Comitology

Here you will find a list of the various types of committees within Santé publique France, along with their missions and roles.

As part of its mandate, Santé publique France establishes bodies or committees composed of experts (and individuals from outside the Agency) to ensure the implementation of its work program.

Each member of these committees must complete a public declaration of interests and adhere to Santé publique France’s ethical principles. As part of the system for managing and preventing conflicts of interest established by Santé publique France, any potential conflicts of interest among committee members were reviewed before and during the committees’ work, and the necessary management measures were implemented. Declarations of interest are published on the website: https://dpi.sante.gouv.fr/

The different types of committees

  • Expert committees provide expertise as defined by the Charter of Health Expertise to produce an opinion, a recommendation, or an interpretation (data analysis) that will impact public policies (e.g., plans, regulatory measures, prevention programs, etc.) or public health interventions (e.g., best practice measures, management measures, etc.). Santé publique France has developed internal rules for expert committees, in accordance with the principles of the Charter of Health Expertise and applicable ethical principles. The internal rules for expert committees are available in French and English and will take effect in 2025.

  • Project/program-specific scientific advisory boards to ensure the scientific consistency, relevance, and quality of the work carried out within the project/survey/study/program.

  • Committees for evaluating calls for proposals, evaluating projects, and evaluating scientific articles.

  • Project/program-specific steering committees to validate or formulate proposals regarding the definition of the scope/overall strategy, objectives, and expected deliverables; the selection of implementation conditions; and to monitor implementation and ensure the alignment of objectives with expectations for public policy decision-making.

  • Thematic support committees to assist a Santé publique France project team in defining protocols or methodological frameworks, discussing study results, reviewing texts, testing/validating tools, assessing the feasibility of establishing a surveillance system, determining practical procedures applicable by a network of stakeholders or partners, and facilitating/contributing to their operational implementation.

  • Interface committees to share practices and experiences and gather the perspectives of representatives of individuals (professionals, stakeholders, other citizens) affected by the agency’s studies or programs and their results, as well as by its activities, campaigns, sites, guidelines, brochures, and intervention projects.

"Join our committees through open calls for applications"—and what are the goals?

  • to share your knowledge, exchange ideas within a highly skilled committee, and develop your skills,

  • to contribute to the Agency’s scientific work and to independent scientific expertise in public health for the protection and improvement of public health.

What do you need to know?

  • Travel and living expenses are reimbursed in accordance with the conditions applicable to civilian government employees. Compensation for loss of income for self-employed individuals and compensation for time spent attending meetings and performing work is based on the scale established by the Board of Directors of Santé publique France.

  • Only complete applications are considered in calls for applications. Candidates are selected based on the information provided in the application, the candidates’ alignment with the required skills, an analysis of conflicts of interest, and the necessary multidisciplinary and diverse composition of the group to address the full scope of the issue at hand.

  • Given the best practices for preventing conflicts of interest in effect at Santé publique France, the receipt of personal compensation from industry entities within the scope of the committee’s missions and participation in scientific or strategic advisory activities for those same entities constitute a conflict of interest that is incompatible with appointment to the committee.

  • Declarations of interest are reviewed by the Internal Ethics Committee of Santé publique France.

  • Members are appointed by decision of the General Directorate of Santé publique France; the declarations of interests of committee members are published on the DPI SANTE portal. The composition of the committees is published on the Agency’s website in accordance with the rules defined by Santé publique France.