New trends in cost-benefit assessment of public investments in France and Germany

Abstract

Cost benefit assessment of investments is an ongoing preoccupation for public authorities in France and Germany, as in many other countries. In Germany, the regular review and set-up of the Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan (FTIP) is based on assessment methodologies for which the state of art is updated regularly. The most recent update will be finalised soon. In France, the requirement for cost benefit assessment has long been enshrined in the legislation concerning transportation, and it has been quite recently extended by the law to all public investment in civil investments. The paper reviews the recent methodological updates and compares the main methodological choices made in each national approach, reflecting the different political and administrative requirements.