English

The French transport infrastructure financing agency (AFIT France)

Mission and powers

AFIT France is a national public body whose mission is to contribute on behalf of the State to the financing of major transport and mobility infrastructure projects, while complying with sustainable development objectives and in accordance with Government guidelines.
The agency is responsible for both national and international projects, those featuring in State-region planning contracts (CPER) and local projects in response to calls for projects by the Ministry of the Ecological Transition.
The sectors covered by its interventions are: rail transport, road infrastructure, collective transport, navigable waterways, maritime ports, coastal protection, continuous cycling and pedestrian routes.

The Executive Board

AFIT France is a public administrative body under the authority of the Ministry of Transport. It is governed by an Executive Board (Conseil d’Administration - CA) comprising national and local elected representatives on the one hand and State officials representing the Ministries of the Economy and of the Ecological Transition on the other hand. The CA meets at least twice a year to vote on the budget, decide on financial assistance, authorise loans and conclude agreements and contracts. 

Resources and intervention procedures

AFIT France is endowed with its own resources close to €4 billion a year.  Its revenues are primarily derived from road transport taxes and charges and are earmarked for financing all forms of transport, except for the aviation sector.
More specifically, AFIT France’s normal revenues comprise:

• a share of the revenue from the domestic tax on the consumption of energy products (TICPE): between €1.2 and close to €2 bn (out of total receipts of around €40 bn p.a.) ;

• payments from motorway concession companies of around €1 billion p.a., namely: the State fee levied on control of the motorways for which the concession has been awarded, a share of the land-use planning tax (TAT), and an ad hoc voluntary contribution ;

• a share of revenues from fines - automatic radar devices (between €160 and 300 m/year). 

Furthermore, the Agency receives the appropriate budget allocations as part of implementation of the “transport” component (€3.06 bn) of the Recovery plan.

Finally, the Finance Act for 2020 provided for a contribution by the aviation sector up to €460 million in a full year. The contribution was collected for the first time in 2022 (138 M€).

The Agency finances infrastructure projects conducted either on a public project contracting basis, or by means of concessions, or as public-private partnership contracts. It employs 3 types of intervention: investment subsidies, reimbursable advances, and support funds.

Budget envelopes and financed projects

Between 2005, when it was created, and 2022, the Agency has committed a total of €54.1 bn in financing. With more than 65% of its financing relating to non-road modes of transport, the Agency’s activities have prioritised modal switching.

The Agency is also contributing €5 m p.a. to financing the protection of coastlines against erosion.

News  

AFIT France is fully committed to injecting funds into the development and ecological transition of transport and mobility infrastructure through its involvement in implementing two major public policies:

• The programming of the Framework Act on Mobility (LOM) of 24 December 2019.

• The Transport component of the “France Relance” recovery plan launched in 2020, with a budget allocation of €3.87 bn.

• In 2020, AFIT France signed an objectives and performance contract (COP) with the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Recovery and the Ministry of the Ecological Transition to develop a roadmap, become more efficient in discharging its missions, and ensure its financial viability.

In the context of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union (PFUE) in February 2022, AFIT France brought together several of its counterparts from the European Union in a symposium to create synergies around various topics, in particular financing the decarbonisation of the transport and mobility sector. 
 

Moreover, for the first time in its history, AFIT France is publishing an English version of its Activity Report. This publication reflects the Agency's European vocation, and its desire to contribute to the European public debate on transport infrastructure investment.