Director/PDMR Shareholding

Reed Elsevier PLC
01 August 2005


           ISSUED ON BEHALF OF REED ELSEVIER PLC AND REED ELSEVIER NV

1 August 2005

                              Interests in shares


Reed Elsevier today received notification from Hill Samuel Offshore Trust
Company Limited, the Trustees of the Reed Elsevier Employee Benefit Trust ('the
Trust'), that on 29 July 2005 they purchased 1,000,000 Reed Elsevier PLC
ordinary shares at a price of 525.5155p per share and 1,300,000 Reed Elsevier NV
ordinary shares at a price of €11.2231 per share.

The transaction took place in order to meet the future exercise of share option
entitlements by employees of Reed Elsevier. Following the transaction, the Trust
now holds an interest in 9,777,035 ordinary shares in Reed Elsevier PLC and
5,105,414 ordinary shares in Reed Elsevier NV.

The Trust is a discretionary employee benefit trust which is operated in
conjunction with Reed Elsevier's share option schemes, and which provides for
the transfer of shares to employees on the exercise of options granted under the
said schemes. Executive directors of Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV are,
for technical disclosure purposes, deemed to be interested in the shares held by
the Trust, by virtue of being potential beneficiaries under the Trust.



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