The Swiss takeover panel UEK has asked SIG Holding (Neuhausen / Switzerland; www.sig.biz) to reveal to it the names of other bidders for a shareholding in the world´s number two producer of aseptic cartons. SIG said it has invited and received bids from other companies in its fight to stave off a hostile takeover attempt by the Norwegian Ferd group and CVC Capital Partners (www.cvc.com), private equity owners of Norwegian rival Elopak (Spikkestad; www.elopak.com) – see Plasteurope.com Web of 31.10.2006. It has recommended that its shareholders reject the EUR 325 (about EUR 203m) per share offer made by Elopak´s owners.

SIG had attempted to withhold the names on grounds that Elopak would gain access to confidential company information. The private equity groups have declined to increase their initial offer made in October, saying that the information gleaned in the agreed due diligence proceedings was insufficient to warrant a top-up. However, last week the papers were trading at EUR 365 per share. The holding said it planned to publish a formal response to the Ferd/CVC takeover bid on 23 November 2006.