Report of the Professional Conduct Committee
G. Checcacci (IT), Chair
The main activities of PCC in the latest months can be summarized as follows.
1) The usual activity of issuing advices to epi members under art. 7(d) of the Code of Conduct has not been very intense: few requests have been received, and none of them required special study by a Chamber of PCC. In practice, the Chair and the Secretariat had simply to direct the requesters to other more appropriate entities (EPO, national offices).
2) The WG working on a proposal to amend the Code of Conduct has continued and almost completed its work. After the Council meeting C88, inspired by the elections of the Board members, the WG included in the proposal an article dealing with the conduct of candidates at epi elections.
3) The WG assisting the President has continued to operate.
4) The whole committee had its annual meeting on 21 September 2020, by videoconference. Due to (or rather: thanks to) this special form, also all substitutes were invited and many indeed attended and actively contributed to the discussions. This practice will be maintained for future meetings, particularly if held by videoconference.
At the meeting, the proposal of the WG (item 2 above) was examined and partially approved: for an article (art. 5(d): transfer of files), the WG was requested to amend the proposal. This was done in a meeting of the WG on 9 November 2020. Since the proposal of the WG was still to be completed, it could not be presented for decision to the Council meeting C89. Nevertheless, the proposal was enclosed for information of all Council members; it will be presented for approval at a next Council meeting, including art. 5(d) as well.
PCC also discussed plans for activities of the next PCC, deciding that PCC should focus more on improving awareness of the Code of Conduct among epi members; this is reflected in the plan for PCC for the next term, that is also reproduced below.
Professional Conduct Committee
Plan for the term 2020-2023
PCC, concluding its term 2017-2020, leaves new PCC some suggestions for the future activities; these suggestions are summarized in this plan. Of course, it will be responsibility of the new PCC to follow this plan, or to amend it.
The suggestions derive from the basic consideration that the main target of PCC should always be that of improving the professional conduct of all epi members.
Thus, PCC should pursue the following activities, with the involvement and collaboration of other committees as appropriate:
- Current activities, to be continued:
- issuing advices under Art. 7(d) CoC - responsible: Chambers
- assisting the President, Presidium and Board in disciplinary matters - responsible: ad hoc Working Group
- revising the Code of Conduct - responsible: ad hoc Working Group
- finalizing the adoption of the amended Regulation on Discipline in preparation for UPC (as decided at C85, decisions 8 and 9) - responsible: Chair
- New activities:
- publish the content of advices given under art. 7(d) CoC, in anonymised form - responsible: ad hoc Working Group
- define training and information initiatives to spread a better awareness of the provisions of the Code of Conduct - responsible: ad hoc Working Group
