France: Business environment at a glance
September 25, 2006
France: Business environment at a glance. Check it out:(EIU Viewswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) COUNTRY VIEW
FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT
Policy towards private enterprise and competition
2006-07: Pace of privatisation programmes slows as the scope for further sell-offs of state assets diminishes.
2008-10: Opening of gas and electricity markets to full competition. State aid and barriers to foreign takeovers of domestic companies cause friction with the EU.
Policy towards foreign investment
2006-07: Favourable official attitude towards foreign direct investment qualified by support for "national champions" and persistent obstacles to foreign takeovers of domestic companies.
2008-10: Possible erosion of barriers against foreign takeovers, as a result of commercial pressures and EU law.
Foreign trade and exchange controls
2006-07: Resistance to further reforms of the EU's common agricultural policy.
2008-10: Qualified support for multilateral trade liberalisation, but opposition to full liberalisation of trade in agriculture and cultural programmes.
Taxes
2006-07: Weak public finances force pause in programme of income tax cuts. Resumption of income tax cuts in 2007.
2008-10: Possible reform of wealth tax and of tax treatment of foreign managerial personnel working in France.
Financing
2006-07: Possible involvement of Euronext (of which the Paris bourse is a member) in cross-border consolidation of stock exchanges.
2008-10: Growing competition between financial firms to provide capitalised pension funds (plan d'epargne retraite populairePERP).
The labour market
2006-07: Shelving of any further attempts at labour market following widespread opposition to introduction of a new working contract for young workers.
2008-10: Attempts to raise the rate of participation in the labour force. Continued skills shortages despite persistently high unemployment.
Infrastructure
2006-07: Extension of high-speed rail link (TGV) to Strasbourg.
2008-10: The national railway, SNCF, remains in state hands.
Copyright 2006 Economist Intelligence Unit
Related Tags: foreign takeovers, foreign, Possible, possible, france, policy
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