Posts Tagged ‘special’

The CEO of Procter & Gamble seeks five billion customers

July 4, 2011 - 9:00 am Comments Off

The world's leading consumer is again in top form. The annual accounts ended June should show an increase in turnover of 5% over last year, when sales reached 78.9 billion dollars. Bob McDonald, who took over the group in the middle of the crisis in July 2009, was last week in France for his first visit since taking office cheapest personal loan rates. This former military academy at West Point, who spent five years in the U.S. Army before joining Procter in 1980, his book Figaro battle plan to win every year 200 million new consumers.

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Legrand goes into overdrive

June 20, 2011 - 8:00 am Comments Off

Just over five years after his return on the stock market, Legrand decided to convene today to financial analysts to present the group's prospects in the medium term. The meeting is held in Limoges, where Legrand has one of the French centers of research and development and a "show room" where he can show his skills in home automation and home assistance.

Legrand is a leading electrical and digital infrastructure in the building. He directed last year's 3.89 billion euros in turnover. Its products are the most visible switches and outlets, but it has extended its offer for several years in the areas of home automation and energy efficiency. Elements that have enabled it to deliver excellent results. And it's not over."We set targets in the medium term annual growth of our average total turnover of 10% and an adjusted operating margin averaged 20% after acquisitions," said Gilles Schnepp, Chairman and CEO Legrand.

To achieve this, the group is a clear acceleration of acquisitions. "Until now, we spend an average of 200 million euros per year to our external growth strategy, says Gilles Schnepp. Now, we have increased the amount to 400 million euros on average per year. Over the past twelve months, we completed seven acquisitions as well, especially in the new segments. "

Focus on emerging economies

The target group now two types of companies. First, the actors in the new economies. "We are already present in these countries. For example, we established in Brazil since 1977.Emerging economies now account for 35% of our business, but we want to increase this share to 50% within five years. "The group also wants to develop or strengthen in new segments. Home automation is to say the pilot via a digital interface functions as diverse as lighting, heating, opening and closing of the shutters or video monitoring of visitors, is in a. Other preferred areas: systems to improve energy efficiency or the digital infrastructure. These activities already account for nearly 20% of its sales and growth is more important than more traditional trades.

This dynamic policy of acquisitions can be done without recourse to debt. Funding is made possible by the structural improvement of the group's ability to generate cash."Five years ago, cash flow (cash flow) of Legrand represented 6% of our sales, says Gilles Schnepp. Last year it had risen to 13%. "

A change made possible by an improvement in its processes, including the decline of its product platforms, much like in the car, or shortening the development time of its products.

Performance that does not go unnoticed by investors. In five years, the stock has gained 49% while the CAC 40 sold 25% over the same period.

France has already exhausted its supply of fish

June 14, 2011 - 3:48 pm Comments Off

From this Tuesday, June 14, the fish will be on the shelves of foreign origin. In any case, this says a study published by the NGO OCEAN2012 and Nef (new economics foundation). Dubbed "the EU's growing dependence compared with fish from elsewhere," the survey said that from Tuesday, "We go fishing for fish other" because the reserves in the waters of the European Union are exhausted . For the Hexagon, "the date of self-sufficiency in marine products now comes six weeks earlier than in 2000." Without aquaculture, France even become dependent upon May 7

The country is obviously not the only one to get his fish outside EU waters. Further, where the fisheries sector is less developed, starting much earlier. This is the case of Austria, an enclave in the mountains, has to import from January 15, or of Germany (April 27)."It is surprising to note that this is also the case in some Member States with access to substantial EU marine waters, including Portugal (April 26), Italy (April 30), Spain ( May 8), "says the report.

Overall, the rate of self-sufficiency of the French following a downward trend common to all 27 EU countries. The average date on which member countries must import is currently July 2. "Last year was July 9, this indicates a decline of fishery resources in the EU of about 200,000 tons in twelve months," adds the study.

