EnBW-CEO Claassen appointed to the Executive Committee of EDF

Paris/Karlsruhe – The chairman of the board of management of EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, Prof. Dr. Utz Claassen (42), has been appointed to the executive committee („COMEX“ = Comité Exécutif) of Electricité de France (EDF) in Paris. This was announced today in Paris by the EDF president Pierre Gadonneix. The appointment of Claassen, who formerly was already active in the management- and/or executive committee function in England and Spain for several years, is also an expression of EDF’s quest for further internationalisation as well as recruitment of younger blood into its top management. Claassen is to thereby significantly participate in the definition of the strategy of the EDF group for Central and Eastern Europe. Claassen will, unvaried, continue to administer and fulfil the requirements of his office as EnBW chief executive.

The board of management of EnBW regards this appointment into the executive committee of a French conglomerate, which so far has been very rare for a German manager, as mark of confidence and as a great chance for the further consolidation of co-operation and strategic partnership between EDF and EnBW. Claassen in person comments to this as follows: "this new and additional task is for me a great privilege and at the same time an important challenge. It reflects and manifests the great confidence and the successful partnership between EDF and EnBW. The fact that EnBW thereby will be directly represented in future in the executive committee and/or COMEX of EDF is good for our company, our shareholders, our staff, our customers and our region. I am very pleased to be able to contribute thereby a further mosaic stone to the Franco-German friendship."

EDF is the largest electrical power group in the world. It employs worldwide 161,560 workers in the group. In the year 2005 it realized with a turnover of 51,1 billion euros, a profit before interest, taxes and writings-off (EBITDA) in the amount of 13,0 billion euros. EDF participates with 45,01% in EnBW. In the year 2005, EnBW Group as the third biggest German power supplier realised, with a turnover of 10.8 billion euros, an EBITDA in the amount of 2,05 billion euros, a pre-tax gain in the amount of 1.08 billion euros and thus the second record result in consequence. The EnBW employs in total 17,765 workers.