[2] The CAE commissions reports from its members, which are published and serve both as advice to the government and as contributions to the public debate.

[3] It is part of a network of research bodies and institutes coordinated by (and funded through) France Stratégie.

[4] The CAE has 15 members, typically recognized French economists and occasionally some from outside France, who are not remunerated for their membership.

The respective heads of the Direction générale du Trésor and of the Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques are members ex officio.

The successive executive chairs (French: président délégué) of the CAE have been: Other past and present CAE members include Yann Algan, Emmanuelle Auriol, Jean-Marie Chevalier, Xavier Jaravel [fr], Mathilde Lemoine, Jean-Hervé Lorenzi, Isabelle Méjean [fr], Jacques Mistral, Thomas Philippon, Xavier Ragot [fr], Hélène Rey, Stefanie Stantcheva, Jean Tirole, Laurence Tubiana, Natacha Valla, Reinhilde Veugelers, and Guntram Wolff.