Sale of business unit INVENTA-FISCHER

The EMS Group continues to focus its strategy on Performance Polymers. Consequently, EMS has decided to sell business unit INVENTA-FISCHER to German plant contractor UHDE GmbH in Dortmund. UHDE will take over INVENTA-FISCHER - which plans and builds polymer and synthetic fibre production facilities - retroactively per 1 January 2004. Transfer of ownership will be effected at the end of June 2004, subject to approval by the antitrust authorities. The parties have agreed not to reveal the sales price.