THE BANKRUPTCY OF THE FRENCH UFO RESEARCH BODY, G.E.P.A.N.

This article, written by Dr. Jean F. Gilles and published in the Flying Saucer Review (FSR) on September 19, 1981, provides a critical assessment of the French government's UFO research body, G.E.P.A.N. (The Group for the Study of Unidentified Aerospace Phenomena). Dr. Gilles recounts his attendance at a September 1978 meeting at the C.N.E.S. headquarters in Toulouse, where he observed what he describes as a 'pitiful' display of bureaucratic arrogance. He argues that the organization was not a genuine scientific body but a government-controlled front intended to manage public frustration and debunk UFO reports. The author highlights the reliance on the French Gendarmerie for data, noting that the chain of command often filtered out the most significant cases before they reached G.E.P.A.N. researchers. Dr. Gilles criticizes the staff for their lack of prior experience in ufology and their dismissive attitude toward civilian researchers. The article further discusses the resignation of Dr. Claude Poher, the organization's leader, and the subsequent appointment of Alain Esterle. It references the eventual closure of the research center as reported by the London Sunday Times, noting that the French government, influenced by the military and security services, maintained a policy of silence. The document also includes editorial comments regarding historical French UFO cases, such as the 1954 Quarouble incident involving Marius Dewilde, and reviews of contemporary ufological literature, including works by Mark Moravec and Quentin Fogarty. Throughout the text, the author maintains a stance that G.E.P.A.N. served as a 'buffer' between the public and the government, designed to stifle rather than advance the study of unidentified aerial phenomena.