“Only ethics can save CI profession in France and elsewhere in the world.”

Guy Gweth wrote a very interesting posting I just discovered citing some recent scandals in France where ethical and legal boundaries have been crossed. Now the French government plans to “asepticize the sector” by some certain measures, as Guy reports:

1- Obligatory licence for all the CI professionals

The primary goal of the administration is to make the sorting among all the cabinets of competitive or economic intelligence in France. After that, the State will deliver a licence to those (Europeans only) whose investigation by the secret services reveals CI competences and a good morality. We’re still waiting to know if non-Europeans CI professionals will be authorized to work in France.

2-  An interval to pass from a public intelligence service to a private CI company

On October 19, 2008, the French minister of home affairs, Michele Alliot-Marie (MAM), expressed her will to impose a three-years duration before a former member of a State intelligence service can carry on an activity in a private competitive intelligence agency. “Those professionals will be engaged for their competences and not for their address books”, she said.

3- A law to surround the profession

A project of regulation will be presented in the Council of Ministers at the latest at the end of December 2008. It could lead to the vote of a law in 2009…

I am really curious what that means for international research projects throughout Europe.