The limits of local economic intervention: The case of the French and Italian chambers of commerce

Chambers of commerce in France and Italy are powerful organisations with a unique potential for local economic growth. As public‐law organisations, they are vested with extensive formal powers and resources, far surpassing those of their British counterparts. Yet despite this potential, chambers in these states do not tend to play a dynamic role within the local economy. In recent years, they have undergone progressive decline and become confined to an increasingly marginal and residual role. This article examines the performance of the French and Italian chambers and considers some of the factors which have prevented them from assuming a more prominent economic role.