• The facts. Between January 1 and March 31, 2012, it sold 419.1 million mobile phones worldwide, according to figures from research company Gartner reported Wednesday. This is the first time since the second quarter of 2009 as the market retreats.

• Why is it sold less mobile. According to Gartner, the main reason is to be sought in Asia. Demand between January and March, traditionally driven by the Chinese New Year, has slowed, due to deferrals of purchases and a lack of new landmark.

Mobile phone makers have had mixed fortunes, however. So, Nokia has been the most impacted. Its sales have collapsed, from 107 million units last year to 83 million, a global market share of 19.8%. The Finnish group has lost its leading position in mobile, he had held since 1998. Samsung (20.7%), with sales however rose from 68 to 86 million units, an increase of over 25%, is now number one industry.

In fact, manufacturers are well positioned in smartphones that are best left in the quarter. It sold 144.4 million smartphones between January and March, an increase of 44%. Together, Apple and Samsung have concentrated almost half of sales (49.3%), against a little over a third last year. Interestingly, smartphones represent the total sales of Apple and 44% of those from Samsung, against only 16% for Nokia.

• The conservative projections for 2012, despite the iPhone 5. Given this trend, Gartner considers "inevitable" a downward revision of sales forecasts throughout the year. The research institute recognizes that the arrival of new Android smartphones and Windows phone, and the launch of the iPhone 5, will encourage strong growth in Europe and the United States. Similarly, the new BlackBerry, BB10, is expected by the end of the year.

During the first quarter, more than one smartphone sold in two (56.1%) was an Android, against 36.4% a year ago. IOS, the system of the iPhone, is it rose from 16.9 to 22.8% market share. In contrast, all other systems are now fallen below 10%. Smartphones running Microsoft's Windows phone have such great difficulty to penetrate. They represented 1.9% of sales this quarter, or 2.7 million units sold.

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The French group, co-leader of the global wine and spirits, has lost his latest appeal yesterday in the battle between the past twenty years at rival Bacardi. Pernod Ricard can not use the Havana Club trademark in the United States, world's largest market rum (40% of sales). Held by the Cuban state, the famous rum is sold in 120 countries around the world by Pernod Ricard.

The U.S. Supreme Court refused yesterday to consider the decision to an appeals court in Washington in 2011 that had impeded renew the Havana Club trademark in the United States. And, under a 1998 law, also called "Bacardi Bill". The French had seized earlier this year the U.S. Supreme Court in hopes of finally succeed. "We are victims of something unjust, said yesterday at Figaro Pringuet, CEO of the group. This is equivalent to changing the rules in the middle of the match. "An allusion to the retroactivity of the law, in theory contrary to the U guaranteed pay day loans.S. Constitution.

A bitter defeat for Pernod Ricard. He sees close the doors of the United States while global sales of Havana Club have increased tenfold over the last eighteen years. But the French did not admit defeat. He is preparing for the next battle. Impose the Havana Club trademark in the United States when lifting the embargo will be imposed. Bacardi sells rum discreetly in Florida also called Havana Club, manufactured in Puerto Rico, is in ambush. Pernod Ricard does not intend to let its competitor the right to enjoy the international reputation of the brand, built over several decades. He therefore announced yesterday that he would file the trademark Havanista replica of Havana Club. Insurance for the French to cut the grass under the feet of Bacardi in due course.

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A textile company, for lack of sewers it needs for its plant in Quimper, creates a pathway of learning to train its future recruits? The SME Armor Lux, well known for its white wine, made the headlines this week, at a time when all candidates for president are the re-industrialization of the country one of their campaign themes.

This situation is not isolated and number of industrial jobs – welders, boilermakers, milling … – are pulling their hair to find candidates and encourage vocations. "There is a real paradox between a high level of unemployment in France and companies who are not candidates for positions in recruitment, whether welders, millers, coppersmiths, payroll technicians, seamstresses …. In total we estimate that roughly fifty so-called shortage occupations. In our business we miss about 30% of requests from our customers because we do not have the resources and this situation has been deteriorating for a decade, notes François Beharel, group president of Randstad and staffing agencies. Concretely, this means that our group could generate 30% of turnover and more. "

For him, the problem is essentially related to the collective image What these professions in public opinion. "We imagine that in the textile industry and is like 50 years ago, while the environment has changed, that wages were revised upwards and that career paths are possible." "We have to get into people's heads, and young people in particular, that the industry is clean and not necessarily noisy. In this regard, the construction was successful for several years to reverse its bad image, "says Anne-Marie Bjornson, Director of Transitions AFPA.

