The mission of the Board of Directors and the members of AERNA follows the principles below:
Science
The main purpose of AERNA is to promote the exchange of and improvements to knowledge in order to facilitate the scientific work of its members, as well as decision making by the public administration and those social groups interested in the relationships between the environment and the economy.
Independence
AERNA intends to develop its activity without any legal, economic or political link to any other organization, without undermining collaborations and agreements developed by its Board of Directors in order to develop any activities regarded in the statutes.
Openness
AERNA will pay special attention to the scientific debate without exclusion of any line of thought, only being necessary an accreditation of a university degree and the payment of a yearly fee in order to become a member of AERNA.
Honorific direction
Directive members of AERNA will not receive any permanent remuneration or honorariums for the time devoted to developing organizational activities in the Association. This principle will not impede any member from carrying out specific research or a task which is remunerated by the Association by means of a process which guarantees equal opportunities for all members.
Incompatibility
AERNA will not admit any collaboration with associations or individuals whose purposes are established to be contrary to its purposes.
Geographical context
AERNA is committed to developing its activities, first and foremost, within Spanish and Portuguese territories. This circumstance cannot undermine the freedom of its members to act in any social or political scope within such territories or any other.
Organization
The organizational framework of AERNA is composed of the Board of Directors and the Scientific Advisory Committee. The Board of Directors is composed of a President, two Deputy Presidents, a Secretary and four thematic committees: communication, research, publications and education and extension. The statutes of the Association establish the economic functioning and the respective competences of each party.
Activities
AERNA will develop its activities around the improvement of scientific knowledge and its diffusion among its members and the society in every aspect concerning the economy and the environment. In order to develop its activities, AERNA will establish specific agreements with other public or private agents, while these do not limit its independence.
Funding
The development of the activities such as scientific meetings, research, publications and management will be funded by economic resources coming from the membership fees and specific collaboration with third parties established for each specific activity.
In order to ensure financial independence, AERNA will not be able to get into debt directly or indirectly through its members in order to develop its activities; therefore, AERNA will not undertake any activity for which funding has not being legally guaranteed previously.