Stora Enso to buy, develop fast growing plantations.

STORA ENSO TO BUY, DEVELOP FAST GROWING PLANTATIONS. Stora Enso, Helsinki, Finland has started to purchase land in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil and in Uruguay with the intention of establishing fast-growing plantations of eucalyptus and pine to serve as a competitive fiber supply for the company's future pulp and paper production in these countries. Stora Enso plans to establish a total base of around 100,000 hectares of plantations in each country and in 2005 hopes to purchase around 50,000 hectares of land in each country, spending up to US$ 100 million during 2005 for acquisition of land and initial investments in nursery and infrastructure.

IN OTHER STORA ENSO NEWS:

* The company will join forces with publishers Axel Springer, Random House Group UK, and Time Inc. for a pilot project to improve the transparency of the social and ecological conditions of the wood supply chain from Russia. The Tikhvin Project focuses primarily on the legality and probity of wood, working conditions, welfare generation in the local community, and environmental issues in Russia.

* Stora Enso Packaging Boards, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA said the company's Global Specialty Papers Group introduced MultiFlex[TM], a patented paper-based barrier packaging material, to brand managers and packaging converters in September 2005. MultiFlex is a US FDA approved, aluminum-free packaging solution for lidding, pouch and oil and grease resistant (OGR) applications that took more than three years to develop.