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Since the beginning of the year, France can count on a new ambassador in U.S. supermarkets: the Teddy Bear Marshmallow. The chocolate confectionery iconic Cémoi, which this year celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, was called "So Pretty" across the Atlantic. She will seduce children and adults in Canada and the United States. They currently represent a drop from the 400 million Bears produced annually in the plant Villeneuve d'Ascq.

"We ask our pawns in North America, says Patrick Poirrier, CEO Cémoi first chocolatier in the Hexagon with his trade supplier to brands (MDD), who made last year 750 million euros of turnover. We have there an approach to French fashion products. In three years, we increased our sales by 30%. "If Cémoi not realize yet that 35% of its turnover abroad, it counts including the United States to accelerate.

Focus on Africa

The company, based in Perpignan, which is 900 million euros in turnover by 2015, will open next month an office in New York. He intends to take advantage of the recent development of MDD in the chocolate sector and leverage its brand. There, Cémoi – which adjusts its revenues in each country – relies on its truffles, which are a little Eiffel Tower on their packages, and its dark chocolate ranges, a fast-growing segment on which there is still little Deals in North America fast cash without a hassle. For now, we deliver from our ten factories located in France, "says CEO, grand-son of the founder, who does not rule out making acquisitions in the United States.  

Other fast-growing region for three years, the Eastern Europe (35%), which represents nearly 10% of total production. "The increase in living standards, particularly in Poland, where we have a factory of industrial products, driving growth," said Patrick Poirrier.

In emerging markets, Cémoi prefers to pass his turn now in Asia, having suffered a failure in China in the 1990s. Instead, it set course for sub-Saharan Africa, where he bet on population growth and economic take-off, and its historical presence in Côte d'Ivoire through a processing plant. "We're going to floor on small packaging and on basic products such as chocolate spread," said Patrick Poirrier.

Finally, while the cocoa supply will become critical to the future (it will take one million tonnes in the next decade), Cémoi strengthens its role on the upstream. For two years he sells beans to other chocolatiers, tired of going through middlemen or traders. A new market for Cémoi, which now boasts its presence in the entire chain.

"We are only at the beginning of the story, and is full of hope." Development Officer at First Solar (U.S. group that is among the world leaders in the manufacture of solar panels), Benjamin Thibault summarizes the feeling that drives the industry today: consciousness, firstly, that the boot remains difficult, with several countries are reviewing their system of subsidies,, confidence, on the other hand, the potential of this sector to supplement fossil fuels. At the end of last week, First Solar has developed a detailed PV market in the world.

Spain, the world's most advanced

The first observation admits of no dispute: The solar covers a very small percentage of the total energy production, including the most promising markets. Spain, the world's most advanced, shows a 2.13% share, followed by Germany (1.11%), Italy (0.27%) and France (0.04%). As the United States, they do not exceed 0.03%. Yet it is in California, County of San Luis Obispo, that First Solar is currently building its largest photovoltaic solar farm with a capacity of 550 megawatts (third of a new generation of nuclear reactor), which will be completed in 2014. In the meantime, several slices gradually start working. In general, First Solar is developing a priority less powerful units, between 50 and 80MW.

Photography market also highlights the imbalance of the global photovoltaic industry: on one hand, a production capacity of panels that quickly climbs (tripled between 2009 and 2011, more than 36 gigawatts), the another, an installation capacity receding. "The markets open, transparent and funded are not viable in the context of an industry surfournie," explains First Solar. As for countries with large energy needs, "they can not provide large subsidies."

Europe thinks

The American company, however, believes firmly in the emerging markets compared to 2011, the year 2012 should lead to the development of industrial infrastructure in the Middle East, North Africa and the Asia-Pacific. So far, these three regions have very few megawatts of solar. "Europe is a very different case: many countries, following the judgment or grants made to the brakes, thinking about their strategy. Clearly, we do not really know where we go, "says Benjamin Thibault.

First Solar, France illustrates the caution with which the operators are forced. As the leading manufacturer of thin-film modules -5 gigawatt already installed worldwide, a third roof-wanted to build a plant Blanquefort (Gironde), it finally froze the investment of one hundred million euros. According to the American group, the project is only suspended but the climate does not encourage optimism.

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ArcelorMittal Lorraine, Photowatt, Lejaby, media coverage of industrial sites in need is strong. This is not surprising, given the economic difficulties in Europe. This increase is also due to stakeholders-employees, union leaders, but who understood that they will get a very careful listen policies. There is much to gain in the current circumstances.

• ArcelorMittal firm capacity throughout Europe

Lorraine blast furnaces at ArcelorMittal no longer produce steel since last summer. The leaders of the world's leading steel explain that this closure is only "temporary", due to weak demand for steel on the Old Continent. Besides, ArcelorMittal closed other sites in Belgium, Spain, Germany or Romania.

