International News

A year after its introduction, the majority and the government seem divided on VAT at 5.5% in restaurants. To reduce the government deficit, Budget Minister Francois Baroin, this plane would "very, very large niche for tax, estimated at 3 billion euros Bercy. Its minister, Christine Lagarde, has cropped Tuesday morning: the reduced rate of VAT "is legitimate on the merits.

But the revolt against the old promise of Jacques Chirac, applied from 1 July 2009 thanks to the activism of Nicolas Sarkozy, also scolded the Assembly. Without naming the VAT on food, the general rapporteur for the Budget, Gilles Carrez (UMP), has questioned "a number of consumer items that are 5.5% and that should not be at 5.5 %. He advocates instead an intermediate rate to 12%.

Since the introduction of the measure for the restoration, the context is not the same.The government, which has hitherto led a recovery policy, had to change tack in recent months under pressure from the markets. It is now to reduce the deficit. Especially in the planing tax loopholes.

Nevertheless, the statements and Gilles Carrez Baroin were poorly received by restaurants. "It's absolutely outrageous to say that the 5.5% VAT tax is a niche!" Reacts Philippe Villalon, president of the National Federation of the restoration (FNRF). "We buy our products and we sell 5,5% to 5.5%. As is the case for all areas of the mouth.Moreover, if we repeat the policies they want to end VAT at 5.5%, we should not translate that we lower our prices, nor that we hired, as the state would break its part of contract. "

During the implementation of the measure, the restorers had promised to lower prices, to invest and hire. These commitments, which would take over in case of cancellation of VAT at 5.5%, would have been more or less respected. The Court of Auditors estimated last October that the measure would involve only 6,000 new jobs. The profession claims to the contrary today promised 21,700 against 20,000 a year.

The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) to better protect investors. Like announced last April, the MFA has launched with the collaboration of the supervisory authority, a new public financial information. His goal? To better inform its clients on banking, savings, insurance, financial markets or the credit. The public will get information on insurance products (home, auto, life, health …), bank accounts, means of payment, bank books or the functioning of financial markets, products collective savings, companies listed on the Stock Exchange, the securities account.

"Applications will be redirected by the operators to specialists of the AMF or the supervisory authority," says Madeleine Guidoni, mediator of the AMF.The policeman of the Exchange hopes to meet customer expectations disappointed that their banks do not have better information about the content of such Fund.

Life buoy

"The financial institution has taken to bad habits for marketing of financial products", regrets the AMF Ombudsman Paperless payday loans. With this new service, the regulator should thus be able to better track business practices of banks and better focus the control activities.

After the merger of the bank authorities and insurance giving birth to the supervisory authority, the creation of this service, as required by the economy minister, Christine Lagarde, is like a lifeline to investors, including confidence in financial markets has been severely affected by the numerous cases of fraud or scam.

Called Bank Savings Insurance News Service, is available in a website – www.abs-infoservice.fr – a telephone helpline – 0811901801 – and a postal address – 61 Rue Taitbout, 75009 Paris. The domestic number is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 6:00 p.m..

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The board of managers of the Society of Editors of the World (SRM) would have voted on Friday morning in favor of the project's trio Pigasse-Niel-Berge (GDP) by eleven votes in favor and one abstention. The vote therefore recommends that the General Assembly of the RS, representing the journalists of the daily evening to vote for the BNP bid, to the detriment of the competing offer.

Still, as revealed by the website of Le Nouvel Observateur, the association Hubert Beuve-Mery (HBM), without representing the current personnel of World, would it, in favor of the offer Perdriel-Orange Prisa.

In this context, the absence of a clear majority on Friday afternoon for the one or the other offer, the arbitration will be Monday in the supervisory board of the World.Because Monday's effect on the 20 votes to be voted on Monday SupervisoryCouncil World (including eleven called internal, referring to the personal and the HBM and 9 persons from external), 9 votes External likely to weigh very heavy much heavier than those of the staff of the World by shifting votes in favor of a project that would not have the support staff themselves …

Decisive day for the mobilization against the pension reform. The objective of unions is clear: to gather more demonstrators than previous events, which led to another since the beginning of the year. On 27 May, between 395,000 and one million people (according to the police and unions respectively) took to the streets.

Since then, times have changed. The government has announced plans for pension reform last week. A text that unions have unanimously considered "unfair." Guests this Thursday on RTL, the secretary general of the CFDT, Francois Chérèque, regretted "being faced with a country that is willing to change, but change in the wrong direction." Therefore, he hopes an "exceptional mobilization" for this inter-action day.

"The hope was to surpass the one million demonstrators.I think that this figure will be exceeded is obvious, "said François Chérèque, saying that" perhaps two million people "will demonstrate this Thursday. And this, especially since "more than 200 gatherings" are already planned across France. And calls for strikes in the business (as in Saint-Gobain, Michelin, Total, Airbus, BNP Paribas, L'Oreal, France Telecom, La Poste …) have followed since the beginning of the week.

