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Historical background of inter cities cooperation in France

Pierre Calzat

Inter-Municipal Cooperation

France : a centralized Country


Due to the History:

If before the Revolution, France seems as said Law or Tocqueville, a Country with a big diversity, first of all in each Province the King nominated his own representative, the Intendant, second with Louis XIV and Colbert : a specific role for the State is developed.

With the Revolution and during the 19th Century: reinforcement of a centralized, standardized administration through all the territory, nomination of representatives of the State in each department - Napoleon -: the Prefets real chiefs of the State administration, with political missions.


But France is also a country with important local powers and self governments:


36800 municipalities, around 100 departments. From the 70’s creation of 22 regions, numerous inter communal structures of cooperation.

The 20th century: a century of decentralization. Clementels regions 1917, project of Minister Guichard, reform of decentralization during the 80’s; reforms of 2000’s….

The Governments tried to rationalize, to simplify the general map of the structures, to promote the inter municipalities cooperation.


II

The main steps of the cooperation


The philosophy: develop federative systems instead to impose a cooperation by the Law

During the 50’s the “ syndicats intercommunaux”, the districts: more focused on specialized cooperation

During the 70’s and after: a development of cooperation; Law on fusion of municipalities 71; 1992 Law on the territorial administration of the Republic; 97; 2004; 2014 new types of cooperation between the municipalities, tentative of simplification …

36800 municipalities: 50% from 100 and 500 inhabitants

35 more of 100000 inhabitants

5 more of 300 000

Around 35300 municipalities representing 59 millions of inhabitants are aggregated in 2580 EPCI with own system of taxation.


“Syndicats” without direct resources

The Law defines the main types of inter-municipal structures of cooperation without direct taxation system, named in French “syndicats” with unique mission or with multiple missions:

organizations in charge of a specific domain – schools, wastes, water’s or electric’s alimentation … - .

This type of organization is well adapted for a limited field of cooperation.

The municipalities pay a financial contribution proportionally to the supply.


Public organizations with direct resources:

The main types of structures of cooperation with autonomous taxation systems defined by the law of 2010:

Communautés de communesCommunautés d’agglomérationsCommunautés urbainesMetropoles Syndicats d’agglomérations nouvelles.


III

Metropole and pôle metropolitain


Evolution in the Rhône department:

A transfer of competences from the department to the Metropole of Lyon, 58 municipalities.

1,6 billion Euros from: local taxes 32%, other local resources 20%, States donations 25%,


Creation of the “Pôle metropolitain”, with 4 great agglomerations - Lyon, Saint Etienne, Vienne, Portes d’Isère, 139 municipalities, about 2 millions of inhabitants, 2 billions Euros for the buget.


The Metropole, a new tool in order to assume an equilibrated development?

A coherent territory for the development and the organization of the public policies;sufficient resources;great economical potential;

A concurence with the Region;