Banco Popolare Società Cooperativa (Incorporated As a Cooperative Company with Limited Liability in the Republic of Italy) Banco Popolare Luxembourg S.A
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http://www.oblible.com BASE PROSPECTUS DATED 4 AUGUST 2010 Banco Popolare Società Cooperativa (incorporated as a cooperative company with limited liability in the Republic of Italy) Banco Popolare Luxembourg S.A. (incorporated as société anonyme with limited liability in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg) €25,000,000,000 EMTN Programme A9-4.1.1 A9-4.1.2 Guaranteed (in the case of Notes issued by Banco Popolare Luxembourg S.A.) by Banco Popolare Società Cooperativa This Base Prospectus constitutes a base prospectus for the purpose of article 5.4 of Directive 2003/71/EC (the “Prospectus Directive”). Any Notes (as defined below) issued under the Programme on or after the date of this Base Prospectus are issued subject to the provisions described herein. Under this €25,000,000,000 EMTN Programme (the “Programme”), Banco Popolare Società Cooperativa (“Banco Popolare”) and Banco Popolare Luxembourg S.A. (“Banco Popolare Luxembourg”) (each an “Issuer” and, together, the “Issuers”), subject to compliance with all relevant laws, rules, regulations and directives, may from time to time issue notes (the “Notes”) denominated in any currency agreed between the Issuer and the relevant Dealer (as defined below). The Notes may be issued on a continuing basis to one or more of the Dealers named under “Subscription and Sale” and any additional Dealer appointed under the Programme from time to time, which appointment may be for a specific issue or on an ongoing basis (each a “Dealer” and together the “Dealers”). References in this document to the “relevant Dealer” shall, in the case of an issue of Notes being (or intended to be) subscribed by more than one Dealer, be to the lead manager of such issue and, in relation to an issue of Notes subscribed by the Dealer, be to such Dealer. No Notes may be issued under the Programme which have a minimum denomination of less than €50,000 (or equivalent in another currency). Application has been made for Notes issued under the Programme to be admitted to trading on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange’s regulated market. The Luxembourg Stock Exchange’s regulated market is a regulated market for the purposes of Directive 2004/39/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on markets in financial instruments. Notice of the aggregate principal amount of Notes, interest (if any) payable in respect of Notes, the issue price of Notes and any other terms and conditions not contained herein which are applicable to each Tranche (as defined on page 9) of Notes A13-5.1 will be set forth in the final terms (the “Final Terms”) which, with respect to Notes to be admitted to trading on the regulated market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, will be delivered to the Luxembourg Stock Exchange about the date of issue of the Notes of such Tranche. The Programme provides that Notes may be listed on such other or further stock exchange(s) as may be agreed between the relevant Issuer and the relevant Dealer. The Issuers may also issue unlisted Notes. Application has been made to the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier, which is the Luxembourg competent authority for the purposes of the Prospectus Directive and relevant implementing measures in Luxembourg, for approval of the Base Prospectus as a base prospectus issued in compliance with the Prospectus Directive and relevant implementing measures in Luxembourg for the purpose of giving information with regard to the issue of Notes under the Programme during the period of 12 months after the date hereof. There are certain risks related to the issue of Notes under the Programme which investors should ensure they fully understand (see “Risk Factors” on page 17 of this Base Prospectus). The Notes of each Tranche issued in bearer form will initially be represented by a temporary global Note (a “Temporary Global Note”) (or, if so specified in the relevant Final Terms, a permanent global Note (a “Permanent Global Note”)). Notes in registered form and registered in the name of a nominee for one or more clearing systems will be represented by a global certificate (a “Global Note Certificate”). If the Global Notes are stated in the applicable Final Terms to be issued in new global note (“NGN”) form they are intended to be eligible collateral for Eurosystem monetary policy and the Global Notes will be delivered on or prior to the original issue date of the relevant Tranche to a common safekeeper (the “Common Safekeeper”) for Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V. (“Euroclear”) and Clearstream Banking, société anonyme (“Clearstream, Luxembourg”). If a Global Note Certificate is held under the New Safekeeping Structure (“NSS”) the Global Note Certificate will be delivered on or prior to the original issue date of the relevant Tranche to a Common Safekeeper for Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg. Global Notes which are not issued in NGN form (“Classic Global Notes” or “CGNs”) and Global Note Certificates which are not held under the NSS will be deposited on the issue date of the relevant Tranche with a common depositary on behalf of Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg (the “Common Depositary”). The provisions governing the exchange of interests in Global Notes for other Global Notes and definitive Notes are described in “Summary of Provisions relating to the Notes while in Global Form”. This Base Prospectus may only be used for the purposes for which it has been published. Payments of interest, principal or other amounts relating to the Notes issued by Banco Popolare are subject to a withholding tax (referred to as imposta sostitutiva) of 12.5 per cent. In order to obtain exemption at source from imposta sostitutiva in respect of payments of interest, principal or other amounts relating to the Notes issued by Banco Popolare, each Noteholder not resident in the Republic of Italy is required to comply with the deposit requirements described in “Taxation” and to certify, prior to or concurrently with the delivery of the Notes that such Noteholder is (i) resident in a country with a double taxation treaty with the Republic of Italy which recognises the Italian tax authorities' right to an exchange of information pursuant to terms and conditions set forth in the relevant treaty (such countries are listed in the Ministerial Decree of 4 September 1996, as amended, supplemented and replaced by a ministerial decree to be enacted according to provisions set forth by Article 168 bis of the Italian Income Tax Code), and (ii) the beneficial owner of payments of interest, principal or other amounts relating to the Notes, all as more fully set out in “Taxation – Republic of Italy” on pages 139 to 145. Tranches of Notes issued under the Programme may be rated or unrated. Where a Tranche of Notes is rated, such rating will be specified in the relevant Final Terms. A security rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to suspension, reduction or withdrawal at any time by the assigning rating agency. Notes with an original maturity of less than 18 months are subject to a withholding tax at the rate of 27 per cent. in respect of interest and premium (if any), pursuant to Art. 26 of the Italian Presidential Decree No. 600 of 29 September 1973, as amended if issued by Banco Popolare. Banco Popolare will not be liable to pay any additional amounts to Noteholders in relation to any such withholding. In case of Notes issued by Banco Popolare that qualify as atypical securities, interest, premiums and other income (including the difference between the redemption amount and the issue price) deriving from Notes are subject to withholding tax levied at a rate of 27 per cent pursuant to Law Decree no. 512 of 30 September 1983, as amended. Banco Popolare will not be liable to pay any additional amount to the Noteholders in relation to any such holding. Joint Arrangers for the Programme Citi J.P. Morgan Dealers Banca Aletti & C. Barclays Capital BNP PARIBAS BofA Merrill Lynch Citi Crédit Agricole CIB Credit Suisse Deutsche Bank Goldman Sachs International HSBC J.P. Morgan Mediobanca – Banca di Credito Finanziario S.p.A. Morgan Stanley Natixis Nomura Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking The Royal Bank of Scotland UBS Investment Bank Level: 7 – From: 7 – Tuesday, August 3, 2010 – 00:05 – Eprint2 – 4243 Intro : 4243 Intro http://www.oblible.com This Base Prospectus should be read and construed with any supplement hereto and with any other information incorporated by reference herein. Each of the Issuers and Banco Popolare in its capacity as Guarantor in respect of Notes issued by Banco Popolare Luxembourg (the “Guarantor”) has confirmed to the Dealers named under “Subscription and Sale” below that this Base Prospectus is true, accurate and complete in all material respects and is not misleading; that the opinions and intentions expressed therein are honestly held and based on reasonable assumptions; that there are no other facts in relation to the information contained or incorporated by reference in this Base Prospectus the omission of which would, in the context of the Programme or the issue of the Notes or the giving of a guarantee by the Guarantor, make any statement therein or opinions or intentions expressed therein misleading in any material respect; and that all reasonable enquiries have been made to verify the foregoing. Each of the Issuers and the Guarantor has further confirmed to the Dealers that this Base Prospectus (together with the relevant Final Terms) contains all such information as may be required by all applicable laws, rules, regulations and directives. No person has been authorised to give any information or to make any representation not contained in or not consistent with this Base Prospectus or any other document entered into in relation to the Programme and the issue or sale of Notes thereunder or any information supplied by each of the Issuers and the Guarantor or such other information as is in the public domain and, if given or made, such information or representation should not be relied upon as having been authorised by the Issuer or any Dealer.