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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INDEX TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 23, 2017

Registration No. 333-214684


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549



Amendment No. 3
to
Form F-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933



Ardagh Group S.A.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Luxembourg
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  3221/3411
(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code Number)
  Not Applicable
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

56, rue Charles Martel
L-2134 Luxembourg
+352 26 25 85 55

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
area code, of Registrant's principal executive offices)

Ardagh Metal Packaging USA Inc.
Attention: John Boyas
Carnegie Office Park
600 North Bell Avenue
Building 1, Suite 200
Carnegie, PA 15106
(412) 429-5290
(Name, address, including zip code, and
telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)



With copies to:

Richard B. Alsop
David J. Beveridge
Shearman & Sterling LLP
599 Lexington Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10022
(212) 848-4000

 

Jonathan A. Schaffzin
Geoffrey E. Liebmann
Cahill Gordon & Reindel 
LLP
80 Pine Street
New York, N.Y. 10005
(212) 701-3000



Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:
as soon as practicable after this Registration Statement becomes effective.



         If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, please check the following box.     o

         If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.     o

         If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.     o

         If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.     o



CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

       
 
Title Of Each Class Of Securities
To Be Registered

  Proposed Maximum
Aggregate Offering
Price(1)(2)

  Amount Of
Registration Fee(3)

 

Class A Common Shares, par value €0.01 per share

  $100,000,000   $11,590

 

(1)
Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the amount of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act, as amended.

(2)
Includes shares subject to the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares, if any. See "Underwriting".

(3)
Previously paid.



          The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until this Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

   


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The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED FEBRUARY 23, 2017

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

Ardagh Group S.A.

            Class A Common Shares
$            per Share



        This is the initial public offering of our Class A common shares. We are selling                    Class A common shares. We currently expect the initial public offering price to be between $            and $            per Class A common share.

        We have granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to                    additional Class A common shares.

        After this offering, we will have two classes of common shares: Class A common shares and Class B common shares. The rights of the holders of our Class A common shares and Class B common shares will be identical except for par value, voting and conversion rights. Each Class A common share will be entitled to one vote per share. Each Class B common share will be entitled to ten votes per share. Each Class B common share will be convertible at any time, at the option of the holder, into one Class A common share, and subject to certain exceptions, will be converted into one Class A common share upon transfer to a third party. Following this offering, our issued and outstanding Class B common shares will represent approximately        % of the voting power of our issued and outstanding share capital (assuming no exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares).

        We intend to apply to have the Class A common shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") under the symbol "ARD".



         Investing in our Class A common shares involves risks. See "Risk Factors" beginning on page 16.

         Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

       
 
 
  Per share
  Total
 

Public Offering Price

  $               $            
 

Underwriting Discount (1)

  $               $            
 

Proceeds to the Company (before expenses)

  $               $            

 

(1)
We have agreed to reimburse the underwriters for certain expenses incurred in connection with this offering. See "Underwriting".

        The underwriters expect to deliver the Class A common shares to purchasers on or about                through the book-entry facilities of The Depository Trust Company and its direct and indirect participants.



Joint Book-Running Managers

Citigroup   Deutsche Bank Securities   Goldman, Sachs & Co.



Barclays

 

Credit Suisse

 

J.P. Morgan

Co-Managers

Davy   Wells Fargo Securities



   

                        ,        


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LOGO


         You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not authorized any person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We do not take any responsibility for, and can provide no assurances as to, the reliability of any information that others may provide you. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus.

         This prospectus has been prepared on the basis that all offers of Class A common shares will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Directive, as implemented in member states of the European Economic Area, or EEA, from the requirement to produce a prospectus for offers of the Class A common shares. Accordingly, any person making or intending to make any offer within the EEA of Class A common shares which are the subject of the offering contemplated in this prospectus should only do so in circumstances in which no obligation arises for the sellers of the Class A common shares or any of the underwriters to produce a prospectus for such offer. Neither the sellers of the Class A common shares nor the underwriters have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of Class A common shares through any financial intermediary, other than offers made by the underwriters which constitute the final offering of Class A common shares contemplated in this prospectus.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prospectus Summary

  1

Summary Consolidated Financial and Other Data of Ardagh Group S.A. 

  12

Risk Factors

  16

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

  43

Exchange Rate Information

  45

Use of Proceeds

  46

Capitalization

  47

Dilution

  48

Dividend Policy

  50

Selected Financial Information

  51

Unaudited Condensed Combined Pro Forma Financial Information

  53

Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

  63

Business

  89

Management

  106

Principal Shareholders

  113

Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions

  114

Description of Share Capital

  116

Comparison of Luxembourg Corporate Law and Delaware Corporate Law

  125

Description of Certain Indebtedness

  134

Parent Company Toggle Notes

  144

Shares Eligible for Future Sale

  146

Taxation

  148

Underwriting

  158

Expenses of this Offering

  167

Enforceability of Civil Liabilities

  168

Legal Matters

  172

Experts

  172

Where You Can Find More Information

  173

Index to the Financial Statements

  F-1

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Certain Conventions

        Ardagh Group S.A. (formerly Ardagh Finance Holdings S.A.) (the "Company") was incorporated under the laws of Luxembourg on May 6, 2011 and is a subsidiary of ARD Holdings S.A. (formerly Ardagh Group S.A.). The Company owns no assets other than its direct and indirect ownership of 100% of the issued share capital of other intermediate holding companies and Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited, an intermediate holding company for all of our finance and operating subsidiaries. Except where the context otherwise requires or where otherwise indicated, all references to "Ardagh", "Ardagh Group", "Group", the "Company", "we", "us" and "our" refer to Ardagh Group S.A. and its consolidated subsidiaries, except where the context otherwise requires. Ardagh's operations have the following divisions: "Metal Packaging" and "Glass Packaging".


Presentation of Financial and Other Data

Financial Statements

        This prospectus includes:

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        The preparation of financial statements in conformity with IFRS and U.S. GAAP requires the use of certain critical accounting estimates. It also requires management to exercise its judgment in the process of applying accounting policies. The areas involving a higher degree of judgment or complexity, or areas where assumptions and estimates are significant to the consolidated financial statements, are disclosed in the financial statements.

        The consolidated financial statements for Ardagh have been prepared based on a calendar year and are presented in euro rounded to the nearest million. The Ball Combined Financial Statements have been prepared based on a calendar year and are presented in U.S. dollars rounded to the nearest million. The Rexam Combined Carve-Out Financial Statements have been prepared based on a calendar year and are presented in pounds sterling rounded to the nearest million. Therefore, discrepancies in the tables between totals and the sums of the amounts listed may occur due to such rounding.

        Unless stated otherwise, debt balances are presented before deducting deferred financing costs.

Ball Combined Financial Statements

        The Ball Combined Financial Statements reflect the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of certain metal beverage packaging operations of Ball Corporation in Brazil, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Serbia and the United Kingdom in conformity with U.S. GAAP. All significant intercompany transactions and accounts among the carve-out operations have been eliminated. The Ball Combined Financial Statements may not be indicative of the future performance of those operations and may not reflect what the combined results of operations, financial position and cash flows would have been had those operations operated as an independent company during all of the periods presented in part because the metal beverage packaging operations of Ball Corporation reflected in the Ball Combined Financial Statements include certain assets (namely, three plants in Europe and certain other ancillary assets) and certain liabilities (namely, certain pension liabilities) that were retained by Ball Corporation and therefore do not comprise part of the Ball Carve-Out Business acquired by us in the Beverage Can Acquisition. For a complete description of the accounting principles followed in preparing the Ball Audited Combined Financial Statements, see Note 1 "Description of Business and Basis of Presentation" and Note 2 "Critical and Significant Accounting Policies" to the Ball Audited Combined Financial Statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.

Rexam Combined Carve-Out Financial Statements

        The Rexam Combined Carve-Out Financial Statements reflect certain wholly-owned beverage can operations of Rexam PLC that have not in the past formed a separate accounting group. These businesses do not constitute a separate legal group. The Rexam Audited Combined Carve-Out Financial Statements have been prepared specifically for the purpose of facilitating the divestment of the Rexam Carve-Out Business and on a basis that combines the results and Rexam PLC assets and liabilities of each of the manufacturing plants, warehouses and operations constituting the Rexam Carve-Out Business by applying the principles underlying the consolidation procedures of IFRS 10 'Consolidated Financial Statements'. The Rexam Combined Carve-Out Financial Statements have been prepared on a carve-out basis in accordance with IFRS from the consolidated financial statements of Rexam PLC and include the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses that management of Rexam PLC has determined are attributable to the Rexam Carve-Out Business.

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        For a complete description of the accounting principles followed in preparing the Rexam Combined Carve-Out Financial Statements, see Note 1 "Nature of operations and basis of presentation" and Note 3 "Principal accounting policies" to the Rexam Audited Combined Carve-Out Financial Statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. This basis of preparation sets out the method used in identifying the financial position, performance and cash flows in relation to each of the plants that has been included in Rexam Combined Carve-Out Financial Statements. These notes explain that the businesses included in the Rexam Combined Carve-Out Financial Statements have not operated as a single entity. The Rexam Combined Carve-Out Financial Statements are, therefore, not necessarily indicative of results that would have occurred if the Rexam Carve-Out Business had operated as a single business during the periods presented or of future results of the Rexam Carve-Out Business.


Currencies

        In this prospectus, unless otherwise specified or the context otherwise requires:

        We prepare our financial statements in euro.


Industry and Market Data

Metal Packaging

        Given the specialized nature of the metal packaging markets in which Metal Packaging operates, there does not exist a relevant and reliable third-party source of much of the relevant market information presented in this prospectus. Therefore, estimates provided by Metal Packaging regarding these markets as set forth in this prospectus, as well as estimated market shares of Metal Packaging or its competitors, are largely based on our knowledge of these markets, developed primarily from analysis of public information, third-party reports to the extent available, competitors' public announcements and regulatory filings and information gathered in the course of acquisitions. The data relating to market sizes, market share and market position are based on the most recent data available. This information has not been confirmed by an independent organization, nor can there be assurance that third parties would arrive at the same results were they to employ different methods for gathering, analyzing and calculating such data. Breakdowns of market shares were established on the basis of Metal Packaging's pro forma consolidated revenues and these data. Market positions and percentage shares are those that we believe we hold in terms of revenues. They are based on industry market sectors on which Metal Packaging's business is arranged.

        Certain additional information regarding the global packaging industry, generally, and the metal packaging sector, specifically, has been sourced from Smithers Pira.

        Any third-party information described above and included in this prospectus has been accurately reproduced and as far as we are aware and are able to ascertain from the information published by such third parties, the reproduced information is accurate and no facts have been omitted which would render such information inaccurate or misleading. Market share data is subject to change, however, and such third-party information has been prepared for statistical and other informational purposes, which is limited by the availability and reliability of raw data, the voluntary nature of the data gathering process and other limitations and uncertainties inherent in any statistical survey of market share.

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Glass Packaging

        Throughout this prospectus, we have used industry and market data obtained from independent industry publications, market research, internal surveys and other publicly available information. In particular, we have obtained information or other statements presented in this prospectus concerning market share and industry data relating to our business from providers of industry data, including the British Glass Manufacturers Confederation, Fachvereinigung Behälterglasindustrie e.V. (Germany), Forum Opakowan Szklanych (Poland) and the European Container Glass Federation.

        Industry publications generally state that the information they contain has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable but that the accuracy and completeness of such information is not guaranteed. We have not independently verified such data. Moreover, information and quantitative statements in this prospectus regarding our market position relative to our competitors are not based on published statistical data or information obtained from independent third parties. Rather, such information and statements reflect our best estimates based upon our internal records and surveys, statistics published by providers of industry data, information published by our competitors, and information obtained from trade and business organizations and associations and other sources within the industry in which we operate. We are responsible for the industry and market data included in this prospectus and although we believe that our internal data and surveys are reliable, such data and surveys could prove to be inaccurate. We also believe that the information extracted from publications of third parties, including industry and general publications, has been accurately reproduced. However, we do not have access to the facts and assumptions underlying the numerical data and other information extracted from publicly available sources and have not independently verified any data provided by third parties or industry or general publications. In addition, while we believe our internal data and surveys to be reliable, such data and surveys have not been verified by any independent sources.

        We refer to "Northern Europe" or the "Northern European market" to include collectively Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and the Nordic region. We refer to the "Nordic region" to include collectively Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

         The following is a summary of the information discussed in this prospectus. The summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in our Class A common shares. You should read this entire prospectus carefully, including the risks discussed under "Risk Factors" and our financial statements and the Beverage Can Business's financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus, before making an investment decision to purchase our Class A common shares. Some of the statements in the summary may constitute forward-looking statements. See "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements ".

Our Company

        We are a leading supplier of innovative, value-added rigid packaging solutions. Our products include metal and glass containers primarily for food and beverage markets, which are characterized by stable, consumer-driven demand. Our end-use categories include beer, wine, spirits, carbonated soft drinks ("CSDs"), energy drinks, juices and flavored waters, as well as food, seafood and nutrition. We also supply the paints & coatings, chemicals, personal care, pharmaceuticals and general household end-use categories. Our customers include a wide variety of leading consumer product companies which value our packaging products for their features, convenience and quality, as well as the end-user appeal they offer through design, innovation, functionality, premium association and brand promotion. With our significant invested capital base, extensive technological capabilities and manufacturing know-how, we believe we are well-positioned to continue to meet the dynamic needs of our global customers. We have mainly built our Company through strategic acquisitions and have established leadership positions in large, attractive markets in beverage cans, food and specialty cans and glass containers. Approximately 95% of our revenue is derived from end-use categories where we believe we hold #1, #2 or #3 positions.

        We serve over 2,000 customers across more than 80 countries, comprised of multi-national companies, large national and regional companies and small local businesses. In our target regions of Europe, North America and Brazil, our customers include a wide variety of Consumer Packaged Goods companies ("CPGs"), which own some of the best known brands in the world. We have a stable customer base with longstanding relationships, including an average tenure of over 30 years with our ten largest customers. Approximately two-thirds of our sales are generated under multi-year contracts, with the remainder largely subject to annual arrangements. A significant portion of our sales volumes are supplied under contracts which include input cost pass-through provisions, which help us deliver consistent margins.

        We operate 109 production facilities in 22 countries and employ approximately 23,500 personnel. Our plant network includes 74 metal production facilities and 35 glass production facilities. Our plants are generally located in close proximity to our customers, with some located on-site or near-site to our customers' filling locations. Certain facilities may also be dedicated to end-use categories, enhancing product-specific expertise and generating benefits of scale and production efficiency. Significant capital has been invested in our extensive network of long-lived production facilities, which, together with our skilled workforce and related manufacturing process know-how, supports our competitive positions.

        We are committed to market-leading innovation and product development and maintain dedicated innovation, development and engineering centers in France, Germany, and the U.S. to support these efforts. These facilities focus on three main areas: (i) innovations that provide enhanced product design, differentiation and user friendliness for our customers and end-use consumers; (ii) innovations that reduce input costs to generate cost savings for both our customers and us (downgauging and lightweighting); and (iii) developments to meet evolving product safety standards and regulations. Further, our subsidiary, Heye International GmbH ("Heye International"), is a leading provider of engineering solutions to the glass container industry globally, with significant proprietary know-how and

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expertise. We also have significant in-house mold-manufacturing expertise in Europe and the United States.

        Our leading global positions have been established through acquisitions, with 23 successful acquisitions completed over the past 18 years. Most recently, on June 30, 2016, we completed the Beverage Can Acquisition, comprising 22 beverage can production facilities in Europe, North America and Brazil which, on a combined basis, we believe is the third largest beverage can business globally. Our beverage can operations are particularly well-positioned in the faster-growing specialty, or non-standard sized, product category, which, on a pro forma basis following the Beverage Can Acquisition, represented 37% of total beverage can unit volume for the year ended December 31, 2016.

        In addition to organic and acquisitive growth initiatives, we have also expanded our footprint through strategic investments in new capacity. For example, in 2014 we completed a glass furnace investment in the United Kingdom, supported by a long-term contract with a large European customer. In 2015, we completed an investment of approximately $220 million in two new can-making facilities in Roanoke, Virginia and Reno, Nevada, as well as a significant expansion of our Conklin, New York, ends plant. The two new facilities incorporate high-output drawn and wall ironed ("DWI") technology to manufacture two-piece cans, as well as three-piece cans, and the total investment across the three facilities has positioned us to meet substantially all of the U.S. food can requirements of a major U.S. customer pursuant to a long-term contract. These initiatives, as well as other acquisitions and investments over many years, in existing and adjacent end-use categories, have increased our scale and diversification and provided opportunities to grow our business with both existing and new customers.

        Our pro forma net profit and Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2016 were €108 million and €1,333 million, respectively. Our net cash from operating activities and Free Cash Flow for the year ended December 31, 2016 were €469 million and €335 million respectively.

        The following charts illustrate the breakdown of our pro forma revenue by end-use category and by destination for the year ended December 31, 2016:

Revenue by End-Use Category*   Revenue by Destination

GRAPHIC

 

GRAPHIC

    *
    Based on Company estimates.

   


For definitions of Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow, and the reconciliation of profit/(loss) for the period and pro forma net loss to Adjusted EBITDA and pro forma Adjusted EBITDA, as well as the reconciliation of net cash from operating activities to Free Cash Flow, see "—Summary Consolidated Financial and Other Data of Ardagh Group S.A."

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Our Divisions

        Ardagh Group was founded in 1932 in Dublin, Ireland, as the Irish Glass Bottle Company. The Company operated a single glass plant in Dublin, largely serving a domestic beverage and food customer base until 1998, when Yeoman International, led by the current Chairman and major shareholder, Paul Coulson, took an initial stake in Ardagh Group. Since 1999, we have played a major role in the consolidation of the global metal and glass packaging industries, completing 23 acquisitions and significantly increasing our scope, scale, and geographic presence. Major acquisitions over the past 18 years have included: the acquisition in 1999 of Rockware Glass Limited from Owens-Illinois, Inc., which established the Company as the leading glass packaging producer in the UK and Ireland; the acquisition in 2007 of the European glass packaging business of Rexam PLC, which expanded our glass packaging business and broadened our presence in Continental Europe; the acquisition in 2010 of Impress Group, which diversified our presence into metal packaging; the acquisition in 2014 of Verallia North America (the "VNA Acquisition"), which expanded our glass packaging business in North America and most recently, the Beverage Can Acquisition in 2016, which broadened our metal packaging business into beverage cans.

        Today, we manage our business in two divisions, Metal Packaging and Glass Packaging. The following charts illustrate the breakdown of our pro forma revenue and pro forma Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2016:

Revenue by Division   Adjusted EBITDA by Division

GRAPHIC

 

GRAPHIC

    Metal Packaging

        We are a leading supplier of innovative, value-added metal packaging for the consumer products industry. We currently supply a broad range of products, including aluminum and steel beverage cans, two-piece aluminum, two-piece tinplate and three-piece tinplate food and specialty cans, and a wide range of can ends, including easy-open and peelable ends. Many of our products feature high-quality printed graphics, customized sizes and shapes or other innovative designs. Our products provide functionality and differentiation and enhance our customers' brands on the shelf. In combination with efficient manufacturing and high service levels, this overall value proposition enables us to achieve margins in Metal Packaging that compare well with other large competitors in the sector.

    Glass Packaging

        We manufacture both proprietary and non-proprietary glass containers for a variety of end-use categories, mainly food and beverage. Our proprietary products are customized to the exact specifications of our customers and play an important role in their branding strategies. Our non-proprietary products deliver consistent performance and product differentiation through value-added decoration, including embossing, coating, printing and pressure-sensitive labeling. Our product offerings and continuing focus on operational excellence have enabled us to meet and exceed our customers' requirements and consistently generate margins in Glass Packaging that compare well with other large competitors in the sector.

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        We are organized into four operating and reportable segments, Europe and Americas in Metal Packaging, and Europe and North America in Glass Packaging. Adjusted EBITDA is the performance measure used to manage and assess performance of our reportable segments.

LOGO

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Our Industry

        The global packaging industry is a large, consumer-driven industry with stable growth characteristics. We operate in the metal and glass container sectors and our target regions are Europe, North America and Brazil. Metal and glass containers are attractive to brand owners, as their strength and rigidity allows them to be filled at high speeds and easily transported, while their shelf-stable nature means that refrigeration is not required, thereby resulting in further energy savings in the supply chain. The ability to customize and differentiate products supplied in metal and glass containers, through innovative design, shaping and printing, also appeals to our customers. Both the metal and the glass container markets have been marked by progressive downgauging (metal cans) and lightweighting (glass containers), which have generated material savings in input costs and logistics, while enhancing the consumer experience. This reduction in raw material and energy usage in the manufacturing process has also increased the appeal to end-users, who are increasingly focused on sustainability.

        The metal can packaging market represents a $60 billion market that is comprised of beverage cans (50% of the market), food (including seafood) cans (33%), and specialty cans (17%), according to Smithers Pira*, a leading independent market research firm. The beverage can sector is growing in Europe and Brazil, while North America is stable, as growth in beer and energy drinks offsets modest declines in CSD unit volumes. Growth in unit volumes of specialty beverage cans has exceeded growth in standard beverage cans thereby increasing specialty can penetration, a trend that is expected to continue. The food can sector, which includes cans for a variety of food, pet food and seafood end uses, is a stable market. In Europe, the market is characterized by lightweight three-piece and two-piece cans with easy open or peelable ends that are decorated with high quality printed graphics and other innovative designs. In contrast, in the United States, food cans are typically heavier, with more modest levels of decoration, creating a growth opportunity for our products and innovations, including lighter-weight cans incorporating advanced coating solutions. The specialty can sector is characterized by a number of different products and applications, including paints & coatings, aerosol, nutrition and other cans. Our principal competitors in metal packaging include Ball Corporation, Crown Holdings and Silgan Holdings.

        The glass packaging market represents a $60 billion market that is comprised of bottles, jars and other products. Glass packaging is utilized in a wide range of end-use categories in the food and beverage market, as well as in applications such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and personal care. We principally operate in the food and beverage end-use categories and benefit from the premium appeal of glass packaging to spirits, craft beer, wine and other brand owners, as higher levels of design and differentiation support end-user brand perception and loyalty. In our target regions of Europe and North America, demand is projected to be relatively stable through 2020, according to Smithers Pira†. Our principal competitors in glass packaging include Anchor Glass and Owens-Illinois in North America and Owens-Illinois, Verallia and Vidrala in Europe.

Our Competitive Strengths

        We believe a number of competitive strengths differentiate us from our competitors, including:

    Leader in Rigid Packaging.   We believe we are one of the leading suppliers of metal and glass packaging solutions, capable of supplying multi-national CPGs, in our target markets.

    We believe that we are the #2 supplier of metal cans by value (meaning total revenue derived from supplying to specific end-markets and end-use categories) in the European beverage can and food can end-use categories, the #1 supplier of metal cans by value in the European seafood, aerosols, paints & coatings and nutrition end-use categories and the #1 supplier of metal cans by value in the North American seafood end-use category. In addition, we believe that we are the #3 supplier of beverage cans by value in the United States and Brazil.

*
Source: Smithers Pira— The Future of Metal Packaging and Coatings to 2021 (Nov. 2016).

Source: Smithers Pira— The Future of Global Packaging to 2020 (Nov. 2015).

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      We believe that we are the #2 supplier of glass packaging by value globally. In the United States, we believe we are the #2 supplier of glass packaging by value, serving the beer, food, wine, spirits and non-alcoholic beverage sectors. In addition, we believe we are the #3 supplier of glass packaging by value in Europe and the #1 supplier by value in Northern Europe, serving the beer, food, wine, spirits, non-alcoholic beverage and pharmaceutical end-use categories.

      We believe the combination of our extensive footprint, proximity to customers, efficient manufacturing and high level of customer service underpins our leading positions.

    Long-term relationships with diverse blue-chip customer base.   We supply some of the world's best-known brands with innovative packaging solutions, and have been recognized with numerous industry awards. We have longstanding relationships with many of our major customers, which include leading multinational consumer products companies, large national and regional food and beverage companies, as well as numerous local companies. Some of our major customers include AB InBev, Akzo Nobel, Bacardi, Bonduelle, Britvic, Coca-Cola, ConAgra Foods, Constellation Brands, Diageo, Heineken, The Kraft Heinz Company, Monster Beverage, Nestlé, Pernod Ricard, Procter & Gamble, JM Smucker and Unilever. Approximately two-thirds of our revenues are derived from multi-year contracts of between two and ten years, most of which include input cost pass-through provisions. The average length of our relationship with our top 10 customers is over 30 years.

    Focus on stable markets.   We derive over 90% of our revenues in Europe and North America, mature markets characterized by predictable consumer spending, stable supply and demand and low cyclicality. Furthermore, over 90% of our revenues are generated from the stable food and beverage end-use categories, including fruit, vegetables, soups, sauces, seafood, pet food, beer, wine, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages. In addition, in some of our end-use categories, we serve customers in high-growth categories, such as premium spirits, where customers value premium glass packaging, or powdered infant formula, where demand is driven by emerging market growth.

    Well-invested asset base with significant scale and operational excellence.   We believe we have one of the most extensive plant networks in the rigid packaging industry. We operate 109 strategically-located production facilities in 22 countries, enabling us to efficiently serve our customers with high quality and innovative products and services across multiple geographies. Our asset base is well-invested, with approximately €1.5 billion invested in capital expenditure in the five years ended December 31, 2016. We pursue continuous improvement in our facilities by applying Lean Manufacturing techniques ("Lean"). To supplement our Lean initiatives and promote a culture of consistently pursuing excellence, we formed our Operational Support Group in Metal Packaging, Operational Excellence Group and Central Technical Services group in Glass Packaging to standardize and share best practices across our network of plants. We believe the total value proposition we offer our customers, in the form of geographic reach, customer service, product quality, reliability, and innovation, will enable us to continue to drive growth and profitability.

    Technical leadership and innovation.   We have advanced technical and manufacturing capabilities in both metal and glass packaging, including innovation, development and engineering centers in France, Germany and the United States. In addition, our subsidiary, Heye International, is a leading provider of engineering solutions to the glass container industry globally, with significant proprietary know-how and expertise. We also have significant in-house mold-manufacturing expertise in Europe and the United States. We continually seek to improve the quality of our products and processes, through focused investment in new technology. These capabilities have enabled us to develop a pipeline of product and process innovations to meet the dynamic needs

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      of our customers. Our innovations have also been recognized with numerous industry awards and accreditations. We have significant expertise in the production of value-added metal packaging, both aluminum and tinplate, with features such as high-quality graphic designs, a wide range of shapes and sizes and convenience features, such as easy-open ends and Easy Peel® and Easip® peelable lids, and introduced lightweight aluminum cans. In Glass Packaging, our focus has been on product development, process improvement and cost reduction, which has resulted in progressive advances such as container lightweighting and the increased use of cullet (recycled glass) in the production process. This has delivered significant environmental benefits by reducing the use of raw materials and energy.

    Highly contracted revenue base.   Approximately two-thirds of our sales are made pursuant to multi-year contracts, with the remainder largely pursuant to annual arrangements. A significant proportion of our sales volumes are supplied under contracts which include mechanisms that help to protect us from earnings volatility related to input costs. Specifically, such arrangements include (i) multi-year contracts that include input cost pass-through and/or margin maintenance provisions and (ii) one-year contracts that allow us to negotiate pricing levels for our products on an annual basis at the same time that we determine our input costs for the relevant year.

    Attractive growth through acquisitions and strong Free Cash Flow generation.   In 1998, under Irish GAAP, our revenue and EBITDA were €51 million and €10 million, respectively. In 2016, under IFRS on a pro forma basis, our revenue and Adjusted EBITDA have grown to €7,646 million and €1,333 million, respectively. We also believe we maintain attractive margins and generate significant Free Cash Flow and returns on capital for our shareholders. For the year ended December 31, 2016, our pro forma Adjusted EBITDA margin was 17.4%, and our Free Cash Flow was €335 million. We believe we can continue to maintain attractive margins and grow Free Cash Flow through business mix optimization, growth with new and existing customers, efficiency gains, cost reduction, working capital optimization and disciplined capital allocation.

    Proven track record of successful acquisitions and business optimization.   We have grown through a series of acquisitions, some of which significantly increased the size and scope of our Company and the breadth of our product offering. We have successfully integrated these acquired businesses and realized or exceeded targeted cost synergies, including $60 million in cost synergies announced in conjunction with the VNA Acquisition in 2014. Through the Beverage Can Acquisition, we are targeting operating cost synergies of at least $50 million by December 2018, with projected one-time costs of approximately $20 million to achieve these synergies, although we cannot give any assurances that such synergies will be achieved. We believe we can continue to create value for shareholders through acquisitions, business optimization and synergy realization.

    Experienced management team with a proven track record and high degree of shareholder alignment . We believe our management team is highly experienced, with an average of more than 15 years of experience in the consumer packaging industry. The members of our senior management team have demonstrated their ability to manage costs, adapt to changing market conditions, undertake strategic investments and acquire and integrate new businesses, thereby driving significant value creation. Our board of directors, led by our Chairman, has a high degree of indirect ownership in our Company, which we believe promotes efficient capital allocation decisions and results in strong shareholder alignment and commitment to further shareholder value creation.

Our Business Strategy

        Historically, we have created significant shareholder value by acquiring businesses and integrating them to realize synergies and enhance profitability, which, when combined with the application of our

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operational excellence and best practice initiatives, has enabled us to generate strong growth in revenues and Adjusted EBITDA since 1998. We have deployed our cash flow to grow our businesses and service our debt. In addition, ARD Holdings S.A. has also returned over €570 million to its shareholders since January 2010. Our principal objective remains to grow shareholder value by accelerating earnings growth and driving Free Cash Flow generation. In the near-term we intend to deploy our Free Cash Flow primarily to reduce debt, but we will continue to opportunistically engage in strategic capital investments and selective acquisitions that enhance shareholder value. We will continue to pursue these objectives through the following strategies:

    Grow Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow.   We will seek to leverage our extensive footprint, proximity to customers, efficient manufacturing and high level of customer service to grow revenue with new and existing customers, improve our productivity, and reduce our costs. To increase Adjusted EBITDA, we will continue to take decisive actions with respect to our assets and invest in our business, in line with our stringent investment criteria. To increase Free Cash Flow, we will continue to actively manage our working capital and capital expenditures.

    Enhance product mix and profitability.   We have enhanced our product mix over the years by replacing lower margin business with higher margin business. For example, we grew our presence in end-use categories such as spirits, invested in our specialty beverage can capacity, expanded our DWI and two-piece food can production capacity and increased our specialty nutrition can capacity. We will continue to develop long-term partnerships with our global customers and selectively pursue opportunities with existing and new customers that will grow our business and enhance our overall profitability.

    Apply leading process technology and technical expertise.   Our goal is to be the most profitable producer earning the highest returns on capital in the rigid packaging industry. We plan to achieve this with an attractive and well-balanced business mix, combined with a low cost base, Lean manufacturing, strong technological expertise and a highly motivated workforce. We intend to increase productivity through the deployment of leading technology (including our internal engineering, innovation and design capabilities), and continued development and dissemination of best practices and know-how across our operations.

    Emphasize operational excellence and optimize manufacturing base.   In managing our businesses, we seek to improve our efficiency, control costs and preserve and expand our margins. We have consistently reduced total costs through implementing operational efficiencies, streamlining our manufacturing base and investing in advanced technology to enhance our production capacity. We will continue to take actions to reduce costs by optimizing our manufacturing footprint, including through further investment in advanced technology.

    Successfully integrate the Beverage Can Acquisition.   We have successfully acquired and integrated a significant number of businesses over the past 18 years. We have proven our ability to create value through integrating acquisitions with our existing operations, for example in connection with the VNA Acquisition in 2014, where we have achieved operating and administrative cost synergies of $60 million announced at the time of the acquisition. We believe we will continue to be effective in integrating our acquisitions and we believe we will achieve at least $50 million of synergies from the recent Beverage Can Acquisition by December 2018, although we cannot give any assurances that such synergies will be achieved.

    Carefully evaluate and pursue strategic opportunities.   We have achieved our current market positions by selectively pursuing strategic opportunities. Although our near-term focus is primarily on de-leveraging our Company, we will continue to evaluate opportunities in line with our objectives, which include the realization of attractive returns on investment and Free Cash Flow generation. We believe there are still significant opportunities for further growth by acquisition and we may selectively explore acquisition opportunities, in line with our stringent

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      investment criteria and focus on enhancing shareholder value. Our acquisition criteria include (i) attractive bolt-on acquisitions in existing markets, (ii) acquisitions that allow us access to critical technology, and (iii) new platform acquisitions that have scale positions and an attractive financial profile.

Risk Factors

        There are a number of risks you should consider before buying our shares. These risks are discussed more fully under "Risk Factors" beginning on page 16 of this prospectus. These risks include, but are not limited to:

    Our primary direct customers sell to consumers of food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, personal care and household products. If economic conditions affect consumer demand, our customers may be affected and so reduce their demand for our products.

    We face intense competition from other metal and glass packaging producers, as well as from manufacturers of alternative forms of packaging.

    Because our customers are concentrated, our business could be adversely affected if we were unable to maintain relationships with our largest customers.

    The continuing consolidation of our customer base may intensify pricing pressures or result in the loss of customers.

    An increase in metal or glass container manufacturing capacity without a corresponding increase in demand for metal or glass packaging could cause prices to decline.

    Our profitability could be affected by varied seasonal demands.

    Our profitability could be affected by the availability and cost of raw materials.

    Currency, interest rate fluctuations and commodity prices may have a material impact on our business.

    Our expansion strategy may adversely affect our business.

    Our business may suffer if we do not retain our executive and senior management.

    It is difficult to compare our results of operations from period to period.

    We are subject to various environmental and other legal requirements and may be subject to new requirements of this kind in the future that could impose substantial costs upon us.

    We may not be able to integrate the Beverage Can Business or any future acquisitions effectively.

    We face costs associated with our post-retirement and post-employment obligations to employees.

    Organized strikes or work stoppages by unionized employees may have a material adverse effect on our business.

    Our shareholders may have more difficulty protecting their interests than they would as shareholders of a U.S. corporation.

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Our Corporate and Finance Structure

        The following diagram reflects a simplified summary of our organizational structure immediately following this offering (assuming no exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional Class A common shares).

GRAPHIC

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The Offering

Shares Offered by Us

              Class A common shares (or            Class A common shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full).

Shares Issued and Outstanding Immediately After This Offering

 

            Class A common shares (or            Class A common shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full) and            Class B common shares.

Use of Proceeds

 

We estimate that we will receive net proceeds from this offering of approximately $        million (or $        million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full), assuming an initial public offering price of $      per share, the midpoint of the estimated range of the initial public offering price, after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

The proceeds of the offering will be used to reduce outstanding indebtedness. See "Use of Proceeds".

Dividend Policy

 

We currently intend to pay a quarterly cash dividend of $      per share on our Class A and Class B common shares. See "Dividend Policy".

Directed Share Program

 

Citigroup Global Markets Inc. has reserved for sale at the initial public offering price up to                of the Class A common shares being offered by this prospectus for sale to certain of our employees and directors. We do not know if these persons will choose to purchase all or any portion of these reserved shares, but any purchases they do make will reduce the number of shares available to the general public. Any directed shares not purchased will be offered by Citigroup Global Markets Inc. to the general public on the same basis as all other shares offered. See "Underwriting".

Listing

 

We intend to apply to have the Class A common shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ARD".

        Unless we indicate otherwise or the context requires, all information in this prospectus assumes:

    an initial public offering price of U.S. $        per share, the midpoint of the offering range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus; and

    the underwriters do not exercise their option to purchase additional shares.

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SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL AND OTHER DATA OF
ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

        The summary historical financial data as of and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements of Ardagh Group S.A. and its subsidiaries and the related notes. The summary pro forma financial data as of and for the year ended December 31, 2016 has been derived from the Unaudited Condensed Combined Pro Forma Financial Information included elsewhere in this prospectus. The summary historical financial data set forth below should be read in conjunction with and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected in any future period.

        The following financial information should be read in conjunction with "Selected Financial Information", "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations", our historical consolidated financial statements and the related notes and the "Unaudited Condensed Combined Pro Forma Financial Information" and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.

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  Year ended and as
of December 31,
 
 
  Pro forma
2016
  2016   2015   2014  
 
  (in € millions, except margins and per share data)
 

Income Statement Data (1)

                         

Revenue

    7,646     6,345     5,199     4,733  

Cost of sales

    (6,304 )   (5,220 )   (4,322 )   (4,092 )

Gross profit

    1,342     1,125     877     641  

Sales, general and administration expenses

    (513 )   (416 )   (318 )   (281 )

Intangible amortization

    (239 )   (173 )   (109 )   (121 )

Loss on disposal of businesses

                (159 )

Operating profit

    590     536     450     80  

Net finance expense

    (403 )   (537 )   (527 )   (602 )

Profit/(loss) before tax

    187     (1 )   (77 )   (522 )

Income tax (expense)/credit

    (79 )   (54 )   (63 )   14  

Profit/(loss) for the year

    108     (55 )   (140 )   (508 )

Balance Sheet Data (at year end)

                         

Cash and cash equivalents (2)

          772     553     414  

Working capital (3)

    658     658     549     608  

Total assets

          10,261     6,742     6,501  

Total borrowings (4)

    7,896     8,150     6,404     6,038  

Total equity

          (2,056 )   (1,980 )   (1,749 )

Net Debt (5)

          7,254     5,851     5,584  

Other Data

                         

Adjusted EBITDA (6)

    1,333     1,158     934     792  

Adjusted EBITDA margin (6)

    17.4 %   18.3 %   18.0 %   16.7 %

Earnings per share

          (€5.34 )   (€14.00 )   (€50.80 )

Adjusted profit/(loss) for the year (7)

    333     241     (5 )   (51 )

Adjusted earnings per share (8)

                         

Depreciation and amortization (9)

    595     491     403     363  

Capital expenditure (10)

    398     318     304     314  

Net cash from operating activities

        469     568     350  

Free Cash Flow (11)

        335     264     36  

(1)
The income statement data presented above is on a reported basis and includes certain exceptional items which, by their incidence or nature, management considers should be adjusted for to enable a better understanding of the financial performance of the Company. A summary of these exceptional items included in the income statement data is as follows:
 
  Year ended
December 31,
 
Exceptional Items
  Pro forma
2016
  2016   2015   2014  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Exceptional cost of sales

    19     15     37     122  

Exceptional sales, general and administrative expenses

    129     116     44     35  

Exceptional intangible amortization

                33  

Exceptional loss on disposal of business

                159  

Exceptional operating items

    148     131     81     349  

Exceptional net finance (income)/expense

    (68 )   87     13     126  

Exceptional income tax credit

    (25 )   (43 )   (32 )   (78 )

Total exceptional items

    55     175     62     397  

    For further details on the exceptional operating items for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, see Note 19 to the consolidated financial statements of Ardagh included elsewhere in this prospectus. The difference between the pro forma and actual exceptional items reflects the Ball Carve-Out Business and the Rexam Carve-Out Business and associated pro forma adjustments detailed in the Unaudited Condensed Combined Pro Forma Financial Information.

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(2)
Cash and cash equivalents include restricted cash as per the note disclosures to the financial information.

(3)
Working capital is comprised of inventories, trade and other receivables, trade and other payables and current provisions. Other companies may calculate working capital in a manner different to ours.
 
  As of
December 31,
 
 
  Pro forma
2016
  2016   2015   2014  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Inventories

    1,126     1,126     825     770  

Trade and other receivables

    1,135     1,135     651     692  

Trade and other payables

    (1,534 )   (1,534 )   (879 )   (804 )

Current provisions

    (69 )   (69 )   (48 )   (50 )

Working capital

    658     658     549     608  
(4)
Total borrowings includes non-current and current borrowings.

(5)
Net Debt is comprised of total borrowings and derivative financial instruments used to hedge foreign currency and interest rate risk, net of cash and cash equivalents.

(6)
To supplement our financial information presented in accordance with IFRS, we use the following additional financial measures to clarify and enhance an understanding of past performance: Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, Adjusted profit and Free Cash Flow. We believe that the presentation of these financial measures enhances an investor's understanding of our financial performance. We further believe that these financial measures are useful financial metrics to assess our operating performance from period to period by excluding certain items that we believe are not representative of our core business. We use certain of these financial measures for business planning purposes and in measuring our performance relative to that of our competitors.

    Adjusted EBITDA consists of profit/(loss) for the year before income tax expense/(credit), net finance expense, depreciation and amortization and exceptional operating items. Adjusted EBITDA margin is calculated as Adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are presented because we believe that they are frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in evaluating companies in the packaging industry. However, other companies may calculate Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin in a manner different from ours. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are not measurements of financial performance under IFRS and should not be considered an alternative to profit/(loss) as indicators of operating performance or any other measures of performance derived in accordance with IFRS.

    The reconciliation of profit/(loss) for the year to Adjusted EBITDA is as follows:

 
  Year ended
December 31,
 
 
  Pro forma
2016
  2016   2015   2014  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Profit/(loss) for the year

    108     (55 )   (140 )   (508 )

Income tax expense/(credit)

    79     54     63     (14 )

Net finance expense

    403     537     527     602  

Depreciation and amortization

    595     491     403     363  

EBITDA

    1,185     1,027     853     443  

Exceptional operating items

    148     131     81     349  

Adjusted EBITDA

    1,333     1,158     934     792  

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(7)
Adjusted profit for the year is calculated as follows:
 
  Year ended
December 31,
 
 
  Pro forma
2016
  2016   2015   2014  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Profit/(loss) for the year

    108     (55 )   (140 )   (508 )

Total exceptional items

    55     175     62     397  

Intangible amortization

    239     173     109     88  

Tax credit associated with intangible amortization

    (69 )   (52 )   (36 )   (28 )

Adjusted profit for the year

    333     241     (5 )   (51 )

    Adjusted profit consists of profit/(loss) for the year before total exceptional items, intangible amortization and associated tax credits. Adjusted profit is presented because we believe that it accurately reflects the ongoing cost structure of the company. It excludes total exceptional items which we consider not representative of ongoing operations because such items are not reflective of the normal earnings potential of the business. We have also adjusted for the amortization of intangible assets and associated tax credits, as this is driven by our acquisition activity which can vary in size, nature and timing compared to other companies within our industry and from period to period. Accordingly, due to the incomparability of acquisition activity among companies and from period to period, we believe exclusion of the amortization associated with intangible assets acquired through our acquisitions and total exceptional items allows investors to better compare and understand our results.

(8)
Adjusted earnings per share is calculated based on adjusted profit for the year divided by the number of ordinary shares in issue after giving effect to this offering.

(9)
Depreciation, amortization, and impairment of property, plant and equipment.

(10)
Capital expenditure is the sum of purchase of property, plant and equipment and software and other intangibles, net of proceeds from disposal of property, plant and equipment.

(11)
We define Free Cash Flow as net cash from operating activities adding back cumulative PIK interest paid, less capital expenditure. We believe the nearest GAAP measure for our definition of Free Cash Flow is cash from operating activities. Free Cash Flow is useful to us because it assists in the assessment of our ability to generate cash to fund our growth. We believe Free Cash Flow is useful to investors because Free Cash Flow and similar measures are used by investors, securities analysts, and other interested parties to assess a company's ability to generate cash without regard to revenue and expense recognition, which can vary depending on a company's accounting methods. However, other companies may calculate Free Cash Flow in a manner different from ours. Free Cash Flow is not a measure of financial performance under IFRS and should not be considered an alternative to cash flow from operating activities or as a measure of liquidity or an alternative to profit/(loss) as indicators of operating performance or any other measures of performance derived in accordance with IFRS.

    The reconciliation of net cash from operating activities to Free Cash Flow is follows:

 
  Year ended
December 31,
 
 
  2016   2015   2014  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Net cash from operating activities

    469     568     350  

Cumulative PIK interest paid

    184          

Capital expenditure

    (318 )   (304 )   (314 )

Free Cash Flow

    335     264     36  

    Free Cash Flow reflects exceptional cash outflows of €184 million, €54 million and €114 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Free Cash Flow does not include the impact of net cash from operating activities or capital expenditure of the assets acquired in the Beverage Can Acquisition for the period prior to July 1, 2016.

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RISK FACTORS

        An investment in our Class A common shares involves a high degree of risk. In addition to the other information contained in this prospectus, you should carefully consider the following risk factors before purchasing the Class A common shares. If any of the possible events described below occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects could be adversely affected. If that happens, the value of the shares may decline and you could lose all or part of your investment. The risks and uncertainties below are those known to us and that we currently believe may materially affect us.

Risks Relating to Our Business

Our primary direct customers sell to consumers of food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, personal care and household products. If economic conditions affect consumer demand, our customers may be affected and so reduce the demand for our products.

        Demand for our packaging depends on demand for the products which use our packaging, which is primarily consumer driven. General economic conditions may adversely impact consumer confidence resulting in reduced spending on our customers' products and, thereby, reduced or postponed demand for our products.

        Adverse economic conditions may also lead to more limited availability of credit, which may have a negative impact on the financial condition, particularly on the purchasing ability, of some of our customers and distributors and may also result in requests for extended payment terms, and result in credit losses, insolvencies and diminished sales channels available to us. Our suppliers may have difficulties obtaining necessary credit, which could jeopardize their ability to provide timely deliveries of raw materials and other essentials to us. The adverse economic conditions may also lead to suppliers requesting credit support or otherwise reducing credit, which may have a negative effect on our cash flows and working capital.

        The volatility in exchange rates may also increase the costs of our products that we may not be able to pass on to our customers; impair the purchasing power of our customers in different markets; result in significant competitive benefit to certain of our competitors who incur a material part of their costs in other currencies than we do; hamper our pricing; and increase our hedging costs and limit our ability to hedge our exchange rate exposure.

        Changes in global economic conditions may reduce our ability to forecast developments in our industry and plan our operations and costs, resulting in operational inefficiencies. Negative developments in our business, results of operations and financial condition due to changes in global economic conditions or other factors could cause ratings agencies to lower the credit ratings, or ratings outlook, of our short-and long-term debt and, consequently, impair our ability to raise new financing or refinance our current borrowings and increase our costs of issuing any new debt instruments.

        Furthermore, the economic outlook could be adversely affected by the risk that one or more eurozone countries could come under increasing pressure to leave the European Monetary Union, or the euro as the single currency of the eurozone could cease to exist. Any of these developments, or the perception that any of these developments are likely to occur, could have a material adverse effect on the economic development of the affected countries and could lead to severe economic recession or depression, and a general anticipation that such risks will materialize in the future could jeopardize the stability of financial markets or the overall financial and monetary system. This, in turn, would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, liquidity and results of operations.

        In addition, some segments of our markets are more cyclical than others. Our sales in the paints and coatings markets depend mainly on the building and construction industries and the do-it-yourself home decorating market. Demand in these markets is cyclical, as to a lesser extent is demand for

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products such as aerosols. Variations in the demand for packaging products in these market segments could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We face intense competition from other metal and glass packaging producers, as well as from manufacturers of alternative forms of packaging.

Metal Packaging

        The metal packaging sectors in which Metal Packaging operates are mature, experiencing limited growth in demand in recent years, and competitive. The most competitive part of the metal packaging market is the sale of undifferentiated, standardized cans. Prices for these products are primarily driven by raw materials costs and seasonal overcapacity, and price competition is sometimes fierce. Competition in the market for customized, differentiated packaging is based on price and, increasingly, on innovation, design, quality and service. Our principal competitors include Ball Corporation, Crown Holdings and Silgan Holdings. To the extent that any one or more of our competitors become more successful with respect to any key competitive factor, our ability to attract and retain customers could be materially and adversely affected, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

        Metal Packaging is subject to substantial competition from producers of packaging made from plastic, carton and composites, particularly from producers of plastic packaging and flexible packaging. Changes in consumer preferences in terms of food processing (e.g., fresh or frozen food content and dry versus wet pet food) or in terms of packaging materials, style and product presentation can significantly influence sales. An increase in Metal Packaging's costs of production or a decrease in the costs of, or a further increase in consumer demand for, alternative packaging could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Glass Packaging

        Glass Packaging is subject to intense competition from other glass packaging producers, as well as from producers of other forms of rigid and non-rigid packaging, against whom we compete on the basis of price, product characteristics, quality, customer service, reliability of delivery and the overall attractiveness of our offering. Advantages or disadvantages in any of these competitive factors may be sufficient to cause customers to consider changing suppliers or to use an alternative form of packaging. In some instances, we also face the threat of vertical integration by our customers into the manufacture of their own packaging materials.

