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Ethics and Compliance Committee set up at the Institut Pasteur

Following the decision taken by the Board of Directors, an Ethics and Compliance Committee has been set up at the Institut Pasteur in Paris. The committee's composition ensures its complete independence. The first meeting of the committee took place on July 9. The role of the Institut Pasteur Ethics and Compliance Committee is to assist the Board of Directors and the President in preventing and managing situations of conflict of interest, as well as to address any other ethical issues that it may be asked to examine.

The remit of the new Institut Pasteur Ethics and Compliance Committee covers all issues related to ethics and compliance. The Chairman of the Board of Directors or the President refers the following matters to the committee for opinions and recommendations:

  • the management of any vested interests and the prevention of conflicts of interest in accordance with the Charter for the Prevention and Management of Conflicts of Interest adopted by the Board of Directors;  

  • the examination of individual Declarations of Interest completed by all those required to do so and the resolution of any complex situations involving conflicts of interest;

  • ensuring the Institut Pasteur's compliance with all laws, regulations and codes of conduct entered into, especially anti-corruption measures and the procedure for receiving alerts from whistleblowers.  

The composition of the committee was approved at the meeting of the Board of Directors on April 27, 2018. The Ethics and Compliance Committee is composed of three external members specializing in ethics and compliance, one of whom is chosen as chairman of the committee; one or two current or retired scientist(s) from the Institut Pasteur; and a member of the Board of Directors.

The committee is chaired by Luc Derepas, a member of the French Council of State, and has five other members:

  • Susan Liautaud, Independent Director (Susan Liautaud & Associates Limited), appointed to the committee in her capacity as a member of the Institut Pasteur Board of Directors;

  • Jean Debeaupuis, General Inspector for Social Affairs (appointed to the committee as an external member with expertise in the field of ethics);

  • Professor Denis Duboule, Collège de France (external member);

  • Professor François Rougeon, visiting researcher, appointed in his capacity as a scientist at the Institut Pasteur;

  • Catherine Rougeot, visiting researcher, appointed in her capacity as a scientist at the Institut Pasteur.

At its first meeting on July 9, during which the members introduced themselves, the committee decided on its operating methods, which will be laid down in Rules of Procedure, as well as its provisional program of work, which will be based on the matters referred to it. It also began to examine three major issues:

  • Presentation of the Charter for the Prevention and Management of Conflicts of Interest, adopted by the Board of Directors at its session of March 5, 2018;

  • Rules governing the involvement of Institut Pasteur scientists in the creation of start-ups (with a view to drawing up an opinion at a subsequent session);

  • The proposed revision of the sections of the Institut Pasteur's Ethics Charter that fall within the committee's remit.

The committee will meet on a regular basis and as often as needed.

The purpose of the Institut Pasteur Ethics and Compliance Committee is to assist the Board of Directors and the President and to ensure compliance with the ethical requirements and principles laid down in the Charter for the Prevention and Management of Conflicts of Interest that apply to anyone working at or on behalf of the Institut Pasteur.

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