Library - Environmental action in France: community involvement
The four-tier system
France has four tiers of government. This comprises the state-level administration and three levels of local government: 26 Régions, 100 Départements and more than 36,000 Communes (municipalities). The Région of Brittany comprises three Départements: Finistere, Morbihan and Côtes d'Armor.
The country's centralised approach stems from the 1789 Revolution when the new government of France decreed that all parts of France were equal and should be treated equally. While this approach suited the times and was an antidote to the feudal policies that went before it, it could make it difficult for administrative bodies to react to local conditions.
New laws passed in 1982 gave local authorities greater autonomy in decision-making by sharing administrative and budgetary tasks between central and local authorities. Each level has a dual function: to represent the State locally and to represent the interests of the local community. The relationship between the State and the decentralised authorities is complex and varies from one local area to another. While the structures are now in place for greater local autonomy, the State still exerts its control.
Pays to fit local needs
In addition to the four tiers of government there are a number of other administrative bodies such as Communities of Municipalities, Pays and National Parks. Pays are neither local authorities nor tiers of government, but bodies established across existing territorial boundaries to find the best fit to local needs. They coordinate community, State and European initiatives which favour local development. There are 21 Pays in Brittany including Pays de Centre Ouest Bretagne, which overlaps the three départments. It supports a number of schemes including LEADER+.
Environmental protection is shared between the different levels of government. State regulations and policies are applied through a range of agencies, for example, the Direction Régionale de l'Agriculture et de la Fôret (DRAF) is responsible for agricultural and forestry issues at a Région level while DRAF is responsible at a Département level. Départements can purchase land to preserve sensitive natural areas. Communes can influence local planning decisions and entrust the management of their own land to environmental associations.
Local associations for local issues
France has a tradition of local associations which address local issues. Brittany has one of the highest concentrations of associations in France e.g. Carhaix Plougiers, with a population of 8,000, has around 170 associations tackling everything from the environment to sport. In practice, work on the ground is carried out by environmental associations through a system of nature contracts. At a Regional level, Brittany has signed nature contracts with around 100 communes and associations. For example, AMV (Association de Mise en Valeur de Lan Bern et de Magoar) benefits from a Contrat Nature to manage 35ha for 2 years. This contract was signed by the Région Bretagne, Département Côtes d'Armor and the association.