International & World Report

Spain, drawn into the same tub as Greece, is an emergency that Europe would have gone well. The Twenty-Seven, which are at the summit in Brussels on Thursday, hoping to overcome the crisis of the euro and the purging of public finances. Clearly, raising the horizon and talk to new growth and employment.

Not a chance for those who preach another message that the turns of the screw and the bailout: it is once again under pressure from the markets that European leaders will have to prove themselves. The "economic government", a body that lacks even a roadmap, build the first German thoroughness prior to use in French voluntarism.

Not surprisingly, the centerpiece of this one-day session will be "the strengthening of budgetary discipline," according to the draft final declaration.With incentives but also early and graduated sanctions for those who violate it. Challenging the susceptibilities of national parliaments, the political body of the EU will also confirm the introduction in the first half of 2011 a collective monitoring of budget proposals from each Member State.

To this arsenal already included in the text, could add further punishment policy, advanced Monday by Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy: the suspension of voting for the worst offenders. The rest of the EU has not yet ruled. Probably necessary, modification of treaties implies unanimity.

Question of credibility approach on the G20 in Toronto, the bloc wants to take the rut European financial regulation.Despite the effects of repeated ad since 2008, the new architecture of banking supervision remains stalled with Parliament, as the framework for hedge funds, including hedge funds.

Tax on banks

The Commission, it has not yet formulated its code for derivatives (CDS and selling). On both fronts, the summit will mark her impatience. It will push the flames of a European tax on banks and, perhaps, a tax on financial transactions desired by Paris and Berlin.

So busy filling the gaps in the past, EU leaders will find good reasons to expect with the confirmed entry of Estonia into the euro in 2011 and the opening of negotiations almost gained entry to Iceland EU.But the chapter devoted to the crisis and the real upturn in business, hoping next year is looking pretty thin.

The Twenty-Seven "finalize" the growth strategy adopted by the Commission for ten years. It assumes, for each country, employment goals, training, research, "social inclusion" and the fight against global warming. Originally called "EU 2020, this catalog has been renamed for a good cause: it is now" The new European strategy for jobs and growth ". But she does not elaborate on how to restart the machine.

ALSO READ:

"INTERVIEW – Delors:" After the fire, waiting lL'Europe architects "

"Deficits: Brussels will validate the national budgets

"Tax credit: Merkel-Sarkozy offensive

»COMPUTER GRAPHICS – The European tour plans rigor

There will indeed be a case Boutin. François Fillon has ruled Tuesday: his ministers will no longer entitled to combine their ministerial allowance and a pension of retired. Former Secretary of State for Housing had indeed stirred controversy last week about his double pay, perceived to be a member retired and in charge of a mission by the government. The head of government, which has already announced that future ban to UMP deputies should soon write to his ministers "asking them to suspend payment of their parliamentary pension.

In support of this decision, Francois Fillon cites the constitutional amendment of July 2008, under which ministers can automatically return to Parliament when they leave government.A provision making, as the Prime Minister, "illogical" the possibility of combining the two sources of income. In addition Christine Boutin, who had already announced it will conduct its mission on globalization gracefully, several ministers are concerned by the ban. Michele Alliot-Marie, Roselyne Bachelot, Raincourt Henry, Patrick Devedjian and Jean-Marie Bockel, all former MPs and sixties, are particularly targeted.

The system of parliamentary reform

Other collateral victims of this controversy: the parliamentarians. While the government prepares to unveil on Wednesday morning, the pension reform, it intends to show that employees are not the only ones making sacrifices. Labour Minister Eric Woerth said Monday and hoped to redesign the system of retirement benefits for parliamentarians.A device that allows them to reach thirteen months of retirement a year and, thanks to a dual assessment, a full pension after 22.5 years in office. "We need the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the Assembly clearly announce a reform in the coming days," Had he then served.

Message received by the President of the National Assembly, Bernard Accoyer. Tuesday at the antenna of Europe 1, he has indeed supported the abolition of dual assessment under which assessed one year is worth two "exceptional measures were intended to be removed without delay." A working group will be established soon on a floor Wednesday to reform the system applies this fall.

