VEGA ENGENHARIA AMBIENTAL, Latin-American subsidiary of SITA - SOCIETE INDUSTRIELLE DES TRANSPORTS AUTOMOBILES (part of France's SUEZ group), has launched a new 50%/50% joint venture called ESSENCIS with CAVO, a company belonging to a local conglomerate. ESSENCIS will have assets in the region of 60 million Brazilian reals. The new joint venture will aim increase the current turnover fivefold by 2005 to 250 million reals.