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It's now official, EDF has announced a delay for the EPR Flamanville, in the Channel. Delaying the start date of the reactor is two years "the goal of the first marketable production is now set to 2014," says management.

And the cost of construction is "re-estimated at around five billion euros," confirms the group. So far, the construction of 3rd generation reactor was estimated at four billion euros.

According to Jack Tord, coordinator CGT on the site, this would involve additional time to recruit more staff on site.The staff, already brought to 3,000 employees, "should reach 3500 to the end of the year or early next year," said he.

The management of EDF had implicitly recognized in November 2009 after a delay of one year, distinguishing between the engine start, in 2012, and "production of electricity sold, set up in 2013.

A delay not surprising

Delays in the EPR Flamanville are regularly mentioned in the press. In January, Le Figaro and Les Echos mentioned already "at least two years late" for a cost of 5 billion euros.Thursday, Le Monde and Le Parisien also evoked a start in 2014, against 2012 under the original schedule.

CGT refers to EDF for several months delay of this order, the Paris-based delegates arguing two years late and those of construction Flamanville a year and a half.

Credibility of the EPR

In a report released Tuesday by the Elysee Palace, the former boss of EDF Francois Roussely called to urgently establish a "priority action plan" to "ensure the construction of the nuclear Flamanville 3 in the best conditions cost and time.

Objective, preserve the credibility of the maximum EPR model and "the ability of the French nuclear industry to achieve new power plants were built, after the difficulties encountered on the Olkiluoto site in Finland and that of the third installment of Flamanville.

Construction of the EPR at Olkiluoto in Finland, led by the Areva group, accuses the four years behind its original schedule, with a reactor startup scheduled for late 2012 or early 2013.

Areva has spent 2.7 billion euros of provisions in its accounts for the site, while the cost of the EPR was initially estimated at 3 billion euros.

After the government advertisement To reduce the funds allocated to several departments, Jean-Louis Borloo has described some of the measures envisaged to his ministry, according to Les Echos published on Friday. The Department of Ecology and Sustainable Development is indeed an important concern to put on a diet of government: it gives rise to tax benefits more expensive for the state (15 billion euros after Les Echos) that it would reduce to 8.5 to 10 billion euros. Moreover, these measures increase of 800 million euros annually.

In all, nearly two billion euros would be saved by 2012, including one billion on niches "green" these tax benefits related to work "green". Jean-Louis Borloo has raised the deduction available to individuals who install photovoltaic panels on the roof of their home.The shortfall for the State is estimated at 800 million euros. It could therefore be reduced by at least 50% reserved for existing homes.

The list of works "green" that give rise to tax benefits could also be reduced. The tax cuts themselves could also decrease by 10%. As for renovations "non-green", they could lose their advantage of a VAT at 5.5%.

Finally, the government also calls into question his support for biofuels. They enjoy a double benefit: a reduced fee and the requirement for all distributors to offer for sale.

The association UFC – Que Choisir has just published a study on 3G mobile phone plans denouncing "the false promises of unlimited Internet. According to this study, 41% of consumers are not satisfied with the 3G connection on their mobile phone.

The association of consumer advocacy focuses on two points. First, it denounces the bridle in all mobile networks operators and found that the rate (or velocity) is deficient in all mobile operators. "59% of the reported rates do not exceed one megabit per second when the 3G theoretically allows a throughput of 7.2 megabits" said Edouard Barreiro, director of studies at the association of consumer protection.

Second, the study notes that the nature of the packages called "unlimited internet" is often questioned by users.Indeed, how can it be considered an access to the Internet access to a network crippled (no VOIP or P2P for example) and sometimes (eg in some packages of Orange) excludes even download emails?

In this context, concludes UFC-Que Choisir, it is not surprising that 41% of users are dissatisfied with their 3G connection payday loan lenders. And the association calls on governments a regulatory framework in three points. Firstly, the operators use the term "Internet" to refer only to universal access to all content. Secondly, they cease to call 'unlimited' offers subject to a quota of data exchanged.Finally, the operators are required to provide their customers with a clear and accurate information on the characteristics of service (speed, coverage, network saturation, etc..).

