New Group Code of Conduct

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA 20 February 2003 'BBVA, S.A.', pursuant to the provisions of section 82 of the Securities Market Act, hereby announces the following SIGNIFICANT EVENT The Board of Directors of BBVA has approved the new Group Code of Conduct in the area of Securities Markets. This replaces the former code, which it adapts to the Financial System Reform Measures Act. A press note is attached. PRESS RELEASE 19-2-2003 BBVA UPDATES ITS CODE OF CONDUCT FOR SECURITIES MARKETS, AND ADAPTS IT TO THE FINANCIAL ACT • The Board of Directors of the Bank approves a new, more exacting regulation to augment investors' protection and market transparency. • It introduces improvements in the areas of privileged information, conflict of interest, manipulation of quotations, information control, financial analysis, and relevant information. The Board of Directors of BBVA yesterday approved a new Code of Conduct for the Securities Market. This increases investors' protection and market transparency, and is consistent with the Financial System Reform Act, passed last November. BBVA has chosen to tailor its Code of Conduct for the Securities Market to the Act as quickly as possible, without using up the entire period of nine months that the regulation had laid down for adaptation in the companies affected. In this manner BBVA reaffirms its commitment to laying down internal procedures and regulations that will ensure legal, ethical, and transparent behaviour, in line with the broad reform of the Corporate Government System undertaken over the past few months. In this case the Code of Conduct for Securities Markets applies to the directors of the Group companies affected, to Top Management, and to all executives and employees whose activity is market-related. Privileged information The new Code, based on the internal regulations of BBVA approved in December 2000, introduces adaptations deriving from the Financial System Reform Act. Also, BBVA introduces other improvements in order to adapt its Code of Conduct to the performance of the securities markets. The text introduces advances and modifications in the areas of privileged information, conflict of interest, manipulation of quotations, information control, analysis, and relevant information. In the area of privileged information its scope is extended to include those cases in which information affects securities or issuers, whether or not direct, and expressly to include both negotiable securities or financial instruments that are going to be admitted to quotation. Also reinforced is the system of prohibitions relating to privileged information. The prohibition against operating through OTC derivatives is expressly included. Another of the main novelties of the Code is more detailed regulation in the area of quotation manipulation, with a description of the conduct classed as manipulative under current regulations. Where financial analysis is concerned, the new Code embraces the new legal developments. However, it should be pointed out that in May 2002 BBVA decided to adhere voluntarily to the regulations embodied in Rule 2711 of the United States regarding Research, which sets forth some of the principles of the financial act and others not included in Spanish law. Finally, the new Code of Conduct for Securities Markets is part of the system applying to the Significant Events of which the market is advised. It helps to break down the information barriers between separate areas in the Group, and the obligation to reveal conflict of interest is further stressed. 19th February 2003 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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