PARIS, Sept 13 (Reuters) - French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde plans to extend billions of euros of loan guarantees to France's top banks for another year and is calling on them to provide action plans on financing the economy, a newspaper said.
Lagarde has written a letter to the bosses of France's six biggest banks benefiting from state support to keep up pressure on them and encourage them to provide credit, daily Les Echos reported in a preview of its Monday edition.
In particular, the minister wants to know how the banks plan to revive lending to households and small and medium-sized businesses to reach a target of increasing volume by 3-4 percent, the paper said.
France's six big banks are Societe Generale, BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole, Credit Mutuel, Banques Populaire and Caisse d'Epargne. The latter two recently merged to create BPCE.
The government set up a rescue package worth 360 billion euros in taxpayer money last October, including a 40 billion euro recapitalisation fund. It is due to run until next month.
(Reporting by James Regan; editing by John Stonestreet)
((james.regan@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 49 49 53 84; Reuters Messaging: james.regan.reuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: FRANCE BANKS/
PARIS, Sept 13 (Reuters) - French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde plans to extend billions of euros of loan guarantees to France's top banks for another year and is calling on them to provide action plans on financing the economy, a newspaper said.
Lagarde has written a letter to the bosses of France's six biggest banks benefiting from state support to keep up pressure on them and encourage them to provide credit, daily Les Echos reported in a preview of its Monday edition.
In particular, the minister wants to know how the banks plan to revive lending to households and small and medium-sized businesses to reach a target of increasing volume by 3-4 percent, the paper said.
France's six big banks are Societe Generale, BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole, Credit Mutuel, Banques Populaire and Caisse d'Epargne. The latter two recently merged to create BPCE.
The government set up a rescue package worth 360 billion euros in taxpayer money last October, including a 40 billion euro recapitalisation fund. It is due to run until next month.
(Reporting by James Regan) Keywords: FRANCE BANKS/ (james.regan@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 49 49 53 84; Reuters Messaging: james.regan.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
Lagarde has written a letter to the bosses of France's six biggest banks benefiting from state support to keep up pressure on them and encourage them to provide credit, daily Les Echos reported in a preview of its Monday edition.
In particular, the minister wants to know how the banks plan to revive lending to households and small and medium-sized businesses to reach a target of increasing volume by 3-4 percent, the paper said.
France's six big banks are Societe Generale, BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole, Credit Mutuel, Banques Populaire and Caisse d'Epargne. The latter two recently merged to create BPCE.
The government set up a rescue package worth 360 billion euros in taxpayer money last October, including a 40 billion euro recapitalisation fund. It is due to run until next month.
(Reporting by James Regan; editing by John Stonestreet)
((james.regan@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 49 49 53 84; Reuters Messaging: james.regan.reuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: FRANCE BANKS/
PARIS, Sept 13 (Reuters) - French Economy Minister Christine Lagarde plans to extend billions of euros of loan guarantees to France's top banks for another year and is calling on them to provide action plans on financing the economy, a newspaper said.
Lagarde has written a letter to the bosses of France's six biggest banks benefiting from state support to keep up pressure on them and encourage them to provide credit, daily Les Echos reported in a preview of its Monday edition.
In particular, the minister wants to know how the banks plan to revive lending to households and small and medium-sized businesses to reach a target of increasing volume by 3-4 percent, the paper said.
France's six big banks are Societe Generale, BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole, Credit Mutuel, Banques Populaire and Caisse d'Epargne. The latter two recently merged to create BPCE.
The government set up a rescue package worth 360 billion euros in taxpayer money last October, including a 40 billion euro recapitalisation fund. It is due to run until next month.
(Reporting by James Regan) Keywords: FRANCE BANKS/ (james.regan@thomsonreuters.com; +33 1 49 49 53 84; Reuters Messaging: james.regan.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.