RNS Number:7339H
Total Fina Elf.
20 February 2003



Paris, February 20, 2003 - The Board of Directors of TotalFinaElf, chaired by
CEO Thierry Desmarest, met on February 19,2003 to review the 2002 fourth quarter
results and to close the 2002 consolidated accounts and parent company accounts.
The 2002 earnings release was issued separately today.

The Board decided to submit at the May 6, 2003 Annual General Meeting (AGM) a
resolution proposing to change the name of the company from TOTAL FINA ELF S.A.
to TOTAL S.A. A new visual identity associated with the proposed name change
will be presented at the AGM.

Also submitted at the AGM is the ratification of the appointment of Mr. Maurice
Lippens as a new member of the Board and the renewal of terms as directors for
Ms. Anne Lauvergeon and Mssr. Daniel Bouton, Bertrand Collomb, Jacques
Friedmann, Antoine Jeancourt-Galignani, Michel Pebereau, Jurgen Sarrazin and
Pierre Vaillaud. The number of directors, which was 24 when TotalFinaElf was
created, will be reduced to 14.

Given the large share of the Company's capital owned by employees (more than 3%
today), the Board will propose at the AGM a resolution calling for a change in
the company by-laws that will allow the nomination of an employee-shareholder as
a Board member.

In addition, the Board adopted a new charter for its Directors which builds on
the previous charter and takes into account, notably, the recommendations issued
in the report of the working group chaired by Mr Daniel Bouton.

                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

END
ROMNKKKQABKKABB