ALSO READ:

»IN PICTURES – At least nine ministers in a situation of overlapping wage

Very bad trading day Wednesday for the title again BP. In London, the stock fell 4.24% to 391.55 pence. On Wall Street, the same day, the stock has tumbled 15% to just 29 plsu dollars.Pour many observers, the cost of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is likely to jeopardize the very existence BP. "The action suffers now fears the very future of BP. It is no longer just a noise reduction of the dividend. Now it's survivability in question, "said Jon Najarian, founder of the news website optionMonster.com.

At the London Stock Exchange, the fears were mostly related to the fact that BP would eventually suspend payment of its dividend. "We are resigned to the fact that there may be a suspension of the dividend," said Tony Shepard, an analyst at Charles Stanley, quoted by Reuters.

Last Friday, however, BP has reaffirmed its intention to announce to its shareholders on July 27 the amount of its interim dividend by way of the second quarter. Dividends paid by the group representing some 10.5 billion dollars (8.7 billion euros) per year.

Yet another bad news for the oil group that is not due to his inability to pay, but the fact that the U.S. authorities there are not favorable. "It does me no problem that BP complies with its legal obligations (to its shareholders, Ed), but I want them to know they have a moral and legal obligations here in the Gulf, warned Tuesday Barack Obama.

The U.S. authorities have also sent an ultimatum to compel them to BP by unveiling its plans to 72 hours to stop the leak.

"BP must state its plans for its parallel initiatives ongoing and alternative oil recovery, including establishing a timetable within 72 hours after receipt of this letter," says the letter from the admiral-cons Coastguard James Watson chief operating officer of BP, Doug Suttles, and dated Tuesday.

With the installation of a funnel, BP has accelerated since last week the recovery of oil leaking from the wells to 1,500 meters below the surface of the water for more than seven weeks. But the water continues to move towards the U.S. coast and crude oil continues to flow.

ALSO READ:

"BP buys keywords on the web to improve its image

"Obama roundly on BP

"Oil slick: BP has spent 1.25 billion dollars" BP: the cost of the spill was "impossible to predict"

On the fluctuating barometer of Franco-German relations, the weather is stormy. Received on Monday in Berlin with Angela Merkel, Nicolas Sarkozy will seek to close ranks with Chancellor suspected of wanting to play alone against the economic and monetary instability in the European Union.

With the approach of the European Council of 16 June and the G8 in Toronto, a week later, it becomes urgent for Nicolas Sarkozy to give the violins with Angela Merkel. Both are broadly on the same line in regulation, the outlawing of the speculators and the taxation of banks.A good starting point for the "couple" to meet, after weeks of tension related to the crisis in the euro area.

Also measured, on both sides of the Rhine, from internal politics that goes into the respective positions of President and Chancellor, both the penalty on the home front.

Between the two partners, the near collapse of Greece and its impact on the single currency have accumulated ulterior motives. The support mechanism 750 billion for the country in great financial difficulty should be finalized today by the finance ministers of the euro area, after having obtained a great struggle, the green light for German MPs.

Bone of contention

But Berlin is still reluctant to make a joint guarantee the completeness of money lent and insists that every country is accountable to the tune of the funds it allocates, and its conditions.French side, it also criticizes the Chancellor to have weighed 70 billion cost of the rescue of Greece was slow to react.

Two other cases have come to complicate the climate. Paris Berlin accused of having acted without consultation last month by banning until March 2011 the naked short selling to a technique that allows the sale of securities without holding on bonds and credit derivatives (CDS ) shareholders. Christine Lagarde has adopted a conciliatory tone, saying yesterday that Paris and Berlin agreed on the principle of the sales ban "naked" But the Minister of Economy has particularly stressed the need to "act together" , how to deplore once again the initiative of Germany alone.

The other bone of contention concerns the "mix" of austerity and European supervision of budgets, proposed by Berlin.Paris is hostile even if Nicolas Sarkozy has taken a step in this direction by proposing a constitutional reform on reducing deficits. For on the merits, the head of the state knows it can not afford to widen the gap with the Chancellor and his "stability culture". This is now the maintenance of optimal grade awarded to the "enterprise France" by the specialized agencies.

His first thoughts as the new chairman of Fiat was to his grandfather, the legendary Avvocato Giovanni Agnelli: "How I wish he could be here." John Philip Elkann Jacob took over the destinies of the industrial group the age of thirty-four years. Giovanni Agnelli was forty-five when he did in 1966.

There is an analogy of destiny in the Agnelli family. In a slight difference: the little son-burning steps faster than his grandfather. It did not take more than six years to take all the power in the dynasty, while the hall Avvocato had for twenty years under the tutelage of a trust manager, Vittorio Valletta.