Develop learning

A UIMM, Joel Mendez, Director Employment and Training, said that one communicates primarily on job losses. Yet in all sectors of metallurgy, the recruitment needs estimated over the period 2007-2015 are always evaluated. Between 60,000 and 80,000 jobs per year, including 30 to 40% reserved for graduates, according to a study by the study-which will be updated in early 2012 over a 2013 to 2020 -. "There is a big educational effort and support to achieve with the companies to become more involved in processes of looking management of jobs and skills (GPEC) and assessing their future needs" says he.

According to Anne-Marie Bjornson Afpa transitions, there are ways to mount training particularly in the context of operational readiness to employment (job center) or as part of training contracts. "We are also working on the issue of transferable skills, which allow for example to a textile worker to work in the weld or a working precision to go in the car." But anticipating needs is a prerequisite and essential step, she insists.

For Joel Mendez, it is also essential to adapt the training devices to the needs, both in initial training in continuing education. And take the example of learning where the numbers in the branch of metallurgy grew 6% in 2011 (with a total of 26 000 apprentices). "At the last school year, nearly a thousand offers of learning could not be met and at the same time, the same volume of young people did not find any company. This shows that learning can be further developed and the various mechanisms put in place recently should help solve these problems. "

A situation that in any case, Francis led Beharel hammering: "stop sending generations of young people in jobs without opportunities. Spend money to know that jobs are to be filled with real careers, especially if the areas are not attractive. "

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SMEs have suffered worst of the credit squeeze between 2007 and 2010 than larger firms, experts say that the OECD published the first report on "Financing SMEs and Entrepreneurs" by sifting through data from 18 countries ranging from Canada to Sweden via South Korea, France, Hungary, Finland, the United States.

SMEs have been hard hit by the crisis in 2008 and 2009. Confidence indicators of SMEs in OECD countries have fallen to levels lower than those of the 1990s. Direct consequence of falling demand from mid-2008, SMEs were down to their turnover. Companies that export have suffered more than those living in their home market only because of the decline in global trade.

Risk clients unattractive

SMEs have also been handicapped by the lengthening of payment periods which continued in 2010, despite a slight improvement in the economic situation. They have experienced cash flow difficulties. Their financial situation has deteriorated. Faced with this deal, their banks have lent less in most countries in 2008 and 2009. In 2010, financial institutions continued to reduce their lending in Finland, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In the euro area, the rejection rate of applications for credit from 12% in first half 2009 to 18% in the second half of that year. A country is an exception: France, where the percentage of refusals decreased from 12% to 7% through the introduction of credit mediation and government decisions. The public financial institution specialized in SMEs OSEO has provided 12 billion euros of loans guaranteed in 2009. According Oséo, 50% of companies having benefited from the exceptional warranty cash claim to have avoided bankruptcy. In 2010, the refusal rate financing amounted to 11% in the euro area.

Considered unattractive risk clients, SMEs were asked to provide more guarantees for credit. They paid more bank financing than large groups, despite lower interest rates. According to figures released Wednesday by the Bank of France, the cost of short-term credit to businesses rose from 2.49% to 2.42% between October 2011 and January 2012. But the cost of borrowing in the medium and long term for companies rose 4.06% to 4.21%.

The policy of the banks says that the share of SME loans, which varies according to country, between 12% and 30% of total loans to businesses, has fallen when it is already well below their weight economy and their role in job creation in normal times. Not surprisingly, the number of SMEs in difficulty increased. In 2009, bankruptcies increased in the studied countries except Canada, South Korea and Portugal. They were up in 2010 in Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia and Switzerland. Although they have declined in France, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK, they remained at a level much higher than in 2007.

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The merger between Universal Music and EMI, respectively number one and four global music publishing operation is not like the others, beat independent labels, headwind against it announced last November. And this acquisition which is the subject, since late March, a thorough review by the European competition authorities, gives rise to unusual trading.

In addition to the traditional arguments about the consequences that such a merger might have on prices, the protagonists struggle, indeed, the future of design in Europe. With unexpected postures. If the American Universal Music – directed from Santa Monica by the British Lucian Grainge and detained by the French Vivendi – poses as guarantor of European culture, his compatriot Warner Music – owned by Russian-born U.S. billionaire Len Blavatnik – shall guard on the "negative consequences for the identity and heritage of Europe, access to culture, creativity and innovation", in a note circulated to the Commission that Le Figaro is procured.

