International & World Report

By staying close to four hours this morning at the Salon de l'Agriculture in Paris, Nicolas Sarkozy has tried to erase the minds that it does not come to inaugurate the event on Saturday. A tour which began at 8 am 30 and held in two parts of two hours each. Initially, the Head of State met the cattle exhibitors in Hall 1, then those of the crop of Hall 2 in a general rush but channeled. A friendly atmosphere, where the applause and encouragement have predominated, but without any measure with the ovation the day reserved for Jacques Chirac. A few hisses were heard but no more, on the stairs connecting the two lobbies.

Then, the president has organized and is a first, a roundtable with all unions representing farm.And just FNSEA, the majority union in which a delegation had been received yet at the Elysee Palace on Wednesday. "This is a first, previously only FNSEA attended this kind of round table across the national council of agriculture," Henin said Frederick, who follows the industry for over ten years for the publication Net farm land.

800 million in soft loans

It was during this interview, which was attended also by representatives of agribusiness, insurance and banks, totaling about twenty representatives, the president has announced measures to help the industry out crisis. "I will do for the French and European agriculture that we have done to save the funds, has hammered Nicolas Sarkozy. I will not give an inch. "However, he made a cross on the methods of the past to support the agricultural sector."There are ways that you borrowed last twenty years, those exchanges of price subsidies cons, we can not borrow more now," he said. For ten years later, he must repay. The Head of State was referring to 500 million euros of aid from Brussels retoquées this summer and fruit growers are expected to repay. "The solutions we have selected to ensure price breeders are legal. In addition to plan emergency aid announced four months ago to Poligny in the Jura, Nicolas Sarkozy has put on the table over 850 million.

In detail, this breaks down as follows: 800 million for subsidized loans, which now reach 1.8 billion euros, against 1.5 billion originally projected in the plan Poligny. "All loan applications will be present and honored," said the tenant of the Elysee.They are also 50 million more who will go to farmers under the FCC (relief fund expenses). They serve to alleviate the financial costs of borrowing old. Moreover, the decree to allow the exemption of all charges employers for employers of seasonal fruits and vegetables, appear at the end of the month. A measure of 170 million already announced in the Jura, which should give a better competitiveness in the sector, with a decline of two-euro cost of the hourly labor progress.

"A new method of environmental measures"

Also on the environmental front, the President said that farmers had already done much. "I believe in sustainable agriculture, yet it need to change.I asked Bruno Le Maire and Jean-Louis Borloo to hold next week a first working group around a new method of analysis of environmental measures in agriculture, "he said. This working group is working on three areas: an analysis of what is happening with our European neighbors, a study of the economic and social impact on patterns and quantification of benefit to society. The President recalled that farmers across the prairies, it possible to store CO2. Interest so as to avoid wastage of the agricultural land disappearing at a rate of one department every ten years. A 10% tax will apply to all sales of these lands as they become farmland.

Finally, in the debate on the future of the CAP, which must be reviewed before 2013, Nicolas Sarkozy said he was prepared to reduce the budget by more than 50 billion euros on condition that farmers live with decent prices and we apply the Community preference.

With the announcement of these measures were mixed unions, most tanks are those of the Confederation Paysanne. "These are interesting and go in the right direction. But they are not sufficient, he should go to the social VAT to make agriculture more competitive French, "said Francis Lucas President of the Rural Coordination. FNSEA has in turn welcomed the easing of environmental benefits."Without denying the objectives of sustainable development, we can not ask for more investment in heavier farmers if there is no remunerative prices and incomes, reacted Jean-Michel Lemetayer, president of the FNSEA. Agriculture should not be steel or textiles of tomorrow, "he added.

Around 12:30, the President closed the debate by promising to review the parties present three times a year to make a point with their monitoring of current files. "I was happy to be with you," he said in the twenty participants.

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Photo credits: AFP

Wall Street on Monday addressed the sixth session of consecutive increase. Half an hour after opening, the Dow Jones gained 0.1% to 10,537 points while the Nasdaq gained 0.30% to 2292 points. The S & P gained 0.19% to 1128 points. Before the Christmas break, the U.S. places had registered a new annual record after the 14 December. The meeting on Monday also looks into the green even if the volume of trade should be still very low due to leave later this year.

Neither statistics and results are expected during this session.However, markets will follow tomorrow, Tuesday the S & P / Case Shiller index of house prices, the index of investor confidence in State Street and the index of consumer confidence from the Conference Board in December.

The airline industry lags behind

Fannie Mae (20%) and Freddie Mac (23%) bound in exchange for information following the U.S. press that the U.S. Treasury agreed to provide two groups of funds as necessary within three years.

The Amazon is under 1.91% to 141.11 dollars. The group announced that its digital book reader Kindle article had become the most offered in its history.It was first sold more books than books, digital paper on Christmas Day.

The airline industry should also move following the tightening of security measures imposed by Washington after the assassination attempt Friday during a flight from Northwest Airlines (0.35%). Continental Airlines lost 1.45%.

Delta Airlines fell by 2.72% and American Airlines lost 1.84% in response to rumors that the Japanese public funds Turnaround Enterprise Initiative Corporation of Japan (ETIC) seek to place Japan Airlines (JAL) in bankruptcy as part of restructuring the airline.A news that could complicate ongoing discussions with the two American companies.

