The Eurometropolis of Strasbourg

33 communes, a single territory

The Eurometropolis has 33 member communes:

Achenheim, Bischheim, Blaesheim, Breuschwickersheim, Eckbolsheim, Eckwersheim, Entzheim, Eschau, Fegersheim, Geispolsheim, Hangenbieten, Hoenheim, Holtzheim, Illkirch-Graffenstaden, Kolbsheim, Lampertheim, Lingolsheim, Lipsheim, Mittelhausbergen, Mundolsheim, Niederhausbergen, Oberhausbergen, Oberschaeffolsheim, Osthoffen, Ostwald, Plobsheim, Reichstett, Schiltigheim, Souffelweyersheim, Strasbourg, Vendenheim, La Wantzenau, Wolfisheim.

The political framework

As of 1st January 2015, the Urban Community of Strasbourg has become the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg, a legally recognized metropolis.

The Eurometropolis is a form of intercommunal cooperation based on financial solidarity and defence of joint interests. While maintaining the independence of the individual communes, the Eurometropolis offers a better management structure and opens up a broader range of developments in the areas which come under its responsibility.

The organisation of the urban community is based on that of the communes. It comprises:

• A legislative body: the Eurometropolis Council,
• An executive body: the Chairperson, assisted by his or her vice chairs.

Like the City, the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg has specific areas of responsibility and manages its own budget.

The Chairperson

The Chairperson is the executive body of the urban community. He or she is responsible for preparing and carrying out the decisions of the Community Council.

He or she has specific powers and represents the urban community in all acts of civil life. He or she is the Chief Executive of the community employees and, as such, is responsible for appointments, promotions and disciplinary measures.

He or she can delegate responsibilities in certain areas to his or her vice-chairs.

The chairperson of the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg is Pia IMBS, who took office on the 15 July 2020

Past chairpersons of the Urban Community of Strasbourg and the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg

• Pierre PFLIMLIN (1907-2000)
  Chairperson from 1 January 1968 to 27 May 1983
• Marcel RUDLOFF (1923-1996)
  Chairperson from 27 May 1983 to 19 May 1989
• Catherine TRAUTMANN (1951- )
  Chairperson from 19 May 1989 to 4 July 1997
• Roland RIES (1945- )
  Chairperson from 4 July 1997 to 7 January 2000
• Catherine TRAUTMANN (1951- )
  Chairperson from 7 January 2000 to 20 April 2001
• Robert GROSSMANN (1940- )
  Chairperson from 20 April 2001 to 28 April 2008
• Jacques BIGOT (1952- )
  Chairperson from 28 April 2008 to 11 April 2014
• Robert HERRMANN (1955- )
  Chairperson from 11 April 2014 to 31 December 2014

Chairpersons of the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg since its creation in 2015:

• Robert HERRMANN (1955- )
  Chairperson from 1st January 2015 to 15 July 2020
• Pia IMBS (1960-) since 15 July 2020

The Eurometropolis Council

The Eurometropolis Council is not elected by direct universal suffrage. It is made up of elected members of member communes, appointed by their respective municipal councils.

Logically therefore, they are appointed for a period of six years, following municipal elections. The Eurometropolis Council elects the Chairperson from among its members and the Vice-Chairs who make up the bureau.

The Council is made up of 100 members appointed by the communes: the Chairperson, 20 Vice-Chairs and 79 community councillors. The number of representatives of each communeis based on their respective populations.

In Strasbourg, the Eurometropolis Council meets 10 times a year, usually on Fridays. The meetings are held in public.

The agenda is set out by the Chairperson, and the individual items are discussed in closed sessions by either:

• The bureau, comprising the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairs, or
• The plenary commission, which comprises all the members.

These bodies can express their opinions, and put forward amendments concerning a point, before the item goes before the Eurometropolis Council.

Like the City Council, the Eurometropolis Council debates its decisions and the proceedings are posted on panels located at the entrance of the administrative centre. They are also listed in a "register of administrative acts of the Eurometropolis", which is published twice yearly and made available to the public.

The Eurometropolis of Strasbourg in figures

Some key figures (2013)

• Population: 489,767
• Surface area: 339.85 km²
• 43% of the total population of Bas-Rhin (25% of Alsace)
• Date of creation of the Eurometropolis : 1st January 2015
• Date of creation of the Urban Community of Strasbourg : 31st December 1966

A single administration

A unique feature of the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg is that the administrative services of the Community (the actual Eurometropolis) and the City have shared the same administration since 1972. Staff on the Eurometropolis payroll also perform administrative work for the City of Strasbourg, which in turn makes a payment each year to the Eurometropolis for the cost of these services. The system results in considerable cost savings along with a more efficient management system.

It is clear that the economic services of the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg carry more punch than those available to a small (or large) commune acting alone and this gives the Eurometropolis added leverage in its dealings with the State and helps it obtain additional funding and credits, for example for sensitive zones or job-drivers such as ZAC concerted development areas.

The working arrangement between communes is built on an ad hoc basis, according to needs, and is governed by a principle of equality between the communes. The decision-taking process involves several levels of consultation, which include informal meetings with the Mayors and technicians, committees, deliberations in closed sessions of the Council following public debate, etc.

Over the last few years, the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg has shown itself to be a pioneer in intercommunal cooperation. Its field of responsibilities is gradually extending to cover areas such as culture, tourism and sport through the provision of new facilities. The notion of action within a conurbation as a whole is progressively taking over from that of strictly communal framework, and this is set to be a driving force for major projects benefiting a population base of some 500,000 inhabitants.

Intercommunality

Solidarity-based cooperation

Although the 33 communes within the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg are all run independently as regards the daily life of their inhabitants and their specific cultural identity, intercommunality also plays a major role, bringing major benefits in a number of areas, including the road network and signposting, urban transport (including the tram), water supply and sanitation services, refuse collection and also town planning, housing and economic and international development. All the inhabitants of the Eurometropolis are beneficiaries of these jointly-run services which are based on the principle of solidarity.

Eurometropolis responsibilities

The Eurometropolis has a certain number of both mandatory and voluntary responsibilities over and above those of the member communes. It obtained several new powers after its evolution on the 1st January 2015.

It is also an important partner of the State in other areas which do not come under its direct legal responsibility.

Expertise in economic, social and cultural development

• industry and economic integration zones
• support to research and innovation higher education institutions
• promotion of tourism
• the Parc des Expositions, the Palais de la Musique et des Congrès, the Zenith concert hall
• media libraries of metropolitan interest and the network of libraries of member communes
• participation in developing audiovisual, cinema and multimedia activities
• swimming pools, the "Iceberg” ice rink, the Stade de la Meinau football stadium, the Rhenus hall and the Palais des Sports
• the organization of major sporting events

Expertise in the development of metropolitan areas

• City planning, Local Development Plan and land reserves
• telecommunications networks and digital developments
• roads and parking lots
• mobility

Expertise in local housing policy

• housing policy, social housing and emergency accommodation
• sites for travelers

Expertise in urban policy

• leading and coordinating the contractual arrangements for urban development
• local crime prevention systems

Expertise in collective public service management

• sanitation and water
• external undertaking services, funeral services
• the vehicle pound and the animal pound

Expertise in environmental protection and development and living conditions policy

• household waste management
• the energy transition and the territorial climate-energy plan
• gas and electricity concessions
• aquatic environment management and flood prevention
• the fight against air pollution and noise pollution
• the environmental education center