arrêtées

Arrêté is a French administrative act issued by a competent authority such as a minister, a prefect, or a mayor. The term refers to a formal order or regulation that governs a specific matter within a defined territory and for a limited duration. The plural masculine form is arrêtés; the feminine plural arrêtées exists as the feminine form of the adjective or noun in other contexts (for example, when describing people who have been arrested, “les personnes arrêtées”). In the context of decrees, decrees are usually referred to with the masculine form arrêtés.

In legal terms, an arrêté is not a law. It is an administrative measure that must stay within the authority granted by higher norms and is enforceable only within its jurisdiction and scope. Arrêtés typically require publication or official notification in an appropriate publication (such as the Journal officiel or a regional/municipal bulletin) to have binding effect. They can regulate public order, safety, urban planning, public health, traffic, and other local matters. They are generally subject to judicial review and may be challenged before administrative courts; they can be revoked, amended, or annulled if found unlawful or if circumstances change.

Types commonly encountered include arrêtés ministériels (issued by a ministry), arrêtés préfectoraux (by a prefect), and arrêtés municipaux (by a city or town hall). They are distinguished from décrets, which are higher-level orders often issued by the executive at the national level, and from lois, which are statutes enacted by the Parliament. The instrument and its scope vary by country, but the basic concept of a formal, locally binding administrative order remains standard in many francophone jurisdictions.