Suez Environnement on Friday issued a gross operating income (EBITDA) fell by 5.5% at constant exchange rates in the first quarter, hurt by falling volumes of waste treated by the group in Europe in difficult economic times.

The world's second largest environmental services, however, has expressed confidence in its ability to achieve its 2012 objectives, which include sales and EBITDA at least identical to those of 2011 at constant exchange rates and a dividend greater than or equal to 0.65 per share for 2011.

It was also announced in February that it was an EBITDA of at least 2.7 billion euros in 2013 (at constant exchange rates) and a ratio of net debt EBITDA maintained at about 3 , 0. 

Suez Environnement recorded in the first quarter EBITDA of 566 million, down 4.5% (-3.4% organic), and a turnover of 3.591 million, up 2.2% (+ 0.9% at constant exchange rates and 1.4% organic).

The group "plans to strengthen its efforts to profitability and free cash flow generation for 2012", informed the Director General Jean-Louis Chaussade, without elaborating.

The group announced in February that it was within 300 to 360 million euros of its goal of reducing costs for the period 2010-2012, made up of 250 million at end 2011. 

For activities, organic growth reached 2.8% in the first quarter in Water Europe and 1.2% in the Waste Europe activities, which have benefited from a price "generally positive" but also experienced a decline in volumes.

International segment sales grew 0.4% organically, an increase that would have been 2.3% outside the desalination plant in Melbourne, Australia, whose construction has struggled in 2011 but is now "being finalized".

The Suez Environnement on Thursday completed a course of 10.625 euros, rising to around 16% since the beginning of the year after a plunge of 42% in 2011.

The cloud of explosive gas that has formed around a platform of Total off Scotland after a leak on a well has forced Shell to evacuate its turn Tuesday staff of two neighboring facilities and the French oil group does not exclude take some six months to repair the leak.

Growing concerns about the platform for Elgin-Franklin, both in terms of production losses or possible repair costs of the site, drove the share price of Total which ensures that the leak has not so far had a significant impact on the environment.

This is not the opinion of Frederic Hauge, head of Bellona, ​​a leading advocacy group for the Norwegian environment closely following oil exploration in the North Sea. 

Considering it "the pit of hell", he concluded that "the problem is out of control".

The gas leak on Elgin-Franklin formed a cloud dense enough to be visible to other platforms in the North Sea. Shell has decided to suspend, as a precaution, to drill on one of them.

Action Total recorded the biggest drop in the CAC 40 Tuesday, yielding 5.96% to 38.56 euros, its lowest levels in the last three months. The title accuses its sharpest decline since December 2008 and saw its capitalization blend of six billion euros.

Total, by far the highest weight of the ACC, led the index in Paris, which ended down 0.92% while the European sector index of oil and gas gave up 2.37%.

At this stage, investors are more concerned about the impact of leakage on the group's production and its consequences on the environment and the prudent play while waiting to get an idea pre Cise of the magnitude of the disaster.

"Investors apply the precautionary principle in a situation still uncertain, in memory with the recent accident that affected BP," said Romain Burnand, co-director of Moneta Asset Management. 

PLAN "IN THE DAYS TO COME"

The explosion and sinking and the Deepwater Horizon, in the Gulf of Mexico, eleven had died in April 2010. Some 4.9 million barrels of crude oil had leaked from the Macondo well, drilled on behalf of the "major" British Petroleum. After the disaster, BP had lost more than 52% of its stock value in less than two months.

"With the memory of Macondo, the market remains very nervous about this kind of news until the problem is not quantified," said one trader.

"This event will impact Total's production and creates a risk of pollution-limited at this stage but not yet identified," he added, noting that the group had not yet de ; cided the best way in its handling of the incident.

Total has indeed explained explore all possible options to address the leak, including drilling a relief well.

