The relationships between the french power levels and their relation with the european union

• Author: Claudia Gilia
• Position: Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Political Sciences Department, University 'Valahia' of Târgoviste, Târgoviste, Romania
• Pages: 60-64

AGORA International Journal of Juridical Sciences, www.juridicalj ournal.univagora.ro

ISSN 1843-570X, E-ISSN 2067-7677

No. 2 (2012), pp. 60-64

60

THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE FRENCH POWER LEVELS

AND THEIR RELATION WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION

C. Gilia

Claudia Gilia

Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Political Sciences Department

University “Valahia” of Târgovite, Târgovite, Romania

*Correspondence: Claudia Gilia, University “Valahia” of Târgovite,

2 Carol Blvd., Târgovite, Romania

E-mail: claudiagilia@yahoo.fr

Abstract

France is one of the European countries with a complex administrative organization

due to its large number of territorial collectivities type. The aim of our study is to highlight

the way in which the French state is organized from the administrative-territorial point of

view, following the administrative reform which took place in 2010, the competences of

territorial collectivities, as well as the relations between them and the European Union.

Keywords: state, territorial collectivities, competences, the European Union.

Introduction

The analyze of constitutional and legal provisions concerning the way in which

France is administrative-territorially organized showed us a complex system, with a large

number of organization forms both in the Metropolis and overseas territories, which make

this country a unique example of administration among the European Union states. The

political, constitutional, administrative as well as economic evolutions determined the French

Constituent to reshape territorial collectivities, giving them a new shape in 2010.

French local and regional diversity

France is an unitary state, with a complex administrative-territorial organization.

According to the provisions of the Constitution, we clearly distinguish between: collectivities

located in the Metropolis, which include the Hexagon and Corsica. These collectivities are

regulated by Art. 72, Art. 72-1 and Art. 72-2 of Title XII of the Constitution; overseas

collectivities, regulated by Art. 72-3, Art. 72-4, Art. 74 and Art. 74-1 of Title XII of the

Constitution; New Caledonia, regulated by Title XIII of the Constitution.

According to Art. 72 of the Constitution, the territorial collectivities of the Republic

are the communes, departments, regions, sui generis collectivities and overseas collectivities

provided by Art. 74.

In France, there are a total of 26 regions in which: there are 22 regions in metropolitan

France, including Corsica, which enjoyed a special statute ever since 1982 and 4 regions

overseas (ROM). The regions correspond to administrative territorial units, which differ from

the ancient historical provinces. Since 1972, the region has been acknowledged as a legal

entity but not as a local collectivity, but as a public institution whose purpose was to bring a

contribution to economic and social development of the region. The region has a Regional

Council and an Economic and Social Committee. The Regional Council is entitled to make

decisions over the budget, while the Economic and Social Committee has a consultative role.

The Regional executive also comprises an Office, consisting of the president of the Regional

Council and several vice-presidents charged with specific competences in a certain area of