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occasions, up to a predetermined amount and for a maximum period of 5 (five) years elapsing from the date of incorporation of the company or from the resolution approving the relevant amendment to the company’s bylaws.
By means of such delegation, the management bodies may also be granted with the authority to increase the share capital by excluding the shareholders’ pre-emptive right pursuant to law provisions.
For the purposes of this Explanatory Report, it must be noted that pursuant to Article 2441, Paragraph 4, second sentence, of the Italian Civil Code, if so provided by the relevant bylaws, joint-stock companies the shares of which are listed on regulated markets, may increase their share capital by excluding the shareholders’ pre-emptive right within the limit of 10% (ten per cent) of the pre-existing share capital, provided that the issue price is consistent with the market value of the shares and that such consistency is confirmed by a registered auditor or an auditing firm in a specific report.
In such case, the management body, when resolving upon a share capital increase providing for the exclusion of the shareholders’ pre-emptive right, shall issue a report containing an explanation of the reasons for such exclusion, as well as of the criteria adopted for determining the shares’ issue price, which shall be deposited at the company’s registered office and published on the company’s website.
That being said, in light of the reasons and purposes described below, we are proposing to grant the Board of Directors with a delegation of authority to increase the share capital, which (if approved by the Shareholders’ Meeting) would authorize the same Board of Directors - for the maximum term allowed for by the law, i.e. for a period of 5 (five) years elapsing from the date of approval of the relevant resolution by the Shareholders’ Meeting - to increase, on one or more occasions, the Company’s share capital, in cash and on a divisible basis, for a maximum overall amount not exceeding Euro 350,000,000.00 (three hundred fifty million/00), including any share premium, with exclusion of the existing shareholders’ pre-emptive right pursuant to Article 2441, Paragraph 4, second sentence, of the Italian Civil Code, as provided for by Article 6.4 of the Company’s Bylaws (and, therefore, within the limit of 10% (ten per cent) of the overall number of Company’s shares currently outstanding), by issuing, also in one or more tranches, ordinary shares, with no par value, carrying full dividend rights, to be offered to the investors indicated below (the “Delegation”).
2. Reasons for granting the Delegation to the Board of Directors
The proposal to grant the Board of Directors with the Delegation aims at providing the Company, for a period of five (5) years elapsing from the date of approval of the relevant resolution by the Shareholders’ Meeting, with a flexible instrument of equity capital raising, which the Board of Directors may promptly activate - where it deems it appropriate and convenient in light of the contingent market conditions - to raise resources to be used for financing the Company’s activities and in the context of transactions carried out for the Company’s development and growth.
More in particular, the Delegation may be exercised by the Board of Directors to execute one or more share capital increases aimed, inter alia, at:
| (i) | raising equity capital to be used to finance the ordinary operations and expenses of, or investments of any nature made by, the Company or its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Group”); |
| (ii) | raising equity capital to be used in the context of extraordinary transactions of any nature; |
| (iii) | strengthen the capital structure and/or reduce the level of indebtedness of the Company and of the Group; and/or |
| (iv) | expand the shareholders’ base and increase the Company’s floating capital, as well as the liquidity of the Company’s listed shares. |
Compared to the ordinary procedure entailing the approval of share capital increases by the shareholders’ meeting, granting the Board of Directors with the Delegation allows the Company to benefit from significant advantages in terms of timeliness and flexibility in the execution of potential share capital increases, as it enables the management body to promptly proceed with the execution of a share capital increase when the needs and/or opportunities indicated above
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