ALPHA BANK A.E. (Incorporated with Limited Liability in the Hellenic Republic) €8 Billion Direct Issuance Global Covered Bond Programme
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BASE PROSPECTUS ALPHA BANK A.E. (incorporated with limited liability in the Hellenic Republic) €8 billion Direct Issuance Global Covered Bond Programme Under this €8 billion direct issuance global covered bond programme (the Programme), Alpha Bank A.E. (the Issuer) may from time to time issue bonds (the Covered Bonds) denominated in any currency agreed between the Issuer and the relevant Dealer(s) (as defined below). Covered Bonds may be issued in bearer or registered form. Application has been made to the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (the CSSF) in its capacity as competent authority under the Luxembourg Act dated 10 July 2005 on prospectuses for securities (the Prospectus Act 2005) to approve this document as a base prospectus (the Base Prospectus). The CSSF assumes no responsibility for the economic and financial soundness of the transactions contemplated by this Base Prospectus or the quality or solvency of the Issuer in accordance with Article 7(7) of the Prospectus Act 2005. Application has also been made to the Luxembourg Stock Exchange for Covered Bonds issued under the Programme to be admitted to trading on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange's regulated market and to be listed on the Official List of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. This document comprises a base prospectus for the purposes of Article 5.4 of Directive 2003/71/EC as amended (which includes the amendments made by Directive 2010/73/EU to the extent that such amendments have been implemented in a relevant Member State of the European Economic Area) (the Prospectus Directive) but is not a base prospectus for the purposes of Section 12(a)(2) or any other provision of or rule under the Securities Act. References in this Base Prospectus to Covered Bonds being listed and all related references shall mean that such Covered Bonds have been admitted to trading on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange's regulated market and are intended to be listed on the Official List of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange's regulated market. The Luxembourg Stock Exchange's regulated market is a regulated market for the purposes of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (Directive 2004/39/EC). The Programme also permits Covered Bonds to be issued on the basis that they will be admitted to listing, trading and/or quotation by any competent authority, stock exchange and/or quotation system or to be admitted to listing, trading and/or quotation by such other or further competent authorities, stock exchanges and/or quotation systems as may be agreed between the Issuer, the Trustee (as defined below), the Arrangers (as defined below) and the relevant Dealer(s). The Issuer may also issue unlisted Covered Bonds and/or Covered Bonds not admitted to trading on any regulated or unregulated market. The maximum aggregate nominal amount of all Covered Bonds from time to time outstanding under the Programme will not exceed €8 billion (or its equivalent in other currencies calculated as described in the Programme Agreement), subject to increase as described herein. The payment of all amounts due in respect of the Covered Bonds will constitute direct and unconditional obligations of the Issuer, in addition to having recourse to assets comprising the cover pool (the Cover Pool). The Covered Bonds may be issued on a continuing basis to one or more of the Dealers specified under "General Description of the Programme" and any additional Dealer appointed under the Programme from time to time, which appointment may be for a specific issue or on an on-going basis (each a Dealer and together the Dealers). References in this Base Prospectus to the relevant Dealer shall, in the case of an issue of Covered Bonds 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 Covered Bonds subscribed by one Dealer, be to such Dealer. Notice of the aggregate nominal amount of Covered Bonds, interest (if any) payable in respect of Covered Bonds, the issue price of Covered Bonds and certain other information which is applicable to each Tranche (as defined under "Terms and Conditions of the Covered Bonds") of Covered Bonds will be set out in a final terms document (the Final Terms) which will be filed with the CSSF. Copies of Final Terms in relation to Covered Bonds to be listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange will also be published on the website of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (www.bourse.lu). The Issuer has been rated Caa1 (long-term) and NP (short-term) by Moody's Investors Service Cyprus Limited, CCC+ (long-term) and C (short-term) by Standard and Poor's Credit Market Services Italy S.r.l. (S&P) and B- (long-term) and B (short-term) by Fitch Ratings España SAU. The Programme has been rated B+ by Fitch Ratings Limited (Fitch) and B1 by Moody's Investors Service Limited (Moody's). Each of Moody's, S&P and Fitch is established in the European Union and is registered under the Regulation (EC) No. 1060/2009 (as amended) (the CRA Regulation). As such each of Moody's, S&P and Fitch is included in the list of credit rating agencies published by the European Securities and Markets Authority on its website (at http://www.esma.europa.eu/page/List-registered-and-certified-CRAs) in accordance with the CRA Regulation. Covered Bonds issued under the Programme may be rated or unrated by any one or more of the rating agencies referred to above. Where a Tranche of Covered Bonds is rated, such rating will be disclosed in the Final Terms and will not necessarily be the same as the rating assigned to the Programme by the relevant rating agency. 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. Investing in Covered Bonds issued under the Programme involves certain risks. The principal risk factors that may affect the abilities of the Issuer to fulfil its obligations in respect of the Covered Bonds are discussed under "Risk Factors" below. Please review and consider the risk factors beginning on page 43 of this Base Prospectus carefully before you purchase any Covered Bonds. Arrangers Barclays and Alpha Finance Dealer(s) Barclays and Alpha Bank A.E. (or to be selected from time to time in accordance with the terms of the Programme Agreement) The date of this Base Prospectus is 30 October 2014 2 The Issuer accepts responsibility for the information contained in this Base Prospectus and the Final Terms for each Tranche of Covered Bonds issued under the Programme and declares that, having taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case, the information contained in this Base Prospectus is, to the best of its knowledge, in accordance with the facts and contains no omission likely to affect its import. Copies of each Final Terms (in the case of Covered Bonds to be admitted to the Luxembourg Stock Exchange) will be available from the registered office of the Issuer and from the specified office of the Paying Agents for the time being in London or, in Luxembourg, at the office of the Luxembourg Listing Agent. This Base Prospectus is to be read in conjunction with all documents which are deemed to be incorporated herein by reference (see the section entitled "Documents Incorporated by Reference" below). This Base Prospectus shall be read and construed on the basis that such documents are so incorporated and form part of this Base Prospectus. Each Series (as defined herein) of Covered Bonds may be issued without the prior consent of the holders of any outstanding Covered Bonds (the Covered Bondholders) subject to the terms and conditions set out herein under "Terms and Conditions of the Covered Bonds" (the Conditions) as completed by the Final Terms. This Base Prospectus must be read and construed together with any supplements hereto and with any information incorporated by reference herein and, in relation to any Series of Covered Bonds which is the subject of Final Terms, must be read and construed together with the relevant Final Terms. All Covered Bonds will rank pari passu and pro rata without any preference or priority among themselves, irrespective of their Series, except for the timing of repayment of principal and the timing and amount of interest payable. The Issuer confirmed to the Dealers named under "General Description of the Programme" below that this Base Prospectus contains all information which is (in the context of the Programme, the issue, offering and sale of the Covered Bonds) material; that such information is true and accurate in all material respects and is not misleading in any material respect; that any opinions, predictions or intentions expressed herein are honestly held or made and are not misleading in any material respect; that this Base Prospectus does not omit to state any material fact necessary to make such information, opinions, predictions or intentions (in the context of the Programme, the issue and the offering and sale of the Covered Bonds) not misleading in any material respect; and that all proper enquiries have been made to verify the foregoing. 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 or any information supplied by the Issuer 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.