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PRESS RELEASE
3 June 2010
PUBLIC OFFERING OF NEW ELIA SHARES FOR AN AMOUNT UP TO EUR 299.361.866,40 AS PART OF A CAPITAL INCREASE WITH AN EXTRALEGAL PREFERENTIAL RIGHT TO EXISTING SHAREHOLDERS. New shares with VVPR Strips to be listed on EURONEXT Brussels. Elia System Operator SA ("Elia"), the Belgian transmission system operator, is today releasing information about a public offering of up to 12,071,043 new shares, or one new share for four preferential rights. • • • • • •
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1
The issue price is EUR 24.80 per share. The issue price includes a 5.5 % reduction on the 2 June 2010 closing price. The rights subscription period is open from 4 June 2010 to 18 June 2010 (4 p.m.). The ratio is one new share for four preferential rights. The new shares carry the same rights as existing shares. The prospectus will be available from 4 June 2010 on the first day of the subscription period for shareholders with preferential rights and can be consulted for information purposes at www.elia.be/bourse, www.elia.be/beurs, www.elia.be/stockexchange Publi-T CVBA and Publipart SA have confirmed to the Company their commitment to exercise all of their preferential rights and have undertaken to subscribe to the new shares in proportion to the preferential rights that they hold in order to avoid any dilution of their current shareholding in Elia. At the start of the offering, these shareholders together hold a 47.9% stake in Elia. The Arco Group 1 has confirmed to the Company that it intends to subscribe to the new shares in proportion to the preferential rights it holds in Elia. At the start of the offering, this shareholder holds a 10.32% stake in Elia. Coupon No. 6 representing the preferential right was detached on 3 June 2010 after the closing of the stock exchange and will be tradable on Euronext Brussels during the rights subscription period, i.e. from 4 June 2010 to 18 June 2010 (4 p.m.). Rights that are unexercised at the end of the rights subscription period will be automatically converted into scrips. The scrips will be sold in a private placement to institutional investors. This is scheduled to take place on 22 June 2010. Investors who acquire scrips will commit irrevocably to exercise the scrips and to subscribe to the new shares at the issue price and in accordance with the ratio. The net proceeds of the sale
The final decision for the Arco Group will be taken by the relevant bodies of the companies of the Arco Group once all data relating to the transaction and its impact on the financial situation of the Arco Group companies are known.