• Photowatt is taken by EDF

The Commercial Court has adopted the EDF takeover offer on Monday. 355 employees and apprentices Photowatt will remain in the company. The other 70 will be reclassified within EDF. Under bankruptcy protection since November 8, Photowatt has been affected as the entire solar sector by drastic revisions of installation aids. The arrival of EDF on this issue was nothing obvious. Nicolas Sarkozy announced himself on February 9 during a visit to the Fessenheim.

• Fralib again in the news

Francois Hollande gave the site Fralib Gémenos, in the Bouches-du-Rhone, on the front of the stage. February 24, before the employees of this factory that manufactures the Elephant tea, he asked the gratuitous transfer of the brand. The proposed closure of the site, owned by giant Unilever, date 2010.

• Six-month suspended sentence for the Petroplus refinery

The Petit Couronne refinery will be restarted in May. The Anglo-Dutch giant Shell will deliver 100,000 barrels of oil to Petroplus, its owner. This delivery will allow six months of operation. The site's future is not assured. He is a victim of excess refining capacity in Europe, weighing on profitability payday loan. In the Bouches du Rhone, the LyondellBasell refinery was closed and since the beginning of the year.

• Doubts about the future of Peugeot-Citroen in Aulnay

The poor results of the annual Peugeot-Citroen have not reassured the employees of the site of Aulnay. "Reductions in surplus production capacity in Europe is inevitable," said Philippe Varin, Chief Executive. The question of the future site of Aulnay necessarily arises: the manufacture of the Citroen C3 is planned until 2014 and a closure to this horizon was discussed in an internal document last June.

• A leather specialist for help Lejaby underwear

Sofama, a subcontractor of LVMH, which employs 200 people, finally came to the rescue workers of the factory Lejaby Yssingeaux early February. The situation was very precarious. The commercial court of Lyon had indeed retained in mid-January an offer providing for the permanent closure of the manufacturing shop Yssingeaux.

• The Goodyear site north of Amiens still for sale

The Goodyear site north of Amiens is in crisis for five years. Since December 2010, agricultural tires business, which employs more than 500 of the 1,350 employees of the site must be assigned to the American Titan. The latter has renounced the acquisition last December, before sitting down again to the negotiating table in January, under the Ministry of Labour.

• Renault places an order at the Fonderie du Poitou

Mid-January, the industry minister, Eric Besson, who said the large orders placed by Renault at the Foundry in Poitou. Specializing in automotive cylinder heads, the subcontractor is placed under bankruptcy protection since October 19. The Commercial Court has extended this period until 14 March. Several takeover bids were submitted.

Friday night, Greece officially launched the enormous debt exchange it has obtained with its private creditors. This is a complex mechanism that aims to relieve the country by erasing more than half of the slate, or 107 billion euros, and pushing the date for repayment of the remainder (99 billion).

How are things going? In exchange for an obligation of an initial $ 100, Greece proposes to give creditors securities with a value of 46.5 and waive the rest. The new obligations that creditors will accept the exchange are, for the initial value of 31.5, Greek titles and 15 titles from the European Stability (EFSF). The bonds will EFSF of short duration, to enable creditors to receive quick cash. Greek bonds, however, will last far superior. Specifically, for each security traded, the creditor will receive 20 new, lasting spread between 11 and 30 years. The goal is to push the repayment schedule of Greece on the amounts it still accepts honor for him time to recover. In detail, the tender specifies that the interest rates on new bonds will be 2% for securities maturing between 2013 and 2015, 3% between 2016 and 2020, 3.65% for maturities of 2021 and 4.3% for those from 2022 and beyond.

The debt exchange, sometimes called PSI (Private Sector Involvment, private sector involvement), is supposed to allow Greece to reduce its debt ratio to 120% of its gross domestic product by 2020 against 160% TODAY ' Today in the hope that it can eventually regain access to bond markets.  

Everything will depend on the reception of the operation

Athens hopes to conclude the procedure of exchange of debt by 12 March. The whole question now is how much of creditors will participate. According to a Greek politician, the government is optimistic it will be massive. Charles Dallara, managing director of the Institute of International Finance (IIF), which represented the private creditors, has also expressed its confidence. "When they have read the terms of the debt swap, there will be a high turnout," he said from Mexico City which opens a meeting of finance ministers and central bankers of the G20 countries.

Greece said it would not be required to make the debt swap if participation was revealed less than 90%. If it appears between 75% and 90%, then it will launch consultations involving its creditors. At a rate below 75% the exchange will not occur, warned Athens.