        Our principal competitors in glass packaging include Anchor Glass and Owens-Illinois in North America and Owens-Illinois, Verallia and Vidrala in Europe. Additionally, we face competition from firms that carry out specific export operations at low prices when their domestic markets are at overcapacity or when foreign exchange rates or economic conditions (particularly transport costs) allow this. Despite the generally regional nature of the glass packaging markets, these export operations could have a material negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        In addition to competing with other large, well-established manufacturers in the glass packaging industry, we also compete with manufacturers of other forms of rigid packaging, principally plastic packaging and aluminum cans, on the basis of quality, price, service and consumer preference. We also compete with manufacturers of non-rigid packaging alternatives, including flexible pouches and aseptic cartons, particularly in serving the packaging needs of non-alcoholic beverage customers, including juice customers and food customers. We believe that the use of glass packaging for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages is subject to consumer taste. In addition, the association of glass packaging with premium items in certain product categories exposes glass packaging to economic variations. Therefore, if economic conditions are poor, we believe that consumers may be less likely to prefer glass packaging over other forms of packaging. We cannot ensure that our products will continue to be preferred by our customers' end-users and that consumer preference will not shift from glass packaging

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to non-glass packaging. A material shift in consumer preference away from glass packaging, or competitive pressures from our various competitors, could result in a decline in sales volume or pricing pressure that would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, new threats from container and production innovations in all forms of packaging could disadvantage our existing business. If we are unable to respond to competitive technological advances, our future performance could be materially adversely affected.

        Some customers may decide to develop their own glass packaging production activity to serve their packaging needs and to reduce their purchases of glass packaging. In North America, for example, Gallo and AB InBev (Longhorn Glass) in the United States and Constellation Brands in Mexico, self-manufacture some of their glass packaging. The potential vertical integration of our customers could introduce a new production capacity in the market, which may create an imbalance between the supply and demand for glass packaging. The growth of vertically integrated operations could have a material negative impact on our future performance.

An increase in metal or glass container manufacturing capacity without a corresponding increase in demand for metal or glass packaging could cause prices to decline, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        The profitability of metal or glass packaging companies is heavily influenced by the supply of, and demand for, metal or glass packaging.

        We cannot assure you that the metal or glass container manufacturing capacity in any of our markets will not increase further in the future, nor can we assure you that demand for metal or glass packaging will meet or exceed supply. If metal or glass container manufacturing capacity increases and there is no corresponding increase in demand, the prices we receive for our products could materially decline, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Because our customers are concentrated, our business could be adversely affected if we were unable to maintain relationships with our largest customers.

        For the year ended December 31, 2016, on a pro forma basis giving effect to the Beverage Can Acquisition, Metal Packaging's ten largest customers accounted for approximately 44% of its consolidated revenues. For the year ended December 31, 2016, Glass Packaging's ten largest customers accounted for approximately 42% of its revenues.

        We believe our relationships with these customers are good, but there can be no assurances that we will be able to maintain these relationships. For Metal Packaging approximately two-thirds of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2016 were under multi-year supply agreements of varying terms between two and ten years with the remaining revenues generally under one year agreements. For Glass Packaging, we also typically sell most of our glass packaging directly to customers under one to five-year arrangements. Although these arrangements have provided, and we expect they will continue to provide, the basis for long-term partnerships with our customers, there can be no assurance that our customers will not cease purchasing our products. If our customers unexpectedly reduce the amount of glass packaging and/or metal cans they purchase from us, or cease purchasing our glass packaging and/or metal cans altogether, our revenues could decrease and our inventory levels could increase, both of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, while we believe that the arrangements that we have with our customers will be renewed, there can be no assurance that such arrangements will be renewed upon their expiration or that the terms of any renewal will be as favorable to us as the terms of the current arrangements. There is also the risk that our customers may shift their filling operations to locations in which we do not operate. The loss of one or more of these customers, a significant reduction in sales to these

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customers or a significant change in the commercial terms of our relationship with these customers could have a material adverse effect on our business.

The continuing consolidation of our customer base may intensify pricing pressures or result in the loss of customers, either of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        Some of our largest customers have acquired companies with similar or complementary product lines. For example, in 2016 AB InBev acquired SABMiller and in 2015 Kraft Foods Group merged with H.J. Heinz Holding Corporation. Such consolidation has increased the concentration of our net sales with our largest customers and may continue in the future. In many cases, such consolidation may be accompanied by pressure from customers for lower prices. Increased pricing pressures from our customers may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, this consolidation may lead manufacturers to rely on a reduced number of suppliers. If, following the consolidation of one of our customers with another company, a competitor was to be the main supplier to the consolidated companies, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Our profitability could be affected by varied seasonal demands.

        Demand for Metal Packaging and Glass Packaging products is seasonal. Metal Packaging's sales are typically greater in the second and third quarters of the year, with generally lower sales in the first and fourth quarters. Unseasonably cool weather during the summer months can reduce demand for certain beverages packaged in its beverage cans. Weather conditions can reduce crop yields and adversely affect customer demand for fruit and vegetable cans. Metal Packaging's worldwide seafood canning activities are also affected by variations in local fish catches. The variable nature of the food and seafood packaging businesses and Metal Packaging's vulnerability to natural conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        Demand for our Glass Packaging products is typically strongest during the summer months and in the period prior to the holidays in December because of the seasonal nature of the consumption of beer and other beverages. Unseasonably cool weather during the summer months can reduce demand for certain beverages packaged in our glass packaging, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we generally schedule shutdowns of our furnaces for rebuilding and repairs of machinery in the first quarter in Europe and around year-end and the first quarter in North America. If demand for glass packaging should unexpectedly rise during such a shutdown, we would not have the ability to fulfill such demand and may lose potential revenues. These shutdowns and seasonal sales patterns could adversely affect profitability during the first quarter.

Our profitability could be affected by the availability and cost of raw materials.

        The raw materials that we use have historically been available in adequate supply from multiple sources. For certain raw materials, however, there may be temporary shortages due to weather, transportation, production delays or other factors. In such an event, no assurance can be given that we would be able to secure our raw materials from sources other than our current suppliers on terms as favorable as our current terms, or at all. Any such shortages, as well as material increases in the cost of any of the principal raw materials that we use, including the cost to transport materials to our production facilities, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, the relative price of oil and its products may impact Metal Packaging, by affecting transport, lacquer and ink costs.

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        The primary raw materials that we use for Metal Packaging are steel (both in tinplate and tin-free forms) and aluminum ingot. Steel is generally obtained under one-year contracts with prices that are usually fixed in advance. When such contracts are renewed in the future, our steel costs under such contracts will be subject to prevailing global steel and/or tinplate prices at the time of renewal, which may be different from historical prices.

        Unlike steel, where there is no functioning hedging market, aluminum ingot is traded daily as a commodity (priced in U.S. dollars) on the London Metal Exchange, which has historically been subject to significant price volatility. Because aluminum is priced in U.S. dollars, fluctuations in the U.S. dollar/ euro rate also affect the euro cost of aluminum ingot.

        Following completion of the Beverage Can Acquisition in 2016, our exposure to both the availability of aluminum and volatility of aluminum prices has increased. While raw materials are generally available from independent suppliers, raw materials are subject to fluctuations in price and availability attributable to a number of factors, including general economic conditions, commodity price fluctuations (particularly aluminum on the London Metal Exchange), the demand by other industries for the same raw materials and the availability of complementary and substitute materials. Adverse economic or financial changes could impact our suppliers, thereby causing supply shortages or increasing costs for our business.

        We may not be able to pass on all or substantially all raw material price increases, now or in the future. In addition, we may not be able to hedge successfully against raw material cost increases. Furthermore, steel and aluminum prices are subject to considerable volatility in price and demand. While in the past sufficient quantities of steel and aluminum have been generally available for purchase, these quantities may not be available in the future, and, even if available, we may not be able to continue to purchase them at current prices. Further increases in the cost of these raw materials could adversely affect our operating margins and cash flows.

        The supplier industries from which Metal Packaging receives its raw materials are relatively concentrated, and this concentration can impact raw material costs. Over the last ten years, the number of major tinplate and aluminum suppliers has decreased. Further consolidation could occur both among tinplate and aluminum suppliers, and such consolidation could hinder our ability to obtain adequate supplies of these raw materials and could lead to higher prices for tinplate and aluminum.

        Glass Packaging also consumes significant amounts of raw materials to manufacture glass, particularly glass sand, limestone and soda ash (natural or synthetic), as well as cullet (recycled glass) in variable percentages depending on the products manufactured. The soda ash market has experienced an imbalance between supply and demand resulting in a significant increase in price. Increases in the price of raw materials could also result from a concentration of their suppliers, a phenomenon noted in the soda ash market and that could intensify in the future and develop for other raw materials that we use. The price of cullet varies widely from one region to another due to regulatory and financial disparities concerning the collection and recycling of used glass, as well as the distance of cullet procurement centers from production sites. Thus, changes in the regulations related to glass collection and recycling can have a significant impact on the availability of raw materials and on their price. Any significant increase in the price of the raw materials we use to manufacture glass could have a material negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        The failure to obtain adequate supplies of raw materials or future price increases could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Currency, interest rate fluctuations and commodity prices may have a material impact on our business.

        Our reporting currency is the euro. Insofar as possible, we intend to actively manage this exposure through the deployment of assets and liabilities throughout the Group and, when necessary and

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economically justified, enter into currency hedging arrangements to manage our exposure to foreign currency fluctuations by hedging against rate changes with respect to the euro. However, we may not be successful in limiting such exposure, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        Metal Packaging has production facilities in 21 different countries worldwide. It also sells products to, and obtains raw materials from, companies located in these and different regions and countries globally. As a consequence, a significant portion of consolidated revenue, costs, assets and liabilities of Metal Packaging are denominated in currencies other than the euro, particularly the pound and the U.S. dollar. The exchange rates between the currencies which we are exposed to, such as the euro, the pound, the U.S. dollar and the Brazilian real, have fluctuated significantly in the past and may continue to do so in the future.

        Metal Packaging incurs currency transaction risks primarily on aluminum purchases (or the hedging of those purchases), as aluminum ingot prices are denominated in U.S. dollars, and on revenue denominated in currencies other than the euro fulfilled from euro-participant territories (or the hedging of those sales).

        A substantial portion of the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses of Glass Packaging is denominated in pounds, U.S. dollars, Swedish krona, Danish krone and Polish złoty. Fluctuations in the value of these currencies with respect to the euro have had, and may continue to have, a significant impact on our financial condition and results of operations as reported in euro. For the year ended December 31, 2016, 64% of our revenues were denominated in currencies other than the euro.

        In addition to currency translation risk, we are subject to currency transaction risk. Our policy is, where practical, to match net investments in foreign currencies with borrowings in the same currency. The debt and interest payments relating to our Swedish, Danish and Polish operations are all denominated in euro. Fluctuations in the value of these currencies with respect to the euro may have a significant impact on our financial condition and results of operations as reported in euro.

        Changes in exchange rates can affect our ability to purchase raw materials and sell products at profitable prices, reduce the value of our assets and revenues, and increase liabilities and costs.

        We are also exposed to interest rate risk. Fluctuations in interest rates may affect our interest expense on existing debt and the cost of new financing. We occasionally use swaps to manage this risk, but sustained increases in interest rates could nevertheless materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        In addition, we are exposed to movements in the price of natural gas. We try to ensure that natural gas prices are fixed for future periods but do not always do so because the future prices can be far in excess of the spot price. We do not use commodity futures contracts to limit the fluctuations in prices paid and the potential volatility in earnings and cash flows from future market price movements.

        For a further discussion of these matters and the measures we have taken to seek to protect our business against these risks, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk".

It is difficult to compare our results of operations from period to period.

        It is difficult to make period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations. Our business has been created as a result of a series of acquisitions and other corporate transactions over many years. These acquisitions have had and are expected to continue to have a positive effect on our results of operations in periods following their completion and integration. Furthermore, our sales and, therefore, our net operating income are variable within the fiscal year due to the seasonality described above. Thus, a period-to-period comparison of our results of operations may not be meaningful.

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Interrupted energy supplies and higher energy costs may have a material adverse effect on our business.

        We use natural gas, electrical power, oil, oxygen and, in limited circumstances, liquefied petroleum gas to manufacture our products. These energy sources are vital to our operations and we rely on a continuous power supply to conduct our business. Energy prices are subject to considerable volatility. We are not able to predict to what extent energy prices will vary in the future. If energy costs increase further in the future, we could experience a significant increase in operating costs, which could, if we are not able to recover these costs increases from our customers through selling price increases, have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our manufacturing facilities are subject to operating hazards.

        Our manufacturing processes include cutting, coating and shaping metal into containers, as well as heating glass to extremely high temperatures and forming it into glass containers. These processes, which are conducted at high speeds and involve operating heavy machinery and equipment, entail risks and hazards, including industrial accidents, leaks and ruptures, explosions, fires, mechanical failures and environmental hazards, such as spills, storage tank leaks, discharges or releases of hot glass or toxic or hazardous substances and gases. These hazards may cause unplanned business interruptions, unscheduled downtime, transportation interruptions, personal injury and loss of life, severe damage to or the destruction of property and equipment, environmental contamination and other environmental damage, civil, criminal and administrative sanctions and liabilities, and third-party claims, any of which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are involved in a continuous manufacturing process with a high degree of fixed costs. Any interruption in the operations of our manufacturing facilities may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        All of our manufacturing activities take place at facilities that we own or that are leased by the Group. We conduct regular maintenance on all of our operating equipment. However, due to the extreme operating conditions inherent in some of our manufacturing processes, we cannot assure you that we will not incur unplanned business interruptions due to furnace breakdowns or similar manufacturing problems or that such interruptions will not have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. There can be no assurance that alternative production capacity would be available in the future if a major disruption were to occur or, if it were available, that it could be obtained on favorable terms. A disruption in such circumstances could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        To the extent that we experience any furnace breakdowns or similar manufacturing problems, we will be required to make capital expenditures even though we may not have available resources at such time and we may not be able to meet customer demand, which would result in a loss of revenues. As a result, our liquidity may be impaired as a result of such expenditures and loss of revenues.

        A mechanical failure or disruption affecting any major operating line may result in a disruption of our ability to supply customers, and standby capacity may not be available. The potential impact of any disruption would depend on the nature and extent of the damage caused to such facility. Further, our facilities in geographically vulnerable areas, such as California and Italy, may be disrupted by the occurrence of natural phenomena, such as earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes.

Our Glass Packaging business requires relatively high levels of capital expenditures, which we may be unable to fund.

        Our Glass Packaging business requires relatively high levels of maintenance capital expenditures. We may not be able to make such capital expenditures if we do not generate sufficient cash flow from operations, have funds available for borrowing under our existing credit facilities to cover these capital

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expenditure requirements or if we were restricted from incurring additional debt to cover such expenditures or as a result of a combination of these factors. If we are unable to meet our capital expenditure plans, we may not be able to maintain our manufacturing capacity, which may negatively impact our competitive position and ultimately, our revenues and profitability. If we are unable to meet our maintenance capital expenditure plans, our manufacturing capacity may decrease, which may have a material adverse effect on our profitability.

Our expansion strategy may adversely affect our business.

        We aim over the longer term to continue to capitalize on strategic opportunities to expand our metal and glass packaging activities. We believe that such future expansion is likely to require the further acquisition of existing businesses. Because we believe that such businesses may be acquired with modest equity and relatively high levels of financial leverage given the cash-generating capabilities of both our business streams, our leverage may increase in the future in connection with any acquisitions. This could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, any future expansion is subject to various risks and uncertainties, including the inability to integrate effectively the operations, personnel or products of acquired companies and the potential disruption of existing businesses and diversion of management's attention from our existing businesses. Furthermore, we cannot assure you that any future expansions will achieve positive results.

We are subject to various environmental and other legal requirements and may be subject to new requirements of this kind in the future that could impose substantial costs upon us.

        Our operations and properties are subject to extensive laws, ordinances, regulations and other legal requirements relating to environmental protection. Such laws and regulations which may affect our operations include, among others, requirements regarding remediation of contaminated soil, groundwater and buildings, water supply and use, natural resources, water discharges, air emissions, waste management, noise pollution, asbestos and other deleterious materials, the generation, storage, handling, transportation and disposal of regulated materials, product safety, and workplace health and safety.

        We have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, costs to comply with such legal requirements, and these costs are likely to increase in the future. We require a variety of permits to conduct our operations, including operating permits such as those required under various U.S. laws, including the federal Clean Air Act, and the EU Industrial Emissions Directive, or IED, water and trade effluent discharge permits, water abstraction permits and waste permits. We are in the process of applying for, or renewing, permits at a number of our sites. Failure to obtain and maintain the relevant permits, as well as noncompliance with such permits, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        If we were to violate or fail to comply with these laws and regulations or our permits, we could be subject to criminal, civil and administrative sanctions and liabilities, including substantial fines and orders, or a partial or total shutdown of our operations. For example, we have settled alleged violations of hazardous waste regulations governing the reuse of electrostatic precipitator dust at our Madera plant in the United States, which occurred in the period prior to the VNA Acquisition. As part of this settlement, we have paid a civil penalty of $3.5 million and expect to incur increased dust disposal costs, which we estimate to be about $500,000 annually. We cannot assure you that our reuse of electrostatic precipitator dust at our other glass manufacturing plants will not result in regulatory inquiries or enforcement relating to compliance with hazardous waste regulations.

        In order to comply with air emission restrictions, significant capital investments may be necessary at some sites. For example, to comply with US environmental regulations and the demands of the US Environmental Protection Agency (the "EPA"), VNA, which we acquired in 2014 and is now part of the

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Group, agreed to make sizable investments to replace or install new electrostatic precipitators and other equipment in order to control the air emissions at certain sites located in the United States. In 2010, VNA and the EPA signed a global consent decree pursuant to which VNA has made and will continue to make investments estimated at up to an aggregate of $112 million over a ten-year period, excluding operating costs of the systems installed. In addition, we paid a penalty amounting to $2.5 million excluding interest pursuant to this consent decree.

        The EPA and other regulators have more broadly targeted the glass packaging, flat glass, mineral wool and fiber sectors as part of an enforcement initiative involving high fuel combustion sources. We have received notices of violation from the EPA for alleged violations under the Clean Air Act's Prevention of Significant Deterioration, New Source Performance Standards and Title V provisions stemming from past furnace-related projects at our other glass manufacturing facilities unrelated to our acquisition of VNA, including furnace-related projects conducted by third parties who owned the facilities before us. The EPA has sent information requests to certain of our glass facilities concerning furnace-related projects as well as our air pollutant emissions more generally, which could culminate in notices of violation or other enforcement. Inquiries and enforcement by other regulators, including regulator demands made for more stringent pollution control devices to our facility in Seattle, Washington can also result in the need for further capital upgrades to our furnaces at substantial cost.

        In Europe, under the IED and its reference document for "Best Available Techniques" for glass manufacturing plants, permitted emissions levels from these plants including ours are reduced substantially periodically. In Germany, technical guidelines, TA Luft, set forth emission thresholds which could potentially result in stricter limits in the future. These types of changes could require additional investment in our affected operations in order to comply with them. Our business is also affected by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (the "EU ETS"), which limits emissions of greenhouse gases. See "Business—Environmental, Health and Safety and Product Safety Regulation". This scheme, any future changes to it and any additional measures required to control the emission of greenhouse gases that may apply to our operations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. California has implemented a similar program, which results in the need for us to incur potentially significant compliance costs, including for the purchase of offsets against our greenhouse gas emissions. Other states where we have operations, such as Washington, are expected to implement similar programs.

        Changes to the laws and regulations governing the materials that are used in our manufacturing operations may impact the price of such materials or result in such materials no longer being available, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The European Union passed regulations concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals ("REACH"), which place onerous obligations on the manufacturers and importers of substances, preparations and articles containing substances, and which may have a material adverse effect on our business. Furthermore, substances we use may have to be removed from the market (under REACH's authorization and restriction provisions) or need to be substituted for alternative chemicals which may also adversely impact upon our operations.

        Sites at which we operate often have a long history of industrial activities and may be, or have been in the past, engaged in activities involving the use of materials and processes that could give rise to contamination and result in potential liability to investigate or remediate, as well as claims for alleged damage to persons, property or natural resources. Liability may be imposed on us as owners, occupiers or operators of contaminated facilities. These legal requirements may apply to contamination at sites that we currently or formerly owned, occupied or operated, or that were formerly, owned, occupied or operated by companies we acquired or at sites where we have sent waste offsite for treatment or disposal. Regarding companies acquired by us, including the Beverage Can Business, we cannot assure you that our due diligence investigations identified or accurately quantified all material

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environmental matters related to the acquired facilities. Our closure of a site may accelerate the need to investigate and remediate any contamination at the site.

        In addition, we may be required to remediate contaminated third-party sites where we have sent wastes for disposal. Liability for remediation of these third-party sites may be established without regard to whether the party disposing the waste was at fault or the disposal activity was legal at the time it was conducted. For example, "Superfund" sites in the United States are the highest priority contaminated sites designated by the federal government to require remediation, and costs of their remediation tend to be very high. We and a number of other companies have been named as potentially responsible parties to clean up the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Site in Washington, because our Seattle plant is adjacent to the waterway and is alleged to have contributed to its contamination. Whether we will have any liability for investigation and remediation costs at this or any other Superfund site or for costs relating to claims for natural resource damages, and what portion of the costs we must bear, has not been determined.

Changes in product requirements and their enforcement may have a material impact on our operations.

        Changes in laws and regulations relating to deposits on, and the recycling of, glass or metal packaging could adversely affect our business if implemented on a large scale in the major markets in which we operate. Changes in laws and regulations laying down restrictions on, and conditions for use of, food contact materials or on the use of materials and agents in the production of our products could likewise adversely affect our business. Changes to health and food safety regulations could increase costs and also might have a material adverse effect on revenues if, as a result, the public attitude toward end-products, for which we provide packaging, were substantially affected.

        Additionally, the effectiveness of new standards such as the ones related to recycling or deposits on different packaging materials could result in excess costs or logistical constraints for some of our customers who could choose to reduce their consumption and even terminate the use of glass or metal packaging for their products. We could thus be forced to reduce, suspend or even stop the production of certain types of products. The regulatory changes could also affect our prices, margins, investments and activities, particularly if these changes resulted in significant or structural changes in the market for food packaging that might affect the market shares for glass, the volumes produced or production costs.

        Environmental concerns could lead US or EU bodies to implement other product regulations that are likely to be restrictive for us and have a material negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, in the European Union, each bottle cannot, in principle, contain more than 100 parts per million ("ppm") of heavy metals pursuant to Directive 94/62/CE on Packaging and Packaging Waste. There is significant variation, among countries where we sell our products, in the limitation on certain constituents in packaging, which can have the effect of restricting the types of raw materials or amount of recycled glass we use. In turn, these restrictions can increase our operating costs and the environmental impacts of our operations, such as increased energy consumption.

        Similarly, in the United States, some state regulations set the concentration of certain heavy metals in packaging at 100 ppm and provide for an exception to this rule in the event of additions of recycled packaging. Because this exemption has expired in certain states, the bottles manufactured from recycled glass that have a heavy metals concentration higher than 100 ppm could be noncompliant, which could have a negative impact on our earnings, financial situation, assets or image. We have had regulatory inquiries about our compliance and may in the future have additional inquiries or enforcement.

        Other changes, such as restrictions on bisphenol A in coatings for some of our products, which have been proposed or adopted in the European Union under the REACH legislation and some of its Member States, have required us to develop substitute materials for our production.

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We could incur significant costs in relation to claims of injury and illness resulting from materials present or used at our production sites, or from our use of these sites or other workplace injuries, or from our products.

        As is the case in a number of other industrial processes that deal with high temperatures, asbestos was once present in the glass-making industry, primarily in safety equipment, until measures were taken to substitute this material for other materials made possible through technological advances. Since the 1990s, items made of asbestos have gradually been removed at our sites in Western Europe and the United States. Because of the age of some of our sites, however, asbestos-cement may have been used in construction and may still be present at these sites. When these buildings are modernized or repaired, the cost of upgrades is higher because of the restrictions associated with removing asbestos-containing materials.

        We are exposed to claims alleging injury or illness associated with asbestos and related compensation over and above the support that may be offered through various existing social security systems in countries where we operate.

        Claims associated with our glass-making activity exist and may arise for reasons associated with the work environment unrelated to the presence of asbestos. For example, claims have arisen associated with the acoustic environment generated by forming machines, the use of glass sand in making glass and products likely to contain heavy metals or solvents for decoration. We may also face the risk of work-related health claims owing to materials present or used at our production sites such as silicosis, and, under certain conditions, Legionnaires' disease. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has finalized a requirement, to be implemented over the next two years, that decreases by 50% the permissible exposure limit to crystalline silica and requires engineering controls or personal protective equipment to safeguard employees from such exposure. The European Union is also considering setting stricter exposure limit values for crystalline silica in work processes under the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive. Silica is a significant component of the raw material for glass packaging and is also contained in refractories, or bricks, used in glass packaging manufacturing operations. Our costs to meet these reduced limits could be substantial, particularly if it becomes necessary for us to implement broad engineering controls across many of our glass manufacturing plants.

        We are also exposed to claims alleging musculoskeletal disorders caused by performing certain repetitive operations or motions. We could also face claims alleging illness or injury from use of the products that we manufacture or sell or from workplace injuries more generally. If these claims succeed, they could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial situation, assets and earnings.

We may not be able to integrate the Beverage Can Business or any future acquisitions effectively.

        Even though we have acquired businesses in the past, there is no certainty that the Beverage Can Business or any businesses we may acquire in the future will be effectively integrated. If we cannot successfully integrate acquired businesses within a reasonable time frame, we may not be able to realize the potential benefits anticipated from those acquisitions. Our failure to successfully integrate such businesses and the diversion of management attention and other resources from our existing operations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        Furthermore, even if we are able to integrate successfully the operations of acquired businesses, we may not be able to realize the cost savings, synergies and revenue enhancements that we anticipate including those from the Beverage Can Acquisition, either in the amount or within the time frame that we anticipate, and the costs of achieving these benefits may be higher than, and the timing may differ

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from, what we expect. Our ability to realize anticipated cost savings and synergies may be affected by a number of factors, including the following:

    the use of more cash or other financial resources on integration and implementation activities than we expect, including restructuring and other exit costs; and

    increases in other expenses related to the acquisitions, which may offset the cost savings and other synergies from such acquisitions.

We have potential indemnification obligations relating to divestments.

        We have disposed of a number of businesses. Pursuant to these agreements, we may be required to provide indemnification to the acquirers for damages resulting from a breach of any representation, warranty or covenants contained therein. The indemnification obligations under these agreements are subject to certain monetary and other limitations. To the extent that we are required to make any significant payments under these indemnification provisions, these payments could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may be subject to litigation, arbitration and other proceedings that could have an adverse effect on us.

        We are currently involved in various litigation matters, and we anticipate that we will be involved in litigation matters from time to time in the future. The risks inherent in our business expose us to litigation, including personal injury, environmental litigation, contractual litigation with customers and suppliers, intellectual property litigation, tax or securities litigation, and product liability lawsuits. We cannot predict with certainty the outcome or effect of any claim or other litigation matter, or a combination of these. If we are involved in any future litigation, or if our positions concerning current disputes are found to be incorrect, this may have an adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and available cash, because of potential negative outcomes, the costs associated with asserting our claims or defending such lawsuits, and the diversion of management's attention to these matters.

We could incur significant costs due to the location of some of our industrial sites in urban areas.

        Obtaining, renewing or maintaining permits and authorizations issued by administrative authorities necessary to operate our production plants could be made more difficult due to the increasing urbanization of the sites where some of our manufacturing plants are located. Some of our old sites are located in urban areas such as Seattle. Urbanization could lead to more stringent operating conditions (by imposing traffic restrictions for example), conditions for obtaining or renewing the necessary authorizations, the refusal to grant or renew these authorizations, or expropriations of these sites in order to allow urban planning projects to proceed.

        The occurrence of such events could result in us incurring significant costs. There can be no assurance that the occurrence of such events would entitle us to partial or full compensation.

Changes in consumer lifestyle, nutritional preferences, health-related concerns and consumer taxation could adversely affect our business.

        Certain end-products represent a significant proportion of our packaging market. In the past, the occurrence of diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy and swine fever have sometimes led to reduced demand for associated canned products, such as sauces, soups and ready meals, and publicity about the supposed carcinogenic effect of coatings used on some cans may have affected sales of canned products. Additionally, France has introduced taxes on drinks with added sugar and artificial sweeteners that companies produce or import and the United Kingdom is planning on introducing a similar tax in 2018. France has also imposed taxes on energy drinks using certain amounts of taurine

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and caffeine. As a result of such taxes, demand decreased temporarily in France, and the imposition of such taxes in the future may decrease the demand for certain soft drinks and beverages that our customers produce, which may cause our customers to respond by decreasing their purchases of our metal and glass packaging products. Consumer tax legislation and future attempts to tax sugar or energy drinks by other jurisdictions could reduce the demand for our products and adversely affect our profitability. Any decline in the popularity of these product types as a result of lifestyle, nutrition, health considerations or consumer taxation could have a significant impact on our customers and could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We face costs associated with our post-retirement and post-employment obligations to employees which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition.

        As of December 31, 2016, our accumulated post-retirement benefit obligation was approximately €905 million. The additional costs associated with these and other benefits to employees could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

        We operate a number of pension and other post-retirement benefit schemes funded by a range of assets which may include property, derivatives, equities and/or bonds. The value of these assets is heavily dependent on the performance of markets which are subject to volatility. The liability structure of the obligations to provide such benefits is also subject to market volatility in relation to its accounting valuation and management. Additional significant funding of our pension and other post-retirement benefit obligations may be required if market underperformance is severe.

Organized strikes or work stoppages by unionized employees may have a material adverse effect on our business.

        Many of our operating companies are party to collective bargaining agreements with trade unions. These agreements cover the majority of our employees. Upon the expiration of any collective bargaining agreement, our operating companies' inability to negotiate acceptable contracts with trade unions could result in strikes by the affected workers and increased operating costs as a result of higher wages or benefits paid to union members. If the unionized workers were to engage in a strike or other work stoppage, we could experience a significant disruption of operations and/or higher ongoing labor costs, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Failure of control measures and systems resulting in faulty or contaminated product could have a material adverse effect on our business.

        We have strict control measures and systems in place to ensure that the maximum safety and quality of our products is maintained. The consequences of a product not meeting these rigorous standards, due to, among other things, accidental or malicious raw materials contamination or due to supply chain contamination caused by human error or equipment fault, could be severe. Such consequences might include adverse effects on consumer health, litigation exposures, loss of market share, financial costs and loss of revenues.

        In addition, if our products fail to meet our usual rigorous standards, we may be required to incur substantial costs in taking appropriate corrective action (up to and including recalling products from consumers) and to reimburse customers and/or end-consumers for losses that they suffer as a result of this failure. Customers and end-consumers may seek to recover these losses through litigation and, under applicable legal rules, may succeed in any such claim despite there being no negligence or other fault on our part. Placing an unsafe product on the market, failing to notify the regulatory authorities of a safety issue, failing to take appropriate corrective action and failing to meet other regulatory requirements relating to product safety could lead to regulatory investigation, enforcement action

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and/or prosecution. Any product quality or safety issue may also result in adverse publicity, which may damage our reputation. This could in turn have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Although we have not had material claims for damages for defective products in the past, and have not conducted any substantial product recalls or other material corrective action, these events may occur in the future.

        In certain contracts, we provide warranties in respect of the proper functioning of our products and the conformity of a product to the specific use defined by the customer.

        In addition, if the product contained in packaging manufactured by us is faulty or contaminated, it is possible that the manufacturer of the product in question may allege that our packaging is the cause of the fault or contamination, even if the packaging complies with contractual specifications. Furthermore, in certain countries, certain players of the distribution chain market refill bottles even though they may not be designed for this purpose.

        In case of the failure of packaging produced by us to open properly or to preserve the integrity of its contents, we could face liability to our customers and to third parties for bodily injury or other tangible or intangible damages suffered as a result. Such liability, if it were to be established in relation to a sufficient volume of claims or to claims for sufficiently large amounts, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our existing insurance coverage may be insufficient and future coverage may be difficult or expensive to obtain.

        Although we believe that our insurance policies provide adequate coverage for the risks inherent in our business, these insurance policies typically exclude certain risks and are subject to certain thresholds and limits. We cannot assure you that our property, plant and equipment and inventories will not suffer damages due to unforeseen events or that the proceeds available from our insurance policies will be sufficient to protect us from all possible loss or damage resulting from such events. As a result, our insurance coverage may prove to be inadequate for events that may cause significant disruption to our operations, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

        We may suffer indirect losses, such as the disruption of our business or third-party claims of damages, as a result of an insured risk event. While we carry business interruption insurance and general liability insurance, they are subject to certain limitations, thresholds and limits, and may not fully cover all indirect losses.

        We renew our insurance policies on an annual basis. The cost of coverage may increase to an extent that we may choose to reduce our policy limits or agree to certain exclusions from our coverage. Among other factors, adverse political developments, security concerns and natural disasters in any country in which we operate may materially adversely affect available insurance coverage and result in increased premiums for available coverage and additional exclusions from coverage.

Our food packaging sales could be affected adversely by changes in EU agricultural subsidy rules.

        Certain subsidies are provided to agricultural producers under EU rules governing the production of various fruit, vegetable and dairy products. The availability of these subsidies may affect levels of production for certain agricultural products. Any reduction in existing subsidy levels could lead to a reduction in harvest or canning operations and therefore could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Our business may suffer if we do not retain our executive and senior management.

        We depend on our executive management team, who are identified under the "Management" section of this prospectus. Although we do not anticipate that we will have to replace any of our executive management team in the near future, the loss of services of any of the members of our executive management or other members of senior management could adversely affect our business until a suitable replacement can be found. There may be a limited number of persons with the requisite skills to serve in these positions and there is no assurance that we would be able to locate or employ such qualified personnel on terms acceptable to us or at all.

        In addition, although we may enter into employment agreements with certain members of our senior management team, we may not be able to retain their services as expected. The loss of senior management personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business.

The results of the United Kingdom's referendum on withdrawal from the European Union may have a negative effect on global economic conditions, financial markets and demand for our business, which could materially affect our financial condition and results of operations.

        In June 2016, a majority of voters in the United Kingdom elected to withdraw from the European Union in a national referendum ("Brexit"). The referendum was advisory, and the terms of any withdrawal are subject to a negotiation period that could last at least two years after the government of the United Kingdom formally initiates a withdrawal process. Nevertheless, the referendum has created significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and has given rise to calls for certain regions within the United Kingdom to preserve their place in the European Union by separating from the United Kingdom as well as for the governments of other EU member states to consider withdrawal.

        These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets, and could significantly reduce global market liquidity and restrict the ability of key market participants to operate in certain financial markets. Asset valuations, currency exchange rates and credit ratings may be especially subject to increased market volatility. If the United Kingdom and the European Union are unable to negotiate acceptable withdrawal terms or if other EU member states pursue withdrawal, barrier-free access between the United Kingdom and other EU member states or among the European economic area overall could be diminished or eliminated.

        Depending on the terms of Brexit, if any, the United Kingdom could also lose access to the single EU market resulting in an impact on the general and economic conditions in the United Kingdom. Additionally, political instability in the European Union as a result of Brexit may result in a material negative effect on credit markets and foreign direct investments in Europe. This deterioration in economic conditions could result in increased unemployment rates, increased short- and long-term interest rates, consumer and commercial bankruptcy filings, a decline in the strength of national and local economies, and other results that negatively impact household incomes. These negative impacts could negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.

Our substantial debt could adversely affect our financial health.

        We have a substantial amount of debt and significant debt service obligations. As of December 31, 2016 we had total borrowings and net debt of €8.2 billion and €7.3 billion, respectively. For more information, see the description of our debt facilities and the table outlining our principal financing arrangements in "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources".

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        Our substantial debt could have important negative consequences for us and for you as a holder of our shares. For example, our substantial debt could:

    require us to dedicate a large portion of our cash flow from operations to service debt and fund repayments on our debt, thereby reducing the availability of our cash flow to fund working capital, capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes;

    increase our vulnerability to adverse general economic or industry conditions;

    limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business or the industry in which we operate;

    limit our ability to raise additional debt or equity capital in the future;

    restrict us from making strategic acquisitions or exploiting business opportunities;

    make it difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to our debt; and

    place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less debt.

        In addition, a portion of our debt bears interest at variable rates that are linked to changing market interest rates. Although we may hedge a portion of our exposure to variable interest rates by entering into interest rate swaps, we cannot assure you that we will do so in the future. As a result, an increase in market interest rates would increase our interest expense and our debt service obligations, which would exacerbate the risks associated with our leveraged capital structure. Our Parent Company is also subject to obligations under the 7.125%/7.875% Senior Secured Toggle Notes due 2023 and 6.625%/7.375% Senior Secured Toggle Notes due 2023 (collectively, the "Toggle Notes"). The Toggle Notes contain covenants applicable to our Parent Company that will affect how our Parent Company, as controlling shareholder, directs our dividend policy and the financing and operation of our business. See "Dividend Policy" and "Parent Company Toggle Notes".

        Negative developments in our business, results of operations and financial condition due to the current difficult global economic conditions or other factors could cause the ratings agencies to lower the credit ratings, or ratings outlook, of our short- and long-term debt and, consequently, impair our ability to raise new financing or refinance our current borrowings and increase our costs of issuing any new debt instruments.

Our ability to generate cash depends on many factors beyond our control, and we may not be able to generate cash required to service our debt.

        Our ability to make scheduled payments on our debt and to meet our other debt service obligations or refinance our debt depends on our future operating and financial performance and ability to generate cash. This will be affected by our ability to successfully implement our business strategy, as well as general economic, financial, competitive, regulatory, technical and other factors beyond our control. If we cannot generate sufficient cash to meet our debt service obligations or fund our other business needs, we may, among other things, need to refinance all or a portion of our debt, obtain additional financing, delay planned acquisitions or capital expenditures or sell assets. We cannot assure you that we will be able to generate sufficient cash through any of the foregoing. If we are not able to refinance any of our debt, obtain additional financing or sell assets on commercially reasonable terms or at all, we may not be able to satisfy our obligations with respect to our debt. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources".

        We expect to be able to repay or refinance the principal amounts outstanding under our outstanding notes upon maturity of each such series of notes between 2019 and 2024. We may, however, be unable to refinance such principal amounts on terms satisfactory to us or at all.

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We and our subsidiaries may be able to incur substantially more debt.

        Subject to the restrictions in our credit facilities, indentures and other outstanding debt, we may be able to incur substantial additional debt in the future.

        As of December 31, 2016, we had undrawn credit lines of up to €250 million. Although the terms of these credit facilities and the indentures contain restrictions on the incurrence of additional debt, these restrictions are subject to a number of significant qualifications and exceptions, and debt incurred in compliance with these restrictions could be substantial. To the extent new debt is added to our currently anticipated debt levels, the substantial leverage-related risks described above would increase. See also "—Our expansion strategy may adversely affect our business".

We may be adversely impacted by a "change of control" as defined in the indentures governing our outstanding notes.

        In the event of a change of control as defined in the indentures relating to our outstanding notes, we would be required to make an offer to repurchase the notes at 101% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of repurchase. The occurrence of certain of the events that would constitute a change of control could also constitute a default under our credit facilities.

        Under the indentures, a change of control would occur if, among other things, (i) any person or group, other than one or more permitted holders, is or as a result of such transaction becomes, the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 35% of the total voting power of our shares and (ii) the permitted holders, individually or in the aggregate, do not beneficially own, directly or indirectly, a larger percentage of the total voting power of our shares than such other person or group. Permitted holders are defined as to include Yeoman Capital S.A., Paul Coulson, Brendan Dowling, Houghton Fry, Edward Kilty, John Riordan and Niall Wall, and certain transferees and affiliates. As a result, a change of control may occur due to circumstances beyond our control.

        The Toggle Notes issued by our Parent Company are initially secured by pledge on all our issued qualified capital stock. Following this offering, the Toggle Notes will be secured by all of our Class B common shares. Enforcement of the pledges in an event of default under the Toggle Notes could impact corporate control and might trigger change of control provisions under the indentures.

        In the event of a change of control, we may not have sufficient funds to repurchase all notes tendered for repurchase and may not be able to cure or secure a waiver of any default under our credit facilities. Moreover, the exercise by the holders of our outstanding notes of their right to require a repurchase of the notes upon a change of control could cause a default under our debt instruments, even if the change of control itself does not, due to the financial impact of any such repurchase.

The Ball Combined Financial Statements and the Rexam Combined Carve-Out Financial Statements do not reflect exactly the assets and liabilities of the Beverage Can Business acquired by us and are not necessarily indicative of the future results of operations, financial condition or cash flows of the Ball Carve-Out Business and the Rexam Carve-Out Business, respectively.

        The businesses included in the Ball Combined Financial Statements and the Rexam Combined Carve-Out Financial Statements do not exactly reflect the assets and liabilities of the Beverage Can Business acquired by us in the Beverage Can Acquisition. In particular, the metal beverage packaging operations of Ball Corporation reflected in the Ball Combined Financial Statements include certain assets (namely, three plants in Europe and certain other ancillary assets) and certain liabilities (namely, certain pension liabilities) that were retained by Ball Corporation and therefore do not comprise part of the Ball Carve-Out Business that we acquired.

        The Ball Combined Financial Statements and the Rexam Combined Carve-Out Financial Statements included in this prospectus have been prepared specifically for the purpose of facilitating the divestment of the Beverage Can Business. The businesses, operations, assets and liabilities comprising each of the Ball Combined Financial Statements and the Rexam Combined Carve-Out

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Financial Statements have not in the past operated as a single entity, and, therefore, those combined financial statements are not necessarily indicative of the results that would have occurred if the businesses included in the combined financial statements had operated as a single business during the periods presented or of future results of those businesses.

The pro forma financial information included in this prospectus may not necessarily reflect what the results of operations, financial condition and cash flows of the Beverage Can Business would have been if operated on a combined basis with Ardagh.

        The respective business operations of Ardagh, the Ball Carve-Out Business and the Rexam Carve-Out Business were operated separately prior to the Beverage Can Acquisition. Prior to June 30, 2016, we had no prior history as a combined entity and our operations had not previously been managed on a combined basis. Therefore, the pro forma financial information presented in this prospectus may not reflect what our results of operations, financial position and cash flows would have been had we operated on a combined basis and may not be indicative of what our results of operations, financial position and cash flows will be in the future.

Risks Related to Our Class A Common Shares and this Offering

The dual class structure of our common shares has the effect of concentrating voting control with our Parent Company and limiting our other shareholders' ability to influence corporate matters.

        Our Class B common shares, with a nominal value of €0.10 each, have 10 votes per share, and our Class A common shares, with a nominal value of €0.01 each and which is the class we are offering in this offering, have one vote per share. Our Parent Company owns directly or indirectly all Class B common shares, which represent approximately        % of the voting power of our issued and outstanding share capital immediately following this offering. Our Parent Company will have the ability to control the outcome of most matters requiring shareholder approval, including:

    the election of our board of directors and, through our board of directors, decision making with respect to our business direction and policies, including the appointment and removal of our officers;

    mergers and de-mergers;

    changes to our Articles; and

    our capital structure.

        This voting control and influence may discourage transactions involving a change of control of the Company, including transactions in which you as a holder of our Class A common shares might otherwise receive a premium for your shares.

        In addition, our Parent Company may continue to be able to control the outcome of most matters submitted to our shareholders for approval even if their shareholdings represent less than 50% of all issued shares. Because of the 10-to-1 voting ratio between our Class B and Class A common shares, our Parent Company will continue to control a majority of the combined voting power of our issued and outstanding share capital even when Class B common shares represent substantially less than 50% of all issued and outstanding common shares. This concentrated control will limit the ability of holders of our Class A common shares to influence corporate matters for the foreseeable future, and, as a result, the market price of our Class A common shares could be adversely affected.

An active, liquid trading market for our Class A common shares may not develop, and you may not be able to resell our Class A common shares at or above the price you paid, or at all.

        Prior to this initial public offering, there has been no public market for our Class A common shares. If an active trading market for our Class A common shares does not develop after this offering, the market price and liquidity of our Class A common shares may be materially and adversely affected and you may have difficulty selling our Class A common shares that you purchase. We cannot assure

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you that an active trading market for our Class A common shares will develop or that the market price of our Class A common shares will not decline below the initial public offering price.

Our share price may change significantly following the offering, and you could lose all or part of your investment as a result.

        We and the underwriters will negotiate to determine the initial public offering price. You may not be able to resell your Class A common shares at or above the initial public offering price due to a number of factors such as those listed in "—Risks Relating to Our Business" and the following, some of which are beyond our control:

    announcements of new products and services by us or our competitors;

    news regarding any gain or loss of customers by us;

    announcements of competitive developments, acquisitions or strategic alliances in our industry;

    changes in the general condition of the global economy and financial markets;

    general market conditions or other developments affecting us or our industry;

    cost and availability of raw materials;

    changes in environmental regulations or other laws or regulations applicable to our business;

    actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations;

    changes in financial projections or estimates about our financial or operational performance by securities research analysts;

    changes in investor sentiment toward the stock of packaging companies;

    announcements by third parties of significant claims or proceedings against us, our industry or both, or investigations by regulators into our business or those of our competitors;

    changes in accounting standards, policies, guidelines, interpretations or principles;

    any significant change in our management;

    adverse media reports about us or our directors and officers;

    public reaction to our press releases, other public announcements or filings with the SEC;

    a default under the agreements governing our indebtedness;

    release or expiry of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our issued and outstanding common shares; and

    anticipated sales of additional Class A common shares.

        Furthermore, the stock market may experience periods of unusual volatility that, in some cases, is unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our Class A common shares, regardless of our actual operating performance.

        In the past, following periods of market volatility, shareholders have instituted securities class action litigation. If we were involved in securities litigation, it could have a substantial cost and divert resources and the attention of executive management from our business regardless of the outcome of such litigation.

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The offering price per Class A common share offered under this prospectus may not accurately reflect the value of your investment.

        Prior to this offering, there has been no market for our Class A common shares. The offering price per Class A common share offered by this prospectus, was negotiated between the underwriters and us. Factors considered in determining the price of our Class A common shares include:

    the history and prospects of companies in the packaging business;

    market valuations of those companies;

    our capital structure;

    general conditions of the securities markets at the time of this offering; and

    other factors that we deemed relevant.

        The offering price may not accurately reflect the value of our Class A common shares and may not be realized upon any subsequent disposition of the shares. If the market price of our Class A common shares declines below the initial public offering price, holders of the Class A common shares will be adversely affected.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business or adversely change their recommendations regarding our shares, our Class A common share price and trading volume could decline.

        The trading market for our Class A common shares will be influenced in part by the research and other reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us or our business. We do not currently have, and may never obtain, research coverage by industry or financial analysts. If no or few analysts commence coverage of us, the trading price of our Class A common shares would likely be negatively affected. Even if we do obtain analyst coverage, if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our shares, or if analysts issue other unfavorable commentary or inaccurate research, our share price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of the Company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our share price or trading volume to decline.

Future sales of our Class A common shares in the public market could cause our share price to fall.

        Future sales of our Class A common shares, or securities convertible or exchangeable into our Class A common shares, in the public market, whether by us, our existing shareholders, the shareholders of ARD Holdings S.A. or pledgees of our Class B common shares, future issuances of additional Class A common shares in connection with any future acquisitions or pursuant to any employee benefit plans, future issuances of our Class A common shares upon exercise of options or warrants, or the perception that such sales, issuances and/or exercises could occur, may adversely affect the market price of our Class A common shares, which could decline significantly.

        After completion of this offering, ARD Holdings S.A. and certain of its subsidiaries will have the right to demand that we file a registration statement with respect to the Class A common shares convertible from Class B common shares held by them and will have the right to include such shares in any registration statement that we file with the SEC, subject to certain exceptions. In addition, we have agreed with ARD Holdings S.A. to facilitate a reorganization, whereby the shareholders of ARD Holdings S.A., its subsidiaries and direct and indirect beneficial owners of equity interests in ARD Holdings S.A. and its subsidiaries at the time of this offering would receive Class A or Class B common shares, after completion of this offering. Upon such reorganization, such holders will be entitled to registration rights described above. See "Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions" and "Shares Eligible for Future Sale". Any registration of such Class A common shares would enable those shares to be sold in the public market, subject to the restrictions under the lock-up agreements referred to under "Shares Eligible For Future Sale—Lock-Up Agreements".

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        The market price for our Class A common shares may drop significantly when the restrictions on resale by our Parent Company and ARD Group Finance Holdings S.A. lapse or if those restrictions on resale are waived. A decline in the price of our Class A common shares might impede our ability to raise capital through the issuance of additional Class A common shares or other equity securities.

