Europe

EUROPE/UK -Treasury civil servants want to end funded pensions but are trying to pass the blame on to the EU, a leading consultant claims.

UK - The NAPF is calling for non-executive directors' pay to include shares to bring their interests closer to those of pension funds.

GLOBAL/UK - AXA Investment Managers has opened up one of its hedge funds - the Asian Absolute Fund - to pension funds.

UK - Difficulties in comparing FRS17 valuations are leading to massive disparities, a consultant warns.

UK - Alan Pickering's Simplification Review will be hamstrung by a power struggle between the department for work and pensions and the Treasury, experts fear.

UK - The Institute of Directors has hit back at the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum's (LAPFF) efforts to enforce one-year contracts for executives.

SCOTLAND - The £280m Dumfries and Galloway Council Superannuation Fund is on the verge on completing an asset liability study which could herald changes to its current investment and custodian arrangements.

UK - Pension costs for large firms soared by 6% last year - a rise which far outstrips any other company overhead, show new survey findings to be revealed at today's NAPF conference in Brighton.

UK - More than two-thirds of UK pension schemes have no plans to review trustees' pay despite recommendations in the Myners' review.

UK - OPRA is warning scheme members to be wary of pension liberation deals that offer cash in return for transfers.