Directors' Dealings

Reed International PLC
Elsevier NV
29 February 2000


LETTER TO COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENTS OFFICE

We are writing to advise you that we have today received notification from Hill
Samuel Offshore Trust Company Limited, the Trustees of the Reed Elsevier
Employee Benefit Trust ('the Trust'), that they sold on Friday 25 February 2000
13,861 ordinary shares in Reed International P.L.C. at a price of 505p per
share.  The transaction took place in order to meet the exercise of a share
option by an employee of Reed Elsevier.  Following this transaction, the Trust
now holds 604,929 ordinary shares in Reed International P.L.C. and 320,000
ordinary shares in 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 International P.L.C. and Elsevier NV
are, for disclosure purposes, deemed to be interested in all the shares referred
to above.

From:  L Dixon (Deputy Secretary)