History of the SEM

History of the Federation

 1895

Appearance in Alsace Moselle of local public enterprises according to German law, the Stadtwerke

 1926

In context with the post-war reconstruction and the scarceness of private concessionaires the Poincaré-Act and Decree admit, for the first time, that municipalities act as shareholders up to 40% of the capital of enterprises whose mission was the construction of social housing and / or the management of public services (mainly public transports).

 1946

The so-called Overseas Act (Loi sur l'Outre-Mer) privileges the Sem as a tool – for both, the central state and the local authorities – for the development of the non-metropolitan parts of France.

 1955

The central state wishes to get the local authorities involved in his ambitious territorial development programme. The Bloch Lainé Decree extends the opportunities already granted by the decrees of 1926 also to the Départements , to territorial development, and increases the maximum share that can be held by local authorities to 65% of the capital. In addition to the Construction-Sem the number of which had considerably increased in context with post-war reconstruction, appearance of the Territorial Development or “Amenagement” Sem (namely in urban contexts), as well of Sem for the construction of highways, and of the so-called regional development companies (compagnies d'aménagement regional). Public control remains predominant: it is compulsory for all management levels, and any official document regulating the business operations of the 350 Sem (sta-tutes, conventions with the local authorities) are published in form of decrees of the State Council (Conseil d'Etat).

 1956

Foundation in Paris , on the initiative of the National Union of Reconstruction Cooperatives and some local politicians, of the National Federation of Building Societies (Fédération nationale des sociétés de construction). Its objective is to enable the structures specialized in reconstruction (“war damages”) and which are mainly Sem, to get actively involved in the entire housing market.

 1957

General Assembly in Paris, the Fédération extends its statutes also to the Territorial Development Sem (Sem d'aménagement).

 1961

First national Sem-Congress

 1964

Succeeding two elected politicians, the Prefect PAIRA becomes President of the Federation thanks to an agreement between the major networks of the Sem founded recently (CDC / Paribas / ICP).

 1977

Strasburg-Congress, the elected local politicians request to be better represented in the managing bodies of the Federation

 1978

General Assembly in Paris , adoption of the new statutes under the name Fédération nationale des Sem (FNSEM). The elected politicians obtain – at equal terms with the other 4 main political “families” (PC, PS, UDF, RPR) 2/3 of the chairs of the Board of Management et the Presidency of the Federation.

 1979

The economic crisis and the disengagement of the State hurt the Sem enormously, especially in the Paris-region Ile de France . A reform project of the government would considerably reduce the possibility of using a Sem, except for housing.

At the same time, the municipal authorities, renewed remarkably after the 1977 elections, consider the 650 still active Sem as one of the rare instruments enabling them to implement their programmes.

 1980

Avignon-Congress, adoption of the Sem Charter of the calling for the more modern and flexible Sem-Statutes

 1983

In context with the Decentralisation Acts: unanimous vote of the Sem-Act that puts them on equal terms with stock corporation law. Their field of activities is extended to competencies of local authorities – which have to hold the majority of the shares of a Sem in future – up to 80% now. Upstream control, survey and typical documents are substituted by the downstream survey through the prefect and the Regional Audit Court (Chambre régionale des comptes) and by the general auditing procedures in force for stock companies.
Boom of service providing Sem.

 1989

The cape of 1000 Sem is overcome, there will be 1400 in 1992

 1990

1 st Conference of the Overseas-Sem at La Réunion , launch of an activity dedicated to the overseas-Sem

 1992

Foundation of the first regional association of Sem in Haute-Normandie, followed by 21 other regional associations Arsem over the next 10 years.

 1995

Lyon-Congress, adoption of the Code of Conduct

 1996

The Sapin-Act extends the public tendering procedure to the Sem in connection with the delegation of public services.

 1998

1 st European Conference of local public enterprises (EPL) in Brussels

 2002

On the initiative of all parliamentary groups and the Fédération , a new law regarding the Sem clarifies their financial relationship with local authorities, secures the position of the local elected politician as member of the Sem Board of Management of the Sem and increases the maximum capital share of local authorities to 85%.

 2003

The Fédération des Sem is certified acc. to ISO 9001 version 2000

 2004

General Assembly in Bordeaux , chairs are allocated also in the FNSEM Board of Management to Sem Managing Directors.

 2005

The National Act 2005-809 extends the rules of competition also to the Territorial Development Sem (Sem d'aménagement).

 2006

The Sem celebrate the 80 years of their founding act « décrets-lois Poincaré »and welcome the new  possibility for local authorities to create 100 % publicly owned companies called « SPLA »

 2008

The Sem Federation becomes the Federation of local public enterprises and adopts a new label « Serving the public »