VNU's Acquisition of ACNielsen Approved
16/2/01



VNU, the media and information company, has gained full permission from the European Commission to purchase all outstanding shares of common stock in the ACNielsen Corporation. Consequently, VNU was to complete its corporate purchase by the end of February 14, 2001.

VNU is a well-known and international media organisation. It enjoys leading market positions in many worldwide marketing and media, business, directory, consumer and educational information markets. The global VNU operation is thought to employ approximately 16,000 people and to have generated an annual revenue of EUR 2.8 billion in 1999.

ACNielsen, as most readers know, is the highly-ranked international market research firm. It enjoys an enviable track record in measurement and analysis of marketplace dynamics, consumer attitudes and behaviour, and new and traditional media in over 100 countries worldwide. The group is believed to employ approx. 21,000 employees globally and to have generated a total annual revenue of some USD 1.5 billion in 1999.