        To the extent we issue substantial additional Class A common shares, the ownership of our existing shareholders would be diluted and our earnings per share could be reduced, which may negatively affect the market prices for our Class A common shares.

        In addition, the Toggle Notes issued by our Parent Company are initially secured by pledge on all our issued qualified capital stock. Following this offering, the Toggle Notes will be secured by all of our outstanding Class B common shares. Enforcement of the pledges in an event of default under the Toggle Notes could impact corporate control and might trigger change of control provisions under the indentures.

In the future, we may issue options, restricted shares and other forms of share-based compensation, which have the potential to dilute shareholder value and cause the price of our Class A common shares to decline.

        We may offer share options, restricted shares and other forms of share-based compensation to our directors, officers and employees in the future. If any options that we issue are exercised, or any restricted shares that we may issue vest, and those shares are sold into the public market, the market price of our Class A common shares may decline. In addition, the availability of Class A common shares for award under any equity incentive plan we may introduce, or the grant of share options, restricted shares or other forms of share-based compensation, may adversely affect the market price of our Class A common shares.

You may be unable to enforce judgments obtained in U.S. courts against us.

        We are incorporated under Luxembourg Law, a substantial portion of our assets are located outside of the United States and many of our directors and officers and certain other persons named in this prospectus are, and will continue to be, non-residents of the United States. As a result, although we have appointed an agent for service of process in the United States, it may be difficult or impossible for U.S. investors to effect service of process within the United States upon us or our directors and officers or to enforce, in a U.S. court, judgments obtained against us including for civil liabilities under the United States federal securities laws. Therefore, any judgments obtained in any U.S. federal or state court against us may have to be enforced in the courts of Luxembourg or other EU member states. See "Enforceability of Civil Liabilities".

We may need additional capital and may sell additional shares or other equity securities or incur indebtedness, which could result in additional dilution to our shareholders or increase our debt service obligations.

        We believe that after giving effect to this offering, our current cash and anticipated cash flow from operations will be sufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs for the next 12 months. We may, however, require additional cash resources due to changed business conditions or other future developments, including any investments or acquisitions we may decide to pursue. If these resources are insufficient to satisfy our cash requirements, we may seek to sell additional equity or debt securities or incur debt under credit facilities we may put in place or obtain a new credit facility. The sale of additional equity securities could result in additional dilution to our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness could further limit our ability to pay dividends or require us to seek consents for the payment of dividends, increase our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions and limit our ability to pursue our business strategies. Such indebtedness could also require us to dedicate a

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substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to service our debt, thereby reducing the availability of our cash flow to fund capital expenditure, working capital requirements and other general corporate needs, and limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and our industry. We cannot assure you that financing will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all.

While we currently intend to pay quarterly cash dividends, we are a holding company and depend on dividends and other distributions from subsidiaries in order to do so.

        Because we are a holding company, our ability to pay cash dividends on our shares may be limited by restrictions on our ability to obtain sufficient funds through dividends from subsidiaries, including restrictions under the terms of the agreements governing the current indebtedness of us and our subsidiaries or future indebtedness that we or our subsidiaries may incur.

        Our shareholders may, by resolution at a general meeting, declare dividends in accordance with the respective rights of shareholders in proportion to the number of shares held by them. Our articles of association (the "Articles") provide that the dividends declared by the shareholders may not exceed the amount recommended by our board of directors. Dividends may only be declared out of the freely available distributable reserves available to the Company as determined in accordance with the provisions of the laws of Luxembourg ("Luxembourg Law").

        Interim dividends may be declared by our board of directors.

        Subject to any limitations referred to above, or as prescribed by Luxembourg Law, the declaration of future dividends, if any, will depend upon our future operations and earnings, capital expenditure requirements, general financial conditions, legal and contractual restrictions and other factors. In addition, under the indenture governing the Toggle Notes, our Parent Company is required to cause us to take all actions necessary or appropriate to permit the making of the maximum amount of dividends or other distributions that would be lawfully permitted to be declared and paid in order for it to meet its cash interest payment obligations. In certain circumstances, we may be required to make a special dividend to our Parent Company in order to comply with these obligations. See "Dividend Policy."

        There can be no assurance, however, that the Company will have sufficient reserves to pay dividends. In addition, the requirements to pay dividends to satisfy our Parent Company's cash interest payment obligations under the indenture governing the Toggle Notes may cause us to dividend cash that may otherwise be available for other corporate purposes, which may dilute shareholder value. As a result, price appreciation of our Class A common shares may never occur, in which case you may lose all or part of your investment.

Your rights and responsibilities as a shareholder will be governed by Luxembourg law and will differ in some respects from the rights and responsibilities of shareholders under U.S. law.

        Our corporate affairs are governed by our Articles and Luxembourg Law. In the performance of its duties, the board of directors is required to act as a collegiate body in the interest of the Company. It is possible that the Company may have interests that are different from your interests as a shareholder. If any member of our board of directors has a direct or indirect financial interest in a matter which has to be considered by the board of directors which conflicts with the interests of the Company, Luxembourg Law provides that such director will not be entitled to exercise his vote with respect to the approval of such transaction. If the interest of such a member of the board of directors does not conflict with the interests of the Company, then the applicable director with such interest may participate in deliberations on, and vote on the approval of, that transaction.

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        We anticipate that all of our shareholder meetings will take place in Luxembourg. Shareholders may vote by proxy or in person at any general meeting.

        In addition, the rights of our shareholders are governed by Luxembourg Law and our Articles and differ from the rights of shareholders under U.S. law. See "Description of Share Capital" and "Comparison of Luxembourg Corporate Law and Delaware Corporate Law".

Our Articles include compulsory share transfer provisions that may not provide our minority shareholders with the same benefits as they would have in a merger of a Delaware corporation.

        We have included in our Articles provisions that give the holder of 75% of the number of our outstanding common shares (which would include our Parent Company for so long as it holds the requisite number of our common shares) the right to acquire our outstanding shares held by all other holders at such time for a purchase price payable in cash that is equal to the fair market value of such shares, as determined by an independent investment banking firm of international reputation in accordance with the procedures contained in our Articles. These procedures include a dispute resolution provision permitting holders of at least 10% of the shares of the Company held by our minority shareholders at that time to dispute the purchase price proposed by the acquiring shareholder. See "Description of Share Capital—Compulsory Transfer of Shares." It is uncertain whether our minority shareholders will be able to coordinate with each other in a manner that will enable them to take full advantage of these provisions. Under Delaware law, unless the certificate of incorporation of a company provides for a higher standard, subject to the approval of the boards of the directors of the constituent companies, the holder of a majority of the outstanding shares of a corporation can effect the merger of that corporation with another corporation such that the shares of the minority stockholders are converted into the right to receive the merger consideration offered by the majority stockholder. As described under "Comparison of Luxembourg Corporate Law and Delaware Corporate Law—Duties of Directors," unless these transactions satisfy certain procedural requirements, Delaware courts have subjected these types of transactions to enhanced scrutiny, including requiring that these types of transaction be "entirely fair" to the minority stockholders. Luxembourg Law does not require enhanced judicial scrutiny of these types of transactions. In addition, stockholders of a Delaware company who do not vote their shares in favor of such a merger are, as a general matter, entitled to an appraisal by the Delaware Court of Chancery of the fair value of such stockholders' shares and to receive such fair value as consideration for their shares. Luxembourg Law does not provide appraisal rights to shareholders. Accordingly, despite the procedures included in our Articles relating to the establishment of the purchase price to be paid for the shares of our minority shareholders in the event of a compulsory purchase of their shares, there can be no assurance that these procedures would result in a price as favorable to our minority shareholders as they would receive in a transaction subject to Delaware law and appraisal rights.

The supervoting rights of our Class B common shares and other anti-takeover provisions in our Articles might discourage or delay attempts to acquire us that you might consider favorable.

        In addition to the supervoting rights of our Class B common shares, our Articles contain provisions that may make the acquisition of our Company more difficult, including the following:

    Control by Class B common shareholders.   Our Articles provide for a dual class share structure, which, for so long as Class B common shares are issued and outstanding, will allow our Parent Company to control the outcome of most matters requiring shareholder approval, even if it owns Class B common shares representing significantly less than a majority of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares. As a result, the holders of our Class B common shares could delay or prevent the approval of a change of control transaction that may otherwise be approved by the holders of the issued and outstanding Class A common shares.

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    Classified Board.   Our board of directors will be classified into three classes of directors that are, as nearly as possible, of equal size. Each class of directors will be elected for a three-year term of office, but the terms are staggered so that the term of only one class of directors expires at each annual general meeting. The existence of a classified board could impede a proxy contest or delay a successful tender offeror from obtaining majority control of the board of directors, and the prospect of that delay might deter a potential offeror.

    Notice Requirements for Shareholder Proposals.   Luxembourg Law and our Articles provide that one or more shareholders together holding at least the 10% threshold may request the addition of one or more items to the agenda of any general meeting. The request must be sent to the registered office by registered mail, at last five clear days before the meeting is held. Our Articles also specify certain requirements regarding the form and content of a shareholder's notice. These requirements may make it difficult for our shareholders to bring matters before a general meeting.

    Special Resolutions.   Our Articles require special resolutions adopted at an extraordinary general meeting for any of the following matters, among other things: (a) an increase or decrease of the authorized or issued capital, (b) an amendment to our Articles and (c) dissolving the Company. Pursuant to our Articles, for any special resolutions to be considered at a general meeting the quorum is at least one-half (1/2) of the share capital in issue present in person or by proxy, taking into account the par value of each Class A common share (€0.01) and the par value of each Class B common share (€0.10) (in effect one-half (1/2) of the voting rights), unless otherwise mandatorily required by Luxembourg Law. Any special resolution may be adopted at a general meeting at which a quorum is present (except as otherwise provided by mandatory law) by the affirmative votes of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the votes validly cast on such resolution by shareholders entitled to vote.

        These anti-takeover provisions could discourage, delay or prevent a transaction involving a change in control of our Company, even if such transaction would benefit our shareholders. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other shareholders to elect directors of your choosing and to cause us to take other corporate actions you desire.

        For information regarding these and other provisions, see "Description of Share Capital."

We will qualify for and will rely on exemptions from certain corporate governance requirements.

        We are exempt from certain corporate governance requirements of the NYSE by virtue of being a "foreign private issuer." Although our foreign private issuer status exempts us from most of the NYSE's corporate governance requirements, we intend to voluntarily comply with these requirements, except those from which we would be exempt by virtue of being a "controlled company." Upon completion of this offering, our Parent Company will continue to control, directly or indirectly, a majority of the voting power of our issued and outstanding shares and thus we would be a controlled company within the meaning of the NYSE corporate governance standards, entitled to certain limited corporate governance exemptions. Under these NYSE standards, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by another person or group of persons acting together is a controlled company and may elect not to comply with certain NYSE corporate governance requirements, including the requirements that:

    a majority of the board of directors consist of independent directors;

    the nominating and governance committee be composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee's purpose and responsibilities;

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    the compensation committee be composed entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee's purpose and responsibilities; and

    there be an annual performance evaluation of the nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees.

        Following this offering, we will be a controlled company, and we intend to utilize these exemptions, including the exemption from the requirement to have a board of directors composed of a majority of independent directors. In addition, although we will have adopted charters for our audit, compensation and nominating and governance committees, our compensation and nominating and governance committees are not expected to be composed of independent directors.

        As a result of the foregoing exemptions, we can cease voluntary compliance at any time, and you may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the NYSE corporate governance requirements.

If we fail to develop or maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting, our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements or comply with applicable regulations could be impaired.

        As a listed company, we will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the "Sarbanes-Oxley Act") and the listing standards of the NYSE. Prior to consummation of this offering, we have not been required to do so. We expect that the requirements of these rules and regulations will increase our legal, accounting, and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time consuming and costly.

        The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things that, as a listed company, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer certify the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and, beginning with our second annual report as a listed company, our internal controls over financial reporting. We continue to develop and refine our disclosure controls and procedures and our internal control over financial reporting; however, we have not yet assessed our internal control over financial reporting for the purposes of complying with item 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting may be discovered in the future. Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls, or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or improvement, could harm our operating results or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and may result in a restatement of our financial statements for prior periods. Any failure to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting also could adversely affect the results of management evaluations and independent registered public accounting firm audits of our internal control over financial reporting. Ineffective disclosure controls and procedures or ineffective internal control over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which may have a negative effect on the trading price of our Class A common shares.

The requirements of being a listed company may strain our resources and divert management's attention and our lack of operating experience as a listed company may adversely impact our business and share price.

        As a company listed in the United States, we will be subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the listing requirements of the NYSE and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Compliance with these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly and increase demand on our systems and resources.

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        As a result of disclosure of information in this prospectus and in filings required of a listed company, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows will become more visible, which we believe may result in threatened or actual litigation, including by competitors and other third parties. If such claims are successful, our business and operating results could be harmed, and even if the claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, these claims, and the time and resources necessary to resolve them, could divert the resources of our management and adversely affect our business, brand and reputation and results of operations.

        We also expect that being a listed company and these new rules and regulations will make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance and we may be required to incur substantial costs to obtain coverage. Potential liability associated with serving on a listed company's board could make it difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee, and qualified executive officers.

Holders generally will be subject to a 15% withholding tax on payment of dividend distributions made on the Class A common shares under current Luxembourg tax law.

        Under current Luxembourg tax law, payments of dividends made on the Class A common shares generally are subject to a 15% Luxembourg withholding tax. Certain exemptions or reductions in the withholding tax may apply, but it will be up to the holders to claim any available refunds from the Luxembourg tax authority. For more information on the taxation implications, see, "Taxation—Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Effect of Luxembourg Withholding Taxes", "Taxation—Material Luxembourg Tax Considerations—Luxembourg Tax Considerations—Exemption from Luxembourg Withholding Tax—Distribution to Shareholders" and "Taxation—Material Luxembourg Tax Considerations—Luxembourg Tax Considerations—Exemption from Luxembourg Withholding Tax—Reduction of Luxembourg Withholding Tax—Distributions to Shareholders."

U.S. Holders of our Class A common shares could be subject to material adverse tax consequences if we are considered a Passive Foreign Investment Company ("PFIC") for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

        We believe we were not a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes in the 2015 taxable year, and based on the nature of our business, the projected composition of our income and the projected composition and estimated fair market values of our assets, we do not expect to be a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes in 2016 or in the foreseeable future. However, the determination of whether we are a PFIC is made annually, after the close of the relevant taxable year. Therefore, it is possible that we could be classified as a PFIC for our initial taxable year or in future years due to changes in the nature of our business, composition of our assets or income, as well as changes in our market capitalization. If at any time we are treated as a PFIC, U.S. Holders (as defined below under "Taxation—Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations") of our shares could be subject to certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences. The PFIC rules are complex and U.S. Holders of our common shares should consult their tax advisors regarding the possible application of the PFIC rules to their own particular circumstances. For more information on the U.S. federal tax implications for U.S. Holders, see "Taxation—Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations."

Luxembourg insolvency laws may offer our shareholders less protection than they would have under U.S. insolvency laws.

        As a company organized under the laws of Luxembourg and with its registered office in Luxembourg, we are subject to Luxembourg insolvency laws in the event any insolvency proceedings are initiated against us including, among other things, Council Regulation (EC) No. 1346/2000 of May 29, 2000 on insolvency proceedings, as amended or recast from time to time. Should courts in another European country determine that the insolvency laws of that country apply to us in accordance with and subject to such EU regulations, the courts in that country could have jurisdiction over the insolvency proceedings initiated against us. Insolvency laws in Luxembourg or the relevant other

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European country, if any, may offer our shareholders less protection than they would have under U.S. insolvency laws and make it more difficult for them to recover the amount they could expect to recover in a liquidation under U.S. insolvency laws.

Our shareholders may have more difficulty protecting their interests than they would as shareholders of a U.S. corporation.

        Our corporate affairs are governed by our Articles and Luxembourg Law, including the laws governing joint stock companies. The rights of our shareholders and the responsibilities of our directors and officers under Luxembourg Law are different from those applicable to a corporation incorporated in the United States. There may be less publicly available information about us than is regularly published by or about U.S. issuers. In addition, Luxembourg Law governing the securities of Luxembourg companies may not be as extensive as those in effect in the United States, and Luxembourg Law and regulations in respect of corporate governance matters might not be as protective of minority shareholders as state corporation laws in the United States. Therefore, our shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in connection with actions taken by our directors and officers or our principal shareholders than they would as shareholders of a corporation incorporated in the United States.

        Neither our Articles nor Luxembourg Law provides for appraisal rights for dissenting shareholders in certain extraordinary corporate transactions that may otherwise be available to shareholders under certain U.S. state laws. As a result of these differences, our shareholders may have more difficulty protecting their interests than they would as shareholders of a U.S. issuer.

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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

        This prospectus includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this prospectus regarding our business, financial condition, results of operations and certain of our plans, objectives, assumptions, projections, expectations or beliefs with respect to these items and statements regarding other future events or prospects, are forward-looking statements. These statements include, without limitation, those concerning: our strategy and our ability to achieve it; expectations regarding sales, profitability and growth; our possible or assumed future results of operations; R&D, capital expenditures and investment plans; adequacy of capital; and financing plans. The words "aim", "may", "will", "expect", "is expected to", "anticipate", "believe", "future", "continue", "help", "estimate", "plan", "schedule", "intend", "should", "would be", "seeks", "estimates", "shall" or the negative or other variations thereof, as well as other statements regarding matters that are not historical fact, are or may constitute forward-looking statements.

        In addition, this prospectus includes forward-looking statements relating to our potential exposure to various types of market risks, such as foreign exchange rate risk, interest rate risks and other risks related to financial assets and liabilities. We have based these forward-looking statements on our management's current view with respect to future events and financial performance. These views reflect the best judgment of our management but involve a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted in our forward-looking statements and from past results, performance or achievements. Although we believe that the estimates reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, such estimates may prove to be incorrect. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. There are a number of factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from these expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These factors include, among other things:

    Our primary direct customers sell to consumers of food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, personal care and household products. If economic conditions affect consumer demand, our customers may be affected and so reduce the demand for our products.

    We face intense competition from other metal and glass packaging producers, as well as from manufacturers of alternative forms of packaging.

    An increase in metal or glass container manufacturing capacity without a corresponding increase in demand for metal or glass packaging could cause prices to decline.

    Because our customers are concentrated, our business could be adversely affected if we were unable to maintain relationships with our largest customers.

    The continuing consolidation of our customer base may intensify pricing pressures or result in the loss of customers.

    Our profitability could be affected by varied seasonal demands.

    Our profitability could be affected by the availability and cost of raw materials.

    Currency, interest rate fluctuations and commodity prices may have a material impact on our business.

    It is difficult to compare our results of operations from period to period.

    Our expansion strategy may adversely affect our business.

    We are subject to various environmental and other legal requirements and may be subject to new requirements of this kind in the future that could impose substantial costs upon us.

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    We may not be able to integrate the Beverage Can Business or any future acquisitions effectively.

    We face costs associated with our post-retirement and post-employment obligations to employees.

    Organized strikes or work stoppages by unionized employees may have a material adverse effect on our business.

        We urge you to read the sections of this prospectus entitled "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," and "Business" for a more complete discussion of the factors that could affect our future performance and the industry in which we operate. Additionally, new risks and uncertainties can emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all future risks and uncertainties, nor can we assess their impact. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results.

        All forward-looking statements included in this prospectus are based on information available to us on the date of this prospectus. We undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained throughout this prospectus.

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EXCHANGE RATE INFORMATION

        We publish our financial statements in euro. The following table sets forth, for the periods and dates indicated, the period end, average, high, and low exchange rates expressed in U.S. dollars per euro. Information concerning the U.S. dollar exchange rate is based on the noon buying rate in New York City for cable transfers in foreign currencies as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The average is calculated based on the average exchange rate on the last day of each month during the period.

 
  Period Ending   Low   High  
 
  ($ per €1.00)
 

Month ended :

                   

August 31, 2016

    1.1146     1.1078     1.1334  

September 30, 2016

    1.1238     1.1158     1.1271  

October 31, 2016

    1.0962     1.0866     1.1212  

November 30, 2016

    1.0578     1.0560     1.1121  

December 31, 2016

    1.0552     1.0375     1.0758  

January 31, 2017

    1.0794     1.0416     1.0794  

February 2017 (through February 17)

    1.0614     1.0577     1.0802  

 

 
  Average for
Period
  Period
Ending
  Low   High  
 
  ($ per €1.00)
 

Year ended December 31 :

                         

2012

    1.2909     1.3186     1.2062     1.3463  

2013

    1.3303     1.3779     1.2774     1.3816  

2014

    1.3210     1.2101     1.2101     1.3927  

2015

    1.1032     1.0859     1.0524     1.2015  

2016

    1.1029     1.0552     1.0375     1.1516  

        We make no representation that any euro or U.S. dollar amounts could have been, or could be, converted into U.S. dollars or euro, as the case may be, at any particular rate, the rates stated below, or at all. For a discussion of the impact of the exchange rate fluctuations on our financial condition and results of operations, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations". We did not use the rates listed above in the preparation of our financial statements.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

        We estimate that we will receive net proceeds from the offering of our Class A common shares of approximately $             million (or approximately $             million if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares), assuming an initial public offering price of $            per Class A common share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us. A $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price of $            per Class A common share would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from these offerings by $             million, after deducting underwriting discounts and estimated aggregate offering expenses payable by us and assuming no other change to the number of Class A common shares offered by us as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.

        We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale by us of Class A common shares in this offering to reduce outstanding indebtedness.

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CAPITALIZATION

        The following table sets forth our audited total cash and cash equivalents and capitalization as of December 31, 2016 on a historical basis and as adjusted to give effect to (1) the proceeds of the January 2017 Notes and the use thereof to repay in full the amount outstanding of 6.250% Senior Notes due 2019 and partially repay $845 million of outstanding Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2019 and (2) this offering and the reduction of outstanding indebtedness of $            .

        The information set forth below should be read in conjunction with "Use of Proceeds", our historical consolidated financial statements and the related notes, the financial information of the Beverage Can Business and the related notes and the Unaudited Condensed Combined Pro Forma Financial Information and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 
  As of
December 31, 2016
 
 
  Historical   January
2017
Notes
  This
Offering
  As Adjusted  
 
  (in € millions) (1)
 

Cash and cash equivalents (2)

    772     (288 )           (6)

Debt

                         

Secured Notes

    4,071     (802 )       3,269  

Term Loan Facility

    629             629  

Other available facilities (3)

                 

Finance lease obligations

    7             7  

Total senior secured debt

    4,707     (802)         3,905  

Senior Notes

    3,520     555 (4)       4,075  

Related party borrowings (5)

    673         (673 )    

Other borrowings

    3             3  

Total debt

    8,903     (247 )   (673 )   7,983  

Total shareholders' equity

    (2,056 )   (24 )           (6)

Total capitalization

    6,847     (271 )            

(1)
Dollar-denominated borrowings have been translated at an exchange rate of €1.00 = $1.0541, the exchange rate used in preparing our balance sheet as of December 31, 2016.

(2)
Cash and cash equivalents include restricted cash.

(3)
Includes the Bank of America Facility, the HSBC Securitization Program and the Unicredit Working Capital and Performance Guarantee Credit Lines.

(4)
Represents the issue of $1,000 million of 6.000% Senior Notes due 2025 less the redemption of $415 million of 6.250% Senior Notes due 2019.

(5)
Related party borrowings comprise a loan payable to a subsidiary of our Parent Company which is convertible into shares of the Company at the option of the Company. It is the management's intention that this conversion will take place in advance of this offering.

(6)
On March 1, 2017 we paid a dividend in the amount of €        to our existing shareholders.

        For further details relating to the debt instruments described above, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources" and "Description of Certain Indebtedness".

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DILUTION

        If you invest in our Class A common shares, you will be diluted to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Class A and Class B common shares immediately after giving effect to the completion of this offering. Starting net book value per share is calculated based on the number of Class B common shares expected to be issued and outstanding following this offering, assuming no exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares. We have elected to present net book value per share using this calculation, as the number of shares currently outstanding is not representative.

        At December 31, 2016 we had a net tangible book value per share of $        , corresponding to a net tangible book value of $        (based on the noon buying rate in New York City for cable transfers of euro as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as of                ,          for euro into U.S. dollars of €1.00 = $        ) divided by                , the number of Class B common shares expected to be issued and outstanding following this offering.

        After (i) giving effect to the issue and sale by us of Class A common shares in this offering (assuming an offering price of $        per Class A common share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus), and (ii) deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma net tangible book value estimated as of December 31, 2016 would have been approximately $         million, representing $        per share of our Class A and Class B common shares. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value of $        per share of our Class B common shares and an immediate dilution in net tangible book value of $        per Class A common share to investors purchasing shares in this offering.

        The following table illustrates dilution to investors purchasing shares in the offering:

 
  As of December 31, 2016  
 
  (in $, except percentages) (1)
 

Initial public offering price per Class A common share

       

Net tangible book value per share as of December 31, 2016 (2)

       

Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to new investors

       

Pro forma net tangible book value per share after the offering

       

Dilution per share to investors

       

Percentage of dilution in net tangible book value per share for investors (3)

       

(1)
Translated for convenience only based on the noon buying rate in New York City for cable transfers of euro as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as of            ,         for euro into U.S. dollars of €1.00 = $        . See "Exchange Rate Information".

(2)
Based on the number of Class B common shares expected to be issued and outstanding following this offering.

(3)
Percentage of dilution for investors in this offering is calculated by dividing the dilution in net tangible book value to investors by the price of the offering.

        Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the offering price per share would increase (decrease) the net tangible book value after this offering by $        , assuming no exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares and the dilution to investors in the offering by $        per Class A common share, assuming that the number of Class A common shares offered, as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remain the same.

        The following table sets forth, as of December 31, 2016, on the same basis described above:

    the total number of Class B common share and Class A common shares;

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    the total consideration attributable to Class B common shares and to be paid by investors purchasing Class A common shares in this offering; and

    the average price per share attributable to Class B common shares and to be paid by investors purchasing Class A common shares in this offering.
 
   
   
  Total
Consideration
   
 
 
  Shares    
 
 
  Average Price
Per Share
 
 
  Number   Percent   Amount   Percent  

Holders of Class B common shares

                               

Holders of Class A common shares

                               

Total

          100 %         100 %      

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DIVIDEND POLICY

        We currently intend to pay a quarterly cash dividend of $            per share on our Class A and Class B common shares. The holders of our Class A or Class B common shares will have the option to elect to receive dividends in euro.

        We are a holding company incorporated in Luxembourg. We depend upon dividends paid to us by our wholly owned subsidiaries to fund the payment of dividends, if any, to our shareholders. Our ability to obtain sufficient funds through dividends from subsidiaries is limited by restrictions under the terms of the agreements governing our subsidiaries' indebtedness, including indentures governing the Secured Notes and Senior Notes. These indentures contain standard high yield debt covenants including a restricted payment covenant that limits our subsidiaries' ability to make payments to us based on the consolidated adjusted net income of the restricted group. Following the Parent Guarantor Substitution (as defined under "Description of Certain Indebtedness"), these covenants will apply to us. These covenants do not currently impact our ability to make the intended dividend payments. See "Description of Certain Indebtedness."

        Subject to Luxembourg Law, interim dividends may be declared by the board of directors. The annual general meeting of shareholders would in the normal course be asked to declare as final the interim dividends paid during the year. Where the payments made on account of interim dividends exceed the amount of dividends subsequently approved by the shareholders at the general meeting, the additional amounts shall, to the extent of the overpayment, be deemed to have been paid on account of the next dividend. The shareholders may declare dividends at a general meeting of shareholders, but, in accordance with the provisions of the Articles, the dividend may not exceed the amount recommended by the board of directors. Dividends may only be declared from the freely distributable reserves available to the Company as determined in accordance with Luxembourg Law.

        In addition, under the terms of the indenture governing the Toggle Notes issued by our Parent Company, our Parent Company is required to (i) pay the interest due on the Toggle Notes in cash, unless it is entitled to pay interest on up to a specified percentage of the then outstanding principal amount of the Toggle Notes as PIK Interest (defined herein), based on the amount of the Cash Available for Debt Service (defined below) and, (ii) to the extent that cash interest is payable, cause us and the Parent Company's other restricted subsidiaries (including our subsidiaries) to take all such shareholder, corporate and other actions necessary or appropriate to permit the making of any such dividends or other distribution or other form of return on capital, provided that any such shareholder and corporate and other actions would not violate applicable law and such actions would otherwise be consistent with fiduciary and directors' duties of the revelant companies.

        Cash Available for Debt Service is the amount equal to the sum (without duplication) of;

    all cash and cash equivalents held at our Parent Company, subject to certain exceptions; and

    the maximum amount of all dividends and other distributions that would be lawfully permitted to be paid to our Parent Company, if any, for the purpose of paying cash interest by all of our Parent Company's restricted subsidiaries after giving effect to all corporate, shareholder or other comparable actions (including fiduciary and other directors' duties) required in order to make such payment, requirements under applicable law and all restrictions or limitations on the ability to make such dividends or distributions that are otherwise permitted by certain restrictive covenants and provisions in financing or other contractual arrangements of our subsidiaries.

        For more information on our Parent Company's obligations to make cash interest payments on the Toggle Notes, see "Parent Company Toggle Notes".

        We anticipate that the expected quarterly dividend will be sufficient to satisfy cash interest obligations under the Toggle Notes; however, because our dividends will be declared in U.S. dollars and our Parent Company's interest obligations for the Toggle Notes are payable in a combination of U.S. dollars and euro, exchange rate fluctuations may affect the amount of our Parent Company's interest obligations, which may require us to make a special dividend to the extent of any shortfall, which will be payable to holders of both Class A and Class B common shares.

        On March 1, 2017, we paid a dividend in the amount of €            to our existing shareholders.

50


Table of Contents


SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

        The following table sets forth selected financial data of the Company for the years ended and as of the dates indicated below. We have derived the selected financial data as of and for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, from the audited consolidated financial statements of Ardagh and related notes.

        The financial statements contained herein were prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB. The selected financial information and other data should be read in conjunction with "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations", our historical consolidated financial statements and the related notes, and the Unaudited Condensed Combined Pro Forma Financial Information and the related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected in any future period.

 
  Year ended
December 31,
 
 
  2016   2015   2014  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Income Statement Data (1)

                   

Revenue

    6,345     5,199     4,733  

Cost of sales

    (5,220 )   (4,322 )   (4,092 )

Gross profit

    1,125     877     641  

Sales, general and administration expenses

    (416 )   (318 )   (281 )

Intangible amortization

    (173 )   (109 )   (121 )

Loss on disposal of businesses

            (159 )

Operating profit

    536     450     80  

Net finance expense

    (537 )   (527 )   (602 )

Loss before tax

    (1 )   (77 )   (522 )

Income tax (expense)/credit

    (54 )   (63 )   14  

Loss for the year

    (55 )   (140 )   (508 )

Balance Sheet Data (at year end)

                   

Cash and cash equivalents (2)

    772     553     414  

Working capital (3)

    658     549     608  

Total assets

    10,261     6,742     6,501  

Total borrowings (4)

    8,150     6,404     6,038  

Total equity

    (2,056 )   (1,980 )   (1,749 )

(1)
The income statement data presented above is on a reported basis and includes certain exceptional items which, by their incidence or nature, management considers should be adjusted for to enable a better understanding of the financial performance of the Company. A summary of these exceptional items included in the income statement data is as follows:

51


Table of Contents

 
  Year ended
December 31,
 
 
  2016   2015   2014  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Exceptional Items

                   

Exceptional cost of sales

    15     37     122  

Exceptional sales, general and administrative expenses

    116     44     35  

Exceptional intangible amortization

            33  

Exceptional loss on disposal of business

            159  

Exceptional operating items

    131     81     349  

Exceptional net finance expense

    87     13     126  

Exceptional income tax credit

    (43 )   (32 )   (78 )

Total exceptional items

    175     62     397  

    For further details on the exceptional operating items for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, see Note 19 to the consolidated financial statements of Ardagh included elsewhere in the prospectus.

(2)
Cash and cash equivalents include restricted cash (excluding restricted cash held in escrow) as per the note disclosures to the financial information.

(3)
Working capital is comprised of inventories, trade and other receivables, trade and other payables and current provisions. Other companies may calculate working capital in a manner different to ours.
 
  As of December 31,  
 
  2016   2015   2014  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Inventories

    1,126     825     770  

Trade and other receivables

    1,135     651     692  

Trade and other payables

    (1,534 )   (879 )   (804 )

Current provisions

    (69 )   (48 )   (50 )

Working capital

    658     549     608  
(4)
Total borrowings includes non-current and current borrowings.

52



UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION

        Under IFRS 3, Revised "Business Combinations", all business combinations should be accounted for by applying the purchase method of accounting. This involves measuring the cost of the business combination and allocating, at the acquisition date, the cost of the business combination to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination are measured initially at their fair values at the acquisition date.

        The unaudited pro forma condensed consolidated financial information is prepared in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation S-X, using the assumptions set forth in the notes to the unaudited pro forma condensed consolidated financial information. The unaudited pro forma combined financial information in respect of the acquisition of the Ball Carve-Out Business and the Rexam Carve-Out Business (collectively the "Beverage Can Business") is provisional. Under IFRS 3 'Business Combinations', the measurement period for finalization of business combination accounting extends to a maximum of one year after the acquisition date. The identification and valuation of acquired assets and liabilities will be finalized by no later than June 30, 2017. The differences that will occur between the provisional estimates and the final acquisition accounting could have a material impact on the unaudited pro forma combined financial information, including the impact on pro forma amortization of intangible assets and depreciation of property, plant and equipment. The differences that will occur between the provisional estimates and the final acquisition accounting could have a material impact on pro forma combined financial information.

        The following unaudited pro forma income statement information for the year ended December 31, 2016 gives effect to the following transactions as if they had occurred on January 1, 2016: (1) the proceeds of new borrowing in May 2016 which were used to (a) fund the Beverage Can Acquisition (€1,755 million from the issuance of Secured Notes and €745 million from the issuance of Senior Notes) and (b) repay in full the amount outstanding of 9.250% Senior Notes due 2020 and 9.125% Senior Notes due 2020 (total €1,281 million) from the issuance of Senior Notes (€1,450 million); (2) the redemption in September 2016 of the outstanding balance due under our PIK notes including redemption premium of €1.1 billion, comprising the 8.625% Senior PIK Notes due 2019 (€301 million) and the 8.375% Senior PIK Notes due 2019 (€763 million); (3) the repayment in full of the principal amount outstanding of our $135 million 7.000% Senior Notes due 2020 from existing cash resources and (4) the proceeds of the January 2017 Notes which was together with certain cash on the balance sheet used to repay in full the amount outstanding of $415 million 6.250% Senior Notes due 2019 and partially repay $845 million of outstanding First Priority Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2019. These transactions are further described in the footnotes to the unaudited condensed combined pro forma financial information. The following unaudited pro forma balance sheet information as of December 31, 2016 gives effect to the January 2017 Notes transaction and this offering as if they had occurred at December 31, 2016.

        This unaudited pro forma financial information is based on available information and various assumptions that management believes to be reasonable. The actual results may differ significantly from those reflected in the unaudited pro forma financial information for a number of reasons, including, but not limited to, differences between the assumptions used to prepare the unaudited pro forma combined financial information and actual amounts. The unaudited pro forma financial information is provided for illustrative purposes only and does not purport to represent what the actual consolidated results of operations would have been had the transactions occurred on the dates assumed, nor is it necessarily indicative of future consolidated results of operations or financial position.

        The Ardagh historical income statement for the year ended December 31, 2016 includes the result of both the Ball Carve-Out Business and the Rexam Carve-Out Business for the post-acquisition period from July 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016. The pro forma income statement for the year ended

53



December 31, 2016 has been adjusted to include the results of both the Ball Carve-Out Business and the Rexam Carve-Out Business for the six months ended June 30, 2016.

        The unaudited pro forma financial information reflects a number of adjustments made to the financial information of the Ball Carve-Out Business and the Rexam Carve-Out Business. The compilation of the unaudited pro forma financial information and the adjustments reflected therein are explained as follows:

    Adjustments have been made to the Ball Combined Financial Statements to eliminate the results of operations and assets and liabilities associated with certain assets (namely, three plants in Europe and certain other ancillary assets) and certain liabilities (namely, certain pension liabilities) that were retained by Ball Corporation and therefore do not comprise part of the Ball Carve-Out Business acquired by Ardagh in the Beverage Can Acquisition. The income statement data has been adjusted generally (i) in the case of revenue on the basis of actual sales of the various plants and (ii) in the case of cost items on the basis of allocations, including, for example, on relative sales volumes.

    Adjustments have been made to convert the underlying U.S. GAAP financial information set forth in the Ball Combined Financial Statements to IFRS and in alignment with the IFRS accounting policies of Ardagh. These adjustments are based on management's analysis of the major GAAP and accounting policy differences between Ardagh and the Ball Combined Financial Statements.

    The underlying financial information of both the Ball Carve-Out Business and the Rexam Carve-Out Business has been adjusted to align the presentation of certain income statement items with the presentation of such financial information in the financial statements of Ardagh.

        The basis for the adjustments reflected in the unaudited pro forma financial information and the key assumptions made are explained in the notes to the information accompanying the tables.

        The financial information of the Ball Carve-Out Business has been translated by Ardagh from U.S. dollars into euro, and the financial information of the Rexam Carve-Out Business has been translated from pounds sterling into euro. For all income statement items an average rate for the period presented has been used. Based on its review of the historical financial information and understanding of the differences between IFRS and U.S. GAAP, Ardagh is not aware of any further material adjustment that it would need to make to the Ball Carve-Out Business's historical financial information or the Rexam Carve-Out Business's historical financial information relating to foreign currency translation.

        The summary unaudited pro forma combined financial and other data set forth below should be read in conjunction with the historical consolidated financial statements and notes thereto of Ardagh and the Ball Combined Financial Statements and the Rexam Combined Carve-Out Financial Statements, included elsewhere in this prospectus, and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations".

54



CONDENSED COMBINED UNAUDITED PRO FORMA
BALANCE SHEET

AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2016

 
  As of December 31, 2016  
Balance Sheet Data
  Ardagh   January 2017
Notes (1)
  This
Offering (2)
  Pro Forma
Financial Data
 
 
  (in € millions)
 

Non-current assets

                         

Intangible assets

    3,889             3,889  

Property, plant and equipment

    2,925             2,925  

Derivative financial instruments

    124             124  

Deferred tax assets

    259             259  

Other non-current assets

    20             20  

    7,217             7,217  

Current assets

                         

Inventories

    1,126             1,126  

Trade and other receivables

    1,135             1,135  

Derivative financial instruments

    11             11  

Restricted cash

    27             27  

Cash and cash equivalents

    745     (288 )            

    3,044     (288 )            

Total assets

    10,261     (288 )            

Total equity

   
(2,056

)
 
(24

)
           

Non-current liabilities

                         

Borrowings

    8,142     (254 )       7,888  

Employee benefit obligations

    905             905  

Deferred tax liabilities

    697             697  

Related party borrowings

    673         (673 )    

Provisions

    55             55  

    10,472     (254 )   (673 )   9,545  

Current liabilities

                         

Borrowings

    8             8  

Interest payable

    81     (10 )       71  

Derivative financial instruments

    8             8  

Trade and other payables

    1,534             1,534  

Income tax payable

    145             145  

Provisions

    69             69  

    1,845     (10 )       1,835  

Total liabilities

    12,317     (264 )   (673 )   11,380  

Total equity and liabilities

   
10,261
   
(288

)
           

55



CONDENSED COMBINED UNAUDITED PRO FORMA INCOME STATEMENT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016

 
  For the year ended December 31, 2016  
 
  Ardagh   Ball
Carve-Out
Business (3)
  Rexam
Carve-Out
Business (4)
  Acquisition
Adjustments
  Refinancing
Adjustments
  PIK
Redemption
Adjustments
  7.000%
Senior
Notes
  January
2017
Notes
  This
Offering
  Pro Forma
Financial
Data
 
 
  (in € millions, except where indicated)
   
   
   
 

Income Statement Data

                                                             

Revenues

    6,345     762     539                             7,646  

Cost of sales

    (5,205 )   (621 )   (469 )   10 (5)                       (6,285 )

Gross profit

    1,140     141     70     10                         1,361  

Sales, general and administration expenses

    (300 )   (48 )   (36 )                           (384 )

Intangible amortization

    (173 )           (66) (5)                       (239 )

Exceptional operating items

    (131 )   (13 )   (4 )                             (148 )

Operating profit/(loss)

    536     80     30     (56 )                       590  

Net finance expense

    (450 )   (6 )       (74) (6)   7 (8)   42 (10)   8 (12)   2 (1)       (471 )

Exceptional net finance (expense)/income

    (87 )           15 (6)   84 (9)   51 (11)   5 (13)           68  

(Loss)/profit before tax

    (1 )   74     30     (115 )   91     93     13     2         187  

Income tax (charge)/ credit

    (54 )   (14 )   (13 )   24 (7)   (18) (7)       (4) (7)   (7)       (79 )

(Loss)/profit for the year

    (55 )   60     17     (91 )   73     93     9     2         108  

Earnings per share

                                                             

Basic

    (€5.34 )                                                      

Diluted

                                                             

Weighted average shares outstanding

                                                             

Basic

    10,306,643                                                 (14)      

Diluted

                                                         

56



NOTES TO THE CONDENSED COMBINED UNAUDITED PRO FORMA INCOME STATEMENT AND BALANCE SHEET

FOR THE YEAR ENDED AND AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2016

(1)
The December 31, 2016 pro forma balance sheet gives effect to the offering of the January 2017 Notes, the proceeds of which were used, together with certain cash, to fund the repayment in full of $415,000,000 6.250% Senior Notes due 2019 and the partial repayment of the First Priority Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2019, including associated redemption premiums and accrued and unpaid interest at the redemption date.

The pro forma income statement reflects the impact on net finance expense after giving effect to the repayment of $415,000,000 6.250% Senior Notes due 2019 and $845,000,000 First Priority Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2019 and the issuance of the January 2017 Notes. The impact on the pro forma net finance expense from January 1, 2016 is set out in the table below.

 
  Year ended December 31, 2016  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Interest on January 2017 Notes

       

$1,000,000,000 6.000% Senior Notes due 2025

    55  

Less interest on notes repaid

       

$415,000,000 6.250% Senior Notes due 2019

    (27 )

$845,000,000 First Priority Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2019

    (30 )

Interest on notes repaid

    57  

Net interest saving

    2  
(2)
The Company has a related party loan at December 31, 2016 of €673 million payable to a subsidiary of its immediate parent company, created in connection with the extinguishment of the $710,000,000 8.625% Senior PIK Notes due 2019 and the €250,000,000 8.375% Senior PIK Notes due 2019 in September 2016. This loan is convertible into shares of the Company at the option of the Company. It is management's intention that this conversion will take place in advance of this offering.

57



NOTES TO THE CONDENSED COMBINED UNAUDITED PRO FORMA INCOME STATEMENT AND BALANCE SHEET (Continued)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED AND AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2016

(3)
The following adjustments have been made to the financial data of the Ball Carve-Out Business:
 
  For the six months ended June 30, 2016  
 
  Ball
Combined
Financials
U.S. GAAP (a)
  IFRS
Conversion
Adjustments (b)
  Ball
Carve-Out
Business
IFRS
  Ball
Carve-Out
Business
IFRS (c)
 
 
  (in $ millions)
  (in € millions)
 

Income Statement Data

                         

Revenues

    846         846     762  

Cost of sales

    (690 )       (690 )   (621 )

Gross profit

    156         156     141  

Sales, general and administration expenses

    (70 )   17     (53 )   (48 )

Intangible amortization

                 

Exceptional items

        (14 )   (14 )   (13 )

Operating profit

    86     3     89     80  

Finance expense

    (6 )   (1 )   (7 )   (6 )

Profit before tax

    80     2     82     74  

Income tax charge

    (15 )       (15 )   (14 )

Profit for the period

    65     2     67     60  

(a)
The following table presents the adjustments made to the financial data in the Ball Combined Financial Statements to eliminate the results of operations associated with certain assets and liabilities that do not comprise part of the Ball Carve-Out Business acquired by Ardagh, as well as the reclassification of certain items to conform to the format in which Ardagh presents its financial information.
 
  For the six months ended June 30, 2016    
 
  Ball
Combined
U.S. GAAP
  Acquisition
Adjustments (i)
  Ball
Carve-Out
Business
U.S. GAAP
  Reclassifications (ii)   Ball
Combined
Financials
U.S. GAAP
   
 
  (in $ millions)
   

Ball Combined Statement of Earnings Data

                                Ardagh Income Statement Data

Net sales

    937     (91 )   846         846   Revenue

Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization)

    (722 )   65     (657 )   (33 )   (690 ) Cost of sales

                    156   Gross profit

Depreciation and amortization

    (43 )   7     (36 )   36       Intangible amortization

Selling, general and administrative

    (78 )   25     (53 )   (17 )   (70 ) Sales, general and administration expenses

Business consolidation and other activities

    (14 )       (14 )   14       Exceptional operating items

Earnings before interest and taxes

    80     6     86         86   Operating profit

Interest expense

    (6 )       (6 )         (6 ) Net finance expense

Earnings before taxes

    74     6     80         80   Profit before tax

Tax provision

    (15 )       (15 )         (15 ) Income tax charge

Net earnings

    59     6     65         65   Profit for the period

(i)
Represents the impact of removing the historical results of certain businesses that manufacture and sell metal packaging in the beverage can industry in the European market that were retained by Ball Corporation and do not form part of the Ball Carve-Out Business acquired by Ardagh

58



NOTES TO THE CONDENSED COMBINED UNAUDITED PRO FORMA INCOME STATEMENT AND BALANCE SHEET (Continued)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED AND AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2016

    in the Beverage Can Acquisition. The adjustments also represent the movement of certain lines and costs between the Ball Carve-Out Business and the business retained by Ball Corporation. The income statement data has been adjusted generally (i) in the case of revenue on the basis of actual sales of the various plants and (ii) in the case of cost items on the basis of allocations, including, for example, on relative sales volumes.

(ii)
Reclassifies certain items to conform to the format in which Ardagh presents its financial information. The items impacted are exceptional items and finance expense in respect of pensions.
(b)
Adjustments made to convert the underlying U.S. GAAP financial information to IFRS primarily related to exceptional items and net pension expense.

(c)
The income statement of the Ball Carve-Out Business has been translated at Ardagh's average exchange rate of $1.00 = € 0.9004 for the six months ended June 30, 2016.
(4)
The following adjustments have been made to the financial data of the Rexam Carve-Out Business:
 
  For the six months ended June 30, 2016    
 
  Rexam
Combined
Financials
  Acquisition
adjustments (a)
  Reclassifications (b)   Rexam
Carve-Out
Business
  Rexam
Carve-Out
Business (c)
   
 
  (in £ millions)
   
 
   
   
   
   
  (in € millions)
   

Rexam Combined Income Statement Data

                                Ardagh Income Statement Data

Sales

    442     (27 )         415     539   Revenue

Cost of sales

    (343 )   13     (31 )   (361 )   (469 ) Cost of sales

Gross profit

    99     (14 )   (31 )   54     70   Gross profit

Selling and distribution costs

    (46 )       31                

Administrative expenses

    (17 )   5                    

Research and development

    (1 )                      

                      (28 )   (36 ) Sales, general and administration expenses

                            Intangible amortization

Exceptional items

    (3 )           (3 )   (4 ) Exceptional operating items

Profit before tax

    32     (9 )       23     30   Profit before tax

Tax

    (13 )   3           (10 )   (13 ) Income tax charge

Profit for the period

    19     (6 )       13     17   Profit for the period

(a)
The adjustment reflects the elimination of revenues, cost of sales, margin and selling, general and administrative expenses of businesses not acquired by Ardagh. The income statement data has been adjusted based on actual sales and income statement data for the businesses not acquired.

(b)
Reclassifies freight costs to conform to the format in which Ardagh presents its financial statements.

(c)
The income statement of the Rexam Carve-Out Business has been translated at Ardagh's average exchange rate of £1.00 = € 1.2994 for the six months ended June 30, 2016.
(5)
Represents adjustments to depreciation of property, plant and equipment and amortization of intangible assets for the six months from January 1, 2016 to June 30, 2016 arising from the requirement to state assets and liabilities acquired as part of the Beverage Can Acquisition at their fair value.

