With the Académie des Sciences in 2013-2014

With the Académie des Sciences in

2013 - 2014

In parallel, the

Comité de la Recherche Spatiale

is in charge of conveying

the French positions in the European framework of EASAC (the European

Academies Science Advisory Council). It has indeed contributed to the

European Space Exploration: Strategic Considerations of Human versus

Robotic Exploration report. This report was presented to the public at the

Embassy of Switzerland in Paris on 15 September 2014, with the support of

the Académie des Sciences.

Having the ears of the public authorities, the

Comité de la Recherche

Spatiale

of the Académie des Sciences forcefully stands a focal point for

reflection and proposals to reach the French and European policy arenas.

Energy prospects

The

Comité de Prospective en Energie (Standing Committee for Prospects in Energy Procurement)

has issued a detailed advice note

on shale gas, which was made public on 15 November 2013. It has been interviewed as an expert on this topic by the Assemblée

Nationale [French National Assembly] on 18 February 2014.

Moreover, the

Comité de Prospective en Energie

has:

• sent representatives on 28 April 2014 on an information visit to the

French electricity transmission system operator RTE (Réseau de Transport

d’Electricité);

• hosted, on 29 April 2014 in Paris, the 9

meeting of the

Energy Steering

Panel

of EASAC

(European Academies Science Advisory Council)

;

• Appointed a representative on 29 April to the Seminar of the French

National Alliance for Energy Research Coordination (Alliance Nationale de

Coordination de la Recherche pour l’Energie, Ancre);

• jointly organized on 26 June 2014 a meeting at the Embassy of Germany

in Paris, with experts from the Académie des Sciences, the Académie des

Technologies, Acatech

(Deutsche Akademie der Technikwissenschaften)

and

Leopoldina Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften

on the theme of

energy transition. This reflection continued on 5 and 6 March in Berlin;

• interviewed several personalities with an expertise in the field of energy.

As part of its ongoing reflection on networks, storage, energy efficiency and saving, and different plausible scenarios, the

Comité de

Prospective en Energie

has prepared an advice note on energy transition (

Avis sur la transition énergétique)

, adopted by the Academy

on 6 January 2015.

Science and metrology

The Académie, concerning world metrology, bears a responsibility inscribed in an international treaty, the Metre Convention (1875).

This treaty states that the President of the Académie des Sciences chairs the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM).

The 25

edition of this conference was held in Versailles from 18 to 20 November 2014: it gathered the delegates of the Member

State governments as well as observers from the associates of the CGPM, under the presidency of Philippe Taquet. The CGPM

adopted five resolutions addressing scientific and institutional issues

, including the future redefinition of the International

System of Units (SI) which had already been discussed at the 24

CPGM in 2011.