Hearing of the president of the Paris City Council Ethics Committee

On Wednesday, October 19, 2016 the Board members of the High Authority received Mr. Yves Charpenel, President of the Paris City Council Ethics Committee.

The Ethics Committee was created on October 2014 following the adoption of the Code of Ethics for the Paris councillors, and is composed, besides the President, of Pascal Beauvais, Professor of Private Law and Criminal Sciences at the University Paris Ouest Nanterre, Jean-Pierre Bayle, President of the Chamber at the Court of Auditors, Roselyne Bachelot, former French minister and Suzanne Von Coester, spokesperson at the French State Council (Conseil d’Etat). The city of Paris was the first local authority to request the expertise of the High Authority for its Code of Ethics.

This Committee is in charge of collecting interest and asset declarations of the Paris councillors, to make recommendations on conflict of interest and to decide on the situation of elected representatives residing in public housing. The Commission is also responsible for responding to referrals concerning the situation of councillors, and requests  from the Mayor of Paris, the chairmen of political groups or committees of the Council of Paris as well as the requests of the elected representatives.

As suggested in the first report of the Commission, the discussions between the Board members of High Authority and Mr. Charpenel were focused on the activities of each institution and the potential for their collaboration around topics of professional secrecy, which both are subjected to. The talks have helped identify common jurisprudential lines between the two institutions in charge of advisory mission with regard to elected officials to help them effectively prevent any risk of conflict of interest.