"We play with the future of stocks"

The French situation is, however, made more remarkable by the boom in demand for fish.The French consume twice as effects of seafood (34.2 kilograms per person per year) than the global average (17.1 pounds) according to 2008 figures from FAO and Eurostat, cited by study. The EU average stands at 22.1 pounds. "By eating more fish than the waters of the EU can not produce, we play with the future of fish stocks and communities dependent on fishing. We are risking the jobs and livelihoods, both within the EU and beyond, "says Rupert Crilly, co-author of the report no faxing payday loan.

"Fish stocks are a renewable resource. Yet, according to figures from the European Commission, we draw the fish faster than the stocks are able to rebuild, "says the study.The conclusion is clear: "In the EU, most of overexploited fish stocks is valued and many of them face a high risk of exhaustion."

Reforming the CFP

How then to match the ever increasing demand for and supply of fish within the EU? For the authors of the study, the answer is in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). This must be reformed next year for an application to January 1, 2013. To put the stocks in good condition, OCEAN2012 therefore demands a review of access rights to resources for each country. "We should set up an evaluation grid with criteria such as environmental impact on the capture of juveniles, on the release of CO2, illegal catches," said Stephan Beaucher policy adviser for fishing OCEAN2012 and co-author of the study."The criteria are also social because 100 tonnes of fish can provide 15 permanent jobs." Based on this grid, a bonus-malus loaded weight of the fishing rights for the member countries would be established.

While waiting to present his ideas to the European Commission, the NGO has read the first draft of reform. It includes bans on ocean dumping, an objective of maximum sustainable yield by 2015 expected to provide only the surplus fishing stocks and the introduction of individual transferable fishing quotas between countries."We must focus on environmental sustainability but the Commission refuses to make this a priority," says Stephan Beaucher which provides that "power relations are being put in place and it'll be hot."

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Facebook founder confirmed eG8

May 17, 2011 - 2:32 am Comments Off

It should not make the trip. Then said "reserve its response". Finally, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, will indeed be in Paris on 24 and 25 May. He has confirmed his arrival in eG8 forum, organized on the initiative of Nicolas Sarkozy.

The young entrepreneur is one of over 1000 makers of the digital ecosystem to participate in this forum, whose aim is to discuss the Internet's role in economic growth. Among them are also Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia founder, Eric Schmidt, Google's chairman, Rupert Murdoch, or the boss of media group News Corp..

The result of their trade will be presented the next day at Deauville, the heads of state gathered for the G8.They will adopt a "statement" whose implementation will be another meeting in October at the initiative of Minister of Industry and the Digital Economy, Eric Besson.

Shale gas: defense industrial

April 16, 2011 - 10:32 pm Comments Off

If the state seems determined to bury the projects to exploit gas and oil shale, it is not the same industry. Total and after the oil is now up to CEO of GDF Suez, Gerard Mestrallet, to speak on the subject. Voices in the columns, the leader regretted that "France turns the page on shale gas before opening it."

The government has indeed done an about-face on the subject. Faced with a growing mobilization against the exploitation of these deposits to potentially harmful to the environment, the prime minister on Wednesday urged the cancellation of the exploration license. In March 2010, Jean-Louis Borloo, Minister of Ecology, had authorized the search of these gases "unconventional" in the basement French Three licenses were awarded, one in Total and two other group Texas Schuepbach associated with GDF Suez.

Impact on prices

It is not certain that there are industrial. They surf on rising fuel prices to justify further research in this area. The CEO of GDF Suez and in Les Echos argues that "France will freeze gas prices on one side and the other refuses to produce shale gas. I recall that if natural gas is cheap in the U.S., thanks to unconventional gas. "

Same story at Total. In a recent interview in Le Parisien, Aujourd'hui en France, oil group's CEO, Christophe de Margerie said that gasoline prices will continue to blaze to 2 euros lellitre super and that this development necessitates the search other energy sources.It specifically targets the shale gas, "We can not defend one side of the security of supply in France, and the other, prohibit the exploration of these famous shale gas. How can we make a final decision without even knowing if this gas is present in the French soil and if it is usable? "

"An operation" clean "is possible"

Similarly, Gerard Mestrallet advocates a continuation of research, also on methods of extracting these gases. "To conclude that we will never be able to develop clean technologies to exploit shale gas, there is not as scientific as I would not cross," said the officer saving account payday loan. Total goes further. Courmes Bruno, director of Total Shale Gas in Europe, the Group subsidiary dedicated to oil shale gas, is "sure to offer a holding" clean "of shale gas."

