I.-The National Advisory Commission on Natural Disasters is responsible for issuing an annual opinion on the relevance of the criteria used to determine recognition of the state of natural disaster, within the meaning of article L. 125-1, and on the effective conditions for compensating disaster victims. This opinion is given in particular on the basis of an annual report produced by the interministerial commission for the recognition of the state of natural disaster mentioned in II of this article and which includes a summary of the opinions issued by the latter as well as a statement of the benchmarks used to assess the abnormal intensity of the natural agent, within the meaning of the third paragraph of article L. 125-1. The opinion also reviews the terms and conditions under which experts involved in the assessment of damage caused by natural disasters are certified and, if necessary, proposes changes. The members of the National Advisory Commission on Natural Disasters include six local representatives and representatives of disaster victims’ associations. It may hear any person it deems useful for its work. The minutes of its debates are made public under conditions laid down by decree. The tasks, composition, organisation and operation of the National Consultative Commission for Natural Disasters are specified by decree.
II.-The Interministerial Commission for the Recognition of Natural Disaster Status is a technical commission responsible for issuing an opinion on applications for recognition of natural disaster status submitted to it by the ministers concerned, on the basis of expert reports. The organisation, operation and procedures for communicating the opinions of the Interministerial Commission are specified by decree.
III – The annual opinion issued by the Commission referred to in I and the annual report drawn up by the Commission referred to in II are forwarded each year to Parliament and to the Conseil d’orientation pour la prévention des risques naturels majeurs referred to in article L. 565-3 of the Environment Code.