CEMR French section (AFCCRE)
Director General: Christophe CHAILLOU
Association Française pour le CCRE
30 rue Alsace Lorraine - F  - 45000 ORLEANS
Tel.: 33-2-3877 8383 / Fax: 33-2-3877 2103
E-mail: http://www.afccre.org
Web: http://www.afccre.org

 

 

 

 

 

The municipal council (conseil municipal) is composed of councillors elected by direct universal suffrage for a six-year term. The Mayor heads this deliberative assembly.

 

The Mayor and his/her deputies (maire) represent the executive power of the municipality. The mayor is elected by and within the council. (S)he is in charge of the municipal administration.

 

Traditional competences

- Registry office
- Electoral functions
- Social policy
- Education
- Maintenance of the municipal roads
- Land development and planning
- Public order

 

Devolved competences

- Urban planning
- Education
- Economic development
- Housing
- Social affairs
- Culture

 

Municipalities may create inter-communal structures. These have limited competences but can exercise certain responsibilities allocated to the regional and general Councils for these communities.

 

Paris is both a department and a municipality.
 

 

The general council (conseil général) is the deliberative body of the department. The council is composed of members elected by direct universal suffrage for a six-year term and half of it is renewed every three years. The council appoints the president among its members. The general council is composed of specialised committees.

 

The president of the council (président du conseil général) is the executive arm of the department. (S)he is elected by the council for three years and is assisted by a permanent committee within which vice-presidents are elected.

 

- Social and health action
- Urban planning and equipment
- Education, culture
- Economic development
- Environment

 

 

The chief administrator of the department (préfet) is the representative of the Prime minister and of other ministers in the department. The chief administrator is in charge of the police and public order, and monitors the legality of the local authorities' acts.

 

Since 2004, the general councils have acquired new competences. They may, as an experiment, manage European structural funds.

 

The regional council (conseil regional) (assemblée territoriale in Corsica) is the deliberative body of the regions. The council is composed of councillors elected by direct universal suffrage for a six-year term. The council appoints the president of the region.

 

The permanent committee (commission permanente) is a deliberative board that may assist the council in the execution of some of its competences. It is composed of the vice-presidents of the region.
 
The president (président) is elected by the regional council for a six-year term. (S)he has executive power in the region and is the head of the regional administration. The president's functions are similar to those of the president of the department.

 

- Economic development
- Land development
- Transport
- Education, job training programmes and culture
- Secondary schools construction and maintenance
- Health

 

 

Since 2004, the regional councils have acquired new competences. They may, as an experiment, manage European structural funds.

 

The Préfet de région is responsible for the services devolved to the regions by the national state. Other competences include relaying the government's policy on big public projects, monitoring the legality of the region's acts and the respect of budgetary rules, preparing policies for the economic, social and land development of the region.

 

Corsica has a specific status and specific institutions (Corsican Assembly, Executive Council).

 

- Overseas departments and regions
- Overseas collectivities
- New Caledonia and the Terres australes et antartiques françaises.