Europe

UK - Emergency talks over the National Association of Pension Funds' multi-employer scheme plans will be held with the government later this month.

UK/NETHERLANDS - Stichting Pensioenfonds UWV has appointed ABN AMRO Mellon Global Securities as global custodian to assets worth e2.2bn.

UK - Anglian Water is to hold urgent talks with union representatives today (Thursday) in a bid to avert strike action over pensions.

UK - Employers are being urged to provide scheme members with projections of their pension entitlements before the April 2005 deadline in order to avoid a "backlash".

EUROPE - The outgoing EU commissioner of economic and monetary affairs Pedro Solbes said that structural reforms such as pension reforms were crucial for Europe at the current juncture.

UK - Law firm Pinsents is holding a seminar on the Pensions Bill in London on May 6.

UK - Same-sex couples will be granted access to partners' pensions under government proposals in the draft Civil Partnership Bill.

FRANCE - BNP Paribas Asset Management has acquired the $650m (e534m) Javelin fund of hedge funds from ZCM Investor Capital, a US-based subsidiary of Zurich Financial Services, for an undisclosed amount.

UK - Isis Asset Management is on a collision course with environmental campaigners over plans to vote against an environmental resolution at next week's BP annual meeting.

UK - The Church of England Pensions Board has appointed Shaun Farrell as its new secretary. He will take over from Roger Radford who retires in September after 20 years as the board's secretary and treasurer.