59



NOTES TO THE CONDENSED COMBINED UNAUDITED PRO FORMA INCOME STATEMENT AND BALANCE SHEET (Continued)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED AND AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2016

      Depreciation

 
  Fair Value Adjustments to
Book Value at Acquisition
Date
  Estimated
Remaining Useful
Economic Life
  Pro Forma
Depreciation Adjustment
 
 
  (in € millions)
  (years)
  (in € millions)
 

Land

    7     n/a      

Buildings

    (27 )   25     1  

Plant and machinery

    (130 )   7     9  

      Amortization

 
  Fair Value at
Acquisition
Date
  Useful
Economic Life
  Pro forma
Amortization
Adjustment
 
 
  (in € millions)
  (years)
  (in € millions)
 

Customer relationships

    1,242     10     62  

Other acquired

                   

intangible assets

    42     5     4  

    Details of the Beverage Can Acquisition purchase price allocation, including property, plant and equipment and intangible assets acquired are set out in the following table.

 
  (in € millions)

Cash and cash equivalents

    10

Property, plant and equipment

    630

Intangible assets

    1,284

Inventories

    266

Trade and other receivables

    302

Trade and other payables

    (394)

Net deferred tax liability

    (145)

Employee benefit obligations

    (116)

Provisions

    (36)

Total identifiable net assets

    1,801

Goodwill

    894

Total consideration

    2,695

        The consideration paid was funded as follows:

 
  (in € millions)  

May 2016 Issuance

       

Secured Notes ($1,500 million and €440 million)

    1,755  

Senior Notes ($850 million)

    745  

New borrowings

    2,500  

Existing cash resources

    195  

Total consideration paid

    2,695  

60



NOTES TO THE CONDENSED COMBINED UNAUDITED PRO FORMA INCOME STATEMENT AND BALANCE SHEET (Continued)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED AND AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2016

(6)
Interest on the May 2016 Secured Notes and $850,000,000 of the May 2016 Senior Notes issued to finance the Beverage Can Acquisition, from their issue date of May 15, 2016 through to the Beverage Can Acquisition date of June 30, 2016 (€15 million) was classified as exceptional in our historical income statement. In giving effect to the interest on these notes from January 1, 2016, we have eliminated the €15 million exceptional interest and recorded as finance expense the interest as set out in the following table from January 1, 2016 to June 30, 2016.
 
  Year
ended
December 31,
2016
 
 
  (in € millions)
 

May 2016 Secured Notes and $850,000,000 of the May 2016 Senior Notes

       

$1,000,000,000 4.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2023

    23  

€440,000,000 4.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2023

    10  

$500,000,000 Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2021

    10  

$850,000,000 7.250% Senior Notes due 2024

    31  

Total

    74  
(7)
The tax effects of pro forma adjustments have been applied using the statutory rates in effect for the relevant jurisdictions during the period presented.

(8)
Represents the net decrease in finance expenses after giving effect to the repayment of the €475,000,000 9.250% Senior Notes due 2020 and $920,000,000 9.125% Senior Notes due 2020 (total outstanding €1,281 million) and the issuance in May 2016 of €750,000,000 6.750% Senior Notes due 2024 and $800,000,000 of the $1,650,000,000 7.250% Senior Notes due 2024 (total raised €1,450 million).

The net decrease in finance expenses after giving effect to the repayment of the Senior Notes due 2020 and the May 2016 issuance of the $800,000,000 Senior Notes due 2024 and €750,000,000 Senior Notes due 2024 reflects the elimination of historic interest charged on the Senior Notes due 2020. Interest on the new notes from their issue date of May 15, 2016 is included within finance

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NOTES TO THE CONDENSED COMBINED UNAUDITED PRO FORMA INCOME STATEMENT AND BALANCE SHEET (Continued)

FOR THE YEAR ENDED AND AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2016

    expenses in our historical income statement, and for pro forma purposes we have given effect to the additional interest on the new notes from January 1, 2016 through to their issue date.

 
  Year
ended
December 31,
2016
 
 
  (in € millions)
 

Interest on May 2016 Senior Notes

       

$800,000,000 7.250% Senior Notes due 2024

    20  

€750,000,000 6.750% Senior Notes due 2024

    20  

Pro-forma interest on May 2016 Senior Notes

    40  

Less interest on notes repaid

       

€475,000,000 9.250% Senior Notes due 2020

    (17 )

$920,000,000 9.125% Senior Notes due 2020

    (30 )

Interest on notes repaid

    47  

Net interest saving

    7  
(9)
Reflects the elimination of exceptional net finance expense comprising the write off of unamortized deferred financing costs and redemption premium incurred in connection with the refinancing of the €475,000,000 9.250% Senior Notes due 2020 and $920,000,000 9.125% Senior Notes due 2020 in May 2016.

(10)
Represents the elimination of the net finance expense associated with the $710,000,000 8.625% Senior PIK Notes due 2019 and the €250,000,000 8.375% Senior PIK Notes due 2019, following the redemption in September 2016. The funds used to repay the outstanding amount of the PIK Notes and early redemption premium (€1.1 billion) were received from the following sources: (a) issuance of a convertible loan to ARD Group Finance Holdings S.A., a subsidiary of our Parent Company (€673 million), (b) repayment of intergroup borrowings owed by our Parent Company (€404 million), (c) cash capital contribution by our Parent Company (€431 million) and (d) proceeds from share issuance from ARD Group Finance Holdings S.A., a subsidiary of our Parent Company (€6 million).

(11)
We have given effect as a pro forma adjustment to the elimination of exceptional net finance expenses of approximately €51 million comprising redemption premium and the write off of unamortized deferred financing costs incurred in connection with the September 2016 redemption of the $710,000,000 8.625% Senior PIK Notes due 2019 and the €250,000,000 8.375% Senior PIK Notes due 2019.

(12)
Represents the elimination of the net finance expense associated with the $135,000,000 7.000% Senior Notes due 2020. Surplus cash resources arising from the September 2016 transaction (see Note 10 above) were used to repay the outstanding amount of such Senior Notes and early redemption premium in November 2016.

(13)
We have given effect as a pro forma adjustment to the elimination of exceptional net finance expenses of approximately €5 million comprising redemption premium and the write off of unamortized deferred financing costs incurred in connection with the November 2016 redemption of the $135,000,000 7.000% Senior Notes due 2020.

(14)
Represents the conversion of related party borrowings into     ordinary shares based upon a share price of $                        .

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MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

         The following discussion should be read together with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the audited consolidated financial statements of Ardagh Group S.A. for the three-year period ended December 31, 2016, including the related notes thereto, included elsewhere in this prospectus. The following discussion should also be read in conjunction with "Presentation of Financial and Other Data", "Selected Financial Information" and "Unaudited Condensed Combined Unaudited Pro Forma Financial Information". As used in this section, the "Group" refers to Ardagh Group S.A. and its subsidiaries.

        Some of the measures used in this prospectus are not measurements of financial performance under IFRS and should not be considered an alternative to cash flow from operating activities as a measure of liquidity or an alternative to operating profit/(loss) or profit/(loss) for the year as indicators of our operating performance or any other measures of performance derived in accordance with IFRS.

Business Drivers

        The main factors affecting our results of operations for both Metal Packaging and Glass Packaging are: (i) global economic trends and end-consumer demand for our products; (ii) prices of energy and raw materials used in our business, primarily tinplate, aluminum, cullet, sand, soda ash and limestone, and our ability to pass-through these and other cost increases to our customers, through contractual pass-through mechanisms under multi-year contracts, or through renegotiation in the case of short-term contracts; (iii) investment in operating cost reductions; (iv) acquisitions; and (v) foreign exchange rate fluctuations and currency translation risks arising from various currency exposures, primarily with respect to the pound, the U.S. dollar, Swedish krona, Polish zloty, Danish krone and, since the Beverage Can Acquisition in 2016, the Brazilian real.

        In addition, certain other factors affect revenue and operating profit for Metal Packaging and Glass Packaging.

    Metal Packaging

        Following the completion of the Beverage Can Acquisition in 2016, Metal Packaging generates its revenue from supplying Metal Packaging to a wide range of consumer-driven end-use categories. Revenue is primarily dependent on sales volumes and sales prices.

        Sales volumes are influenced by a number of factors, including factors driving customer demand, seasonality and the capacity of our Metal Packaging plants. Demand for our metal containers may be influenced by vegetable and fruit harvests, seafood catches, trends in the consumption of food and beverages, trends in the use of consumer products, industry trends in packaging, including marketing decisions, and the impact of environmental regulations. The size and quality of harvests and catches vary from year to year, depending in large part upon the weather in the regions in which we operate. The food can industry is seasonal in nature, with strongest demand during the end of the summer, coinciding with the harvests. Accordingly, Metal Packaging's shipment volume of containers is typically highest in the second and third quarters and lowest in the first and fourth quarters. The demand for our beverage products is strongest during spells of warm weather and therefore demand typically peaks during the summer months, as well as the period leading up to holidays in December. Accordingly, we generally build inventories in the first quarter in anticipation of the seasonal demands in both our food and beverage businesses.

        Metal Packaging generates the majority of its earnings from operations during the second and third quarters. Metal Packaging's Adjusted EBITDA is based on revenue derived from selling our metal containers and is affected by a number of factors, primarily cost of sales. The elements of Metal Packaging's cost of sales include (i) variable costs, such as electricity, raw materials (including the cost of tinplate and aluminum), packaging materials, decoration and freight and other distribution costs, and (ii) fixed costs, such as labor and other plant-related costs including depreciation, maintenance and

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sales, marketing and administrative costs. Metal Packaging variable costs have typically constituted approximately 80% and fixed costs approximately 20% of the total cost of sales for our metal containers manufacturing business.

    Glass Packaging

        Glass Packaging generates its revenue principally from selling our glass containers. Glass Packaging revenue is primarily dependent on sales volumes and sales prices. Glass Packaging includes our glass engineering business, Heye International, and our and mold manufacturing and repair operations.

        Sales volumes are affected by a number of factors, including factors impacting customer demand, seasonality and the capacity of Glass Packaging's plants. Demand for glass containers may be influenced by trends in the consumption of beverages, industry trends in packaging, including marketing decisions, and the impact of environmental regulations. The beverage sales within our Glass Packaging business are seasonal in nature, with stronger demand during the summer and during periods of warm weather, as well as the period leading up to holidays in December. Accordingly, Glass Packaging's shipment volume of glass containers is typically lower in the first quarter. Glass Packaging builds inventory in the first quarter in anticipation of these seasonal demands. In addition, Glass Packaging generally schedules shutdowns of its plants for rebuilding and repairs of machinery in the first quarter. These strategic shutdowns and seasonal sales patterns adversely affect profitability in Glass Packaging's glass manufacturing operations during the first quarter of the year. Plant shutdowns may also affect the comparability of results from period to period. Glass Packaging's working capital requirements are typically greatest at the end of the first quarter of the year.

        Glass Packaging's Adjusted EBITDA is based on revenue derived from selling our glass containers and glass engineering products and services and is affected by a number of factors, primarily cost of sales. The elements of Glass Packaging's cost of sales for its glass container manufacturing business include (i) variable costs, such as natural gas and electricity, raw materials (including the cost of cullet (crushed recycled glass)), packaging materials, decoration and freight and other distribution costs, and (ii) fixed costs, such as labor and other plant-related costs including depreciation, maintenance, sales, marketing and administrative costs. Glass Packaging's variable costs have typically constituted approximately 40% and fixed costs approximately 60% of the total cost of sales for our glass container manufacturing business.

Recent Acquisitions and Disposals

    The Beverage Can Acquisition

        On June 30, 2016, the Group closed the Beverage Can Acquisition for total consideration of €2.7 billion.

    The VNA Acquisition

        On April 11, 2014, the Group completed the purchase of 100% of the equity of VNA from Compagnie de Saint-Gobain for a consideration of €1.0 billion.

    Disposal of Former Anchor Glass Plants

        On June 30, 2014, the Group completed the sale of six former Anchor Glass plants and certain related assets for a consideration of €319 million, on which we recognized a loss on disposal of €124 million.

    Other disposals

        During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Group disposed of a small business in the Metal Packaging division and also of its Metal Packaging operations in Australia and New Zealand for a total consideration of €78 million, on which the Group recognized a combined loss of €35 million.

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Results of Operations of Ardagh

    Year Ended December 31, 2016 compared to Year Ended December 31, 2015

 
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  2016   2015  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Revenue

    6,345     5,199  

Cost of sales

    (5,220 )   (4,322 )

Gross profit

    1,125     877  

Sales, general and administration expenses

    (416 )   (318 )

Intangible amortization

    (173 )   (109 )

Operating profit

    536     450  

Net finance expense

    (537 )   (527 )

Loss before tax

    (1 )   (77 )

Income tax expense

    (54 )   (63 )

Loss for the year

    (55 )   (140 )

    Revenue

        Revenue in the year ended December 31, 2016 increased by €1,146 million, or 22%, to €6,345 million, compared with €5,199 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. The Beverage Can Acquisition increased revenue by €1,351 million compared with the prior year. Adverse foreign currency translation effects reduced revenue by €61 million compared with 2015, which was largely attributable to an unfavorable movement in the British pound. Revenue was further reduced by €56 million due to a reduction in selling prices as lower input costs were passed through to customers and volume/mix effects reduced revenue by €88 million, primarily due to lower beer volumes and an immaterial revision of charges for ancillary services from revenue to cost of goods sold in Glass North America.

    Cost of sales

        Cost of sales in the year ended December 31, 2016 increased by €898 million, or 21%, to €5,220 million, compared with €4,322 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase in cost of sales in 2016 was largely the result of the Beverage Can Acquisition partly offset by lower input costs and volumes, plant productivity improvements, the reclassification of ancillary services described above, favorable currency translation movements and a reduction of €22 million in exceptional cost of sales due to (i) lower plant start-up costs and (ii) a pension past service credit in Glass Packaging North America (€21 million).

    Gross profit

        Gross profit in the year ended December 31, 2016 increased by €248 million, or 28%, to €1,125 million, compared with €877 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. Growth in gross profit was ahead of the growth in revenue largely due to reduced exceptional cost of sales described above and also plant productivity improvements. Gross profit percentage in the year ended December 31, 2016 increased by 0.8% to 17.7%, compared with 16.9% in the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase is largely attributable to the reduction in exceptional cost of sales.

    Sales, general and administration expenses

        Sales, general and administration expenses in the year ended December 31, 2016 increased by €98 million, or 31%, to €416 million, compared with €318 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. Exceptional transaction-related costs increased by €73 million in 2016 mostly reflecting

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professional fees and other costs incurred in connection with the Beverage Can Acquisition partly offset by lower IPO-related expenses. Excluding exceptional costs, sales, general and administration expenses increased by €26 million mainly due to the Beverage Can Acquisition.

    Intangible amortization

        Intangible amortization in the year ended December 31, 2016 increased by €64 million, or 59%, to €173 million, compared with €109 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase was attributable to six months amortization of the intangible assets arising from the Beverage Can Acquisition.

    Operating profit

        Operating profit in the year ended December 31, 2016 increased by €86 million, or 19%, to €536 million compared with €450 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase in operating profit reflected increased gross profit offset by higher sales, general and administration expenses and intangible amortization as described above.

    Net finance expense

        Net finance expense in the year ended December 31, 2016 increased by €10 million, or 2%, to €537 million, compared with €527 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. Net finance expense for the year ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 comprised the following:

 
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  2016   2015  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Interest expense

    449     412  

Net pension interest cost

    24     23  

Foreign currency translation (gains)/losses

    (18 )   77  

Exceptional net finance expense

    87     13  

Other finance (income)/expense

    (5 )   2  

Net finance expense

    537     527  

        Interest expense in the year ended December 31, 2016 increased by €37 million, or 9%, to €449 million, compared with €412 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase in net finance expense was attributable to the €2.7 billion of debt raised to finance the Beverage Can Acquisition, partially offset by lower interest rates primarily due to the refinancing of €1.3 billion of certain debt securities in May 2016 and the repayment of the Senior PIK Notes due 2019 in September 2016.

        Foreign currency translation gains in the year ended December 31, 2016 increased by €95 million to a gain of €18 million compared with a loss of €77 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase was due to deprecation in the U.S. dollar versus the euro since December 31, 2015.

        Exceptional net finance expense in the year ended December 31, 2016 increased by €74 million to €87 million compared with €13 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. The €87 million net finance expense in 2016 comprises one-off expenses of €165 million net of a one-off credit of €78 million. The one-off expenses principally related to the early redemption premiums and accelerated amortization of deferred financing costs associated with the debt refinancing in May 2016 and the repayment of the PIK Notes in September 2016. The €78 million one-off credit related to the fair value movement on cross currency interest rate swaps entered into during the second quarter following the financing of the Beverage Can Acquisition for which hedge accounting was not applied until the third

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quarter in 2016. The exceptional net finance expense in 2015 represented the costs associated with the redemption of €180 million of the Group's notes.

    Income tax expense

        Income tax expense in the year ended December 31, 2016 reduced by €9 million, or 14%, to €54 million, compared with €63 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. The decrease in income tax expense is primarily due to the reduction in the tax effect of non-deductible items of €25 million (largely attributable to net finance expense), in addition to a €9 million decrease in the tax expense associated with income taxed at rates other than standard tax rates and a €2 million reduction in the tax effect of income subject to other taxes. These decreases were partially offset by the reduction in the loss before tax of €76 million (tax effect of €22 million at the standard rate of Luxembourg corporation tax) and a decrease in credits in respect of prior years of €5 million.

        The effective income tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2016 was -5,400% compared to an effective income tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2015 of -82%. The effective income tax rate is a function of the profit or loss before tax and the tax charge or credit for the year. The loss before tax for the year ended December 31, 2016 decreased by €76 million to €1 million, compared with a loss before tax of €77 million in the year ended December 31, 2015, and is the primary driver of the movement in the effective tax rate.

        As a result of movements in losses outlined above and non-deductible interest expense, a comparison of historic effective income tax rates is difficult. Due to the expected stabilization in our profit denominator and further deleveraging activities, which will decrease the levels of non-deductible interest, the effective income tax rate in the historical financial statements is not expected to be indicative of the expected effective income tax rate in future periods.

    Loss for the year

        As a result of the items described above, the loss for the year ended December 31, 2016 reduced by €85 million to €55 million, compared with a loss of €140 million in the year ended December 31, 2015.

    Year Ended December 31, 2015 compared to Year Ended December 31, 2014

 
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  2015   2014  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Revenue

    5,199     4,733  

Cost of sales

    (4,322 )   (4,092 )

Gross profit

    877     641  

Sales, general and administration expenses

    (318 )   (281 )

Intangible amortization

    (109 )   (121 )

Loss on disposal of businesses

        (159 )

Operating profit

    450     80  

Net finance expense

    (527 )   (602 )

Loss before tax

    (77 )   (522 )

Income tax (expense)/credit

    (63 )   14  

Loss for the year

    (140 )   (508 )

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    Revenue

        Revenue in the year ended December 31, 2015 increased by €466 million, or 10%, to €5,199 million, compared with €4,733 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. A full year's contribution of the VNA Acquisition increased revenue by €314 million, while divestments, primarily consisting of six former Anchor Glass plants and related assets as well as the Group's Metal Packaging operations in Australia and New Zealand and a smaller metal packaging business, reduced revenue by €363 million compared with the prior year. Favorable foreign currency translation effects, notably a stronger U.S. dollar and British pound, increased revenue by €367 million compared with 2014. Volume/mix effects increased revenue in 2015 by €170 million largely due to volumes, from our two new Metal Packaging Americas can-making facilities, which was partly offset by a €22 million reduction in selling prices as lower input costs were passed through to customers.

    Cost of sales

        Cost of sales in the year ended December 31, 2015 increased by €230 million, or 6%, to €4,322 million compared with €4,092 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. This was largely due to foreign currency translation impact of a stronger U.S. dollar and British pound, the full year contribution from the VNA Acquisition and the Metal Packaging America's strategic expansion, offset by the disposal of the Anchor Glass plants, the disposal in Metal Packaging of the business in Australia and New Zealand and another less significant operation and lower exceptional cost of sales in 2015. Exceptional cost of sales in the year ended December 31, 2015 decreased by €85 million to €37 million compared with €122 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. The primary reason for the reduction was lower impairment charges to property, plant and equipment and working capital, which fell by €53 million and €10 million, respectively.

    Gross profit

        Gross profit in the year ended December 31, 2015 increased by €236 million, or 37%, to €877 million, compared with €641 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. Growth in gross profit was ahead of the growth in revenue due to reduced exceptional cost of sales described above, the mix impact of businesses acquired less those disposed, and improvements in plant efficiency. Gross profit percentage in the year ended December 31, 2015 increased by 3.4% to 16.9%, compared with 13.5% in the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase is attributable to the reduction in exceptional cost of sales and the higher percentage in businesses acquired versus those disposed.

    Sales, general and administration expenses

        Sales, general and administration expenses in the year ended December 31, 2015 increased by €37 million, or 13%, to €318 million, compared with €281 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. This was attributable to foreign currency translation impact of the stronger U.S. dollar and British pound and the inclusion of full year results for the VNA Acquisition, offset by the disposal of the Anchor Glass plants and the Metal Packaging disposals all of which completed in 2014. Exceptional costs also increased by €9 million to €44 million reflecting costs associated with the withdrawn Metal Packaging initial public offering.

    Intangible amortization

        Intangible amortization in the year ended December 31, 2015 reduced by €12 million, or 10%, to €109 million, compared with €121 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. The reduction was attributable to lower exceptional impairments to intangible assets in 2015 reflecting a €22 million charge in Glass North America and a €11 million charge in Metal Packaging Europe in 2014. Lower exceptional costs were offset by the full year inclusion of the VNA Acquisition and the foreign currency translation impact of the stronger U.S. dollar.

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    Loss on disposal of business

        The loss in the year ended December 31, 2014 of €159 million was due to a loss of €124 million on the disposal of the Anchor Glass plants and a combined loss of €35 million on the disposal of the Metal Packaging Australia and New Zealand business and another small Metal Packaging business.

    Operating profit

        Operating profit in the year ended December 31, 2015 increased by €370 million to €450 million compared with €80 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase in operating profit to a large extent was attributable to a reduction in exceptional costs of €268 million as outlined above, but additionally due to the favorable currency translation effects and other points highlighted above.

    Net finance expense

        Net finance expense in the year ended December 31, 2015 decreased by €75 million, or 12%, to €527 million compared with €602 million in the year ended December 31, 2014.

 
  Year ended
December 31,
 
 
  2015   2014  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Interest expense

    412     372  

Net pension interest cost

    23     20  

Foreign currency translation losses

    77     62  

Related party interest

        20  

Exceptional net finance expense

    13     126  

Other finance expense

    2     2  

Net finance expense

    527     602  

        Interest expense in the year ended December 31, 2015 increased by €40 million, or 11%, to €412 million compared with €372 million in the year ended 2014. The increase was attributable to higher levels of average debt (principally being the issuance of the PIK Notes in July 2014) and adverse currency translation effects partly offset by lower interest rates primarily due to the mid-2014 refinancing of certain debt securities and term loans.

        Foreign currency translation losses in the year ended December 31, 2015 increased by €15 million to €77 million compared with €62 million in the year ended 2014 due to further appreciation in the U.S. dollar versus the euro during 2015.

        Exceptional net finance expense in the year ended December 31, 2015 declined by €113 million to €13 million compared with €126 million in the year ended 2014. This was largely attributable to the non-recurrence of debt refinancing costs which totaled €126 million in 2014 offset by €13 million of costs comprising redemption premiums and accelerated amortization of deferred financing costs related to the repayment in February 2015 of €180 million of the Group's notes.

    Income tax (expense)/credit

        Income tax expense in the year ended December 31, 2015 was €63 million, an increase of €77 million when compared with a €14 million tax credit in the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase in income tax expense is primarily due to the reduction in the loss before tax of €445 million, partially offset by a reduction in the tax effect of non-deductible items of €21 million (which were largely exceptional acquisition related expenses), an increase in credits in respect of prior years of €13 million, an €8 million reduction in tax losses for which no deferred tax asset was recognized, a €6 million reduction in the tax effect of income subject to other taxes, and a €5 million credit from the re-measurement of deferred tax assets.

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        The effective income tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2015 was 82% compared to an effective income tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2014 of 3%. The effective income tax rate is a function of the profit or loss before tax and the tax charge or credit for the period. The loss before tax for the year ended December 31, 2015 decreased by €445 million to €77 million, compared with a loss before tax of €522 million in the year ended December 31, 2014, and is the primary driver of the movement in the effective tax rate.

        As a result of movements in losses outlined above and non-deductible interest expense, a comparison of historic effective income tax rates is difficult. Due to the expected stabilization in our profit denominator and further deleveraging activities, which will decrease the levels of non-deductible interest, the effective income tax rate in the historical financial statements is not expected to be indicative of the expected effective income tax rate in future periods.

    Loss for the year

        As a result of the items described above, the loss for the year ended December 31, 2015 decreased by €368 million to €140 million, compared with a loss of €508 million in the year ended December 31, 2014.

Supplemental Management's Discussion and Analysis

Key Operating Measures

        Adjusted EBITDA is defined as profit/(loss) for the year before income tax expense/(credit), net finance expense, depreciation and amortization and exceptional operating items. We use Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate and assess our segment performance. Adjusted EBITDA is presented because we believe that it is frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in evaluating companies in the packaging industry. However, other companies may calculate Adjusted EBITDA in a manner different from ours. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under IFRS and should not be considered an alternative to profit/(loss) as indicators of operating performance or any other measures of performance derived in accordance with IFRS.

        For a reconciliation of the profit/(loss) for the year to Adjusted EBITDA see footnote 6 to the Summary Consolidated Financial and Other Data of Ardagh Group S.A.

        Adjusted EBITDA in the year ended December 31, 2016 increased by €224 million, or 24%, to €1,158 million compared with €934 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. The Beverage Can Acquisition increased Adjusted EBITDA by €198 million compared with the prior year. Adverse foreign currency translation effects reduced Adjusted EBITDA by €11 million compared with 2015 which was largely attributable to an unfavorable movement in the British pound. Excluding the acquisition and foreign currency, Adjusted EBITDA grew by €37 million in the year largely reflecting improved plant productivity as lower selling prices and an adverse volume/mix impact were offset by lower input costs.

        Adjusted EBITDA in the year ended December 31, 2015 increased €142 million, or 18%, to €934 million compared with €792 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. Adjusting for the beneficial foreign currency translation impact of €65 million, the increase in Adjusted EBITDA was €77 million, or 9%, compared with 2014. This growth was primarily attributable to operating and other cost savings of €30 million, positive volume/mix effects of €40 million and input cost reductions. This was partly offset by lower selling prices, reflective of lower input costs, as well as the combined effect of an additional contribution from the VNA Acquisition, which completed in April 2014, offset by reduced contribution from the six former Anchor Glass plants following their sale in mid-2014.

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Exceptional Items

        The following table provides detail on exceptional items from continuing operations included in cost of sales, sales, general and administration expenses, finance expense and finance income:

 
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  2016   2015   2014  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Plant start-up costs

    5     27     19  

Restructuring costs

    22     12     27  

Impairment—working capital

        (2 )   8  

Impairment—property, plant and equipment

            53  

Non-cash inventory adjustment

    9         15  

Past service credit

    (21 )        

Exceptional items—cost of sales

    15     37     122  

Transaction-related costs—acquisition, IPO and disposals

    114     41     22  

Restructuring costs

        2     12  

Other

    2     1     1  

Exceptional items—sales, general and administration expenses

    116     44     35  

Exceptional impairment—intangible assets

            33  

Exceptional items—loss on disposal of businesses

            159  

Debt refinancing and settlement costs

    140     13     116  

Interest payable on acquisition notes

    15         10  

Exceptional loss on derivative financial instruments

    10          

Exceptional items—finance expense

    165     13     126  

Exceptional gain on derivative financial instruments

    (78 )        

Exceptional items—finance income

    (78 )        

Total exceptional items

    218     94     475  

        The following more significant exceptional items were recorded in the year ended December 31, 2016:

    A €21 million pension service credit was recognized in Glass North America, following the amendment of certain defined benefit pension schemes;

    Restructuring costs relating principally to €12 million in Metal Packaging Europe, €5 million in Metal Packaging Americas and €4 million in Glass Packaging North America. These costs include exceptional impairment charges of €8 million, of which €5 million relates to impairment of plant and machinery in Metal Packaging Europe and €3 million relates to the impairment of a plant in Metal Packaging Americas;

    Transaction related costs (€114 million) primarily comprised of professional fees, bonuses and integration costs directly attributable to the acquisition of the Beverage Can Business, and IPO related costs;

    Debt refinancing and settlement costs of €140 million associated with notes repaid in May and November 2016 and the Senior PIK Notes repaid in September 2016. These costs include premiums payable on the early redemption of the notes, accelerated amortization of deferred

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      finance costs, debt issuance premium and discounts and interest charges incurred in lieu of notice; and

    An exceptional gain on derivative financial instruments of €78 million which relates to the gain on the fair value of the cross currency interest rate swaps which were entered into during the second quarter and for which hedge accounting was not applied until the third quarter. The exceptional loss on derivative financial instruments of €10 million relates to hedge ineffectiveness on these cross currency interest rate swaps during the third quarter.

        The following more significant exceptional items were recorded in the year ended December 31, 2015:

    Start-up costs of €27 million which primarily relate to the strategic growth investment in Metal Packaging Americas;

    €38 million transaction costs largely associated with the Company's withdrawn initial public offering of its Metal Packaging business;

    Restructuring costs of €9 million in Metal Packaging Europe and €5 million in Glass North America; and

    Exceptional finance costs of €11 million associated with the redemption of €180 million of the Group's notes due 2020, which were redeemed in February 2015, and €2 million of other finance costs.

        The following more significant exceptional items were recorded in the year ended December 31, 2014:

    Impairment charges of €44 million incurred in Metal Packaging Europe related to €36 million of specific property, plant and equipment that is no longer in use, €8 million to working capital;

    Impairment charges of €11 million to intangible assets in Metal Packaging Europe no longer in use;

    Impairment charges of €39 million associated with a plant closure in Glass North America comprising impairment to property, plant and equipment of €17 million, goodwill of €16 million and customer relationships of €6 million;

    Exceptional finance expense of €126 million including €116 million connected with the borrowings repaid in July 2014 and €10 million relating to the notes issued to finance the VNA Acquisition; and

    Non-cash inventory adjustment of €15 million related to the VNA Acquisition, which is a non-recurring adjustment arising as a result of the fair value exercise carried out in accordance with IFRS 3R 'Business Combinations'.

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Segment Information

    Year Ended December 31, 2016 compared to Year Ended December 31, 2015

 
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  2016   2015  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Revenue

             

Metal Packaging Europe

    2,235     1,650  

Metal Packaging Americas

    1,059     390  

Glass Packaging Europe

    1,392     1,452  

Glass Packaging North America

    1,659     1,707  

Total Revenue

    6,345     5,199  

Adjusted EBITDA

             

Metal Packaging Europe

    366     260  

Metal Packaging Americas

    139     44  

Glass Packaging Europe

    296     284  

Glass Packaging North America

    357     346  

Adjusted EBITDA

    1,158     934  

    Revenue

         Metal Packaging Europe. Revenue increased by €585 million, or 35%, to €2,235 million in the year ended December 31, 2016, compared with €1,650 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. Revenue growth reflected the Beverage Can Acquisition in June 2016, which increased revenue by €657 million. Volume/mix lowered revenue by €14 million primarily due to lower food sales and the pass through of lower metal costs to customers further reduced revenue by €37 million. Foreign currency translation effects reduced sales by €21 million mostly due to an unfavorable movement in the British pound.

         Metal Packaging Americas. Revenue increased by €669 million, or 172%, to €1,059 million in the year ended December 31, 2016, compared with €390 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. Revenue growth reflected the Beverage Can Acquisition in June 2016, increasing revenue by €693 million. Excluding the acquisition, revenue declined by €24 million representing lower prices of €10 million due to the pass through to customers of lower metal prices and €14 million related to lower volumes.

         Glass Packaging Europe. Revenue fell by €60 million, or 4%, to €1,392 million in the year ended December 31, 2016, compared with €1,452 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. Foreign currency translation effects represented €51 million of the decrease mostly attributable to an unfavorable movement in the British pound, with organic revenue decreasing by €9 million, which was attributable to lower selling prices of €17 million partially offset by higher volumes of €8 million.

         Glass Packaging North America. Revenue reduced by €48 million or 3% to €1,659 million in the year ended December 31, 2016, compared with €1,707 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. Currency translation effects increased revenue by €11 million attributable to an appreciation in the U.S. dollar and price increases to customers increased sales by a further €9 million. These increases were more than offset by volume declines of €69 million primarily due to lower beer sales and the reclassification of charges for ancillary services from revenue to cost of goods sold.

    Adjusted EBITDA

         Metal Packaging Europe. Adjusted EBITDA increased by €106 million, or 41%, to €366 million in the year ended December 31, 2016, compared with €260 million in the year ended December 31, 2015.

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Adjusted EBITDA growth reflected the Beverage Can Acquisition in June 2016, increasing Adjusted EBITDA by €111 million. Volume/mix lowered Adjusted EBITDA by €4 million primarily due to lower food sales. The pass through of lower metal costs to customers net of lower input costs reduced Adjusted EBITDA by €8 million which was offset by production efficiencies of €11 million. Foreign currency translation effects reduced Adjusted EBITDA by €4 million.

         Metal Packaging Americas. Adjusted EBITDA increased by €95 million, or 216%, to €139 million in the year ended December 31, 2016, compared with €44 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. Adjusted EBITDA growth reflected the Beverage Can Acquisition in June 2016, increasing Adjusted EBITDA by €87 million with the balance attributable to reductions in input and other costs.

         Glass Packaging Europe. Adjusted EBITDA increased by €12 million, or 4%, to €296 million in the year ended December 31, 2016, compared with €284 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. Currency translation effects reduced Adjusted EBITDA by €9 million, mostly attributable to an unfavorable movement in the British pound, while Adjusted EBITDA before currency translation effects increased by €21 million, primarily representing lower selling prices more than offset by lower input costs, principally energy. Adverse mix was more than offset by production efficiencies.

         Glass Packaging North America. Adjusted EBITDA increased by €11 million or 3% to €357 million in the year ended December 31, 2016, compared with €346 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. Currency translation effects increased Adjusted EBITDA by €2 million and price increases to customers increased Adjusted EBITDA by a further €9 million. The impact of lower volumes was more than offset by lower input costs and production efficiencies.

    Year Ended December 31, 2015 compared to Year Ended December 31, 2014

 
  Year ended
December 31,
 
 
  2015   2014  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Revenue

             

Metal Packaging Europe

    1,650     1,668  

Metal Packaging Americas

    390     306  

Glass Packaging Europe

    1,452     1,406  

Glass Packaging North America

    1,707     1,353  

Total Revenue

    5,199     4,733  

Adjusted EBITDA

             

Metal Packaging Europe

    260     223  

Metal Packaging Americas

    44     27  

Glass Packaging Europe

    284     277  

Glass Packaging North America

    346     265  

Total Adjusted EBITDA

    934     792  

    Revenue

         Metal Packaging Europe. Revenue reduced by €18 million, or 1% to €1,650 million in the year ended December 31, 2015 from €1,668 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. The slight decline in revenue was largely due to volume/mix partly offset by positive currency translation impact of €12 million.

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         Metal Packaging Americas. Revenue increased by €84 million, or 27% to €390 million in the year ended December 31, 2015 from €306 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. Growth in revenue resulted from increased volumes from the two new North American can-making facilities, which began commercial shipments in January 2015, as well as positive currency translation effects of €26 million. The full year effect of business disposals, which occurred in 2014, reduced revenue by €158 million.

         Glass Packaging Europe. Revenue increased by €46 million, or 3% to €1,452 million in the year ended December 31, 2015 from €1,406 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. Favorable currency translation effects of €41 million largely accounted for this revenue growth, while volume growth of 1% was partly offset by slightly lower selling prices.

         Glass Packaging North America. Revenue increased by €354 million, or 26% to €1,707 million in the year ended December 31, 2015 from €1,353 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. Revenue growth was primarily attributable to positive currency translation effects of €289 million, with revenue increasing by €65 million excluding this effect. The inclusion of a full year contribution in 2015 from the VNA Acquisition, which was completed in April 2014, increased revenue by €314 million, partly offset by a reduction in revenue of €205 million as a result of the disposal of six former Anchor Glass plants in mid-2014. Excluding acquisition and disposal effects, revenue adjusted for the impact of currency translation declined by €44 million, which was attributable to the closure of a production facility in Salem, NJ, in December 2014, which more than offset the underlying growth.

    Adjusted EBITDA

         Metal Packaging Europe. Adjusted EBITDA increased by €37 million, or 17% to €260 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from €223 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase was largely due to production efficiencies and overhead savings offset in part by adverse volume / mix impact. Lower input costs were offset by lower selling prices.

         Metal Packaging Americas. Adjusted EBITDA increased by €17 million, or 63% to €44 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from €27 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. Adjusted for the positive translation currency benefit of the appreciation of the U.S. dollar, Adjusted EBITDA increased by €15 million, despite a negative €15 million impact from business disposals in 2014. Excluding disposal and currency effects, Adjusted EBITDA increased by €30 million. This growth arose from the Group's two new North American can-making facilities, as well as lower input costs, during the year.

         Glass Packaging Europe. Adjusted EBITDA increased by €7 million, or 3% to €284 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from €277 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. Growth reflected positive currency translation effects of €8 million largely due to the appreciation of the British pound. Excluding this impact, Adjusted EBITDA was almost unchanged as cost reductions and modest volume/mix growth was offset by a reduction in selling prices.

         Glass Packaging North America. Adjusted EBITDA increased by €81 million, or 31% to €346 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from €265 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. Adjusting for favorable foreign currency translation benefit of €53 million which resulted from the appreciation of the U.S. dollar, Adjusted EBITDA increased by €28 million. The impact of a full year contribution from the VNA Acquisition, net of the disposal of six former Anchor Glass plants, increased Adjusted EBITDA by €5 million. Operating and input cost savings due to the integration of the VNA Acquisition increased Adjusted EBITDA by €29 million, while a positive volume/mix effect was offset by the closure of a production facility in Salem, NJ, in December 2014.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

    Cash Requirements Related to Operations

        Our principal sources of cash are cash generated from operations and external financings, including borrowings and other credit facilities. Our principal funding arrangements include borrowings available under the HSBC Securitization Program and the Bank of America Facility. These and other sources of external financing are described further under "Description of Certain Indebtedness".

        Both our metal and glass packaging divisions' sales and cash flows are subject to seasonal fluctuations. The investment in working capital for Metal Packaging excluding beverage generally builds over the first three quarters of the year, in line with agricultural harvest periods, and then unwinds in the fourth quarter, with the calendar year-end being the low point. Demand for our metal beverage and glass products is typically strongest during the summer months and in the period prior to December because of the seasonal nature of beverage consumption. The investment in working capital for metal beverage and Glass Packaging typically peaks in the first quarter. We manage the seasonality of our working capital by supplementing operating cash flows with drawings under our credit facilities.

        The following table outlines our principal financing arrangements as of December 31, 2016.

 
   
  Maximum
Amount
Drawable
   
   
  Amount Drawn as of
December 31, 2016
  Undrawn
Amount
 
Facility
  Currency   Local
Currency
  Final
Maturity
Date
  Facility
Type
  Local
Currency
     
 
   
  (millions)
   
   
  (millions)
  (millions)
  (millions)
 

4.250% First Priority Senior Secured Notes

  EUR     1,155   15-Jan-22   Bullet     1,155     1,155      

4.625% Senior Secured Notes

  USD     1,000   15-May-23   Bullet     1,000     949      

4.125% Senior Secured Notes

  EUR     440   15-May-23   Bullet     440     440      

First Priority Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes (1)

  USD     1,110   15-Dec-19   Bullet     1,110     1,053      

Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes

  USD     500   15-May-21   Bullet     500     474      

6.000% Senior Notes

  USD     440   30-Jun-21   Bullet     440     417      

6.250% Senior Notes (1)

  USD     415   31-Jan-19   Bullet     415     394      

6.750% Senior Notes

  USD     415   31-Jan-21   Bullet     415     394      

7.250% Senior Notes

  USD     1,650   15-May-24   Bullet     1,650     1,565      

6.750% Senior Notes

  EUR     750   15-May-24   Bullet     750     750      

Term Loan B Facility

  USD     663   17-Dec-21   Amortizing     663     629      

HSBC Securitization Program

  EUR     102   14-Jun-18   Revolving             102  

Bank of America Facility

  USD     155   11-Apr-18   Revolving             147  

Unicredit Working Capital and Performance Guarantee Credit Lines

  EUR     1   Rolling   Revolving             1  

Finance lease obligations

  GBP/EUR             Amortizing     7     7      

Other borrowings

  EUR     3       Amortizing     3     3      

Total borrowings / undrawn facilities

                            8,230     250  

Deferred debt issue costs and discount

                            (80 )    

Net borrowings / undrawn facilities

                            8,150     250  

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

                            (772 )   772  

Derivative financial instruments used to hedge foreign currency and interest rate risk

                            (124 )    

Net debt / available liquidity

                            7,254     1,022  

(1)
On January 30, 2017 we issued $1,000 million 6.000% Senior Notes due 2025, the proceeds of which together with existing cash resources were used to redeem $845 million of the outstanding First Priority Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2019 and, in March 2017, will be used to redeem the $415 million Senior Notes due 2019.

        As of December 31, 2016, we had undrawn credit lines of up to €250 million at our disposal, together with cash equivalents and restricted cash of €772 million, giving rise to available liquidity of €1,022 million. As of December 31, 2016, we were in compliance with all financial and non-financial covenants under our principal financing arrangements.

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        The table above excludes related party borrowings at December 31, 2016 of €673 million payable to ARD Group Finance Holdings S.A. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of our Parent Company) with a maturity date of 2076 and interest calculable based on performance of the Company.

        The following table outlines the minimum debt repayments we are obligated to make for the twelve months ending December 31, 2017. This table assumes that the minimum net principal repayment will be made, as provided for under each credit facility. It further assumes that the other credit lines will be renewed or replaced with similar facilities as they mature.

Facility
  Currency   Local
Currency
  Final
Maturity
Date
  Facility
Type
  Minimum net
repayment for
the twelve
months ending
December 31,
2017
 
 
   
  (in millions)
   
   
  (in € millions)
 

Term Loan B Facility

  USD     7   17-Dec-21   Amortizing     6  

HSBC Securitization Program

  EUR       14-Jun-18   Revolving      

Bank of America Facility

  USD       11-Apr-18   Revolving      

Unicredit Working Capital and Performance Guarantee Credit Lines

  EUR       Rolling   Revolving      

Finance lease obligations

  GBP/EUR     1       Amortizing     1  

Other borrowings

  EUR     1       Amortizing     1  

Minimum net repayment

                      8  

        We believe we have adequate liquidity to satisfy our cash needs for at least the next 12 months. In the year ended December 31, 2016, we reported operating profit of €536 million, net cash from operating activities of €469 million and generated Adjusted EBITDA of €1,158 million and pro forma Adjusted EBITDA of €1,333 million.

        As described further below, we generate substantial cash flow from our operations and had €772 million in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash as of December 31, 2016, as well as available but undrawn liquidity of €250 million under our credit facilities. We believe that our cash balances and future cash flow from operating activities, as well as our credit facilities, will provide sufficient liquidity to fund our purchases of property, plant and equipment, interest payments, scheduled principal repayments of €8 million on our notes and other credit facilities and dividend payments for at least the next twelve months. In addition, we believe that we will be able to fund certain additional investments from our current cash balances, credit facilities and cash flow from operating activities.

        Accordingly, we believe that our long-term liquidity needs primarily relate to the service of our debt obligations. Following this offering, as discussed in "Use of Proceeds" and "Capitalization", we plan to use            of the proceeds of the offering to repay debt, thereby reducing our total outstanding indebtedness from            to approximately             on a pro-forma basis. We expect to satisfy our future long-term liquidity needs through a combination of cash flow generated from operations and, where appropriate, to refinance our debt obligations in advance of their respective maturity dates as we have successfully done in the past.

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    Cash Flows

        The following table sets forth certain information reflecting a summary of our cash flow activity for the years set forth below:

 
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  2016   2015   2014  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Operating profit

    536     450     80  

Depreciation and amortization

    491     403     363  

Exceptional operating items

    131     81     349  

Decrease in working capital (1)

    120     90     8  

Exceptional operating costs paid

    (169 )   (74 )   (99 )

Cash generated from operations

    1,109     950     701  

Interest paid — excluding cumulative PIK interest paid (2)

    (372 )   (323 )   (316 )

Cumulative PIK interest paid

    (184 )        

Taxation paid (3)

    (84 )   (59 )   (35 )

Net cash from operating activities

    469     568     350  

Purchase of businesses

    (2,685 )       (1,038 )

Proceeds from disposal of businesses

            397  

Capital expenditure (4)

    (318 )   (304 )   (314 )

Net cash used in investing activities

    (3,003 )   (304 )   (955 )

Proceeds from borrowings

    3,950         4,231  

Proceeds from borrowings with related party

    673          

Repayment of borrowings

    (2,322 )   (198 )   (2,591 )

Repayment of borrowings issued to related party

    404          

Contribution from parent

    431          

Proceeds from share issuance

    6          

Early redemption costs paid

    (108 )   (8 )   (97 )

Deferred debt issued costs paid

    (60 )   (1 )   (67 )

Dividends paid

    (270 )        

Proceeds from termination of derivative financial instruments

        81      

Borrowings issued to related parties

            (404 )

Repayment of borrowings from related party

            (346 )

Net inflow/(outflow) from financing activities

    2,704     (126 )   726  

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

    170     138     121  

Exchange gains/(losses) on cash and cash equivalents

    49     1     (1 )

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents after exchange gains/(losses)

    219     139     120  

(1)
Working capital is made up of inventories, trade and other receivables, trade and other payables and current provisions.

(2)
Includes exceptional interest paid of €25 million and €20 million during the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2014 respectively. No exceptional interest was paid in the year ended December 31, 2015.

(3)
Includes exceptional income tax paid of €17 million during the year ended December 31, 2014. No exceptional tax was paid in the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015.

(4)
Capital expenditure is net of proceeds from the disposal of property, plant and equipment.

    Net cash from operating activities

        Net cash from operating activities was €469 million in the year ended December 31, 2016, compared with €568 million in the same period in 2015. The year on year decrease was primarily due to payment of cumulative interest on our PIK Notes repaid in September 2016 (€184 million), an increase of €86 million in operating profit in the year ended December 31, 2016 compared with the prior year, which was attributable to the Beverage Can Acquisition, an increase of €88 million in

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depreciation and amortization and a decrease of €30 million in working capital. The €24 million increase in depreciation and €64 million increase in amortization were both principally related to the Beverage Can Acquisition. These increases were partially offset by an increase in exceptional acquisition related, IPO and plant start-up costs paid and an increase of €49 million and €25 million in interest and tax paid, respectively, both primarily associated with the Beverage Can Acquisition.

        Net cash from operating activities increased by €218 million from €350 million in 2014 to €568 million in 2015. The year on year increase in 2015 was primarily due to an increase in operating profit of €370 million and the generation of a €90 million inflow from working capital in 2015, compared with a €8 million inflow in the previous year. The increase in operating profit and working capital inflow was offset by a reduction in non-cash exceptional impairment charges and other exceptional non-cash adjustments which in 2014 totaled €109 million.

    Net cash used in investing activities

        Net cash used in investing activities increased by €2,699 million to €3,003 million in the year ended December 31, 2016 compared with the same period in 2015. The increase was primarily due the cash consideration paid in connection with the Beverage Can Acquisition in 2016.

        Net cash used in investing activities decreased by €651 million from €955 million in 2014 to €304 million in 2015, primarily due to the cash consideration for the VNA Acquisition paid in 2014, which was offset by proceeds from disposal of former Anchor Glass plants in 2014.

