The Riviera keeps its PAT

The department succeeded in saving its PAT, the 'Prime à l’Aménagement du Territoire' (Regional Development Premium). That allows the department to keep on being competitive in order to attract new companies facing other French regions which are often really helped. The DATAR struggled with Brussels in order to retain the principle of this PAT for the tertiary sector which would no longer have been applicable to the French Riviera ,because of modifications. That explains the anxiety of the regional development officials.

These Regional Development Premiums, given by the State for tertiary sector companies which are setting up, are significant ones. Although they only represented 9.930.000 francs in 1996, the recover has made them increase to 26.215.000 francs in 1999, which accounts for about 40.000 francs per job created. Even if it has been saved, this premium will nevertheless be applied in a more selective way and will only concern research and development centres.