I. – The following communes are considered to be rural communes:
1° In metropolitan France:
– communes with a population of no more than 2,000;
– communes with a population of more than 2,000 and no more than 5,000, if they do not belong to an urban unit or if they belong to an urban unit with a population of no more than 5,000.
The reference urban unit is that defined by the Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques. The population taken into account is the total population authenticated at the end of the population census.
2° In the overseas departments:
– all communes that are not on the list defined in Annex VIII of this code.
II. – The prefect shall set the list of rural communes in the department by order.
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