An établissement public à caractère administratif (French pronunciation: [etablismɑ̃ pyblik a kaʁaktɛʁ administʁatif], lit.
'public establishment of an administrative nature'; EPA) is, in France, a public law legal person with a certain administrative and financial autonomy to fulfil a mission of public interest (that is not industrial or commercial in nature) under the control of the State or a local authority.
[1] It is a category of public undertaking in France, and includes some research institutes and infrastructure operators.
As opposed to the Établissements publics à caractère industriel et commercial, which are subject to private law, EPAs are mainly governed by public law.
This legal distinction is recognised by the French precedent.