For its final meeting of 2024, the Ethics in Common Committee convened on 18 and 19 November in Bordeaux, where it was hosted by INRAE. The session was marked by two high points.

On the first day, the Committee visited INRAE's Pierroton site, where it interviewed researchers from INRAE and from the Unité régionale de formation à l'information scientifique et technique (URFIST) on the subject of the two current referrals. These discussions focused in particular on the conclusions of the symposium on the ethical challenges of participatory science organised in Bordeaux in November 2022 by the URFIST, the University of Bordeaux, INRAE and the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle.

Further discussions also covered the ethical issues involved in research into adapting to climate change through programmes on forestry systems (PEPR FORESTT) and amphihaline migratory fish. The first day ended with a visit to Château de Couhins, where the Committee members were welcomed by the President of the INRAE Bordeaux Nouvelle-Aquitaine centre, as well as the director and cellar master of the Couhins winery, for a tour and wine tasting, followed by dinner.

The following day, the Committee held a plenary session at the INRAE Grande Ferrade Centre to continue its work. It resumed its discussions on the draft opinion on participatory science and research with a view to a self-referral on the ethical issues related to research on and for adaptation to climate change, it defined the scope and methods of its work. It then approved the response to a collective correspondence from researchers affiliated to INRAE, CIRAD and IRD, questioning the Committee about the institutions' partnerships with Israeli organisations and companies in the context of the conflict in Gaza.

Finally, the Committee discussed the process for appointing new members, with five seats due to be filled in the first half of 2025.

_{Illustration: presentation of the FORESTT PEPR on 18/11/2024 during the visit by the Ethics in Common Committee. Photo credit: Claire LURIN - INRAE}