The future of Greece still doubtful

The crisis is still a long way to Greece. The Eurogroup President Jean-Claude Juncker said he could not exclude that it takes a third rescue package, echoing the offers of German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble: "there is no guarantee that chosen path lead to success. It is also possible that this is not the last time that the German Parliament should consider financial assistance for Greece. "

Robert Zoellick to head World Bank until next June, the Court also found that the latest aid package of 130 billion paid to Greece would only allow Athens to save time. Finance ministers of the euro area will gather next week ahead of EU summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to review the measures provided for Greece, so that the second European rescue plan to be activated.

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"Kleftes! Thieves! "The insults burst forth in the processions of anti-austerity protesters in the streets of Athens these days. The Greeks win against a political class accused of making no sacrifice while officials have seen their wages blend of 20% and expects the same treatment as private sector employees. MPs in particular are accused of refusing to lower their pay by 10% at the height of the crisis in 2011.

"Until now, politicians have not been transparent about their incomes and citizens suspect that considerable sums are spent for miscellaneous expenses, or that MPs employ family members as assistants," says Nick Malkoutzis a, journalist with the daily Kathimerini.

The Easter bonus deleted

MEPs, however, made a few sacrifices. The 13th and 14th month salaries were eliminated, as in the rest of the civil service in 2010. Last July, the attendance fee paid for participation in a meeting of the 34 parliamentary committees was reduced to 150 euros, against 245 euros before. Premiums Easter, Christmas and holidays have been removed, additional taxes created. These measures have melted the monthly salary of 3375 euros per head on average, according to elected officials.

Parliament said today that the gross monthly salary now stands at 8,221 euros, 4,231 euros after taxes. Are aligned with the highest salaries of public service. In comparison, a French MEP wins 5189.17 euros net. Still, the Greek Parliament plans to spend 34.2 million euros in 2012 for salaries, including bonuses and other compensation. What assure members a sum of 9500 euros per month, plus office and secretarial included.

The difference, ultimately, does not seem huge with the situation before rigor sets. Last December, Parliament has in fact published on its website, for a few days, the tax returns for 2009 of 300 MPs. It was to answer charges of opacity.

Income gaps

Salaries, allowances, current accounts, real estate, and other financial transactions in this document. It shows that in 2009, elected a ten won more than 9,000 euros per month through its sole parliamentary activity. What must be added, for some, a second salary (in Greece, one elected is entitled to retain his original job posting) as well as income potential spouse. Then the gaps widen between the richer members of the assembly (six of them earned more than 33,000 euros per month) and more modest, saying some 2,025 euros monthly income for their household.

"While the debate on the wages of 300 Deputies Greek is symbolic. They represent only three thousandths of the state budget. But the political class has missed the opportunity to cut its own salaries along with those officials, two years ago, analyzing the Greek-Swiss historian Nikolas Bloudanis. It would have been a symbolic gesture extremely important. "Times are changing: this week, for the first time, an elected, Dora Bakoyannis, head of the small liberal party New Democracy (four members), has proposed halving the salaries of parliamentarians .

How much do Greek political leaders

George Papandreou. Photo credits: JOHN KOLESIDIS / REUTERS

The pub, some question its effectiveness. No jurors Effie Award, which annually recognizes the most effective campaigns. The 28 award-winning devices (11 Effie gold, 11 silver and 6 bronze) for the eighteenth edition are no exception to the rule.And they are all the more commendable that they worked at a time when every dollar invested in communications account, and that, at the same time, the level of phobia is high.

While creative advertising agencies are competing for the creative awards (Cannes Lions, Art Directors Club …), the trading them, and their advertising clients prefer to get a price Effie, synonymous with effectiveness measured, proven and proven to a jury of twenty professionals (advertisers, agencies, media, research institutes), chaired this year by the president of Ipsos, Didier Truchot.

For the first time in its history, the awards reward campaign B to B (that is to say for professionals) conducted by the agency Leg (Havas) to SFR.

Will this be enough there to counter the inexorable push Samsung? Probably not.

Korean became the first vendor in the world of smartphones in the third quarter, Gartner said. In one year, sales of smartphones have tripled to 24 million units. Far ahead of the 17 million iPhones sold by Apple on the same quarter.

One in four is a mobile smartphone

The Battle of the smartphones is more important than this is the most dynamic segment fast cash advance. Sales of mobile in the world increased by 5.6% year on year to $ 440 million, while those of smartphones grew 42% to 115 million. This is also where manufacturers achieve the highest margins. "The smartphone market growth slows.

Why not commit either insurance-in logic to encourage banks to provide easier credit for small amounts to small businesses? The role of banks is to finance the real economy, SMEs should not be suffocated by a restriction or a costly credit.

Should there be a bank for SMEs involving the ISP, OSEO under the auspices of the Deposit?

