Europe

UK - Standard life and the Investment Manager Association (IMA) have come out in support of the government white paper on personal accounts.

UK - Mercer Investment Consulting worldwide partner and European director of consulting policy, Andy Green, is quitting Mercer. It is rumored that Green will join Deloitte.

UK - The Pension Protection Fund (PPF) has appointed five new fund managers and announced its investment returns are "likely" to match its levy income within five years' time.

UK - Unions and age charities have voiced their opposition to the Department of Work and Pensions' (DWP) proposal to limit annual contributions to personal pension savings.

UK - Ed Balls, economics secretary to the treasury, has been accused of taking advantage of pension funds after he promised more long-dated gilts to the UK pensions industry.

FRANCE - French think tank, Le Cercle des Epargnants and official survey group CSA have reported that 64% of the population are worried about funding their retirement.

UK - A backbench rebellion is brewing over government's decision to launch an appeal against last month's high court judgement, according to independent pensions advisor Ros Altman.

UK - Amicus have sworn to continue their fight with high street retailer WHSmith to maintain its final salary pension scheme following recent decisions to close it.

UK - Former US vice president Al Gore has urged the UK pensions industry to abandon short term investment horizons and review the way it incentives managers of firms it hold investments in.

CYPRUS - Pension funds must modernise management practices to provide healthy returns in the future, KPMG and Hewitt have warned.