News – Business & Economi

The Prosecutor General of the Supreme Court has definitively cancel the condemnation of Total over 12 years near the wreck of the tanker Erika off the Brittany coast in 1999, which caused ; a major ecological disaster.

This 24-year-old ship broke in two on 12 December 1999 in a storm and sank, spilling 20,000 tonnes of fuel on 400 km of the Breton coast, killing dozens thousands of birds and ravaging the seabed.

The prosecution based its opinion on the fact that the disaster has not occurred in French waters but "exclusive economic zone" (EEZ), and that the ship flew the Maltese flag, which would remove any possibility of prosecution in criminal justice. 

The Court of Cassation, the highest French court, which will meet May 24 and will make the final decision after a deliberate, however, is not bound to follow the opinion of floor, reading was revealed by Liberation and Ouest-France.

The public prosecutor asked the permanent cancellation without retrial, the conviction for "marine pollution" of the first French company announced after two die decisions at first instance and on appeal in 2008 in 2010.

In addition to the Total group, sentenced to a fine of 375,000 euros, Rina, the Italian maritime regulatory body which gave its airworthiness certificate to the ship (175.000 euro fine), Giuseppe Savarese, a former Italian owner of the ship, and Antonio Pollara, Italian former manager of the Erika (75,000 euro fine each) were convicted in appeal.

The lower courts have so far retained the right of other interpretations. The plaintiffs believe that the French territory was hit by the effects of the offense is sufficient to render the French competent judges.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE IN DANGER

The floor of the Court of Cassation also recommends abandoning the notion of "environmental damage" introduced in 2008 by the trial judgment that can demand compensation for environmental damage , as well as for moral harm, economic or property.

After a review of the complex thicket of international conventions governing shipping, the prosecutor's office believes it is impossible to legalize this notion. 

Corinne Lepage, one of the lawyers of the plaintiffs and former environment minister, said that it was here that a notice and hoped that the Court would not follow him.

"It would be a double disaster legal, not for the common (…) but in terms of law in general because it means that charterers could continue to take as Total boat was rotten like the Erika for reasons of pure greed and polluting the coast without nothing happens, "she said on RTL. 

NO EFFECT ON PAYMENTS

The folder is marked from the beginning by a very complex debate, shipping is governed by a series of international conventions and national laws very bushy, with idé e general far as the charterer of a tanker is in principle not liable criminally or civilly.

The Court of Appeal had also, on this point, not fully completed the first judgment, concluding that Total was guilty but not criminally responsible civilly.

This point has not had an immediate effect because Total has already paid in 2009 without possible cancellation of 170 192 500 000 compensation ordered in the first instance in 2008, 153 for the state. Rina has paid the surplus, and an "extension" decided on appeal where the total bill rose to 200.6 million euros.

Total said it would ask for a refund, whatever the final decision to the Supreme Court, where lawyers of some 80 civil parties, municipalities, regions, departments and advocacy groups the environment will plead.

French society has always said he was the victim of a "hidden defect" of the boat, never a thesis accepted by the court. 

Given another 200 million euros paid by the company in 1999, including the cleaning of beaches and pumping oil from the wreck, the total bill to stu ve for it to nearly 400 million euros, an amount limited compared with the annual profit of nearly $ 12 billion company.

The German government is preparing to take a stake larger than expected 12% stake in EADS, parent company of Airbus, said on Friday German government source, sign that Berlin intends to defend its interests within the European aerospace group.

The German state, through the state development bank KfW, would take over the holdings of automaker Daimler and several private banks, the source said, confirming a report in the German press.

"The draft supplementary budget foresees 1.6 billion euros for this purpose," the source said.

Germany had already indicated that it would buy 7.5% of EADS Daimler. The additional 4.5% will be purchased from the banking consortium Dedalus.

Around 10 am at the Paris Bourse, EADS gained 1.29% to 30.63 euros.

EADS is currently controlled by a partnership between Daimler, the French Lagardère and the French state.

The approach of Germany could weigh in the debate between Berlin EADS on the location of production sites, while the group has already warned Germany against any attempt to engineer ; reference.

The CEO of EADS Louis Welsh defended the project in early March of his designated successor Thomas Enders to domicile a greater number of group activities in Toulouse, where the headquarters of Airbus, attracting criticism from Berlin. 

A spokesman for the German Economy Ministry had refused Thursday to comment on the information on the purchase of greater participation by the state revealed by the Financial Times Deutschland, while a representative of EADS also refused to do so.

The title Exonhit significantly lower Thursday at the Paris Bourse after the publication of 2011 results considered very encouraging for the future of the biotechnology company, according to stakeholders.

