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Alstom and EDF are the big winners of the first tender for wind turbines off the French coast of the Channel, the second one being planned in the second half to reach the target set for 2020.

The Industry Minister Eric Besson said Friday the award of contracts representing a total capacity of 2,000 megawatts, the equivalent of two nuclear reactors.

This is a third less than expected, the field Tréport (Seine-Maritime, Somme) were not assigned in the absence of sufficient competition.

The consortium formed by Alstom and EDF and three of the five fields involved: Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique), Fécamp (Seine-Maritime) and Courseulles-sur-Mer (Calvados). 

Spain's Iberdrola and the French group Areva will see their side of the field jointly awarded the Saint-Brieuc (Côtes d'Armor).

GDF Suez, which had also formed a consortium with Areva, gets nothing at this stage.

"This decision will enable France to continue development of renewables, which are next to nuclear power one of the two pillars of our policy e ; nergétique, "said Eric Besson at a press conference.

He confirmed the goal of having 6,000 megawatts of capacity by 2020, as set by the Grenelle Environment for offshore wind and marine energy, including the turbines for which a tender is planned within two years. 

The second tender will involve particular area Tréport and that of Noirmoutier, he said.

The selection of candidates announced Friday an investment of seven billion euros and the creation of 10,000 direct manufacturing jobs, argues Eric Besson.

While Alstom plans to invest 100 million euros and generate up to 7,500 jobs with its partners, the challenge will be for the group to impose its new generation of turbine Haliade, inaugurated on March 19 to book (Loire-Atlantique).

Areva has now put forward his experience and that could create 4,000 jobs in France, including 1,000 in its single perimeter, while GDF Suez has raised up 'to 6,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Veolia Environnement shares could resume directly to the ferry company SNCM, which liaises with Corsica, to facilitate the reorganization of its subsidiary public transport Transdev he wants to withdraw, Les Echos reported Wednesday.

This announcement could be made following a meeting this morning between the President of the Supervisory Board of SNCM, Gerard Couturier, and the CEO of Veolia, Mr. Frérot at Veolia headquarters in Paris, the newspaper said.

Veolia currently operates indirectly SCNM the capital, through which he is a shareholder Transdev joint with the Caisse des Depots (CDC). Veolia Transdev owns 66% stake in SNCM.

Veolia announced at the end of last year its intention to withdraw from Transdev, which owns 50%, as part of an outflow of its transportation activities. The balance is held by the Deposit (CDC).

According to Les Echos, the CDC and the investment fund Cube, owned by Natixis, "who have applied, would have made it clear that SNCM was too much in the transactions."

The daily added that the SNCM is considered "atypical and cumbersome" because of the economic and social setbacks that undermine it.

In early trade on the stock exchange, the action Veolia yielded 2%, biggest drop in the CAC 40 index in a market down 0.4%.

The social network Facebook will stop next week's trading in its shares on secondary markets as part of preparations for its IPO in May, officials said a source familiar with the matter.

The American group has recently asked the companies that manage the transactions on its capital outside regulated markets to suspend them, a decision to re ; reduce distortions of value that might disrupt the binding of its IPO price, said another source.

Facebook plans to raise five billion dollars (3.75 billion euros) in its IPO. This could add value to the $ 100 billion, which would make it the largest IPO in the history of Silicon Valley.

The possibility of such an operation in May depends on the decision of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the authority of the U.S. equity markets, the prospectus filed by the group, noted the first source.

Facebook this document amended three times since its initial filing in early February.

A Facebook spokesman declined to comment.

Some investors are challenging the group's choice of a capital consisting of two classes of shares that would give the Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg effective control of 56.9% after the company entered e stock exchange. 

Despite these criticisms, the demand for securities and promises strong action Facebook shines on secondary markets.

SharesPost Financial, a company specializing in capital transactions in unlisted companies, said Wednesday it would no longer intervene in the equity trading Aftern Facebook s Friday "to help ensure the orderly transition of society towards regulated markets".

SecondMarket, an intermediate competitor, declined to comment.

Inflation, excluding tobacco, should register at 1.8% in 2012, Bercy announcement Wednesday after the meeting of the Economic Commission of the Nation, a group of economists that advises the Minister of Economy.

The last update of the multi-year strategy of public finances envisaged inflation excluding tobacco to 1.7% this year.

