"After consideration, we will not invest in Areva" reveals Christophe Margerie, CEO and future chairman of Total, in an interview with the first edition of the Journal du Dimanche. After the failure in late December of invitation supply in Abu Dhabi to build two nuclear reactors, which were project stakeholders EDF, Areva, GDF Suez but also Total oil group maintains its draft into nuclear power. But without investment in Areva, whose strategy is now under threat.
"Those who think we lost because of poor organization Franco-French are wrong. (…) Can we make the EPR cheaper without sacrificing safety? This is the real issue "said Christophe Margerie.The EPR French would indeed be 40% more expensive than the South Korean model finally selected by Abu Dhabi.
Needs huge
So as an investor-operator and Total says it wants to enter the nuclear market. In this context, "we want to set up projects with Areva, but we do not exclude mounting other international partnerships," said the CEO.
Asked about the economic outlook for his group in 2010, Christophe de Margerie also appears optimistic. Satisfied with the signing of two important contracts in natural gas, the United States and Algeria, he anticipates the needs of huge new countries: India, China, Middle East and Africa.
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Good news on employment front in the United States. New entries in unemployment at its lowest since September 2008, to 452,000 in the week ended on December 18. This figure comes after two weeks of up and confirms the downward trend observed since late March in the United States.
Analysts do not expect a decline of this magnitude and had forecast about 470,000 new registrations. The total number of unemployed receiving benefits rose to 5.07 million, a decrease of 127,000 persons over the previous week.
The Department of Labor, which published the statistics, held relative to this development, stating that "this week in particular is extremely difficult to adjust for seasonal variations, because the raw numbers can be very different depending on the configuration calendar year. Clearly, the actual unemployment has probably not declined much.
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The idea is not new, but it is original. On 1 May 2006, a vast movement of economic boycott was launched by the Hispanic population in the United States. The principle is simple: do not go to work, do not go to school, buy nothing and sell nothing. During 24 hours.
The goal? Demonstrate the role of immigration in the course of economic life. Result: factories temporarily forced to halt production and on the same day, nearly two million immigrants protesting in the streets of Los Angeles.
It is this "day without immigrants" Nadia Lamarkbi wants to reproduce in France. The idea came to him after the controversy over the remarks of Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux at summer schools of the UMP."It was the click" confirms that the Franco-Moroccan journalist of 35 years, "long" had "the desire to act against contempt" vis-à-vis immigrants.
A boycott is open to all
Soon a group was created to promote this idea. A website and blog are set up. And mayonnaise takes. The Facebook page "day without immigrants" already has nearly 5,000 members and 10 local committees were created.
The "24 hours without immigrants" will be held on 1 March 2010. A symbolic date because it marks the fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the Code of Entry and Stay of Aliens and Asylum (CESEDA), which established an immigration "chosen" on economic criteria.
"We want to draw people's attention and ensure that the look that focuses on immigrants in France changed. Today, the word "immigrant" has become almost an insult.This is not normal, "said Nadir Dendoune, spokesman for the group.
If the motion is primarily intended "to immigrants and their descendants," all non-immigrant solidarity and recognize the contribution of immigration to the growth of our country can also participate in the boycott. Blacks, whites, beurs, left, right … it must be a national cause. We even sent an invitation to Nicolas Sarkozy. As the son of an immigrant, he should be concerned, "quipped the reporter.
Getting support
In the charter, published on its website, the group responsible wanted to "ensure independent action and by refusing to protect against any attempt at recovery. But its members know that supporting policies and associations is "necessary to make the initiative work," admits Nadir Dendoune."We've already been contacted repeatedly by politicians and unions. We will negotiate with them. While maintaining our independence. "
The socialist deputy of Seine-Saint-Denis, Daniel Goldberg, has already supported the project: he regrets that French second or third generation "are still seen as foreigners."
And the Education Without Borders Network (RESF) could also meet this. Its president, Richard Moyon, also welcomed "the recent expansion of the range of actions on the issue of immigration." A reaction, he said, "xenophobic policy pursued by the government."
Asked about the initiative at Talk Orange-Le Figaro, Eric Besson said, "Do not create scarecrows that do not exist. And the Immigration Minister added: "It's not just invent a stigma."
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How to better control the price of gas? That is the question posed by the UFC-Que Choisir in a study released Tuesday and conducted for the association, the Microeconomix firm, specializing in economic analysis applied to energy. The study, which decrypts the various components of gas prices, indexation of long-term contracts to supply gas to that of petroleum products is no longer justified because "the gas reserves are larger and Practice these two energies are not quite the same. " Moreover, this calculation method penalizes consumers for petroleum products are part of an upward trend and are very volatile. The UFC-Que Choisir gives the example of the United States, where there is a real market price of gas. Its price is low given the recession and the discovery of new deposits while the oil prices started rising.The association proposes that consumer gas prices for the supply, are no longer indexed to oil prices and encourages GDF-Suez and state shareholder to initiate a reflection on this subject.
Costs associated with better delivery boxes
Another point raised by the study: the opacity of the costs of delivering gas (transportation, distribution, storage). The UFC also regretted that the information on the operating expenses of transportation and distribution are not published. The same is true of financial results of storage of GDF-Suez and Total, the two current operators. The study also reveals that the total capital committed to the transportation and distribution in France are paid at a rate higher than in other European countries. The idea would be to align to allow a reduction in the cost of these positions.Thus, for transport, the decrease corresponds to 4% or lower fares for consumers in the order of 0.4% since this activity represents 10% of the total cost. For distribution, the decline would be 3%, slightly less than 1% for the end consumer because the distribution represents 25% of total costs. Finally, for the association, it is necessary for storage, whose price has increased 20% over three years to become a regulated activity, as are transportation and distribution. Currently, operators of gas freely set their rates. The UFC is therefore proposing that the costs of bringing gas to final consumers are better supervised.
At present, regulated tariffs for natural gas are set by the government after recommendation from the Commission of Energy Regulation. Last October, the government had decided not to change the price of gas.According to the formula for calculating the new rates, the decline would be limited to 0.6% to 0.7%. The last drop of gas took place last April. It was around 11.3%.
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"Gas: a new method of pricing?
"PAPER – Read the analysis of the UFC-Que Choisir on gas prices (pdf)
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