Favourable resolution C.E.U
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA
27 April 2005
RELEVANT EVENT
BBVA informs that the Commission of the European Union has notified its
favourable resolution in relation to the public offer for the acquisition of the
ordinary share capital of Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, S.p.A. launched by BBVA,
in the understanding that such transaction is compatible with the European
common market.
Excluded markets
The Offer is exclusively promoted on the Italian market, the sole regulated
market on which the Shares are negotiated. The Offer is not being made and will
not be made in or into the United States and in any other State in which such
distribution is subject to restrictions or limitations pursuant to laws in force
in such states (the 'Excluded States'). Excluded States are without limitations
United States of America, Japan, Canada and Australia. This document, and any
and all materials related to the Offer, that the Issuer or the Offeror and any
other person interested in the Offer may issue, should not be sent or otherwise
distributed in or into the United States and in the Excluded States, whether by
use of the United States of the Excluded States mail or by any means or
instrumentality of United States or of the Excluded States interstate or foreign
commerce (including, but without limitation, the mail, facsimile transmission,
telex, telephone and the Internet) or any facility of a United States national
securities exchange or Excluded States, and the Offer cannot be accepted by any
such use, means or instrumentality, in or from within the United States or
Excluded States. Accordingly, copies of this document, the Offer Document and
any related materials are not being, and must not be, sent or otherwise
distributed in or into or from the United States and Excluded States or, in
their capacities as such, to custodians, trustees or nominees holding BNL Shares
for United States and Excluded States, and persons receiving any such documents
(including custodians, nominees and trustees) must not distribute or send them
in, into or from the United States and Excluded States. Any purported
acceptance of the Offer resulting directly or indirectly from a violation of
these restrictions will be invalid. No BNL Shares are being solicited from a
resident of the United States and Excluded States and, if sent in response by a
resident of the United States and Excluded States, will not be accepted.
This document is not an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy,
securities in the United States and Excluded States. The BBVA Shares being
offered in exchange for BNL shares have not been and will not be registered
under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the 'US Securities Act') or
under the securities laws of any state of the United States and Excluded States,
and are offered solely outside the United States and Excluded States in offshore
transactions in compliance with Regulation S under the US Securities Act.
Consequently, no BBVA Shares delivered in exchange for BNL Shares pursuant to
the Offer may be offered, sold or delivered directly or indirectly in the United
States and Excluded States, except pursuant to an exemption from registration.
Madrid, April 27, 2005
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