    Net inflow/(outflow) from financing activities

        Net cash from financing activities represented an inflow of €2,704 million in the year ended December 31, 2016 compared with a €126 million outflow in the same period in 2015. Proceeds from new borrowings (€3,950 million) reflect: (a) €1,755 million from the issuance of Secured Notes and €745 million from the issuance of Senior Notes in May 2016, the proceeds of which were used to finance the Beverage Can Acquisition (b) €1,450 million from the issuance of Senior Notes in May 2016, the proceeds of which were used to refinance in full our 9.250% Senior Notes due 2020 and 9.125% Senior Notes due 2020 and a partial payment of our 7.000% Senior Notes due 2020 in the amount of €1,294 million and early redemption premium of €59 million. Repayments of our Term Loan B Facility of €22 million were also made. In addition to the refinancing of the 9.250% and 9.125% Senior Notes, the balance of our €880 million outstanding PIK notes (excluding cumulative PIK interest paid) was repaid in September 2016. The funds used to repay the outstanding amount of PIK Notes and early redemption premium (€45 million) were received from the following sources: (a) issuance of a convertible loan to a wholly-owned subsidiary of our Parent Company (€673 million), (b) repayment of intergroup borrowings owed by our Parent Company (€404 million), (c) cash capital contribution by our Parent Company (€431 million) and proceeds from share issuance from a wholly-owned subsidiary of our Parent Company (€6 million). In November 2016, we repaid in full the principal amount outstanding of our $135 million 7.000% Senior Notes due 2020 from existing cash resources. In connection with the various financing transactions, we paid deferred financing costs of €60 million. The excess of monies received over the amount of PIK Notes repaid and associated redemption premium was used to fund a dividend to our Parent Company (€270 million).

        Net cash used in financing activities represented an outflow of €126 million in 2015, compared with a €726 million inflow in 2014. This resulted primarily from a decrease in proceeds from borrowings in 2015.

    Working capital

        For the year ended December 31, 2016, working capital during the period increased by €109 million compared to December 31, 2015. The Beverage Can Acquisition increased working capital by €138 million and excluding the impact of the acquisition, the decrease principally reflected an

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increase in trade and other payables partially offset by higher trade and other receivables and inventories. Working capital cash inflow for the year ended December 31, 2016 was €120 million.

        For the year ended December 31, 2015, working capital during the period decreased by €59 million. The decrease comprised increases in inventory of €55 million, decreases in receivables of €41 million and an increase of payables of €75 million. Working capital cash inflow for the year ended December 31, 2015 was €90 million.

    Exceptional operating costs paid

        Exceptional operating costs paid in the year ended December 31, 2016 increased by €95 million to €169 million compared with €74 million in the year ended December 31, 2015. In 2016 the costs paid primarily relate to professional fees and other costs associated with the Beverage Can Acquisition and to a lesser degree professional fees and other costs of the withdrawn Metal Packaging initial public offering which in total were €152 million. In 2015 exceptional operating costs paid include start-up costs of €27 million associated with the two new Metal Packaging Americas can-making facilities opened in early 2015 and restructuring costs of €20 million incurred in Metal Packaging Europe and Glass Packaging North America. Other costs paid related to acquisition and disposal costs in respect of the VNA Acquisition and business disposals in Metal Packaging, respectively.

        Exceptional operating costs paid in the year ended December 31, 2015 reduced by €25 million to €74 million compared with €99 million in the year ended December 31, 2014. In 2015 exceptional operating costs paid include start-up costs of €27 million associated with the two new Metal Packaging Americas can-making facilities opened in early 2015, restructuring costs of €20 million incurred in Metal Packaging Europe and Glass Packaging North America and €26 million of costs paid largely in respect of the withdrawn initial public offering of the Metal Packaging business. In 2014 exceptional costs paid represent €40 million professional and other costs associated with the VNA Acquisition, start-up costs of €19 million associated with the two new Metal Packaging Americas can-making facilities opened in early 2015 and restructuring costs of €22 million incurred in Metal Packaging Europe and Glass North America.

    Income tax paid

        Income tax paid during the year ended December 31, 2016 was €84 million, which represents an increase of €25 million when compared to the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase is attributable to the Beverage Can Acquisition and an increase in taxable profits in both the current period and the prior year.

        Income tax paid during the year ended December 31, 2015 was €59 million, which represents an increase of €24 million when compared to the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase in income tax paid reflects increases in the level of profitability in certain territories predominantly in Glass Packaging North America, in addition to tax payments which reflect a mixture of profitability in prior periods and estimated tax assessments, and refunds received during the year ended December 31, 2014.

    Capital expenditure

 
  Year ended
December 31,
 
 
  2016   2015   2014  
 
  (in € millions)
 

Metal Packaging Europe

    72     46     43  

Metal Packaging Americas

    35     15     107  

Glass Packaging Europe

    90     109     86  

Glass Packaging North America

    121     134     78  

Total capital expenditure

    318     304     314  

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        Capital expenditure for the year ended December 31, 2016 increased by €14 million to €318 million, compared to €304 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. In Metal Packaging Europe, capital expenditure in the year ended December 31, 2016 was €72 million compared to capital expenditure of €46 million in the same period in 2015 with the increase attributable to the Beverage Can Acquisition. In Metal Packaging Americas capital expenditure in the year ended December 31, 2016 was €35 million compared to capital expenditure of €15 million in the same period in 2015 with the increase attributable to the Beverage Can Acquisition. In Glass Packaging Europe, capital expenditure was €90 million in the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to capital expenditure of €109 million in the same period in 2015, reflecting lower furnace rebuild activity in 2016. In Glass Packaging North America, capital expenditure was €121 million in the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to capital expenditure of €134 million in the same period in 2015, also due to lower furnace rebuild activity in 2016.

        Capital expenditure for the year ended December 31, 2015 was €304 million compared to €314 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. In Metal Packaging Europe, capital expenditure in the year ended December 31, 2015 was €46 million compared to capital expenditure of €43 million in the same period in 2014. In Metal Packaging Americas capital expenditure in the year ended December 31, 2015 was €15 million compared to capital expenditure of €107 million in the same period in 2014. The reduction in capital expenditure was a result of the completion of the strategic growth investment in the fourth quarter 2014. In Glass Packaging Europe, capital expenditure was €109 million in the year to December 31, 2015 compared to capital expenditures of €86 million in the same period in 2014 reflecting an increased level of furnace rebuilds in 2015. In Glass Packaging North America, capital expenditure was €134 million in the year to December 31, 2015 compared to capital expenditure of €78 million in the same period in 2014. The increase was mostly due to the full year inclusion of the operations acquired in the VNA Acquisition and increased furnace rebuilds.

Contractual Obligations and Commitments

        The following table outlines our principal contractual obligations as of December 31, 2016:

 
  Less than
one year
  1 – 3 years   3 – 5 years   More than
five years
 
 
  (in € millions)
 

Long term debt—capital repayment

    7     1,460     1,897     4,859  

Long term debt—interest

    439     856     630     478  

Finance leases and other borrowings

    1     3     2     1  

Operating leases

    30     39     30     68  

Purchase obligations

    1,534              

Derivatives

    8              

Contracted capital commitments

    110              

Total

    2,129     2,358     2,559     5,406  

Off-Balance Sheet Items

        Historically we have not engaged in off-balance sheet financing activities.

        However, as part of the Beverage Can Acquisition the Group acquired several uncommitted accounts receivable factoring and related programs with various financial institutions for certain receivables, accounted for as true sales of receivables, without recourse to the Group. Receivables of €277 million were sold under these programs at December 31, 2016 of which €225 million relates to the Beverage Can business. We do not have any other material off-balance sheet finance obligations.

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Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

        The statements about market risk below relate to our historical financial information included in this prospectus.

Interest Rate Risk

        Our policy, in the management of interest rate risk, is to strike the right balance between fixed and floating rate financial instruments. The balance struck by our management is dependent on prevailing interest rate markets at any point in time. Our interest rate risk arises from long-term borrowings. Borrowings issued at variable rates expose us to variability in cash flows. During 2016, 2015 and 2014, our borrowings at variable rates were denominated in euro and U.S. dollars.

        We manage our variability in cash flows by using floating-to-fixed interest rate swaps, when deemed appropriate. Such interest rate swaps have the economic effect of converting borrowings from floating rates to fixed rates. When we raise long-term borrowings at floating rates we may swap them into fixed rates that are lower than those available if we borrowed at fixed rates directly. Under the interest rate swaps, we agree with other parties to exchange, at specified intervals, the difference between fixed contract rates and floating-rate interest amounts calculated by reference to the agreed notional principal amounts.

        At December 31, 2016, our borrowings were 73.8% fixed (2015: 74.4%; 2014: 75.7%), with a weighted average interest rate of 5.3% (2015: 6.2%; 2014: 6.2%). We had related party borrowings of €673 million as at December 31, 2016 (2015: €nil; 2014: €nil).

        Holding all other variables constant, including levels of external indebtedness, at December 31, 2016 a one percentage point increase in variable interest rates would increase interest payable by approximately €20 million (2015: €12 million; 2014: €12 million). When considering our related party borrowings at December 31, 2016, a one percentage point increase in variable interest rates would have no material impact on the interest expense.

Currency Exchange Risk

        The Group operates in 22 countries, across five continents. The Group's main currency exposure in the year to December 31, 2016 was in relation to U.S. dollar, British pounds, Swedish krona, Polish zloty, Danish krone and Brazilian real. Foreign exchange risk arises from future commercial transactions, recognized assets and liabilities, and net investments in foreign operations. The Group has a limited level of transactional currency exposure arising from sales or purchases by operating units in currencies other than their functional currencies.

        The Group has certain investments in foreign operations, whose net assets are exposed to foreign currency translation risk. Currency exposure arising from the net assets of the Group's foreign operations is managed primarily through borrowings denominated in the relevant foreign currencies. Fluctuations in the value of these currencies with respect to the euro may have a significant impact on our financial condition and results of operations as reported in euro. We believe that a strengthening of the euro exchange rate by 1% against all other foreign currencies from the December 31, 2016 rate would increase shareholders' equity by approximately €6 million (2015: €18 million; 2014: €13 million).

Commodity Price Risk

        We are exposed to changes in prices of our main raw materials, primarily energy, steel and aluminum. Production costs in our Metal Packaging division are exposed to changes in prices of our main raw materials, primarily steel and aluminum, to which exposure has significantly increased as a result of the Beverage Can Acquisition particularly to aluminum. Steel is generally obtained under one-year contracts with prices that are usually fixed in advance. When such contracts are renewed in

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the future, our steel costs under such contracts will be subject to prevailing global steel and/or tinplate prices at the time of renewal, which may be different from historical prices. Unlike steel, where there is no functioning hedging market, aluminum is traded daily as a commodity (priced in U.S. dollars) on the London Metal Exchange. Aluminum is priced in U.S. dollars, and therefore fluctuations in the U.S. dollar/euro exchange rate also affect the euro cost of aluminum. The price and foreign currency risk on these aluminum purchases is hedged by entering into swaps under which we pay a fixed euro price. Furthermore, the relative price of oil and its by-products may materially impact our business, affecting our transport, lacquer and ink costs.

        Production costs in our Glass Packaging division are sensitive to the price of energy. Our main energy exposure is to the cost of gas and electricity. These energy costs have experienced significant volatility in recent years with a corresponding effect on our production costs. In terms of gas, which represents 70% of our energy costs, there is a continuous de-coupling between the cost of gas and oil, whereby now only significant changes in the price of oil have an impact on the price of gas. The volatility in gas pricing is driven by shale gas development (United States only), lack of liquified natural gas in Europe as it is diverted to Asia and storage levels. Volatility in the price of electricity is caused by the German Renewable Energy policy, the phasing out of nuclear generating capacity, fluctuations in the price of gas and the influence of carbon dioxide costs on electricity prices.

        As a result of the volatility of gas and electricity prices, we have either included energy pass-through clauses in our sales contracts or developed an active hedging strategy to fix a significant proportion of our energy costs through contractual arrangements directly with our suppliers, where there is no energy clause in the sales contract.

        Where pass through contracts are not in place, our policy is to purchase natural gas and electricity by entering into forward price-fixing arrangements with suppliers for the bulk of our anticipated requirements for the year ahead. Such contracts are used exclusively to obtain delivery of our anticipated energy supplies. We do not net settle, nor do we sell within a short period of time after taking delivery. As a result these contracts are treated as executory contracts under IAS 39 "Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement."

        We typically build up these contractual positions in tranches of approximately 10% of the anticipated volumes. Any natural gas and electricity which is not purchased under forward price-fixing arrangements is purchased under index tracking contracts or at spot prices. We have 81%, 58% and 54% of our energy risk covered for 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Credit Risk

        Credit risk is managed on a Group basis. Credit risk arises from cash and cash equivalents and deposits with banks and financial institutions, as well as credit exposures to our customers, including outstanding receivables. Our policy is to place excess liquidity on deposit, only with recognized and reputable financial institutions. For banks and financial institutions only independently rated parties with a minimum rating of 'A' from at least two credit rating agencies are accepted, where possible.

        The credit ratings of banks and financial institutions are monitored to ensure compliance with our credit policy. Our policy is to extend credit to customers of good credit standing. Credit risk is managed on an ongoing basis by a designated team of employees. Our policy for the management of credit risk in relation to trade receivables involves periodically assessing the financial reliability of customers, taking into account their financial position, past experience and other factors. Provisions are made where deemed necessary and the utilization of credit limits is regularly monitored.

        Management does not expect any significant counterparty to fail to meets its obligations. The maximum exposure to credit risk is represented by the carrying amount of each asset. For the year

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ended December 31, 2016, our ten largest customers accounted for approximately 33% of total revenue (2015: 32%; 2014: 29%). There is no recent history of default with these customers.

Liquidity Risk

        We are exposed to liquidity risk which arises primarily from the maturing of short-term and long-term debt obligations and derivative transactions. Our policy is to ensure that sufficient resources are available either from cash balances, cash flows or undrawn committed bank facilities to ensure all obligations can be met as they fall due.

        To effectively manage liquidity risk, we:

    have committed borrowing facilities that we can access to meet liquidity needs;

    maintain cash balances and liquid investments with highly-rated counterparties;

    limit the maturity of cash balances;

    borrow the bulk of our debt needs under long-term fixed rate debt securities; and

    have internal control processes and contingency plans for managing liquidity risk.

        Cash flow forecasting is performed by our operating entities and is aggregated by Group treasury. Group treasury monitors rolling forecasts of our liquidity requirements to ensure we have sufficient cash to meet operational needs while maintaining sufficient headroom on our undrawn committed borrowing facilities at all times so that we do not breach borrowing limits or covenants on any of our borrowing facilities. Such forecasting takes into consideration our debt financing plans, covenant compliance and compliance with internal balance sheet ratio targets.

        Surplus cash held by the operating entities over and above the balance required for working capital management is transferred to Group treasury. Group treasury invests surplus cash in interest-bearing current accounts and time deposits with appropriate maturities to provide sufficient headroom as determined by the above-mentioned forecasts. At December 31, 2016, we had placed €16 million (2015: €nil; 2014: €51 million) on deposit.

Critical Accounting Policies

        We prepare our financial statements in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB. A summary of significant accounting policies is contained in Note 2 to our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2016. In applying many accounting principles, we make assumptions, estimates and judgments which are often subjective and may be affected by changing circumstances or changes in our analysis. Material changes in these assumptions, estimates and judgments have the potential to materially alter our results of operations. The estimates and assumptions that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year are discussed below.

    Business combinations and goodwill

        All business combinations are accounted for by applying the purchase method of accounting. This involves measuring the cost of the business combination and allocating, at the acquisition date, the cost of the business combination to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination are measured initially at their fair values at the acquisition date. The determination of the fair value of the assets and liabilities is based, to a considerable extent, on management's judgment. Allocation of the purchase price affects the results of the Group as finite lived intangible assets are amortized, whereas indefinite lived intangible assets,

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including goodwill, are not amortized and could result in differing amortization charges based on the allocation to indefinite lived and finite lived intangible assets.

        The cost of an acquisition is measured as the aggregate of the consideration transferred, which is measured at acquisition date fair value, and the amount of any non-controlling interests in the acquiree. For each business combination, the Group elects whether to measure the non-controlling interests in the acquiree at fair value or at the proportionate share of the acquiree's identifiable net assets. Acquisition-related costs are expensed as incurred and included in sales, general and administration expenses.

        When the Group acquires a business, it assesses the financial assets and liabilities assumed for appropriate classification and designation in accordance with the contractual terms, economic circumstances and pertinent conditions as at the acquisition date.

        Any contingent consideration to be transferred by the acquirer will be recognized at fair value at the acquisition date.

        Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquisition over the fair value of the net identifiable assets of the acquired subsidiary at the date of acquisition.

        Goodwill is stated at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. Goodwill is allocated to those groups of cash-generating units ("CGUs") that are expected to benefit from the business combination in which the goodwill arose for the purpose of assessing impairment. Goodwill is tested annually for impairment.

        Where goodwill has been allocated to a CGU and part of the operation within that unit is disposed of, the goodwill associated with the disposed operation is included in the carrying amount of the operation when determining the gain or loss on disposal. Goodwill disposed in these circumstances is measured based on the relative values of the disposed operation and the portion of the cash-generating unit retained.

    Estimated impairment of goodwill

        Goodwill acquired through a business combination has been allocated to groups of CGUs for the purpose of impairment testing based on the segment into which the business combination is assimilated. The groupings represent the lowest level at which the related goodwill is monitored for internal management purposes. As at the reporting date, Metal Packaging Europe, Metal Packing Americas, Glass Packaging Europe and Glass Packaging North America were the groups of CGUs to which goodwill was allocated and monitored.

        The recoverable amount of a group of CGUs is determined based on value-in-use calculations. These calculations use cash flow projections based on financial budgets approved by management covering a five-year period. Growth rates of 1.5% - 2.0% have been assumed beyond the five-year period. The terminal value is estimated based on capitalizing the year 5 cash flows in perpetuity. The discount rates used ranged from 8.3% - 11.9% (2015: 9.0% - 9.9%; 2014: 10.0% - 10.5%). These rates are pre-tax. These assumptions have been used for the analysis for each group of CGU. Management determined budgeted cash-flows based on past performance and its expectations for the market development.

        Key assumptions include management's estimates of future profitability, replacement capital expenditure requirements, trade working capital investment needs and discount rates. The values applied to each of the key assumptions are derived from a combination of internal and external factors based on historical experience and take into account the stability of cash flows typically associated with these groups of CGUs.

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        If the estimated pre-tax discount rate applied to the discounted cash flows had been +/–50 basis points than management's estimates, the recoverable value of the CGUs would still have been in excess of their carrying value and no impairment would have arisen.

    Income taxes

        We are subject to income taxes in numerous jurisdictions. Significant judgment is required in determining the worldwide provision for income taxes. There are many transactions and calculations for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain during the ordinary course of business. The Group recognizes liabilities for anticipated tax audit issues based on estimates of whether additional taxes will be due. Where the final tax outcome of these matters is different from the amounts that were initially recorded, such differences will impact the income tax and deferred tax provisions in the period in which such determination is made.

    Measurement of defined benefit obligations

        We follow guidance of IAS 19 to determine the present value of our obligations to current and past employees in respect of defined benefit pension obligations, other long-term employee benefits and other end or service employee benefits, which are subject to similar fluctuations in value in the long term. We, with the assistance of a network of professionals, value such liabilities designed to ensure consistency in the quality of the key assumptions underlying the valuations.

        The principal pension assumptions used in the preparation of the accounts take account of the different economic circumstances in the countries in which we operate and the different characteristics of the respective plans including the length of duration of liabilities.

        The rates or ranges of rates for the principal assumptions applied in estimating the net pension liabilities in our consolidated financial statements were as follows:

 
  U.S.   Germany   Netherlands   UK  
 
  2016   2015   2014   2016   2015   2014   2016   2015   2014   2016   2015   2014  
 
  %
  %
  %
  %
  %
  %
  %
  %
  %
  %
  %
  %
 

Rate of inflation

  2.50     3.00     3.00   1.50   1.75   1.75   1.70   1.70   2.00     3.20     3.00     3.10  

Rate of increase in salaries

  2.00 - 3.00     3.00     3.00   2.50   2.50   2.50   1.70   1.70   2.00     2.20     3.00     3.10  

Discount rate

  4.45     4.70     4.10   1.57 - 2.06   2.16 - 2.72   1.50 - 2.30   1.10 - 2.00   2.50 - 2.60   2.30 - 2.40     2.80     3.90     3.80  

        If the discount rate were to decrease by 50 basis points from management estimates, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would increase by an estimated €243 million (2015: €205 million; 2014: €173 millions). If the discount rate were to increase by 50 basis points, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would decrease by an estimated €242 million (2015: €204 million; 2014: €151 million).

        If the inflation rate were to decrease by 50 basis points from management estimates, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would decrease by an estimated €93 million (2015: €84 million; 2014: €85 million). If the inflation rate were to increase by 50 basis points, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would increase by an estimated €93 million (2015: €67 million; 2014: €92 million).

        If the salary increase rate were to decrease by 50 basis points from management estimates, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would decrease by an estimated €93 million (2015: €88 million; 2014: €78 million). If the salary increase rate were to increase by 50 basis points, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would increase by an estimated €92 million (2015: €70 million; 2014: €90 million).

        Assumptions regarding future mortality experience are set based on actuarial advice in accordance with published statistics and experience.

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        These assumptions translate into the following average life expectancy in years for a pensioner retiring at age 65. The mortality assumptions for the countries with the most significant defined benefit plans are set out below:

 
  U.S.   Germany   Netherlands   UK  
 
  2016
Years
  2015
Years
  2014
Years
  2016
Years
  2015
Years
  2014
Years
  2016
Years
  2015
Years
  2014
Years
  2016
Years
  2015
Years
  2014
Years
 

Life expectancy, current pensioners

    22     21     21     21     21     21     24     24     22     21     20     21  

Life expectancy, future pensioners

    23     23     23     24     24     24     25     26     25     22     22     22  

        The impact of increasing the expected longevity by one year would result in an increase in the Group's liability of €63 million at December 31, 2016 (2015: €60 million; 2014: €50 million), holding all other assumptions constant.

    Establishing lives for depreciation purposes of property, plant and equipment

        Long-lived assets, consisting primarily of property, plant and equipment, comprise a significant portion of the total assets. The annual depreciation charge depends primarily on the estimated lives of each type of asset and, in certain circumstances, estimates of fair values and residual values. The directors regularly review these asset lives and change them as necessary to reflect current thinking on remaining lives in light of technological change, prospective economic utilization and physical condition of the assets concerned. Changes in asset lives can have a significant impact on the depreciation and amortization charges for the period. It is not practical to quantify the impact of changes in asset lives on an overall basis, as asset lives are individually determined and there are a significant number of asset lives in use. Details of the useful lives are included in the accounting policy. The impact of any change would vary significantly depending on the individual changes in assets and the classes of assets impacted.

        Impairment tests for items of property, plant and equipment are performed on a CGU level basis. The recoverable amounts in property, plant and equipment are determined based on the higher of value-in-use or fair value less costs to sell.

    Exceptional items

        The consolidated income statement and segment analysis separately identify results before exceptional items. Exceptional items are those that in our judgment need to be disclosed by virtue of their size, nature or incidence.

        The Group believes that this presentation provides additional analysis as it highlights exceptional items. Such items include, where significant, restructuring, redundancy and other costs relating to permanent capacity realignment or footprint reorganization, directly attributable acquisition costs, profit or loss on disposal or termination of operations, start-up costs incurred in relation to new operations or plant builds, major litigation costs, settlements and impairment of non-current assets. In this regard, the determination of 'significant' as included in our definition uses qualitative and quantitative factors which remain consistent from period to period. Management uses judgment in assessing the particular items, which by virtue of their scale and nature, are disclosed in the consolidated income statement and related notes as exceptional items. We consider the columnar consolidated income statement presentation of exceptional items to be appropriate as it improves the clarity of the presentation and is consistent with the way that financial information is measured by management and presented to the Board and CODM. In that regard, we believe it to be consistent with paragraph 85 of IAS 1, which permits the inclusion of line items and subtotals that improve the understanding of performance.

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Recent Accounting Pronouncements

        New standards, amendments, improvements and interpretations which are effective for financial periods beginning on or after January 1, 2017 that are applicable to the Group, none of which have been early adopted.

        The following new standards, amendments to existing standards and interpretations effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2017 have been issued prior to the date of issuance of the financial statements but have not been adopted early by the Group. The Directors' assessment of the impact of the new standards listed below, on the reported results, consolidated statement of financial position and disclosures as a result of their adoption in future periods is on-going

        IFRS 15, 'Revenue from contracts with customers' deals with revenue recognition and establishes principles for reporting useful information to users of financial statements about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from an entity's contracts with customers. Revenue is recognized when a customer obtains control of a good or service and thus has the ability to direct the use and obtain the benefits from the good or service. The standard replaces IAS 18, 'Revenue' and IAS 11, 'Construction contracts' and related interpretations. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018 and earlier application is permitted. The Group has started to assess the impact of IFRS 15 and, at this time, the Group does not expect that the implementation of this standard in 2018 will have a significant impact on the timing in which it recognizes revenue and therefore is not expected to have a significant impact on the consolidated income statement or the consolidated statement of financial position.

        IFRS 9, 'Financial instruments'. IFRS 9 is the first standard issued as part of a wider project to replace IAS 39 'Financial instruments: Recognition and measurement' ("IAS 39"). IFRS 9 has been completed in a number of phases and includes requirements on the classification and measurement of financial assets and liabilities. It also includes an expected credit loss model that replaces the incurred loss impairment model currently used as well as hedge accounting amendments. This standard becomes effective for annual periods commencing on or after January 1, 2018. The Group has started to assess the impact of the implementation of this standard and, at this time, the Group does not expect there to be a significant impact on the statement of financial position in respect of classification of financial assets and liabilities. The Group is continuing to evaluate the impact of prospective changes to hedge accounting and the introduction of an expected credit loss model on the consolidated income statement, the consolidated statement of comprehensive income and the consolidated statement of financial position.

        IFRS 16, 'Leases', sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases. The objective is to ensure that lessees and lessors provide relevant information in a manner that faithfully represents those transactions. This information gives a basis for users of financial statements to assess the effect that leases have on the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of the entity. IFRS 16 replaces IAS 17, 'Leases', and later interpretations and will result in most operating leases being recorded on the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position. IFRS 16 is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019. The impact of IFRS 16 continues to be assessed by the Group.

        There are no other accounting standards or IFRIC guidance that are not yet effective that would be expected to have a material impact on the Group.

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BUSINESS

Overview

Our Company

        We are a leading supplier of innovative, value-added rigid packaging solutions. Our products include metal and glass containers primarily for food and beverage markets, which are characterized by stable, consumer-driven demand. Our end-use categories include beer, wine, spirits, carbonated soft drinks ("CSDs"), energy drinks, juices and flavored waters, as well as food, seafood and nutrition. We also supply the paints & coatings, chemicals, personal care, pharmaceuticals and general household end-use categories. Our customers include a wide variety of leading consumer product companies which value our packaging products for their features, convenience and quality, as well as the end-user appeal they offer through design, innovation, functionality, premium association and brand promotion. With our significant invested capital base, extensive technological capabilities and manufacturing know-how, we believe we are well-positioned to continue to meet the dynamic needs of our global customers. We have mainly built our Company through strategic acquisitions and have established leadership positions in large, attractive markets in beverage cans, food and specialty cans and glass containers. Approximately 95% of our revenue is derived from end-use categories where we believe we hold #1, #2 or #3 positions.

        We serve over 2,000 customers across more than 80 countries, comprised of multi-national companies, large national and regional companies and small local businesses. In our target regions of Europe, North America and Brazil, our customers include a wide variety of Consumer Packaged Goods companies ("CPGs"), which own some of the best known brands in the world. We have a stable customer base with longstanding relationships, including an average tenure of over 30 years with our ten largest customers. Approximately two-thirds of our sales are generated under multi-year contracts, with the remainder largely subject to annual arrangements. A significant portion of our sales volumes are supplied under contracts which include input cost pass-through provisions, which help us deliver consistent margins.

        We operate 109 production facilities in 22 countries and employ approximately 23,500 personnel. Our plant network includes 74 metal production facilities and 35 glass production facilities. Our plants are generally located in close proximity to our customers, with some located on-site or near-site to our customers' filling locations. Certain facilities may also be dedicated to end-use categories, enhancing product-specific expertise and generating benefits of scale and production efficiency. Significant capital has been invested in our extensive network of long-lived production facilities, which, together with our skilled workforce and related manufacturing process know-how, supports our competitive positions.

        We are committed to market-leading innovation and product development and maintain dedicated innovation, development and engineering centers in France, Germany, and the U.S. to support these efforts. These facilities focus on three main areas: (i) innovations that provide enhanced product design, differentiation and user friendliness for our customers and end-use consumers; (ii) innovations that reduce input costs to generate cost savings for both our customers and us (downgauging and lightweighting); and (iii) developments to meet evolving product safety standards and regulations. Further, our subsidiary, Heye International, is a leading provider of engineering solutions to the glass container industry globally, with significant proprietary know-how and expertise. We also have significant in-house mold-manufacturing expertise in Europe and the United States.

        Our leading global positions have been established through acquisitions, with 23 successful acquisitions completed over the past 18 years. Most recently, on June 30, 2016, we completed the Beverage Can Acquisition, comprising 22 beverage can production facilities in Europe, North America and Brazil which, on a combined basis, we believe is the third largest beverage can business globally. Our beverage can operations are particularly well-positioned in the faster-growing specialty, or

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non-standard sized, product category, which, on a pro forma basis following the Beverage Can Acquisition, represented 37% of total beverage can unit volume for the year ended December 31, 2016.

        In addition to organic and acquisitive growth initiatives, we have also expanded our footprint through strategic investments in new capacity. For example, in 2014 we completed a glass furnace investment in the United Kingdom, supported by a long-term contract with a large European customer. In 2015, we completed an investment of approximately $220 million in two new can-making facilities in Roanoke, Virginia and Reno, Nevada, as well as a significant expansion of our Conklin, New York, ends plant. The two new facilities incorporate high-output drawn and wall ironed ("DWI") technology to manufacture two-piece cans, as well as three-piece cans, and the total investment across the three facilities has positioned us to meet substantially all of the U.S. food can requirements of a major U.S. customer pursuant to a long-term contract. These initiatives, as well as other acquisitions and investments over many years, in existing and adjacent end-use categories, have increased our scale and diversification and provided opportunities to grow our business with both existing and new customers.

        Our pro forma net profit and Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2016 were €108 million and €1,333 million, respectively. Our net cash from operating activities and Free Cash Flow for the year ended December 31, 2016 were €469 million and €335 million respectively.

        The following charts illustrate the breakdown of our pro forma revenue by end-use category and by destination for the year ended December 31, 2016:

Revenue by End-Use Category*   Revenue by Destination

GRAPHIC

 

GRAPHIC

    *
    Based on Company estimates.

Our Industry

        The global packaging industry is a large, consumer-driven industry with stable growth characteristics. We operate in the metal and glass container sectors and our target regions are Europe, North America and Brazil. Metal and glass containers are attractive to brand owners, as their strength and rigidity allows them to be filled at high speeds and easily transported, while their shelf-stable nature means that refrigeration is not required, thereby resulting in further energy savings in the supply chain. The ability to customize and differentiate products supplied in metal and glass containers, through innovative design, shaping and printing, also appeals to our customers. Both the metal and the glass container markets have been marked by progressive downgauging (metal cans) and lightweighting (glass containers), which have generated material savings in input costs and logistics, while enhancing

   


For definitions of Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow, and the reconciliation of profit/(loss) for the year and pro forma net loss to Adjusted EBITDA and pro forma Adjusted EBITDA, as well as the reconciliation of net cash from operating activities to Free Cash Flow, see "Summary Consolidated Financial and Other Data of Ardagh Group S.A."

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the consumer experience. This reduction in raw material and energy usage in the manufacturing process has also increased the appeal to end-users, who are increasingly focused on sustainability.

Our Competitive Strengths

        We believe a number of competitive strengths differentiate us from our competitors, including:

    Leader in Rigid Packaging.   We believe we are one of the leading suppliers of metal and glass packaging solutions, capable of supplying multi-national CPGs in our target markets.

    We believe that we are the #2 supplier of metal cans by value (meaning total revenue derived from supplying to specific end-markets and end-use categories) in the European beverage can and food can end-use categories, the #1 supplier of metal cans by value in the European seafood, aerosols, paints & coatings and nutrition end-use categories and the #1 supplier of metal cans by value in the North American seafood end-use category. In addition, we believe that we are the #3 supplier of beverage cans by value in the United States and Brazil.

    We believe that we are the #2 supplier of glass packaging by value globally. In the United States, we believe we are the #2 supplier of glass packaging by value, serving the beer, food, wine, spirits and non-alcoholic beverage sectors. In addition, we believe we are the #3 supplier of glass packaging by value in Europe and the #1 supplier by value in Northern Europe, serving the beer, food, wine, spirits, non-alcoholic beverage and pharmaceutical end-use categories.

      We believe the combination of our extensive footprint, proximity to customers, efficient manufacturing and high level of customer service underpins our leading positions.

    Long-term relationships with diverse blue-chip customer base.   We supply some of the world's best-known brands with innovative packaging solutions, and have been recognized with numerous industry awards. We have longstanding relationships with many of our major customers, which include leading multinational consumer products companies, large national and regional food and beverage companies, as well as numerous local companies. Some of our major customers include AB InBev, Akzo Nobel, Bacardi, Bonduelle, Britvic, Coca-Cola, ConAgra Foods, Constellation Brands, Diageo, Heineken, The Kraft Heinz Company, Monster Beverage, Nestlé, Pernod Ricard, Procter & Gamble, JM Smucker and Unilever. Approximately two-thirds of our revenues are derived from multi-year contracts of between two and ten years, most of which include input cost pass-through provisions. The average length of our relationship with our top 10 customers is over 30 years.

    Focus on stable markets.   We derive over 90% of our revenues in Europe and North America, mature markets characterized by predictable consumer spending, stable supply and demand and low cyclicality. Furthermore, over 90% of our revenues are generated from the stable food and beverage end-use categories, including fruit, vegetables, soups, sauces, seafood, pet food, beer, wine, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages. In addition, in some of our end-use categories, we serve customers in high-growth categories, such as premium spirits, where customers value premium glass packaging, or powdered infant formula, where demand is driven by emerging market growth.

    Well-invested asset base with significant scale and operational excellence.   We believe we have one of the most extensive plant networks in the rigid packaging industry. We operate 109 strategically-located production facilities in 22 countries, enabling us to efficiently serve our customers with high quality and innovative products and services across multiple geographies. Our asset base is well-invested, with approximately €1.5 billion invested in capital expenditure in the five years ended December 31, 2016. We pursue continuous improvement in our facilities by applying Lean Manufacturing techniques ("Lean"). To supplement our Lean initiatives and promote a culture

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      of consistently pursuing excellence, we formed our Operational Support Group in Metal Packaging, Operational Excellence Group and Central Technical Services group in Glass Packaging to standardize and share best practices across our network of plants. We believe the total value proposition we offer our customers, in the form of geographic reach, customer service, product quality, reliability, and innovation, will enable us to continue to drive growth and profitability.

    Technical leadership and innovation.   We have advanced technical and manufacturing capabilities in both metal and glass packaging, including innovation, development and engineering centers in France, Germany and the United States. In addition, our subsidiary, Heye International, is a leading provider of engineering solutions to the glass container industry globally, with significant proprietary know-how and expertise. We also have significant in-house mold-manufacturing expertise in Europe and the United States. We continually seek to improve the quality of our products and processes, through focused investment in new technology. These capabilities have enabled us to develop a pipeline of product and process innovations to meet the dynamic needs of our customers. Our innovations have also been recognized with numerous industry awards and accreditations. We have significant expertise in the production of value-added metal packaging, both aluminum and tinplate, with features such as high-quality graphic designs, a wide range of shapes and sizes and convenience features, such as easy-open ends and Easy Peel® and Easip® peelable lids, and introduced lightweight aluminum cans. In Glass Packaging, our focus has been on product development, process improvement and cost reduction, which has resulted in progressive advances such as container lightweighting and the increased use of cullet (recycled glass) in the production process. This has delivered significant environmental benefits by reducing the use of raw materials and energy.

    Highly contracted revenue base.   Approximately two-thirds of our sales are made pursuant to multi-year contracts, with the remainder largely pursuant to annual arrangements. A significant proportion of our sales volumes are supplied under contracts which include mechanisms that help to protect us from earnings volatility related to input costs. Specifically, such arrangements include (i) multi-year contracts that include input cost pass-through and/or margin maintenance provisions and (ii) one-year contracts that allow us to negotiate pricing levels for our products on an annual basis at the same time that we determine our input costs for the relevant year.

    Attractive growth through acquisitions and strong Free Cash Flow generation.   In 1998, under Irish GAAP, our revenue and EBITDA were €51 million and €10 million, respectively. In 2016, under IFRS on a pro forma basis, our revenue and Adjusted EBITDA have grown to €7,646 million and €1,333 million, respectively. We also believe we maintain attractive margins and generate significant Free Cash Flow and returns on capital for our shareholders. For the year ended December 31, 2016, our pro forma Adjusted EBITDA margin was 17.4%, and our Free Cash Flow was €335 million. We believe we can continue to maintain attractive margins and grow Free Cash Flow through business mix optimization, growth with new and existing customers, efficiency gains, cost reduction, working capital optimization and disciplined capital allocation.

    Proven track record of successful acquisitions and business optimization.   We have grown through a series of acquisitions, some of which significantly increased the size and scope of our Company and the breadth of our product offering. We have successfully integrated these acquired businesses and realized or exceeded targeted cost synergies, including $60 million in cost synergies announced in conjunction with the VNA Acquisition in 2014. Through the Beverage Can Acquisition, we are targeting operating cost synergies of at least $50 million by December 2018, with projected one-time costs of approximately $20 million to achieve these synergies, although we cannot give any assurances that such synergies will be achieved. We believe we can continue to create value for shareholders through acquisitions, business optimization and synergy realization.

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    Experienced management team with a proven track record and high degree of shareholder alignment . We believe our management team is highly experienced, with an average of more than 15 years of experience in the consumer packaging industry. The members of our senior management team have demonstrated their ability to manage costs, adapt to changing market conditions, undertake strategic investments and acquire and integrate new businesses, thereby driving significant value creation. Our board of directors, led by our Chairman, has a high degree of indirect ownership in our Company, which we believe promotes efficient capital allocation decisions and results in strong shareholder alignment and commitment to further shareholder value creation.

Our Business Strategy

        Historically, we have created significant shareholder value by acquiring businesses and integrating them to realize synergies and enhance profitability, which, when combined with the application of our operational excellence and best practice initiatives, has enabled us to generate strong growth in revenues and Adjusted EBITDA since 1998. We have deployed our cash flow to grow our businesses and service our debt. In addition, ARD Holdings S.A. has also returned over €570 million to its shareholders since January 2010. Our principal objective remains to grow shareholder value by accelerating earnings growth and driving Free Cash Flow generation. In the near-term we intend to deploy our Free Cash Flow primarily to reduce debt, but we will continue to opportunistically engage in strategic capital investments and selective acquisitions that enhance shareholder value. We will continue to pursue these objectives through the following strategies:

    Grow Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow.   We will seek to leverage our extensive footprint, proximity to customers, efficient manufacturing and high level of customer service to grow revenue with new and existing customers, improve our productivity, and reduce our costs. To increase Adjusted EBITDA, we will continue to take decisive actions with respect to our assets and invest in our business, in line with our stringent investment criteria. To increase Free Cash Flow, we will continue to actively manage our working capital and capital expenditures.

    Enhance product mix and profitability.   We have enhanced our product mix over the years by replacing lower margin business with higher margin business. For example, we grew our presence in end-use categories such as spirits, invested in our specialty beverage can capacity, expanded our DWI and two-piece food can production capacity and increased our specialty nutrition can capacity. We will continue to develop long-term partnerships with our global customers and selectively pursue opportunities with existing and new customers that will grow our business and enhance our overall profitability.

    Apply leading process technology and technical expertise.   Our goal is to be the most profitable producer earning the highest returns on capital in the rigid packaging industry. We plan to achieve this with an attractive and well-balanced business mix, combined with a low cost base, Lean manufacturing, strong technological expertise and a highly motivated workforce. We intend to increase productivity through the deployment of leading technology (including our internal engineering, innovation and design capabilities), and continued development and dissemination of best practices and know-how across our operations.

    Emphasize operational excellence and optimize manufacturing base.   In managing our businesses, we seek to improve our efficiency, control costs and preserve and expand our margins. We have consistently reduced total costs through implementing operational efficiencies, streamlining our manufacturing base and investing in advanced technology to enhance our production capacity. We will continue to take actions to reduce costs by optimizing our manufacturing footprint, including through further investment in advanced technology.

    Successfully integrate the Beverage Can Acquisition.   We have successfully acquired and integrated a significant number of businesses over the past 18 years. We have proven our ability to create

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      value through integrating acquisitions with our existing operations, for example in connection with the VNA Acquisition in 2014, where we have achieved operating and administrative cost synergies of $60 million announced at the time of the acquisition. We believe we will continue to be effective in integrating our acquisitions and we believe we will achieve at least $50 million of synergies from the recent Beverage Can Acquisition by December 2018, although we cannot give any assurances that such synergies will be achieved.

    Carefully evaluate and pursue strategic opportunities.   We have achieved our current market positions by selectively pursuing strategic opportunities. Although our near-term focus is primarily on de-leveraging our Company, we will continue to evaluate opportunities in line with our objectives, which include the realization of attractive returns on investment and Free Cash Flow generation. We believe there are still significant opportunities for further growth by acquisition and we may selectively explore acquisition opportunities, in line with our stringent investment criteria and focus on enhancing shareholder value. Our acquisition criteria include (i) attractive bolt-on acquisitions in existing markets, (ii) acquisitions that allow us access to critical technology, and (iii) new platform acquisitions that have scale positions and an attractive financial profile.

Our Divisions

        Ardagh Group was founded in 1932 in Dublin, Ireland, as the Irish Glass Bottle Company. The Company operated a single glass plant in Dublin, largely serving a domestic beverage and food customer base until 1998, when Yeoman International, led by the current Chairman and major shareholder, Paul Coulson, took an initial stake in Ardagh Group. Since 1999, we have played a major role in the consolidation of the global metal and glass packaging industries, completing 23 acquisitions and significantly increasing our scope, scale, and geographic presence. Major acquisitions over the past 18 years have included: the acquisition in 1999 of Rockware Glass Limited from Owens-Illinois, Inc., which established the Company as the leading glass packaging producer in the UK and Ireland; the acquisition in 2007 of the European glass packaging business of Rexam PLC, which expanded our glass packaging business and broadened our presence in Continental Europe; the acquisition in 2010 of Impress Group, which diversified our presence into metal packaging; the VNA Acquisition in 2014, which expanded our glass packaging business in North America and most recently, the Beverage Can Acquisition in 2016, which broadened our metal packaging business into beverage cans.

        Today, we manage our business in two divisions, Metal Packaging and Glass Packaging. The following charts illustrate the breakdown of our pro forma revenue and pro forma Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2016:

Revenue by Division   Adjusted EBITDA by Division

GRAPHIC

 

GRAPHIC

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        We are organized into four operating and reportable segments, Europe and Americas in Metal Packaging, and Europe and North America in Glass Packaging. Adjusted EBITDA is the performance measure used to manage and assess performance of our reportable segments.

LOGO

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Metal Packaging

        Metal Packaging revenues represented 52% of our total revenues in 2016 and, on a pro forma basis following the Beverage Can Acquisition in 2016, represented 60% of our total revenues in the year ended December 31, 2016. In 2016, on a pro forma basis, we manufactured approximately 50 billion metal cans, of which more than 90% was for the food and beverage end-use categories.

        We believe that we are one of the leading suppliers of consumer metal packaging in the world, holding leading market positions in each of the end-use categories that we serve. On June 30, 2016, we completed the Beverage Can Acquisition and we believe that we are now the #2 supplier of metal cans by value in the European beverage can and food can categories, the #1 supplier of metal cans by value in the European seafood, nutrition, paints & coatings and aerosols categories and the #1 supplier of metal cans by value in the North American seafood category. In addition, we believe that we are the #3 supplier of metal beverage cans by value in the United States and Brazil.

    Products and Services

        We are a leading supplier of innovative, value-added metal packaging for the consumer products industry. We currently supply a broad range of products, including aluminum and steel beverage cans, two-piece aluminum, two-piece tinplate and three-piece tinplate food and specialty cans, and a wide range of can ends, including easy-open and peelable ends. Many of our products feature high-quality printed graphics, customized sizes and shapes or other innovative designs. Our products provide functionality and differentiation and enhance our customers' brands on the shelf.

    Manufacturing and Production

        As of December 31, 2016, we operated 74 production facilities in 21 countries and had approximately 11,500 employees. Our plants are currently located in 15 European countries, as well as in Brazil, Canada, Morocco, the Seychelles, South Korea and the United States.

        The following table summarizes Metal Packaging's principal production facilities as of December 31, 2016.

Location
  Number of
Production
Facilities
 

Germany

    10  

France

    9  

Italy

    8  

Netherlands

    6  

Other European countries (1)

    21  

United States

    14  

Rest of the world (2)

    6  

    74  

(1)
Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
(2)
Brazil, Canada, Morocco, the Seychelles and South Korea.

    Industry Overview

        We operate in the consumer metal packaging industry, which can be broadly divided into (i) the processed food and specialties segments and (ii) the beverage segment. We are currently focused on the processed food and specialties markets, as well as the beverage can market.

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        The metal can packaging market represents a $60 billion market that is comprised of beverage cans (50% of the market), food (including seafood) cans (33%), and specialty cans (17%), according to Smithers Pira*, a leading independent market research firm. The beverage can sector is growing in Europe and Brazil, while North America is stable, as growth in beer and energy drinks offsets modest declines in CSD unit volumes. Growth in unit volumes of specialty beverage cans has exceeded growth in standard beverage cans, thereby increasing specialty can penetration, a trend that is expected to continue. The food can sector, which includes cans for a variety of food, pet food and seafood end uses, is a stable market. In Europe, the market is characterized by lightweight three-piece and two-piece cans with easy open or peelable ends that are decorated with high quality printed graphics and other innovative designs. In contrast, in the United States, food cans are typically heavier, with more modest levels of decoration, creating a growth opportunity for our products and innovations, including lighter-weight cans incorporating advanced coating solutions. The specialty can sector is characterized by a number of different products and applications, including paints & coatings, aerosol, nutrition and other cans.

        We believe the purchasing decisions of retail consumers are significantly influenced by packaging. Consumer product manufacturers and marketers are increasingly using packaging as a means to position their products in the market and differentiate them on retailers' shelves. The development and production of premium, specialized packaging products with a combination of value-added features requires a higher level of design capabilities, manufacturing and process know-how and quality control than for more standardized products.

    Customers

        We operate worldwide, selling metal packaging for a wide range of consumer products to national and international customers. We supply leading manufacturers in each of the markets we serve, including AB InBev, AkzoNobel, Brasil Kirin, Britvic, Coca-Cola, Bumble Bee Seafoods, ConAgra Foods, Danone, Heineken, J.M. Smucker, The Kraft Heinz Company, L'Oréal, Mars, Mead Johnson, Monster Beverage, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Petrópolis, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, Thai Union and Unilever, among others.

        On a pro forma basis, following the Beverage Can Acquisition in 2016, the top ten metal packaging customers represented approximately 44% of 2016 revenues, more than two-thirds of which were backed by multi-year supply agreements, typically ranging from two- to ten-years in duration. These contracts generally provide for the pass through of metal price fluctuations and, in most cases, all or most of variable cost movements, while others have tolling arrangements whereby customers arrange for the procurement of metal themselves. In addition, within multi-year relationships, both parties can work together to streamline the product, service and supply process, leading to significant cost reductions and improvements in product and service, with benefits arising to both parties. Wherever possible, we seek to enter into multi-year supply agreements with our customers. In other cases, sales are made under commercial supply agreements, typically of one-year's duration, with prices based on expected purchase volumes.

    Competitors

        Our principal competitors in metal packaging include Ball Corporation, Crown Holdings and Silgan Holdings.

    Energy, Raw Materials and Suppliers

        The principal raw materials used in Metal Packaging are steel (in both tin-plated and tin-free forms), aluminum, coatings and lining compounds. In 2016, approximately 68% of total raw materials

   


*
Source: Smithers Pira— The Future of Metal Packaging and Coatings to 2021 (Nov. 2016).

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costs related to tin-plated steel and tin-free steel and approximately 23% of our total raw materials costs related to aluminum. Following the completion of the Beverage Can Acquisition, we estimate that approximately 50% of raw materials on a pro forma basis related to aluminum and approximately 25% of our total raw materials costs related to tin-plated steel and tin-free steel. Our major aluminum suppliers include Alcoa, Constellium, Elval, Norsk Hydro and Novellis. Our major steel suppliers include ArcelorMittal, ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein, U.S. Steel, Tata Steel, Dongbu Steel and Baosteel.

        We continuously seek to minimize the price of raw materials and reduce exposure to price movements in a number of ways, including the following:

    harnessing the scale of our global metal purchasing requirements, to achieve better raw materials pricing than smaller competitors;

    entering into variable-priced pass-through contracts with customers, whereby selling prices are indexed to the price of the underlying raw materials;

    maintaining the focus on reducing steel and aluminum thickness ("downgauging");

    continuing the process of reducing spoilage and waste in manufacturing;

    rationalizing the number of both specifications and suppliers; and

    hedging the price of aluminum ingot and the related euro/U.S. dollar exposure.

