Russians to buy Lucchini, Arcelor to buy Huta Lucchini?

The board of the Warsaw steel mill did not confirm this information. However, Arcelor's spokesman Luc Scheer declared, "We are in negotiations to buy the Warsaw steel mill. At this stage we cannot reveal any details." The sale of the Warsaw steel mill is a part of the restructuring process of the Lucchini concern during which Russian Siewierstal will take over 62% of shares of the heavily indebted Lucchini. However, Siewierstal will buy Lucchini without the Warsaw steel mill. Arcelor is a steel concern created in 2002 from a merger of the French Usinor, Spanish Aceralia and Arbed from Luxemburg, is in the running to buy the mill itself. However, the acquisition of the Warsaw steel mill by Arcelor may be blocked by the European Commission which back in 2001 agreed for a merger of Usinor, Aceralia and Arbed on condition that the newly created concern would sell several steel mills. (Gazeta Wyborcza, 12-13 February, p. 26) E.B.