FRANCE — Fibre Excellence’s unions are stepping up their meetings with the French government and local elected representatives to save the paper group from receivership. Wood, electricity and CO2 quotas are the main topics of discussion. …In Saint-Gaudens as in Tarascon, Fibre Excellence described a narrow window of opportunity. According to the trade unions, the pulp manufacturer could be wound up by March 31, or even as early as mid-February if no commitment is secured. …The Saint-Gaudens paper mill, which produces bleached kraft pulp, employs 270 people, with a further 80 at Fibre Excellence SEBSO, part of the Group’s wood division. At the UKP paper production site in Tarascon, 250 people are employed by Fibre Excellence Provence. …In three years, the price of wood has risen by 50%,” warned the trade union in December. …The Group also pointed out that demand for pulp had fallen by more than 20% over the past six months.