Comparative Table of Parliamentary TA Institutions
FRANCE - OFFICE PARLEMENTAIRE D'EVALUATION DES CHOIX SCIENTIFIQUES ET TECHNOLOGIQUES (OPECST)
Work Procedures and Methods
THE APPOINTMENT OF A RAPPORTEUR
Any matter referred to the OPECST leads to the appointment of one or
more rapporteurs, exclusively selected amongst the members of the
OPECST. Several study programmes have brought together an MP and a
Senator.
THE FEASABILITY STUDY
Once appointed, the rapporteur first makes a feasibility study. This
study aims at providing a snapshot of knowledge on the topic,
determining possible research avenues, appreciating the possibilities
of obtaining relevant results in the required time period and, last,
determining the necessary means to start a study programme. The
rapporteur then submits the conclusions of his feasibility study
together with methodological remarks to the members of the OPECST. At
that stage, he suggests either that the study should be closed, (this
happens very rarely), or he proposes to modify the extent of the study
(a study first dealing with biofuels was thus extended to prospects for
development of non food agricultural products), or, much more
frequently a study programme is set up that leads to the drawing?up of
a report.
THE DRAFTING OF A REPORT
The rapporteur then goes ahead with hearings enabling him to gather,
without exclusion, all opinions from concerned persons and
organisations. He may also travel in France or abroad in order to
inspect installations and firms connected with his work. Throughout his
study, the rapporteur is assisted by a parliamentary civil servant and,
if need be, by a study group made up of specialists from outside
Parliament. He may also hire French or foreign free?lance experts and
consultants for further investigation into specific items. He may
likewise gather the opinions of trade unions, professional bodies, and
organisations for the protection of the environment or consumer
defence. However, the OPECST reports are not restricted to setting out
the experts´ points of view. Their conclusions are the work of
Parliamentarians and may go beyond merely informing, by including
suggestions and recommendations. If the rapporteur deems it necessary,
public hearings, open to the press, are organised to gather and
confront the opinions of leading figures and organisations wishing to
express themselves on the subject in discussion. The minutes of these
hearings may then be annexed to the report.
THE RAPPORTEURS´ POWERS
The OPECST rapporteur have identical powers to financial rapporteurs:
they may therefore carry out direct investigations on any State Agency
and have access to any available document, with the exception of those
dealing with military matters or State security. In addition, in the
event of difficulties encountered in exercising their mission, the
OPECST rapporteurs may request to be given the prerogatives granted to
parliamentary committees of inquiry.
THE PUBLICATION OF REPORTS
At the end of their work, the rapporteurs submit their draft report and
their conclusions to the members of the OPECST. These conclusions are
presented in such a way that they may be used directly for legislative
work or budgetary discussion. Members of the OPECST must decide whether
they publish these reports and all or part of the minutes of the
hearings and the contributions by the experts. In this respect, the
OPECST´s decisions are mostly unanimous and the consensus of its
decisions is one of the OPECST´s main features.
The documents from the OPECST, which make up a special collection
within all the parliamentary reports, are on sale at the »Boutique de
l´Assemblée Nationale«, at the »Espace Librairie du Sénat« and at the
Journal officiel, and are available on each Assembly website. Since its
creation, the OPECST has published more than 90 reports.