Transaction in Own Shares

Reed Elsevier PLC
21 August 2007




21 August 2007


           ISSUED ON BEHALF OF REED ELSEVIER PLC AND REED ELSEVIER NV

                           Transactions in own shares


Reed Elsevier PLC announces that on 21 August 2007 it purchased 600,000 Reed
Elsevier PLC ordinary shares at a price of 579.7242 pence per share. The
purchased shares will be held as treasury shares. Following the above purchase,
Reed Elsevier PLC holds 28,313,500 Reed Elsevier PLC ordinary shares in
treasury, and has 1,275,660,062 Reed Elsevier PLC ordinary shares in issue
(excluding treasury shares).

Reed Elsevier NV announces that on 21 August 2007, it purchased 600,000 Reed
Elsevier NV ordinary shares at a price of Euro12.6152 per share. The purchased
shares will be held as treasury shares. Following the above purchase, Reed
Elsevier NV holds 20,641,500 Reed Elsevier NV ordinary shares in treasury, and
has 738,861,887 Reed Elsevier NV ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury
shares).




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