The organisation behind the Paris bid to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Paris 2012) today announced the creation of an association of leading French businesses that will support Paris 2012 bid.

Leadership from eight major French companies will comprise the association’s Board of Directors: Accor (the European leader in hotels and associated services), Bouygues (a diversified industrial group with interests in telecoms, media, construction and public utilities), Credit Agricole (retail and corporate banking), EDF (one of the largest electricity utility in the world), and the Europe’s leading energy provider), France Telecom (one of the largest telecommunications operators in the world), Lagardere (leading French media and high-technology company), Renault (automobile design, manufacturing and financing), RATP (Paris’ public transportation system).

The association is a clear indication of the strong will and commitment of the French business community to support Paris 2012. Countless French athletes, politicians from all sides and residents of Paris and the Ile-de-France region have already begun to demonstrate their desire to host the biggest international sporting event.

The eight founding companies, which have already brought the equivalent of Euro 12 million to the bid intend to mobilize their 720,000 employees around the world to support the Paris bid internationally.

The mission of the group is also to develop specific initiatives to mobilize French companies of all sizes, from SMEs to large corporations listed on the French Stock Exchange market, and to encourage them to bring financial, technical and/or logistical support to Paris’ bid, while respecting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Candidature Acceptance Procedures.