"Based on an inflation forecast of 1.8% excluding tobacco for 2012 adopted by the Economic Commission of the Nation, Baroin (Minister of Economy, Ed) and Xavier Bertrand (Minister of Labour) indicate that a 2.1% revaluation of pensions will be applied from 1 April next year, "the Ministry of Economy said in a statement . 

"At the 2012 inflation forecast, is added the difference between the inflation recorded in 2011 (2.1%) and the initial forecast for 2011 (1.8%) or 0.3%. Such adjustment ensures complete the purchasing power of retirees, "it added.

What wealth conceals the nest egg of presidential candidates? All contenders at the Elysee are required to communicate their heritage to the Constitutional Council. For now, only that the candidate Nicolas Sarkozy has been officially released. Here are pictures, information available on the richness of the main contenders at the Elysee. Fifth

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Many employees who benefit from this measure have their premium reduced employment and housing tax increased. Incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy (here in Lyon March 17, 2012)

The "work more to earn more" is again chipped, supporting figures. According to the union unified tax, the additional income from tax-free overtime is nibbled to taxpayers on low incomes who qualify for the prime pour l'emploi (PPE), mechanically reduced when they earn more.

In his "five-year fiscal balance sheet" presented Wednesday, the Union Solidarity Snui South Treasury highlights the "perverse effects" of the exemption from overtime pay, a key measure passed in 2007, and "unpleasant surprise" for recipients of PPE.  

The additional income generated is not taxed on income "but it is considered in the determination of income tax reference" for the calculation of PEP, said Vincent Drezet, national secretary of the union. In fact, when an employee works overtime, his "reference taxable income will increase" and "this translates into a premium for employment revised down," and also "a housing tax revised upwards "when it was capped, said the trade unionist.

The Budget Ministry, it is not denied but this mechanical effect, it says, "people who work overtime have always seen their incomes increase. In other words," more work "continues to earn more." From the time the person is working overtime, it is normal that the premium for employment is less important, "the ministry.  

To illustrate this, the union made its tax calculations: a single minimum wage paid to declaring taxable income of 13,000 euros and has also received 500 euros for 60 additional hours, receive a reduced PPE of 96 euros (728 euros instead of 824 euros if he had not done overtime) and the amount of its housing tax will increase by 16 euros. Finally, the 500 euro extra income "have resulted in an overall effective tax charge of 112 euros", or 22.4% of the additional on which the employee would have expected count.

PEP is a tax credit, some taxpayers with modest incomes even see their tax increase (when the premium was less than the tax). This is the case for example, according to the union, declaring for a couple of 30,000 euros and 1,500 euros of wage income from overtime: it "will pay 290 euros plus tax."  

However, the union said, "the measure is neutral for taxpayers beyond the thresholds of the EPP." PEP, as Nicolas Sarkozy intends to remove if re-elected to fund lower taxes on low wages, benefits currently to 6 million people, with an average of 450 euros.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange closed up 0.01% Wednesday, the benchmark index of the Japanese financial market has erased almost all of its gains late in the session while e ; silent during the meeting on track to achieve its best February since 1991.

The Nikkei gained 0.72 points to 9,723.24 and the Topix broader, yielded 2.52 points (0.3%) to 835.96.

Investors have finally opted to take profits pending the outcome of the second injection of cash to three years by the European Central Bank.

The bankruptcy of four daily Normandy, Paris-Normandie, Havre Libre Press Havre, Fécamp and progress of their two weekly supplements was announced Monday at an extraordinary works council, officials said a union source.

The Tribunal de Commerce of Le Havre (Seine-Maritime), which is based the headquarters of the League of Norman Press, Publishing and Advertising (SNPEI) that has these newspapers will be asked to rule next Wednesday on February 29.

Martin-Benoît Curtoud, representing the National Union of Journalists (SNJ) in the EC SNPEI, said that the direction of the latter and that of the Hersant Media Group (DRG) which it is subsidiary "hope the appointment of agents for assistance." 

The decline in circulation and advertising is the main reason for the bankruptcy filing.

The estimated turnover of SNPEI settled for 2011 to 39.6 million euros and its net loss was $ 2.2 million.

The draw of the four daily newspapers and their supplements was just over 75,000 copies paid last year, including 52,606 in Paris-Normandie, the main newspaper of the pole. The SNPEI employs 365 employees.

In the match to the distance on Friday opposed the defense of employment, Nicolas Sarkozy announced at the Petit Couronne do restart the refinery Petroplus temporary while Francois Hollande, in Florange, proposed a law requiring companies that do not want more than one site to appeal to a buyer.