        We typically purchase steel under one-year contracts, with prices that are usually fixed in advance. Agreements are generally renegotiated late in the year for effect from the beginning of the following calendar year. Despite significant reductions in steel production capacity in Europe over the past few years, we believe that adequate quantities of the relevant grades of packaging steel will continue to be available from various producers and that we are not overly dependent upon any single supplier.

        Aluminum is typically purchased under three year contracts, with prices that are fixed in advance. Despite an increase in the level of aluminum production being targeted to new end-use applications, including automotive and aerospace, we believe that adequate quantities of the relevant grades of packaging aluminum will continue to be available from various producers and that we are not overly dependent upon any single supplier. Some of our aluminum requirements are subject to tolling arrangements with our customers, whereby risk and responsibility for the procurement of aluminum is managed by the customer.

    Distribution

        We use various freight and haulage contractors to make deliveries to customer sites or warehousing facilities. In some cases, customers make their own delivery arrangements and therefore may purchase from us on an ex-works basis. Warehousing facilities are primarily situated at our manufacturing facilities; however, in some regions, we use networks of externally-rented warehouses at strategic third-party locations, close to major customers' filling operations.

    Intellectual Property and Innovation, Development and Engineering

        Metal Packaging currently holds and maintains over 50 different patent families, each filed in several countries and covering a range of different products in each jurisdiction.

        The majority of Metal Packaging's innovation, development, and engineering activities are concentrated at the Crosmières, France and Bonn, Germany facilities, as well as in the Regional Technical Center in the U.S. These centers focus on serving the existing and potential needs of customers, including the achievement of cost reductions, particularly metal content reduction, new product innovation, meeting new and anticipated legislative requirements, including those related to food safety, as well as technology and support services.

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        New product innovations include shaping and printing effects which differentiate Metal Packaging's customers' brands, and new designs for easy-open ring-pull ends, Easy Peel® and Easip® lids, which enhance convenience for the final consumer.

        Costs incurred in connection with these innovation, development and engineering activities, which are included in cost of sales, amounted to €13 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 (2015: €10 million; 2014: €12 million).

Glass Packaging

        Glass Packaging revenues represented 48% of our total revenues in 2016 and, on a pro forma basis following the Beverage Can Acquisition in 2016, represented 40% of our total revenues in the year ended December 31, 2016. In 2016, we manufactured approximately 5.9 million tons of glass, of which more than 95% was for the food and beverage end-use categories.

        We believe we are the #1 supplier of glass packaging in Northern Europe by market share and the #3 supplier in Europe overall by market share, as well as the #2 supplier in the U.S. market by market share.

    Products and Services

        We manufacture both proprietary and non-proprietary glass containers for a variety of end-use categories, mainly food and beverage. Our proprietary products are customized to the exact specifications of our customers and play an important role in their branding strategies. Our non-proprietary products deliver consistent performance and product differentiation through value-added decoration, including embossing, coating, printing and pressure-sensitive labeling.

        In addition, Glass Packaging includes our glass engineering business, Heye International, and our mold manufacturing and repair operations. Through Heye International, we design and supply glass packaging machinery and spare parts for existing glass packaging machinery. We also provide technical assistance to third-party users of our equipment and licensees of our technology. For the 2016 fiscal year, these activities represented approximately 2% of Glass Packaging's revenues.

    Manufacturing and Production

        As of December 31, 2016, we operated 35 glass plants with 73 glass furnaces and had approximately 12,000 employees. We have manufacturing operations in Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. We believe that our facilities are well maintained and that we generally have sufficient capacity to satisfy current and expected demand. We own all of our manufacturing facilities, some of which are subject to finance leases or similar financial arrangements. Certain of our warehousing facilities are leased from third parties.

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        The following table summarizes Glass Packaging's principal production facilities as of December 31, 2016.

Location
  Number of
Production
Facilities
 

Germany

    8  

Netherlands

    2  

Poland

    3  

United Kingdom

    4  

Other European countries (1)

    3  

United States

    15  

    35  

(1)
Denmark, Italy and Sweden.

    Industry Overview

        The glass packaging market represents a $60 billion market that is comprised of bottles, jars and other products. Glass packaging is utilized in a wide range of end-use categories in the food and beverage market, as well as in applications such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and personal care. We principally operate in the food and beverage end-use categories and benefit from the premium appeal of glass packaging to spirits, craft beer, wine and other brand owners, as higher levels of design and differentiation support end-user brand perception and loyalty. In our target regions of Europe and North America, demand is projected to be relatively stable through 2020, according to Smithers Pira†.

        We believe the purchasing decisions of retail consumers are significantly influenced by packaging. Consumer product manufacturers and marketers are increasingly using packaging as a means to position their products in the market and differentiate them on retailers' shelves. The development and production of premium, specialized packaging products with a combination of value-added features requires a higher level of design capabilities, manufacturing and process know-how and quality control than for more standardized products. The glass packaging industry has continued to produce advances in light-weighting technology and energy efficiency over many years, delivering supply chain benefits as well as reducing raw material and energy usage in the manufacturing process, thereby increasing the appeal to end-users, who are increasingly focused on sustainability.

    Customers

        In certain product end-use categories, such as beer, wine, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages, revenues are relatively concentrated among a few key customers with whom we have strong, long-term relationships, mirroring the recent consolidation in these end-use categories. Our top ten customers in Glass Packaging accounted for 42% of total revenues in 2016. Some of our largest and longest-standing customers include AB InBev, Bacardi, Carlsberg, Coca-Cola, Constellation Brands, Diageo, Heineken, The Kraft Heinz Company, Mizkan, PepsiCo, Pernod Ricard and J.M. Smucker.

        Approximately two-thirds of our total glass packaging revenues, and over 95% in the case of Glass North America, are made pursuant to long-term supply arrangements, a majority of which allow us to recover input cost inflation on some or all of our cost base. Our remaining sales are subject to shorter arrangements, largely annual, which have provided, and which we expect will continue to provide, the basis for long-term partnership with our customers. These customer arrangements are typically renegotiated annually (in terms of price and expected volume) and typically we have been able to

   


Source: Smithers Pira— The Future of Global Packaging Market to 2020 (Nov. 2015).

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recover input cost inflation on a majority of our cost base, as demonstrated by the consistent margins we have generated over many years despite occasional volatility in certain input costs such as energy.

    Competitors

        Our principal competitors in glass packaging include Anchor Glass and Owens-Illinois in North America and Owens-Illinois, Verallia and Vidrala in Europe.

    Energy, Raw Materials and Suppliers

        We use natural gas, electricity, oil and oxygen to fuel our furnaces. We have developed substantial backup systems, which protect our operations in the case of an interruption of our primary energy sources. We tend to have several energy suppliers across each of Europe and the United States, with contractual pricing arrangements typically linked to the relevant market index. We seek to mitigate the inherent risk in energy price fluctuations through a combination of contractual customer pass-through agreements, fixed-price procurement contracts, index tracking procurement contracts and hedging.

        We have developed an active hedging strategy. In Europe, we typically hedge in small tranches of volumes. Our policy is to hedge approximately 80% of our energy requirements before the beginning of the following year. In North America, contracts are predominantly multi-year and provide for the pass-through of movements in energy costs.

        The primary raw materials used in our glass packaging operations are cullet (crushed recycled glass), sand, soda ash and limestone. We have several country suppliers of cullet and a number of global and regional suppliers of soda ash. We seek to optimize the use of recycled glass in our production process as this enables the other raw materials to melt at lower temperatures, thereby lowering our energy costs and carbon emissions and prolonging furnace life.

    Distribution

        We use various freight and haulage contractors to make deliveries to customer sites or warehousing facilities. In some cases, customers make their own delivery arrangements and therefore may purchase from us on an ex-works basis. Warehousing facilities are primarily situated at our manufacturing facilities; however, in some regions, we use networks of externally-rented warehouses at strategic third-party locations, close to major customers' filling operations.

    Intellectual Property and Innovation, Development and Engineering

        Heye International has an extensive portfolio of patents covering the design of equipment for the manufacture of glass packaging. It also has substantial proprietary knowledge of the technology and processes involved in the production of glass packaging, based on its history of more than 40 years as a leading supplier of engineering solutions to the industry globally. It has entered into a large number of agreements to provide technical assistance and technology support to glass packaging manufacturers for which it receives annual fees.

        We support a significant innovation, development and design effort, particularly at Heye International and at our Crosmieres, France, facility, which we believe is important to our ability to compete effectively. We are a member of glass research associations and other organizations that are engaged in initiatives aimed at improving the manufacturing processes and the quality and design of products, while continuing to meet our environmental responsibilities. In addition, we have four glass engineering facilities as well as significant in-house mold-manufacturing expertise in Europe and the United States and we operate one of the largest in-house decoration facilities in the European glass packaging industry.

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Environmental, Health and Safety and Product Safety Regulation

        Our operations and properties are regulated under a wide range of laws, ordinances and regulations and other legal requirements concerning the environment, health and safety and product safety in each jurisdiction in which we operate. We believe that our manufacturing facilities are in compliance, in all material respects, with these laws and regulations.

        The principal environmental issues facing us include the impact on air quality through gas and particle emissions, including the emission of greenhouse gases, the environmental impact of the disposal of water used in our production processes, generation and disposal of waste, the receiving, use and storage of hazardous and non-hazardous materials and the potential contamination and subsequent remediation of land, surface water and groundwater arising from our operations.

        Our substantial operations in the EU are subject to, among additional requirements, the requirements of the IED, which requires that operators of industrial installations, including glass manufacturing installations, take into account the whole environmental performance of the installation and obtain and maintain compliance with a permit, which sets emission limit values that are based on best available techniques.

        Our EU glass production facilities are also regulated under the EU ETS, now in its third phase which runs until 2020. Under this regime, the European Commission sets emission caps for greenhouse gases for all installations covered by the scheme, which are then implemented by Member States. Installations that emit less than their greenhouse gas emission cap can sell emission allowances on the open market and installations that exceed their emission cap are required to buy emission allowances and are penalized if they are unable to surrender the required amount of allowances at the end of each trading year. California has enacted a similar greenhouse gas reduction scheme that works on a cap and trade basis and that applies to our manufacturing operations in the state, requiring us to purchase offsets against our greenhouse gas emissions. Other states where we have operations, such as Washington, are expected to implement similar programs. In addition, the EPA has also begun to regulate certain greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.

        Furthermore, the EU Directive on environmental liability with regard to the prevention and remedying of environmental damage aims to make those who cause damage to the environment (specifically damage to habitats and species protected by EU law, damage to water resources and land contamination which presents a threat to human health) financially responsible for its remediation. It requires operators of industrial premises (including those which hold a permit governed by the IED) to take preventive measures to avoid environmental damage, inform the regulators when such damage has or may occur and to remediate contamination.

        Our operations are also subject to stringent and complex U.S. federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to environmental protection, including the discharge of materials into the environment, health and safety and product safety including, but not limited to: the U.S. federal Clean Air Act, the U.S. federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, the U.S. federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 ("CERCLA"). These laws and regulations may, among other things (i) require obtaining permits to conduct industrial operations; (ii) restrict the types and quantities and concentration of various substances that can be released into the environment; (iii) result in the suspension or revocation of necessary permits, licenses and authorizations; (iv) require that additional pollution controls be installed and (v) require remedial measures to mitigate pollution from former and ongoing operations, including related natural resource damages. Specifically, certain U.S. environmental laws, such as CERCLA, or Superfund, and analogous state laws, provide for strict, and under certain circumstances, joint and several liability for the investigation and remediation of releases or the disposal of regulated materials into the environment including soil and groundwater, as well as for damages to natural resources.

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        In the United States and Canada, a number of government authorities have adopted or are considering legal requirements that would mandate certain rates of recycling, the use of recycled materials, or limitations on or preferences for certain types of packaging. In North America, sales of beverage cans are affected by governmental regulation of packaging, including deposit return laws. As of December 31, 2016, there were ten U.S. states with bottle deposit laws in effect, requiring consumer deposits of between 5 and 15 cents (USD), depending on the size of the container. In Canada, there are ten provinces and two territories with consumer deposits between 5 and 40 cents (Canadian), depending on the size of the container.

        A number of U.S. states and Canadian provinces have recently considered or are now considering laws and regulations to encourage curbside, deposit return, and on-premises recycling. Although there is no clear trend in the direction of these state and provincial laws and regulations, we believe that U.S. states and Canadian provinces, as well as municipalities within those jurisdictions, will continue to adopt recycling laws which will affect supplies of post-consumer recycled glass. As a large user of postconsumer recycled glass for bottle-to-bottle production, we have an interest in laws and regulations impacting supplies of such material in its markets.

        We are also committed to ensuring that safe operating practices are established, implemented and maintained throughout our organization. In addition, we have instituted active health and safety programs throughout our company. See "Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business—We are subject to various environmental and other legal requirements and may be subject to new requirements of this kind in the future that could impose substantial costs upon us".

Legal Proceedings

        We become involved from time to time in various claims and lawsuits arising in the ordinary course of business, such as employee claims, disputes with our suppliers, environmental liability claims and intellectual property disputes.

        In 2015, the German competition authority (the Federal Cartel Office) initiated an investigation of the practices of metal packaging manufacturers in Germany, including us. The investigation is ongoing, and there is at this stage no certainty as to the extent of any charge which may arise. Accordingly, no provision has been recognized.

        While the result of these disputes or claims cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not believe that the resolution of any such disputes or litigation, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial position.

History and Development

        Ardagh Group traces its origins back to 1932 in Dublin, Ireland, when the Irish Glass Bottle Company was founded and listed on the Irish Stock Exchange. The Company operated a single glass plant in Dublin, largely serving the domestic beverage and food customer base, until 1998, when Yeoman International, led by the current Chairman and major shareholder, Paul Coulson, took an initial stake in Ardagh. Paul Coulson became Chairman later that year.

        Since 1999, we have played a major role in the consolidation of the global metal and glass packaging industries, completing 23 acquisitions and significantly increasing our scope, scale, and geographic presence. Acquisitions, divestments and investments in greenfield projects to strengthen our position in selected segments have included the following select transactions:

    In 1999, we acquired Rockware PLC in the U.K., from Owens-Illinois for GBP 247 million, which established the Company as the leading glass packaging producer in the UK and Ireland;

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    In 2003, we acquired Hermann Heye in Germany, a leading supplier of engineering solutions to the glass packaging industry globally, as well as the owner of two glass packaging plants in Germany, which represented a foothold for potential further expansion in glass packaging in Germany;

    In 2005, we acquired Redfearn Glass, Rexam PLC's U.K. glass packaging business for approximately GBP 50 million, strengthening our leading position in the U.K. glass packaging market;

    In 2007, we acquired Rexam PLC's European glass packaging business for €657 million, broadening our presence across Continental Europe;

    In 2010, we acquired Impress Group for €1.7 billion, which diversified our presence into metal packaging;

    In 2012, we acquired Leone Industries Inc., a single plant glass packaging business in New Jersey, United States for $220 million, representing our first expansion into the U.S. glass packaging market;

    In 2012, we acquired Anchor Glass for $880 million, the third largest producer of glass packaging in the United States, operating eight glass packaging plants;

    In 2014, following an extensive regulatory review, we completed the VNA Acquisition, the second largest glass packaging producer in North America, with 15 manufacturing plants in the United States, for €1.0 billion. The VNA Acquisition expanded our glass packaging business in North America into new geographies and end-use categories. We also divested six former Anchor Glass plants and ancillary assets as a condition of gaining approval for this acquisition;

    In 2014, we divested our metal packaging businesses in Australia and New Zealand;

    In 2015, we completed an investment of approximately $220 million in two new can-making facilities in Roanoke, Virginia and Reno, Nevada, as well as a significant expansion of our Conklin, New York, ends plant; and

    In 2016, we acquired 22 plants required to be divested by Ball Corporation and Rexam PLC as a condition of Ball Corporation's acquisition of Rexam PLC. This acquisition, for a total consideration of €2.7 billion, broadened our presence in metal packaging to include leading global beverage can market positions.

Employees

        As of December 31, 2016, we had approximately 23,500 employees globally.

        As of December 31, 2016, Metal Packaging had approximately 11,500 employees globally, of which approximately 1,300 were located in the Netherlands, approximately 1,300 were located in France, approximately 2,400 were located in Germany, approximately 800 were located in Italy and approximately 1,700 were located in the United States.

        As of December 31, 2016, Glass Packaging had approximately 12,000 employees, of which approximately 5,500 employees were located in the United States, approximately 2,200 employees were located in Germany, approximately 600 employees were located in the Netherlands and approximately 1,400 employees were located in the United Kingdom.

        We strive to maintain a safe working environment for all of our employees, with safety in the workplace being a key objective, measured through individual accident reports, detailed follow-up programs and key performance indicator reporting. We believe that our safety record is among the best in the industry.

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        The majority of our employees are members of labor unions or are subject to centrally-negotiated collective agreements. We generally negotiate national contracts with our unions, with variations agreed at the local plant level. Most such labor contracts have a duration of one to two years. Our management believes that, overall, our current relations with our employees are good. We have experienced temporary work stoppages in certain jurisdictions in which we operate; however, such stoppages have not had a material adverse impact on our business.

        Our subsidiaries located in the European Union have special negotiating committees which have established a European Works Council ("EWC") in compliance with EU directives. The EWC acts as a communications conduit and consultative body between our EU subsidiaries and our employees.

        The EWC meets at least twice a year, and senior management attends these general meetings. The EWC also has the right to be notified of any special circumstances that would have a major impact on the interests of employees. EWC delegates are elected for four-year terms on the basis of legal principles or practices in the relevant countries, while the allocation of EWC delegates between countries is governed by EU directives.

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MANAGEMENT

Officers and Directors

        Set forth below is information concerning our officers and directors as of the date of this prospectus. There are no family relationships among the executive officers or between any executive officer or director other than David Wall being the brother of Paul Coulson's wife. Our executive officers are appointed by the board of directors to serve in their roles. Each executive officer is appointed for such term as may be prescribed by the board of directors or until a successor has been chosen and qualified or until such officer's death, resignation or removal. Unless otherwise indicated, the business address of all of our executive officers and directors is 56, rue Charles Martel, L-2134 Luxembourg, Luxembourg.

Name
  Age   Position

Paul Coulson

    64   Chairman and Director

Ian Curley

    54   Chief Executive Officer and Director

David Matthews

    53   Chief Financial Officer and Director

David Wall

    47   Chief Executive Officer, Metal, and Director

John Riordan

    58   President, Glass North America, and Director

Johan Gorter

    57   Chief Executive Officer, Glass Europe, and Director

Brendan Dowling

    69   Director, Executive Committee

Houghton Fry

    71   Director, Executive Committee

Wolfgang Baertz

    76   Non-Executive Director

Gerald Moloney

    59   Non-Executive Director

Herman Troskie

    46   Non-Executive Director

Backgrounds of Our Officers and Directors

    Paul Coulson

        Paul Coulson graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a business degree in 1973. He spent five years with Price Waterhouse in London and Dublin and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1978. He then established his own accounting firm before setting up Yeoman International in 1980 and developing it into a significant leasing and structured finance business. In 1998 he became Chairman of the Group and initiated the transformation of Ardagh from a small, single plant operation into a leading global packaging company. Over the last 30 years he has been involved in the creation and development of a number of businesses apart from Yeoman and Ardagh. These include Fanad Fisheries, a leading Irish salmon farming company, and Sterile Technologies. Prior to its sale to Stericycle, Inc. in 2006, Sterile Technologies had been developed into the leading medical waste management company in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

    Ian Curley

        Ian Curley joined as Group Chief Executive Officer Designate in June 2016 and became Group Chief Executive Officer in September 2016. Prior to joining the Group, Mr. Curley was Group Chief Financial Officer of Smurfit Kappa Group plc from 2000 until March 2016, prior to which he served as Chief Financial Officer of Smurfit Europe. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants (Ireland).

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    David Matthews

        David Matthews was appointed Chief Financial Officer in March 2014. He was appointed to the Board of Directors of ARD Holdings S.A. in May 2014. Prior to joining Ardagh, Mr. Matthews held various senior finance positions at DS Smith plc and Bunzl plc. Mr. Matthews qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1989 with Price Waterhouse in London and holds an Engineering degree from the University of Southampton.

    David Wall

        David Wall was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Metal Packaging in April 2011. Mr. Wall joined Ardagh in November 2008 as CEO of the Engineering division. Since then he has also held the role of Group Head of Integration. Mr. Wall qualified as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse and also holds an MBS from UCD Smurfit Business School, Dublin, Ireland and a BA in Economics from University College Dublin. Mr. Wall is a board member of EMPAC, the European Metal Packaging Association.

    John Riordan

        John Riordan was appointed President of Ardagh Glass North America in March 2014 having previously been Chief Finance Officer of the Group since 1999. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University College Cork and is a Fellow of The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1985, having completed a training contract with Price Waterhouse. He held a number of financial management roles in the engineering, pharmaceutical and medical devices industries before joining Ardagh.

    Johan Gorter

        Johan Gorter joined the Group in 2007. Prior to joining the Group, he joined PLM in 1998 as a Plant Director for the Dongen glass plant. He was then appointed Managing Director Benelux in 2001 at (Rexam), Divisional Operations Director in 2005 (Rexam) and Group Director Continuous Improvement in 2007 (Ardagh). His previous background was in aluminum production process and assembly, where he held several management positions with three companies and his last position before joining the glass industry was as General Manager in the Czech Republic. Mr. Gorter holds a Masters in Industrial Engineering from the University of Eindhoven. He joined the Board in 2016.

    Brendan Dowling

        Brendan Dowling has been a director of the Group since 1998. He holds graduate degrees in economics from University College Dublin and Yale University. He was Economic Advisor to the Minister for Foreign Affairs in Dublin before joining Davy Stockbrokers in 1979 as Chief Economist and later partner. He is a former member of the Committee of the Irish Stock Exchange and the Industrial Development Authority of Ireland. Prior to joining Yeoman International Group in 1995, he was Executive Chairman of Protos Stockbrokers in Helsinki, Finland.

    Houghton Fry

        Houghton Fry qualified as a solicitor in 1967 with William Fry, Solicitors in Dublin, Ireland having obtained an LLB law degree from Trinity College, Dublin University, Ireland. He became a Partner in the firm in 1970 and, in 1986, Chairman and Senior Partner. He specialized in international corporate and financial law and had extensive transaction experience in many different jurisdictions. He retired from legal practice in 2004 and has been an executive director of the Group since that time.

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    Wolfgang Baertz

        Wolfgang Baertz was President of the Executive Committee of Dresdner Bank Luxembourg from 1997 until his retirement in 2003, having been Managing Director from 1982 to 1997. Mr. Baertz previously served with Commerzbank AG Düsseldorf and has been a director of the Group since December 2002.

    Gerald Moloney

        Gerald Moloney joined the Board 2016, having served for many years on the boards of Yeoman International Group Limited and Yeoman Capital S.A. He holds a law degree from University College Cork and qualified as a solicitor in 1981. He worked for a period in European law in Brussels and has many years' experience working in the areas of commercial law and commercial litigation. He is managing partner of the commercial and litigation law firm, G.J. Moloney, with offices in Dublin and Cork, Ireland.

    Herman Troskie

        Herman Troskie is Managing Director, Private Clients at Maitland, a global advisory and administration firm with over $280 billion in assets under administration. He has extensive experience in the areas of international corporate structuring, cross-border financing and capital markets, with a particular interest in integrated structuring for entrepreneurs and their businesses. Mr. Troskie is a director of companies within the Yeoman group of companies, and other private and public companies. He qualified as a South African Attorney in 1997, and as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales in 2001. Mr. Troskie is based in Luxembourg.

Controlled Company

        We intend to apply to list the Class A common shares offered in this offering on the NYSE. Our Parent Company will control more than 50% of the voting power of our common shares following the completion of this offering, and, as a result, under the NYSE's current listing standards, we qualify for and intend to avail ourselves of the controlled company exception under the corporate governance rules of the NYSE. As a controlled company, we will not be required to have (1) a majority of "independent directors" on our board of directors, (2) a compensation committee and a nominating and governance committee composed entirely of "independent directors" as defined under the rules of the NYSE or (3) an annual performance evaluation of the compensation and nominating and governance committees. The controlled company exception does not modify the independence requirements for the audit committee, which require that our audit committee be composed of at least three members, a majority of whom will be independent within 90 days from the date of this prospectus and each of whom will be independent within one year from the date of this prospectus. Upon the completion of this offering, our board of directors will establish an audit committee that consists of one director who is not otherwise affiliated with us, and appoint a second independent director within 90 days from the date of this prospectus and a third independent director within one year from the date of this prospectus.

Board of Directors

Composition of Our Board of Directors

        Our board of directors currently consists of            members. Upon completion of this offering, we expect that our board of directors will consist of            members. Our board of directors will consist of such number of directors as the general meeting of shareholders may from time to time determine.

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        Immediately following the completion of this offering, we expect that at least two members of our board of directors will be "independent" under the rules of the NYSE.

Number and Election of Directors

        Pursuant to Luxembourg Law, the board of directors must be composed of at least three directors. Under the Articles, the number of directors of the Company is not subject to any maximum. The holders of the shares have the right to elect the board of directors at a general meeting of the shareholders by a simple majority of the votes validly cast. The existing directors have the right to appoint persons to fill vacancies, which persons may hold office until the next following annual general meeting. See "Description of Share Capital".

Board of Directors Powers and Function

        The board of directors has the power to take any action necessary or useful to realize the corporate objects of the Company, with the exception of the powers reserved by Luxembourg Law or by the Articles to the general meeting of shareholders. Directors must act with diligence and in good faith in performing their duties. The expected behavior of a director is that of a normally prudent person, in a like position, having the benefit, when making such a decision, of the same knowledge and information as the directors having made the decision. See "Description of Share Capital".

Board of Directors Meetings and Decisions

        We expect that all of the resolutions of the board of directors will be adopted by a simple majority of votes cast in a meeting at which a quorum is present or represented by proxy. A member of the board of directors may authorize another member of the board of directors to represent him/her at the board meeting and to vote on his/her behalf at the meeting.

        Our board will meet as often as it deems necessary to conduct the business of the Company.

Experience of Directors

        We expect our board members collectively will have the experience, qualifications, attributes and skills to effectively oversee the management of the Company, including a high degree of personal and professional integrity, an ability to exercise sound business judgment on a broad range of issues, sufficient experience and background to have an appreciation of the issues facing the Company, a willingness to devote the necessary time to board duties, a commitment to representing the best interests of the Company and a dedication to enhancing shareholder value.

Committees of the Board of Directors

        Upon the completion of this offering, our board of directors will have four standing committees: an executive committee, an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and governance committee. The members of each committee will be appointed by the board of directors and serve until their successors are elected and qualified, unless they are earlier removed or resign. Each of the committees will report to the board of directors as it deems appropriate and as the board may request. The composition, duties and responsibilities of these committees are set forth below. In the future, our board may establish other committees, as it deems appropriate, to assist it with its responsibilities.

Executive Committee

        Upon the completion of this offering, the board of directors will establish an executive committee that will oversee the management of the business and affairs of the Company. Paul Coulson,            

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and            will serve on the executive committee upon the completion of this offering, with Paul Coulson serving as the chair of the executive committee.

Audit Committee

        Upon the completion of this offering, our audit committee will consist of                        ,                         , and                        , with                         serving as the chair of the audit committee. Our Board has determined that                        meets the applicable audit committee independence standards. Our audit committee will consist of majority independent directors within 90 days from the date of this prospectus and will become fully independent within one year from the date of this prospectus in accordance with NYSE and the SEC phase-in provisions for a company listing on the NYSE in connection with its initial public offering.

        Our audit committee will, among other matters, oversee (1) our financial reporting, auditing and internal control activities; (2) the integrity and audits of our financial statements; (3) our compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; (4) the qualifications and independence of our independent auditors; (5) the performance of our internal audit function and independent auditors; and (6) our overall risk exposure and management. Duties of the audit committee will also include the following:

    annually review and assess the adequacy of the audit committee charter and the performance of the audit committee;

    be responsible for recommending the appointment, retention and termination of our independent auditors and determine the compensation of our independent auditors;

    review the plans and results of the audit engagement with the independent auditors;

    evaluate the qualifications, performance and independence of our independent auditors;

    have authority to approve in advance all audit and non-audit services by our independent auditors, the scope and terms thereof and the fees therefor;

    review the adequacy of our internal accounting controls; and

    meet at least quarterly with our executive officers, internal audit staff and our independent auditors in separate executive sessions.

        The audit committee will have the power to investigate any matter brought to its attention within the scope of its duties and to retain counsel for this purpose where appropriate. Each of the Audit Committee members meets the financial literacy requirements of the NYSE listing standards and the board of directors has determined that                    qualifies as an "audit committee financial expert," as such term is defined in the rules of the SEC. The designation does not impose on the audit committee financial expert any duties, obligations or liabilities that are greater than those generally imposed on members of our audit committee and our board of directors. Our board of directors will adopt a written charter for the audit committee, which will be available on our corporate website at                                     upon the completion of this offering. The information on our website is not part of, and is not incorporated into, this prospectus or the registration statement of which it forms a part.

Compensation Committee

        Upon the completion of this offering, our compensation committee will consist of Paul Coulson,             and            , with Paul Coulson serving as the chair of the compensation committee. Because we will be a controlled company under the rules of the NYSE, our compensation committee is not required to be independent, although if such rules change in the future or we no longer meet the definition of a controlled company under the current rules, we will adjust the composition of the compensation committee accordingly in order to comply with such rules.

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        The compensation committee will have the sole authority to retain, and terminate, any compensation consultant to assist in the evaluation of employee compensation and to approve the consultant's fees and the other terms and conditions of the consultant's retention. The compensation committee will, among other matters:

    assist our board of directors in developing and evaluating potential candidates for executive officer positions and overseeing the development of executive succession plans;

    administer, review and make recommendations to our board of directors regarding our compensation plans;

    annually review and approve our corporate goals and objectives with respect to compensation for executive officers and, at least annually, evaluate each executive officer's performance in light of such goals and objectives to set his or her annual compensation, including salary, bonus and equity and non-equity incentive compensation, subject to approval by our board of directors; and

    provide oversight of management's decisions regarding the performance, evaluation and compensation of other officers.

Nominating and Governance Committee

        Upon the completion of this offering, our nominating and governance committee will consist of            ,             and             , with            serving as the chair of the nominating and governance committee. Because we will be a controlled company under the rules of the NYSE, our nominating and governance committee is not required to be independent, although if such rules change in the future or we no longer meet the definition of a controlled company under the current rules, we will adjust the composition of our nominating and governance committee accordingly in order to comply with such rules. The nominating and governance committee will, among other matters:

    select and recommend to the board of directors nominees for election by the shareholders or appointment by the board;

    annually review with the board of directors the composition of the board with regards to characteristics such as independence, knowledge, skills, experience and diversity of the board members;

    make recommendations on the frequency and structure of board meetings and to monitor the functioning of the committees of the board;

    develop and recommend to our board of directors a set of corporate governance guidelines applicable to us and, at least annually, review such guidelines and recommend changes to our board of directors for approval as necessary; and

    oversee the annual self-evaluation of our board of directors.

Code of Conduct

        In connection with this offering, our board of directors will adopt a code of conduct that establishes the standards of ethical conduct applicable to all of our directors, officers, employees, consultants and contractors. The code will address, among other things, competition and fair dealing, conflicts of interest, financial matters and external reporting, compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations, company funds and assets, confidentiality and corporate opportunity requirements and the process for reporting violations of the code, employee misconduct, conflicts of interest or other violations. Any waiver of the code with respect to our chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief operating officer, controller or persons performing similar functions may only be authorized by a committee of the board of directors and will be promptly disclosed and posted on our

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website. Amendments to the code must be approved by our board of directors and will be promptly disclosed and posted on our website (other than technical, administrative or non-substantive changes). The code will be publicly available on our website at                        and in print to any shareholder who requests a copy. The information on our website is not part of this prospectus.

Corporate Governance Guidelines

        Our board of directors will adopt corporate governance guidelines that serve as a flexible framework within which our board of directors and its committees operate. These guidelines will cover a number of areas including the size and composition of the board, board membership criteria and director qualifications, director responsibilities, board agenda, roles of the chairman of the board and chief executive officer, meetings of independent directors, board member access to management and independent advisors, director communications with third parties, director compensation, director orientation and continuing education, evaluation of senior management and management succession planning. Our nominating and governance committee will review our corporate governance guidelines periodically and, if necessary, recommend changes to our board of directors. Additionally, our board of directors will adopt independence standards as part of our corporate governance guidelines. A copy of our corporate governance guidelines will be posted on our website at            . The information on our website is not part of this prospectus.

Indemnification of Directors and Officers

        For information concerning the indemnification applicable to our directors and officers, see "Description of Share Capital—Indemnification of Directors and Officers".

Director Compensation

        The Company has not, in the past, paid directors for services as members of the Company's board of directors. Prior to or concurrently with the completion of this offering, our board of directors will establish a compensation program for our non-employee directors.

        We will also reimburse our non-employee directors for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the performance of their duties as directors, including, without limitation, travel expenses in connection with their attendance in-person at board of directors and committee meetings. Directors who are employees will not receive any compensation for their services as directors.

Executive Compensation

        The aggregate amount of compensation our executive officers and directors received from the Group for service as an executive officer or director for the year ended December 31, 2016 was €            . An aggregate of €            has been set aside or accrued for the year ended December 31, 2016 to provide pension, retirement or similar benefits to our executive officers and directors.

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PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

        The following table sets forth information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our shares, and as adjusted to reflect the sale of our shares offered under this prospectus:

    each shareholder, or group of affiliated shareholders, who we know beneficially owns more than 5% of our outstanding shares;

    each of our directors; and

    each member of senior management.

        Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules of the SEC and generally includes any shares over which a person exercises sole or shared voting and/or investment power. Shares subject to options and warrants currently exercisable or exercisable within 60 days are deemed outstanding for computing the percentage ownership of the person holding the options but are not deemed outstanding for computing the percentage ownership of any other person. Except as otherwise indicated, we believe the beneficial owners of the shares listed below, based on information furnished by them, have sole voting and investment power with respect to the number of shares listed opposite their names.

 
  Shares Beneficially Owned Prior to
the Offering
  Shares Beneficially Owned After
the Offering
 
 
  Class A common
shares
  Class B common
shares
   
  Class A common
shares
  Class B common
shares
   
 
 
  % of Total
Voting Power
  % of Total
Voting Power
 
Name of Beneficial Owner
  Shares   %   Shares   %   Shares   %   Shares   %  

5% Shareholders

                                                             

ARD Finance S.A. 

                                                             

ARD Group Finance Holdings S.A. 

                                                             

Our executive officers and directors

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

                                                             

                                                             

                                                             

                                                             

                                                             

All executive officers and directors as a Group

         
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Relationship with our Parent Company

        Our shares are currently owned directly or indirectly by our Parent Company. Following the offering, our Parent Company will continue to exercise control over the composition of our board of directors and any other action requiring the approval of our shareholders. See "Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Class A Common Shares and this Offering—The dual class structure of our common shares has the effect of concentrating voting control with our Parent Company and limiting our other shareholders' ability to influence corporate matters".

Shareholder Agreement

        Prior to the completion of this offering, we will enter into a shareholder agreement with ARD Holdings S.A. that will address, among other things, (i) our obligation to cooperate in providing information to our Parent Company relating to the preparation of required disclosures under the indenture governing the Toggle Notes and related registration rights, (ii) matters relating to assumption, indemnification and allocation of benefits and responsibilities and mutual release of liabilities in connection with arrangements and other obligations with respect to our business that were entered into by ARD Holdings S.A. prior to the offering, (iii) our intention to pay dividends to all shareholders in amounts that will, at a minimum, be sufficient to enable the Parent Company to satisfy the cash interest payment obligations under the Toggle Notes, in compliance with applicable laws, any obligations imposed by applicable contracts and the Articles (iv) our agreement, so long as the Toggle Notes are outstanding, not to agree, and not to permit any of our subsidiaries to agree, to restrictions on the payment of dividends that are materially more restrictive than the restrictions in place under applicable contracts as of the date of this offering and (v) matters relating to the reorganization of ARD Holdings S.A. and its subsidiaries, as a result of which ARD Holdings S.A. and/or its subsidiaries will become our wholly owned subsidiaries and shareholders of ARD Holdings S.A. and its subsidiaries will receive a proportionate direct interest in our common shares (the "Reorganization"), and our obligation to, at our cost and expense, take such actions as are necessary to implement such Reorganization in accordance with applicable laws and the Articles.

Registration Rights Agreement

        We will also enter into a registration rights agreement (the "Registration Rights Agreement") with ARD Holdings S.A. and certain of its subsidiaries prior to or concurrently with the completion of this offering. The Registration Rights Agreement will provide, so long as Class B common shares are issued and outstanding, customary "demand" and "piggyback" registration rights to ARD Holdings S.A., its subsidiaries and direct and indirect beneficial owners of equity interests in ARD Holdings S.A. and its subsidiaries at the time of this offering. The Registration Rights Agreement will also provide that we will indemnify one another against certain liabilities related to such registrations.

Related Party Transactions

        In September 2016, our Parent Company issued the Toggle Notes, a portion of the proceeds of which were used to repay all of our outstanding obligations in respect of the Company's euro denominated 8.375% Senior PIK Notes due 2019 (in an original issue amount of €250 million) and dollar denominated 8.625% Senior PIK Notes due 2019 (in an original issue amount of $710 million) (collectively, the "PIK Notes"). At the time of the repayment, our aggregate obligation in respect of the PIK Notes totaled €1.1 billion inclusive of redemption premium.

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        In order to finance the repayment of the PIK Notes, in September 2016 the Company received cash from our Parent Company and from ARD Group Finance Holdings S.A. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of our Parent Company), in respect of the following:

    A capital contribution from our Parent Company (€431 million);

    Repayment of loan receivable owed by our Parent Company (€404 million);

    An issue of a convertible loan note by us to ARD Group Finance Holdings S.A. (€673 million); and

    Proceeds from issue of our shares to ARD Group Finance Holdings S.A. (€6 million).

        The proceeds of these transactions in excess of the amounts used for the PIK Note repayment were used to pay a dividend to our Parent Company (€270 million) with the remainder contributed to our subsidiaries for general corporate purposes. The convertible loan note is convertible into shares of the Company at its option and managements' intention is that it will be converted prior to the completion of this offering.

        Certain transaction success-related bonuses were paid to members of the management of the Group in connection with the Beverage Can Acquisition. See Note 26 to the audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. For the year ended December 31, 2014, certain expenses were paid to affiliates of ARD Holdings S.A. See Note 26 to the audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.

        For additional information, see Note 26 to the audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.

Policy Concerning Related Person Transactions

        Prior to the consummation of this offering, our board of directors will adopt a written policy, which we refer to as the related person transaction approval policy, for the review of any transaction, arrangement or relationship in which we are a participant, if the amount involved exceeds $120,000 and one of our executive officers, directors or beneficial holders of more than 5% of our total equity (or their immediate family members), each of whom we refer to as a related person, has a direct or indirect material interest.

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DESCRIPTION OF SHARE CAPITAL

         The following description of our share capital summarizes certain provisions of the Articles that will be in effect on or prior to the date of the closing of this offering (our "Articles"). Such summaries do not purport to be complete and are subject to, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of our Articles, the form of which has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Prospective investors are urged to read the exhibit for a complete understanding of our Articles. See also "Comparison of Luxembourg Corporate Law and Delaware Corporate Law ".

General

        We are a public limited liability company ( société anonyme ) incorporated under, and governed by, the laws of Luxembourg. We are registered with the Trade and Companies Register in Luxembourg under the number B160804. We were incorporated on May 6, 2011, under the name ARD Two S.A. The name changed to Ardagh Finance Holdings S.A. on May 28, 2014 and further to Ardagh Group S.A. on February 22, 2017. Our registered office is located at 56, rue Charles Martel, L-2134 Luxembourg, Luxembourg. Our agent for service of process in the United States in connection with this offering is Ardagh Metal Packaging USA Inc., located at Carnegie Office Park, 600 North Bell Avenue, Building 1, Suite 200, Carnegie, PA 15106.

        The Company has legal personality. The objects of our business are set out in our Articles. They are to be interpreted in the broadest sense and any transaction or agreement which is entered into by the Company that is not inconsistent with the specified objects will be deemed to be within the scope of such objects or powers.

        Since our incorporation, other than the creation and further increase in our authorized share capital to €            , the issuance of Class B common shares and the repurchase and cancellation of all of our ordinary shares, there have been no material changes to our share capital. We have not undergone any bankruptcy, receivership or similar proceedings.

Shares

        After this offering, we will have two classes of common shares: Class A common shares, with a par value of €0.01 per share, and Class B common shares, with a par value of €0.10 per share. The rights of the holders of our Class A common shares and Class B common shares will be identical except for par value, voting and conversion rights. The Class A common shares and Class B common shares will be entitled to participate equally in distributions made by the Company, with economic entitlement being proportionate to the number of shares held in the Company and not the percentage of share capital of a shareholder. Each Class A common share will be entitled to one vote per share. Each Class B common share will be entitled to ten votes per share.

        Shares are issued in registered form only and no certificates will be issued. The Company is entitled to treat the registered holder of any share as the absolute owner thereof and is not bound to recognize any equitable claim or other claim or interest in such share on the part of any other person.

Issuance of shares

        Our shareholders have authorized the board of directors to issue common shares up to the maximum amount of the authorized unissued share capital of the Company for a period of five years from                        , 2017 to such persons, on such terms and for such consideration as the board of directors determines in its absolute discretion. Shareholders may at a general meeting renew or extend such authorized share capital and authorization to the board of directors to issue shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the authorization to the board of directors to issue shares does not

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permit the issuance of Class B common shares in excess of the             Class B common shares that will be issued and outstanding on the date of the closing of this offering except (i) in connection with stock splits or share dividends (also known as bonus issues) being made to all holders of outstanding common shares in accordance with the principles applicable to dividends described under "Dividend Rights" or (ii) in connection with a reorganization of ARD Holdings S.A. in which the number of Class B common shares issued in connection with such reorganization is substantially the same as or less than the number of Class B common shares received by the Company in connection with such reorganization and which are to be cancelled by the Company in due course.

        Immediately following the completion of this offering, our authorized share capital will consist of            Class A common shares with a par value of €0.01 per share and            Class B common shares with a par value of €0.10 per share. Upon completion of this offering, there will be             Class A common shares and            Class B common shares issued and outstanding, assuming no exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares issued by the Company. All of our issued and outstanding Class A common shares and Class B common shares will be fully paid and the board of directors cannot call on or compel shareholders to contribute additional amounts to the Company.

        The Company may issue additional shares, including preference shares, from time to time, either at par or at a premium and with such rights and restrictions (with respect to dividends, voting, return of capital, or otherwise) as we may direct by resolution passed at an extraordinary general meeting held in the manner required for an amendment to the Articles, or as may be determined by the board of directors pursuant to the authority to issue authorized shares, as provided for in the Articles.

No Preemptive Rights

        Our Articles provide (subject to the limitations described above) that the board of directors is authorized to issue shares for a period of 5 years from                        within the limits of the authorized share capital and to limit or withdraw any and all statutory preemptive rights which would be applicable in respect of such issuance. This authorization may be renewed, amended or extended by special resolution at a general meeting of shareholders, and the Company plans to seek such renewal in the future. There are no preemptive rights applicable to the issuance of Class A common shares in this offering.

Meetings of shareholders

        The Company will convene at least one general meeting of shareholders each calendar year (the "annual general meeting") for the purpose of, among other things, approving the annual accounts and electing directors. Under Luxembourg Law, the annual general meeting must be held within six months of the end of the fiscal year. A general meeting can be adjourned at the request of one or more shareholders representing at least 10% of the share capital in issue, taking into account the par value of each Class A common share (€0.01) and the par value of each Class B common share (€0.10) (the "10% threshold").

        The board of directors may convene any general meeting whenever in its judgment such a meeting is necessary. The board of directors may delegate its authority to call the general meeting to the Chairman or any committee of the board of directors or to one or more board members by resolution. The board of directors must convene a general meeting within a period of one month upon notice, which notice must set forth certain information specified in the Articles, to the Company from shareholders holding at least the 10% threshold on the date of such notice. In addition, one or more shareholders who together hold the 10% threshold on the date of the notice to the Company, which notice must set forth certain information specified in the Articles, may require that the Company include on the agenda of such general meeting one or more additional items. At least eight days' notice to shareholders is required for a general meeting. No business may be transacted at a general meeting,

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other than business that is properly brought before the general meeting in accordance with our Articles.

Voting rights

        Holders of our Class B common shares are entitled to ten votes per share and holders of our Class A common shares are entitled to one vote per share on all matters submitted to a vote of holders of common shares. The holders of our Class A common shares and Class B common shares will vote together on all matters, unless otherwise required by Luxembourg Law or our Articles. Luxembourg Law does not provide for cumulative voting in the election of directors. Voting of shareholders at a general meeting may be in person, by proxy or by voting form. Our Articles specify how the Company shall determine the shareholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of shareholders or any adjournment thereof.

        Our Articles distinguish ordinary resolutions and special resolutions.

        Ordinary Resolutions.     Our Articles require a quorum of at least one-third (1/3) of the share capital in issue present in person or by proxy, taking into account the par value of each Class A common share (€0.01) and the par value of each Class B common share (€0.10) (in effect one-third (1/3) of the total voting rights), for any ordinary resolutions to be considered at a general meeting, and such ordinary resolutions are adopted by a simple majority of votes validly cast on such resolution by shareholders entitled to vote. Abstentions and nil votes are not taken into account.

        Special Resolutions.     Our Articles require special resolutions adopted at an extraordinary general meeting for any of the following matters, among other things: (a) an increase or decrease of the authorized or issued capital, (b) an amendment to our Articles and (c) dissolving the Company. Pursuant to our Articles, for any special resolutions to be considered at a general meeting the quorum is at least one-half (1/2) of the share capital in issue present in person or by proxy, taking into account the par value of each Class A common share (€0.01) and the par value of each Class B common share (€0.10) (in effect one-half (1/2) of the voting rights), unless otherwise mandatorily required by Luxembourg Law. Any special resolution may be adopted at a general meeting at which a quorum is present (except as otherwise provided by mandatory law) by the affirmative vote of holders of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the votes validly cast on such resolution by shareholders entitled to vote.

        Upon the completion of this offering, as a result of its ownership of our Class B common shares, our Parent Company will control approximately        % of the combined voting power of our common shares, assuming no exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares issued by the Company. Accordingly, except as provided in our Articles, our Parent Company can control the outcome of any action requiring the general approval of our shareholders (except for any action which relates to variation of class rights or requires unanimous approval).

        The board of directors may suspend the right to vote of any shareholder if such shareholder fails to fulfill its obligations under the Articles (as in effect on the closing date of this offering) or any deed of subscription or deed of commitment entered into by such shareholder.

Amendment of the Articles

        Except where the Articles authorize the board of directors to approve an increase or a reduction in share capital and subsequently record such change within thirty (30) days in the presence of a Luxembourg notary, our Articles require a special resolution approved at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders to amend the Articles. The agenda of the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders must indicate the proposed amendments to the Articles. Any resolutions to amend the Articles must be taken before a Luxembourg notary and such amendments must be published in accordance with Luxembourg Law.

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        Certain provisions of our Articles relating to the rights of Class B common shareholders, the ability of the board of directors to issue additional Class B common shares, the ability of the board of directors to suspend voting rights for breach of the Articles, the provisions described under "—Conversion" and "—Qualified Holders and Permitted Transfers of Class B Common Shares" below, the provisions described under "Compulsory Transfer of Shares," the provisions requiring equivalent dividends for Class A common shares and Class B common shares and the amendment provisions of the Articles, may not be rescinded, altered or amended without approval by the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes validly cast by holders of Class A common shares voting as a class at which holders of in excess of one-third (1/3) of the Class A common shares are present in person or by proxy (the "Class A Approval") and subject to any applicable greater quorum or majority requirements as may be provided for under Luxembourg Law; provided that no such class vote is required to correct a manifest error or for an amendment that would not directly affect the holders of Class A common shares.