Cleaner technology and less controversial, would bring the Prime Minister, currently opposed to the exploitation of shale gas, to review its position: "There is no question of closing the door to technological advances that allow for future access to new energy resources ", has underlined Francois Fillon during his speech in favor of cancellation of licenses already granted. A scientific research mission on the possibilities of exploiting these deposits with other technologies is ongoing.

No credible alternative for the moment

Except that it may take time. Asked by lefigaro.fr, Total acknowledges that, at present, there is no alternative to the hydraulic fracturing technique implemented by the Texas Haliburton. An efficient method known but the effects are harmful to the environment.This method aims to create small earthquakes over 2000 meters before injecting large amounts of water and chemicals to extract the fuel. The film Gasland shock, the Oscar-nominated 2011 – which had a significant effect on protest movements – really demonstrates what can be the impact on drinking water, air quality and public health of this method extraction.

Cap on foreign

And France, a "National Day of Action" against the shale gas to take place this weekend. It might then be that manufacturers are turning abroad. Total has also finalized an agreement with CNPC-PetroChina to operate an unconventional gas field in Inner Mongolia and the group has two exploration permits for shale gas in Denmark and six in Argentina.Remains whether the environmental impact of the same technique is different from one country to another.

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To a tax increase for wealthy households

April 4, 2011 - 12:12 pm Comments Off

It is an upheaval of the income tax system proposed by the PS in trying to merge the CSG with the Income Tax (IR). The goal? Make the tax more progressive, plain heavier on high incomes. The idea of ​​merging IR and CSG is not new to the SP. It has even been raised right by Jean-Francois Cope last year! But the work of economist Thomas Piketty gave new vigor. In his book published in January showed that the French Piketty modest pay more taxes as a proportion of their income than the wealthy. A demonstration challenged on the right but the left back.

Why the fusion of IR and the CSG system would make it more redistributive? Because for the Socialists, the new tax scheme would work with the "progressive" of IR, not with the system "proportional" to the CSG.The scale of the IR is called progressive because the more money a household earns, the higher its tax rate is high. Thus, a household with annual earnings per share are € 10,000 is taxed at 5.5%. One whose annual income per share is EUR 100,000 pay 41% of IR's revenue above 70,830 euros. Conversely, the CSG is Proportional: whatever his income, a taxpayer pays 7.5% of his salary in CSG.

But today, the couple CSG and CRDS weighs much heavier than IR: EUR 88 billion against $ 47 billion. Explanation: While the CSG hits all incomes, IR is paid by only half of the homes and is being limited by tax loopholes. Direct taxes paid by households are no longer quite progressive, as the PS. Hence the radical proposal to merge IR and CSG.A proposal which would be consistent with a direct levy of tax on the pay slip and a continuation of benefits for family of IR today guaranteed approval cash advance loans.

A strong political choice

It is therefore a strong political choice, that of increased taxation of the wealthy. Similarly, the PS wants capital gains, dividends, stock options, now taxed at 19%, are taxed at the scale of the new tax. That is up to 41% or more if a new slice is created, what is envisaged. "We need capital income are taxed as labor income," argues Michel Sapin. Furthermore, the SP wants to remove more than 10 billion niche, adding another all taxes. And nothing says that the purchasing power of middle class will be preserved. The end of the reduced VAT in restaurants is not going in that direction. Above all, the socialists want to cancel the tax measures passed in August 2007.Now it appears the exemption IR overtime, which benefits lower income households!

Finally, the SP wants to adjust the VAT on the basis of green products. A priori, this VAT reform should not cause tax increases … This is true also that the proposed corporate tax rate (20% if profits are reinvested, and 40% s 'they are redistributed to shareholders, against 33.33% today). But overall, the proposed tax bill increases the PS business. Particularly because it is 7 billion tax replacing the business tax.

