Publications

In order to ensure that the French National Assembly is better informed, since 2019, the Cour des comptes has presented its annual report on local public finances in two parts. Pamphlet 1, focusing on the financial position in 2019, was published in June 2020. Pamphlets 2 and 3, published jointly, f...

For 40 years, the policy towards disadvantaged urban districts has set out to close the gaps between “targeted poor neighbourhoods” and others, by improving the living environment for their residents. The central government is putting forward €10 billion a year towards this aim, which is being combi...

Against the backdrop of a health crisis with major and long-term implications on public finances, the Cour des comptes has analysed the advantages and limitations of budgetary framework law and the governance of public budgets in France. Ten years after the framework was first implemented, when asse...

Created in 2001, SOS Education describes itself as “a militant association […] endeavouring fully independently to ensure that schools teach each child the basic skills and to strive for excellence”. It states that it is “totally transparent concerning its funding” and “funded exclusively by the gen...

The Finance, General Economy and Budgetary Control committee, chaired by Mr. Éric Woerth (Les Républicains, Oise) examined, during its meeting on 28th October 2020, an investigation report requested from the Cour des comptes under Section 2 of Article 58 of the Constitutional Bylaw on Budget Acts, r...

Historically, policing has always been one of the most ancient powers of mayors, and Central Government has only gradually emerged as the guarantor of security for citizens. Organisation of public security authorities was introduced through legislation dated 6th April 1884, which shared policing pow...

The health crisis has led to an unprecedented widening in the social security deficit, resulting from a fall in revenue and an increase in expenditure in response to the emergency. The result has been a considerable increase in social debt. In order to safeguard the social security system over the l...

The Cour des comptes and the regional chambers of accounts of Occitania conducted a survey of 26 medium-sized cities in Occitania and their intermunicipal authority for cooperation between local authorities (EPCI). These regions, which are home to 1.8 million people, i.e. 31% of the region's populat...

In April 2019, the French national audit office, Cour des comptes announced that it would control troughout the whole rebuilding process, the fund-raising and use of donations made to the rebuildind of Notre Dame Cathedral, and would publish control reports on a regular basis. Among others, the firs...

The Directorate-General of Customs and Indirect Taxes (DGDDI) mobilises 17,000 officers, deployed on 674 installations. Facing changes in the Customs environment, it has displayed an ability to adapt, but remains confronted with a need for transformation and modernisation of its competences and its ...