Section III: Provisions relating to the investigation of claims for compensation.

I.-A national expert committee, chaired by the Minister for the Environment or his representative, issues an opinion on the eligibility of claims for compensation by the guarantee fund, with regard to the conditions mentioned in article L. 425-1.

It may also be consulted by the Minister for the Environment on draft regulations relating to the sewage sludge referred to in article R. 424-1. Annual national statistics concerning the production and spreading of sludge are communicated to it by the Minister for the Environment.

II.In addition to its chairman, this commission comprises :

1° The Minister for Agriculture or his/her representative;

2° The Minister for the Economy or his/her representative;

3° The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Caisse Centrale de Réassurance or his/her representative;

4° A mayor appointed on the recommendation of the Association of French Mayors;

5° A person nominated by the Syndicat professionnel du recyclage en agriculture;

6° A person nominated by the Fédération professionnelle des entreprises de l'eau;

7° A representative of all the branches of industry concerned by the fund, nominated by FENARIVE;

8° One person nominated by the Fédération française des sociétés d'assurances;

9° Two persons nominated by Chambres d'agriculture France;

10° One person nominated by the Fédération nationale de la propriété rurale or its representative;

11° One person nominated by the Centre national de la propriété forestière or its representative;

12° Five persons nominated for their administrative, technical or scientific skills.

III - The members of the Commission nationale d'expertise mentioned in 4° to 11° of II are appointed for a renewable term of five years by order of the Minister for the Environment. Their term of office ends if the member loses the capacity for which he or she was appointed. A new appointment is then made. An alternate is appointed in accordance with the same provisions for each full member.

The Minister in charge of the Environment appoints the personalities mentioned in 12°, taking into account the skills required to assess compensation claims.

Members of the commission who do not come from the administration are reimbursed by the fund for their travel expenses on the basis of the rates applicable to civil servants. The experts referred to in 12° of II are also entitled to expert fees, the amounts of which are defined by joint order of the ministers responsible for the environment and the economy.

The general secretariat of the commission is provided by the ministry responsible for the environment.