"There are two options for intervention. One is to drill a relief well, which could take about six months. The other is an intervention on the platform to seal the well (…) what would be a faster option, "he told Reuters David Hainsworth, safety manager, health and environment at Total Exploration & Production UK

. "We plan to decide on a course in the coming days," he added

. "Early indications are that there is no significant impact on the environment and the use of dispersant is not necessary at this stage ", then announced in a statement Total

." A surveillance aircraft confirmed the presence of iridescence in the vicinity of the platform. They are drilling muds and / or products associated with the light gas with a volume currently estimated at 30 m3 "added the group

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DOWN MARKET TECHNIP

addition to mobilizing 10 to 20 engineers, Total has engaged the services of Wild Well Control, a company that occurred during the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010

……. Technip .. The title has also dropped in the Paris Stock Exchange, closing down 3.17% to 6.151 euros while some respondents evoked rumors that the responsibility of the oil services group , who built the platform for production of Elgin and Franklin fields, could be initiated. 

"The platform that Technip has built for the Elgin-Franklin field is PUQ, platform type production TPG500. But Total said in a statement that the leak was located on one of the two platforms well ", but said a spokesman for the group in an email to Reuters …. Total

….. halted production and evacuated personnel on site (238 people) after the gas leak Sunday …… The platform

… previously produced nine million cubic meters of gas per day, equivalent to 3% of UK production of natural gas and than 60,000 barrels per day of light crude

. The environmental consequences of leakage of natural gas condensates are much less severe than of oil spills, has informed the British Minister of Energy. 

An exclusion zone of sea and air, however, was declared around the platform, said Total.

Union leaders at Opel-Vauxhall European subsidiary of General Motors and PSA Peugeot-Citroen will hold talks in April to forge an alliance against the two groups and defend employment, said Friday the European Metalworkers Federation (EMF).

Wolfgang Schäfer-Klug, Opel, and Jean-Francois Kondratiuk, PSA, are due April 18 in Brussels with other union representatives to a preparatory meeting before another meeting the end of April which will be attended by delegates from all European sites.

The meeting will be chaired by Ulrich Eckelmann, general secretary of the GEF. Its objective is the creation of a permanent entity that can speak on equal terms with the directions of the two groups.

"The current strategy of the two automakers is to play their respective sites against each other. By creating this alliance, they can increase their scope and include all production sites in this competition, "said Wolf Jäcklein, a member of the GEF ….

….. "We need to step beyond our individual companies and defend us all against this tactic is the key." .. Leaders

…… Opel will present next Wednesday on the supervisory board of the European subsidiary of General Motors a project involving the closure of two plants in Europe to reduce by about 30% production capacity, officials said several sources informed of the discussions within the company. 

PSA Peugeot Citroën, the new French ally GM meets Friday a European group committee three weeks after the announcement of the merger between the two groups, while unions' s question the social and industrial benefits of the project.

The Chinese government expects economic growth of 7.5% and 4% inflation in 2012, announced Monday Premier Wen Jiabao at the opening of the annual session of the Congress of the People .

The budget deficit is expected him to rise to 800 billion yuan, or 1.5% of gross domestic product.

Growth forecasts are in line with analyst expectations, but Beijing had earlier set a target of 8% annual GDP growth. 

"Our ambition is to promote a continuous and sustained economic development, to preserve price stability and protecting us from the financial risks by keeping the money supply and credit supply at an appropriate level and adopting a cautious and flexible approach, "said Wen in his report to Congress of the People.

The Prime Minister further undertakes to limit real estate speculation and ensure the stability of the yuan. It also promises Beijing's intervention to solve the problem of indebtedness of local governments that many investors consider to be the main concern on the fiscal silent.

Basketball, football, to the rally, the French sports pocket each year over 10 million euros for some. In mind since 2006, Thierry Henry was dethroned by Franck Ribery in the ranking of the largest salaries in 2011, established by the Team Mag Saturday, March 3. The top ten images.you 10/10

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France and Belgium have agreed on the need to implement as soon as possible the future solidarity mechanism in the euro area (MES) and its enhancement with the means of relief fund current the euro area (EFSF), it was said Friday a source close to the Elysee.

The same source, there were reports of an "identity of views" on these issues at the end of a one-hour interview at the Elysee Palace between Nicolas Sarkozy and Prime Belgian minister, Elio di Rupo.

"There is an identity of views on the need to implement the TSS as soon as possible and reinforcement, additionality between the MES and the EFSF," it was said.

"We have already said we would revisit the issue in March and here is our German friends to do move," they added. 

