File n° 9 

I. – the make-up of the Economic and Social Council
and the working of its various bodies

The Economic and Social Council has 231 councillors, divided into 18 representation groups. These councillors are appointed in a variety of ways.

163 of them, i.e. the representatives of employees, of private companies, of liberal professions, of the mutual insurance companies, of cooperatives and of familial associations are appointed by the most representative professional organizations.

The 68 other councillors, i.e. the representatives of social and associative bodies, the representatives of the economic and social bodies of the public authorities of overseas territorial units, the representatives of French citizens living abroad as well as qualified personalities from the economic, social, scientific or cultural fields, are appointed by the Government.

Their term of office is five years.

In addition to the 231 councillors, there are 72 “section members” appointed by the Prime Minister for two years, one half of whom is renewed every year. They have an expertise role within their section.

The office of member of the Economic and Social Council is incompatible with that of M.P., M.E.P., member of the Government or member of the Constitutional Council.

The administrative working of the Economic and Social Council is carried out by the general secretariat (149 civil servants).

1. – The chairman

The Chairman is elected by secret ballot for two and a half years by all the members making up the Economic and Social Council. He is in charge, along with the Bureau, of the correct running of the Council both from an institutional and an administrative point of view. He appoints, upon a proposal of the Bureau, the sections who are in charge of drawing-up the reports, studies and draft advice notices. He has authority over the departments and is empowered to authorize expenditure.

2. – The bureau

The Bureau, which is made up of the Chairman, four deputy-chairmen, two questeurs, four secretaries and eight members is renewed after two and a half years of office.

It has three main tasks: it decides upon the auto-referrals of the Council, it suggests the relevant section to prepare draft advice notices or to carry out studies and it sets, if necessary, the time frame for the tabling of the report.

3. – The sections

The sections are working groups of the Council. Within them (and within the Special Commission for the Plan) councillors have discussions and draw up the draft advice notices which will be submitted to the plenary assembly, the reports and the studies.

The Council has nine sections, whose briefs are laid down by decree. They each have between 27 and 29 councillors who belong, as far as possible, to all the groups and 8 section members. In addition to this, the Special Commission for the Plan includes the Chairman or a permanent delegate of each section and a representation of each group.  

4. – Plenary assembly

The plenary assembly is convened the second and fourth Tuesday and Wednesday of each month by the Chairman. It examines one or two draft advice notices (rarely more than two). The general discussion and the tabling of amendments take place the first day (Tuesday) whilst the examination of the amendments and the final vote occur the second day (Wednesday).

II. – the role of the Economic and Social Council
 and its relations with the Parliament

1. – The role of the Economic and Social Council

Requests for advice or studies are referred to the Economic and Social Council by the Prime Minister on behalf of the Government. It may also make an auto-referral.

Bills on programmes or plans of an economic or social nature, with the exception of the Finance Bill, must be referred to it for opinion. It may also be consulted during the drawing-up phase of such texts beforehand.    

Bills, decrees and private members’ bills within its field of competence may also, optionally, be referred to it.

It may also be consulted on any problem of an economic or social interest for the Republic.

If the Government declares a question a matter of urgency, then the Economic and Social Council has one month to give its opinion.

2. – The relations of the Economic and Social Council with Parliament

Article 69 of the Constitution provides that one member of the Economic and Social Council may be appointed by the Council to present to the parliamentary assemblies, the opinion of the Council on such Government or members’ bills as have been submitted to it. The Chairman of the Economic and Social Council gives notice to the President of the assembly in question. Unless the Conference of Presidents of the assembly in question decides otherwise, the member of the Economic and Social Council takes the floor after the rapporteurs of the relevant committee of the National Assembly (or the Senate).

At the appointed hour of his hearing, he is led into the Chamber by the Chief Usher, upon the order of the President who immediately gives him the floor. Once he has finished his presentation, he is led out of the Chamber with the same ceremonial.

In addition, for its own information, each committee may request, through the offices of the President of the assembly in question, to have the rapporteur of the Economic and Social Council make a submission before it on the bills on which he was called to give his opinion.