Who will make the announcement the more sensational? How far will they go the candidates to win the labor vote? A new match is held at a distance between Nicolas Sarkozy, visiting the Petroplus refinery in Petit Couronne, and François Hollande, who moves in Florange to meet with employees of Arcelor Mittal. Two strategic locations in the field of employment, for a match that promises to be fierce. Follow live changes in the score.

2:05 p.m.: Arcelor Mittal is dismissed by the High Court of his application for entry ban to anyone outside the service in its application was primarily site.Cette the many journalists covering the occupation of the site by employees.

14:00: "There are 3 or 4 buyers interested [...] So far we have not yet found"

1:52 p.m.: regarding the financing, the president ensures that for two months of work needed to restart the refinery, "was 50 million. The 20 million were transferred to the state, 10 million will come CO ² through quotas, and another 20 million in Schell avanace cash "

1:50 p.m.: "Last night later, we signed a processing contract, which guarantees refining activities for a period of 6 months. If there was no contract, it was over.

1:40 p.m.: Francois Hollande reacted to the news of Nicolas Sarkozy: "It is in fact only get the former owner of the site. This is going to the most urgent."

1:20 p.m.: "I am a word. It is signed" with Shell, said Nicolas Sarkozy, adding: "I'm not saying it saves the refinery, but it is signed, it makes the job for six months ".

1:18 p.m.: Holland wishes to clarify that he came as an MP, and is prepared to file a bill: "When a large firm does more than one production unit but does not give the, we will do a bill that will force him to appeal to buyers. " Another proposal: the businesses that use too much to pay the interim benefit of unemployment contributions. He is applauded by employees.

1:10 p.m.: The Socialist candidate speaks. He says he wants to defend the steel industry, "sector of excellence". "I come before you to make commitments. I am aware of the anguish that is yours." He adds, to the attention of its competitors: "There are candidates and candidates of the people who claim to serve the people"

13.00: Francois Hollande arrived at the plant Arcelor Mittal, where he has not spoken yet. It stands in the middle of union representatives, who express their demands, after climbing a truck.

12:45: The president finally arrives on the site. Francois Hollande, is always expected Florange.

11:45: Nicolas Sarkozy will meet in closed session with the staff representatives and administrators of the Petroplus refinery.  

Faced with a record unemployment rate since 1999 that is almost symbolic of the 3 million people, the head of state has recently invested personally in two emblematic cases of companies threatened: the Lejaby lingerie factory Yssingeaux (Haute-Loire) and the solar panel manufacturer Photowatt to Bourgoin (Isère). Candidate since Feb. 15 to a second term, Nicolas Sarkozy made a record of his two electoral argument to illustrate his determination to protect "the France of the factories". "If I had said as they (the Socialists) + we + can not do anything, Alstom would no longer exist, Photowatt we do speak of it and Lejaby would have been wiped off the map", he said Thursday at a public meeting in Lille.

Credit Agricole said Thursday a net loss more severe than expected in the fourth quarter of 2011, to 3 billion euros, due to heavy writedowns related to the crisis area euro and restructuring costs of its banking and investment banking (CIB).

The bank, listed vehicle Crédit Agricole group, said in a statement it had also passed a new supply of government debt, 220 million euros, bringing the discount on debt public of this country to 74% against 75% for BNP Paribas and Societe Generale.

The last three months of 2011, its provisions have generally been multiplied by 2.5, while its net banking income rose 4%. 

As announced in December, Crédit Agricole has recorded for 2.5 billion euros of writedowns in the fourth quarter 2011.

The bank also said that apart from these impairments, restructuring costs amounted to 482 million euros.

"Net banking income was impacted by EUR 258 ​​million in corporate and investment due to the disposal of portfolios," said she.

According to the consensus reached by the editor of Reuters, analysts on average expected a loss of 2.7 billion euros.

For the full fiscal 2011, the bank falls into the red with a net loss of 1.47 billion euros. 

Taken together, the Crédit Agricole group, however, shows a net profit of 812 million euros, which compares to a profit of six billion euros for BNP Paribas and 2 , 4 billion for Societe Generale.

Like many other institutions, Credit Agricole, already enmeshed in the difficulties of its Greek subsidiary Emporiki, has launched a restructuring of its BFI that includes: the removing more than 1,700 positions.

At the Paris Stock Exchange, the shares finished agricultural Wednesday down 3.76% to 5.01 euros. The title has nonetheless gained nearly 15% since the beginning of the year after plunging more than 50% in 2011.