Information concerning the requests for authorization submitted to supervisory authorities and the mandatory PTO on BNL

With reference to our press release of 23 July 2005, we communicate that on 4 August the following documents were submitted by Unipol to the Banca d’Italia:
(i) the request for authorization to acquire the controlling stake of Banca Nazionale del Lavoro S.p.A. (‘BNL’), in accordance with Article 19 of the Legislative Decree 385 of 1 September 1993;
(ii) the request for authorization to indirectly acquire the controlling stake of BNL Fondi Immobiliari, Società di Gestione del Risparmio p.A. and of BNL Gestioni, Società di Gestione del Risparmio p.A., in accordance with Article 15 of the Legislative Decree 58 of 24 February 1998 (the ‘Consolidated Law’);
(iii) the preliminary communication prescribed by Article 16 of the Law 287 of 10 October 1990 on competition and market protection. The communication was made to the Banca d’Italia in its quality of relevant supervisory authority pursuant to Article 20