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Apple prepares to unveil its new iPad

March 1, 2011 - 11:20 am Comments Off

This time for sure. Or almost. March 2, Apple expected to unveil the highly anticipated iPad 2. It will suffice that the company sends an invitation to American journalists to revive speculation. A photo reveals a piece of screen that lets assume that this is the iPad 2. Additional evidence, the meeting will be held at the same place where the first tablet had been made, the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco. Reactions to the announcement may seem disproportionate. This overlooks the fact that after upset the market for music (iPod and iTunes), telephony (iPhone), Apple is addressing the issue and the PC world with its iPad.

When is the next revolution? Some are betting on a sensational debut in television. Meanwhile, the assumptions about race 2 continues the iPad.It would be finer, with new features, including a second camera to facilitate video conferencing.

The moment is perfectly chosen by Apple to silence rumors about his ability to launch a new version. Although no official date had been given, the rumor predicted a delay in this second version! They waited for the new iPad in January to launch three months later. But the health of Steve Jobs delayed the process. That gap could make him lose several million in sales. According to analysts, a period of three months in the marketing of the iPad 2 would pass the annual sales from 30 to 23 million.

Investor confidence

For Apple, the risk is even greater than the competition gets tougher. There are now over a hundred bars of all sizes.Admittedly, not all are marketed in the U.S. or Europe, but the profusion of offers incentives for the response. If Apple wants to remain the benchmark in the market shelves, it needs to change his. Success of the iPad 2 also proves that even if Steve Jobs is on sick leave, product launches continue. Certainly, many shareholders have asked last week presenting a succession plan, a proposal rejected in general meeting. But overall, investors maintained their confidence in society. The way Apple rose nearly 8% since the beginning of the year, the market outperformance.

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Mediator: the top seeds fall to AFSSAPS

February 27, 2011 - 8:28 am Comments Off

The new boss of the French Agency for Safety of Health Products (AFSSAPS), Dominique Maraninchi had set the tone last week. He had planned to clean up the agency. The goal is to reset the counters to zero after the scandal of the Mediator, the drug marketed Servier Laboratories between 1976 and 2009 in France and who would, according to various studies, caused the deaths of 500 to 2000 people. Fifteen months of the presidential election, the mission entrusted by Xavier Bertrand, Minister of Health for the former president of the National Cancer Institute, is to restore French confidence in the authorities who are responsible for the health public including Afssaps supposed to be the policeman of the drug.And of course, avoid at all costs a new health scandal.

According to our information, the names of the first people who will be excluded were communicated. He is the head of risk monitoring and usage of the drug, Anne Castot, and the Head of the Department of Pharmacovigilance, Carmen Kreft-Jais. They leave their duties in the month of June. In taking this decision, the executive director of the agency's target drug pharmacovigilance, expected to monitor the risks of the drug and failed for over thirty years with the Mediator. However, it does not question the experts in charge of permits on the market (AMM) that they decide whether to give a laboratory green light to start marketing a product but also to suspend instant payday loan.However, the MA committee has not shone in the case of this drug for diabetics who are overweight but widely misused as an appetite suppressant. Belgium had decided in 1977 not to authorize the Mediator due to its anorectic effects.

Blacklisting

"You have fuses, lamp-! Anne Castot and Carmen Kreft-Jais had a head above them, "says one expert Afssaps. A view shared by many agency scientists. "We're doing the blame solely pharmacovigilance. However, in the late 1990s, our specialty had identified the effects that this drug could have (our editions of Dec. 2, 2010). By cons, in 2007, the Board authorized placing on the market explained that the risk-benefit balance was in favor of the Mediator!, "Protested another expert.The MA committee has not classified as an anorectic drug, which would have earned a withdrawal from the market in the late 1990s.

"The issue is not to knock heads, but there is a problem in pharmacovigilance compared to what happened with the Mediator," explains Dominique Maraninchi his side who says wanting to "protect" Anne Castot and Carmen Kreft-Jais' the exposure they have suffered. " The decision to blacklist pharmacovigilance comes as some regional centers (France into account 31) would be endangered.

