2018 Registration document and annual fi nancial report - BNP PARIBAS 27

1PRESENTATION OF THE BNP PARIBAS GROUP

1

BNP Paribas and its shareholders

The 2018 Annual General Meeting was an additional opportunity for BNP Paribas to demonstrate its commitment to sustainable development, and to its social and environmental responsibility.

BNP Paribas seeks to create value consistently, to show its respect not only for traditional partners comprising shareholders, clients and employees, but also for the environment and the community at large.

To ensure that Annual General Meetings represent these principles and values, a decision was made, in conjunction with the Shareholder Liaison Committee, to donate EUR 12 for every investor attending the meeting to the Coup de pouce aux projets du personnel (a helping hand for employee projects) programme. This programme was specifi cally developed by the BNP Paribas Foundation to encourage public-interest initiatives for which Bank staff personally volunteer their time and efforts.

The amounts collected (EUR 17,484 in 2018) are donated in addition to the funds that the Bank already grants to this programme via the BNP Paribas Foundation, which operates under the aegis of the Fondation de France. In France, total 2018 contributions were ultimately divided between 25 projects, all of which were initiated by BNP Paribas staff. Benefi ciaries are located mainly in Europe (54%), Africa (42%) and 4% in the rest of the world. The amounts awarded to 21 of these projects varied (from EUR 1,000 to EUR 4,000, with an average of EUR 3,900) depending on the scale of the project and its characteristics and on the level of employees personal involvement in the operations proposed by them. Four other projects received a coup de cœur bonus, i.e. a grant of EUR 9,000 each. The projects mainly involved community outreach (education, poverty and integration: 53%), healthcare and disability (35%) as well as environmental protection (12%). The allocation of funds is contained in the notice calling the next Annual General Meeting.

NOTICES OF MEETING BNP Paribas will hold its next Shareholders Combined General Meeting on 23 May 2019 (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 notifi ed by announcements in the daily, investor and fi nancial press. Staffs at all BNP Paribas branches are specifi cally trained to provide the necessary assistance and carry out the required formalities.

Holders of registered shares are automatically notifi ed, 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 signifi cant proportion (13.7%) of holders of registered shares were sent notifi cation 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 notifi ed 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 certifi cate 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 68% of all shareholders taking part in the vote in 2018 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.