He is now head of the three levels of command. President of the Family Partnership "Giovanni Agnelli and Co, when the current owner Gianluigi Gabbetti, a close family, will conclude his term in MayPresident since 2008 of the holding company Exor, the holding company controlled by the family. And now chairman of its main industrial participation, Fiat in this case.

Between U.S. and Europe

This course Emeritus, John Elkann was accomplished with a reserve and discretion authentically Turin, and casual air of one who "does that happen." Those who have followed him have still yet noticed that the young man knew where he went and made every effort to do so.

Born April 1, 1976 in New York, he has five when his parents divorced, the writer and journalist Alain Elkann Franco-Italian and the daughter of the Avvocato, Margherita Agnelli. With his brother Lapo and his sister Ginevra, he spent his youth between the U.S. and Europe, attended high school in Paris where he passed his baccalaureate at the Lyc?e Victor Duruy science.In 2000, he graduated from Polytechnic of Turin, nursery managers of Italian industry.

Without dwelling on trivialities like his grandfather had done after the war, he joined in 2001 at General Electric, as statutory auditor. Two years later, here he is already in IFI, the holding of a family: now associated with the first plan to revive Fiat, along with his uncle Umberto Agnelli. He succeeded in 2004 as vice president, at his death.

His cousin, Giovanni Alberto, the son of Umberto, was the designated heir to the head of the clan. His sudden death in 1997 at age 33, victim of cancer, created a vacuum. In December of that year, the Avvocato set foot in the stirrup to John by naming him director of Fiat.

In 2004, few were betting on its survival in a group adrift.Fiat collapsed under a huge debt, the family clan was divided, and cherry pie, General Motors threatened to seize the manufacturer. Several Agnelli were ready to pull out of the car.

Family unit

Near Gianluigi Gabbetti, the young Elkann took important decisions. He restored the family unit around an ambitious rescue of Fiat, the convincing to grab the wallet. On the other, it gave carte blanche to a manager of emergency, the Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne, supported by a family friend, Luca Cordero di Montezomolo named president. Understated but always present, he gave the endorsement of the clan in terms of a merger with Chrysler, which marks a new stage in the history of Fiat. Like his grandfather, John Elkann closely follows the exploits of Juventus. A "enough is enough" dry in 2008 lead to oust managers involved in a corruption scandal.He is also a sailing enthusiast and expects to complete another project dear to his grandfather to attend a race around the world. He told the skipper Giovanni Soldini, the task of representing him in October 2011 in the "Volvo Ocean Race with VOR70" Italia ", purchased with his own money.

ALSO READ:

"The accounts are in the red Fiat

"The redesign Agnelli Fiat Group

The French market for private pools should start rising this year after two years of decline due to economic crisis, said Thursday the Federation of Professionals in the Pool (FPP).

"Despite a very cold winter, the market is rising again and the number of private pools sold in 2010, as turnover is expected to increase by 10% to 15% compared to last year, has said Jacques Braun, director of the PPF, at a press conference. For Mr.Braun "the pool market, linked to the curve of household confidence, is structurally supported by the carrier for leisure culture and the willingness of households to improve their real estate."

Doubling in 10 years

The market downturn, thanks to a sunny summer of 2009, took place in the third quarter of last year (plus 7% sales pools) before leaving in the fourth quarter (plus 38%) after starting very dull year (26.5% less in the first quarter, less than 8.5% in the second) No payday advance teletrek.In 2009, turnover has decreased by 10%, however, to one billion euros, against 1.1 billion in 2008 and 1.4 billion in 2007.

The number of private swimming pools more than doubled in 10 years, from 708,000 in 2000 to 1,465,840 in late 2009 (including 559,000 above ground) at the point of making France the second largest market behind the United States. Aware of the challenges of sustainable development, the PPF is currently developing a software that can calculate carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2) from the operation of pools, depending on different parameters of size or equipment. Thus the operation of a pool of eight yards on four represents an average of 200 kilos of CO2 per year, or no more than a round-trip Paris-Lyon by car, according to calculations by the PPF.