For the past year, Exonhit reduced its loss to 7.1 million euros, against a loss of 7.7 million in 2010, and indicated that on 31 December 2011, his strated ; Flow was $ 12.9 million, giving it about 24 months of cash.

She also announced today have repaid all its long-term debt.

Turnover dropped to 5 million euros last year, against 8.4 million a year earlier. 

The company claims to have achieved savings in 2011 of two million euros in a full year after abandoning a planned acquisition and cut expenses on clinical Aclarus DX, the blood test of Alzheimer's disease.

Present equally in the market for drugs for neurodegenerative diseases and the diagnosis, Exonhit gives no numerical targets for 2012 merely say "more than ever" confident in achieving its prospects.

"The year 2012 will Exonhit to that of expanding our portfolio of diagnostic products, its own or in collaboration, while maintaining a solid financial structure," said the pre Chairman of the Executive Loïc Maurel, said in the statement of results. 

At 11:10, the action Exonhit lost 9.36% to 1.84 euros in large volumes, showing a market capitalization of 62.78 million euros. At this price level, the title was up 73.6% since the beginning of the year, after a loss of 48.29% last year.

At Bryan Garnier, Sebastien Malafosse the analyst points out that the market "expects a start-up Exonhit as it invests in its future development rather than focus on reducing of its cost structure ".

The views of the steps taken in 2011, he continues, "the road is still long for Exonhit and maturity of 24 months of cash could happen quickly."

With other analysts, however, it notes that the action has Exonhit, like those of other biotechs, gained much ground in recent sessions, so the decline of this morning can also be explained by profit taking.

The action of TNT Express flew more than 50% Monday on the exchanges of Amsterdam, beyond the purchase price offered by the American UPS, indicating that investors expect a proposal for enhanced .

UPS said Friday it had offered € 9 per share to buy the Dutch group messaging, valuing it around 4.9 billion euros. TNT Express has rejected the offer, but discussions are continuing between the two groups.

The action was traded to TNT 9:50 GMT around 9.80 euros, up 54% from its closing price on Friday night (6.343 euros).

American investigative journalist Edward Epstein published a survey in which it reveals new details about the case of the Sofitel. He was convinced that Dominique Strauss-Kahn was the victim of a conspiracy. The case was carried from Paris. Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn (by leaving the financial police in Paris September 29, 2011)

The case of the Sofitel New York, which marked the end of the presidential ambitions of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, had a new twist Saturday, reviving questions about the possibility of a trap, already mentioned by close to Former IMF chief.In this investigation, the AFP was able to consult, the American journalist argues that the BlackBerry DSK could have been hacked.

Edward Epstein expressed confidence that "tried to derail" the candidacy of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, but declined to talk about "political conspiracy" created from scratch, in an interview with AFP on Saturday. In an interview on Europe 1 audio, it reaffirms that it is a conspiracy: "It is much like a political issue, but I do not have certainty," said he. "If it's a political issue, it's a matter of French politics. I think it came from Paris. It may come from the UMP, it can come from the secret services, that can even come from someone who s 'interested in the activities of the IMF. "

The UMP denies any involvement

On May 14, Dominique Strauss-Kahn called his wife Anne Sinclair told him that "something bad happened."

International creditors of Greece did not convince the leader of the Conservatives Saturday, Antonis Samaras, engage in writing for the austerity measures required for new aid.

The leader of New Democracy, one of three teams who sit in the national unity government led by Lucas Papademos, reiterated that his word was enough and that a written guarantee was unnecessary.

European leaders are concerned that the parties are reluctant to implement unpopular reforms before the elections on February 19.

Antonis Samaras has already announced that it was an absolute majority at the polls to renegotiate the terms of the European aid plan.Creditors are willing to block eight billion euros needed to Athens to avoid default next month.

Representatives of the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also met with former Prime Minister George Papandreou, leader of the Socialist Party (PASOK), which had no comment.

They should also meet Sunday with Georgios Katzaféris, leader of the far-right party Laos, the third member of the coalition.

"THERE WILL BE A SOLUTION"

In an interview with the weekly Sunday Real News, the leader of Laos suggests that it will sign a written undertaking.

"Do we need the money or not? If the answer is no, we do not sign.

Antonio Borges, director of the Europe Department International Monetary Fund (IMF), has resigned with immediate effect, the Fund announced Wednesday.

The IMF notes that the Director General intends to appoint Christine Lagarde Reza Moghadam, Director of the current strategy to succeed Borges, effective Thursday.

Unilever issued a sales increase of 7.8% in the third quarter and expects margins stable or declining for the year 2011, experienced strong sales growth in emerging markets.

The manufacturer of soaps and mayonnaise has raised its prices by nearly 6%, while sales in countries such as India, Indonesia and Brazil have helped to offset difficult markets in Europe and the United States .

