CHAPTER II: Organisation and operation

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L1232-1L1232-2

Article L1232-1

French General Code of Local AuthoritiesIn force
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Updated 8 Nov 2023

I.-The Board of Directors of the Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires shall, through its deliberations, regulate the affairs of the establishment.


II -The Board of Directors includes, with voting rights, representatives of the State and the Caisse des dépôts et consignations, representing at least half of its members, two deputies, two senators, as well as representatives of the local authorities and their groupings and the agency's staff. Decisions are taken by a majority of the members present. In the event that a resolution does not receive a majority of the votes cast by the representatives of the local and regional authorities and their groupings, the Chairman of the Board of Directors will place a new resolution on the agenda of the next Board of Directors meeting, dealing with the same subject. Only one new discussion may be held on the same subject. Representatives of the Agence nationale pour la rénovation urbaine, the Agence nationale de l'habitat, the Agence de l'environnement et de la maîtrise de l'énergie and the Centre d'études et d'expertise sur les risques, l'environnement, la mobilité et l'aménagement, as well as qualified personalities, attend the Board of Directors in an advisory capacity. The Board of Directors must be composed in such a way as to encourage fair representation of the diversity of the territories of mainland France and the French overseas departments and territories.


It must be composed in such a way that the difference between the number of men and the number of women is no greater than one. Where an organisation is called upon to appoint more than one member to the Board, it shall make appointments in such a way that the difference between the number of men appointed and the number of women appointed is no greater than one.


The Board of Directors shall elect its own Chairman and Vice-Chairman. The Board of Directors elects its Chairman from among the members representing the local and regional authorities. In its rules of procedure, the Board sets out the procedures for preventing conflicts of interest.


The Agency is managed by a Director. The agency is headed by a director general appointed by decree.

Mariela Petrova

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Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

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Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

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Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

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