Enhancing capabilities of MES, whose creation was decided at a European council in late January, could be raised at the forthcoming summit scheduled to 1 and 2 March in Brussels.

Germany has so far refused to consider increasing its endowment beyond the planned 500 billion euros. France is pushing for his part in a combination means the EFSF and MES, successor to the fund, to give it increased firepower. Executive Director of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, had estimated late January that such a combination would be a "strong signal" to restore confidence in the euro area.

Always a source close to the Elysee, it indicates that Nicolas Sarkozy pleaded with Elio di Rupo to the European institutions, starting with the Brussels commission, adapt to a more integrated euro area.

"It is necessary that the commission revise the methods when she works for the euro area. We can not be refereeing by independent non-euro, "said the source citing the head of state

." We also need a much faster operation of the commission, can not wait months and months it takes to draft regulations so that there is urgency.

And also, it takes a much stricter monitoring of the government economic decisions (Heads of State and Government) in the euro zone takes. Belgian Prime Minister fully agrees with that. "

On leaving the Elysee, Elio di Rupo stressed that the European Union now had the form of two "concentric circles", the EU itself and the euro area, "which must have a dynamic linked to the single currency"

.

Kraft Foods posted a quarterly profit Tuesday as expected and said anticipating a growth in operating income of at least 9% this year, despite pruning announced its range in North America.

The first U.S. food group, which holds particular LU biscuits and coffee Carte Noire, will split into two companies later this year.

One will be dedicated to its snacks marketed worldwide as Cadbury chocolate and biscuits Oreos, the other brands in North America specifically, the e ; door leaf thereof being referred to shrink. 

To prepare for this separation, the group will fund a special charge of $ 1.6 billion to $ 1.8 billion (1.2 to 1.4 billion euros).

Kraft has said it expected a net increase its turnover by around 5% in 2012. This forecast takes into account the negative effect of around one percentage point reduction in its range in North America.

The group said also anticipate an increase of at least 9% of its operating profit at constant exchange rates, despite higher taxes and pension costs.

The action Kraft gained 1.9% to 38.73 dollars to 4:20 p.m. GMT on Wall Street, while the Dow Jones progressed from 0.37%.

The group recorded a fourth quarter profit of $ 830 million, or 47 cents a share, against $ 540 million (31 cents) a year earlier.

Excluding items, earnings per share were 57 cents, according to Thomson Reuters consensus I / B / E / S.

Turnover increased by 6.6% to $ 14.7 billion. Organic growth – is out acquisitions, disposals, calendar effects and exchange – rose 7% in North America, 3.1% in Europe and 7.2% in emerging markets.

2000 French were interviewed by the firm OC & C for the fifth year on their perception of prices in a sixty nine brands owned by different sectors. The survey measures the gap between the actual price of a brand and the idea that consumers will make. Results: advance leaders still considerable. The report found that the French had one very realistic prices. "No wonder. The discount was born in France and consumers are accustomed to comparing prices," said Jean-Daniel Pick, cabinet member.Previous useSuivant Leroy Merlin (52) Next Photo 11/14

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The bill was rejected UMP to 175 votes against 168. A Mixed Commission will now be convened before a return to both Houses of Parliament. View of the Senate in the Luxembourg Palace

The Senate on Wednesday rejected by 175 votes against 168 the bill UMP to govern the right to strike in the airline, criticized by the unions of Air Staff.

Most PS, CRC (Communist), RDSE (mostly PRG) Ecologist and passed a motion prior procedural motion which amounts to a rejection of the text. The centrist and right UMP voted against.

Filed by a deputy of the Right People, Eric Diard, before movement of airport security officers, PPL already adopted on 25 January by the National Assembly is to implement in the air including the existing and the SNCF RATP. Left and Right have competed strongly in the hemicycle of the Palais du Luxembourg, where the shouts are increasing with the approach of presidential elections.

"The airline industry is highly confrontational: 1131 strikes in the last three years, 63 days last year. This is no longer acceptable. Freedom of strikers must end or beginning of the passengers," insisted the minister Transport, Thierry Mariani. "The sky is open air. You, too, show a little opening and let yourself go with the interests of passengers, not that of a minority of employees," he told Catherine Procaccia (UMP). "Passengers are the cannon fodder of the malfunctioning of social dialogue," exclaimed Louis Negro (UMP).