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"No engagement will not solve the demographic problem," still insisted the prime minister, noting that previous pension reforms of 1993 and 2003 had been "challenged" and "are now accepted by everyone."

A symbolic announcement just days before the opening of the G20 summit in Toronto. The People's Bank of China, the Chinese central bank, announced Saturday that it had decided to continue the reform of the mechanism of the exchange rate of the renminbi (yuan's other name) in order to "increase the flexibility .

"The world economy is recovering gradually. The recovery and rebound of the Chinese economy is increasingly confirmed, leading to greater economic stability, "argued the central bank in a statement published in English on its website. "It is therefore advisable to take the reform of RMB exchange rate."

Since summer 2008, the yuan has remained stuck at around 6.83 against the dollar, fluctuating within a very narrow margin vis-à-vis the greenback.A contentious issue between China and its trading partners, most notably the United States, who believe that the yuan is undervalued, allowing Beijing to sell its products for export at very competitive prices.

In a letter to heads of State and Government of the G20 on Friday, President Barack Obama had given the record of the yuan on the table, a reference to it. "I also want to stress that exchange rates determined by the market are essential to global economic vitality," he wrote in his letter.

China has always rejected international pressure. The Deputy Foreign Minister, Cui, had also insisted on Friday that the issue of the yuan would not be up for discussion G20 payday loan companies. "The renminbi is the currency of China.This is not something that the international community needs to discuss, "he told a joint press conference with Zhang Tao, head of international department of the Central Bank.

A move immediately welcomed

Announcing this on Saturday continued reform of the yuan, the central bank has focused on "China's efforts to encourage a global rebalancing. The institution has admitted that the "special policy" introduced by Beijing in the heart of the global financial crisis had perhaps more reason to be in a context of economic recovery, but recalled however that "the stability of the yuan has played a major role in mitigating the impact of the crisis, which has contributed significantly to the recovery in Asia and the world.On the other hand, the central bank has insisted that the gradual return to a flexible exchange rate of the currency does not mean "great changes or major changes, namely a re-evaluation.

The gesture was appreciated nonetheless. Timothy Geithner, U.S. Treasury Secretary, said in a statement that the reform of the yuan could make a "positive contribution" to global growth. "We welcome the decision by China to strengthen the flexibility of its exchange rate," he said. The Director General of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dominique Strauss-Kahn also found that Beijing's decision was "very encouraging".

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If it does not take the bull by the horns, Japan will end as Greece. The policy speech delivered yesterday by the new Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, before Parliament is clearly intended to create a shock.

"Like the problems in the euro area caused by Greece, there is a risk of collapse if we do nothing against the rising public debt and consequently lose the confidence of bond markets," Has he said. Japan's debt exceeds 200% because of GDP (gross domestic product) and threatens to reach 246% in 2014, according to the IMF.

In reality, there is no chance that the archipelago is found in the situation in Athens, since this debt is 95% owned by Nippon investors and long-term rates remain very low, but feared the reaction of Tokyo rating agencies.Last January, Standard and Poor's downgraded the rating of its long-term debt from "stable" to "negative".

Naoto Kan, who can count on the support of 61.5% of the population, according to a poll conducted Wednesday, draws a line over ten years of economic policy that has led the country to choke.

He wants to go fast and run a complete overhaul of the tax system by initiating a national debate beyond partisan barriers "to ensure the support of the opposition. The economic recovery of the archipelago, with an annualized growth of 5% in the first quarter, giving him the means.

Deflationary

But this reform is likely to be painful because it requires an increase in VAT, currently at 5%, one of the lowest in developed countries. Can not kill it in the bud the recovery of consumer confidence recorded in five months? "I do not think so.The VAT could double, but that should not weigh. When households are too indebted state, they are slowing their purchases. If they have a visibility they consume more, "said one investment banker in Tokyo. He added that such measures can help break the spiral of deflation, which, "by dint expect further declines in prices affects consumption."

