France
Who's Who Top
Government
Governmental actors with a direct or indirect role in biosecurity and scientific oversight are included here. This is not a guide to overall governmental structure. Some departments listed here may have only a marginal interest or role in biosecurity. This is a “living” document and comments about the content or any potential omissions are welcome. Please contact webmaster@biosecuritycodes.org.
Office of the Prime Minister
Comment: COMING SOON
Division(s) within the Prime Minister's Office with a role or interest in biosecurity:
- National Defence General Secretariat (SGDN)
- Comment: SGDN was created in 1962 as a research organization that brings together the French Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Interior Ministries. It assists in the implementation of defence reforms, provides interministerial support for nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons initiatives, and protects defence sensitive scientific information.
Department / Ministry / Agency:
Defence
Comment: COMING SOON
Foreign Affairs
Comment: COMING SOON
Health
Comment: COMING SOON
Division(s) within the Health Department with a role or interest in biosecurity:
Science and Technology (Ministère délégué à la Recherche)
Comment: COMING SOON
Specialized Institutes / Centers:
French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)
Comment: COMING SOON
Division(s) within CNRS with a role or interest in biosecurity:
National Academies & Academia
Academic actors and national academies with a direct or indirect role in biosecurity and scientific oversight are included here. Some groups listed here may have only a marginal interest or role in biosecurity. This is a “living” document and comments about the content or any potential omissions are welcome. Please contact webmaster@biosecuritycodes.org.
National Academy:
Académie Des Sciences [French Academy of Sciences]
Comment: The Académie Des Sciences brings together French and foreign scholars in order to contribute to the progress of science and its application. In order to do so, the Académie studies social questions associated with the development of the sciences, fosters international scientific cooperation, and encourages the diffusion of science among the public.
Contact: + 33 1 44 41 43 67
Division(s) within the Académie Des Sciences with a role or interest in biosecurity:
Academia:
University of Compiègne: Department of Bioengineering
Comment: COMING SOON
Contact:+ 33 (0)3 44 23 44 23
Industry
Though research is ongoing, we currently have no information regarding French companies actively working on biosecurity. Any information that should be included on this site can be sent to webmaster@biosecuritycodes.org.
Research Institutes & Non-Profits
Institutes and organisations with a direct or indirect role in biosecurity and scientific oversight are included here. Some groups listed here may have only a marginal interest or role in biosecurity. This is a “living” document and comments about the content or any potential omissions are welcome. Please contact webmaster@biosecuritycodes.org.
Institut Pasteur
Comment: COMING SOON
Contact: + 33 (0)1 45 68 80 00
International Council for Science (ICSU)
Comment: ICSU is a global nongovernmental organization which, through cooperative efforts with its national and international scientific organization members, provides a forum for discussion of policy issues relating to international science, spearheads interdisciplinary research, advocates freedom in the conduct of science, assists in developing scientific standards, and facilitates numerous scientific events. The ICSU also attempts to strengthen international science by mobilizing its members to identify and address issues of major importance to international science, facilitate interdisciplinary cooperation in the international arena, promote universal participation in the sciences, and provide independent advice to promote dialogue amongst governmental, institutional, and private groups.
Contact: + 33 (0) 1 45 25 03 29
The World Medical Association (WMA)
Comment: WMA is an international organization dedicated to ensuring the independence of physicians, and working for the highest possible standards of ethical behavior and care by physicians, at all times. The WMA has produced the "WMA Declaration of Washington on Biological Weapons."
Contact: + 33 (0) 1 45 25 03 29
Events Top
This is a list of events relevant to biosecurity. This is a “living” document and comments about the content or any potential omissions are welcome. Please contact webmaster@biosecuritycodes.org.
2007
OECD releases "Best Practice Guidelines for Biological Resource Centres (BRCs)"
Date: March 27, 2007
Location: Paris, France
Participant(s): OECD Committee on Science and Technology Policy
Description: The OECD Best Practice Guidelines on Biosecurity for BRCs are designed to secure all types of biological materials (e.g. plant-, animal-, micro-organism- and human-derived) in proportion to the risk they present. The Guidelines on Biosecurity direct facilities within their purview to perform a risk assessment of the various biological materials they hold, assign a biosecurity risk level to each type of material and implement risk management practices to reduce the chance of their loss or theft.
2006
Managing Dual-use Biosecurity Concerns in the Bioindustry
Date: 13 April 2006
Location: Paris, France
Participant(s): Institut de Relations Internationales et Strategiques (IRIS) and guests
Description: IRIS is holding a debate series on nonproliferation and disarmament, this event will focus on dual-use concerns. For more info, contact: karbal@iris-france.org
2005
France increases bird flu defence
Date: 30 August, 2005
Location: Paris, France
Participant(s): The French Government
Description: France announced that it is increasing its defences against the H5N1 strain of bird flu which infected humans in Asia. They stated that there is a "moderate but real" risk of the virus being carried to Europe via migratory birds. France will increase border controls and begin stockpiling vaccine and protective masks to be used in the event of an outbreak.
Preventing Bioterrorism: The 1st Interpol Global Conference on Bioterrorism
Date: 01 - 02 March, 2005
Location: Lyon, France
Participant(s): Senior police officers including Chiefs of Police, Heads of NCB and those involved in counter-terrorism; relevant national and international governmental and non governmental agencies, academics and scientists.
Description: Interpol convened this conference to discuss and examine how to strengthen law enforcement preparedness and develop effective police training for bioterror events.
2004
5th Meeting of the Global Health Security Action Group
Date: December 2004
Location: Paris, France
Participant(s): Ministers/Secretaries/Commissioner of Health and senior health officials from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, Mexico, the European Union and the World Health Organization.
Description: This annual meeting is held to coordinate public health activities throughout the world.
2003
Pugwash Workshop on Science, Ethics and Society
Date: 27 - 29 June, 2003
Location: Paris, France
Participants: Pugwash and guests
Description: This workshop discussed the ethical responsibilities of scientists in the modern world.
Legislation Top
Below is a select list of laws in France. As biosecurity is a relatively new and rapidly developing field, many countries have yet to devise or implement laws specific to biosecurity. Since biosecurity has much in common with national security, biosafety, bioterrorism, biological weapons, import / export of dual-use materials, and biodiversity, some countries may develop biosecurity legislation by adapting existing laws within these other areas. Therefore, biosecurity legislation and other laws that could potentially be used as background for biosecurity legislation are included here.
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Law No. 1338 / 2004
- Date: 8 December, 2004
- Comment: This Law relates to inventions in biotechnology
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Law No. 206 / 2003
- Date: 12 March, 2003
- Comment: This law authorizes the approbation of the Carthagena protocol on biotechnological risks that followed from the biological diversity conference. The law attempts to ensure biodiversity by means of the regulation of the use etc. of genetically modified organisms.
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Ministerial Order published in the Official Journal of the French Republic JO/ 223
- Date: September 2001
- Comment: This order bans the fraudulent use or acquisition of dangerous pathogens by requiring government authorization for any acquisition, distribution and transport of certain agents which generate infectious diseases, pathogenic micro-organisms and toxins. A second Ministerial Order (also published JO/223) classifies those agents to be covered. Yearly reports of pathogen stocks are required by the French Agency for Sanity Safety and Health Products.
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Law N° 72 / 467
- Date: 1992
- Comment: This law implements the BWC into the French national legal system.
Biosecurity Code Examples Top
Below are codes of conduct for life scientists that have been proposed, are in use, or are under development in Belgium. If there are any other codes that should be included on this site, please contact webmaster@biosecuritycodes.org.
WMA Declaration of Washington on Biological Weapons
