The Parliamentary Office for Scientific and Technological Assessment

French Republic

PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

THE PARLIAMENTARY OFFICE FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT

- STRUCTURE, FUNCTION, COMPOSITION -

Given the ever-increasing role of science in Assembly and the Senate. It consists of eighteen everyday life, it could hardly fail to become a deputies and eighteen senators. subject of political interest. It became progressively obvious that there was a need for a parliamentary assessment of technology in order to The Office is chaired alternately for three- anticipate its year periods by a consequences member from and monitor its either chamber, impact. with internal rules stipulating A number that the First of debates in the Vice- early 1980s Chairperson shall (e.g. regarding come from the the future of the other chamber. nation's nuclear, space and cable programmes) caused the French Parliament to realize that it was unable to Power of referral reserved for parliamentary formulate an impartial assessment of Government bodies decisions regarding the broad guidelines of its scientific and technological policies. The Office can be commissioned to conduct It therefore decided to establish its own an assessment, primarily by an internal assessment authority: the Parliamentary Office parliamentary body i.e. by the Bureau of either for Scientific and Technological Assessment. assembly (upon its own initiative, by request of the chairperson of a political group, by request of Following a unanimous vote in favour of its sixty deputies or forty senators) or by a special or creation, the Office was established by Law n° 83- permanent committee. 609 of July 8, 1983. Its aims, within the terms of In addition, since 1991, some laws have the law, are "to inform Parliament of the directly commissioned the Office to conduct a consequences of scientific and technological study or assessment mission. choices, particularly to enable it to make To date, the topics covered have fallen more enlightened decisions". To this end, the Office or less equally into four main categories: energy, "collects information, launches study programmes the environment, new technologies and the life and conducts assessments". sciences. Some referrals have been renewed year after year, for instance regarding the safety and security THE OFFICE of nuclear installations. Others have required an update of a previous Office report (developments A unique organization in the semiconductor sector, high-definition digital The Office is an unusual organization within television, high-activity nuclear waste, Parliament: its members are appointed so as to biotechnologies, bioethics, etc.). Such renewals ensure proportional representation of the various enable the Office to continue to monitor these political groups and come from both the National topics.

Office parlementaire - Assemblée nationale 103, rue de l’Université - Bât. F - 75355 Paris 07 SP - tél : 01 40 63 70 65 - fax : 01 40 63 70 95 Sénat 4, rue Casimir Delavigne, 75006 Paris - tél : 01 42 34 25 58 - fax : 01 42 34 46 04 - www.assemblee-nationale.fr - www.senat.fr The parliamentary office for - 2 - scientific and technological assessment

The Scientific Council competent figures from outside Parliament. The The Office acts as an intermediary between rapporteur may also engage independent experts the political sphere and the world of research. It and research agencies, in France or abroad, to has a duty to keep up to date with the latest conduct investigations and to study specific aspects research developments and to request official of the subject. In addition, the rapporteur may statements of opinion. To request the views and opinions of trade unions, conduct its missions, the professional bodies and Office is therefore assisted by organizations for environmental a Scientific Council whose or consumer protection. composition reflects the However, Office reports do not diversity of the scientific and merely juxtapose expert technological fields. The opinions or establish a "state of Council consists of twenty- the art" review of the subject in four leading figures, all chosen question. Because the reports for their expertise. are drafted by members of Parliament, their conclusions are more than simply

