The AREVA group’s Supervisory Board met yesterday under the chairmanship of Jean-Cyril Spinetta and finalized the steps to be taken to finance the group’s long-term development plan.

Iin the civil nuclear field, AREVA is enjoying major growth thanks to its integrated model and the increase in demand for solutions to generate CO2-free electricity. In order to continue to reinforce its position in the nuclear market and to make further inroads into the renewable energies market, AREVA said it needs to invest and recruit, while maintaining a healthy balance sheet.

This is why, based on a proposal from the Executive Board, the AREVA Supervisory Board has decided to open up its capital to strategic and industrial partners, to the value of 15%, mainly by increasing its capital. This increase will be open to investment certificate holders. The group is launching an employee shareholders program.

The Supervisory Board has also asked the Executive Board to put the group’s Transmission and Distribution (T&D) division up for sale. An open call for bids will be launched and the group will pay special attention to the price offered and also the industrial and labor projects.

Depending on the interest generated, the decision to dispose of T&D or not and the choice of a potential buyer will be taken before the end of the year.

AREVA is also considering disposing of its stakes in Eramet and ST Microelectronics. In any case, these stakes will remain in the public sector because of their strategic nature.

AREVA is also set to continue its cost reduction program and to improve operational performance.

Shareholders have shown their support by agreeing to a new dividend payout rate of 25% of the group's share of net income as of 2010 and for a period of three years, given the scale of the AREVA program.

With regard to the disposal of the T&D activity, Anne Lauvergeon, CEO of AREVA, said,“This only became an option because of the remarkable work of the T&D teams who, spurred on by AREVA, pulled off a remarkable industrial turnaround. T&D joined the group in 2004 and is enjoying rapid growth and creating value and there is no reason why this should change."