        In addition, the shareholders of the Company may not, whether by granting to the board of directors authorization to do so from the authorized share capital or resolving upon such issuance at a general meeting, approve the issuance of Class B common shares in excess of the Class B common shares that will be issued and outstanding on the date of the closing of this offering, except in connection with proportionate stock splits or share dividends or in connection with a reorganization of ARD Holdings S.A., as more particularly described above under "Issuance of Shares," unless the Class A Approval is obtained and subject to any applicable greater quorum or majority requirements and may be provided for under Luxembourg Law.

Variation of share rights

        Under Luxembourg Law, where a resolution of an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders will change the rights of the Class A common shares or the Class B common shares or any other outstanding class of shares, the resolution must, in order to be valid, fulfil the quorum and voting requirements for an extraordinary general meeting with respect to each such class.

Conversion

        Each Class B common share will be issued as a repurchasable share under Luxembourg Law, and may therefore be repurchased by the Company in exchange for one Class A common share in accordance with the procedure set out in our Articles (the "Conversion").

        Our Articles provide that a Class B common share is subject to Conversion into a Class A common share upon the occurrence of a conversion trigger, which means (a) with respect to any Class B common share (i) at any time at the option of the holder of such Class B common share, exercised by notice to the Company, or (ii) upon the holder of such Class B common share ceasing to be a Qualified Holder (as defined below under "Qualified Holders and Permitted Transfers of Class B Common Shares"); or (b) with respect to all Class B common shares, at such time as the register of shareholders reflects (or the board of directors otherwise determines) that Qualified Holders cease to own, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate, Class B common shares constituting at least 10% of the aggregate number of then issued common shares (including both Class A common shares and Class B common shares), excluding for purposes of such calculation any treasury shares.

        The Conversion of Class B common shares to Class A common shares will be effected by our board of directors, which will, in accordance with the procedures contained in our Articles, cause the Company to repurchase the Class B common shares and issue a corresponding number of Class A common shares. Each Class B common share that is repurchased by the Company will be cancelled by the Company and not available for reissuance.

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        The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized but unissued share capital such number of Class A common shares as shall from time to time be sufficient to effect the Conversion of all Class B common shares outstanding from time to time in accordance with the Articles.

        The Class A common shares are not subject to any conversion right.

Qualified Holders and Permitted Transfers of Class B Common Shares

        Our Articles define a "Qualified Holder" of a Class B common share as ARD Holdings S.A. or any subsidiary of ARD Holdings S.A. (or any successor thereto) and any Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder or certain family members or permitted entities such as trusts, personal holding companies and estates of a Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder. Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder is defined as a person (or permitted entity thereof) who on the closing date of this offering owns a beneficial direct or indirect equity interest in ARD Holdings S.A. or a subsidiary of ARD Holdings S.A., including as a holder of a beneficial equity interest in any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or similar business entity that holds the beneficial interest in shares of ARD Holdings S.A. or a subsidiary of ARD Holdings S.A. This definition is intended to allow the Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holders to receive and hold Class B common shares in a future reorganization event in which they receive proportionate direct ownership in Class B common shares or Class A common shares, whether by dividend, distribution, exchange offer or other means, substantially equal in number (adjusting for fractional shares) to the Class B common shares owned by ARD Holdings S.A. and its subsidiaries.

        Our Articles provide that any transfer of a Class B common share that is not first determined by the board of directors to be a Permitted Transfer will constitute a breach of the Articles, which will result in the transferred Class B common share being subject to conversion into a Class A common share in accordance with the procedures in our Articles and entitle the board of directors to suspend the voting rights of such Class B common share until it is converted into a Class A common share. A Permitted Transfer is defined as any transfer of a Class B common share to a Qualified Holder.

        Our Articles also provide that if a qualified holder of a Class B common share ceases to be a qualified holder without first effecting a conversion of its Class B common share into a Class A common share, it shall be in breach of our Articles, which will result in the Class B common share held by such person being subject to conversion into a Class A common share in accordance with the procedures set contained in our Articles and entitle the board of directors to suspend the voting rights of such Class B common share until it is converted into a Class A common share.

Dividend rights

        Under Luxembourg Law, dividends may only be declared from the freely available distributable reserves of the Company. Interim dividends may be declared by the board of directors, subject to certain mandatory legal requirements as detailed in the Articles. The general meeting of shareholders would in the normal course be asked to declare as final the interim dividends paid during the year. The shareholders may declare dividends at a general meeting, but, in accordance with the Articles, such dividends may not exceed the amount recommended by the board of directors.

        Our Articles provide that no dividends or other distributions may be declared or paid in respect of Class B common shares unless a dividend or distribution in the same amount per share or, in the case of share dividends (also known as bonus issues) in the same ratio, is declared or paid at the same time in respect of the Class A common shares, and vice versa, without regard to the par value of the shares, provided that with respect to share dividends (also known as bonus issues), holders of Class B common shares will receive a relevant number of Class B common shares corresponding to the amount of the

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dividend and holders of Class A common shares will receive a relevant number of Class A common shares corresponding to the amount of the dividend.

Distributions on winding up of the Company

        Any voluntary dissolution of the Company will take place in accordance with the provisions of Luxembourg Law. We may only be placed into voluntary dissolution if shareholders vote in favor of such dissolution by means of a special resolution passed at an extraordinary general meeting.

        In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of common shares are entitled to share equally and ratably in our assets, if any, remaining after the payment of all of our debts and liabilities in proportion to the number of shares owned by them, without regard to the par value of the shares.

        Because all shares of the Company, including the shares offered hereby, will be fully paid, shareholders will have no liability in the event of a winding up of the Company, unless they are deemed to be a de facto manager ( gérant de fait ) exercising effective and continuing control over the Company by positive actions.

Share repurchases

        Pursuant to our Articles, our board of directors may purchase our own shares in accordance with Luxembourg Law on such terms and in such manner as may be authorized by the general meeting of shareholders in an ordinary resolution, subject to the rules of any stock exchange on which our shares are traded.

        Our Articles provide that the board of directors is authorized for a period of 5 years from                        , 2017 to make (i) open market repurchases of Class A common stock subject to certain conditions and (ii) repurchases of shares other than as described in (i) where the same terms are offered to all shareholders in a similar situation.

Board of Directors

        Our Articles provide that our business is to be managed and conducted by or under the direction of our board of directors. In managing the business of the Company, the board of directors may exercise all the powers of the Company that are not reserved by Luxembourg Law or by the Articles to the general meeting of shareholders. There is no requirement in our Articles or Luxembourg Law that directors hold any of our shares. There is also no requirement in our Articles or Luxembourg Law that directors must retire at a certain age.

        Our Articles provide that our board of directors shall consist of no fewer than three and no more than fifteen directors. Our board of directors will be classified into three classes of directors that are, as nearly as possible, one third (1/3) of the total number of directors constituting the entire Board. Each class of directors is elected for a three-year term of office, but the terms are staggered so that the term of only one class of directors expires at each annual general meeting. The board of directors shall designate the directors who will initially serve in each class. Any director appointed to fill any vacancy on the board of directors must be put in a specific class and only serves until the term of such class expires.

        Our Articles provide that any director may be removed at a shareholders meeting with or without cause by an ordinary resolution and any vacancy on the board of directors, may be filled by our board of directors (other than where a director is removed from office by the shareholders, in which case the shareholders shall elect a director to fill such vacancy by ordinary resolution in accordance with our Articles), acting by a simple majority, on a provisional basis until the provisional appointment of the director appointed by the board of directors is confirmed at the next general meeting of shareholders.

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        The compensation of our directors will be determined by our board of directors subject to ratification by shareholders, and there is no requirement that a specified number or percentage of independent directors must approve any such determination. Our directors may also be paid all travel, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by them in connection with our business or their duties as directors. Our directors who are also employees of the Company are not expected to receive separate compensation for their service as directors.

Mergers and de-mergers

        A merger by absorption whereby a Luxembourg company, after its dissolution without liquidation, transfers to the absorbing company all of its assets and liabilities in exchange for the issuance to the shareholders of the company being acquired of shares in the acquiring company, or a merger effected by transfer of assets to a newly incorporated company, must, in principle, subject to certain exceptions, be approved by a special resolution of shareholders of the Luxembourg company to be held before a notary. Similarly, a de-merger of a Luxembourg company is, in principle, subject to certain exceptions subject to the approval by a special resolution of shareholders.

Compulsory Transfer of Shares

        Our Articles provide that at any time a person is or becomes, directly or indirectly, the owner of 75% or more of the number of issued shares of the Company, such person (the "Acquiror") may require, by giving notice to the Company as specified in our Articles, the holders of the remaining issued shares of the Company to sell their shares to the Acquiror for cash at a price that reflects the fair market value of such shares as initially determined by an independent investment banking firm of international reputation retained by the Acquiror. Our Articles contain procedures for determining the fair market value of the shares held by the minority shareholders, which include a dispute resolution provision permitting holders of at least 10% of the remaining shares of the Company to dispute the purchase price proposed by the Acquiror in accordance with the procedures set forth in our Articles.

Anti-Takeover Provisions

        Certain provisions of our Articles may have the effect of delaying, deferring or discouraging another person from acquiring control of us, including the following:

    Control by Class B common shareholders.   As described above in "—Voting Rights," our Articles provide for a dual class share structure, which, for so long as Class B common shares are issued and outstanding, will allow our Parent Company to control the outcome of most matters requiring shareholder approval, even if it owns Class B common shares representing significantly less than a majority of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares. As a result, the holders of our Class B common shares could delay or prevent the approval of a change of control transaction that may otherwise be approved by the holders of the issued and outstanding Class A common shares.

    Classified Board.   Our board of directors will be classified into three classes of directors that are, as nearly as possible, of equal size. Each class of directors will be elected for a three-year term of office, but the terms are staggered so that the term of only one class of directors expires at each annual general meeting. The existence of a classified board might deter a potential offeror from seeking to acquire the Company, as, among other things, a potential offeror could not obtain majority control of the Board through a single contested election.

    Notice Requirements for Shareholder Proposals.   Luxembourg Law and our Articles provide that one or more shareholders together holding at least the 10% threshold may request the addition of one or more items to the agenda of any general meeting. The request must be sent to the registered office by registered mail, at last five clear days before the meeting is held. Our

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      Articles also specify certain requirements regarding the form and content of a shareholder's notice. These requirements may make it more difficult for our shareholders to bring matters before a general meeting.

    Purchase of own shares.   Luxembourg Law provides that if the acquisition of the Company's own shares is necessary to prevent serious and imminent harm to the Company, the acquisition can be made without prior authorization of the general meeting of shareholders.

Shareholder Suits

        Class actions and derivative actions are generally not available to shareholders under Luxembourg law. Minority shareholders holding securities entitled to vote at the general meeting that resolved on the granting of discharge to the directors, holding at least the 10% threshold may bring an action against the directors on behalf of the Company. Minority shareholders holding at least the 10% threshold may also ask the directors questions in writing concerning acts of management of the Company or one of its subsidiaries, and if the Company fails to answer these questions within one month, these shareholders may apply to the Luxembourg courts to appoint one or more experts instructed to submit a report on these acts of management. Furthermore, consideration would be given by a Luxembourg court in summary proceedings to acts that are alleged to constitute an abuse of majority rights against the minority shareholders.

        Our Articles contain a provision providing for the waiver by each of our shareholders of any claim or right of action they have, both individually and on our behalf, against any director or officer in relation to any action or failure to take action by such director or officer, except in respect of any matter involving fraud or dishonesty, gross negligence, willful misconduct or action giving rise to criminal liability that may attach to such director or officer.

Indemnification of Directors and Officers

        Our Articles provide that we will, to the extent permitted by law, indemnify our directors and officers against liability and expenses reasonably incurred or paid by them in connection with claims, actions, suits or proceedings in which they become involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of performing or having performed as a director or officer, and against amounts paid or incurred by them in the settlement of such claims, actions, suits or proceedings, except in cases of fraud, dishonesty, gross negligence, willful misconduct or action giving rise to criminal liability. The indemnification extends, among other things, to legal fees, costs and amounts paid in the context of a settlement. We intend to enter into separate indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers.

        Our Articles further provide that we may purchase and maintain insurance or furnish similar protection or make other arrangements, including, but not limited to, providing a trust fund, letter of credit or surety bond on behalf of our directors or officers against any liability asserted against them in their capacity as a director or officer.

Access to Books and Records and Dissemination of Information

        The register of shareholders of the Company is open to inspection, at the Company's registered office, by shareholders.

        Each year, the shareholders have the right to inspect, at the Company's registered office, for at least eight calendar days prior to the annual general meeting, among other things (i) the annual accounts and the list of directors and of the statutory auditors, (ii) the report of the statutory auditors and (iii) in case of amendments to the Articles, the text of the proposed amendments and the draft of the resulting consolidated Articles. Each shareholder is entitled to obtain free of charge, upon request

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and against evidence of his title, eight days before the general meeting, a copy of the annual accounts as well as the report from the management report and of the statutory auditors.

Registrar and Transfer Agent

        We have appointed                                    as our U.S. registrar and transfer agent, and all Class A common shares and shareholders are transferred from the register held at our registered office to the register held by our U.S. registrar and transfer agent. The register of shareholders to be kept at the Company's registered office will contain the holders of Class B common shares and it will record the Class A common shares with reference to the records of the U.S. registrar and transfer agent. The U.S. registrar and transfer agent will provide to the Company, upon request, a copy of such register of Class A common shares (to enable the Company to comply with its obligations in case a shareholder arrives at the registered office to inspect the shareholders register).

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COMPARISON OF LUXEMBOURG CORPORATE LAW AND DELAWARE CORPORATE LAW

        The following comparison between Luxembourg corporate law, which applies to the Company, and Delaware corporate law, the law under which many corporations in the United States are incorporated, discusses additional matters not otherwise described in this prospectus. In certain respects, the Articles may provide for provisions that vary the minimum requirements of Luxembourg Law.

Meetings of Shareholders

Luxembourg

        Under Luxembourg Law, at least one general meeting of shareholders must be held each financial year in Luxembourg.

        Luxembourg Law provides that any general meeting of shareholders may be called by the board of directors of a company or the supervisory auditor of a company and must be called so that it is held within a period of one month upon the written request of shareholders holding not less than the 10% voting rights threshold. One or more shareholders who together hold at least the 10% voting rights threshold may request that one or more additional items be put on the agenda of any general meeting.

Delaware

        Shareholders generally do not have the right to call meetings of shareholders unless that right is granted in the certificate of incorporation or by-laws. However, if a corporation fails to hold its annual meeting within a period of 30 days after the date designated for the annual meeting, or if no date has been designated for a period of 13 months after its last annual meeting, the Delaware Court of Chancery may order a meeting to be held upon the application of a shareholder.

Amendments to the articles of association

Luxembourg

        Luxembourg Law provides that amendments to the articles of association of a company generally require an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders held in front of a public notary at which at least 50% of the total voting rights is represented. The notice of the extraordinary general meeting shall indicate the proposed amendments to the articles of association. If the aforementioned quorum is not reached, a second general meeting may be convened by means of a notice published fifteen days before the meeting in the Luxembourg Recueil électronique des sociétés et associations (RESA) and in a Luxembourg newspaper. The second general meeting shall be validly constituted regardless of the proportion of the share capital represented, unless otherwise required in the articles of association. At both meetings, resolutions will be adopted if approved by a majority of 66.67% of the votes validly cast on such resolution by shareholders entitled to vote and subject in certain circumstances to a higher majority and/or separate class votes as required under the articles of association of a company or Luxembourg Law.

        However, where classes of shares (i.e., Class A common shares, Class B common shares and, as the case may be, preference shares) exist and the resolution to be adopted by the general meeting of shareholders changes the respective rights attaching to such shares, the resolution will be adopted only if the conditions as to quorum and majority set out above are fulfilled with respect to each class of shares. In addition, as described under "Description of Share Capital—Amendments", certain of our Articles may be amended only if the Class A Approval has first been obtained. The shareholders may change the nationality of a Luxembourg company by a resolution of the general meeting of shareholders adopted in the manner required for an amendment of the articles of association of the company. An increase of the commitments of its shareholders requires, however, the unanimous consent of the shareholders.

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        In very limited circumstances the board of directors may be authorized by the shareholders to amend the articles of association, albeit always within the limits set forth by the shareholders. These include (i) where the board of directors is authorized to transfer the registered office within Luxembourg, (ii) where the board of directors is authorized to issue shares within the company's authorized unissued share capital and (iii) a cancellation of shares following a repurchase of shares. The board of directors is then authorized to appoint a representative to appear in front of a Luxembourg notary to record the transfer of registered office out of the city of Luxembourg, the capital increase or decrease and to amend the share capital set forth in the articles of association.

Delaware

        Amendments to the certificate of incorporation of a Delaware corporation require the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote thereon or such greater vote as is provided for in the certificate of incorporation. A provision in the certificate of incorporation requiring the vote of a greater number or proportion of the directors or of the holders of any class of shares than is required by Delaware corporate law may not be amended, altered or repealed except by such greater vote.

Duties of directors

Luxembourg

        The board of directors must act as a collegiate body in the corporate interest of a company and has the power to take any action necessary or useful to realize the corporate objects of the company, with the exception of the powers reserved by Luxembourg Law or by the articles of association to the general meeting of shareholders. Luxembourg Law imposes a duty on directors of a Luxembourg company to: (i) act in good faith with a view to the best interests of the company; and (ii) exercise the care, diligence and skill that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in comparable circumstances. The standard of care required from directors in the execution of their mandate vis-à-vis the company is the standard that the ordinary or reasonable man would apply to his own affairs. The standard of care is more onerous where a director has special skills or where such director receives remuneration for his office.

        In addition, Luxembourg Law imposes specific duties on directors and officers of a company to comply with Luxembourg Law and the articles of association of the company.

Delaware

        Except as otherwise provided in its certificate of incorporation, the board of directors of a Delaware corporation bears the ultimate responsibility for managing the business and affairs of a corporation. In discharging this function, directors of a Delaware corporation owe fiduciary duties of care and loyalty to the corporation and its shareholders. Delaware courts have decided that the directors of a Delaware corporation are required to exercise an informed business judgment in the performance of their duties. An informed business judgment means that the directors have informed themselves of all material information reasonably available to them. Delaware courts have also subjected directors' actions to enhanced scrutiny in certain situations, including if directors take certain actions intended to prevent a threatened change in control of the corporation or in connection with transactions involving a conflicted controlling shareholder. In addition, under Delaware law, when the board of directors of a Delaware corporation determines to sell or break-up a corporation, the board of directors may, in certain circumstances, have a duty to obtain the highest value reasonably available to the shareholders at that time.

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Director terms

Luxembourg

        Under Luxembourg Law and except as specified differently in the Articles, directors may be re-elected but the term of their office may not exceed six years. The articles of association may provide for different classes of directors with each class being appointed for a different term.

Delaware

        The Delaware General Corporation Law generally provides for a one-year term for directors, but permits directors to be divided into up to three classes with up to three-year terms, with the terms for each class expiring in different years, if permitted by the certificate of incorporation, an initial bylaw or a bylaw adopted by the shareholders.

Director vacancies

Luxembourg

        Under Luxembourg Law and our Articles, in case of vacancy of the office of a director appointed by the general meeting, unless the vacancy results from the removal of a director by the shareholders, the remaining directors so appointed may fill the vacancy on a provisional basis. In such circumstances, the next general meeting shall make the final appointment. The decision to fill a vacancy is taken by the remaining directors by simple majority vote.

Delaware

        The Delaware General Corporation Law provides that vacancies and newly created directorships may be filled by a majority of the directors then in office (even though less than a quorum) unless (a) otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation or by-laws of the corporation or (b) the certificate of incorporation directs that a particular class of stock is to elect such director, in which case any other directors elected by such class, or a sole remaining director elected by such class, will fill such vacancy.

Anti-takeover provisions

Luxembourg

        There are no special powers granted by Luxembourg Law to the board of directors of a Luxembourg company, which would enable them to prevent a takeover of the company.

Delaware

        In addition to other aspects of Delaware law governing fiduciary duties of directors during a potential takeover, the Delaware General Corporation Law contains a business combination statute that protects Delaware corporations from hostile takeovers and from actions following the takeover by prohibiting some transactions once an acquirer has gained a significant holding in the corporation. Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law prohibits "business combinations," including mergers, sales and leases of assets, issuances of securities and similar transactions by a corporation or a subsidiary with an interested shareholder that beneficially owns 15% or more of a corporation's voting stock, within three years after the person becomes an interested shareholder, unless:

    the transaction that caused the person to become an interested shareholder is approved by the board of directors of the corporation prior to the transaction;

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    after the completion of the transaction in which the person becomes an interested shareholder, the interested shareholder holds at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation not including shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers and shares owned by specified employee benefit plans; or

    after the person becomes an interested shareholder, the business combination is approved by the board of directors of the corporation and holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting stock, excluding shares held by the interested shareholder.

        A Delaware corporation may elect not to be governed by Section 203 by a provision contained in the original certificate of incorporation of the corporation or an amendment to the original certificate of incorporation or to the bylaws of the company, which amendment must be approved by a majority of the shares entitled to vote and may not be further amended by the board of directors of the corporation. Such an amendment is not effective until twelve months following its adoption.

Compulsory Acquisition

Luxembourg

        Luxembourg Law does not provide for the ability of majority shareholders to acquire the interests of a minority shareholder except in the case of a Luxembourg company whose securities to which voting rights are attached are traded on a regulated securities market in one or more member states of the European Economic Area or were admitted on such a market provided that the withdrawal from trading on such a regulated market has become effective not more than five years earlier or were offered to the public which triggered the obligation to publish a prospectus in accordance with Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive or for which the obligation to publish a prospectus did not apply in accordance with Article 4(1) of the Prospective Directive (in which case, a shareholder holding alone or with persons acting in concert with it, directly or indirectly at least 95% of the company's shares may acquire the remaining shares for cash at a "fair price").

        We have included in our Articles provisions that allow the direct or indirect holder of 75% of the number of our outstanding shares to acquire the remaining shares for a purchase price payable in cash that is equal to the fair market value of such shares (as determined in accordance with our Articles). See "Description of Share Capital—Compulsory Transfer of Shares".

Delaware

        Under Delaware law, unless the certificate of incorporation of a company provides for a higher standard, subject to the approval of the boards of the directors of the constituent companies, the holder of a majority of the outstanding shares of a corporation can effect the merger of that corporation with another corporation such that the shares of the minority stockholders are converted into the right to receive the merger consideration offered by the majority stockholder. As described under "Duties of Directors," Delaware courts may subject these types of transactions to enhanced scrutiny, including, in certain circumstances, requiring that these types of transaction be "entirely fair" to the minority stockholders. In addition, stockholders of a Delaware company who do not vote their shares in favor of such a merger are, as a general matter, entitled to an appraisal by the Delaware Court of Chancery of the fair value of such stockholders' shares. As described under "Appraisal Rights," Luxembourg Law does not provide appraisal rights to shareholders.

Removal of directors

Luxembourg

        Under Luxembourg Law a director may be removed from office by the shareholders at a general meeting of the shareholders, at any time and with or without cause, by ordinary resolution.

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Delaware

        Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, any director or the entire board of directors may be removed, with or without cause, by the holders of a majority of the shares then entitled to vote at an election of directors, except (a) unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise, in the case of a corporation whose board of directors is classified, shareholders may effect such removal only for cause, and (b) in the case of a corporation having cumulative voting, if less than the entire board of directors is to be removed, no director may be removed without cause if the votes cast against his/her removal would be sufficient to elect him if then cumulatively voted at an election of the entire board of directors, or, if there are classes of directors, at an election of the class of directors of which he/she is a part.

Limitation of liability of directors and officers

Luxembourg

        Pursuant to Luxembourg Law on agency, agents are generally entitled to be reimbursed any advances or expenses made or incurred in the course of their duties, except in cases of fault or negligence on their part. Luxembourg Law provisions on agency are generally applicable to the mandate of directors and agents of the company. Pursuant to Luxembourg Law, a company is generally liable for any violations committed by employees in the performance of their functions except where such violations are not in any way linked to the duties of the employee.

        It is possible to include indemnification provisions in the articles of association of a company setting forth the scope of indemnification of directors and officers. These provisions typically indemnify directors and officers against liability (to the extent permitted by Luxembourg Law) and expenses reasonably incurred or paid by them in connection with claims, actions, suits or proceedings in which they become involved as a party or otherwise by virtue of performing or having performed as a director or officer, and against amounts paid or incurred by them in the settlement of such claims, actions, suits or proceedings, except in cases of fraud, dishonesty, gross negligence, willful misconduct or action giving rise to criminal liability. It is also possible under Luxembourg Law to enter into indemnification agreements with directors and executive officers of a company. As described under "Description of Share Capital—Shareholder Suits", our Articles provide, subject to certain exceptions, for a waiver by shareholders of any claims they may have against our directors.

Delaware

        The certificate of incorporation may provide for the elimination of personal monetary liability of directors for breach of fiduciary duties as directors to the fullest extent permissible under the laws of the State of Delaware, except for liability (i) for any breach of a director's loyalty to the corporation or its shareholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL (relating to the liability of directors for unlawful payment of a dividend or an unlawful stock purchase or redemption) or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. The certificate of incorporation may also provide that if the DGCL is amended so as to allow further elimination of, or limitations on, director liability, then the liability of directors will be eliminated or limited to the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as so amended. A Delaware corporation may also indemnify its directors, officers, employees or agents for certain losses incurred by any of them if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, in the case of any criminal action, had no reason to believe that his actions were unlawful.

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Interested director transactions

Luxembourg

        There are no rules under Luxembourg Law preventing a director from entering into contracts or transactions with the company to the extent the contract or the transaction is in the corporate interest of the company.

        Luxembourg Law prohibits a director from participating in deliberations and voting on a transaction which has to be considered by the board of directors if that director has a direct or indirect financial interest conflicting with that of the company. The concerned director must advise the board of directors thereof and cause a record of his statement to be included in the minutes of the meeting. Such director may not take part in these deliberations. At the next general meeting of shareholders, before any other resolution is put to the vote, a special report must be made on any transactions in which the directors may have had an interest conflicting with that of the company. These restrictions will not apply where the decision of the board of directors relates to ordinary business entered into under normal conditions.

Delaware

        Interested director transactions are permissible and may not be legally voided if:

    either a majority of disinterested directors, or a majority in interest of holders of shares of the corporation's capital stock entitled to vote upon the matter, approves the transaction upon disclosure of all material facts; or

    the transaction is determined to have been fair as to the corporation as of the time it is authorized, approved or ratified by the board of directors, a committee thereof or the shareholders.

Appraisal rights

Luxembourg

        Luxembourg Law does not provide for appraisal rights to shareholders.

Delaware

        A shareholder of a Delaware corporation participating in certain corporate transactions may, under certain circumstances, be entitled to appraisal rights under which the shareholder may receive cash in the amount of the fair value of the shares held by that shareholder (as determined by the Delaware Court of Chancery) in lieu of the consideration the shareholder would otherwise receive in the transaction.

Cumulative voting

Luxembourg

        The election of directors by cumulative voting is generally not possible under Luxembourg Law.

Delaware

        The certificate of incorporation of a Delaware corporation may provide that shareholders of any class or classes or of any series may vote cumulatively either at all elections or at elections under specified circumstances.

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Approval of corporate matters by written consent

Luxembourg

        Pursuant to Luxembourg Law, shareholders of a public limited liability company may not take actions by written consent. A shareholder meeting must always be called if the matter to be considered requires a shareholder resolution under Luxembourg Law or our Articles. Shareholders may vote by proxy or by submission of a voting form.

Delaware

        Unless otherwise specified in a corporation's certificate of incorporation, shareholders may take action permitted to be taken at an annual or special meeting, without a meeting, notice or a vote, if consents, in writing, setting forth the action, are signed by shareholders with not less than the minimum number of votes necessary to authorize such action at a meeting at which all shareholders entitled to vote were present and voted.

Share repurchases

Luxembourg

        Pursuant to Luxembourg Law, a company (or any party acting on its behalf) may repurchase its own shares and hold them in treasury, provided, except in limited circumstances:

    the shareholders at a general meeting have previously authorized the board of directors to acquire company shares. The general meeting shall determine the terms and conditions of the proposed acquisition and in particular the maximum number of shares to be acquired, the period for which the authorization is given (which may not exceed five years) and, in the case of acquisition for value, the maximum and minimum consideration.

    the acquisitions, including shares previously acquired by the company and held by it, and shares acquired by a person acting in his own name but on behalf of the company, may not have the effect of reducing the net assets below the amount of the issued share capital plus the reserves, which may not be distributed by law or under the articles of association.

    only fully paid-up shares may be repurchased.

        As long as shares are held in treasury, the voting rights attached thereto are suspended. Further, to the extent the treasury shares are reflected as assets on the balance sheet of the company, a non-distributable reserve of the same amount must be reflected as a liability.

Delaware

        The board of directors is permitted to authorize share repurchases without shareholder consent.

Shareholder suits

Luxembourg

        Pursuant to Luxembourg Law, the board of directors has the widest power to take any action necessary or useful to achieve the corporate object. The board of directors' powers are limited only by law and the articles of association of the company.

        Luxembourg Law generally does not require shareholder approval before legal action may be initiated on behalf of the company. The board of directors has sole authority to decide whether to initiate legal action to enforce the company's rights (other than, in certain circumstances, in the case of

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an action against board members). Luxembourg procedural law does not recognize the concept of class actions.

        Shareholders do not generally have authority to initiate legal action on the company's behalf. However, the general meeting of shareholders may vote to initiate legal action against directors on grounds that such directors have failed to perform their duties. Further, one or more shareholders holding at least 10% of the voting rights can take (on behalf of the company) legal action against directors or members of the board of directors for management fault, violation of the articles of association or law. Finally, if a director is responsible for a breach of the Luxembourg Law or of a provision of the articles of association, an action can be initiated by any third party, including a shareholder, that has suffered a loss that is independent and separate from the damage suffered by the company.

Delaware

        Class actions and derivative actions generally are available to the shareholders of a Delaware corporation for, among other things, breach of fiduciary duty, corporate waste and actions not taken in accordance with applicable law. In such actions, the court has discretion to permit the winning party to recover attorneys' fees incurred in connection with such action.

Inspection of books and records

Luxembourg

        The register of shareholders of a company is open to inspection, at the company's registered office, by shareholders.

        Each year, the shareholders have the right to inspect, at the Company's registered office, eight calendar days prior to the annual general meeting among other things (i) the annual accounts and the list of directors and of the supervisory auditors, (ii) the report of the supervisory auditors and (iii) in case of amendments to the articles of association, the text of the proposed amendments and the draft of the resulting consolidated articles of association. Each shareholder shall be entitled to obtain free of charge, upon request and against evidence of his title, eight days before the general meeting, a copy of the annual accounts as well as the report from the management report and of the supervisory auditors.

Delaware

        All shareholders of a Delaware corporation have the right, upon written demand, to inspect or obtain copies of the corporation's shares ledger and its other books and records for any purpose reasonably related to such person's interest as a shareholder.

Declaration and payment of dividends

Luxembourg

        Pursuant to Luxembourg Law, distributions may be made (i) by decision of the general meeting out of available profits (up to the prior year end and after approval of accounts as of the end of and for the prior year) and reserves and (ii) by the board of directors as interim dividends out of available profits and reserves if the articles of association authorize the board of directors to do so. Furthermore, up to 5% of any net profits generated by the company must be allocated to a legal reserve that is not available for distribution, until such legal reserve is equal to 10% of the company's issued share capital. Generally, distributions may only be made if the following conditions are met:

    except in the event of a reduction of the issued share capital, a distribution to shareholders may not be made if net assets on the closing date of the preceding fiscal year are, or following such

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      distribution would become, less than the sum of the issued share capital plus reserves, which may not be distributed by law or under the articles of association.

    the amount of a distribution to shareholders may not exceed the sum of net profits at the end of the preceding fiscal year plus any profits carried forward and any amounts drawn from reserves which are available for that purpose, less any losses carried forward and with certain amounts to be placed in reserve in accordance with the law or the articles of association

    Interim distributions may only be made if the following conditions are met:

    interim accounts indicate sufficient funds available for distribution;

    the amount to be distributed may not exceed total profits since the end of the preceding fiscal year for which the annual accounts have been approved, plus any profits carried forward and sums drawn from reserves available for this purpose, less losses carried forward and any sums to be placed in reserves in accordance with the law or the articles of association;

    the board of directors may declare interim distributions no more than 2 months after the date at which the interim accounts have been drawn up;

    review report issued by the company auditor(s) confirming that the above conditions for an interim distribution are met.

        The amount of distributions declared by the annual general meeting of shareholders may include (i) the amount previously declared by the board of directors (i.e., the interim distributions for the year of which accounts are being approved), and if proposed (ii) the (new) distributions declared on the annual accounts. Where the payments made on account of interim dividends exceed the amount of the dividends subsequently approved by the shareholders at the annual general meeting, the excess amount shall be deemed to have been paid on account of the next dividend.

Delaware

        Under the DGCL, subject to any restrictions contained in the certificate of incorporation, the directors of a corporation may declare and pay dividends upon the shares of its capital stock either (i) out of its surplus or (ii) if there is no surplus, out of its net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared and/or the preceding fiscal year, except when the capital of the corporation is diminished by depreciation in the value of its property, or by losses, or otherwise, to an amount less than the aggregate amount of capital represented by the issued and outstanding shares of all classes having a preference on the distribution of assets. "Surplus" is defined in the DGCL as the excess of the net assets of the corporation over capital, as such capital may be adjusted by the board of directors.

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DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN INDEBTEDNESS

         The following is a summary of the material terms of our principal financing arrangements. The following summaries do not purport to describe all of the applicable terms and conditions of such arrangements and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the actual agreements. We recommend that you refer to the actual agreements for further details, copies of which are filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement of which this prospectus is a part. For further information regarding our existing indebtedness, see related notes to our consolidated financial statements included in this prospectus as well as "Risk Factors", "Capitalization" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations".

Incremental Facility

    Overview

        On February 5, 2014, Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. and Ardagh Packaging Finance S.A. (the "Borrowers"), our wholly owned subsidiaries, entered into the incremental facility, which was amended on April 3, 2014 and drawn on April 11, 2014 for the purpose of financing a portion of the VNA Acquisition and fees and expenses related thereto. $700 million in aggregate principal amount was drawn under the incremental facility at a rate of 3.00% per annum plus LIBOR. On October 7, 2016, the Credit Agreement (as defined below) was amended to, among other things, (a) extend the maturity date of the incremental facility to December 17, 2021 with respect to loans of consenting parties and (b) enter into a new incremental facility with a maturity date of December 17, 2021, the proceeds of which repaid the loans of non-consenting lenders. Both incremental facilities have the same terms and are referred to collectively as the "Incremental Facility".

        The Incremental Facility is governed by a credit agreement, dated December 17, 2013 (the "Credit Agreement"), between Ardagh Holdings USA Inc., as U.S. borrower, Ardagh Packaging Finance S.A., as co-borrower, Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited ("Ardagh Packaging Holdings"), as parent guarantor, certain subsidiary guarantors, certain lenders from time to time party thereto, Citibank, N.A., as administrative agent, and Citibank, N.A., London Branch, as security agent.

    Guarantees

        The Incremental Facility is currently guaranteed by certain wholly owned subsidiaries of Ardagh Packaging Holdings.

    Guarantor Coverage Test

        The Credit Agreement requires that the Restricted Subsidiaries (as defined therein), together with Ardagh Packaging Holdings, comprise not less than 80% of consolidated total assets and Consolidated Adjusted Net Income (as defined in the Credit Agreement) of Ardagh Packaging Holdings and its Restricted Subsidiaries (the "80% Test"). The 80% Test is to be tested once per year based on the annual consolidated audited financial statements of Ardagh Packaging Holdings. For purposes of the 80% test, the assets and Adjusted EBITDA contributed from the following Restricted Subsidiaries are disregarded: (i) Restricted Subsidiaries who are not required to become guarantors as a result of agreed security principles; (ii) Restricted Subsidiaries who would not be required to become guarantors for reasons relating to (A) violation of applicable law, (B) personal liability for the officers, directors or shareholders or (C) significant cost or expense; (iii) Restricted Subsidiaries whose guarantee of the Incremental Facility would require consent from lenders under other financings of such Restricted Subsidiaries; and (iv) Restricted Subsidiaries whose guarantee would be prohibited by debt incurred in contemplation, or for the purpose, of acquiring such Restricted subsidiaries; provided , that in each case

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of clauses (iii) and (iv) such non-guarantor Subsidiaries do not provide any guarantee or other credit support in respect of any indebtedness of the Borrowers or any guarantor.

    Security

        The Incremental Facility is currently secured by collateral provided by the Group to secure the July 2014 Secured Notes and the May 2016 Secured Notes (as described herein, the "Existing Secured Notes"). The existing collateral consists of, inter alia, (i) pledges of the parent guarantor's (and the Restricted Subsidiaries') shares in the share capital or other similar equity interests of all of our subsidiary guarantors that are currently part of Ardagh in Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Guernsey, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the United States and The Netherlands and our subsidiary in Norway, (ii) floating charges over substantially all of our assets, including receivables and inventory in the United States and (with the exclusion of receivables) England and Ireland, (iii) mortgages or other similar real estate interests over certain of our real estate assets and interests in land in England, The Netherlands, Scotland, Germany and the United States and (iv) pledges and equivalent security interests over certain of our receivables and inventory in Germany, Guernsey, Poland and The Netherlands. In addition to the existing collateral, the collateral will be extended to pledges over the shares of certain subsidiaries and certain other assets of the Beverage Can Business.

    Final Maturity and Amortization

        The Incremental Facility will mature on December 17, 2021 and, since June 30, 2014, has been subject to amortization in equal quarterly installments of 0.25%, with the balance due at maturity.

        Individual lenders may agree to extend the maturity date of their outstanding term loans upon the request of the Borrowers and without the consent of any other lender pursuant to customary procedures.

    Mandatory Prepayment

        Solely to the extent that none of Ardagh Packaging Holdings and its Restricted Subsidiaries would have to incur any indebtedness to fund such prepayment, the Incremental Facility must be prepaid (subject to the right of lenders to reject such prepayment) with 50% of Excess Cash Flow (as defined in the Credit Agreement and which is net of permitted investments and dividends (to the extent financed with internally generated cash flow), permitted acquisitions and capital expenditures (including permitted acquisitions and capital expenditures budgeted for the immediately following fiscal year)), with step-downs to (i) 25% if the Specified Consolidated Secured Net Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) is less than or equal to 3.00 to 1.0 but greater than 2.00 to 1.0 and (ii) 0% if the Specified Consolidated Secured Net Leverage Ratio is less than or equal to 2.00 to 1.0. The calculation of the Excess Cash Flow is subject to deductions for, among other things, payments in respect of the voluntary prepayment, redemption, repurchase or other acquisition for value of the borrowings under the Credit Agreement and other pari passu indebtedness (together with the permanent reduction of commitments in respect of any revolving indebtedness so repaid).

        The Incremental Facility must also be prepaid (subject to the right of lenders to reject such prepayment) with 100% of the net cash proceeds of issuances of debt obligations of Ardagh Packaging Holdings and its Restricted Subsidiaries (except the net cash proceeds of any permitted debt (other than certain refinancing debt)). The Borrowers or Ardagh Packaging Holdings shall offer to prepay the loans of any lender with the net cash proceeds received by Ardagh Packaging Holdings or any of its Restricted Subsidiaries from any Asset Sale (as defined in the Credit Agreement) and subject to certain exceptions (including the pro rata prepayment of other pari passu debt); and upon a Change of Control (as defined in the Credit Agreement).

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    Voluntary Prepayment

        The borrowings under the Incremental Facility may be prepaid without premium or penalty.

    Interest Rates and Fees

        Annual interest on borrowings under the Incremental Facility accrue at a rate of, at the option of the Borrowers, (x) adjusted LIBOR (subject to a floor of 1.00%) plus 3.00% or (y) the alternate base rate (subject to a floor of 2.00%) plus 2.00%.

    Covenants

        The Incremental Facility is subject to customary affirmative covenants, incurrence-based negative covenants that are substantially similar to the indentures governing our Existing Secured Notes and no financial maintenance covenants.

    Events of Default

        The Credit Agreement contains provisions governing certain events of default, including a failure to make payment of the amounts due, defaults under other agreements evidencing indebtedness over a certain threshold, failure to comply with covenants or other obligations, material misrepresentations, certain ERISA events and certain bankruptcy events. The occurrence of an event of default could result in the acceleration of payment obligations under the Credit Agreement.

Existing Secured Notes

July 2014 Secured Notes

        In July 2014, €1,155,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 4.250% First Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2022 (the "2022 Euro Secured Notes") and $1,110,000,000 aggregate principal amount of First Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2019 (the "2019 Dollar Secured Notes" and, together with the 2022 Euro Secured Notes, the "July 2014 Secured Notes") were issued in an offering not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). On January 30, 2017, the Issuers (as defined below) partially redeemed the 2019 Dollar Secured Notes in an aggregate principal amount of $845,000,000. As a result, the aggregate principal amount under the 2019 Dollar Secured Notes is $265,000,000 as of the date of this prospectus.

        The July 2014 Secured Notes are governed by an indenture entered into by, inter alios, Ardagh Packaging Finance plc ("Ardagh Packaging Finance"), as co-issuer, Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. ("Ardagh Holdings USA"), as co-issuer (collectively, the "Issuers" and each the "Issuer"), Citibank, N.A., London Branch, as trustee for the holders, and Ardagh Packaging Holdings, as parent guarantor, and certain of Ardagh Packaging Holdings' wholly owned subsidiaries, as subsidiary guarantors.

        The July 2014 Secured Notes are the joint and several general obligations of the Issuers and rank equally in right of payment with all existing and future indebtedness of each Issuer that is not subordinated in right of payment to the July 2014 Secured Notes; rank senior in right of payment to any and all of the existing and future indebtedness of each Issuer that is subordinated in right of payment to the July 2014 Secured Notes; and are effectively subordinated to any indebtedness of Ardagh Packaging Holdings' subsidiaries that do not provide guarantees. At any time prior to June 30, 2017, the Issuers may redeem any or all of the 2022 Euro Secured Notes at 100% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, and any other amounts payable thereon, to the dates of redemption, plus a "make-whole" redemption premium. On or after June 30, 2017, the Issuers may redeem all or part of the 2022 Euro Secured Notes initially at 102.125%, with the premium declining after that date, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date (excluded). At any time

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prior to June 30, 2016, the Issuers may redeem any or all part of the 2019 Dollar Secured Notes at 100% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of redemption (excluded), plus a "make-whole" redemption premium. On or after June 30, 2016, the Issuers may, at any time, redeem all or part of the 2019 Dollar Secured Notes, initially at 102.000%, with the premium declining after that date, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date (excluded).

        If an event treated as a change of control occurs, then the Issuers or Ardagh Packaging Holdings must make an offer to repurchase the July 2014 Secured Notes at a purchase price in cash in an amount equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase.

        The July 2014 Secured Notes are also subject to certain customary covenants and events of default. The July 2014 Secured Notes are guaranteed on a senior basis by Ardagh Packaging Holdings and on a senior subordinated basis by certain wholly owned subsidiaries of Ardagh Packaging Holdings.

        The guarantee of the July 2014 Secured Notes by each guarantor ranks equally in right of payment with any and all existing and future indebtedness of such guarantor that is not subordinated in right of payment to such guarantee; ranks effectively equally with all of such subsidiary guarantor's existing and future indebtedness that is secured by a first priority lien on the collateral, including its obligations under the July 2014 Secured Notes; ranks senior in right of payment to any and all of the existing and future indebtedness of such guarantor that is subordinated in right of payment to such guarantee; and is effectively senior to any and all of such subsidiary guarantor's existing and future unsecured indebtedness to the extent of the assets securing such subsidiary guarantor's guarantee is effectively subordinated to any pari passu secured debt of the guarantor to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt.

May 2016 Secured Notes

        In May 2016, $500,000,000 Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2021 (the "2021 Floating Rate Notes"), €440,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 4.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2023 (the "2023 Euro Secured Notes") and $1,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 4.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2023 (the "2023 Dollar Secured Notes", and together with the 2021 Floating Rate Notes and the 2023 Euro Secured Notes, the "May 2016 Secured Notes") were issued in an offering not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

        The May 2016 Secured Notes are governed by an indenture entered into by, inter alios, Ardagh Packaging Finance, as co-issuer, Ardagh Holdings USA, as co-issuer, Citibank, N.A., London Branch, as trustee for the holders, Ardagh Packaging Holdings, as parent guarantor, and certain of Ardagh Packaging Holdings' wholly owned subsidiaries, as subsidiary guarantors.

        The May 2016 Secured Notes are the joint and several general obligations of the Issuers and rank equally in right of payment with all existing and future indebtedness of each Issuer that is not subordinated in right of payment to the Notes; rank senior in right of payment to any and all of the existing and future indebtedness of each Issuer that is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes; and are effectively subordinated to any indebtedness of Ardagh Packaging Holdings' subsidiaries that do not provide guarantees.

        At any time prior to May 15, 2017, the Issuers may redeem any or all of the 2021 Floating Rate Notes at 100% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, and any other amounts payable thereon, to the dates of redemption (excluded), plus a "make-whole" redemption premium. On or after May 15, 2019, the Issuers may redeem all or part of the 2021 Floating Rate Notes, initially at 102.000%, with the premium declining after that date, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date (excluded).

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        At any time prior to May 15, 2019, the Issuers may redeem any or all of the 2023 Euro Secured Notes and the 2023 Dollar Secured Notes at 100% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, and any other amounts payable thereon, to the dates of redemption (excluded), plus the applicable "make-whole" redemption premium. On or after May 15, 2019, the Issuers may redeem (i) all or part of the 2023 Euro Secured Notes, initially at 102.063%, with the premium declining after that date, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date (excluded) and (ii) all or part of the 2023 Dollar Secured Notes, initially at 102.313%, with the premium declining after that date, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date (excluded).

        If an event treated as a change of control occurs, then the Issuers or Ardagh Packaging Holdings must make an offer to repurchase of the May 2016 Secured Notes at a purchase price in cash in an amount equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase. The May 2016 Secured Notes are also subject to certain customary covenants and events of default.

        The May 2016 Secured Notes are guaranteed on a senior basis by Ardagh Packaging Holdings and on a senior subordinated basis by certain wholly owned subsidiaries of Ardagh Packaging Holdings. The guarantee of the May 2016 Secured Notes by each guarantor ranks equally in right of payment with any and all existing and future indebtedness of such guarantor that is not subordinated in right of payment to such guarantee; ranks effectively equally with all of such subsidiary guarantor's existing and future indebtedness that is secured by a first priority lien on the collateral, including its obligations under the May 2016 Secured Notes; ranks senior in right of payment to any and all of the existing and future indebtedness of such guarantor that is subordinated in right of payment to such guarantee; and is effectively senior to any and all of such subsidiary guarantor's existing and future unsecured indebtedness to the extent of the assets securing such subsidiary guarantor's guarantee is effectively subordinated to any pari passu secured debt of the guarantor to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt.

Existing Senior Notes

February 2014 Senior Notes

        In February 2014, $415,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.250% Senior Notes due 2019 (the "2019 Senior Notes"), and $415,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.750% Senior Notes due 2021 (the "2021 Senior Notes", and together with the 2019 Senior Notes, the "February 2014 Senior Notes"), were issued in an offering not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The February 2014 Senior Notes are governed by an indenture entered into by, inter alios, Ardagh Packaging Finance and Ardagh Holdings USA, as co-issuers, Citibank, N.A., London Branch, as trustee for the holders, Ardagh Packaging Holding, as parent guarantor, and certain of Ardagh Packaging Holding's wholly owned subsidiaries, as subsidiary guarantors. On February 1, 2017, the Issuers issued a notice of irrevocable redemption of the 2019 Senior Notes in full. The redemption date will be March 3, 2017.

        The February 2014 Senior Notes are the joint and several general obligations of the Issuers and rank equally in right of payment with all existing and future unsecured indebtedness of each Issuer that is not subordinated in right of payment of the February 2014 Senior Notes; rank senior in right of payment to any and all of the existing and future indebtedness of each Issuer that is subordinated in right of payment to the February 2014 Senior Notes; and are effectively subordinated to any secured indebtedness of each Issuer to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt including the Existing Secured Notes and the Incremental Facility.

        At any time prior to January 31, 2016, the Issuers may redeem the 2019 Senior Notes at 100% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, and any other amounts payable

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thereon, to the dates of redemption, plus a redemption premium. At any time on or after January 31, 2016, the Issuers may, at any time, redeem all or part of the 2019 Senior Notes at 103.125%, with the premium declining after that date, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date (excluded). At any time prior to January 31, 2017, the Issuers may redeem the 2021 Senior Notes at 100% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, and any other amounts payable thereon, to the dates of redemption, plus a redemption premium. At any time on or after January 31, 2017, the Issuers may redeem all or part of the 2021 Notes at 103.375%, with a premium declining after that date, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date (excluded).

