De Pouzilhac said at an analysts' briefing that advertising would fall by 1.5% in the US and by 2% in Europe, and that this is the basis of the group's 2002 budgets.
He confirmed that Havas, owner of the Euro RSCG advertising network and media buyer Media Planning Group, is set to meet its 2001 earnings before interest and taxes margin of between 10% and 12%.
At the same briefing, Havas unveiled its new human resources consulting and services sector, HR Gardens.
HR Gardens is made up of five companies that are owned by Havas Advertising and specialise in the human resources field. De Pouzhilac said: "Good human resources management is a key issue for businesses today. By creating HR Gardens, we are making this activity a fully fledged specialised business within our organisation and giving it the resources to become a global leader in the sector."
Last year, Havas restructured, dismantling its Diversified Agencies Group, and creating three new units: Euro RSCG Worldwide, Arnold Worldwide and MPG.
The group's shares, traded in Paris, were up by 2.54% this morning at €9.28.
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