Departmental Council of Haute-Savoie

The Departmental Council of Haute-Savoie has 34 seats. As of 2020, fifteen councillors are part of the Haute-Savoie Union group (miscellaneous right), fourteen are part of the Avenir Haute-Savoie group (The Republicans) and five are part of the Union du Centre group (The Centrists). Martial Saddier had been President of the Departmental Council since 2021.

Representation in Paris

Forests

As of 1996, 178,624 hectares (441,390 acres) of Haute-Savoie is forested (38.8 percent of the total land area), compared to 34.4 percent for the Rhone-Alpes region and 27.1 percent for France as a whole. Of the forested area 141,063 hectares (348,570 acres) (79 percent) is managed for timber and other forest products, with the remaining 37,561 hectares (92,820 acres) having no commercial value or used for outdoor recreation.^[6]: 12

Map of Haute-Savoie

National nature reserves are designated by the French government as areas where an outstanding natural heritage is present in both rare and typical areas in terms of species and geology. Management is charged to local organizations, with direction and evaluation focusing on long-term protection for future generations and environmental education.^[7] Of the 37,561 hectares (92,820 acres) of land not managed for timber, Haute-Savoie has nine national nature reserves totaling 24,542 hectares (60,640 acres).^[8]

• Aiguilles Rouges National Nature Reserve – 3,276 hectares (8,100 acres)
• Bout du Lac d'Annecy National Nature Reserve – 84 hectares (210 acres)
• Carlaveyron National Nature Reserve – 599 hectares (1,480 acres)
• Contamines-Montjoie National Nature Reserve – 5,500 hectares (14,000 acres)
• Delta de la Dranse National Nature Reserve – 539.7 hectares (1,334 acres)
• Passy National Nature Reserve – 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres)
• Roc de Chère National Nature Reserve – 68.24 hectares (168.6 acres)
• Sixt-Passy National Nature Reserve – 9,200 hectares (23,000 acres)
• Vallon de Bérard National Nature Reserve – 3,276 hectares (8,100 acres)

Lakes

Aerial view of Lake Annecy from the southeast

Haute-Savoie has significant freshwater resources. Lake Annecy is a major attraction, along with the town of Évian-les-Bains, perhaps the best-known town on the French shore of Lake Geneva, and known worldwide for its Evian mineral water. Haute-Savoie is entirely within the watershed of the Rhone.

Principal towns

The most populous commune is Annecy, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 7 communes with more than 15,000 inhabitants:^[3]

Education and research

The research sector in Haute-Savoie filed 201 patents in 2000. It is represented by:

• Laboratory for Particle Physics in Annecy-le-Vieux
• Technology Center Engineering Industries (CETIM)
• Research laboratories related to Polytech Savoie, ESIA and Savoy University
• Technical center for screw-machining industry (CTDEC) in Cluses
• The Thésame - mechatronics and management

Agriculture

In 2006 approximately 142,000 hectares (350,000 acres) of land was suitable for agriculture, of which 33,600 hectares (83,000 acres) (24 percent) was arable land suitable for market gardening, cultivation or pasture; 600 hectares (1,500 acres) was orchards; 300 hectares (740 acres) was vineyards, and 108,300 hectares (268,000 acres) was alpine tundra or grasses.^[11] There were 4,450 farmers in 1999, 4,800 farmers and over 1,700 full-time farm employees at the end of 2006. In 1999, crop production was valued at €71.5 million and animal production at €165.4 million.

Reblochon cheese

Dairy production is a large part of the Haute-Savoie economy, earning €117.2 million in 2006 and representing 74 percent of the net animal-product worth. Cattle earned €29.7 million.^[11]: 8 Cheese production (by variety) in 1999 (except as noted) was:

• Reblochon – 16,950 tons
• Tomme de Savoie – 5,500 tons
• Emmental – 3,000 tons (2006); 4,050 tons in 1999
• Raclette raw milk – 2,000 tons
• Abondance – 700 tons
• Tome des Bauges – 650 tons

Crafts

In late 2000 crafts occupied 15 percent of the workforce, or 28,443 employees and 1,922 apprentices. The 11,951 companies represented on the Répertoire des Métiers (Trade Index) were divided into:

• Food: 955 companies
• Construction: 4,924
• Production: 2,834
• Services: 3,238

Construction and public works

In late December 2000, building construction and public works included 13,867 employees in 4,838 companies as follows:

• Construction: 20 percent
• Decoration, electricity, plastering, painting: 70 percent
• Public works: 10 percent

Trade

In late December 2000, the trade sector accounted for 33,994 employees in 9,351 companies as follows:

