Decentralization  in France

Decentralization is a system of organization of state administrative bodies, by which decision-making and management powers are delegated to directly elected local government bodies in order to ensure a better balance of powers across the nation. By bringing policy-making closer to citizens, decentralization fosters the emergence of local democracy.

Although France initially had a centralized administration, local government powers have been extended by legislation since the 19th century. The Act of 10 August 1871 introducing direct election by popular vote of departmental councils and the Act of 5 April 1884 on municipal organization were milestones in this regard. But it was not until 1982 that a genuine decentralization policy emerged, in three phases:

• Defferre laws devolving significant powers to local and regional bodies in 1982-83;

• Legislation expanding the first laws on decentralization  and incorporating decentralization into the territorial organization of the state;

• Constitutional reform passed in 2003 on the decentralized organization of the state.

The latter reform makes the role of local and regional bodies permanent by enshrining the principle that "the organization of the state is decentralized" in Article 1 of the

Constitution and by including the regions alongside the municipalities and overseas departments and territories in the administrative subdivisions of France referred to in the

Constitution.

The reform was expanded by four laws:

• Act 2003-705 of 1 August on local referendums: details the scope of local referendums and establishes the conditions for holding mandatory and optional referendums;

© Ministère des Affaires étrangères / French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2006

• Act 2003-704 of 1 August 2003 on experimentation by administrative subdivisions: sets

the conditions for experimentation;

• A ct 2004-758 of 1 August 2004 on revenue-sharing for the administrative subdivisions :

defines the revenues levied by the administrative subdivisions and sets a minimum share to

be retained by them;

• A ct of 13 August 2004 on local government powers and obligations: defines the new

powers devolved by the central government to local bodies.

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