intercommune

intercommune refers to a form of local government cooperation in France in which two or more communes voluntarily join together to manage shared services and develop joint projects. The concept, formalised by the 1992 Code Général des Collectivités Territoriales, allows communes to pool resources while preserving their individual identities. Intercommunalities can be structured as communautés de communes, communautés d’agglomération, communautés urbaines, or métropoles, each with different population thresholds and scopes of powers.

These entities are governed by a council composed of representatives from each member commune, whose number is proportionate to the commune’s population. They are responsible for a range of competences such as waste collection, public transportation, economic development, spatial planning, and environmental protection. By delegating these tasks to an intercommunal structure, communes can benefit from economies of scale, improved service delivery, and stronger bargaining power in negotiations with higher levels of government.

Intercommunal cooperation is considered a key instrument for addressing challenges of urbanisation and rural decline. Its legal framework ensures democratic accountability through elected representatives and financial autonomy via a common budget financed by a mix of member contributions and local taxation. The model has been adopted widely across France and serves as an example of decentralized governance aimed at enhancing regional cohesion and efficiency.