2. Identify the formal rules that apply to the author of the formal notice

2.1 The author of the formal notice

The formal notice must be signed by a legally competent person.

This may be the prefect, or a person previously designated within the prefecture. In this case, this person must hold a delegation of signature, which gives him or her the authority to sign the order in place of the prefect. Otherwise, the formal notice is illegal, since it is signed by an incompetent person. The Ministry of Ecology recommends that prefects only delegate their signature to the secretary general of the prefecture.