Since the laws of decentralisation in the eighties, French local authorities at departmental and regional levels have reinforced their economical interventions. Their review, for the agricultural part, has been realised for years 1992 and 1995 and reveals that the agricultural local spending represent about 3 billions French francs, so less than 5% of National and European subsidies. There is a high correlation between local agricultural policies and farm working population, whereas National and European spending are related to the agricultural gross added value. The analysis of the economical mechanisms, on which these local policies have an impact shows a probable contribution of some of them on local employment maintenance or development.
