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| Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Options | |
|---|---|
| Name | Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Options |
| Formation | 1983 |
| Headquarters | Paris |
| Jurisdiction | France |
| Parent agency | French Parliament |
Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Options is a bicameral advisory body attached to the French Parliament that provides analysis of scientific and technological issues for legislators. It informs debates involving actors such as the Prime Minister of France, the Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, the Conseil d'État, and committees of the Senate of France and the National Assembly (France). Reports and hearings produced by the office are referenced by institutions including the Académie des sciences, the European Parliament, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Health Organization.
The office was created in 1983 amid discussions involving figures from the Mitterrand government, the Assemblée nationale, and the Senate of France to mirror bodies like the Office of Technology Assessment of the United States Congress and the German Bundestag's advisory services. Early debates involved policymakers associated with the Ministry of Research (France), members of the French Socialist Party, and leaders from the Union for French Democracy. Over subsequent decades the office responded to crises and innovations tied to events such as the Chernobyl disaster, the expansion of the European Union, the advent of genetically modified organisms, and policy issues raised by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The office's mandate is to produce non-partisan analyses for lawmakers in the Senate of France and National Assembly (France), addressing topics ranging from public health concerns debated with the Ministry of Solidarity and Health to infrastructure matters touching the Ministry of Transport (France). It undertakes studies at the request of parliamentary commissions such as the Commission des affaires culturelles et de l’éducation and the Commission des Affaires sociales, and at the initiative of parliamentary leaders like the President of the National Assembly (France) and the President of the Senate (France). Its outputs inform deliberations on legislation related to entities including the French National Centre for Scientific Research and the European Commission.
Governance integrates members from both chambers: deputies from the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire era and senators from groups like the Les Républicains (France). Leadership typically comprises a president and vice-presidents elected by the assembly of members drawn from parliamentary groups such as the Socialist Party (France), the La République En Marche! delegation, and the French Communist Party. Staffed by civil servants recruited with experience from institutions including the École Polytechnique, the École normale supérieure, and the Institut Pasteur, the office collaborates with external experts from organizations like the Centre national d'études spatiales and the Comité national d'éthique.
The office employs methods such as expert panels, systematic literature reviews, and scenario building, drawing expertise from scholars at the Collège de France, the Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale, and universities like Sorbonne University and Université Paris-Saclay. Activities include public hearings with stakeholders like representatives from Sanofi, delegations from the European Space Agency, and civil society organisations comparable to Médecins Sans Frontières; commissioning technical notes with laboratories such as CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission; and organizing seminars akin to events at the World Economic Forum and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It publishes reports, briefing notes, and audiovisual materials to support rapporteurs in commissions such as the Commission des lois.
Reports have influenced parliamentary amendments, budgetary allocations overseen by the Cour des comptes, and legislative outcomes, including debates on bioethics tied to the Loi bioéthique and energy policy involving the Électricité de France. The office's work has been cited in hearings before the Conseil constitutionnel and used by ministries during responses to public health episodes like outbreaks monitored with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Internationally, its analyses have been referenced in policy dialogues involving the G7 and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Comparable bodies include the Office of Technology Assessment (historical) in the United States Congress, the Bundestag Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment in Germany, and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology in the United Kingdom. It engages in exchanges with organizations such as the European Parliamentary Technology Assessment network, delegates to forums at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and partnerships with research centres like the Max Planck Society and the Karolinska Institutet for comparative studies.
Critics cite limits in resources relative to demands from parliamentary commissions and point to tensions between rapid political timetables and the long horizons required for research assessed by institutions such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the International Energy Agency. Debates have involved members of parliamentary groups including La France Insoumise and observers from think tanks like Fondation pour l'innovation politique over perceived proximity to industrial actors such as TotalEnergies or pharmaceutical firms. Challenges also arise from coordination with supranational entities like the European Commission and aligning methodologies with standards promoted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Category:Political organizations based in France