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The Court of Auditors overwhelms the port of Marseille

February 3, 2011 - 5:04 am Comments Off

"Wages, bonuses, working hours … an inventory edifying

"Read report (pdf)

The Court of Auditors is preparing to publish a highly critical report on the Great Sea port of Marseille. In this document, including Le Figaro has obtained a draft, working conditions and remuneration enviable some of its employees and the situation of "social blockage" of the harbor is culprit. The final report will be published on February 8. His revelation comes in the open social conflict: Tuesday evening, the negotiating meeting on the consideration of the hardship in the business of cargo handling between the CGT Union ports and management companies handling nothing given.

Violence without consequences

Drivers of cranes and gantries, key employees of major seaports, under the port reform passed in August 2008, should be transferred to the private sector do not work effectively as 14 hours per week and 12 hours Fos Marseille, given the organization by teams of two drivers for a crane or a gantry, absences and the rule of "finite-party", the report of the Court of Auditors. Their monthly salary is between 3500 and 4500 euros net, including gratuities, still illegally paid by the stevedoring companies despite a call to order of the Court in a previous report. However, only the Italian ports of La Spezia and Genoa are experiencing lower productivity than Marseille.The implementation of the reform should allow "seriously consider organizing handling to restore the GPMM every chance in the competition in terna tional," said the Court.

For, although it recognizes the comparative advantages "undeniable" port of Marseille, positioned on the route between Asia and Europe, and particularly easy to access compared to some competitors, the Commission stated that " except in the cruise, he continues to lose market share m ar payday loan lenders. For judges, "one of the key factors, if not the main, this decline is due to the insufficient reliability of the port, due to a deteriorating social climate, with alternating periods of calm and crisis, often violent, in a context where a union (the CGT, Ed) dominates all others. "And, faced with this situation, judges link "a commitment to reform disintegrating too often, particularly for lack of sufficient determination of the authorities of the State, facing a social crisis and the extreme tension that accompanies" .

The report notes the position of watermark fluid and not always consistent authorities in the bidding of the CGT, which led to an inextricable situation."There are shortages at the port of Marseille that applies to the normal rule of law, where everyone takes his role in the economic and social debate, but where the limits of democratic debate are not crossed," said the judges, who insist conclusion "to the leaders but also guardianship GPMM departmental and local representatives of the state to penalize or punish do, drifts accompanied by violence, including systematic complaining!

In a power struggle often unfavorable, port officials have not always been of the prosecution of violence which would have deserved and have often yielded to the bidding union.

United Kingdom: very liberal reform of health

January 21, 2011 - 8:44 am Comments Off

The coalition government led by David Cameron yesterday launched nothing less than the most significant reform of the British system of public health since its inception in 1948. The plan will give more power to GPs and will put in competition with private and public structures, which is denounced by the opposition Labor Party as a back-door attempt to "privatize" the National Health Service (NHS, National Health Service) .

Although the health sector is the only branch of the state untouched by the 81 billion pounds (96 billion) of budget cuts, the coalition of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats has aimed to 4% savings on the health budget, a total of 20 billion pounds in four years.The money saved by reforming the system should be fully reinvested to improve the quality of care and offset the rising cost of health care costs.

David Cameron recalled last weekend that Britain was still below the EU average in many areas, such as survival rates for different types of cancer.

The reform, which concerns only England (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are autonomous in managing their health care system), was presented yesterday to Parliament by the Conservative Minister of Health Andrew Lansley fast cash advance.While Tony Blair and Gordon Brown had tried to improve the quality of the system by investing billions of pounds and more than 400,000 by recruiting new staff for the NHS in a decade, Cameron's plan will remove two hierarchical levels in the administration and should result in significant staff reductions.

Quest for the best price

Currently, public hospitals are controlled by a British chain of command that goes from regional levels to Ministry of Health at the top. From 2013, the new system will remove the control to the Minister of Health to empower GPs, GP (General Practitioners). These physicians, together with regional groupings, have the responsibility to manage up to 80 billion pounds on a total budget of more than 100 billion pounds.Depending on their needs and objectives, they define the goals of care and will be able to compete with public hospitals and private organizations to provide services at the best price. Many patient groups and doctors' union, the British Medical Association, concerned about the impact of reform on patients and fear that these radical reforms and rapid "focus more on cost than quality" of care.