1. Before the opening of the survey

For ICPE inquiries, the investigating commissioner is appointed by order of the president of the Administrative Court (TA) to which the project's département is attached.

The CE is chosen from a list of suitable candidates updated annually by prefectoral decree in the same département.

The prospective investigating commissioner may accept or refuse the proposal to conduct the inquiry. (See Frequently Asked Questions to understand the reasons why a CE may not accept an inquiry).

Prior to opening the inquiry, the CE's work is threefold: