AGM Statement

Reed Elsevier PLC
18 April 2007



                                  NEWS RELEASE


                                                                   17 April 2007


       Annual General Meetings of Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV

                              Chairman's Statement

           Issued on behalf of Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV


Jan Hommen, Chairman of Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV, told
shareholders at the Reed Elsevier PLC meeting in London today:


'We were pleased to report on a year in which we made important progress at Reed
Elsevier in 2006.  We continued to expand our authoritative content delivered
through market leading brands; we invested behind a wide range of innovative new
digital products; we achieved further significant efficiency gains across the
business; and we saw a strong performance from recent acquisitions which are
accelerating our progress.


The 2006 financial results were encouraging, with good revenue growth and
improved underlying margins.  We also delivered strong cash generation and
higher returns on invested capital.


We have sharpened our strategic focus to best capitalise on the growing digital
opportunities in our markets.  We believe we can derive the best returns on our
brand franchises and digital investments by focusing on the Science, Medical,
Legal and Business markets.  Accordingly, we announced in February 2007 our
intention to sell the Harcourt Education division, with the intention to return
the net proceeds from the sale to shareholders.'


Looking at the trading performance in 2007, Mr Hommen commented:


'Overall, trading conditions have changed little since our 2006 Preliminary
Results announcement on 15 February.  The performance so far this year is in
line with our expectations and market conditions are generally favourable.


The performance trends in Reed Elsevier's businesses are as follows:


Elsevier has started the year well.  In both the Science & Technology and Health
Sciences divisions journal subscription renewals are strong, online sales are
progressing well and book publishing is expanding.  The Health Sciences business
is again expecting good growth from new publishing and backlist sales, although
given the seasonality of the business, this will be reflected in the second
half.


LexisNexis has made a good start to the year, with good revenue momentum seen
across the business.  In US Legal Markets good demand continues for online
information and our expanding portfolio of workflow solutions.  In US Corporate
and Public Markets, the risk management business is continuing to grow well.
International growth outside the US is benefiting from the strong demand for
online services in the UK, France, Germany and other European and Asian markets.


Harcourt Education has started the year with an encouraging market response to
its 2007 basal textbook programmes and recent reorganisations within the
Assessment business are having a positive effect on operational performance.
The majority of textbook sales for both the basal and supplemental businesses
are in the second half, reflecting the seasonality of the business around the
start of the academic year.  The Harcourt Education sale process is proceeding
satisfactorily and we expect to complete the disposal during the course of the
second half of 2007.


Reed Business has had a positive start to the year.  In the magazine and
information publishing businesses, online revenues continue to grow well, more
than offsetting declines in print revenues.  Exhibition demand is good with
notable successes in the early 2007 shows.


Our financial goal is for a minimum of 10% adjusted earnings per share growth at
constant currencies and, excluding the impact of the sale of Harcourt Education,
we are well on track to achieve this in 2007.


The first half financial performance versus the prior year will be affected by
the net cycling out of biennial exhibitions, which largely reverses in the
second half, and by seasonality and publishing phasing in the business which
also favour the second half.


The long term prospects for Reed Elsevier are promising.  Our strategy is clear
and focused on four priorities: delivering authoritative content through leading
brands, driving online solutions, improving cost efficiency and selective
portfolio development.  The digital horizon continues to expand and Reed
Elsevier is well placed.'


The Annual General Meeting of Reed Elsevier NV, the co-parent of Reed Elsevier
Group plc, will be held in Amsterdam tomorrow and Mr Hommen, also Chairman of
Reed Elsevier NV, will make the same comments to that meeting.


This statement contains forward looking statements within the meaning of Section
27A of the Securities Act 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act 1934, as amended. These statements are subject to a number of risks
and uncertainties and actual results and events could differ materially from
those currently being anticipated as reflected in such forward looking
statements. The terms 'expect', 'should be', 'will be', and similar expressions
identify forward looking statements. Factors which may cause future outcomes to
differ from those foreseen in forward looking statements include, but are not
limited to: general economic conditions and business conditions in Reed
Elsevier's markets; exchange rate fluctuations; customers' acceptance of its
products and services; the actions of competitors; legislative, fiscal and
regulatory developments; changes in law and legal interpretation affecting Reed
Elsevier's intellectual property rights and internet communications; and the
impact of technological change.



For media enquiries contact:
Patrick Kerr, Reed Elsevier, tel [phone]


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange