WSJ: UniCredito and Credit Agricole attracted to EFL

According to a Wall Street Journal Europe report, Italy's UniCredito Italiano and French Credit Agricole are interested in acquiring shares in Poland's largest leasing company Europejski Fundusz Leasingowy (EFL). Although EFL head Leszek Czarnecki would not comment on the report, he did say his company was looking to form ties with a bank which would enable it to expand its operations in Poland and also into western Europe, primarily by increasing its real estate leasing activities. President Czarnecki in an interview for Rzeczpospolita in October 2000 suggested that EFL needed to create a strategic alliance with a strong financial group, but added that the potential candidate would not necessarily take control of the company. According to data from a domestic leasing association, EFL leased assets worth zl.492.2 million after the first half of 2000 and was ranked first among 36 companies in its sector. (Rzeczpospolita, p.B5) M.M.