Statutes of the German Society for Biomaterials e.V.

1 Name, Seat and Legal Capacity

1 The name of the Society is "Deutsche Gesellschaft für Biomaterialien e.V." (German Society for Biomaterials).

The seat of the Society is Berlin. It is entered in the register of associations there.

2 Purpose of the Society

1 The purpose of the Society is: To promote biomaterial science in the broadest sense in an effort to serve the research, development, testing, application and follow-up of biomaterials in the prevention and treatment of disease or suffering and to further develop biomaterials in their central importance for the whole of medicine, veterinary medicine and biology.

2. to this end serve: The holding of conferences; the publication of the papers and lectures given at these conferences in a suitable organ; the exchange of ideas and experience between biomaterials scientists; the establishment and deepening of relations with the disciplines of medicine, engineering and natural sciences associated with biomaterials science and with domestic and foreign professional societies, in particular the European Society for Biomaterials; the promotion of teaching and young scientists; the representation of biomaterials science and the provision of advice to the public, public law institutions and the authorities, standards bodies and research funding institutions; expert activities, the awarding of prizes for scientific work in the field of biomaterials science; the awarding of prizes to persons who have rendered outstanding services to the development of biomaterials; working groups of the Society.

3 Non-profit status

1 The German Society for Biomaterials pursues exclusively and directly non-profit purposes in the sense of the section "tax-privileged purposes" of the tax code.

2 The Society is selflessly active. It does not primarily pursue its own economic purposes. 3.

3. the Society's funds may only be used for statutory purposes. Members shall not receive any benefits from the Society's funds. 4.

4. no person may be favoured by expenses which are alien to the purpose of the Society or by disproportionately high remuneration. A donation to members of the Society is excluded. The exercise of the Society's offices is on an honorary basis.

§ 4 Membership

1) Any natural or legal person or association of persons in Germany or abroad who supports the purpose of the Association and is active for the purpose of the Association may be a member of the Association. The Association consists of a) regular, active, voting members b) laboratory members c) junior members d) honorary members e) supporting, passive, non-voting members (sustaining members). f) Corresponding members

2) Full members and laboratory members can be scientists with completed university education (material and other technical sciences, natural sciences, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, etc.).

3) Junior members can become students of the mentioned disciplines.

4) Laboratory members are scientific staff of a laboratory headed by a full member. Laboratory members are required to have the same professional qualifications as full members.

5) Laboratory membership may be granted on application to any laboratory or research unit of a full member of the Society. Up to six other persons employed by that laboratory may become members of the Society under this Laboratory Membership. They shall have the status of "Laboratory Members". They shall have the same rights as regular members such as the right to vote, receive notices from the Society, etc. . However, they cannot be elected to the Executive Committee. Laboratory members shall be nominated by the ordinary member of the laboratory to the Chairman of the Society, and appropriate changes shall be notified without request.

6) The annual subscription for ordinary members shall be fixed by the General Meeting for the financial year following this General Meeting.

7) Every member liable for membership fees is obliged to pay the fee at the beginning of the current year. Members who retire from active professional life may be exempted from the obligation to pay dues upon application.

8) Membership ends by resignation or exclusion, by death (natural persons) or by dissolution or insolvency (in the case of legal persons and associations of persons). Resignation may be declared in writing to the Executive Board with a notice period of 3 months to the end of the calendar year. The member remains bound to the statutes until the expiration of his membership.

9) A member who has grossly violated the purposes or interests of the Association, in particular the provisions of the Statutes, may be expelled by resolution of the Board. The member is to be heard personally or in writing before the exclusion. The decision shall be taken by a majority of 2/3 of the votes cast and shall be communicated to the expelled person, stating the reasons. The expelled member may lodge a written objection to the exclusion within a period of one month after notification of the decision, which shall be decided upon by the General Meeting. The objection has a suspensive effect.

10) Full members are entitled to vote and to be elected.

11) Members or personalities who have rendered outstanding services to biomaterial science may be appointed honorary members by the General Assembly. Honorary members do not pay an annual membership fee.

12) The General Assembly may elect non-German speaking scientists proposed by the Board as Corresponding Members of the Society. Corresponding members do not pay an annual membership fee.

13) Individuals as well as private and public associations such as industrial companies, research institutes and working groups that support the aims of the Society may be accepted by the Board as supporting members. The amount of the sponsorship fee shall be determined by the Executive Board in agreement with the sponsoring member.

14) Application for ordinary or sponsoring membership must be made in writing to the Executive Board. The board decides on the admission.

