Intercommunality and natural risks. Legal aspects

Abstract

Intercommunality is a range of tools, which enables local authorities to pool their competence and their means. As such, it enables action needed for the prevention of natural risks (civil works and various programs) to be carried out jointly. Nevertheless, the relationship between prevention and intercommunality comes up against two limits. On the one hand, the intercommunal structures of the project, which might provide a pertinent view of prevention, are not necessarily those which give rise to a single-minded political will, which is essential for the effectiveness of the preventive action. Moreover, their scale sometimes prevents the taking into account of a problem to do with a risk, which is only common to certain local authorities. On the other hand, the necessary competence of the local authorities in matters to do with the prevention of risk; the power of deciding administrative policy can in no case be transferred to an intercommunal structure.