UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS – BRATISLAVA

Regional Policy and Development of France
Essay
Of
Regional Economic and Policy
Ing. Štefan Rehák, PhD.

The Faculty of National Economy
Summer Term 2010
Tristan Perrot
Samuel Drouard
Gauthier Deleau
SUMMARY

I. Introduction 3 II. History of regional Policy in France 4 III. Nature of regional problems 6 A. Regional Disparities 6 B. Transport 6 C. Population 7 D. ECONOMICAL AND SOCIAL ASPECTS 9 IV. Government Policy to Reduce Disparities 12

I. Introduction

France is a country located in Western Europe. It has the largest territory from all the EU members. Some of its overseas islands and territory are located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans. France has been a major power for many centuries, with strong economic, military, educational and political influence. The politics it keeps leads to high standard of living; high public education level; one of the best healthcare systems in the world and also – one of the world’s high life-expectancies. It comes as not a big surprise that it possesses the fifth largest economy by nominal GDP and seventh largest economy by purchasing power parity.
France is divided into 26 administrative regions, 4 of those are overseas regions. These regions are further subdivided into 100 departments, which are divided by 341 arrondissements, which are in turn divided into 4 032 cantons. These cantons are then divided into 36 680 communes, which are municipalities with an elected municipal council. There also exist 2 588 intercommunal entities grouping 33 414 of the 36 680 communes (i.e. 91.1% of all the communes). Three communes - Paris, Lyon and Marseille are also subdivided into 45 municipal arrondissements.
The regions, departments and communes are all known as territorial collectivities, meaning they possess local assemblies as well as an executive. Arrondissements and cantons are merely administrative divisions.