The subject is to better inform business leaders on existing mechanisms and, for that, the best way is to centralize information in one place, easily accessible, the management could be entrusted either to OSEO, either the Deposit guaranteed payday loan.

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There is no question for the CGPME to give voting instructions.

On the sidelines of the strike of hostesses and stewards of Air France since Saturday, the Air France-KLM is struggling along on its activity and its development policy. In this context, the current social movement that will last until Wednesday could further strain the finances of the parent: in 2007, again at All Saints, a strike had caused major disruption and cost him no less 60 million euros.

Now the group through a period of turbulence. Consequence of the current economic gloom, it may well issue a warning on its results in the publication of its accounts for the period April to September under November 9, said BFM Business on Tuesday. Now he hoped to bounce back after suffering a net loss of 197 million euros over the period April to June 2011.In the wake of a meeting with management, a union then estimated at Figaro that "if growth was not at the meeting, a plan for removal on 5000 to 10,000 jobs would be to fear cash advance now."

Undermined by these uncertainties and the lack of clear prospects, Pierre-Henri Gourgeon was forced to resign last week. The directors then indicated that "he was committed to stop the evolution towards a concrete structure group Air France-KLM, to focus on recovery required the two companies." Again in control group, Jean-Cyril Spinetta immediately set the tone by giving the task to Alexander Juniac new CEO of the group, "to respond to the emergence of new competitors, particularly low cost."

Still, this strategy could exacerbate climate distrust between labor and management.

All will be played Wednesday. "No decision will be announced following the summit of the euro area, which takes place this Sunday late afternoon in Brussels, although work is progressing well," said Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel in a joint press conference after a meeting of leaders of 27 countries of the European Union. French President and German Chancellor said that the work "techniques" were still to be completed by the new top of the euro area on Wednesday. The summit will be preceded by another meeting of twenty-seven, they said. "Work is progressing well on the banks of the support fund and the potential use of this fund. The assumptions are tightening and a broad agreement is taking shape. "

On the issue of Greece, progress, assured the leaders without giving details.The stabilization of the indebted country will pass through international loans and additional losses of creditor banks in the country. Europe the figure to at least 50%. According to the report of the troika (representatives of the EU, the ECB and the IMF), the discount should be 60% to maintain unchanged the envelope of € 109 billion promised to Greece, as part a second rescue plan officially recorded on July 21.

Main stumbling block between Paris and Berlin, the transformation of the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF) in the bank, which insisted on France, finally does more of the options considered by the finance ministers of the single currency. The idea was that the Paris Fund bank can borrow from the European Central Bank. "The two options still on the table to strengthen the EFSF do not involve the ECB," confirmed the German Chancellor.This leaves two options: either the mechanism acts as a partial insurance of the public debt of troubled countries or the IMF is expected to increase its participation in the scheme.

In another area, "the work is progressing well on the recapitalization of banks," said Nicolas Sarkozy, again without providing details on the proposed solutions. Countries of the European Union discussed a budget from 107 to 108 billion euros at the meeting of finance ministers on Saturday night. "Banks must find the money markets," stressed Angela Merkel.

Finally, the pressure on Italy is maximum. The two leaders urged the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, with whom they met ahead of the summit, for it to decisively implement a program of growth and debt reduction Alps no fax payday advances."I hope that decisions will be taken (…) Italy is a major economic force but it has a very high public debt should be reduced in a credible manner in the years to come," says Angela Merkel . Nicolas Sarkozy has outbid by saying that Paris and Berlin were "confident sense of responsibility of all the Italian authorities' political, financial and economic."

"Do not repeat the mistakes of the past"

"We must work differently in the future," said Angela Merkel. German Chancellor said that we should not "repeat the mistakes of the past." The problem of the euro area far exceeds that of Greece, she hammered, emphasizing the need for each country to conduct "a tighter fiscal policy."The President of the European Union, Herman Van Rompuy, confirmed on Sunday that the EU treaty could be modified to improve the functioning of the euro area. "The aim is to deepen our economic union and strengthen our fiscal discipline," he said.

Europe is facing economically to "serious challenges", said Herman Van Rompuy, at the opening of the EU summit this morning. He felt that the decisions to be taken by EU leaders to deal with were "perhaps the most important" they've ever had to face the financial crisis. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, had also felt it was "time" to take "decisive and effective." "It is clear that the crisis (debt) is not Greek. This is a European crisis, "he judged.

For its part, the Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme had tried hard not announce anything at all on Sunday, in light of market pressure. "It is essential for tomorrow morning at the opening of markets, we have made sufficient progress so as not to jeopardize the credibility of the euro area," he said. Same story for the European partners have not adopted the single currency, which are concerned about the fallout from the debt crisis. "The crisis in the euro area is being extended to all our economies, including that of Great Britain ', launched the British Prime Minister David Cameron.

(With agencies)

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