PR Newswire Partners With Les Echos to Deliver Transparency Solutions to French Issuers

London (ots/PRNewswire) -

- Partnership Will Combine Dissemination in France and Across the
EU, to Provide a Transparency Obligations Directive Compliant
Solution

PR Newswire, the world's leading disclosure and corporate news
distribution service and Les Echos, the leading French financial
newspaper and website (http://www.Lesechos.fr) today announced a
partnership that will provide listed companies in France with a
disclosure service that is compliant with the Transparency
Obligations Directive, due to be implemented in January 2007.

(Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061214/237252 )

"In light of the new EU regulations, listed companies in France
will be re-assessing both their disclosure obligations and how to
fulfil them," according to Lisa Ashworth, CEO, PR Newswire Europe.
"This partnership with Les Echos and Lesechos.fr will provide French
clients with access to EU wide dissemination through Les Echos'
Entreprises integrated platform. This further strengthens PR
Newswire's global position as the market leader in the investor
relations and media communications industry."

By combining the expertise of both PR Newswire's global
communications services with Les Echos' French network and client
base, French companies will now be able to ensure their compliance
with new European regulation.

Ashworth is focused on the customer opportunity this partnership
will bring, "The combination of PR Newswire's experience as the
leading global regulatory and general news distributor, allied with
Les Echos' position as the primary provider of existing, newspaper
advertisement-based obligations, will result in the most
comprehensive and effective disclosure and new distribution solutions
for customers in the region."

Philippe Jannet, Managing Director of Electronic publishing for
Les Echos says, "Les Echos is delighted to have this arrangement with
PR Newswire, which will give French issuers compliance with
transparency regulations in Europe."

As the only corporate news distributor on the Committee of
European Securities Regulators (CESR) Consultative Working Group on
the Transparency Obligations Directive (TOD), PR Newswire has played
a critical role in shaping the European Union's forthcoming
Directive, scheduled to go into effect in January 2007.

TOD is part of a series of measures passed by the European
Commission designed to establish a level playing field in the
European financial services markets. Specifically, TOD is focused on
ensuring that issuers meet certain minimum standards of disclosure
when disseminating price-sensitive news and information. Paramount to
this mandate is that information be disseminated throughout the
European Union in a manner that supports simultaneous delivery,
thereby providing institutional and retail investors, the media and
the general public equal access to material news the moment it is
announced.

Mark Hynes, PR Newswire's Managing Director of Global Investor
Relations Services, said, "When the European Union first proposed the
Transparency Directive, PR Newswire took the initiative to counsel
those involved in drafting the legislation on the importance of
promoting widespread disclosure. Today, as the European Union
prepares for the TOD, PR Newswire has again assumed a leadership
position by offering a means for companies throughout the EU to
disseminate information on both a local and wide scale basis."

This partnership is at the forefront of numerous announcements PR
Newswire will be making in the forthcoming months, to ensure
customers compliancy with the new EU directives.

About PR Newswire

Now in its 52nd year, PR Newswire (http://www.prnewswire.com and
http://www.prnewswire.co.uk) provides electronic distribution,
targeting, measurement and broadcast services on behalf of some
40,000 corporate, government, association, trade, non-profit, and
other customers worldwide. Using PR Newswire, these organisations
reach a variety of critical audiences including the news media, the
investment community, government decision-makers, and the general
public with their up-to-the-minute, full-text news developments.

Established in 1954, PR Newswire has offices in 11 countries and
routinely sends its customers' news to outlets in 135 countries and
in more than 40 languages. Utilising the latest in communications
technology, PR Newswire content is considered a mainstay among news
reporters, investors and individuals who seek breaking news from the
source. PR Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business Media plc of
London.

For full information on PR Newswire products and services email
marketing@prnewswire.co.uk or go to www.prnewswire.co.uk

About LES ECHOS

Founded in 1908, the French daily newspaper Les Echos is the
paper of reference for business leaders.

Les Echos has a circulation of 140,313 (OJD 2005) and is read
by 579,000 business leaders and decision-makers (IPSOS FCA 2006). The
editorial staff is made up of 180 journalists (with 10 foreign
correspondents) and approximately 40 regional correspondents.

Created in 1996, Lesechos.fr is the leading French business and
financial web site. It provides all the up-to-date financial news and
related data, including the markets and business information.
Lesechos.fr was the first information website in Europe, exploring an
hybrid model (free content paid by advertising and content reserved
to website subscribers). Today Lesechos.fr have more than 25 000
subscribers, more than 1,2 million unique visitors/month and is one
of the rare information website to be profitable.
http://www.lesechos.fr

ots Originaltext: PR Newswire Europe and Les Echos
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Media Contacts: Rachel Meranus, Director Public Relations,
+1-212-282-1929 or email rachel.meranus@prnewswire.com. Samantha
Proctor, European Marketing, PR Newswire Europe, +44-20-7454-5115 or
email samantha.proctor@prnewswire.co.uk