Gazprom eyes more partners for Shtokman - Medvedev

(Reuters) - "There could be two models for this -- it could be where our
partners join the project as fully fledged participants in the
equity of the joint company, or as ... contractors which in my
view ... could create a little less stability in relations."




France's Total recently agreed to take a 25
percent stake in a special purpose entity that will develop the
first phase of Shtokman, a vast field in the Barents Sea that
has enough reserves to supply the world for a year.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Air France KLM eyes Spanish airline Iberia

(Reuters) - Spanish publication El Economista and the Financial Times earlier said Air France KLM could team up with private equity company Apax in a consortium that could bid 3.8 billion euros for Iberia.




Apax was not immediately available to comment.


Read more at Reuters.com Mergers News

Sanofi obesity drug faces tough EU safety review

(Reuters) - The European Medicines Agency safety assessment comes a month after a U.S. advisory panel recommended the drug should not be approved in the world's biggest market because it may increase depression and suicidal thinking.




That decision prompted France's Sanofi to withdraw its pending application to sell the medicine in the United States, dealing a major blow to what had been its biggest new drug hope.


Read more at Reuters.com Government Filings News

No EADS cap hike needed now-German govt official

(Reuters) - "It has been agreed that Germany and France will discuss the
issue of the shareholer structure in the coming months," Hintze,
who is also a state secretary in the Economy Ministry, told
Reuters.




Read more at Reuters.com Bonds News

French Shares Including Air France, Cap Gemini Climb; Gaz de France Drops

(Bloomberg) -- French stocks including Air France-
KLM Group SA, Europe's largest airline, and Cap Gemini SA, the
region's biggest computer-services company, advanced. Gaz de
France SA paced declining shares.

The CAC 40 Index was little changed at 6117.24 at 10:52
a.m. in Paris, as 25 shares rose and 15 declined. The SBF 120
Index slipped 0.1 percent to 4457.89.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Asia shares ease, oil eyes record high

(Reuters) - London's FTSE 100 Index and Germany's DAX rose about 0.2 percent in early trade while France's CAC 40 edged up nearly 0.1 percent.




Data on Friday showing improved U.S. consumer sentiment sparked optimism that shipments to Asia's top export market would stay strong, helping to limit regional stock losses and lending support to the dollar.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

French Shares Including Renault, Alstom Advance; Unibail Paces Declines

(Bloomberg) -- French stocks including Renault SA,
the country's second-largest carmaker, and Alstom SA, the world's
third-biggest producer of power plants, increased.

Unibail, France's largest real-estate investment trust,
paced declining shares.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

French CAC Index Gains, Led by Shares of BNP Paribas, Sanofi-Aventis

(Bloomberg) -- French stocks rose, paced by BNP
Paribas SA and Sanofi-Aventis SA.

Gaz de France SA also advanced. Electricite de France SA,
Europe's biggest power generator, may buy gas assets from Suez SA
as part of Suez's merger with Gaz de France SA, Les Echos
reported, citing a source it didn't name.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Trichet Says European States Must Implement Agreement to Balance Budgets

(Bloomberg) -- European Central Bank President Jean-
Claude Trichet said a three-month old European Union balanced-
budget agreement ``must be implemented,'' dismissing French
President Nicolas Sarkozy's call to loosen deficit controls.

Trichet's comments in an interview today in Aix-en-Provence,
southern France, marked the second time in four days he has
indirectly criticized Sarkozy, who has proposed 11 billion euros
($15 billion) of tax cuts to spur economic growth. Sarkozy wants
defense spending excluded from deficit calculations for France,
Germany, Italy and the U.K.


Read more at Bloomberg Bonds News

France's Sarkozy wants Strauss-Kahn as IMF head

(Reuters) - "I want Dominique Strauss-Kahn to be France's candidate at the head of the IMF because he is the best suited to this post," Sarkozy was quoted as saying.




Read more at Reuters.com Business News

UPDATE 1-EU to decide on several gambling legal actions

(Reuters) - "There will be some decisions made probably tomorrow by the
college on a number of member states," Oliver
Drewes, a spokesman for the European Union's executive arm, told
a regular briefing.




"This concerns France, Greece and Sweden for the moment.
Those are the decisions on the calendar for tomorrow," Drewes
said.


Read more at Reuters.com Government Filings News

European Stocks Fall; Deutsche Bank, France Telecom, Anglo American Drop

(Bloomberg) -- European stocks declined for a third
day, led by financial shares and insurers, after the Bank for
International Settlements said central banks will need to keep
raising interest rates to quell inflation.

Deutsche Bank AG, Germany's largest bank, and insurer Axa SA
paced the drop. France Telecom SA fell the most in two weeks as
the French government is selling shares worth about 2.7 billion
euros ($3.6 billion). Anglo American Plc and Antofagasta Plc led
mining companies lower after Cazenove downgraded the stocks.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Trade rules waiver needed for small firms - Sarkozy

(Reuters) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Saturday that European small businesses should have the same exemption as their U.S. counterparts from global trade rules on the awarding of public contracts.

France has long pushed the European Union's executive commission to secure an exemption for small businesses from World Trade Organisation rules that government contracts should be open to all bidders. It argues that the United States and other countries have waivers to help their local companies.


Read more at Reuters Africa

Electricite de France Shares Rise for Third Day on Outlook for Power Rates

(Bloomberg) -- Shares in Electricite de France SA,
Europe's biggest power generator, rose for a third day on
speculation the state-controlled utility may benefit from higher
power rates and demand for nuclear plants.

Shares of EDF, whose 58 nuclear plants generate almost half
of Europe's nuclear power, rose as much as 2.83 euros, or 3.7
percent, and were trading up 2.3 percent to 78.40 euros at 10:45
a.m. in Paris. The stock has gained 10 percent in three days,
making EDF France's biggest company by value ahead of Total SA.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

European Stocks Drop; Air France, DaimlerChrysler, Nokia Lead the Decline

(Bloomberg) -- European stocks fell the most in two
weeks as rising oil prices pushed airlines, automakers and
chemical producers lower and Goldman, Sachs & Co. downgraded
shares of Nokia Oyj.

Air France-KLM Group, the region's largest carrier, carmaker
DaimlerChrysler AG and chemical company BASF AG led a retreat by
companies most sensitive to increasing energy costs. Nokia, the
world's biggest maker of mobile phones, had its biggest drop in
five months.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

EADS Needs to Offer Russia `Serious' Cooperation Agreements, Ivanov Says

(Bloomberg) -- European Aeronautic, Defense & Space
Co., the parent company of Airbus SAS, isn't yet offering Russia
a satisfactory role to meet aerospace-industry cooperation
pledges, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said.

``If we talk about a strategic partnership here, we have to
have serious agreements and have a clear prospect'' of joint work
backed by officials in EADS's home markets of France and Germany,
Ivanov said in an interview June 13 at his Moscow office.


Read more at Bloomberg Emerging Markets News