The Commission for the Protection of Competition demanded on Friday additional data on the Public Offer submitted by Popular Bank for the acquisition of up to 100% of the share capital of Marfin and Egnatia Bank. When CPB gives all the additional information, the Commission will have at least one month to decide whether there will be a consolidation or not. According to the law, the companies must not proceed with the agreement before the Commission issues its decision on the consolidation.

If Laiki, Marfin and Egnatia do so, the CPC has the right to dissolve the consolidation and impose fines that might reach 10% of the turnover of the three banks for 2005.

It is clarified that the possible approval of the Public Offers by the Extraordinary General Meeting on Tuesday does not entail that the agreement will be enforced.

It is worth noting that by the time this text was in progress, Popular Bank had not submitted additional information.