In fact a large part of the explanation is elsewhere

The France play a dangerous game in seeking to preserve one of its main assets: one of the relatively competitive cost of electrical energy This is what strives to show the author of a recent point of view published in this journal. Whatever one may think of the election for a long time by our country to nuclear power, it has at least had for effect to the provision of French, households and businesses alike, an energy cheap, at least compared with that of our European neighbours.

This advantage, one of those who contribute most to the competitiveness of our economy, is disappearing fast. According to the international Observatory of energy costs, the France is the Member of the OECD countries where the increase in the price of electricity was highest between 2005 and 2006: 48 from April 2005 to April 2006 (energy transport price increase). Advanced to explain this dramatic inflation factors, the investments needed to ensure security of supply for the country in the medium and long term are most often raised by energy producers.

That looks on a hotel or a large distributor that would immediately double the price of its rooms or goods offered for sale to finance an ambitious development program Customers soon had to show him the absurdity of his decision. But the electricity market is comparable to no other: of course, is not, in itself, its openness to competition which is the origin of very high increases recorded especially since 2004. It was yet not only drift of the oil prices due to the Gulf sheikhs: it should be noted that production of thermal origin (gas, coal...) weighs 5 only in the production of electricity in France, most from the nuclear and hydropower.

In fact, a large part of the explanation is elsewhere. As noted himself the President of the CRE before the National Assembly, "it seems that the major operators are not in real competition" in this market and that there is "significant risk of agreements and manipulation of prices, also often denounced."

Is - this play a dangerous game to give a minimum of time to create the conditions of effective competition, like that which put in place in other sectors of activity, and even energy elsewhere in Europe The role public authorities is not primarily to agree in the sense with the European Commission

A default, this is not "subservience" of the French market of energy to the German market or the loss of sovereignty in the determination of the European electricity prices that would be the most concern for corporate clients. It is rather the reverse, i.e. implementing settled Cup of the European market by a powerful oligopoly of producers stateless, its price will be set based on cross-border interests... Is it not in fact already the case The situation of energy producers currently around thriving: the excellent financial position of EDF and Electrabel has equalled that of RWE, the second German producer, announced a return on capital employed of 36 in 2006 and provides a close figure of 45 on 2007. This generalized explosion in the margins makes little credible argument that rising prices would reflect the increase in the costs of production of the electricians. It is not due to a cyclical character indeed any physical tension: industrial electricity demand is declining. The upward drift of the margins of electricity producers results in large part to a "deformity" of this energy prices.

This is not to be protectionism say our country is in Europe that has the most to lose to the extension of the current situation. Jinx with the "French electrical material engineering" by reminding us of the reasons for the historical choice for nuclear power: not only the need to ensure our security of supply but to maintain a reasonable level the cost of our power, to preserve the competitiveness of our economy.

Parliamentarians have reason to want to preserve the invaluable asset that represents the "nuclear annuity" for the France. This is what tends back proposed tariff, provided fixed at a level close to current regulated tariff, and during the time required for that, at national and European levels the of control and follow-up tools essential to the proper functioning of the energy market: that is a market in which prices are set based on the actual production and development costs, not on the only costs of oil.