What is an earthquake? Is it possible to predict earthquakes? What is the VAN method? Could a major earthquake ever occur in France? How effective are the preventive measures? Emergency plans have been prepared: are they effective? In view of the Kobé earthquake last January, and after meeting a number of leading figures both in France and abroad, Mr Christian Kert, deputy for Bouches-du-Rhône, rapporteur for the Parliamentary Office for the evaluation of scientific and technological choices, reviews these questions and a number of other issues in this report on "Techniques for predicting and preventing natural hazards: earthquakes and landslips".