Europe

UK - A growing number of employers are looking at ways of reducing early retirement costs, Watson Wyatt claims.

UK - Financial services firms with high compliance standards are to be recognised at an awards dinner in September.

UK - Legal & General is calling for more industry involvement in the design of property investment funds.

UK - The Pensions Management Institute claims the government should be applauding trustees for the way they have addressed issues raised by the Myners Report.

UK - National Association of Pension Funds' fears that impending legislation will kill defined benefit provision have been reinforced by a Watson Wyatt survey.

UK - The National Association of Pension Fund's corporate governance service RREV is considering changing its stance on company directors' length of service and independence.

UK - Trustees need to beware of withholding taxes when making overseas investments, Ernst & Young has warned.

UK - Schemes have hit back at criticism of their implementation of the Myners principles and claim the research used is "out of date".

UK - The move to scheme-specific benchmarks will increase the need for additional trustee training, consultants claim.

UK - Mercer Human Resource Consulting has launched an interactive programme designed to show how increasing life expectancy will affect scheme deficits.