Interim Dividend Dates

Reed Elsevier PLC
28 July 2005



                                  NEWS RELEASE

           Issued on behalf of Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV

                      Reed Elsevier interim dividend dates

                                                                    28 July 2005

Further to the announcement earlier today, which contained the Reed Elsevier
Interim Results for the six months ended 30 June 2005, the following
announcement contains the interim dividend dates and the unqualified Independent
Review Report of the Reed Elsevier's Auditors which are part of the full Interim
Statement, but which were omitted from the previous announcement.

The full Interim Statement is available on the Reed Elsevier website at
www.reedelsevier.com, and is being mailed to shareholders of Reed Elsevier PLC
and will be available to the shareholders of Reed Elsevier NV upon request.

Investor information
Financial calendar

2005
28 July     PLC   Announcement of interim results for the six months to 30 June
                  2005
            NV
29 July     NV    Record date - 2005 interim dividend, Reed Elsevier NV ordinary
                  shares
1 August    NV    Ex-dividend date - 2005 interim dividend, Reed Elsevier NV
                  ordinary shares
2 August    NV    Ex-dividend date - 2005 interim dividend, Reed Elsevier NV
                  ADRs
3 August    PLC   Ex-dividend date - 2005 interim dividends, Reed Elsevier PLC
                  ordinary shares and ADRs
4 August    NV    Record date - 2005 interim dividend, Reed Elsevier NV ADRs
5 August    PLC   Record date - 2005 interim dividends, Reed Elsevier PLC
                  ordinary shares and ADRs
26 August   PLC   Payment date - 2005 interim dividends, Reed Elsevier PLC and
                  Reed Elsevier NV ordinary shares
            NV
2           PLC   Payment date - 2005 interim dividends, Reed Elsevier PLC and
September         Reed Elsevier NV ADRs
            NV
17          PLC   Trading update issued in relation to the 2005 financial year
November
            NV
2006
16          PLC   Announcement of Preliminary Results for the year to 31
February          December 2005
            NV
18 April    PLC   Annual General Meeting - Reed Elsevier PLC, London
19 April    NV    Annual General Meeting - Reed Elsevier NV, Amsterdam
27 July     PLC   Announcement of interim results for the six months to 30 June
                  2006
            NV

Listings

London Stock         Euronext Amsterdam   New York Stock Exchange
Exchange
Reed Elsevier PLC    Reed Elsevier NV     Reed Elsevier PLC (RUK) - CUSIP No.
(REL)                (REN)                758205108
Ordinary shares      Ordinary shares      Each ADR represents four ordinary
                                          shares
                                          Reed Elsevier NV (ENL) - CUSIP No.
                                          758204101
                                          Each ADR represents two ordinary
                                          shares

Independent review report
to Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV

Introduction
We have been instructed by the boards of Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV
to review the combined financial information of Reed Elsevier PLC, Reed Elsevier
NV, Reed Elsevier Group plc and Elsevier Reed Finance BV and their respective
subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures (together 'the combined businesses')
for the six months ended 30 June 2005 which comprises the combined income
statement, combined cash flow statement, combined statement of recognised income
and expense, reconciliation of shareholders' equity, combined balance sheet and
related notes 1 to 6. We have also reviewed the summary financial information of
Reed Elsevier PLC for the six months ended 30 June 2005 which comprises the
consolidated income statement, summary consolidated cash flow statement,
consolidated statement of recognised income and expense, reconciliation of
shareholders' equity, summary consolidated balance sheet and the earnings per
share and dividend notes, and the summary financial information of Reed Elsevier
NV for the six months ended 30 June 2005 which comprises the group income
statement, summary group cash flow statement, group statement of recognised
income and expense, reconciliation of group shareholders' equity, summary group
balance sheet and the earnings per share and dividend notes. We have read the
other information contained in the interim report and considered whether it
contains any apparent mis-statements or material inconsistencies with the
financial information.

This report is made solely to Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV in
accordance with Bulletin 1999/4 issued by the Auditing Practices Board. Our work
has been undertaken so that we might state to Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed
Elsevier NV those matters we are required to state to them in an independent
review report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law,
we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than Reed Elsevier PLC
and Reed Elsevier NV, for our review work, for this report, or for the
conclusions we have formed.

Directors' responsibilities
The Reed Elsevier Interim Statement, including the financial information
contained therein, is the responsibility of, and has been approved by, the
directors of Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The directors of Reed
Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV are responsible for preparing the Reed
Elsevier Interim Statement in accordance with the Listing Rules of the UK
Financial Services Authority and, in respect of the combined businesses the
requirements of International Accounting Standard 34: 'Interim Financial

Reporting' which require that the accounting policies and presentation applied
to the interim figures are consistent with those applied in preparing the
preceding annual accounts except where any changes, and the reasons for them,
are disclosed.

International Financial Reporting Standards
The next annual financial statements of Reed Elsevier PLC, Reed Elsevier NV and
the combined businesses will be prepared in accordance with International
Financial Reporting Standards as adopted for use in the EU. The interim report
of the combined businesses has been prepared in accordance with IAS34, and the
requirements of International Financial Reporting Standard 1, 'First Time
Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards' relevant to interim
reports. The interim summary financial information of Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed
Elsevier NV has been prepared in accordance with the recognition and measurement
criteria of IFRS and the disclosure requirements of the Listing Rules of the UK
Financial Services Authority.

Review work performed
We conducted our review in accordance with the guidance in Bulletin 1999/4
issued by the United Kingdom Auditing Practices Board. A review consists
principally of making enquiries of group management and applying analytical
procedures to the financial information and underlying financial data and, based
thereon, assessing whether the accounting policies and presentation have been
consistently applied unless otherwise disclosed. A review excludes audit
procedures such as tests of controls and verification of assets, liabilities and
transactions. It is substantially less in scope than an audit performed in
accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK, Ireland and the
Netherlands) and therefore provides a lower level of assurance than an audit.
Accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion on the financial information.

Review conclusion
On the basis of our review we are not aware of any material modifications that
should be made to the financial information as presented for the six months
ended 30 June 2005.

Deloitte & Touche LLP                  Deloitte Accountants BV
Chartered Accountants                  Amsterdam
London                                 27 July 2005
27 July 2005







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