EGM Statement

Cookson Group PLC 05 August 2002 NOT FOR RELEASE, DISTRIBUTION OR PUBLICATION IN WHOLE OR IN PART IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, FRANCE, NEW ZEALAND, THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND OR THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA COOKSON GROUP PLC RESULT OF EGM The Board of Cookson announces that at the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company held earlier today each of the Resolutions: (a) to reorganise each existing ordinary share of 50p into one reorganised ordinary share of 1p and one deferred share of 49p; and (b) to authorise the Directors to allot relevant securities in connection with the Rights Issue, both as set out in the Notice of Extraordinary General Meeting dated 19 July 2002, were duly passed with 99.9 per cent. of the votes cast in favour of each Resolution. Today, Provisional Allotment Letters in respect of entitlements to New Shares pursuant to the Rights Issue will be posted to Qualifying non-CREST Shareholders (other than certain overseas holders). In addition, Nil Paid Rights will be credited to the stock accounts of Qualifying CREST Shareholders (other than certain overseas holders) as soon as practicable after 8.00am on 6 August 2002. It is expected that dealings in the New Shares, nil paid, will commence at 8.00am on 6 August 2002. The latest time and date for acceptance and payment in full for New Shares pursuant to the Rights Issue is 9.30am on 28 August 2002. Commenting, Sir Bryan Nicholson, Chairman, said: 'I am pleased that shareholders have given strong support to the resolutions at today's EGM. They pave the way for a successful rights issue. The Board is convinced that the rights issue is the best course of action and the positive response from shareholders in the past three weeks supports that view.' ENQUIRIES: Cookson Group plc Tel: 020 7766 4500 Sir Bryan Nicholson, Chairman Stephen Howard, Group Chief Executive Dennis Millard, Group Finance Director Lazard Tel: 020 7588 2721 Jonathan Dawson Cazenove Tel: 020 7588 2828 Edmund Byers Merrill Lynch Tel: 020 7628 1000 Stephen Robinson Citigate Dewe Rogerson Tel: 020 7638 9571 Jonathan Clare Definitions used in the Prospectus dated 19 July 2002 shall have the same meanings when used in this announcement, unless the context requires otherwise. This announcement shall not constitute or form any part of any offer or invitation to subscribe for, underwrite or otherwise acquire, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for, the Nil Paid Rights, the Fully Paid Rights or the New Shares (the 'Securities'). Any purchase of, or application for, Securities in the Rights Issue should only be made on the basis of information contained in the Prospectus dated 19 July 2002 and any supplement thereto. The Securities have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933 or under the securities laws of any state of the United States nor will they qualify for distribution under any of the relevant securities laws of the Excluded Territories nor has any Prospectus in relation to the New Shares been lodged with or registered by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Accordingly, subject to certain exceptions, the Securities may not be offered, sold, delivered, renounced or transferred, directly or indirectly, in or into the Excluded Territories. There is no public offer of the Securities in the United States. Prices and values of, and income from, shares may go down as well as up and an investor may not get back the amount invested. It should be noted that past performance is no guide to future performance. Persons needing advice should consult an independent adviser. The contents of this press announcement which has been prepared and issued by and is the sole responsibility of Cookson has been approved solely for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 by Lazard, Cazenove and Merrill Lynch. Each of Lazard, Cazenove and Merrill Lynch is acting exclusively for Cookson and no-one else in connection with the Share Capital Reorganisation and the Rights Issue and will not be responsible to anyone other than Cookson for providing the protections afforded to clients of Lazard, Cazenove or Merrill Lynch or for providing advice in relation to the Share Capital Reorganisation and the Rights Issue or any matters referred to herein. The address of Lazard Brothers & Co., Limited and Lazard Capital Markets ('Lazard') is 21 Moorfields, London EC2P 2HT. The address of Cazenove & Co. Ltd ('Cazenove') is 12 Tokenhouse Yard, London EC2R 7AN. The address of Merrill Lynch International ('Merrill Lynch') is 2 King Edward Street, London EC1A 1HQ. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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