The chairman is assisted by two assessors, whom he appoints for each case from a list of persons competent in the matters dealt with by the commission.
The list is drawn up and periodically updated by the director general of the Institut national de la propriété industrielle, on the proposal of representative professional and trade union organisations at national level.
One of the assessors is chosen from among the persons proposed by the employees’ organisations, the other from among the persons proposed by the employers’ organisations.
If the invention is of interest to national defence or is the result of a design or manufacturing contract involving a defence security classification, the assessors must have received prior authorisation from the Minister responsible for defence. The same applies to the experts appointed or the technicians consulted.