At the Post, some 19.86% of staff were on strike Thursday morning, said the Directorate in a statement against 12.80% last May 27. For its part, the direction of the station has recorded 39.8% of strikers among the railway workers in mid-morning, against 23.2% during the last day of action interprofessional.

The teachers were 31.9% to strike Thursday in schools and 10.3% in secondary schools (including 18.7% in colleges), according to figures from the Ministry of Education published in mid-morning. The schools were little affected, the degree requires organization. On the day of 23 March, the mobilization in the primary had reached 29.8% of strikers, the ministry said.

Another sector to have mobilized public broadcasting had a strong participation in the strike on Thursday. Several television and radio have been deleted throughout the morning. The directions of France Televisions and Radio France, however, had not reported figures to the mid-day. Finally, the publication of several regional newspapers has been disrupted. To major national newspapers will not seem morrow Fridays.

For the secretary general of the CGT, Bernard Thibault, the one million demonstrators should be passed this afternoon. "If that's not enough, we have the sequence of ideas, this is not the end of a cycle, only the announcement of a bill," he warned in a interview with the newspaper 20 Minutes. "I've seen governments fall as safe as this one, particularly on the subject of pensions, has finally found the union leader.

If Nicolas Sarkozy pledged on Tuesday to be "tuned" during discussions with the unions this summer, and it spoke of "possible developments" of the reform bill late last week, some key points text does not change as raising the legal age to 62 years in 2018. And, whatever the mobilization this Thursday."The mobilization will certainly strong, we expect, we do not fear," warned the Labour Minister, Eric Woerth.

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The rating agencies do not trust Japan. "Without a strong fiscal consolidation plan and credible by the Government of Japan notes will be threatened with demotion to the long term," he said Monday in Tokyo Andrew Colquhoun, director of public debt ratings for Asia-Pacific .

The warning is not innocent. It was made just hours before Prime Minister of Japan, Naoto Kan, announces an increase in the consumption tax, now one of the world's lowest, 5%, designed to rebalance country's finances, would not the day "before two or three years" paydayloans.

In the eyes of Fitch, Tokyo is obviously not fast enough, while the country's debt reaches 201% of its gross domestic product (GDP).

The world leader in chemistry, German BASF, is expected to sign Tuesday the acquisition of fellow Cognis according to the Financial Times Deutschland. Owned by Permira and Goldman Sachs, Cognis manufactures additives for cosmetics and detergents.

According to sources close to the case interviewed by the newspaper, the transaction amounted to 3.2 billion euros. In 2009, sales of Cognis representing 2.6 billion euros and EBITDA was $ 364 million. On its website, the company states employ approximately 5,600 people and be present in thirty countries.

Originally, Cognis was a subsidiary of Henkel, resold in 2004 to 2.5 billion euros. In 2006, the efforts of its new owners to sell it failed. In recent years, the company split from two of its five subsidiaries.BASF has already bought in 2009 the Swiss Ciba for 3.8 billion euros to strengthen in the mill.

Between the French listed companies and U.S. investors, the reports are looking good. Despite the crisis, Paris remains the third preferred destination after Great Britain and Germany. But this affinity could become even more intensity, if we believe a research firm Financial Dynamics on the attractiveness of companies listed on the Paris Stock Exchange with 30 institutional investors on Wall Street. Europe weighs only 13.8% of their portfolio and the size of France went a small 1.6%, which suggests the study, could grow if the managements of French companies were showing "greater transparency and if the publications were more accurate results and frequent. All these qualities, however, already claimed by large listed companies. Yet Americans remain unsatisfied.While 62% feel well informed about investment opportunities, 38% complain that they do not quite grasp the subtleties of the governance and regulation at the French. This does not prevent them from playing for high: 39% of respondents prefer large-cap, over 10 billion euros. And 23% opt for those between 5 and 9.99 billion euros.

To choose between two companies in the euro area, 53% of investors focus first on to dissect the "fundamentals", only 16% consider the prospects for growth as critical. Which is good in this day and age.

Eiffage prances at the head of the Paris stock exchange Thursday morning, climbing about 12% to 10.30. The construction group said Wednesday evening after the close of the Paris Stock Exchange that its subsidiary has signed an agreement Eiffarie with funds for the purchase 13.73% of Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhone (PRPA) that they hold for a total of 854 million euros (55 euros per share). APRR is the second largest French motorway and the fourth in Europe.

Eiffarie owned by Eiffage and Australia's Macquarie have after the operation 95% of APRR. The subsidiary also plans to launch a buyout offer, that is to say that APRR would no longer be quoted on the Stock Exchange (right when the majority shareholder holds more than 95%).A project must receive the blessing of the AMF to be realized.

If this is implemented, and upon its conclusion, it remains on the securities market, these shares would then be a squeeze, which will be performed at the same price of 54.16 euros per share: 84 cents per share are restated as it is the amount of the dividend qu'Eiffarie decided to pay shareholders of APRR June 30 next.

The transaction is expected to close by the June 24 APRR listed on compartment A of Euronext, flies too, from 7.65% to 54.75 euros.