After several years of strong increases, rents have remained stable in 2009, according to the Center Clamor. "For the first time since the creation of this observatory in 1998, even since the crisis of the early 1990s as rents stagnate," says Michel Mouillart at the University of Paris-X and the host database Clamor (Know the rents and market analysis on urban and rural), fueled by 25 managers of rental parks. Last year, rents for new leases were symbolically rose 0.1% on average compared to 2008. This quasi-stagnation contrasts with the increases of recent years (2% in 2007, +1.5% in 2008). The comparison is even more significant with the average annual increase between 1998 and 2010: + 3% on average. But rising unemployment and falling purchasing power of households slowed."The mobility of households has been greatly reduced. It is the lowest since 1998, "said Observatory best payday advance .

Increase in the average city

This trend continues into early this year. However, like last year, the same time, rents of those who relocate rose 0.6% on average. But new phenomenon, most major cities have their rents reduced while those of medium-sized cities or resist progress. Major declines, there are Neuilly sur Seine (-6.4%), Nancy (-4.5%), Grenoble (-3.5%), Strasbourg (-3.1%), Rennes (-2, 5%), Metz (-1.4%), Bordeaux (-1.2%), Lille (-1.1%), Nantes (-1.0%), Marseille and Toulouse (-0.6%) and even Paris (-0.8%). The most significant increases occur in Clermont-Ferrand and Versailles (5.9%), Courbevoie (Hauts-de-Seine, +5.3%) and Draguignan (+5.2%)."In all of 2010, rents should remain stable," explains Michel Mouillart. "Like last year, rents should then fall to spring and again later in the year."

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 retoqu?es 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.

ALSO READ

"Agricultural Fair under the banner of the Vendee for Sarkozy

"Nicolas Sarkozy discrete Agriculture Exhibition

»BLOG Eric La Chesnais – The pen in the fields

In a large show held at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, Guillaume Pepy, the SNCF President, presented the major innovations that the railway was completed or tested in 2009, and especially those which it has proceed in the years to come. Some of them concern the heavy infrastructure such as Highway Railway Luxembourg-Perpignan, whose rate of rotation has been doubled to four daily return. Also programmed a line Bayonne-Lille and medium-term line of Great Britain to Italy through France.

The key innovations, however, concerns the field of multimedia.And such service "station line", available on 3G phone, which lists 600 stations to allow users to know the times of departure and arrival of trains, the number of platforms, location or price of the car … In 2010, SNCF will launch a radio, a little image of FM Highway, we will receive on his mobile phone or Internet. With a team of 30 journalists, all 15 minutes will flash information on traffic conditions and disturbances. Between the flashes, there is provided a musical thread, who wants very heterogeneous because it will "attract a clientele that ranges from 7 to 77 years.

Tariff Schedule

On the website "Voyages SNCF, a tariff schedule will allow customers to better understand and especially to see ticket prices depending on the train. A first version for small prize will be available in first quarter 2010.After the air is the railway, through the barcode and card flyer, opening gradually to the e-ticket, thereby avoiding the printed ticket. Tested over 14 destinations in 2009, this service will be extended in 2010 to all France, and international relations with Luxembourg, Switzerland and Germany.

Finally, the SNCF will use the experience of Thalys on Internet connection and gradually equip the 52 TGV Est network. Thus, passengers traveling to Metz, Nancy and Strasbourg can surf the Internet while traveling. An investment whose cost is 500,000 euros per ream.

In the field of health, SNCF began to equip the trains of the TGV defibrillators. Since last summer, 150 stations have been equipped. It's now the turn of the TGV trains to the East and Switzerland. Eventually, the entire network will be equipped.An investment of 10 million euros for 2,000 defibrillators.

In the competitive global economy, information is a strategic data. A leak on a response to tender may lose a market. Data protection is a key issue for companies, as control of its communication. To educate businesses, particularly SMEs, to these strategic challenges, the Supreme Council of Military Reserve organized a seminar on Wednesday and Thursday at the Hotel National des Invalides in Paris.

Having explained the concept of intelligence and have identified the countries most active in the field, mainly Anglo-Saxons and China, methodologies have been submitted for planning an operation to protect its information or develop an operational decision.Each topic is synthesized in a small pamphlet, a "Survey" conducted by the consulting firm Strategy ITB, downloadable from its website. "A fifth Handbook, explaining how to develop a strategy of influence, will be available soon," said Brice de Gliame, CEO of ITB. "These concise booklets are intended to help businesses be more competitive, while remaining within the law."

Speakers at the seminar and participating companies explain the challenges of these military methods suitable for businesses: