Europe

UK - The Greater Manchester Pension Fund has appointed Aberdeen Murray Johnstone Private Equity (AMJPE) to a £20m venture capital (VC) brief.

UK - British Airways Pension Scheme members are appealing last year's High Court decision and demanding surplus cash to be used as "benefits".

UK - Legal & General Investment Management topped the 2001 league ranking of recorded UK pension fund mandate wins with just over £6bn of new business gained throughout the year, according to International Pensions News' record of mandate wins and losses....

DENMARK - Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension (ATP), the EUR34bn Danish pension fund, is searching for a manager to run an unspecified amount in Japanese equities.

GREECE - ING, the Dutch financial services firm, has entered the Greek market by forming a strategic alliance with Piraeus Bank.

BELGIUM/ NETHERLANDS - Dexia Group, the Brussels-based financial services firm, has merged subsidiaries Bank Labouchere and Kempen & Co to form Dexia Bank Nederland.

UK - West Yorkshire Pension Fund has been given a two-star rating by the Audit Commission's Best Value inspection service.

UK - William M Mercer was the consultant that took on board the largest number of new UK pension fund clients in 2001, according to IPN's record of consultant wins and losses.

UK - Supermarket giant J Sainsbury has joined forces with the Unclaimed Asset Register (UAR), a move which could lead up to nearly 20,000 people receiving benefits from the store's £2.4bn pension fund.

UK - Construction company Skanska UK's new £100m pension fund has appointed two fund managers to run its joint DB and DC schemes.