The strength of Hollywood

Warner – unsuccessful candidate for redemption of EMI – displays the same objective as the independent grouped in Impala: torpedo rapprochement with Brussels Universal-EMI but also the resumption of catalogs of the British recorded music (number 2), ranging from Norah Jones Sting, by a consortium led by Sony (No. 4). Both operations should lead to the birth in each of these careers in music of a domineering leader, strong market share of nearly 40% in Europe.

"A music company will seek to reduce risk by influencing the production of records or by focusing its marketing firepower on a few tracks that are most likely to travel abroad – usually in the Anglo-American repertoire," warns the Warner notes, which sounded the alarm: "In the European context with its very specific markets, record companies are essential to sustain production in local languages ​​and cultures. Leave a dominant player in deciding the viability of investments in local cultural carries a high risk. "

And prevent, "A local company is less competitive when a dominant player can absorb the bad years with a thick catalog of rights. This control of the catalog explains, in large part, Hollywood domination of the European Film Market. "

All subjects, Warner insists that should preoccupy European countries signed the UNESCO Convention encouraged to "adopt measures and policies to protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions within their territory." A goal also highlighted in the European treaties, the U.S. recalled. Brussels must rule on the Universal-EMI merger by August 8. Universal as well as Sony have proposed sale of catalogs to reduce their scope. Recorded music side, if the Commission is not satisfied by the remedies of Sony, the European anti-trust will also open an investigation.

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The Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) announced tonight that it has raised its system of crisis to the nuclear Penly, Seine-Maritime. Yesterday, two fire starts in a reactor caused a leak of radioactive water on an attached cooling system. The water was then collected in tanks provided for this purpose inside the building. But following the intervention of the EDF teams and firefighters, "since 4:00 this morning, there is no leakage at the joint of the pump," EDF said in a statement this morning. "This return to normal on the cooling system has removed the internal mobilization plan at 5:15 this morning."

The reactor, cooling down, remain stationary between 4 and 10 days, time to repair the pump circuit and "understand what happened in detail," said the AFP Dominique Mining , director of EDF's nuclear fleet. "The teams were able to re-enter the reactor building" during the night, he said, adding that "there is light, there is no smoke." The repairs could be made from this weekend.

Someone slightly burnt

The ASN provides that "the incident had no impact on the environment" and listed in Level 1 ("anomaly") on account that the seven nuclear safety INES scale.

No radioactive contamination was detected on the 29 persons involved in the reactor building to extinguish the fire starts but one of them was slightly burned during surgery, said last night the Director General of ASN Jean-Christophe Niel. "This is an injury limited" according to information from EDF, he said.

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Double the normal. During the month of Easter – Friday night for Jews and Sunday for Christians – he buys at least twice more lambs than usual. "It consumes on average between 4000 and 5000 tons of lamb meat per month in France, according to panel data Kantar says Anne Mottet, an economist at the Livestock Institute. When Paschal month, households consumed 9,000 tons in 2010, for example. " A strong tradition since 13% of French households to savor the occasion of Easter, against 5% in normal times. The lamb symbolizes for Christians the resurrection of Christ and the Jews, the exodus led by Moses out of Egypt.

Economically, the farm became a holder of lamb from the reallocation in 2009 by former agriculture minister, Michel Barnier, a part of CAP subsidies in favor of sheep farmers, the farmers worse off at the time. "It allowed me to generate additional income of 12,000 to 15,000 euros per year," said Hubert Elder, farmer in Maine-et-Loire.

To prevent a portion of the added value is captured by intermediaries, this direct selling. "At Easter, I'll sell 12 lambs against 4-5 in a typical week. They are valued 30% more than when I sell them at retail "he adds. A small niche – is consumed in France 190,000 tonnes of lamb, only 10% of the pork market – but profitable. The price is comparable to consumer beef prices: 12.95 against 12.94 per kilo for beef and 6.58 for pork.

Still according to Kantar, the French producer of lamb is the best paid in Europe with a price paid around 6.09 euros per kilo, against 4.97 euros in the UK, against an average of 4.78 euros in Europe.

UK and New Zealand

Flip side, nearly 60% of sheep consumed in France are imported from countries where they are cheaper to raise. More than half the imports come from the UK, just under a quarter of New Zealand, Ireland and the rest of Spain.

"Legs salt meadow, racks of lamb, milk, orders flow for three weeks, said Christian Le Lann, artisan butcher in Paris. We sell top quality local lamb but there is a commoditization of the product because of the importance of imports of lamb from New Zealand including a by-product of wool transported frozen, which invades the shelves of supermarkets "says the merchant who is also president of the French Confederation of butchery.