Eiffage and Macquarie have finally heard

The two shareholders of Eiffarie seemed irreconcilable. On this issue, in fact, Eiffage wanted to make a capital increase of 400 million euros in APRR, here just one year.One way to avoid a deterioration of its financial rating would increase the costs of refinancing cash advance till payday. Macquarie's refusal earlier this year.

Use markets? The CEO of Eiffage, in turn, rejects the idea. The stock market conditions are too uncertain. Another option would be to buy back its shares in Eiffarie. But Macquarie had not responded.

Investors enthusiastic

"The acquisition of the balance of APRR is positive news for Eiffage.The group can calmly deal to refinance Eiffarie 2013, "commented analyst Aurel BCG, for whom this would be" accretive by approximately 3% based on Eiffage tax integration we estimate that approximately 70 million euros.

Indeed, Eiffage will benefit from the tax integration: from 1 January 2011, interest paid on debt to acquire Eiffarie * – 3.77 billion – will be deducted from the tax base APRR, say the strategists Natixis Securities. In addition, the tax losses generated by the interest paid on this debt between 2006 and 2010 will be tax deductible APRR, they said. For them, the economy reached 314 million euros. APRR, in fact, will not pay tax according to their estimates.

* Eiffarie, had been chosen by the state in late 2005 during the privatization of Autoroutes Paris Rhin Rhone (APRR).

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Ten weeks after the arrival on the shelves of stores of its nearest competitor, Nespresso is on the offensive … judiciary. Nestle, the world leader in food and owner of Nespresso, sued Friday in front of the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Paris the U.S. Sara Lee, which sells in France for use in coffee pods Nespresso machines under the brand Gold ( coffee house).

According to our records, Casino is also covered by this assignment, as distributor caps Gold. However, neither Carrefour or Leclerc or Auchan, which also sell, have received blue paper. Nestle has obviously wanted to spare its main customers in France.

In fact, the Swiss Casino attacks because it sells, in addition to pods Gold, its own brand caps, also compatible with Nespresso machines.Available for less than one month, they were designed by CSC, a company founded by a former boss of Nespresso, which claims to have found a way around the patents by the Swiss group. The best advertising we could do that Nestle would drag us to court, "repeated John Paul Gaillard, head of CSC. The latter will have to wait to see if it will receive such a boost from his former employer.

1700 patents

Nestlé experts (engineers, mechanics, lawyers), which took ten weeks to complete their technical analysis of the capsules, however, have not yet completed its review of those Casino."This assignment is a clever shot pool with three bands, according to a avocat.Casino will prepare his defense for Gold, while avoiding having to contradict itself in any future case."

Nestle has taken the risk of him a (bad) publicity to defend its brand and its margins."We welcome fair competition, the company said, but we will take all appropriate measures to defend our intellectual property rights."

With the Nespresso coffee machines tailored to accept (in theory) that caps his coffee house and sold exclusively in a distribution network owned, Nestle has a nugget that was made last year a number of business by 1.94 billion euros (up 22%) and whose profitability, kept secret, is close to levels recorded in the luxury industry.

The 1700 patent cover both Nespresso pods, machines, and the mechanism that provides the link between the two. The assignment of Sara Lee would focus on these last two points, not the pods themselves. While those of Nespresso, aluminum, are completely sealed, those of Gold, plastic, are already holes.The panel discussion promises to be tricky. Pending the outcome of the proceedings, which could take 12-18 months (unless an agreement was reached earlier), provides Nespresso not have noticed the slowdown in its rate of growth since the arrival of new competitors. Sara Lee and sell between 1.1 and 1.5 million capsules of coffee … ten to twenty times less than Nescafe.

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This is not a surprise but the time is more than ever in a pinch. Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy will meet on Monday to prepare the European Council by the end of the week and the G20 Toronto. Discussions will focus obviously on public deficits in the euro area, including sanctions to apply against the states that are lax or new ways of coordination of economic policies. Originally scheduled on June 7 last, the interview was postponed, allowing the two leaders unveiled their own plans for savings.

French plan considered "practicable"

The plan submitted by Paris this weekend, is considered "feasible" by the Governor of the Bank of France, Christian Noyer.This has indeed said Sunday he is "perfectly possible" for France to bring its public deficit to 3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2013 as foreseen in the government aims to reduce the public deficit (government, corporate accounts, local communities), 100 billion. To do this, the Governor of the Bank of France has called for "priority measures to reduce expenses."

Effort on the sources of expenditure

And that's the government's target. The Budget Minister Francois Baroin said Sunday that the objective will be achieved by making "a major effort on all sources of expenditure, the state plans to cut public spending by 45 billion euros. The Minister added that this effort on ITélé would "not less" than in Germany.In Germany, the government wants to save 80 billion by 2014, thanks to budget cuts in military spending and social.

The question remains what the market reaction. For now, a report published Sunday by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) says that the bailout of the European Union has not defused the fears of the markets. The institutions in Basel has also reaffirmed that the French and German banks are particularly exposed to the debts of Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain with a respective total of 493 billion and 465 billion dollars.