- Italy: the Italian conglomerate FINMECCANICA is preparing its privatisation, to begin on 29 May with the launch of a public tender for its shares. At the end of this operation, estimated at some 6 bn euro, the government should still control almost 30% of the company's capital. EUROPE recalls that FINMECCANICA is controlled to the tune of 54% by the public holding company and 28.9% by the treasury, itself a shareholder in IRI. The remaining 17.1% has already been floated on the stock market. - Greece: the Greek Government has announced that it would launch an international tender for the sale of 20% of the airline company OLYMPIC AIRWAYS (pre-tax profits of 1.60 bn drachmae in 1998) if BRITISH AIRWAYS had not submitted a proposal by 28 June, according to an agreement concluded between the two companies last summer.