BP25 7, rue Ancelle 92201 Neuilly-sur-Seine Cedex France 01 55 61 22 00 www.cso.nato.int CSO Welcome booklet TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1. HOUSING 1.1 LOOKING FOR A HOME 1.2 DEFINING YOUR NEEDS 1.3 ADVICE ON WHERE TO LIVE 1.4 HOME INSURANCE 1.5 ADVICE ON SIGNING THE LEASE 1.6 MAIN SUBSCRIPTIONS: ELECTRICITY AND GAS, TELEPHONE, TV, COMPUTER CONNECTIONS 1.7 WEB SITES CONCERNING REAL ESTATE MARKET 2. TRANSPORT 2.1 CAR 2.2 CAR INSURANCE 2.3 LIST OF INSURANCE COMPANIES USED BY STAFF MEMBERS 2.4 FRENCH ROAD RULES 2.5 MORE WEB SITES 3. HEALTH 3.1 HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN PARIS AND REGION 3.2 EMERGENCY SERVICES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS 3.3 LIST OF HOSPITALS AND ENGLISH SPEAKING DOCTORS 3.4 CONSULTING YOUR FAMILY DOCTOR 4. SCHOOLING 4.1 CHOOSING A SCHOOL 4.2 LIST OF BILINGUAL AND INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS 4.3 THE FRENCH SCHOOL SYSTEM 4.4 SCHOOL HOLIDAYS 5. ELEMENTS CONCERNING FRENCH CULTURE 5.1 GREETINGS 5.2 POLITENESS 5.3 GOOD MANNERS IN SOCIAL LIFE 5.4 COMMUNICATING WITH FRENCH PEOPLE 5.5 BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT 6. GENERAL INFORMATION AND ADVICE 6.1 A PLACE TO VISIT UPON ARRIVAL: THE TOWN HALL 6.2 THE GUIDE BOOK OF NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE 6.3 PLACES TO LEARN FRENCH IN THE PARIS DISTRICT 6.4 A SELECTION OF WEB SITES ABOUT FRANCE, PARIS 6.5 WEB SITES OF EMBASSIES FOR MEMBER COUNTRIES OF NATO 7. APPENDIX 7.1 INFORMATION AND ADMINISTRATIVE FORMALITIES ON THE ARRIVAL OF A NON-FRENCH STAFF MEMBER AND INFORMATION RELATING TO PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES 7.2 ADMINISTRATIVE FORMALITIES ON DEPARTURE OF A STAFF MEMBER 7.3 INFORMATION AND FORMALITIES ON DEPARTURE OF A NON-FRENCH STAFF MEMBER FORMS CSO Welcome booklet CSO Welcome booklet INTRODUCTION This welcome booklet has been written in order to facilitate your arrival and help you settle down. It contains information and practical advice which will help you gain time and become more familiar with your new environment. The primary goal of this guide is to facilitate the integration of newcomers. It describes in a brief way the various administrative steps they will have to carry out when arriving or leaving the Collaboration Support Office (CSO). Although everything has been done to ensure the accuracy of this document, it does not constitute an official document and should not be quoted as such. Should you need additional information, feel free to contact the CSO Human Resources office, which will be happy to augment this booklet with your feedback and experience to the benefit of future newcomers. We hope you will enjoy reading it and find it helpful! 1) Background Following the departure of the North Atlantic Council, the NATO International Staff and the NATO Integrated Military Headquarters from France, a number of NATO Agencies remained on French territory. The Secretary General has delegated the General Manager of the NATO/NSPA CEPS-Programme Office (CEPS-PO) in Versailles to act on his/her behalf vis-à-vis the French Authorities regarding the « immunities and privileges » of NATO Agencies in France (NSPA/CEPS-PO, NH90, CSO). After negotiation, the French Authorities agreed to maintain for the benefit of these Agencies and their staff the so-called « immunities and privileges » previously enjoyed before the departure of the NATO International Staff from Paris. In order to avoid any possible misunderstanding concerning the nature of these immunities and privileges, it must be clearly understood that they are not always rights but often favours granted by the French Authorities or informal arrangements which evolve over time and are thus liable to modification or withdrawal. DESIGNATION & MISSION OF NATO AGENCIES IN FRANCE NSPA/CEPS-PO Central Europe Pipeline Sytem Programme Office (Bureau de programme du Système des Oléoducs en Centre-Europe) 11 bis, rue du Général Pershing 78000 Versailles The Central Europe Pipeline System Programme Office has the full responsibility of the operational and technical control of the NATO Central Europe Pipeline network. The six state members are Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United States. CEPS-PO is also taking care, in connection with the national agencies of the country users, of the modifications it could be necessary to implement. Besides the official mission of CEPS-PO for the management of the central-Europe pipeline network, the CEPS-PO General Manager, on delegation by the NATO Secretary-General is the proper authority in relation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to represent the NATO agencies in France. CSO Welcome booklet NH90 NH90 Helicopter (Programme de gestion OTAN pour la conception, le développement, la production et la logistique de