be located in an affiliate member country, i.e. Estonia.

The objective of the Academy shall be to foster academic respiratory medicine including respiratory allergology among scientific and medical disciplines in the Nordic countries, by promoting education, research, training and improvement of clinical practice. Major tasks of the Academy shall be to help the National respiratory societies in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden In organising the Academy´s congress (Nordic Lung Congress) each other year and by publishing the European Clinical Respiratory Journal.

Anyone who has acquired a Ph.D. or equivalent or is academically active in the field of respiratory medicine in the Nordic Countries and is a member of any of the National Respiratory Societies is considered a member of the Academy. In principle, membership is free for these scientists.

To support its activities, the association can receive donations and bequests. The academy shall shall receive a surplus from the Danish Respiratory Society based on the income from the European Clinical Respiratory Journal after covering expenses for running secretariat etc. NORA executive comittee decides upon editor fee, while management of the journal is under the responsibility of the journal’s Chief Editor and the journal’s Chief Editorial Board.

The officers of the Academy constituting the Executive Committee, shall consist of a President, a President elect, a Secretary-General, a Treasurer and the Editor in Chief of the European Clinical Respiratory Journal (see Bylaws, Article II). All Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Sweden) shall in addition to officers above be represented by at least one person appointed by each national respiratory society. Each member, with the exception of the Chief Editor may be elected for a total period of 6 years, divided in three election periods. The President may not be re-elected to the same office.

The President Elect will automatically become President after the end of his term. The Presidency will circulate across the Nordic countries in alphabetical order.

Section l. The General Assembly shall constitute the governing body of the Academy. Its duties shall be the election of the officers of the Executive Committee. It shall formulate bylaws, rules, and regulations and shall have all judicial and executive functions common to a scientific organization. It shall have final control over the policies and affairs of the Academy and over the actions of the Executive Committee and over the actions of all other committees, which might have been appointed. The General Assembly shall meet in connection with the Nordic Lung Congress the year they are organized and at the European Respiratory Society´s meeting the year there is no Nordic Lung Congress.

An extra-ordinary general assembly might be called upon by the Executive Committee or by a written request by at least one third of the members. 

Section 2. The Executive Committee shall conduct the usual business of the Academy in the intervals between Congresses. It shall recommend the time and the place of the Congress and submit it for approval to the General Assembly. 

Section 3. The President shall preside over all meetings of the General Assembly and of the Executive Committee. With the consent of the Executive Committee, the President shall appoint the members of special committees.

The Secretary-General (SG) shall keep records of the meetings of the Executive Committee and the General Assembly. The SG shall keep a list of all Members and prepare an Annual Report dealing with the activities of the Academy and submit it to the Executive Committee and to the General Assembly. In addition, the SG shall send out notices of meetings and other communications. 

The Treasurer (TR) shall receive all dues and other monies and shall pay all debts therewith. TR shall render a yearly financial account based on a professional audit and submit it to the Executive Committee and the General Assembly.

The Editor in Chief shall be responsible for the official publication of the Academy, the European Clinical Respiratory Journal, owned by the Nordic Respiratory Academy.

The officers of the Executive Committee shall be elected by the General Assembly at its regular business meeting. The Nominating Committee appointed by the NORA Executive Committee shall submit its nominations for the officers of the Executive Committee to each Member at least ninety (90) days prior to the meeting of the General Assembly for officers must be from the list of the Members of the Academy. Distribution of this information to the members of NORA shall be the task of the Associations of the National Respiratory Societies. At the time of election of officers, additional nominations may be made by Delegates from the floor. 

A majority vote of the members of the General Assembly shall constitute an election. 

In the event of a vacancy in the office of Secretary-General, Treasurer or Editor in Chief, the Executive Committee shall have the power to fill the vacant position for the un-expired term.

The Constitution may be amended by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members present at a meeting of the General Assembly, provided that the proposed amendment must bear the signatures of at least five (5) members and also provided that the proposed amendment accordingly signed shall be submitted to all Delegates at least ninety (90) days prior to the meeting at which the vote is to be taken.

Three fourths majority at two general assemblies is required for dissolution of the Academy. The assets of the Academy will be transferred to a research and/or a humanitarian organisation, following a majority vote of the final General Assembly.

The Bylaws and the Constitution of NORA must be confirmed by the Nordic Lung Associations.

Section 1. The Academy shall hold regular scientific, educational, and business meetings during the Nordic Lung Congresses at intervals of two years, in general. The time and place of each Congress shall be selected two terms in advance. In addition, the Academy may organize or sponsor other meetings on approval of the Executive Committee. 

Section 2. The General Assembly shall hold its regular meeting at the time and place of each Congress for the purpose of transacting the business of the Academy. The Executive Committee shall hold an annual meeting, a business meeting at the time of each Congress prior to the meeting of the General Assembly and a business meeting at the end of the Congress. The meeting of the Executive Committee shall take place in connection with the ERS meeting in the year in which there is no Nordic Lung Congress. The committee may chose to make parts of its meetings open to the members of the Academy.

The official publication of the Academy shall be the European Clinical Respiratory Journal. The Editor-in-Chief may nominate an Editorial Board to be approved by the Executive Committee. The Editor-in-Chief shall present an annual status report to the Executive Committee and the General Assembly during their Congress Meetings. The Journal will be owned by the NORA and the corporate location will be in Denmark.

The amount needed for the operation of NORA will be required from the National Societies or from surplus of the journal. To support its activities, the Academy can receive donations and bequests.

The President of NORA can appoint special Committees as needed.

he order of business of the General Assembly shall be as follows:
 l) Call to order

2) Presentations of credentials of the Delegates 

3) Reading of minutes 

4) Report of Committees 

5) Treasurer’s report 

6) Auditor’s report 

7) New business including time and place of the next Congresses 

8) Nominations 

9) Election of officers and auditors, if requested by secret ballot 

10) lntroduction of officers 

11) Adjournment

All parliamentary procedures not stated in the Constitution or Bylaws shall be guided by rules of order and customs prevalent in the country in which the Nordic Lung Congress is meeting.

The Nordic Respiratory Academic Meeting takes place annualy preferably in the begnning of the year. Members of the meeting are representatives from the units for respiratory medicine of the Nordic Universities. The meeting constitutes together with representatives from the National Respiratory Societies the nominating committee for the executive committee of the Academy. The meeting is also a forum for free open discussions on Nordic Academic topics.

The procedure for amending the Bylaws shall be the same as provided in Article X of the Constitution, except that adoption of an amendment to the Bylaws shall be by vote of a majority of the Delegates present and voting.