Offer Update BNL (Italy)

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA 30 June 2005 'BBVA, S.A.', pursuant to the provisions of article 82 of the Spanish Securities Market Act, proceeds by means of the present document to notify the following: RELEVANT EVENT BBVA announces, with regard to its public offer over Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, S.p.A. (BNL), that Bank of Italy has given, in answer to a request by BBVA, an authentic interpretation of its authorisation permitting the acquisition of control of BNL, granted on May 13, 2005, whereby it considers such authorisation not conditional upon the acquisition of over 50% of the ordinary share capital of BNL. The absence of such condition allows BBVA to be considered authorised to acquire a participation equal to or lower than 50% of the ordinary share capital of BNL, as long as it permits the exercise of effective control over BNL, which will be verified by the Bank of Italy in view of the result of the offer. In relation to such clarifying interpretation, BBVA has requested the Bank of Italy to recognise from this moment, given the present shareholder structure and the system to choose the board of directors provided for in the by-laws of BNL (system of lists with premium for the majority), that any stake resulting from the public offer which is greater than 30% would allow for the control of BNL according to the concept of 'dominant influence' provided for in the article 23.2 , of the 'Testo unico delle leggi in materia bancaria e creditizia'. On the other hand, on June 16, 2005, BBVA filed with the Bank of Italy a request for authorization for the acquisition, always in the context of the public offer, of a stake up to 30% of the ordinary share capital of BNL. As soon as BBVA receives the corresponding answers from the Bank of Italy, it will agree with the CONSOB the publication of an amendment to the Offering Document as is foreseen in article 38.5 of the CONSOB Regulation on issuers. 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, June 30, 2005 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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