"France Warns of Nuclear Industry Shake-Up After Areva Loss"

"PARIS — France's energy minister said on Monday that an overhaul of the country’s state-controlled nuclear energy industry was imminent, after one of the country’s main builders of nuclear power plants warned of a loss that could hamper its ability to continue operating independently.

The minister, Ségolène Royal, told reporters that France’s main nuclear power companies 'should organize themselves to refocus on their core business, to forge alliances between major French enterprises and to win bids at the international level.'

Ms. Royal spoke after Areva, one of the world’s leading nuclear technology companies, said in a preliminary statement that it expected a 2014 net loss of about 4.9 billion euros, or $5.6 billion, compared with a loss of €500 million a year earlier."

David Jolly and Stanley Reed report for the New York Times February 23, 2015.