Sale of put option agreements on BNL and integration of call and put option agreements on BNL

With reference to the put option agreement signed on 18 July 2005 between Unipol Assicurazioni S.p.A. and Banca CARIGE S.p.A. (‘CARIGE’), involving CARIGE’s power to sell a maximum of 60,130,428 BNL ordinary shares held by CARIGE (the ‘Put Agreement’) within the thirty days following 18 July 2008, we hereby communicate that today Unipol Assicurazioni, upon prior acceptance by CARIGE, ceded the Put Agreement to Ariete S.p.A., FIN.AD Bologna S.p.A., Nova Coop Società Cooperativa, Talea Società di Gestione Immobiliare S.p.A. and Coop Estense Società Cooperativa. These companies, belonging to the co operative movement or otherwise rooted in it, succeeded to the rights and obligations which were previously in favour and in charge of Unipol Assicurazioni.