15) The end of membership does not constitute a claim for compensation of any kind against the Association.

5 Organs of the Society

Organs of the Society are:

a) the Board b) the General Meeting

§ 6 The Board of Directors

1. the board consists of five members: a. the acting chairman b. the deputy chairman c. the secretary d. the treasurer e. a board member for special tasks

2. the chairman, the deputy chairman, the secretary and the treasurer are legal representatives of the society in and out of court in the sense of § 26 BGB. The Chairman represents the Society alone, the other members of the Board act jointly.

3. the election of the board members according to number 1 a) - d) takes place in the ordinary general meeting with simple majority. The term of office of the elected board members is three years. The members of the Board of Directors according to clauses 1 a) - c) may be re-elected once.

4. the deputy chairman is normally proposed to the general meeting for election as acting chairman at the end of the first term of office of three years.

5. the outgoing acting chairman remains on the board by virtue of office for special tasks for a further 3 years.

7 Tasks of the Board

1. the board is responsible for all tasks of the association, which are not assigned to another organ of the association within the framework of these statutes. 2. the board is responsible for the representation of the association as well as for the representation of the members.

2. the board has the following tasks besides the representation of the association:

a. Admitting and excluding members, b. Determining the status of membership (ordinary or sponsoring) c. Preparation of the annual report and the annual accounts, d. Preparation of the budget. e. Execution and financing of the tasks of the Association.

3. the Board shall manage the Association within the framework of existing laws, these Statutes and in accordance with the decisions of the General Assembly.

4. the board passes its resolutions in the board meeting or by written circulation. In the event of a tied vote, the vote of the Chairperson shall be decisive. 5.

Minutes shall be taken of the meeting of the Board of Directors and shall be signed by the Chairman or, if the Chairman is not present, by one of the Vice-Chairmen and the Secretary. The minutes shall be sent to the members of the Board. Objections must be submitted within four weeks. 6.

The Executive Board may convene specialist committees or working groups.

8 General Meeting

1. an ordinary general meeting is to be convened by the board at least once a year. The invitation must be made in writing at least 4 weeks before the scheduled date and must contain the agenda. An extraordinary General Meeting shall be convened by the Board if it deems this necessary in the interest of the Society, or if one tenth of the members request this in writing, stating the purpose and reasons. 2.

2. the general meeting has a quorum at any time, provided it has been duly convened.

3. the general meeting has the following tasks:

a) the election of board members b) decision-making on meeting topics and locations c) the acceptance of the annual report of the chairman, and the financial report on the past calendar year, the budget for the coming year and the setting of the membership fee for the coming calendar year. d) Discharge of the Executive Board e) Election of two cash auditors f) Determination of membership fees g) Resolution on the appointment of honorary members and the election of corresponding members h) Resolution on amendments to the Statutes i) Report of the technical committees or working groups j) Dissolution of the Society

Suggestions and motions for the General Assembly must be submitted in writing to the Executive Board at least two weeks before the date of the General Assembly. 5.

5. the General Meeting shall be chaired by the Chairman of the Board, or if he is prevented from doing so, by the Vice-Chairman or another member of the Board.

(6) The General Meeting shall constitute a quorum if all members have been duly invited.

7. full members can be represented by other full members by means of a written power of attorney, if the written power of attorney is proven before the vote. A member is entitled to represent a maximum of 1 member.

8) The General Assembly shall adopt its resolutions by a simple majority of the members present. Amendments to the statutes require a two-thirds majority of the members present, the election of honorary members and corresponding members requires a three-quarters majority. In the event of a tie, the Chairman of the Board shall have the casting vote. 9.

9. minutes of each general meeting shall be kept and signed by the acting chairman and the secretary.

9 Fiscal Year

The financial year of the Society shall be the calendar year.

§ 10 Dissolution of the Society

1. the dissolution of the Society can only be decided by a three-quarters majority of the members present and by a vote exceeding half of the number of all registered members. In the event of a tie vote, the Chairman of the Board shall have the casting vote.

(2) In the event of the dissolution or annulment of the Society or in the event of the cessation of its previous purpose, the assets shall be transferred to the German Research Foundation (DFG, Bonn-Bad Godesberg) for the promotion of science and research.

signed

Prof. Dr. C.J. Kirkpatrick Prof. Dr. H. WorchChairman Designated Chairman

PD Dr. A. IgnatiusSecretary

The statutes came into force with the positive vote of the general meeting of the association Deutsche Gesellschaft für Biomaterialien e.V. on 03.10.2003 as an amendment to the previously existing version.