France to centralize state communication in departmental prefectures

A new circular issued on August 25, 2026, mandates the creation of a single communication office within every prefecture in France. Under the authority of the prefect, these offices will serve as the departmental reference point for state communication and its operators, centralizing information that was previously dispersed across various decentralized services.

Each new office will operate with an annual budget of 40,000 euros and will consolidate personnel and credits previously distributed among different state services. While these offices will adapt national orientations to the local level under the supervision of the Regional Interministerial Communication Service (SRCI), local authorities—including municipalities, intercommunalities, departments, and regions—will retain full control over their own communications. Local elected officials will continue to interact directly with competent services regarding specific files.