The Dutch central bank has drawn up new guidelines for pension funds and banks to reduce the risk of investing in private equity groups. The announcement was made in the latest bank quarterly report. However the bank said it would not yet give further details.

Central bank research in 2006 indicated that pension funds had €13bn invested in private equity by last June, some 4% of their invested assets. Banks had put around €9bn into private equity representing 1% of shareholders’ assets.