PARIS, March 24: Shares in Eurotunnel, operator of the Channel Tunnel linking France and Britain, will resume trading on Euronext's Eurolist on Tuesday after a 10-month suspension, Euronext said on Friday.

Trading was suspended on the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Paris in May 2006 as the company struggled with financial difficulties and an overall 9.0-billion-euro (12-billion-dollar) debt burden.

The share at the time was worth 0.44 euros in Paris and 25 pence in London.

Eurotunnel said in May 2006 it was unable to file its 2005 financial accounts within the time specified by London stock market regulations. It also said it would not be able to state it was a viable company until restructuring plans had been agreed.In November, holders of the company's 6.3 billion euros in bank debt as well as its suppliers voted in favour of a safeguard plan for Eurotunnel, which was approved by the Paris Commercial Court in January.

On March 7 chairman Jacques Gounon told journalists that trading in the company's shares would likely to resume in 10-15 days after Eurotunnel reported that it had stemmed losses last year following a catastrophic 12 months in 2005.

The group said it made a loss of 204 million euros ($268 million) in 2006 compared with a loss of 2.808 billion euros in 2005.

It said operating profit had increased by 42 per cent to 326 million euros in 2006 compared with 230 million euros in 2005.

Publication of the results was an important step in the implementation of the safeguard plan, under which company debt has been cut in half and management is to offer shareholders new shares in a company called Groupe Eurotunnel (GET SA), which will replace the existing Eurotunnel company.

But the swap can only be put into effect once Eurotunnel shares begin to trade again on the stock market.---AFP