STUDY PROGRAMMES informative; they also include proposals and recommendations. Appointing a rapporteur If the rapporteur deems it necessary, public hearings open to the press can be organized to Each referral entails the appointment of one gather or even confront the opinions of leading or more rapporteurs, chosen exclusively among the figures and organizations wishing to express their members of the Office. Several studies have views on the subject. The minutes of these public brought together a deputy and a senator, or a hearings can then be annexed to the report. member of parliament from the political majority and a member from the opposition. The powers of the rapporteur The feasibility study French law provides Office rapporteurs with the same powers as budget rapporteurs: they may Once appointed, the rapporteur first therefore conduct investigations of any state agency conducts a feasibility study. The objective of this and request any departmental documents, with the study is to assess the state of knowledge regarding exception of those dealing with national defence or the subject in question, to determine possible security. Moreover, if the rapporteurs encounter avenues of research, to assess the likelihood of any difficulties in the execution of their mission, obtaining pertinent results within the required they may request to be granted, for a period of no deadlines and, finally, to determine the means more than six months, the same prerogatives as required to conduct a study programme. those granted to parliamentary committees. The rapporteur then submits the conclusions of the feasibility study to the members of the Publication of reports Office. At this point, the Office must choose At the end of their study, the rapporteurs between three options: stop the investigation, a submit their draft report and conclusions to the very rare procedure; suggest a new formulation to other members of the Office. Their conclusions are the author of the referral; or, and this is by far the presented in such a way that they may be used most frequent course of action, implement a study directly for legislative work or budgetary programme leading to the establishment of a discussions. The members of the Office then decide report. whether to publish the report and all or part of the Drafting a report minutes of hearings and contributions made by experts. It should be pointed out in this regard that The rapporteur conducts hearings to solicit most Office decisions are reached unanimously, the the opinions of all concerned parties and Office being characterized by the consensual nature organizations. The rapporteur can also conduct on- of its positions. site visits, in France or abroad, to laboratories and Over the past few years, the practice has companies linked to the subject in question. developed of questioning the relevant ministers Throughout the study, the rapporteur is concerning the appropriate follow-up to assisted by a parliamentary official and, if rapporteurs' conclusions. necessary, by a study group consisting of

Office parlementaire - Assemblée nationale 103, rue de l’Université - Bât. F - 75355 Paris 07 SP - tél : 01 40 63 70 65 - fax : 01 40 63 70 95 Sénat 4, rue Casimir Delavigne, 75006 Paris- tél : 01 42 34 25 58 - fax : 01 42 34 46 04 - www.assemblee-nationale.fr - www.senat.fr The parliamentary office for - 3 - scientific and technological assessment

The documents produced by the Office form It has also built up a special relationship a specific collection within the general body of with the scientific community as a whole and parliamentary reports and may be purchased at the maintains close links with it. This is illustrated by Boutique de l'Assemblée Nationale, at the Sénat the various events associating the Parliamentary and from the Journal Officiel. They are also Office for Scientific and Technological available on the websites of the assemblies. Assessment with such prestigious bodies as the different Académies, CEA, INSERM, INRA, UniversSciences, CNRS, etc. PUBLIC HEARINGS Each year, the Office organizes several Finally, the Office also contributes to the public hearings on topical scientific or development of international parliamentary technological issues. relations and participates, particularly at a European level, in various conferences and events. GENERAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES This has particularly contributed to the The Office has progressively become an development of a network for sharing and acknowledged instrument of parliamentary action. exchanging information: the European Several laws make provision either for it to be Parliamentary Technology Assessment (EPTA), informed of, or to participate in the appointment of consisting of the European organizations parliamentary representatives to various bodies, or responsible for conducting scientific and for it to be represented, by its chairperson or one of technological assessments for both national its members, on the board of directors of various parliaments and the European Parliament. organizations.

RECENT REPORTS PUBLIC HEARINGS  The issue of the smart electricity meters by Mr Cedric Villani,  The economic, environmental, health and ethical challenges of Mrs Célia de Lavergne, Deputies, and Mr Gérard Longuet, Sena- biotechnologies, by Mr. Jean-Yves Le Déaut, Deputy, and Mrs tor. National Assembly report 672 rectified (15th legislature), Catherine Procaccia, Senator. National Assembly report 4618 Senate report 306 (2017-2018). (14th legislature), Senate report 507 (2016-2017).  Algorithms dedicated to public action : the case of the web  Toward a Controlled, Useful and Demystified Artificial Intel- portal for admission after baccalaureate by Mr Cedric Villani, ligence, by Mr Claude de Ganay, Deputy, and Mrs Dominique Deputy, and Mr Gérard Longuet, Senator. National Assembly Gillot, Senator. National Assembly report 5494 (14th legislature), report 671 (15th legislature), Senate report 305 (2017-2018). Senate report 464 (2016-2017).  The safety of nuclear devices under pression by Mr Jean-Yves  Evaluation of the national Plan for management of radio- Le Déaut, Deputy, and Mr Bruno Sido, Senator. National Assem- active materials and waste (PNGMDR 2016-2018), by bly report 4579 (14th legislature), Senate report 462 (2016- Mr Christian Bataille, Deputy, and Mr Christian Namy, Senator. 2017). National Assembly report 4578 (14th legislature), Senate report  The contribution of innovation and of scientific and technolo- 451 (2016-2017). gical assessment to the implementation of COP21 decisions  Evaluation of the national research strategy in energy, by by Mr Jean-Yves Le Déaut, Deputy, and Mr Bruno Sido, Sena- Mrs Anne-Yvonne Le Dain, Deputy. National Assembly report tor. National Assembly report 4577 (14th legislature), Senate 4575 (14th legislature), Senate report 452 (2016-2017). report 453 (2016-2017).

