I.-Without prejudice to the powers devolved to local and regional authorities and their groupings, and in coordination with these authorities and groupings, the National Agency for Territorial Cohesion is responsible for advising and supporting local and regional authorities and their groupings mentioned in article L. 5111-1 of this code in the design, definition and implementation of their projects, in particular to promote access to public services, access to healthcare in compliance with articles L. 1431-1 et L. 1431-2 of the public health code, housing, mobility, mobilisation for priority urban policy districts and urban districts in difficulty, revitalisation of town and village centres, particularly in terms of trade and craft, ecological transition, the fight against artificialisation of land, economic development and the development of digital uses. To this end, it facilitates access for project sponsors to the various forms of legal, financial and technical engineering, both public and private, that it identifies. It provides human and financial support to local authorities and their groupings. It promotes cooperation between local and regional authorities and the provision of skills by local and regional authorities and their groupings for the benefit of other local and regional authorities and groupings. It centralises, makes available and shares information on regional development and cohesion projects of which it is aware. It supports association networks within the framework of the competencies assigned to it.
The agency is responsible for monitoring and alerting in order to raise awareness and inform government departments and public and private operators of the territorial impact of their decisions in terms of territorial cohesion and equity.
The agency informs and guides, in cooperation with the local authorities, the public and private sectors and the social partners, the local and regional authorities and the private sector.
Where appropriate, the agency informs and guides project promoters in their applications to the relevant managing authorities for grants from the European Structural and Investment Funds.
The agency coordinates the use of the European Structural and Investment Funds to promote territorial cohesion.
The agency coordinates the use of European structural and investment funds and assists the minister responsible for regional planning in his task of defining, implementing and monitoring national and European policies for economic, social and territorial cohesion.
II.
II – The Agency ensures the implementation of State policy in terms of sustainable development and territorial cohesion by leading national programmes that are territorialised and by providing for the decentralised implementation of these programmes by means of territorial cohesion contracts. These contracts are linked to territorial projects drawn up by local authorities and their groupings. These contracts may include any other contract, provided for by the laws and regulations in force, relating to regional planning, urban policy, digital technology or any other area within the Agency’s remit.
III.
III – The Agency ensures that the specific characteristics of mountain areas are taken into account and contributes to their development, enhancement and protection. To this end, it will have at its disposal the Commissariats de Massif and the teams attached to them.
IV.
IV.The agency also has the task of promoting the development and restructuring of commercial and craft areas, as well as areas that include service areas on an ancillary basis, and all the premises therein, in the areas mentioned in the article 42 of law no. 95-115 of 4 February 1995 on regional planning and development and in article 1465 A of the General Tax Code, in areas selected under the national programme for the requalification of run-down old districts mentioned in the article 25 de la loi n° 2009-323 du 25 mars 2009 de mobilisation pour le logement et la lutte contre l’exclusion et dans les secteurs d’intervention définis dans le cadre des opérations de revitalisation de territoire mentionnées à l’article L. 303-2 of the French Construction and Housing Code.
To this end, with the agreement of the deliberative bodies of the municipalities or public establishments for inter-municipal cooperation or mixed syndicates concerned, the agency manages actions and operations aimed at creating, extending, transforming, converting, managing or operating commercial, craft and service premises and all the premises located on these premises, located in the areas, territories and sectors mentioned in the first paragraph of this IV. If necessary for the redevelopment of these areas, territories or sectors, it may also operate in the vicinity of these areas, territories or sectors.
The agency may carry out any act of disposal and administration necessary to achieve the mission defined in this IV, in particular:
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1° Acquire commercial or craft businesses in its capacity as delegatee of the right of pre-emption over commercial and craft businesses under the conditions set out in Chapter IV of Title I of Book II of the Town Planning Code or, where applicable, by expropriation, buildings or real property rights required for operations corresponding to its purpose;
3° To entrust the management of the commercial or craft businesses acquired to one or more managing tenants;
4° To manage and operate, directly or indirectly, the premises referred to in 1°;
5° To enter into transactions.
5° Concluding transactions;
V.-The agency’s mission is to drive, help design and support projects and initiatives undertaken by the State, local authorities and their groupings, business networks and associations in the digital field.
In this respect, the agency will
To this end, the agency:
will
1° Ensures the implementation of national territorial programmes aimed at providing coverage of the entire national territory by very high-speed mobile and fixed electronic communications networks;
2° Promotes access to digital tools for the entire population and the development of digital uses and services in the regions.
VI.
VI – Each year, the Agency submits an activity report to the Government and Parliament. This report will be made public.