Europe

DENMARK - The Valby-based BankPension is considering allocating around 2% to real estate and may hire external managers in the second quarter of 2004.

UK - Women typically receive pensions worth 60% less than men, research from the Transport & General Workers' Union has discovered.

UK - Property Fund Management and the Singapore-based asset manager GIC Real Estate have launched a UK industrial property fund, aimed at institutional investors.

UK - Schroder Investment Management lost £3.7bn in UK institutional business last year due to underperformance and the move by schemes to specialist management.

UK - Co-operative Bank faces industrial action tomorrow (Friday) in a row over pension rights for outsourced staff.

UK - Most Britons expect to have to retire later but are unwilling to pay for the increasing costs of an ageing population, new research shows.

UK - The BBC fears its holiday trading scheme could be a victim of its own success.

UK - Simplified administration rules have propelled the B&CE EasyBuild stakeholder scheme to the largest in the country with more than 275,000 scheme members.

UK - Directors' pay will be the dominant topic at annual general meetings with shareholders demanding greater transparency of disclosure, Pensions Investment Research Consultants claims.

UK - Finance union Amicus is confident of brokering an improved bonus scheme for back-office and call centre staff at insurance giant Norwich Union.