WESEL, Germany - As part of a consistent strategic and operative alignment, the Division Effect Pigments (ECKART Group) of ALTANA Chemie AG, Wesel, Germany, will be closing the production site for aluminum pastes at Porto Marghera near Venice, Italy, at the end of 2006 and relocating production to the existing European sites. ECKART has had four production sites for aluminum pastes at its disposal to date: two in the Italian towns of Rivanazzano and Porto Marghera and two in Wackersdorf and Velden, Germany. Some 38 employees are affected, though a number of them will be offered jobs in other sites where possible.