2019 Universal registration document and annual financial report - BNP PARIBAS28

1 Presentation of the BnP PariBas GrouP

1

BNP Paribas and its shareholders

NOTICES OF MEETING BNP Paribas will hold its next Shareholders Combined General Meeting on 19 May 2020(1).

The meeting notices and invitations are available on the invest. bnpparibas.com website in French and English from the time of their publication in the French Bulletin of Compulsory Legal Announcements (BALO). Shareholders are also notified by announcements in the daily, investor and financial press. Staffs at all BNP Paribas branches are specifically trained to provide the necessary assistance and carry out the required formalities.

Holders of registered shares are automatically notified, regardless of the number of shares held, with a complete notice of meeting containing in particular the agenda, the draft resolutions and a voting form. Having given their prior agreement, a significant proportion (14.9%) of holders of registered shares were sent notification via the internet.

BNP Paribas informs holders of bearer shares via the internet regardless of the number of shares held, provided solely that their custodians are part of the market system known as Votaccess. Shareholders notified of the Annual General Meeting may take part quickly and easily. The Bank also provides custodians with notices of meetings and printed postal voting forms, which can then be sent to those shareholders who request them.

ATTENDANCE AT MEETINGS Holders of shares may gain admittance to a General Meeting provided these shares have been recorded in their accounts for at least two trading days. Holders of bearer shares must also present an entry card or certificate proving their ownership of the shares.

VOTING Using the internet voting platform gives shareholders access to the notice of the Annual General Meeting. They can then either vote or appoint a proxy, or print their admission card if they wish to attend in person.

Nearly 74% of all shareholders taking part in the vote in 2019 used the platform provided.

Shareholders not using the online platform returned the printed form enclosed with the notice of meeting to BNP Paribas. Before the Annual General Meeting, this document may be used:

■ to request an admission card;

■ to vote by post;

■ to give proxy to another individual or legal entity;

■ to give proxy to the Chairman of the Meeting.

Since 1998, the shareholders present at General Meetings have cast votes using an electronic box.

(1) Subject to change at a later date.

DISCLOSURE THRESHOLDS

In addition to the legal thresholds, and in accordance with article 5 of the Articles of association, any shareholder, whether acting alone or in concert, who owns or may hold directly or indirectly at least 0.5% of the capital or voting rights of BNP Paribas, or any multiple of that percentage up to 5%, is required to notify BNP Paribas by registered letter with return receipt.

Once the 5% threshold is reached, shareholders are required to disclose any increase in their interest representing a multiple of 1% of the capital or voting rights of BNP Paribas.

The disclosures described in the previous two paragraphs shall also apply when the shareholding falls below the above-mentioned thresholds.

In the case of failure to comply with these disclosure requirements, either legal or statutory, the undisclosed shares will be stripped of voting rights at the request of one or more shareholders who hold a combined interest of at least 2% of the capital or voting rights of BNP Paribas.