The Competition Council has authorized the merger between AE and EFG EFG SA

The Competition Council has authorized the economic concentration consisting in merger by absorbtion of EFG Eurobank Ergasias SA by Alpha Bank AE.

The analysis of the competition authority found that the notified economic concentration does not raise significant obstacles to effective competition on the Romanian market, respectively does not lead to the creation or strengthening of a dominant position of the merged company to have as effect restriction, prevention or significant distortion of competition on the Romanian market or on a part of it.

Since both Alpha Bank AE and EFG Eurobank Ergasias SA hold in more than 2/3 of turnover at European level, there is no obligation this merger to be notified to the European Commission.

Community legislation provides that where each of the companies involved achieves more than 2/3 of total turnover in one of member states, the operation is analyzed by the competition authority of respective state as well as by each of the states where the involved parties activate.

The merged company shall be called Alpha Eurobank SA.

Alpha Bank AE is a company that is part of Alpha group, one of the most important banking and groups in Greece. Alpha Group offers a wide range of services including retail banking, corporate banking, asset management, private sector banking, distribution of insurance products, , leasing, factoring, management of brokerage services and of estate assets, and brokerage services.

In , Alpha group holds control over Alpha Bank Romania S.A., Alpha Leasing Romania IFN S.A., SSIF Alpha Finance Romania S.A., Alpha Insurance Brokers S.R.L., Alpha Astika Akinita Romania S.R.L. and AGI-RRE Participations 1 S.R.L..

EFG Eurobank Ergasias SA, banking company that is part of EFG offers retail banking services, banking services for SME, investment banking services, capital market services, banking services for private and asset management sector.

In Romania. EFG group holds control over S.A., EFG Eurobank Finance S.A., EFG Eurobank Securities S.A, EFG Leasing IFN S.A., EFG Eurobank Property Services S.A. , EFG Retail Services IFN S.A. , Eliade Tower S.A., IMO Property Investments Bucuresti S.A., IMO-II Property Investments S.A. Retail Development S.A., Seferco Development S.A, S.C. EFG Eurolife Asigurari de Viata S.A., S.C. EFG Eurolife Asigurari Generale S.A. and EFG IT Shared Services S.A.. The Competition Council’s decision shall be published on the institution’s website after confidential information are eliminated.

November, 2011 Press Office Tel: 0372.129.710, 021.405.44.29 ; E-mail: [email protected]