However, the group warned that its operating margin at constant perimeter and constant exchange rates would be stable or slightly declining over the year 2011 due to higher commodity prices.

On this basis, the Group reported a turnover up 7.8%, a performance better than the consensus of society, which provided an increase of 6.3%, following growth of 4.3% in the first quarter and 7.1% in the second.

The world's second largest home appliances Electrolux said Friday he would seek to further reduce its costs, adding an expected decline in demand in its key markets after announcing a drop in quarterly profit.

The group, which owns the brands Electrolux, AEG and Frigidaire, anticipating the year a decline in demand for appliances in Europe of around 1%, not a 1% increase as expected before.

It also expects that the demand in North America fell by 4-5%, against an increase of 3% previously expected.

The group reported a third quarter adjusted operating income of 1.10 billion kronor (122 million) against 1.98 billion a year earlier.

The Reuters gave 1.06 billion crowns.

"Demand has fallen in several major markets (…) southern Europe and the United States, when the cost of raw materials has increased," said its chief executive Keith McLoughlin.

"The third quarter results were affected by the continuing difficult market conditions."

Electrolux said in a statement it would continue to seek to optimize the use of production capacity in North America and Western Europe and also reduce overhead costs.

In Berlin, the worlds of energy and finance very seriously discuss the creation of a foundation that would take over the management of German nuclear power plants to improve the investment capacity of major operators in the renewable. A nuclear power plant in Bavaria.

The revelation of the existence of a project to create a "bad bank" to manage public the twilight of the 17 German nuclear power plants causes a controversy surrounding the funding of the output of nuclear power. In its edition of Friday, October 7, the business daily Handelsblatt confirmed that it held the plans for such a project. Developed by the investment bank Lazard, it is currently under discussion between government and big energy companies.According to the newspaper, the Bad Bank would take the form of a foundation to which we would transfer the management of power plants owned by EON, RWE, Vattenfall and EnBW, the four major German operators of nuclear power. The ultimate goal would be to delegate the responsibility of dismantling the foundation to restore financial credibility of their owners and thus increase their ability to invest in renewable energy.

The dismantling will cost 28 billion

The plan, which is still called "secret", poses the problem of financing the abandonment of nuclear energy in Germany. This abandonment, which requires to increase the share of renewables in the energy mix currently 20% German and 35 in 10 years, should cost around 250 billion euros, according to estimates by the state bank KfW.In ten years, Germany will therefore have to adapt its grid to the mode of decentralized production of renewable energy. Expensive sites such as strengthening the north-south but also the construction of many regional lines to low voltage are on the program, as well as the construction of new gas power plants and cogeneration and the erection of multiple wind farms and PV. Meanwhile, companies but also individuals should invest more in equipment and housing less voracious.Moreover, the cost of phasing out nuclear power plants was assessed at least 18 billion euros, which will add at least 10 billion for reprocessing and storage of radioactive fuel not included.

The development bank KfW has provided 100 billion euros over the next 5 years to meet the needs of corporate finance. But they and their shareholders, will also participate to a large extent these investments. However, the financial position of the four major energy producers in Germany has not improved since Angela Merkel urged the country to the output of nuclear power. The cessation of all nuclear power plants by 2022 will deprive them of lucrative profits. They also will have to invest heavily in non-polluting power plants and the production of renewable energy.

A very controversial Bed Bank

The predicted fall in profitability is not made to attract investors. Already, rating agencies have downgraded to EON and RWE, which in future will have to pay more for the money. Hence the idea of ​​the foundation. In the scenario described, operators freely transfer their plants in the foundation. It would become responsible for their management and their dismantling and storage of fuel. In return, the Foundation would benefit from the income generated by the plant operating until 2022. Nearly 15 billion euros. Or 13 billion euros less than the cost of decommissioning.The difference would be borne by the state in exchange for a recognition of debts that can not be deleted if these companies are investing in renewable much higher.

This is only for the moment that the outline of an unofficial plan but some find difficult to avoid. Michael Vassiliadis, president of the powerful union IG BCE Energy, believes it will be difficult to meet the challenge of phasing out nuclear power by passing capacity of large energy companies. But Ms. Bärbel Höhn, vice president of the Bundestag parliamentary group environmentalist, does not share this view: "I have rarely seen a plan as naive and transparent.This project led to the foundation of the risks that outsourcing will return to offer a lot of money to EON and RWE, "she said by stating that the plant operators had long been provisioned as are needed to decommissioning. As for Hermann Albers, President of Federation of the main companies in the wind (Bundesverband Windenergie), it considers that these plans are outrageous because again, "they are negotiated in secret" and "it is the consumer who will costs ":" The turning point energy can do without monopolistic structures. Its interest lies in the fact that it will promote a decentralized supply and promote competition, "he said.