State grants to communities: what territorial distribution and by public policy of the exceptional DETR and DSIL?

This study unpublished is the result of a work of compilation and processing of data provided by the ANCT and the prefectures, leading to an exhaustive mapping of the distribution of these allocations by inter-municipality, but also by type of subsidized public policies.

1,5 billion euros are allocated on average to the territories, each year, via the DSIL and the DETR, to which the recovery plan has made it possible to add 570 million euros, through a so-called "exceptional" DSIL.

In 2020, the exceptional DSIL provided financial assistance to 68% of inter-municipal territories, but for amounts often lower than those allocated through the DSIL. These results are therefore consistent with the objective assigned to this contribution: to support a large number of territories, for mature projects. As this system falls within the framework of France relaunch, the most subsidized public policies also vary compared to those traditionally supported by the DSIL, particularly in the environmental field.

The study of Intercommunalités de France shows the slight difference in the public policies supported between the traditional DSIL and the DETR. About a third of these grants support road and public development projects. However, the DSIL should above all be used to finance the most structuring and strategic projects.

From a geographical point of view, this work confirms the corrective effect of the DETR for rural territories, particularly along the “diagonal of the void”.

With regard to the DSIL, certain areas of the territory are better covered than others.

The “3DS” bill provides for revising the conditions for granting the DSIL, by giving a more important role to the departmental prefects, whereas until now it has been allocated by the regional prefects. Intercommunalités de France fears that such a development will lead even more to bringing the DSIL closer to the DETR.