l'hélicoptère OTAN des années 90) Le Quatuor - Bât. A 42, route de Galice 13082 Aix-en-Provence The NATO HELICOPTER D&D Production and Logistic Management Agency created since February 7, 1992, is in charge of the study, development, production and the logistics of the NATO helicopter for the Nineties (NH90). Five countries are concerned with this programme, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal. STO-CSO Collaboration Support Office (Bureau de Soutien à la Collaboration Scientifique) BP 25 92201 Neuilly-Sur-Seine Cedex Within the framework of the STO collaborative business model, the CSO provides executive and administrative support to the S&T activities conducted through the STO level 2 committees and level 3 working groups. In its areas of expertise, the CSO will provide assistance and support to the STB, its Chairperson, the Chief Scientist, and his/her office. The Collaboration Support Office (CSO) is located in Neuilly- sur-Seine (France). CSO Welcome booklet The Collaboration Support Office The ‘Raison d’être’ of the CSO consists in the network of scientists who contribute their expertise in the following domains, organized in 6 Panels and 1 Group: Applied Vehicle Technology (AVT) Human Factors & Medicine (HFM) Information Systems Technology (IST) NATO Modeling and Simulation Group (NMSG) Studies Analysis and Simulation (SAS) Systems Concepts and Integration (SCI) Sensors & Electronics Technology (SET) The Collaboration Support Office is based at the 7 rue Ancelle in Neuilly sur Seine. This suburb, in the close vicinity of Paris, is located on right bank of the Seine. Easily accessible by car it is ideally served by the station "LES SABLONS" of the subway line 1. The working hours of the CSO are adapted to the primarily administrative functions of the Office (08: 30 -12: 00 / 13: 30 -17:45). The weekly working time at the CSO is 38 hours. Note that military staff don’t wear uniform, except on special occasions such as awards ceremony. 1. HOUSING 1.1 Looking for a home We would advise you to start looking for a home as soon as possible and at least one month before your arrival in France. Looking for a home in Paris or the Paris suburbs will be time-and patience-consuming since demands are greater than offers, which leads owners and real estate agencies to be very demanding on contract terms. • Real estate agencies offer some advantages: an agency can facilitate your search by establishing your profile and proposing several homes according to your criteria. Generally an agency will take a commission of about one month’s rent. • A landlord will sometimes prove more flexible and may accept “special cases” which would probably be refused by agencies. It is easier to negotiate directly with a landlord since he is the one who sets the rent and chooses the tenant. • Prices vary according to the geographical zone (suburbs, Paris areas). Consulting http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/immobilier/ will help you know what to expect in terms of price per square meter. • To obtain information about France’s main real estate agencies, you can visit : - http://www.seloger.com/ CSO Welcome booklet • Main web sites for local newspapers with classified adverts: - http://www.lefigaro.fr/immobilier/ - http://www.explorimmo.com/ • If you prefer to rent direct from a landlord, please visit: http://www.pap.fr/ These sites will enable you to look for a home according to your wishes: flat or house, surface area, number of rooms, location, rent. 1.2 Defining your needs To rent a home in the Paris area, you can either contact a real estate agency or a landlord. In both cases, you will have to provide some administrative documents. But when negotiating with an agency or a landlord, you should bear in mind that the most important thing is to be trustworthy. Owners (landlords or agencies) will want to know if your income is sufficient and that you are a serious person. They will only accept to let you a home if you can convince them that it is the case. • List of documents to provide : - Copy of your passport or ID if you are a E.U. citizen. - Bank details: you will have to open a French bank account. - Proof of former renting or taxes on your last home, or that you have been hosted. - Evidence of salary for the last 3 months. - A certificate from the CSO indicating the nature of your work contract, its duration, your position and status; it should also state that you will not have to pay taxes in France since you are an international civil servant working for NATO. - A cheque for a deposit amounting to 1 or 2 months’ rent (sometimes 3), as a guarantee that you will take proper care of the place; at the end of your stay, you will be refunded after a final check by the landlord or agency. - A warrant or a bank caution: beware! This may vary from one agency to another.