Photo : Christian Adnin
Invited by the ACFCI, over 3,000 people gathered at the Palais des Congrès in Paris for the final session of the CCI Special Assemblies. French Prime Minister François Fillon, Minster for the Economy Christine Lagarde and Secretary of State in charge of SMEs Hervé Novelli were all present.
In the midst of their communications operations regarding anti-recession measures, these government leaders were met by a highly attentive audience, composed of company heads and Chamber representatives. The network of French Chambers, on the other hand, had the opportunity to recall – publicly – its actions at the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry for the Economy, to expose its modernisation efforts and to claim compensation: the Chambers wish to become “a privileged partner, a permanent interlocutor” of public powers. “They should play their role
fully in the reform of our country,” was the reply given by François Fillon.
The national reform in question has long been presented by the government head; its major axes include the RGPP (General Revision of Public Powers), which accelerated the stormy negotiations on the CCI reform project. The RGPP also worries Chamber employee unions, a handful of which set themselves up outside the amphitheatre on 9 December. “Reforms carried out in other public organisations make us pessimistic about job cuts. But Presidents and Managing Directors have saved their own skins.” In addition, “with a regional management for Chambers, working conditions will necessarily deteriorate,” believes a representative of the CFDT-CCI union.
Inside the amphitheatre, the social question was not raised. The assembly aimed instead at presenting the new issues for the network and its partners. Alain Rousset, President of the Association of French Regions (ARF) and the Aquitaine region considers that “the CCIs and Regions should collaborate in more domains”, citing innovation and attractiveness. For the moment, as local economic development agencies and CCIs offer the same services in certain territories, companies can legitimately ask who they should address.
The President of the Medef (French Movement of Enterprises) regrets “a scattering of responsibilities which demands clarification”, citing the example of training.
The issue of support for the industrial sector has also been a target of debate. For Guy Canu, President of the CCI Rennes-Brittany, Chambers must anticipate future developments. “Two years ago, we piloted a prospective study on the automobile industry, in particular at La Janais (1). Today, this study allows us to accompany the evolution to which this site is subject in a more efficient manner, by paying interest to the vehicles of tomorrow.
Jean-François Bernardin, President of the ACFCI, presented François Fillon with five “ambitious commitments” (see boxed text) before questioning him on the Chamber reform procedure. “A legal text aiming to re-establish the CCIs for several decades to come necessitates a little time to be formulated in a serious manner”. However, the Prime Minister, while praising this “dynamic of change”, is waiting for “tangible results” for companies from 2009 onwards.
“True reforms do not necessarily take much time once there is agreement
on the essentials. Today, acceleration is necessary as we are the focus of observation and expectations,” emphasised François Fillon.
(1) The PSA Peugeot-Citroën group announced a plan to cut 3,550 jobs in 2009. At the factory at La Janais (agglomeration of Rennes), 1,750 jobs are targeted by a departure and voluntary transfer plan.
Five “commitments” undertaken by French CCIs
• Pursuing the diminishing of “tax pressure of the Chambers by at least 10% in the next 5 years”.
• Providing “each entrepreneur” with the “same bundle of services” in all CCIs without forgetting the “specificity of territories and needs”.
• Becoming the “new single counter foreseen” by the EU Directive Services and welcoming “ 500,000 project owners” instead of the “336,000 currently received”.
• “Helping to double the number of regular exporters” (from 50,000 to 100,000).
• Training more young people in CCI training centres.
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