The decentralized institutions and services available to the Ministry of Culture to carry out its work are of three types.
Regional Cultural Affairs Directorates (Drac) Since 1977, the Ministry’s activities have been relayed in each region by the Drac. The law of 6 February 1992 made the Drac decentralized services of the Ministry. They are responsible for implementing, under the authority of the prefect of the region and prefects of department, the cultural policy defined by the government. They provide advice and expertise to cultural partners and local and regional authorities in all areas of activity of the Ministry of Culture: heritage, museums, archives, books and public reading, music, dance, theatre and performances, scientific and technical culture, plastic arts, film and audiovisual.
Public institutions They may be public institutions of an administrative nature, such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France, or public institutions of an industrial and commercial nature, such as the Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine. In both cases, they are structures that have a certain administrative and financial autonomy, in relation to the central administration of the Ministry, to carry out a mission of general interest.
Services under national jurisdiction : these services are located halfway between central and decentralized administrations. Indeed, these are services whose remit is national – unlike decentralized services – and whose execution cannot be delegated to a territorial level. But they are also distinct from central services because their missions are “operational” and, for those placed under the authority of a minister, they enjoy a certain autonomy.
