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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The French do not really feel the first effects of the recovery. Nearly 43% of them believe the situation will not improve in the short term, against 53% more optimistic, according to an Ipsos Direct Insurance. The 18-34 years are more positive, being 60% believe in a short-term improvement of the economy.

In contrast, the 35-59 years are 49% to fear for the future economic situation. Pessimism contrasts with predictions of positive growth, the government is relying on such an increase of 1.4% of GDP in 2010. It seems that the fear of unemployment prevails in this population group. They are right: the unemployment rate, currently at 9.1% should exceed 10% according to the OECD.

A large majority (69%) French also fear a rise in prices. Again, they are too pessimistic.Economists Natixis, inflation should not exceed 1.2% in 2010, a fairly low level. INSEE table involved a decline in inflation "underlying", that is to say outside energy prices, to 0.9% in July 2010 against 1.8% in October 2009 .

Eight out of ten people expect further increases in oil prices free credit scores . Again, the French would they be worried too? INSEE expects a stable price per barrel to around $ 80 by mid-2010. But the National Institute of Statistics warns that still considerable uncertainty surrounding its estimates, the market of black gold is very volatile.

According to the Ipsos survey, these pessimistic expectations should lead the French champions of saving, save more. Nearly 65% of respondents believe that the crisis will encourage them to save even more.On this point, they agree with the experts. The INSEE estimates that savings will remain at a high level (16.6%) in the first half of 2010, having broken records in 2009.

Latest cares, but not least, the French: the future of pensions. They are 90% believed that "concern about changes in the level of pensions in the years to come is a sense justified. Negotiations on the future of the pension system, initiated by the government this year, will soon fix the issue.

Is this a consequence of the economic crisis? "We found an increase in rent arrears in 2009," said Lucie Cahn, CEO of Apagl, the Association for access to rental guarantees. "About 30% of tenants in difficulty were unemployed and 25% of them had suffered a decline in their income," says she.

A difficult situation for tenants, but also for landlords, private income sometimes required at the time of retirement. To avoid such a scenario, they can protect themselves by taking out probably next month, with an insurer, the new security risks rental (GRL).

The propriétairesmieux protected

This extends the existing insurance arrangements.It is for rents not exceeding 2.000 euros and the maximum coverage is 70,000 euros and costs about 2% of annual rent.

However, the UNPI (National Union of Property Owners) said the device "inappropriate." "It is quite unfair to bear the brunt of financing the GRL by the lessor while the lessee is is insured and who will benefit from the contract, "sorry Jean Perrin, president of the UNPI.

The relationship between landlords and tenants are not always simple. "While the vast majority of rentals are going well, some cases come up repeatedly," said David Rodrigues, a lawyer for the consumer association CLCV.

The reimbursement by the landlord's security deposit at the end of rental, tops disputes.They are "more and more," says besides a survey released Wednesday by the CLCV, as Le Figaro was purchased.

Since 2008, the amount of the deposit is one month's rent excluding charges (rather than two months). According to the survey, the tenant is unlikely to recover fully after his move: the case of only 10% of tenants. And "in addition to a lease on three (37.5%), the lessor retains the full deposit, according to the survey. The majority of tenants (52.5%) recovered some of their stake. "But only 28% of the amount deposited in average (36% on average in case of dispute).

Withholding part of security deposit can be explained in deteriorating housing, or by UNPI, non-payment of last month's rent … But "this is not always the case," says CLCV."Quite often (28%), donors do not justify the deductions from the deposit," said David Rodrigues. "For this reason, we want the landlord to provide invoices stating that repairs were actually made," he concludes.

Exxon Mobil launched a massive operation. The Texan oil giant announced Monday in a statement putting his hand on XTO Energy, a specialist in exploration and production gas field unconventional. The stock transaction is valued at 41 billion dollars (28 billion euros). An amount that includes 10 billion debt to XTO. The news that investors react. On Wall Street, the action XTO recorded a jump of 16.65% to 48.38 dollars, while Exxon Mobil abandoned as 2.99% to 70.65 dollars.

Through this transaction, expected Exxon 0.7098 new share issue by XTO title. This is equivalent to a 25% premium for shareholders of XTO, compared to the closing price on Friday, December 11, which served as basis for agreement. The deal should be finalized in the second quarter 2010 after the green light by shareholders of XTO and regulators.After the merger, Exxon plans to establish in Texas a new organization to manage development and resources that will bring him XTO Energy.

The exploration and production of unconventional gas represents a potential size of the United States. For Rex W. Tillerson, executive director of Exxon Mobil, this acquisition will be an opportunity to increase investment and create new jobs in the U.S. economy.

Despite the significant impact of successive delays made the program of the new jumbo Airbus A350, the chairman of its parent, Louis Welsh, said in the columns of the Financial Times that his group will not appeal markets.

The boss of aerospace group EADS has nevertheless conceded that such delays "have an impact on cash Airbus, which suggests the London daily that the group's treasury could melt rapidly due to lower deliveries of had expected next year, raising questions about the long-term funding of new programs.

"We have over 8 billion euros in net cash. When you're in that situation, you do not request funding for your shareholders, "said Louis Welsh. The cost of developing the A350 is generally estimated at over 10 billion euros.Louis Welsh also ensures that the financial difficulties of Dubai, one of the largest customer of Airbus, will have no impact on the European group.

EADS shares evolved to equilibrium at around 11.00 to 12.37 euros, or -0.08% over the closing price last Friday at the Paris Bourse.