Country Profile on decentralised development cooperation: the case of France
The country profiles offer a short informative overview of national models of (decentralised) development cooperation frameworks in selected EU Member States. The aim is to provide insights into specific mechanisms and modalities of analysed national frameworks and identify enabling factors as well as challenges related to practical implementation, focusing on the role and opportunities for local and regional governments and their associations.
The French framework for Decentralised Development Cooperation (DDC) is characterised by:
- A well-developed legal framework. French local and regional governments (LRGs) have a legally recognised competence to engage in international cooperation. Besides their general budget, they can also dedicate up to 1% of their sectoral budgets for water and sanitation, energy, waste and transport to international cooperation in these sectors (“1% schemes”). French LRGs contribute to France’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) and need to report on their international development activities.
- A specific delegation supporting LRGs’ international engagement. Within the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Delegation for Local Authorities and Civil Society (DCTCIV) supports LRGs’ international engagement in various ways, including financially through calls for proposals, by providing advice and facilitating connections with French embassies and major international events.
- An extensive DDC ecosystem. Networks and associations support LRGs’ international engagement. Among them are Cités Unies France (CUF), the French Association of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (AFCCRE) and the regional multi-stakeholder networks (RRMAs). They support LRGs through training, information, and coordination, and bring their feedback to national and international arenas.
This article is part of a series of 7 Country Profiles examining DDC frameworks across Europe. The sixth edition will focus on Sweden. Stay tuned!
Read the Country Profile of France, available in four languages:
You can find the rest of Mindcraft’s publications here.
CEMR encourages French authorities to keep investing in the networks and associations that support local and regional governments’ international engagement, to simplify administrative procedures, and to strengthen the European dimension of decentralised cooperation, so that LRGs of all sizes can fully contribute to a more resilient, inclusive and effective development agenda.
This publication is produced within the Bridging and Mapping Knowledge Gaps in Decentralised Cooperation (Mindcraft) project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
For more information, contact:
Research Analyst – Decentralised Cooperation