The government, which wants to reduce unnecessary government spending, is preparing in parallel to reduce the corporate tax, which at 40%, is one of the highest of OECD countries. This would allow companies to offer cheaper products, thereby reducing the impact of the tax increase on consumption.

"It's courageous," says a French financial analyst living in Japan.And Naoto Kan, for once, can rely with confidence on the new Minister of Finance, Yoshihiko Noda, firm believer in fiscal discipline.

Only downside, the prime minister can not deny the social promises made during the campaign of his party. But they are expensive. The only allowance for children continuing their studies, launched in the spring and intended to fight against the declining birth rate, represents 45 billion euros per year. And the Minister of Social Affairs, Akira Nagatsuma suggests it could take another form as a cash payment to families. But "when we preach the rigor of educational way, the Japanese understand perfectly," decide the investment banker, who took the gamble that the revolution Kan prevail.

They had first announced, they did. On the occasion of the Auto Show that was held last March in Geneva, PSA and Mitsubishi have confirmed that they would continue their industrial cooperation, aun when they abandoned their capital project alliance. On Tuesday, on the sidelines of the results of Mitsubishi, the two automakers announced they would jointly develop a compact 4×4 model, which will be marketed in Europe in 2012.

This vehicle is available in four-wheel and two wheel drive, and will be based on an existing model from Mitsubishi, RVR known in Japan and ASX in Europe, which will be suitable for Peugeot and Citroen brands, say the two groups said in a statement. Finally, the vehicle will be equipped with a diesel 1.6 Di Peugeot Citroen.50,000 vehicles per year and brand should be built.

The statement said that it is the fourth cooperation between PSA and Mitsubishi, after the agreement on the manufacture of all-terrain vehicles and electric, and the inauguration of a joint plant in Russia.

Mitsubishi also presented its annual results this morning. The Japanese carmaker is ironed green during the 2009-2010 fiscal year completed in late March, registering a net profit of 4.7 billion yen, or 36 million euros. It provides an increase of 31.4% of its turnover for 2010-2011.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Wednesday nudged up its forecast for global growth but said the risks to the recovery, particularly the developed countries' public debt and imbalances in capital flows. In fact, the institution has maintained its growth forecast for the eurozone to 1% in 2010, while stressing the fragility of the recovery against the risk of the Greek budget crisis and its possible contagion effects.

In its "World Economic Outlook, the IMF now expects growth of 4.2% against 3.9% estimated in January. The forecast of +4.3% for 2011 is unchanged. In 2009, world GDP had declined by 0.6%.

"The recovery of the global economy has developed better than expected," said Fund."The activity recovers at different rates, timidly in many advanced countries, but strong in most emerging and developing," he noted.

Growth will be slower in Europe (1% in the euro area, 1.3% in the United Kingdom) and Japan (1.9%). It would be higher in contrast to the United States (3.1%). But it would mainly driven by emerging markets and developing countries (6.3%), the Asia head (8.7%, 10% for China).

In this context, the IMF expressed concern about the impact on capital flows."Estimates of IMF economists show that current account imbalances will increase significantly with the resumption of world trade, improving financial conditions and the stabilization of commodity prices at higher levels," said the institution No fax pay day loan.

"The currencies of a number of Asian economies remain undervalued in significant proportions in the case of the yuan, while the dollar and the euro remained strong over the medium term fundamentals," said the IMF.

In addition, the Fund insisted on another risk to global growth, the swelling public debt of developed countries.

While advising maintain expansionary policies in 2010, he believes that "many of these countries must also take urgent credible medium-term strategies to reduce public debt and then back to more conservative levels ."The risks associated with foreign states may depress the activity for a variety of reasons," noted the IMF.

