Seven-month countdown to first-ever Northern Basque Country governing body

70% of local councils support the creation of an all-Iparralde association of municipalities · Mayors opposed to the Basque administrative unit lodge appeal against the move

31.05.201610.45h

EPCI map as amended in March 2016. Author: Préfet des Pyrénées-Atlantiques

North Basque political representatives agreed to launch works to establish an association of municipalities of the Northern Basque Country, or Iparralde. This is set to be the first-ever all-Basque governing body that will exist in the history of the French Republic. The administrative unit is expected to enter into operation on 1 January 2017. Before, a decision must be made on an appeal lodged against the creation of the body.

The association of municipalities (intercommunalité) of the Northern Basque Country will merge 10 association of municipalities currently existing there. The body will take the form of an Intercommunal Cooperation Public Establishment (EPCI), a type of French administrative structure in which municipalities share some of their powers.

Thus, EPCI manage powers related to economic development, urban policy, waste management and water management. In addition, French law also allows EPCI to exercise additional responsibilities, among which issues related to culture, environment, language and cross-border cooperation.

The committee charged with driving the establishment of the new EPCI will have representatives of all current 10 associations of municipalities.

Large majority for Basque EPCI

Works to define the specific features of the Basque EPCI are set to begin once voting procedures in all 158 municipalities of the Northern Basque Country have finished. 111 municipal councils (70%) have voted for the Basque EPCI, and 47 against. For the EPCI to go ahead, it was required that an absolute majority of the councils (that is, 80 of them) voted for. Furthermore, municipalities voting for were required to have the absolute majority of the Northern Basque population. Both criteria have been met.

The creation of an all-Basque administrative unit was a historical demand of Basque nationalism.

Appeal against EPCI

Before the EPCI is put in place, the Ministry of the Interior will have to decide on an appeal filed by Basque mayors opposed the creation of the new governing body. The appeal asks minister Bernard Cazeneuve to cancel the decree by which the prefect of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Pierre-André Durand, defined in 2015 the boundaries of the Basque EPCI, making them coincide with those of Iparralde.