Eurofactor, Europe's No.1 integrated factoring network, has won several import and export awards from the International Factors Group (IFG).

• top prize as "Best Export Factor of the Year" for Spain, achieving the biggest increase in export turnover year-on-year with IFG members;

• second prize as "Best Import Factor of the Year" for the United Kingdom and "Best Export Factor" for Germany, with congratulations on the high level of service quality in both cases. Prizes are awarded on the basis of points allocated by the IFG's factoring members.

The prizes were awarded at end-2004 in Beijing (China) at IFG's general meeting. Founded in 1963 and present in 40 countries, IFG has some sixty members and 12 partners, including representatives in Shenzen and Taiwan. Its remit is to help companies grow internationally. International business accounts for €14.6 billion of turnover.

IFG, whose motto is "where open accounts meet open minds", set up new chapters in Asia and Eastern Europe in 2004. These chapters aim at providing local members with forums for regional dialogue, seminars and discussions on issues of common interest in terms of managing and financing trade receivables.

Jean-François Phan Van Phi elected IFG Vice-Chairman Jean-François Phan Van Phi, Eurofactor Group Marketing and Development Director, was elected IFG Vice-Chairman at the general meeting. Mr Phan Van Phi will chair the association for a two-year term, starting end-2005.

Eurofactor offers a comprehensive range of products and services for managing accounts receivable, both in France and abroad. At end-2004, Eurofactor launched its latest international innovation, European Pass®. This purpose of this new pan-European service, which rounds out the company's multi-local service for decentralised groups, is to assist Eurofactor's European customers with their international development plans.

European Pass is a global, value-added solution targeted at the finance departments of European companies. By signing a single contract, customers obtain:

• centralised financing of trade receivables

• Eurofactor's local expertise in managing accounts-receivable in the major European countries

• a special relationship with a single account manager at European level

• a Europe-wide view of the company's accounts via consolidated data available on the Eurofactor-Online website.

European Pass® covers the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Benelux, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal.

About Eurofactor

Eurofactor, Europe's foremost integrated factoring network, is a member of the Crédit Agricole S.A. group. Eurofactor helps companies to grow by providing national and international solutions for managing accounts receivable that take account of a company's strategy and sector, as well as its size and the types of customers it deals with.
To find out more about Eurofactor, visit Eurofactor : www.eurofactor.com