<B>Stora Enso Receives Clearance for Consolidated Acquisition</B>

Stora Enso, the Finnish-Swedish forestry group received clearance from the U.S. and German competition authorities for its acquisition of Consolidated Papers.

Stora Enso said its registration statement on Form F-4 was declared effective by the Securities Exchange Commission late last month, and it had received approval for the transaction from the U.S. Federal Energy Commission and Wisconsin regulators.

Stora Enso said in February it would buy U.S. Consolidated Papers for $4.61 billion.

The deal has been approved by the boards of both companies, but an extraordinary meeting of Stora Enso shareholders is to vote on the takeover on August 18 and Consolidated shareholders are to vote on it on August 30.