Lastly, there is the question of renewal of French sheep farmers. They will be 63% out of business in the next decade. The investors do not rush in sheepfolds.

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According to information from latribune.fr, Chinese investors close to power would be interested to buy four luxury hotels in Paris, currently on sale, and pass under another brand. Be included among them the Hotel Napoleon, located near the Arc de Triomphe.

Of the three other hotels in sight, one would be part of those whom the investment fund Starwood Capital is selling. He said it would be seller, in Paris, the Concorde Lafayette, the Concorde Saint-Lazare and the Hotel du Louvre. The U.S. group is not confirmed nor denied.

These potential acquisitions by Chinese would be given a new upheaval in the Parisian hotel that lives right now. Starting this summer, the Crillon close to work, closely followed by the Ritz cash advance loan no fax. The Plaza Athénée, he decided to postpone its work. Needed a facelift after arrival on the market of new facilities, new or renovated, the Royal Monceau (Qatar), the Shangri-La and Mandarin Oriental, who aspire to the title of "palace".

Two other luxury hotels are coming on the market and confirm the increased presence of Asians in the small world of luxury hotels in the capital: The Peninsula Paris, the first hotel chain in Europe, Hong Kong MSM and the White Horse, LVMH.

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500, 700 or 1 trillion? The euro area has an appointment this Friday in Copenhagen for the latest additions to its financial firewall and anti-crisis to its arsenal, while the political fatigue sets in Europe against austerity.

The divisions that have come to light between Paris, Berlin and Brussels on the future size of the bailout fund serious concern to markets, while in bad times, according to the OECD. Thursday, the Milan Stock Exchange fell 3.30%, that of Paris lost 1.43% and the euro retreated to $ 1.32.  

After months of negotiations, the seventeen ministers of finance of the common currency must agree on how the European Stability Mechanism (MES), the permanent emergency fund that will begin to relay the temporary established in 2010 .

The lending capacity of the firewall, initially set at 500 billion, will undoubtedly raised to 700 billion or more through a tardy concession of Germany, the main funder. For their part, the European Commission, IMF, OECD and France, through the voice of Baroin, grow to a figure of around 1 trillion.

Haggling

But setting this ceiling, watched by the markets, is largely theoretical. The ultimate capacity of loans depends on the leverage chosen, from a capital contribution set at 80 billion, for all seventeen countries. It also depends on the timing of national inputs, the speed of repayment of loans and additional committed instant payday loan lenders. In practice, the total actually available would increase from 250 today to 500 billion in the summer of 2014, according to internal documents.

The other unknown in Copenhagen is the estate of Jean-Claude Juncker, for seven years as head of the Eurogroup. The German finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, appears as a favorite difficult to unseat. But several factors could delay his consecration. Other seats are vacant at the European Central Bank (ECB), the EBRD (European Bank of Development) and the MES, and the capitals hear bargain their support. In France and Greece, the decisive elections also prohibit release too fast or too openly extra power in Berlin.

Among all these bargains is a reluctance on course to be risks that creep. Except Germans, Europeans impatient with an austerity too severe. Spain is a general strike and Portugal still struggling to finance its debt, despite EU support. Ireland hopes to win the support of the ECB to deal with an immediate deadline. The Netherlands, once model of rigor, in turn sink into an endless government crisis against a backdrop of budget cuts emergency.

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After the Millers last week, it was the turn of the manufacturers of dry dog ​​and cat to be sanctioned by the Competition Authority. In a country of 8 million dogs and 10 million cats, groups Nestle (Purina), March (Royal Canin) and Colgate-Palmolive (Hill's Pet Nutrition) were sentenced to pay 35.3 million euros for cartel with their wholesalers.

According to the sages of the Rue de l'Echelle, Nestle and Mars agreed for five years (2004-2008) with their wholesalers, who then sold their stores croquettes (BHV Jardiland, Leroy Merlin, Truffaut …).

The two market leaders have imposed their resale prices, exclusive territorial or customer, thus limiting competition between them. Royal Canin had already been convicted in 2005 by Constable competition.

As for the subsidiary of Colgate-Palmolive, she has arranged with its veterinary wholesalers to ban the export of its products outside the Hexagon.

If Nestlé and Mars are the most heavily penalized (19 and 11.6 million fine), they nevertheless benefited from reductions of approximately 20% penalty for not contesting the facts. They also set up compliance programs to competition rules. Finally, they reorganized their distribution system and p

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