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.

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

Michel Barnier has arrived in London earlier this week, a white flag in hand. The new European Commissioner for Internal Market had to reassure the financial capital of Europe. Firstly because he is French, therefore, suspected to be a regulator born. Secondly, because his appointment had been made by Paris as a victory over the English.

In twenty-four hours, Michel Barnier has met Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Chancellor Alistair Darling, the president of the Bank of England, Mervyn King. And the lords of the City, big bankers and hedge funds, investment funds so maligned for their role in the crisis.The Commissioner also gave an interview to the influential Financial Times.

"I'm not horrible, but I'm not a nice cat (" I'm not horrible, but I am not a pussycat either "in the original English version)," slipped the European Commissioner for British journalists . Beyond the formula, the French assured the City that he wanted "to be a commissioner for a more unified market, not less." But "the market must serve the economy, not vice versa," he said in his speech to leaders of the City.

The visit of Michel Barnier occurs after the Commission issued a proposal for a hedge fund sector (Directive on alternative investment funds, known MWIA) payday loans ."Investment funds are an important part of the financial system," he said, representing over 50% of daily trade in the market share. "It is vital that they are subject to regulation and adequate supervision," he added.

"Red lines"

According to the Financial Times, the leaders of investment funds have emerged reassured of their encounter with "Frenchy." "They appreciated the Commissioner's apparent willingness to try to understand their concerns," reported the Economic Daily. Adding that the City leaders have warned that British negotiators should be careful to protect certain "red lines" that Brussels should not be crossed.

Starting with the authorization could be given to non-European funds to come and sell their services within the EU."Have European funds to meet the high standards of transparency, without requiring the same from those located outside the EU would not be appropriate," Michel Barnier acknowledged. Funding fear ultimately, the Financial Times that the principle of market liberalization, to which they belong, or poorly implemented.

"We will not allow the Clio IV be produced in Turkey," said Christian Estrosi yesterday in the Assembly. On the eve of receiving Patrick Pelata, CEO of Renault, the Minister of Industry has shown its determination to avoid "hidden relocation. For Secretary of State for Employment, this move is a "red line" not to cross. Reflecting the sensitivity of the manufacturer, he recalled that 45% of its workforce in France.

Renault does not intend to produce Flins, near Paris, the successor of the current Clio III. This is already manufactured in three sites: Flins, Valladolid (Spain) and Bursa (Turkey). "Without this multilocalization, Clio program would not be profitable, said spokesman of the manufacturer. No decision on the allocation of production has been taken.The Clio should not be renewed for another three or four years. "Renault plans to produce Flins its future electric cars," at least 100 000 batteries per year, and to keep the Clio time to the growing burden of the power. There would be no risk to social Flins.

That is not enough to reassure the government. Christian Estrosi said yesterday that "the state was deeply involved in industrialization of electric vehicles, including Renault and asked him to" better connect the whole chain of French development of the electric Flins.

ALSO READ

The new Clio would be manufactured in Turkey

"The State against the relocation of the Clio in Turkey

It must be with Air France, it will be finally on Tuesday with Trenitalia. Reportedly, the group Veolia is about to conclude an agreement with Trenitalia, the division of passenger transport operator of Italian public Ferrovie dello Stato, to ride the TGV in France in early 2012.

Neither partner can share in the unknown. The French group had initially started this project in 2008 with Air France before the airline waives last October. Veolia provides fruit and a year of joint discussions with Air France on the subject and plan of attack ready. For its part, Trenitalia is the first foreign operator to take advantage of the opening of international passenger traffic last December 13 to seek paths in France.The group is preparing to roll its TGV spring between Rome, Milan and Paris.

The liberalization of international trade makes it possible for an operator to run its trains in France if they have a path between two states. It is possible to make the Milan-Paris via Lyon and compete with SNCF on the Paris-Lyon section.

To ride the TGV early 2012, both partners are ready to draw: it takes at least six months to conduct the tender for rolling stock and nearly two years the builder to honor his order. Veolia should take over the project developed with Air France. It revolved around three TGV lines. An axis Brussels-Paris-Lyon which allows both to compete with the Thalys between Brussels and Paris and SNCF from Paris and Lyon. A Paris-London Eurostar rival but also competing with SNCF Paris-Lille.And finally, a Paris-Strasbourg line with after the Alsatian capital, a branch to Frankfurt serving lines Mannheim and Karlsruhe, and a branch to Basel with a stop in Mulhouse.

Ambassador of the French high-speed

With operating costs 30% lower than the station simply because of the social system of railway, Trenitalia Veolia and could become the low-cost airline of the TGV. Initial projections of rates which were estimated with Air France aimed at a Paris-Lyon to 30 Euros in second class cons 41 to 63.10 euros for the station (ticket Leisure in normal times), a Paris-Nantes to 22 euros second class cons from 36.50 to 56.80 euros for the SNCF and the Paris-Lille 19 euros against 25 to 38.90 euros for the station.

For Air France, this project means that the ally of yesterday will become a new competitor for its domestic flights.For the station, this is the end of a monopoly and the beginning of a battle that will necessarily lead the public company to lose market share.

For Veolia, the project is a first step since the group aims eventually to answer calls for tenders TGV abroad. The French would be very good in the role of ambassador of the French high speed in the world alongside the manufacturer Alstom. "To export the TGV, Alstom suffers from not being associated with an operator, said a close case. SNCF does not because she is not willing to take risks and cost of revenue abroad. "