Chapter II: Ethics

The Chairman of the National Consultative Ethics Committee for Health and Life Sciences may, on expiry of his term of office, be appointed Honorary Chairman by decree of the President of the Republic.

I. – The fifteen qualified persons chosen for their expertise and interest in ethical issues mentioned in 4° of I of article L. 1412-2 are proposed as follows: – one person proposed by the Prime Minister; – one person proposed by the Minister for Justice; – two persons proposed by the Minister for Research; – one person proposed by the Minister for Industry; – one person proposed by the Minister…

The six representatives of associations mentioned in 6° of I of Article L. 1412-2 are proposed by the following persons: -two representatives of associations of patients and users of the healthcare system, by the President of the Union nationale des associations agréées d’usagers du système de santé (National Union of Approved Associations of Users of the Healthcare System) referred to in Article L. 1114-6; -one representative of disabled people’s associations,…

Compliance with the parity rule defined in III of article L. 1412-2 is ensured under the conditions set out in articles R. 1412-1-4 to R. 1412-1-7.

The authorities that appoint the members mentioned in 1° and 3° of the I of article L. 1412-2 and those that propose the members mentioned in 4° to 6°, send the Minister for Health the identity of the members they wish to see renewed, no later than four months before the end of the term of office of the persons concerned.

The Chairman of the National Consultative Ethics Committee for Health and Life Sciences shall discuss with the authorities mentioned in Article R. 1412-1-4 with a view to defining a parity composition of the Committee. Failing this, lots are drawn from among the authorities that have yet to appoint or propose an uneven number of members. This draw determines the number of women and the number of men to be nominated…

The number of ballot papers to be drawn up is equal to the number of persons still to be designated by the authorities mentioned in the second paragraph of article R. 1412-1-5. The number of ballot papers marked “woman” and the number marked “man” is determined so that the parity rule defined in III of article L. 1412-2 is complied with, depending on the number of women and men remaining…

The operations and the result of the drawing of lots are recorded in minutes, signed by the chairman of the committee and by the representative of the Minister for Health. A copy of these minutes is sent to each of the authorities mentioned in the second paragraph of article R. 1412-1-5, as well as to the Minister for Health.

The list of committee members is published in the Official Journal of the French Republic.

Half of the Committee’s membership is renewed every eighteen months. In the event of the death, resignation or termination for any other reason of a Committee member during his term of office, he shall be replaced under the same conditions as his appointment and for the remainder of his term of office. In the event of the prolonged absence of a Committee member, a panel consisting of the Committee Chairman,…