- United Kingdom: The aeronautics group EADS - EUROPEAN AERONAUTIC DEFENSE AND SPACE, took a 10% stake in the NIMBUS consortium, candidate in the privatisation of British air traffic control NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES (NATS) and lead by the British group SERCO. This consortium is considered as the favourite candidate in the acquisition of 46% of NATS, against competing offers from the American LOCKHEED-MARTIN (associated to AIRWAYS CORPORATION) and the AIRLINE GROUP which gathers together airlines including BRITISH AIRWAYS, VIRGIN ATLANTIC and BRITISH MIDLAND. The partial privatisation of NATS, in which the State will retain 49%, aims to enable British air traffic control to invest GBP 1.3 billion over ten years for its modernisation. See EI of 2&3 October and 15 July 2000. - Italy: The Italian government announced that the privatisation of a second slice of the capital in the Italian electricity company ENEL and a fifth slice of the oil company ENI, initially foreseen for the start of 2001, will be postponed to the second half of the year. This decision will be justified by the prospects of the up-coming Italian legislative elections and market conditions. As a reminder, the Treasury Minister Vincenzo Visco intended to sell-off 5% of ENI and at least 10% of ENEL in the first months of this year. The first slice of ENEL, still 68% held by the Italian treasury, was sold in 1999 at the price of EUR 4.3 per share. See EI of 6 January. - Belgium: the partial privatisation of the Flemish regional investment fund, the GIMV, is postponed, the Flemish government having decided to await the end of April to set the new deadline. The partial privatisation of the company, in which the Flemish authorities hold 70% of the shares, had been announced for the start of the year. It foresees the sale of 30 to 40% of the capital. - Turkey: The Swiss group SAIRGROUP made it known that it was not interested in the privatisation of 51% of the stakes in the airline TURKISH AIRLINES, announced the Turkish privatisation office. SAIRGROUP has already withdrawn, last week, from the privatisation process of TAP AIR PORTUGAL (see EI of 3 February). These decisions are due to the difficult financial situation of the Swiss group, heavily in debt due to its expansion strategy. According to the Turkish authorities, nine investors are interested in the national airline, the offers should be submitted before next 28 February. The sale should take place in April. See EI of 15 December 2000.