• Tourism, culture and recreation: 23.7 percent
• Food and restaurants: 22.5 percent
• Hygiene and health: 15.2 percent
• Service: 14.3 percent
• Cars, motorcycles, bicycles: 13.1 percent
• Household equipment, home appliances: 11.2 percent

Retail

In late 2006, the département had 600 commercial establishments in over 300 square metres (3,200 sq ft) (for a total area of 705,419 square metres (7,593,070 sq ft)), including:

• 13 hypermarkets (78,105 square metres (840,720 sq ft))
• 92 supermarkets (112,844 square metres (1,214,640 sq ft))
• 24 maxidiscounts (17,600 square metres (189,000 sq ft))
• 6 department and variety stores (14,640 square metres (157,600 sq ft))
• 465 other stores (482,230 square metres (5,190,700 sq ft))

From 1998 to 2005, 65 new supermarkets were built for an area totaling 50,000 square metres (540,000 sq ft). The average expenditure per capita in 2006 was €21,706. With the 2004–2007 rise of the euro, Swiss customer traffic decreased five or six percent (Swiss shoppers make up half the shoppers in the Genève–Savoyard district). At the end of 2006, traditional small businesses (less than 300 square metres (3,200 sq ft)) represented 84 percent of businesses and 40 percent of retail space.

Companies

4,301 companies were established in 2004 in Haute-Savoie: nearly 80 percent in the service sector, with a high percentage offering service to individuals (hotels, restaurants, recreational, cultural, sports, personal and household services). This accounted for 21.6 percent of new businesses. The most active sectors were real estate (up 24 percent), construction (up 15.4 percent), business services (up 12.4 percent) and the food industry (up 10 percent).

In 1999, Haute-Savoie had 2,779 industrial companies producing 13.60 percent of all business income.

Services

In late December 2000, the service sector employed 75,768 people in 11,129 companies in:

• Hotels and restaurants – 26.5 percent
• Real estate activities – 24.6 percent
• Consulting and assistance – 14.0 percent
• Transportation – 6.1 percent
• Financial activities – 6.2 percent

Tourism

As of late December 2000, the tourism sector had a total of 635,000 beds divided as follows:

• 1,250 – Rural lodgings
• 803 – Hotels
• 453 – Guest rooms
• 191 – Campsites
• 70 – Bed-and-breakfasts
• 40 – Mountain huts

In 1999 there were 37.9 million overnight stays: 56 percent in winter and 44 percent during the rest of the year.

• 
  Yvoire and the Lake Léman
• 
  Arve Valley and the town of Cluses
• 
  Chateau de Ruphy in Duingt
• 
  Seyssel
• 
  Montriond Lake
• 
  Aiguille du Midi

Cross-border workers

Many people who live in Haute-Savoie (more than 52,200 in November 2006) work in Switzerland (in the cantons of Geneva, Vaud and Valais). The phenomenon has accelerated since bilateral agreements concluded between Switzerland and the European Union, of which a significant part concerned free movement of people. In 2007, commuting increased over 12%.

Effective June 1, 2007, residents of Haute-Savoie may freely work in Switzerland. The department and municipalities receive compensation ("frontier funds") allocated to municipalities in proportion to the number of border residents there. Following an agreement signed in Geneva in 1973, the Canton of Geneva transferred to Haute-Savoie 3.5 percent of total worker compensation, equivalent in December 2006 to €77.687 million.

Export

Exports are an important part of the economy; forty percent of Haute-Savoie employees work for exporting firms. Exports are primarily to Germany, the United States, Switzerland, Italy and the United Kingdom. Imports come mainly from Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the United States.

Taxation

Haute-Savoie has property and income taxes. In 2006, 312,823 households were subject to property taxes and 27,747 were exempt. The average income tax per household was €25,621 in 2007 (compared with the national average of €21,930).

Transport

Haute Savoie is served by the A41 and A43 highways. Annecy is accessible from Lyon, with an estimated travel time between two and three hours in normal traffic. Since it is closer to Geneva, the new highway connects the two cities in about an hour. Meythet Airport in Annecy has Air France Regional round-trip service to Paris Orly. Saint-Gervais is the only railroad station directly serving a ski resort. The main rail line serves Annecy-Annemasse-Geneva. The Annecy railway station has TGV (high speed trains) departures and arrivals to and from Paris via the high-speed line from Lyon Part-Dieu.

Sources

• Assedic (January 2000)
• Construction 74 (January 2000)
• ERC / DDAF 1999
• Chamber of Agriculture
• Chamber of Trade (December 2000)
• Customs
• SIRENE of INSEE (July 2003)
• CTDEC
• Chamber of Commerce
• Thésame

Language

• Arpitan language

Places

• Lake Annecy - The third largest lake in France.
• Lake Geneva - Lake which joins Upper Savoy and Switzerland.