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This announcement must be read in conjunction with the Invitation for Offers. The distribution of this announcement and the Invitation for Offers in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this Notice or the Invitation for Offers comes are required by each of the Company, the Dealer Managers and the Information and Tender Agent to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.
United States. The Invitation is not being made and will not be made directly or indirectly in or into, or by use of the mails of, or by any means or instrumentality (including, without limitation, facsimile transmission, telex, telephone, email and other forms of electronic transmission) of interstate or foreign commerce of, or any facility of a national securities exchange of, or to beneficial owners of the Bonds who are located in the United States as defined in Regulation S of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or to U.S. Persons as defined in Regulation S of the Securities Act (each a “U.S. Person”) and the Bonds may not be offered for sale in the Invitation by any such use, means, instrumentality or facility from or within the United States, by persons located or resident in the United States or by U.S. Persons. Accordingly, copies of the Invitation for Offers and any documents or materials related to the Invitation are not being, and must not be, directly or indirectly, mailed or otherwise transmitted, distributed or forwarded in or into the United States or to any such person. Any purported Offer to Sell in response to the Invitation resulting directly or indirectly from a violation of these restrictions will be invalid, and Offers to Sell made by a person located in the United States or any agent, fiduciary or other intermediary giving instructions from within the United States or any U.S. Person will not be accepted.
Each Bondholder participating in the Invitation will represent that it is not a U.S. Person, is not located in the United States and is not participating in such Invitation from the United States. For the purposes of this and the above paragraph, “United States” has the meaning given to it in Regulation S of the Securities Act and includes the United States of America, its territories and possessions (including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Wake Island and the Northern Mariana Islands), any state of the United States of America and the District of Columbia.
European Economic Area and the United Kingdom. In any European Economic Area (“EEA”) member state and the United Kingdom (each, a “Relevant State”), this communication and the Invitation for Offers are only addressed to and are only directed at qualified investors within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended or superseded) (the “Prospectus Regulation”), in that Relevant State. Each person in a Relevant State who receives any communication in respect of the Invitation contemplated in the Invitation for Offers will be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed to and with the Dealer Managers and the Company that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation.
United Kingdom. This communication, the Invitation for Offers and any other documents or materials relating to the Invitation are for distribution only to persons who (i) are outside the United Kingdom; (ii) have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the “Order”); (iii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (“high net worth companies, unincorporated associations etc.”) of the Order; (iv) are members or creditors of certain bodies corporate as defined by or within Article 43(2) of the Order; or (v) are persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) in connection with the issue or sale of any securities may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). This communication, the Invitation for Offers and any other documents or materials relating to the Invitation is directed only at relevant persons and must not be acted or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this document relates is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons.
France. The Invitation for Offers nor any other documents or offering materials relating to the Invitation have been distributed or caused to be distributed and will not be distributed or caused to be distributed in France, other than to qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés), as defined in Article L. 411-2 1° of the French Code monétaire et financier and in Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation. Neither the Invitation for Offers, nor any other such offering material has been submitted for clearance to the Autorité des marchés financiers. By participating in the Invitation, an investor resident and/or located in France will be deemed to represent and warrant to the Company, the Dealer Managers and the Information and Tender Agent that it is a qualified investor.
Italy. None of the Invitation, the Invitation for Offers or any other documents or materials relating to the Invitation have been or will be submitted to the clearance procedures of the Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa (“CONSOB”) pursuant to applicable Italian laws and regulations.
The Invitation is being carried out in the Republic of Italy (“Italy”) as an exempted offer pursuant to article 101-bis, paragraph 3-bis of Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24 February 1998, as amended (the “Consolidated Financial Act”) and article 35-bis, paragraph 4 of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of 14 May 1999, as amended (the “Issuer’s Regulation”). The Invitation is also being carried out in compliance with article 35-bis, paragraph 7 of the Issuers’ Regulation.
Bondholders or beneficial owners of the Bonds located in Italy may tender the Bonds through authorised persons (such as investment firms, banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such activities in Italy in accordance with the Consolidated Financial Act, CONSOB Regulation No. 20307 of 15 February 2018, as amended, and Legislative Decree No. 385 of 1 September 1993, as amended from time to time, and Legislative Decree No. 385 of 1 September 1993, as amended) and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations or with requirements imposed by CONSOB or any other Italian authority. Each intermediary must comply with the applicable laws and regulations concerning information duties vis-à-vis its clients in connection with the Bonds or the Invitation.
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014.