Brussels, 18/10/2002 (Agence Europe) - The company Gplus Europe decided on Friday to pull out of the contract concluded with the European Commission's Press and Communications Directorate General due to the embarrassing situation the heads of this company found themselves in (company that employs three former Commission spokespeople, two on leave for professional convenience), the Commission spokesman, Jonathan Faull, announced on Friday (see EUROPE of 2 October, p.13 and 30 September/1October, p.13). Mr. Faull stipulated that Gplus would receive no compensation, and that the main 23 million euro contract signed in June of this year with the Franco-Belgium consortium Ascii (and for which GPlus was a subcontractor) remained valid. Early October, Mr. Faull decided to suspend the market having recognised that the leaves of personal convenience granted to Peter Guilfor and Michael Tcherney could pose a "problem of perception" deserving the clarification of certain rules on conflicts of interest. The Commission is still considering a possible amendment of the rules for leaves of convenience for officials.