Europe

EUROPE - A consultation paper published last week by the European Commission could represent a reprieve for UK companies sponsoring defined benefit (DB) schemes, to which insurance-style funding requirements might be applied, said Watson Wyatt.

INCLUDING: NETHERLANDS - Mn Services and Syntrus Achmea alliance; UK - Duke Street Capital contributes to Focus pension scheme; US - Corporate DB provision on the wane; UK - Trustee toolkit seen as a positive

UK - Special pension scheme contributions to defined benefit schemes have risen for the third consecutive year, as companies continue to address pension risk, according to Mercer.

UK - The exchange traded fund (ETF) market is set to pass the US$1trn mark next year, but greater investor understanding of the different types of ETF vehicle available is needed, iShares has said.

NORWAY - The Government Pension Fund - Global has excluded Rio Tinto's equities from its portfolio, over concerns on the risk of contributing to "severe environmental damage" allegedly posed by the international mining group.

UK - The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has welcomed the government's consultation on risk sharing for pension schemes, but called for greater flexibility on plan design in a research paper.

UK - Barclays Global Investors (BGI) has appointed Deborah Fuhr as head of exchange traded fund (ETF) research and implementation strategy.

UK - The cost of public sector pension liabilities is expected to soar to £1trn ($1.7trn), a pensions expert warns.

UK - Public sector workers are paying less National Insurance (NI) than the private sector leaving the taxpayer with a £3.5bn ($6bn) bill, a former Downing Street adviser warns.

FRANCE - The Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC), the institution the Sarkozy government plans to transform into a French sovereign wealth fund, has expressed doubts about its own size and ability to compete on a global scale.