 Evaluation of the national research strategy “France Europe  The scrambling of electronic communications : issues, risks 2020” by Mr Jean-Yves Le Déaut, Deputy, and Mr Bruno Sido, and solutions, by Mr Jean-Yves Le Déaut, Deputy, and Mr Senator. National Assembly report 4574 (14th legislature), Senate Bruno Sido, Senator. National Assembly report 4221 report 463 (2016-2017). (14th legislature), Senate report 120 (2016-2017).

 Stakes and perspectives of epigenetics, by Mr Alain Claeys and  Vector-borne diseases by Mr Jean-Yves Le Déaut, Deputy, and Mr Jean-Sébastien Vialatte, Deputies. National Assembly report Mr Bruno Sido, Mr. Roland Courteau and Mr. François Co- 4108 (14th legislature), Senate report 33 (2016-2017). meinhes, Senators. National Assembly report 3898 (14th legislature), Senate report 741 (2015-2016).  Strategic issues of rare earths and critical raw materials, by Mr Patrick Hetzel, Deputy and Mrs Delphine Bataille, Senator.  Interaction between human and social sciences with techno- National Assembly report 3771 (14th legislature), Senate report logical sciences and life sciences, by Mr Jean-Yves Le Déaut, 617 (2015-2016). Deputy, and Mr Bruno Sido, Senator. National Assembly report 3896 (14th legislature), Senate report 742 (2015-2016).  Digital safety and risks: issues and opportunities for busi- nesses by Mrs Anne-Yvonne Le Dain, Deputy, and Mr Bruno  Vegetal genetic resources, from enhancement to preservation Sido, Senator. National Assembly report 2541 (14th législature), of species: the French model, by Mr Jean-Yves Le Déaut, Senate report 271 (2014-2015). Deputy, Mrs Anne-Yvonne Le Dain, Deputy, and Mr Bruno Sido, Senator. National Assembly report 3552 (14th legislature), Senate report 571 (2015-2016).

 Robots and law, by Mr Jean-Yves Le Déaut, Deputy, and Mr Bruno Sido, Senator. National Assembly report 3551 (14th legislature), Senate report 570 (2015-2016).

ONGOING STUDIES

 Evaluation of the law n°2011-814 from 7 July, 2011 related to bioethics (as foreseen by section II of article 47 of the same law), by Mr Jean-François Eliaou, Deputy, and Mrs Annie Delmont-Koropoulis, Senator.

 Health and environmental risks expertise in France and in Europe by Mrs Anne Genetet, Mr Philippe Bolo, Deputies, and Mr Pierre Médevielle and Mr Pierre Ouzoulias, Senators

MEMBERS OF THE OFFICE

President Mr Gérard LONGUET, Senator First Vice-President Mr Cédric VILLANI, Deputy

Vice-Presidents

Mr Didier BAICHÈRE, Deputy Mr Roland COURTEAU, Senator Mr Patrick HETZEL, Deputy Mr Pierre MÉDEVIELLE, Senator Mrs Huguette TIEGNA, Deputy Mrs Catherine PROCACCIA, Senator

DEPUTIES SENATORS Mr Julien AUBERT Mr Michel AMIEL Mr Philippe BOLO Mr Jérôme BIGNON Mr Christophe BOUILLON Mrs Annie DELMONT-KOROPOULIS Mrs Émilie CARIOU Mrs Véronique GUILLOTIN Mr Jean-François ELIAOU Mr Jean-Marie JANSSENS Mrs Valéria FAURE-MUNTIAN Mr Bernard JOMIER Mr Jean-Luc FUGIT Mrs Fabienne KELLER Mr Claude de GANAY Mrs Florence LASSARADE Mr Thomas GASSILLOUD Mr Ronan LE GLEUT Mrs Anne GENETET Mr Rachel MAZUIR Mr Pierre HENRIET Mr Pierre OUZOULIAS Mr Antoine HERTH Mr Stéphane PIEDNOIR Mr Jean-Paul LECOQ Mr Angèle PRÉVILLE Mr Loïc PRUD'HOMME Mr Bruno SIDO

February 2018