République française
Territory:	543.965 km²
overseas:	672.352 km²
Inhabitants:	61.538.322)
Number of communities:	36.782 (incl. overseas)
Inhabitants per community:	1.673
Density of population:	113 Inhab./ km²
GDP per Inhabitant:	US$ 33.918 (2005)

«Etablissement public d'aménagement (EPA) carry out mediation processes to develop a global strategy of all communes and the state»

• Regionalisation, meaning more room for political decisions and
  responsibility for the 26 regions and 100 Départements
  
• Creating European metropolitan authorities, e.g. Réseau métropolitain
  Rhin-Rhône or Eurodistrict Strasbourg – Ortenau
  All together 17 European metropolitan authorities in France
  
• Expansion of the TGV network within France and connecting
  neighbouring countries to the TGV network, e.g. Belgium and
  Netherlands

Summary of the interviews
In understanding centralised French planning there exists on the regional planning level the responsiblity for physical planning as well as organisations who are familiar with the role of regional development.
These Etablissement public d'aménagement (EPA) have the job of creating a joint agreed strategy for a nationally related functioning territory.
Following a national ruling, the EPAs are deployed and financed for 10 years by the state. They are working out and implementing agreed strategies between national and local interests. Due to national legitimisation, local planning decisions can be made invalid (an exception is Alsace which continues to possess rights of autonomy). EPAs that manifest themselves in areas and their functions of national interest, and are mostly established around greater Paris.

Interview partner
Gaëlle Pinson
Etablissement public d'aménagement Orly Rungis Seine Amont