The heads of France's four leading energy groups were received Monday at the French presidential palace, an AFP photographer said.
The four executives were Anne Lauvergeon of nuclear group Areva, Pierre Gadonneix of electricity group EDF, Gerard Mestrallet of gas and energy company GDF Suez and Christophe de Margerie of oil giant Total.
"Mrs. Lauvergeon went to the Elysee (the headquarters of the French presidency) for a meeting, as she does regularly, in order to consider different matters linked to Areva's operations," an Areva spokesman said.
EDF, GDF Suez and Total declined to comment in detail.
But an informed source said a project to build a third generation EPR nuclear reactor at Penly in northwestern France was among the topics discussed.
EDF, GDF Suez and Total are all involved in the Penly project, for which the technology has been developed by Areva.
EDF has a stake of 50 percent plus one share in the company building the facility while GDF Suez holds 33.33 percent plus one share — of which 25 percent is earmarked for Total.
The French president, Nicholas Sarkozy, left a Paris military hospital on Monday after doctors gave him a clean bill of health and said he had collapsed while jogging on Sunday through simple fatigue.
Doctors recommended that Sarkozy rest and the president postponed a visit on Tuesday to the Mont Saint Michel abbey in Normandy but will chair Wednesday's cabinet meeting as planned, a statement from his office said.
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