Belgium
In Belgium, the New Treasury Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer are not directly or indirectly, being made to, or for the account of, any person other than to qualified investors (gekwalificeerde beleggers/investisseurs qualifiés) within the meaning of Article 2(e) Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017 on the prospectus to be published when securities are offered to the public or admitted to trading on a regulated market, and repealing Directive 2003/71/EC. (Règlement (UE) 2017/1129 du 14 juin 2017 du Parlement européen et du Conseil concernant le prospectus à publier en cas d’offre au public de valeurs mobilières ou en vue de l’admission de valeurs mobilières à la négociation sur un marché réglementé, et abrogeant la directive 2003/71/CE / Verordening (EU) 2017/1129 van het Europees Parlement en de Raad van 14 juni 2017 betreffende het prospectus dat moet worden gepubliceerd wanneer effecten aan het publiek worden aangeboden of tot de handel op een gereglementeerde markt worden toegelaten en tot intrekking van Richtlijn 2003/71/EG), as amended or replaced from time to time (Belgian Qualified Investor), that do not qualify as consumers (consumenten/consommateurs) within the meaning of Article I.1, 2° of the Belgian Code of Economic Law of February 28, 2013 (Wetboek van economisch recht/Code de droit économique), as amended or replaced from time to time (Consumers). A Consumer within the meaning of Article I.1, 2° of the Belgian Code of Economic Law is any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside their trade, business, craft or profession.
As a result, the New Treasury Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer do not constitute a public takeover bid pursuant to Articles 3, §1, 1° and 6, § 1 of the Belgian law of April 1, 2007 on public takeover bids (Wet op de openbare overnamebiedingen/Loi relative aux offres publiques d’acquisition), as amended or replaced from time to time.
Consequently, the New Treasury Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer and any material relating thereto have not been and will not be, notified or submitted to, nor approved by the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (Autoriteit voor Financiële Diensten en Markten/Autorité des Services et Marchés Financiers) pursuant to the Belgian laws and regulations applicable to the public offering or tendering of securities.
The New Treasury Bonds Offering and the Tender Offer as well as any materials relating thereto may not be advertised, nor distributed, directly or indirectly, to any person in Belgium other than Belgian Qualified Investors acting for their own account who are not Consumers, and may not be used in connection with any offering in Belgium except as may otherwise be permitted by law.
Canada
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities nor will there be any sale of the New Treasury Bonds or the Tender Offer in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. The offering of the New Treasury Bonds will be made only by means of the offering memorandum and in Canada, under applicable exemptions from any prospectus or registration requirements.
The New Treasury Bonds may be sold and the Tender Offer is made in Canada only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations, and who are not individuals. Any resale of the New Treasury Bonds must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws.
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