"The high ratios of debt (relative to GDP, ie) would hinder budgetary flexibility, lead to higher interest rates in the general economy, increase the vulnerability of economies budgetary difficulties, and compressing the growth," he listed.

Finally, the Fund has called on governments to "repair and reform the financial sector, to end the gaps in regulation, and to" support the creation of jobs and the unemployed, the unemployment rate to remain at around 8.5% in developed countries until the end of 2011.

A first for a group of ACC 40.Total was indicted on 27 February by the French judge Serge Tournaire, corruption, complicity and concealment of influence peddling in the case called "oil-food cons", echoing the UN program established in 1997 for the Iraqis, when the international embargo following the invasion of Kuwait.

After the setbacks in terms of image for Total, with Erika – Total was sentenced on appeal to pay 375,000 euros – and AZF, this attack could further extend the negative perception of the French vis-?-vis the oil group .

A decision "incomprehensible"

The investigation started in 2002 had directed to various French personalities suspected of having distributed the early 2000s kickbacks to members of the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein that the group continues to source barrels of oil outside the framework imposed program of the UN oil-food cons.

Several officers and employees of the group had been indicted personally since 2006. But this time, it's Total as corporation that is under no faxing pay day loans.

"This decision (of indictment of the Total Group, NDRL) recommence the proceedings," said Master Veil, the lawyer of Total, has told AFP the date of the indictment, and thus confirmed information from the newspaper Les Echos."The judge took this decision against all odds, while his predecessor and the prosecution had held the contrary, at least implicitly," he added, saying the indictment "incomprehensible."

Total will watch his side surprised by this indictment, which "comes eight years after the commencement of the trial, with no new element has been placed on file," according to Les Echos.

Indeed, Serge Tournaire succeeded Xaviere Someone who had requested a non-place for all employees and former employees, and the boss of Total, Christophe de Margerie. In addition, Total said that "the report Volker independent commission of inquiry established by the United Nations had rejected any complaint of corruption."

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In discussions for several months, Renault and Daimler could seal the alliance next month. Reportedly, Renault convened April 6 board of directors on this extraordinary subject. Y will be referred to the amplitude of the partnership between the two groups and an exchange of shareholdings which reach a symbolic level of around 3% of the capital, the Financial Times.

The holding of this board proves both that the proposed partnership is strategic and that Renault wants to make a quick decision. The aim is to announce in the wake to shareholders of Daimler and Renault, whose general meetings held respectively on 14 and April 30.

A partnership on small cars appears to be established."We saw no fundamental obstacle that would prevent an agreement", said earlier this month Dieter Zetsche, head of Daimler, maker of Mercedes and Smart. Both groups were formalized in late 2009 for discussions on small cars. He would share components between models Renault, the successor of the Mercedes A and B and the Future Smart, and even create a common platform to both manufacturers for smaller models. The agreement would also cover vehicles and electric utilities. This would allow Daimler, which has lost a lot of money with its smart, make economies of scale crucial.

Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault, has never hidden his willingness to open the Renault-Nissan Alliance in a third partner, bad credit payday advance . Objective: "search for additional synergies.The owner of the mark in the Diamond does not believe the alliance cooperation without capital, only "a symbol that the relationship is long term." "It is difficult to ask the engineers of two competing companies to share fully their skills without the link," said he.

Participation Nissan

The Japanese Nissan, which Renault owns 44%, could also be part of the agreement with Daimler. According to the Nikkei, Daimler would provide bigger engines to Nissan, which in turn would make electric cars and batteries to the German group."If Renault signs an alliance with Daimler extent, I suppose Nissan will join the alliance," said a Nissan executive quoted by the Japanese newspaper.

An equity cross between Renault and Daimler mean that the obstacle of the valuation gap between the two groups (10 billion euros to 37 billion French and in German at the current rate) has been bypassed. To simplify things, Daimler would provide the 3.5% it owns in his own group, according to Bloomberg. Finally, the merger could also speed the withdrawal of Renault in Volvo AB, the truck manufacturer with the French group holds 20%.