"You do not have a monopoly on empathy with users stuck in airports. It is always the strikers who are responsible for everything, you never put the responsibility on employers, however, social dialogue takes two, "replied Jean Desessard (Greens)." If employees have to leave it because of the strikes of 1936 and if they do not fly is that they do not have money, you are the emissaries of big business "has swept Borvo Nicole Cohen-Seat, Chair of the group CRC (Communist). "No more business would be immune to similar restrictions to a fundamental right: the right to strike," protested George Labazée (PS). "The goal is to flatter a certain opinion public without worrying about the consequences of employees whose situation is often precarious, "blasted the rapporteur Claude Jeannerot (PS).  

This text requires the strikers, under penalty of law, to declare individually 48 hours before each day of the strike and employers to forecast traffic no later than 24 hours before the disturbance. Employees waiving participation in a strike or deciding to resume their service will also, under penalty of disciplinary action, inform the employer within 24 hours prior to their participation or anticipated recovery. This obligation to inform the employer of a change of mind will also apply to land transport, thereby altering the symbolic law of August 2007, improperly called law on "minimum service".

The airline unions have the four days last week strike demanding the withdrawal of a text for them violates the right to strike. They do not exclude other mobilizations. The PPL is registered emergency, a Mixed Commission (CMP, seven senators, seven MPs) will now be convened before a return to both houses but the Assembly has the last word.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the Greek parliament as MPs must vote in the late afternoon a bill consisting of austerity measures demanded such drastic and unpopular es by the EU and the IMF in exchange for a new rescue plan.

Greek Prime Minister of Greece Lucas Papademos warned against the "economic chaos" in case of rejection, while Germany has warned that Greece should stop being a "well bottomless "`.

After three days of tension and political threats, Parliament began shortly after 14:00 (12:00 GMT) to examine the bill to save 3.3 billion euros thanks to lower wages, pensions and job cuts public. 

The vote must take place before midnight (2200 GMT), said the finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos, "because on Monday morning, the banking and financial markets should have received the message that Greece can and will survive. "

"If the law is not adopted, the country will go bankrupt," warned the Minister that a Communist deputy threw the pages of the bill on the floor of the Assembly.

About twenty members of the coalition of Lucas Papademos have threatened in recent days to vote against the text and six government members submitted their resignations, but the Prime Minister will still theoretically supported by a large majority. 

Outside the parliament, police fired tear gas to try to disperse demonstrators who threw stones and Molotov cocktail at Syntagma Square.

This is the largest mobilization since the month of demonstrations against the security measures. Most protesters retreated but clashes continued in the middle of the afternoon.

"There is tear gas into the interior of the Assembly," said one Communist deputy, Panagiotis Lafazanis.

"Bottomless well"

The new austerity plan is the price to pay for the release of an aid program of 130 billion euros from the EU and the IMF – the second since 2010.

Greece has to touch the money before March 20 to repay a state loan of 14.5 billion euros.

Germany has turned up the heat a notch Sunday warning that Europe expected actions and not words.

"The promises of Greece are no longer sufficient for us," warned the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble. 

Referring to the new austerity plan in which the Greek deputies must vote this Sunday, the minister said in an interview published by the Welt am Sonntag that the previous did not e ; tee implemented in their entirety.

Wolfgang Schäuble said that the Germans are largely in favor of an international aid to Greece. "But it's important to say that it can be a bottomless pit. This is why the Greeks will finally have to clog the well. Then we can put something. At least people are now beginning to realize that it will not work with a bottomless pit.

"Greece must do its homework to become competitive, it requires a new rescue plan or some other way that we do not want to (…)" he says referring to an output the euro area.

Asked if such an outcome is possible, Wolfgang Schäuble responds: "Everything is in the hands of the Greeks themselves. But even in that event, on which no table, they remain an integral part of Europe ".

"We are pleased to offer our assistance, but we should not give others the impression that they have not done enough. Each state is responsible for itself," explains he said.