Alexander Ananenkov, vice chairman of Russian gas giant Gazprom said Monday that his group expected to conclude in 2010 an agreement with U.S. energy company Exxon (+0.28%) on the supply of gas from the Sakhalin – 1.

Finally, the Italian Ferrero is still considering a bid for Britain's Cadbury after the latter rejected the proposal of Kraft Foods (+0.22%)

The euro ended the year in small form. For the first time since early September, the single currency rose again Friday to below $ 1.43 and briefly touched a low point, on Monday at 1.4280 dollar. Last month, the euro was trading at $ 1.50 again, "a disaster," was then proclaimed Henri Guaino, special adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy, now more discreet about the changes. Once is not custom, it is fundamental to the European economy, considered worse than in the U.S., affecting the markets.

The decline of the euro began in early December with the debt crisis Greek degraded by Fitch. It widened last week when Standard & Poor's followed this movement. "The market remains skeptical about the state budget of Greece, which should continue to dampen prospects for the euro," says Jane Foley cabinet Forex.com.

Debts under surveillance

One Member State trembles, and the whole currency area flickering. Especially that Greece is not alone in worrying the markets. The debts of Spain and Ireland, which have surged with the crisis, are also under close surveillance.

Financial solidarity with countries in distress, implicitly shown by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the European Council has not been enough to reassure markets. Even if they are all very positive news from the United States seem, by comparison, the best news for investors. "The United States are ultimately not so badly placed compared to other major world economies," says a strategist at HSBC in Hong Kong.

Overseas, unemployment has stopped growing in November, the U.S. economy could even recreate jobs in the first quarter.In 2010, all institutes ensure the growth of the United States looks twice as strong as that of the eurozone. The dollar's rise also reflects an early turning point for monetary policy. The Fed said after its last monetary policy committee that it would leave its policy rate close to zero for a "prolonged period", but it plans to turn a gradual withdrawal of liquidity from month March which will make dollar investments more attractive.

A third factor supporting the dollar this year, said Patrick Artus, Research Director at Natixis: purchases of greenbacks by the Chinese central bank is rife, Beijing had no intention of letting the yuan appreciate against the dollar …

Since its acquisition in October 2008, the integration of Fortis was one of the great challenges of BNP Paribas. The statement released Tuesday by the French group reported cost reductions and gains from its synergies with Fortis. It is thus subject to 900 million euros in annual synergies in 2012 (against 500 million originally anticipated) and a rate of return on invested capital above 20% from 2010. The bank confirms the same time as the acquisition of Fortis will be accretive from 2010, which promises an improvement in earnings per share and 8.5% in 2012.

"These synergies are the consideration of restructuring costs estimated at 1.3 billion euros over the 2009-2011 period," says BNP Paribas, said in the same time does not predict massive forced departures at Fortis."The downsizing comes mainly from natural wastage or voluntary," says she.

The group finally confirmed in a statement to the number one place for deposits in the euro area continued to buy banking operations of Fortis.

The Belgian banking group Fortis, fully involved in the subprime crisis, was acquired by BNP Paribas when he was on the brink of bankruptcy in October 2008, barely supported by governments. This acquisition led to months of negotiations and court battles. BNP has acquired 75% of banking and 25% of Fortis Insurance, becoming the first bank in the euro area term bank deposits.

The title BNP Paribas, built in the CAC40 index at the Paris bourse, gained 2.40% to 56.31 euros to 10.30.

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"Fortis reap the benefits

There is a driver for the nuclear industry, the State. On a visit Thursday to the site of the EPR – the new generation reactor – in Flamanville (Manche), Francois Fillon has tried very firm. This displacement of the Prime Minister had been finalized at the last moment in a very specific purpose: to redefine the roles of each operator after Henri Proglio, barely reached the head of EDF, has hammered the leadership role of the public company.

We can talk about reframing. "That the State (…) is responsible for ensuring the overall coherence of this strategy to ensure that France will retain the place to be hers in the resumption of global nuclear "said Francois Fillon. While the central role of EDF is welcomed, but not from exercising a supervisory role on the track.So that Areva "is also a major player, including the integrated model (mine uranium reprocessing fuel through the construction of power plants) is not questioned.

As for GDF Suez or Total, they affirm their progressive positions in the nuclear, noted the Prime Minister."All this contributes to strengthening our credibility and aggregate supply," said Francois Fillon still surrounded by the Chairmen of EDF and Areva.

Moreover, the chief government hammered his confidence in the RPE, while this major project currently several critical towel on its cost, time of construction or security control command.

Bidding in Abu Dhabi

Alongside its political dimension, this development also involved the Matignon at a crucial time for French industry abroad, the four players mentioned above (EDF, Areva, GDF Suez and Total) are indeed united in a consortium to sell two plants EPR in Abu Dhabi. A contract that all benefits included, exceeds 40 billion dollars.However, for several weeks, rumors from the Emirates are not good: supply lights moving too dispersed to be truly effective.

That is why François Fillon sought explicit: "In some cases, the" Team France "nuclear must be able to bid combined. In others, it is better to leave one or another of its members act alone. "

Also EDF, hitherto known for the last hour in the consortium, now has a central place in the new device. Nothing says that confirmation of Francois Fillon, who promised a "new installation" to permit France to win the day: Abu Dhabi, offering Korean, much cheaper in particular, has strong arguments. Decision expected in coming weeks.

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