The association is named "CAN in AUTOMATION (CiA) - International Users and Manufacturers Group" and is registered in Nuremberg (Germany).

English is CiA’s language. Each meeting minute, each internal paper, and each CiA documents is written in English (except the book-keeping for the German Revenue Office).

CiA members may participate and may vote in CiA General Assemblies (each CiA member has one vote). CiA member representatives may run for election as member of the CiA Board of Directions (BoD). CiA members may run for election as member of the CiA Technical Committee and the CiA Business Committee. CiA members have access to CiA General Assemblies meeting minutes.

CiA members may participate in every CiA technical and marketing group as well as associated task forces (TF). They have free-of-charge access to each CiA technical document (including Work Drafts). CiA technical documents include Public Available Specifications (PAS), Draft Specifications (DS), Draft Specification Proposals (DSP), and Technical Reports (TR).

CiA members have access to minutes of CiA Business Committee (BC), CiA Technical Committee (TC), CiA Interest Groups (IG), CiA Special Interests Groups (SIG), CiA Marketing Groups (MG), and Special Marketing Groups (SMG) including associated TFs.

The regular GA takes place annually, but an irregular GA can be convened by either the annually elected BoD or by the mutual consent of one quarter of CiA members.

CiA member may speak on each agenda topic of the CiA General Assembly. The chairperson of the CiA General Assembly may limit the time allowed for the attending CiA member to not more than five minutes per topic.

The BoD consists of three CiA member representatives (Technical Director, Business Director, Managing Director) elected for one year by the CiA General Assembly.

The CiA Technical Director chairs the CiA Technical Committee.

The CiA Business Director chairs the CiA Business Committee.

The CiA Managing Director coordinates the daily business with the CiA GmbH represented by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

The TC consists of

1. the CiA Technical Director

2. a representative of each CiA interest group

3. up to five CiA members elected by the annual CiA General Assembly.

Each CiA member has only one vote in the TC.

The TC develops the general guidelines for technical documents and manages documents not assigned to IGs.

The TC approves and coordinates the IGs.

The BC consists of

1. the CiA Business Director

2. a representative of each CiA marketing group

3. up to five CiA members elected by the CiA General Assembly

Each CiA member has only one vote in the BC.

The BC develops the CiA general marketing guidelines and proposes the CiA budget to the CiA General Assembly.

The BC approves and coordinates the MGs.

IGs and SIGs may be initiated by at least three CiA members.

The TC may install IGs; an IG may install SIGs.

The first (inaugural) meeting of an IG or an SIG is announced to each CiA member including the intended scope of work.

During the first meetings the following shall happen:

1. Drafting of a workplan including goals;

2. Election of a chairperson.

The approved IG reports to the TC, and the approved SIG reports to the related IG.

CiA technical documents are classified in

1. Specifications containing requirement,

2. Technical reports (TR) not containing requirements.

Specifications have different release statuses:

1. PAS (public available specifications) are released by the TC typically on request of an IG. They shall be distributed to all CiA member at least three months before the release decision.

2. DS (draft specifications) are released by the TC or an IG (typically on request of an associated SIG).

3. DSP (draft specification proposals) and TRs are released by the TC, an IG, or an SIG.

CiA technical documents proposed to be published as PAS or TR shall not be released respectively shall be withdrawn, if more than two-third of the voting CiA members votes against the PAS or TR by means of an email ballot. Such an email ballot can be initiated by at least three CiA members.

Technical documents proposed by the TC or an IG to be released as PAS can be accepted by the TC by means of a resolution documented in meeting minutes.

Technical documents proposed by the TC, an IG, or an SIG to be released as DS can be accepted by the TC or an IG by means of a resolution documented in meeting minutes.

Technical documents proposed by the TC, an IG, or an SIG to be released as DSP can be accepted by the TC, an IG, or an SIG by means of a resolution documented in meeting minutes.

A technical document not containing requirements should be released as TR. This includes recommendations, implementation guidelines, and application notes, etc.

The TC, an IG, or an SIG can release TRs. The related resolution is documented in meeting minutes.

MGs and SMGs may be initiated by at least three CiA members.

The BC may install MGs; an MG may install SMGs.

The first (inaugural) meeting of an MG or an SMG shall be announced to each CiA member including the intended scope of work.

During the first meetings the following shall happen:

1. Drafting of a workplan including goals;

2. Election of a chairperson.

The approved MG reports to the BC, and the approved SMG reports to the related MG.

Each CiA group elects a CiA member as chair. A TF leader is nominated by the initiating CiA group.

Each CiA group and each TF is administrated by the CiA office, which invites to meetings, writes the meeting minutes, and edits the documents.

Amendments and changes to this CiA rules and regulations shall be approved by a two-thirds majority of CiA members present in a GA.