PARIS: EDF has given up plans to sell its electricity distribution network in Britain because the French state electricity giant's new boss is against the move, a financial news website reported Sunday.

"Henri Proglio, who has always been opposed to this project that was initiated by (former EDF boss) Pierre Gadonneix, is set to announce soon that he is ending it," Wansquare website said, citing British banking sources.

EDF declined Sunday to comment directly on the report, with a spokesman saying only that the group was "examining the options for the evolution of the ownership of its electricity distribution networks in Britain."

Wansquare, in which France's Le Figaro newspaper group has a majority stake, said EDF was giving up its sell-off plans because the offers it had received were too low and the move was opposed by trades unions in EDF in France.

EDF said in October it had put its British distribution network in Britain on sale with the aim of raising more than 4.0 billion euros (5.8 billion dollars) to reduce debt.

The French government in November named Proglio as EDF's chief executive and chairman to replace Pierre Gadonneix.

The French state owns 85 percent of EDF, which operates France's 58 nuclear reactors, the world's biggest network of atomic power plants.