At today’s GDF SUEZ Board Meeting, Gérard Mestrallet, the Group’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, in line with the announcement made on December 5, 2012 and given the various notices of termination received from the parties concerned, announced that the SUEZ Environnement shareholders’ agreement, entered into on June 5, 2008 between GDF SUEZ, Areva, Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, CNP Assurances, Sofina, Groupe Bruxelles Lambert and SUEZ Environnement, will not be renewed and will therefore expire on July 22, 2013 for all the parties involved.
The two companies have always expressed their clear intention to continue cooperating on the industrial and commercial front and in terms of the services that bind them. The guiding principles for the industrial and commercial agreements have just been approved by the two Groups and are the subject of a framework agreement signed by Gérard Mestrallet and Jean-Louis Chaussade, Chief Executive Officer of SUEZ Environnement. The agreements will focus on five priority areas. A specific attention will be hold on the conclusion of the application agreements and on their implementation in regards with the provisions of competition law and market regulations. These agreements will be concluded in accordance with the respective interests of both Groups. They will focus on :
Mutual preference for purchases and/or sales
The diversity of skills and expertise within GDF SUEZ and SUEZ Environnement’s subsidiaries mean that there are frequent opportunities for sales and/or purchases of goods and services between both Groups’ subsidiaries. These industrial and commercial relationships will continue, in order to support each company’s business activities and to optimize service and procurement costs on both sides.
Developing synergies in industrial activities
Both Groups will continue and will endeavor to expand their collaboration in several areas, such as the construction of seawater desalination plants connected with power plants, the introduction of smart meters for gas, electricity, and water consumption and the marketing of the energy generated by waste incineration, as well as optimizing the energy efficiency of facilities and networks.
Developing joint commercial offerings
GDF SUEZ and SUEZ Environnement will continue to work together on preparing joint commercial offerings in areas such as the production, collection and distribution of biomethane for local authorities’ vehicle fleets, on the tools and dashboards for urban services management, on partnerships with local authorities and industrial platforms on their energy policies, as well as on solutions for reducing our customers’ carbon footprints.
Sustainable development policy partnership
SUEZ Environnement will be GDF SUEZ’s preferred partner in the field of sustainable development.
Sales’ coordination in terms of marketing, innovation and R&D
The two Groups will continue to focus on coordinating their commercial approaches to major industrial customers and local authorities and in their approaches to marketing, innovation and R&D in areas of mutual interest.