        In an event treated as a change of control, the Issuers or Ardagh Packaging Holdings must make an offer to purchase all outstanding February 2014 Senior Notes at a redemption price of 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase.

        The February 2014 Senior Notes are also subject to certain customary covenants and events of default.

        The February 2014 Senior Notes are guaranteed on a senior basis by Ardagh Packaging Holdings and on a senior subordinated basis by certain wholly owned subsidiaries of Ardagh Packaging Holdings (including Verallia North America and its wholly owned subsidiary). The guarantee of the February 2014 Senior Notes by each guarantor ranks equally in right of payment with all existing and future indebtedness of such guarantor that is not subordinated (and is not senior) in right of payment to such guarantee; ranks senior in right of payment to any and all of the existing and future indebtedness of such guarantor that is subordinated in right of payment to such guarantee; is effectively subordinated to any pari passu secured debt of the guarantor to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt; and is effectively subordinated to all existing and future indebtedness of such guarantor's non-guarantor subsidiaries.

July 2014 Senior Notes

        In July 2014, $440,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.000% Senior Notes due 2021 (the "July 2014 Senior Notes") were issued in an offering not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

        The July 2014 Senior Notes are governed by an indenture entered into by, inter alios, Ardagh Packaging Finance, as co-issuer, Ardagh Holdings USA, as co-issuer, Citibank, N.A., London Branch, as trustee for the holders, Ardagh Packaging Holdings, as parent guarantor, and certain of Ardagh Packaging Holdings' wholly owned subsidiaries, as subsidiary guarantors.

        The July 2014 Senior Notes are the joint and several general obligations of the Issuers and rank equally in right of payment with all existing and future unsecured indebtedness of each Issuer that is not subordinated in right of payment to the Notes; rank senior in right of payment to any and all of the existing and future indebtedness of each Issuer that is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes; and are effectively subordinated to any secured indebtedness of each Issuer to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt including the Existing Secured Notes and the Incremental Facility. At any time prior to June 30, 2017, the Issuers may redeem any or all of the July 2014 Senior Notes at 100% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, and any other amounts payable thereon, to the date of redemption (excluded), plus a "make-whole" redemption premium. On or after June 30, 2017, the Issuers may also redeem all or part of the July 2014 Senior Notes initially at 103.000% with the premium declining after that date.

        If an event treated as a change of control occurs, then the Issuers or Ardagh Packaging Holdings must make an offer to repurchase of the July 2014 Senior Notes at a purchase price in cash in an amount equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase.

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        The July 2014 Senior Notes are also subject to certain customary covenants and events of default. The July 2014 Senior Notes are guaranteed on a senior basis by Ardagh Packaging Holdings and on a senior subordinated basis by certain wholly owned subsidiaries of Ardagh Packaging Holdings. The guarantee of the July 2014 Senior Notes by each guarantor ranks equally in right of payment with all existing and future indebtedness of such guarantor that is not subordinated (and is not senior) in right of payment to such guarantee; ranks senior in right of payment to any and all of the existing and future indebtedness of such guarantor that is subordinated in right of payment to such guarantee; is subordinated in right of payment to any and all of such subsidiary guarantor's existing and future senior debt.

2016 Senior Notes

        In May 2016, €750,000,000 6.750% Senior Notes due 2024 (the "2016 Euro Senior Notes") and $1,650,000,000 7.250% Senior Notes due 2024 (the "2016 USD Senior Notes" and, together with the 2016 Euro Senior Notes, the "2016 Senior Notes" which, together with the February 2014 Senior Notes, the July 2014 Senior Notes are referred to herein as the "Existing Senior Notes") were issued in an offering that was not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

        The 2016 Senior Notes are governed by an indenture entered into by, inter alios, Ardagh Packaging Finance, as co-issuer, Ardagh Holdings USA, as co-issuer, Citibank, N.A., London Branch, as trustee for the holders, Ardagh Packaging Holdings, as parent guarantor, and certain of Ardagh Packaging Holdings' wholly owned subsidiaries, as subsidiary guarantors.

        The 2016 Senior Notes are the joint and several general obligations of the Issuers and rank equally in right of payment with all existing and future unsecured indebtedness of each Issuer that is not subordinated in right of payment to the Notes; rank senior in right of payment to any and all of the existing and future indebtedness of each Issuer that is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes; and are effectively subordinated to any secured indebtedness of each Issuer to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt including the Existing Secured Notes and the Incremental Facility.

        At any time on or prior to May 15, 2019, the Issuers may redeem any or all of the 2016 Senior Notes at 100% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, plus the applicable "make-whole" redemption premium. On or after May 15, 2019, the Issuers may redeem any or all of the 2016 Euro Senior Notes initially at 105.063% or any or all of the 2016 USD Senior Notes at 105.438% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date (excluded) with the premium declining after that date.

        If an event treated as a change of control occurs, then the Issuers or Ardagh Packaging Holdings must make an offer to repurchase of the 2016 Senior Notes at a purchase price in cash in an amount equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase.

        The 2016 Senior Notes are also subject to certain customary covenants and events of default.

        The 2016 Senior Notes are guaranteed on a senior basis by Ardagh Packaging Holdings and on a senior subordinated basis by certain wholly owned subsidiaries of Ardagh Packaging Holdings. The guarantee of the 2016 Senior Notes by each guarantor ranks equally in right of payment with all existing and future indebtedness of such guarantor that is not subordinated (and is not senior) in right of payment to such guarantee; ranks senior in right of payment to any and all of the existing and future indebtedness of such guarantor that is subordinated in right of payment to such guarantee; is subordinated in right of payment to any and all of such subsidiary guarantor's existing and future senior debt.

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January 2017 Senior Notes

        In January 2017, $1,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.000% Senior Notes due 2025 (the "January 2017 Senior Notes") were issued in an offering not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

        The January 2017 Senior Notes are governed by an indenture entered into by, inter alios, Ardagh Packaging Finance, as co-issuer, Ardagh Holdings USA, as co-issuer, Citibank, N.A., London Branch, as trustee for the holders, and Ardagh Packaging Holdings, as parent guarantor.

        The January 2017 Senior Notes are the joint and several general obligations of the Issuers and rank equally in right of payment with all existing and future unsecured indebtedness of each Issuer that is not subordinated in right of payment to the Notes; rank senior in right of payment to any and all of the existing and future indebtedness of each Issuer that is subordinated in right of payment to the Notes; and are effectively subordinated to any secured indebtedness of each Issuer to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt including the Existing Secured Notes and the Incremental Facility.

        At any time prior to February 15, 2020, the Issuers may redeem any or all of the January 2017 Senior Notes at 100% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, plus a "make-whole" redemption premium. On or after February 15, 2020, the Issuers may also redeem all or part of the January 2017 Senior Notes initially at 104.500% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date (excluded) with the premium declining after that date.

        If an event treated as a change of control occurs, then the Issuers or Ardagh Packaging Holdings must make an offer to repurchase of the January 2017 Senior Notes at a purchase price in cash in an amount equal to 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase.

        The January 2017 Senior Notes are also subject to certain customary covenants and events of default. The January 2017 Senior Notes are guaranteed on a senior basis by Ardagh Packaging Holdings and are required to be guaranteed on a senior subordinated basis by certain wholly owned subsidiaries of Ardagh Packaging Holdings no later than 90 days following January 30, 2017. The guarantee of the January 2017 Senior Notes by each guarantor will rank equally in right of payment with all existing and future indebtedness of such guarantor that is not subordinated (and is not senior) in right of payment to such guarantee; will rank senior in right of payment to any and all of the existing and future indebtedness of such guarantor that is subordinated in right of payment to such guarantee; will be subordinated in right of payment to any and all of such subsidiary guarantor's existing and future senior debt.

Intercreditor Agreement

        Ardagh Packaging Holdings and certain of its subsidiaries entered into an intercreditor agreement (the "Intercreditor Agreement") with, among others, the security agents and Citibank, N.A., London Branch, in its capacity as trustee for the Existing Senior Notes and Existing Secured Notes.

        The Intercreditor Agreement establishes the ranking among certain of the Group's senior debt obligations, including the Unicredit Working Capital and Performance Guarantee Credit Lines (as defined in the indenture), the Incremental Facility, the Existing Secured Notes and certain hedging obligations. In addition, the Intercreditor Agreement provides for the subordination, in right of payment and enforcement, of all intercompany debt to all of the aforementioned senior debt and to the Existing Senior Notes and the Toggle Notes and the respective guarantees thereof. With respect to the ranking of the guarantees, the Intercreditor Agreement provides that the senior guarantees by the guarantors of the Existing Secured Notes and the Toggle Notes will rank pari passu with each other

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and each guarantor's obligations under other senior debt and certain hedging obligations and will rank senior to each Subsidiary Guarantor's senior subordinated guarantees of the the February 2014 Senior Notes, the July 2014 Senior Notes and the 2016 Senior Notes and the Toggle Notes. However, any claim by the holders of the Existing Secured Notes, hedging counterparties, the holders of the Existing Senior Notes and the holders of the Toggle Notes have in respect of the Guarantee from Heye International will be subordinated to any claim UniCredit Bank AG (formerly known as Bayerische Hypo und Vereinsbank AG) has under the Unicredit Working Capital and Performance Guarantee Credit Lines.

HSBC Securitization Program

        On March 1, 2012, Ardagh Receivables Finance Designated Activity Company ("ARF") entered into a trade receivables securitization program providing for secured loans of an amount of up to €150 million from Regency Assets Limited, an issuer of asset backed commercial paper that is sponsored by HSBC Bank plc.

        The HSBC Securitization Program is designed to be used as the primary committed revolving credit facility for the Ardagh Group. The actual amount of permitted borrowings outstanding at any particular time depends on ARF maintaining the required borrowing base of eligible receivables to support such borrowings. The HSBC Securitization Program has been amended from time to time and currently matures in June 2018. The aggregate available commitment of the facility under the HSBC Securitization Program is for an amount up to €150 million.

        Under the HSBC Securitization Program, all trade receivables originated by certain operating subsidiaries of Ardagh Packaging Holdings who have acceded to the HSBC Securitization Program as sellers are sold by those sellers to ARF unless ARF and HSBC have agreed that receivables owed by certain debtors are excluded (for example, if those receivables are to be sold into a supply chain finance program relating to that debtor). To the extent not financed by borrowings under the HSBC Securitization Program, ARF finances the purchase of receivables from the operating subsidiaries by using subordinated loans from Ardagh Packaging Holdings. ARF has granted security under the HSBC Securitization Program over all of its receivables and collection accounts.

        The HSBC Securitization Program contains incurrence type covenants that are substantially similar to the covenants contained in our indentures governing the Existing Secured Notes and the Existing Senior Notes. In addition, it contains certain other covenants that are customary for programs of this nature.

UniCredit Working Capital and Performance Guarantee Credit Lines

        Heye International supports its business activities with two open lines of credit from UniCredit Bank AG (formerly known as Bayerische Hypo und Vereinsbank AG). Heye International is entitled to draw up to €1 million on one of the lines of credit for the purposes of financing its short term working capital requirements. The second credit line is available for up to €15 million of guarantee payments relating to Heye International's project business.

        These facilities are secured by a pledge of all Heye International's present and future property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, an assignment over all present and future claims resulting from delivery of goods and services to domestic and foreign customers and an assignment over all existing and future trade receivables.

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Bank of America Facility

        On April 11, 2014, Ardagh Glass Inc. entered into a $200 million asset based revolving loan and security agreement with Bank of America, N.A. The $200 million four year facility, including a $80 million letter of credit sub limit, was put in place to support the working capital needs of our North American glass business after the VNA Acquisition. It may be increased by $50 million with a proportional increase in the letter of credit sub facility if certain conditions are met. The Bank of America Facility is secured by a first priority lien over inventory and accounts receivable of Ardagh Glass Inc. Although it contains affirmative and negative covenants and restrictions on transactions and related events of default, it does not contain any maintenance covenants other than a minimum collateral requirement.

Parent Guarantor Substitution

        It is our present intention that, on or about the completion of this offering and subject to satisfactory completion of the documentation, we will become the parent guarantor under the Credit Agreement, the Existing Secured Notes and the Existing Senior Notes and will assume all of the obligations of a parent guarantor under the Credit Agreement and the indentures governing the Existing Secured Notes and the Existing Senior Notes (such series of related transactions, the "Parent Guarantor Substitution"). Following the Parent Guarantor Substitution, all of our subsidiaries, including Ardagh Packaging Holdings, will be Restricted Subsidiaries for purposes of the Credit Agreement and the indentures governing the Existing Senior Notes and the Existing Secured Notes.

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PARENT COMPANY TOGGLE NOTES

        In September 2016, our Parent Company issued $770,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 7.125% / 7.875% Senior Secured Toggle Notes due 2023 (the "Dollar Toggle Notes") and €845,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 6.625% / 7.375% Senior Secured Toggle Notes due 2023 (the "Euro Toggle Notes" and, together with the Dollar Toggle Notes, the "Toggle Notes") in an offering not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Toggle Notes are governed by an indenture entered into by ARD Finance S.A. as issuer, Citibank, N.A., London Branch as trustee for the holders, principal paying agent, transfer agent and security agent, and Citigroup Global Markets Deutschland AG as registrar.

        The Toggle Notes are senior obligations of our Parent Company and are not obligations of ours or our subsidiaries. However, we expect our Parent Company to direct our affairs so as to comply with the covenants.

        Interest on the Toggle Notes is payable entirely in cash, except as set forth below:

        If the Cash Available for Debt Service (as defined below) for an interest period:

(i)
is equal to or exceeds 75%, but is less than 100% of the aggregate amount of cash interest payable, then our Parent Company may, at its option, elect to pay interest on up to 25% of the then outstanding principal amount of the Toggle Notes by increasing the principal amount of the outstanding Toggle Notes or by issuing additional Toggle Notes in a principal amount equal to such interest ("PIK Interest");

(ii)
is equal to or exceeds 50%, but is less than 75%, of the aggregate amount of cash interest payable, then our Parent Company may, at its option, elect to pay interest on up to 50% of the then outstanding principal amount of the Toggle Notes as PIK Interest;

(iii)
is equal to or exceeds 25%, but is less than 50%, of the aggregate amount of cash interest payable, then our Parent Company may, at its option, elect to pay interest on up to 75% of the then outstanding principal amount of the Toggle Notes as PIK Interest; or

(iv)
is less than 25% of the aggregate amount of cash interest payable, then our Parent Company may, at its option, elect to pay interest on up to 100% of the then outstanding principal amount of the Toggle Notes as PIK interest.

        "Cash Available for Debt Service" is defined as the amount equal to the sum (without duplication) of (i) all cash and cash equivalents held at our Parent Company, subject to certain exceptions and (ii) the maximum amount of all dividends and other distributions that would be lawfully permitted to be paid to our Parent Company, if any, for the purpose of paying cash interest by all of our Parent Company's restricted subsidiaries after giving effect to all corporate, shareholder or other comparable actions (including fiduciary and other directors' duties) required in order to make such payment, requirements under applicable law and all restrictions or limitations on the ability to make such dividends or distributions that are otherwise permitted by certain restrictive covenants and provisions in financing or other contractual arrangements of our subsidiaries.

        At any time prior to September 15, 2019, our Parent Company may redeem the Toggle Notes at 100% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, and any other amounts payable thereon, to the dates of redemption (excluded), plus the applicable "make-whole" redemption premium. Except as provided under the mandatory redemption provision described below, at any time on or after September 15, 2019, our Parent Company may also redeem all or part of the Dollar Toggle Notes at 103.563% and/or all or part of the Euro Toggle Notes at 103.313%, each with the premium declining after that date.

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        At any time prior to September 15, 2019, our Parent Company is required to redeem the Dollar Toggle Notes or the Euro Toggle Notes, as the case may be, with the net cash proceeds from the sale by our Parent Company or any of its subsidiaries in the secondary market of our Class A common shares issued in conversion of its Class B common shares at a redemption price of (i) 104% of the principal amount of the notes being redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date (excluded), for up to 35% of the principal amount of the notes originally issued and (ii) at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of notes being redeemed plus the applicable "make-whole" redemption premium and accrued and unpaid interest.

        At any time on or after September 15, 2019, our Parent Company shall redeem the Dollar Toggle Notes and Euro Toggle Notes with the net cash proceeds from the sale by our Parent Company (or any of its subsidiaries) in the secondary market of our Class A common shares issued in conversion of its Class B common shares, in each case, at 103.563% for the Dollar Toggle Notes and 103.313% for the Euro Toggle Notes, each with the premium declining after that date, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date (excluded).

        In an event treated as a change of control, our Parent Company must make an offer to purchase all outstanding Toggle Notes at a redemption price of 101% of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of purchase.

        The Toggle Notes are also subject to certain customary covenants and events of default. Additionally, our Parent Company is required to beneficially own, directly or indirectly, at least 80% of the total voting power and 67.0% of the economic rights, in our common shares. Under the debt incurrence covenant in the indenture governing the Toggle Notes, which prohibits the incurrence of indebtedness subject to customary exceptions, our Parent Company has agreed that permitted incurrences of indebtedness may only be made by Ardagh Packaging Holdings and its downstream restricted subsidiaries, unless we assume the parent guarantees (currently provided by Ardagh Packaging Holdings) under the 2016 Senior Notes Indenture. Thus, incurrences by us or any restricted subsidiary holding company above Ardagh Packaging Holdings of any indebtedness could cause a default under the indenture governing the Toggle Notes.

        The Toggle Notes issued by our Parent Company are initially secured by pledge on all our issued qualified capital stock. Following this offering, the Toggle Notes will be secured by all of our Class B common shares.

        Our Parent Company and the initial purchasers of the Toggle Notes entered into a registration rights agreement upon the closing of the offering. Our Parent Company agreed to use its reasonable best efforts to file an exchange offer registration statement with the SEC covering an offer to the holders of the Toggle Notes to exchange their Toggle Notes for new notes containing terms identical to the Toggle Notes (except that the Exchange Notes will not be subject to the restrictions on transfer under the Securities Act).

        If our Parent Company defaults on certain of its obligations under the registration rights agreement, it will be required to pay to each holder of Toggle Notes affected thereby additional interest over and above the interest rate set forth in the title of the Toggle Notes from and including the date on which any registration default (as defined in the indenture) shall occur to and including the date immediately preceding the date on which all such registration defaults have been cured, at a rate of:

    0.25% per annum for the first 90-day period beginning on the day immediately following such default; and

    an additional 0.25% per annum with respect to each subsequent 90-day period;

in each case until and including the date the registration default ends, provided that the maximum increase shall be 0.50% per annum. Any such additional interest would likely have to be satisfied by incremental dividends from us.

        The Toggle Notes contain customary incurrence type covenants which include restrictions on our ability to incur debt, grant liens and make investments.

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SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

        Upon completion of this offering, we will have            issued and outstanding Class A common shares, representing approximately         % of our share capital. All of the Class A common shares sold in this offering (other than any shares purchased pursuant to our directed share program that are subject to "lock-up" restrictions as described under "Underwriting"), plus any shares sold upon exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares, will be freely transferable by persons other than our "affiliates" without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act. Sales of substantial amounts of our Class A common shares in the public market could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our Class A common shares. Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our Class A common shares, and while we intend to apply to list our Class A common shares on the NYSE, we cannot assure you that a regular trading market will develop in the shares.

        Upon completion of this offering, our Parent Company will own all of our Class B common shares, each of which will be convertible into one Class A common share. Unless the Company registers Class A common shares under the Securities Act, such shares may only be resold into the public markets in accordance with the requirements of Rule 144, including the volume limitations, manner of sale requirements and notice requirements thereof. In addition, since the existing beneficial owners of our Parent Company (the "Beneficial Owners") hold their interests through several intermediate holding companies, our Parent Company may explore certain methods of allowing such Beneficial Owners to hold interests directly in the Company following this offering. Such methods may include distribution of the shares held by our Parent Company or the exchange of Class B and/or Class A common shares for the interests of such Beneficial Owners in our Parent Company or upstream holding companies. No decision has been made as of the date of this prospectus. In addition, any Company shares held by our Parent Company and ARD Group Finance Holdings S.A. are subject to share pledges securing the Toggle Notes, and no such distribution or exchange will be possible until such pledges are released in connection with repayment of the Toggle Notes or otherwise.

        In case the Beneficial Owners hold interests directly in the Company following this offering, they would be entitled to benefits under the registration rights agreement and would be able to sell Class A common shares into the public market subject to the requirements of Rule 144 as described below.

Lock-Up Agreements

        We, ARD Holdings S.A. (the parent company of our two direct shareholders) and Paul Coulson (our Chairman and major shareholder), together with each person buying shares through our directed share program (as to the shares so purchased), have agreed that, for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus, we and they will not, without the prior written consent of Citigroup Global Markets Inc., dispose of or hedge any of our Class A common shares or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for our Class A common shares. These restrictions are subject to certain exceptions as described below in "Underwriting." Citigroup Global Markets Inc., in its sole discretion, may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. has no present intent or arrangement to release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements. The release of any lock-up is considered on a case by case basis. Factors in deciding whether to release shares or any such other security may include the length of time before the lock-up expires, the number of shares involved, the reason for the requested release, market conditions, the trading price of the Company's common shares, historical trading volumes of the Company's common shares and whether the person seeking the release is an officer, director or affiliate of the Company.

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Rule 144

        Under Rule 144, a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares for at least six months would be entitled to sell their securities provided that (i) such person is not one of our affiliates at the time of, or has not been one of our affiliates at any time during the three months preceding, a sale and (ii) we are subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, for at least 90 days before the sale.

        Persons who have beneficially owned restricted shares for at least six months but who are our affiliates at the time of, or at any time during the three months preceding, a sale, would be entitled to sell within any three-month period a number of Class A common shares that does not exceed the greater of:

    1% of the total number of Class A common shares then issued and outstanding, which will equal                shares immediately after this offering (or                shares if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full); or

    the average weekly trading volume of the Class A common shares on the NYSE during the four calendar weeks preceding the filing of a notice on Form 144 with respect to the sale;

provided, in each case, that we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least 90 days before the sale.

        Sales by affiliates under Rule 144 are also subject to manner of sale provisions and notice requirements.

Registration Rights

        Upon completion of this offering, ARD Holdings S.A. and certain of its subsidiaries will be entitled to customary registration rights, following the expiration of the lock-up agreements described above. See "Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions".

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TAXATION

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations

        The following summary is a discussion of material U.S. federal income tax considerations relevant to the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our Class A common shares by U.S. Holders (as defined below). This discussion deals only with U.S. Holders who have purchased our Class A common shares pursuant to this offering as of the date hereof and hold our Class A common shares as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Furthermore, this discussion assumes that U.S. Holders are qualified "residents of a Contracting State" as defined in Article 4 of the U.S. Luxembourg Income Tax Treaty. This discussion is based on the tax laws of the United States, including the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder, and administrative and judicial decisions thereof, in each case as in effect of the date of this offering. All of the foregoing authorities are subject to change, which change could apply retroactively and could affect the tax consequences described below. There can be no assurance that the United States Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") or U.S. courts will agree with the tax consequences described in this discussion.

        This discussion does not cover all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be relevant to an investor in light of such investor's particular circumstances, including the potential application of the Medicare contribution tax on net investment income or the alternative minimum tax, any U.S. federal tax consequences other than U.S. federal income tax consequences (such as U.S. federal gift or estate tax consequences), or the U.S. federal income tax consequences to investors subject to special treatment (such as banks or other financial institutions; insurance companies; tax-exempt entities; regulated investment companies; real estate investment trusts; investors liable for the alternative minimum tax; U.S. expatriates; dealers in securities or currencies; traders in securities; persons that directly, indirectly or constructively own 10% or more of the Company's equity interests; investors that will hold the Class A common shares as part of straddles, hedging transactions or conversion transactions for U.S. federal income tax purposes; or U.S. Holders whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar).

        No ruling has been or will be requested from the Internal Revenue Service (the "IRS") regarding any matter affecting us or our shareholders. The statements made herein may be challenged by the IRS and, if so challenged, may not be sustained upon review in a court.

        As used herein, a "U.S. Holder" is a beneficial owner of Class A common shares that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes (i) an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; (ii) a corporation (or any other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created in or organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; (iii) an estate the income of which is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or (iv) a trust, if (a) a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more U.S. persons control all substantial decisions of the trust or (b) a valid election is in place to treat the trust as a domestic trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

        If any entity or arrangement classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes invests in the Class A common shares, the U.S. tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Prospective purchasers that are partnerships or partners in partnerships should consult their tax advisors concerning the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of Class A common shares.

         THE DISCUSSION OF U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES SET FORTH BELOW IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY. ALL PROSPECTIVE PURCHASERS SHOULD

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CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS CONCERNING THE TAX CONSEQUENCES OF ACQUIRING, OWNING AND DISPOSING CLASS A COMMON SHARES IN LIGHT OF THEIR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF OTHER FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, FOREIGN AND OTHER TAX LAWS AND POSSIBLE CHANGES IN TAX LAW.

Distributions

        Subject to the discussion under "—Passive Foreign Investment Company" below, distributions made on the Class A common shares (without reduction for any Luxembourg taxes withheld) generally will be included in a U.S. Holder's gross income as ordinary income from foreign sources to the extent such distributions are paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes), in the taxable year in which the distribution is actually or constructively received. Generally, distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a non-taxable return of capital to the extent of the U.S. Holder's adjusted tax basis in the Class A common shares, and thereafter as capital gain from the disposition of our Class A common shares. However, the Company does not expect to maintain calculations of its earnings and profits under U.S. federal income tax principles and therefore, U.S. Holders should expect that the entire amount of any distribution generally will be treated as ordinary dividend income.

        Subject to certain holding period requirements and other conditions, dividends paid to individuals and other non-corporate U.S. Holders of the Class A common shares may be eligible for the special reduced rate normally applicable to long-term capital gains if the dividends are "qualified dividends" for U.S. federal income tax purpose. Dividends received with respect to the Class A common shares may be qualified dividends if (i) (a) our Class A common shares are readily tradable on the NYSE, or (b) the Company is eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States that the IRS has approved for purposes of the qualified dividend rules, and (ii) the Company was not a passive foreign investment company ("PFIC") during the year in which the dividend is paid or the prior taxable year and certain other requirements are met. Accordingly, provided that we are not and do not become a PFIC (as discussed under "—Passive Foreign Investment Company" below), dividends on our Class A common shares will be qualified dividends so long as our Class A common shares are listed on NYSE. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability of the preferential rate on dividends to their particular circumstances. Distributions received on the Class A common shares will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction allowed to corporations.

        Distributions on the Class A common shares will be paid in U.S. dollars with an election for U.S. Holders to receive amounts paid in euro. U.S. Holders electing to receive distributions in euro should consult their tax advisors regarding the impact of such election in their particular circumstances.

Effect of Luxembourg Withholding Taxes

        As discussed in "—Material Luxembourg Tax Considerations", under current Luxembourg law payments of dividends made on the Class A common shares generally are subject to a 15% Luxembourg withholding tax. This rate is not generally reduced under the U.S.-Luxembourg Treaty. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, U.S. Holders will be treated as having received the amount of any Luxembourg taxes withheld, and as then having paid over the withheld taxes to the Luxembourg taxing authorities. As a result, the amount of dividend income included in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes by a U.S. Holder with respect to a payment of dividends may be greater than the amount of cash actually received by the U.S. Holder.

        Subject to certain limitations and restrictions, a U.S. Holder may be able to claim a foreign tax credit for U.S. federal income tax purposes with respect to any non-U.S. withholding tax (including any

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Luxembourg withholding tax) imposed on distributions, so long as the U.S. Holder elects not to take a deduction for any non-U.S. taxes for that taxable year.

        For purposes of the foreign tax credit limitation, foreign source income is classified in one of two "baskets," and the credit for foreign taxes on income in any basket is limited to U.S. federal income tax allocable to that income. Dividends paid on the Class A common shares generally will constitute foreign source income in the "passive income" basket, which generally includes dividends, interest, royalties, rents, income from interest equivalents and notional principal contracts, foreign currency gains and certain other categories of income, subject to exceptions. If a U.S. Holder receives a dividend that qualifies for the special reduced rate normally applicable to long-term capital gains described above under "—Distributions," the amount of the dividend taken into account in calculating the foreign tax credit limitation will in general be limited to the gross amount of the dividend, multiplied by the reduced rate divided by the highest rate of tax normally applicable to dividends. A U.S. Holder may be unable to claim foreign tax credits (and may instead be allowed deductions) for non-U.S. withholding taxes, including any Luxembourg withholding taxes, imposed on a dividend if the U.S. Holder has not held the shares for at least 16 days in the 31-day period beginning 15 days before the ex-dividend date. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors.

        The rules relating to foreign tax credits and deductions are complex. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors concerning the application of these rules in their particular circumstances.

Sale, Exchange or other Taxable Disposition

        Subject to the discussion under "—Passive Foreign Investment Company" below, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss on the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of the Class A common shares in an amount equal to the difference, if any, between the amount realized on such sale, exchange or other taxable disposition and its adjusted tax basis in the Class A common shares. The adjusted tax basis in Class A common shares generally will be equal to the cost of such Class A common shares. The capital gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if a U.S. Holder has held the Class A common shares for more than one year. In the case of non-corporate U.S. Holders, long-term capital gain is generally subject to U.S. federal income tax at preferential rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to significant limitations.

        Any gain or loss recognized by a U.S. Holder or the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of the Class A common shares generally will be treated as U.S. source gain or loss for U.S. foreign tax credit purposes. Accordingly, if any gain from the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of the Class A common shares is subject to a non-U.S. tax, U.S. Holders may not be able to obtain a credit or claim a deduction against their U.S. federal income tax liability because the gain generally would not qualify as foreign source income. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the availability of foreign tax credits or deductions in connection with non-U.S. taxes imposed on the gain realized upon the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of the Class A common shares.

        See "—Passive Foreign Investment Company" below for a discussion of more adverse rules that will apply to a sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of Class A common shares if the Company is or becomes a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Passive Foreign Investment Company

        The Company believes it was not a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes in the 2015 taxable year and based on the nature of the Company's business, the projected composition of the Company's income and the projected composition and estimated fair market values of the Company's assets, the Company does not expect to be a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes in 2016 or in the foreseeable future. However, the determination of whether the Company is a PFIC is made annually, after the close of the relevant taxable year. Therefore, it is possible that the Company could be

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classified as a PFIC depending on, among other things, changes in the nature of the Company's business, composition of its assets or income, as well as changes in its market capitalization. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the Company will not be a PFIC in its initial taxable year or any future taxable year.

        A non-U.S. corporation generally will be a PFIC for U.S. federal tax purposes in any taxable year in which, after taking into account the income and assets of the corporation and certain subsidiaries pursuant to applicable look-through rules, either:

    (i)
    at least 75% of its gross income is "passive income"; or

    (ii)
    at least 50% of the average quarterly value of its gross assets (which may be determined in part by the market value of Class A common shares, which is subject to change) is attributable to assets that produce "passive income" or are held for the production of "passive income".

Passive income for this purpose generally includes dividends, interest, royalties, rents and certain gains from commodities (other than commodities sold in an active trade or business) and securities transactions.

        If the Company is treated as a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder holds Class A common shares, any gain recognized by a U.S. Holder upon a sale or other taxable disposition (including certain pledges) of Class A common shares generally will be allocated ratably over the U.S. Holder's holding period for such Class A common shares. The amounts allocated to the taxable year of the sale or other taxable disposition and to years before the Company became a PFIC would be taxed as ordinary income. The amount allocated to each other taxable year would be subject to tax at the highest marginal rate in effect for that taxable year for individuals or corporations, as appropriate, (regardless of the U.S. Holder's actual tax rate and without reduction for any losses) and an interest charge would be imposed on the tax attributable to the allocated amount to reflect the value of the tax deferral. Further, to the extent that any distribution received by a U.S. Holder on Class A common shares exceeds 125 percent of the average of the annual distributions on such Class A common shares received during the preceding three years or the U.S. Holder's holding period, whichever is shorter, that distribution would be subject to taxation in the same manner as gain, as described immediately above.

        Certain elections may be available that would result in alternative treatments (such as mark-to-market treatment) of the Class A common shares. An election for mark-to-market treatment is available only if the Class A common shares are considered "marketable stock", which generally includes stock that is regularly traded in more than de minimis quantities on a qualifying exchange (such as the NYSE). No assurance can be given that the Class A common shares will be considered regularly traded on a qualifying exchange, and therefore considered "marketable stock," for purposes of the PFIC mark-to-market election. Each U.S. Holder is encouraged to consult its tax advisor as to whether a mark-to-market election is available or desirable in their particular circumstances. The Company does not intend to prepare or provide the information that would enable U.S. Holders to make a "qualified electing fund" election.

        U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors concerning the Company's possible PFIC status and the consequences to them if the Company were a PFIC for any taxable year.

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

        In general, payments of dividends and proceeds from the sale or other disposition, with respect to the Class A common shares held by a U.S. Holder may be required to be reported to the IRS unless the U.S. Holder is an exempt recipient and, when required, demonstrates this fact. In addition, a U.S. Holder that is not an exempt recipient may be subject to backup withholding (currently at a rate of

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28%) unless it provides a taxpayer identification number and otherwise complies with applicable certification requirements.

        Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Amounts withheld as backup withholding may be credited against a U.S. Holder's U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle a U.S. Holder to a refund, provided that the appropriate information is timely furnished to the IRS. U.S. Holders should consult with their tax advisors regarding the application of the U.S. information reporting and backup withholding regime.

Foreign Financial Asset Reporting

        Certain non-corporate U.S. Holders are required to report information with respect to investments in Class A common shares not held through an account with certain financial institutions. U.S. Holders that fail to report required information could become subject to substantial penalties. Potential investors are encouraged to consult with their tax advisors about these and any other reporting obligations arising from their investment in Class A common shares.

FATCA Compliance

        Legislation commonly referred to as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA") generally imposes a 30% withholding tax on certain U.S. source payments (including U.S. source dividend payments) and the proceeds of the disposition of securities that pay U.S. source dividend payments, made to certain foreign entities (whether such entities receive the payment as a beneficial owner or intermediary), unless such entities comply with certain certification, information reporting and diligence requirements. Dividend payments by a non-U.S. issuer (such as us) could be U.S. source if the issuer is engaged in a trade or business in the United States (which we are not) or if the issuer is considered a "foreign financial institution" ("FFI"). We previously have registered as a "reporting model 1 foreign financial institution" for protective purposes because it was unclear whether we may have been considered an "Investment Entity" under the intergovernmental agreement between Luxembourg and the United States regarding FATCA. However, we now believe we should not be considered an FFI and intend to cancel our FATCA registration. Please note, we have not sought nor do we intend to seek a ruling to this effect and the IRS or Luxembourg tax authorities may disagree with our conclusion.

        Under these rules, starting no earlier than January 1, 2019, if we were considered a FFI, we or another applicable withholding agent may be required to withhold U.S. tax at a rate of 30% on all, or a portion of, a payment on, or a payment of the gross proceeds from a sale, exchange, retirement or other taxable disposition of, the Class A common shares if such payment is deemed to be a "foreign passthru payment", of which such term has not yet been defined by the regulations relating to FATCA.

Material Luxembourg Tax Considerations

Luxembourg Tax Considerations

Scope of Discussion

        This summary is based on the laws of Luxembourg, including the Income Tax Act of December 4, 1967, as amended, the Municipal Business Tax Act of December 1, 1936, as amended and the Net Wealth Tax Act of October 16, 1934, as amended, to which we jointly refer as the "Luxembourg tax law", existing and proposed regulations promulgated thereunder, and published judicial decisions and administrative pronouncements, each as in effect on the date of this prospectus or with a known future effective date. This discussion does not generally address any aspects of Luxembourg taxation other than income tax, corporate income tax, municipal business tax, withholding tax and net wealth tax. This discussion, while not being a complete analysis or listing of all of the possible tax consequences of

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holding and disposing of shares, addresses the material tax issues. Also, there can be no assurance that the Luxembourg tax authorities will not challenge any of the Luxembourg tax consequences described below; in particular, changes in law and/or administrative practice, as well as changes in relevant facts and circumstances, may alter the tax considerations described below.

        For purposes of this discussion, a "Luxembourg holder" is any beneficial owner of shares that for Luxembourg income tax purposes is:

    1.
    an individual resident of Luxembourg under article 2 of the Luxembourg Income Tax Act, as amended; or

    2.
    a corporation or other entity taxable as a corporation that is organized under the laws of Luxembourg under article 159 of the Income Tax Act, as amended.

        A "non-Luxembourg holder" of shares is a holder that is not a Luxembourg holder. For purposes of this summary, "holder" or "shareholder" means either a Luxembourg holder or a non-Luxembourg holder or both, as the context may require.

        This discussion does not constitute tax advice and is intended only as a general guide. However, the summary, while not being exhaustive, addresses the material tax issues. Shareholders should also consult their own tax advisors as to the Luxembourg tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of the Company's shares. The summary applies only to shareholders who will own the Company's shares as capital assets and does not apply to other categories of shareholders, such as dealers in securities, trustees, insurance companies, collective investment schemes and shareholders who have, or who are deemed to have, acquired their shares in the capital of the Company by virtue of an office or employment.

Company

        The Company is a Luxembourg tax resident entity and it will therefore be subject to Luxembourg corporate income tax, municipal business tax, withholding tax, and net wealth tax.

Corporate Income Tax / Municipal Business Tax

        A Luxembourg resident company is subject to corporate income tax and municipal business tax on its worldwide income at the global tax rate (including solidarity surcharge) of 27.08% (rate applicable for 2017, assuming the Company is established in Luxembourg City). Qualifying dividend income, liquidation proceeds and net capital gains on the sale of qualifying investments in subsidiaries generally is exempt from corporate income tax and municipal business tax under Luxembourg's "participation exemption" rules, which also includes specific anti-hybrid and anti-abuse rules. Based on the Luxembourg participation exemption regime, dividends, liquidation proceeds received by the Company from its qualifying subsidiaries and capital gains from sales by the Company of investments in its qualifying subsidiaries should be exempt from corporate income tax and municipal business tax.

Net Wealth Tax

        A Luxembourg resident company is subject annually to net wealth tax on its worldwide net wealth up to EUR 500 000 000 at a rate of 0.5%. A reduced rate of 0.05% however applies to the portion of net wealth base which exceeds the amount of EUR 500 000 000. Qualifying investments in subsidiaries generally are exempt from net wealth tax. Consequently, the fair market value of qualifying investments held by the Company should be exempt from net wealth tax.

        An annual minimum net wealth tax (ranging between EUR 535 and EUR 32,100) may apply depending on the balance sheet composition of the Company.

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Registration duty

        The issuance of shares and increases in the capital of Luxembourg corporations is subject to a Luxembourg flat registration duty of EUR 75 (this flat registration duty would actually be due on any modification of the Luxembourg corporation's bylaws).

Shareholders

        The tax consequences discussed below, while not being a complete analysis or listing of all the possible tax consequences that may be relevant to you, are materially complete. You should consult your own tax advisor in respect of the tax consequences related to ownership, sale or other disposition of shares in the Company.

Luxembourg Income Tax on Dividends and Similar Distributions

        A non-Luxembourg resident holder will not be subject to Luxembourg income taxes on dividend income and similar distributions in respect of shares in the Company unless the shares are attributable to a permanent establishment or a fixed place of business maintained in Luxembourg by such non-Luxembourg resident holder. However, dividends and similar distributions are generally subject to Luxembourg withholding tax. We assume the non resident holder is resident in a tax treaty country. We will disregard cases where holders may be residents in a non tax treaty country.

        A Luxembourg resident individual holder will be subject to Luxembourg individual income taxes on dividend income and similar distributions in respect of shares in the Company. Luxembourg individual income tax will be levied on 50% of the gross amount of the dividends, under certain conditions, at progressive rates. Taxable dividends are also subject to dependence insurance contribution levied at a rate of 1.4% on the net income in presence of Luxembourg resident holders affiliated to the Luxembourg social security. The dependence insurance contribution on private income not exceeding EUR 24.79 per annum is considered to be nil. The first €1,500 (or €3,000 for couples filing jointly) of investment income (including dividends and other types of investment income) is exempt from individual income tax in Luxembourg.

        A Luxembourg resident corporation may benefit from the Luxembourg participation exemption with respect to dividends received if certain conditions are met: (a) the holder's shares form a stake of at least 10% of the total issued share capital in the Company or have a cost price of at least EUR 1,200,000 and (b) such qualifying shareholding has been held for an uninterrupted period of at least 12 months or the Luxembourg corporate entity holder undertakes to continue to own such qualifying shareholding until such time as the entity has held the minimum stake for an uninterrupted period of at least 12 months.

        If the conditions with respect to the Luxembourg participation exemption are not met, the aforementioned 50% exemption may also apply to dividends received by a Luxembourg resident corporation.

Luxembourg Wealth Tax

        A non-Luxembourg holder will not be subject to Luxembourg wealth taxes unless the holder's shares are attributable to a permanent establishment or a fixed place of business maintained in Luxembourg by such non-Luxembourg holder.

        Luxembourg resident individual holders are not subject to Luxembourg wealth tax. A Luxembourg corporate entity holder will be subject to Luxembourg net wealth tax, in respect of the shares held in the capital of the Company unless such shares form a stake of at least 10% of the total issued share capital of the Company or have a cost price of at least EUR 1,200,000.

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Luxembourg Capital Gains Tax upon Disposal of Shares

        A non-Luxembourg holder will be subject to Luxembourg individual income taxes for capital gains in the following cases:

    The holder's shares are attributable to a permanent establishment or a fixed place of business maintained in Luxembourg by such non-Luxembourg holder. In such case, the non-Luxembourg holder is required to recognize capital gains or losses on the sale of such shares, which will be subject to Corporate Income Tax and Municipal Business Tax, unless the participation exemption applies; or

    At any time within a five-year period prior to the disposal of shares in the Company the holder's shares and those held by close relatives belong to a substantial shareholding of more than 10% (directly or indirectly) of the total issued share capital of the Company and the shares sold have been disposed (or deemed disposed) of within a period of six months following their acquisition or the holder of the above-mentioned shares has been a Luxembourg resident taxpayer for more than 15 years and has become a non-resident taxpayer less than 5 years prior to the disposal of the shares, provided no provisions of a treaty for the avoidance of double taxation can be invoked to override this domestic law result.

        For non-Luxembourg individual holders, no taxation should occur in principle in Luxembourg on the sale of shares where the individual holder is a resident of a tax treaty country.

        A Luxembourg resident individual holder will be subject to Luxembourg income taxes for capital gains in the following cases:

    If the shares (1) represent the assets of a business or (2) were acquired for speculative purposes (i.e., disposed of within six months after acquisition), then any capital gain will be taxed at ordinary income tax rates and subject to dependence insurance contribution levied at a rate of 1.4% (note that a "step up in basis" mechanism could be applicable for holders transferring their residence to Luxembourg); and

    Provided that the shares do not represent the assets of a business, and the Luxembourg resident individual has disposed of them more than six months after their acquisition, then the capital gains are taxable at half the overall tax rate if the shares belong to a substantial participation (i.e., a shareholder representing more than 10% of the share capital, owned by the Luxembourg resident individual or together with his spouse/registered partner and dependent children, directly or indirectly at any time during the five years preceding the disposal). In this case, the capital gains would also be subject to dependence insurance contribution levied at a rate of 1.4% in presence of Luxembourg resident holders affiliated to the Luxembourg social security.

        Different rules may apply in the scenario of exchange of shares, which may under certain conditions be tax neutral.

        A Luxembourg corporate entity holder will be subject to Luxembourg corporate income tax and municipal business tax for capital gains unless (a) the holder's shares form a stake of at least 10% of the total issued share capital in the Company or have a cost price of at least EUR 6,000,000 and (b) such qualifying shareholding has been held for an uninterrupted period of at least 12 months or the Luxembourg corporate entity holder undertakes to continue to own such qualifying shareholding until such time as the entity has held the minimum stake for an uninterrupted period of at least 12 months. Expenses directly related to a participation that qualifies for the exemption (e.g., interest expenses) are only deductible for the amount exceeding exempt income arising from the relevant participation in a given year. Decreases in the acquisition cost of a participation that qualifies for the exemption are deductible. The exempt amount of a capital gain realized on a qualifying participation is, however, reduced by the amount of any expenses related to the participation, including decreases in the

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acquisition cost, that have previously reduced the company's Luxembourg taxable income. However, decreases in the acquisition cost that result from dividend distributions are not tax deductible because the dividends are tax exempt. If a parent company writes off part or all of a loan to its subsidiary, the value adjustment is treated in the same way as decreases in the acquisition cost of the participation, i.e., this is taken into account when calculating the exempt capital gain.

Luxembourg Withholding Tax—Distributions to Shareholders

        A Luxembourg withholding tax of 15% is due on dividends and similar distributions to the Company's holders (subject to the exceptions discussed under "Exemption from Luxembourg Withholding Tax—Distributions to Shareholders"). The Company will be required to withhold at such rate from amounts payable to the shareholder and pay such withheld amounts to the Luxembourg tax authorities.

Exemption from Luxembourg Withholding Tax—Distributions to Shareholders

        Dividends and similar distributions paid to the Company's Luxembourg and non-Luxembourg holders may be exempt from Luxembourg dividend withholding tax if: (1) the shareholder is a qualifying corporate entity holding a stake of at least 10% of the total issued and outstanding share capital of the Company or acquired the Company's shares for at least EUR 1,200,000; and (2) such qualifying shareholder has either held this qualifying stake in the capital of the Company for an uninterrupted period of at least 12 months at the time of the payment of the dividend. If the minimum 12-month retention period is not met at the distribution date, the tax is first withheld and refunded by the Luxembourg tax authorities once the 12 months retention period is effectively met. Examples of qualifying corporate shareholders are taxable Luxembourg companies, certain taxable companies resident in other EU member states, Luxembourg permanent establishment, capital companies resident in Switzerland subject to income tax (without benefiting from an exemption) and share capital companies fully subject to a tax corresponding to Luxembourg corporate income tax (levied on a similar taxable basis compared to what it would be in Luxembourg) that are resident in countries that have concluded a treaty for the avoidance of double taxation with Luxembourg. Residents of countries that have concluded a treaty for avoidance of double taxation with Luxembourg might claim application of a reduced rate on or exemption from dividend withholding tax, depending on the terms of the relevant tax treaty.

        The application of the dividend withholding tax exemption to taxable companies resident in other EU member states or to their EU permanent establishments is not granted if the income allocated is part of a tax avoidance scheme (general anti-abuse rule).

Reduction of Luxembourg Withholding Tax—Distributions to Shareholders

        As mentioned above, pursuant to the provisions of certain bilateral treaties for the avoidance of double taxation concluded between Luxembourg and other countries, and under certain circumstances, the aforementioned Luxembourg dividend withholding tax may be reduced, but only with respect to corporate direct investment dividends. Luxembourg has entered into bilateral treaties for the avoidance of double taxation with:

Andorra; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Bahrain; Barbados; Belgium; Brazil; Bulgaria; Canada; China; Croatia; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Guernsey; Hong Kong; Hungary; Iceland; India; Indonesia; Ireland; Isle of Man; Israel; Italy; Jersey; Japan; Kazakhstan; Laos; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Macedonia; Malta; Malaysia; Mauritius; Mexico; Moldavia; Monaco; Morocco; The Netherlands; Norway; Panama; Poland; Portugal; Qatar; Romania; Russia; Saudi Arabia; San Marino; Serbia; Seychelles; Singapore; Slovak Republic; Slovenia; Sri Lanka; South Africa; South Korea; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Tajikistan; Taiwan; Thailand; Trinidad and

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Tobago; Tunisia; Turkey; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States of America; Uzbekistan; and Vietnam. Bilateral treaty with Uruguay is to become effective from January 1, 2018 and with Brunei from January 1, 2018 and January 1, 2019 for withholding taxes and other taxes, respectively.

        U.S. Holders.     The Luxembourg-U.S. Tax Treaty provides that U.S. residents eligible for benefits under the treaty can seek a refund of the Luxembourg withholding tax on dividends for the portion exceeding 15% in respect of portfolio dividends, i.e., dividends distributed on shareholdings of less than 10% of the total issued share capital of the dividend paying entity. Given that the domestic Luxembourg withholding tax rate is 15%, no further reductions can be obtained in respect of these portfolio dividends received by a U.S. holder.

Credit of Luxembourg Withholding Tax on Dividends and Other Distributions

        Luxembourg Holders.     Subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions and assuming, in the case of corporate holders, that the participation exemption does not apply, only half of the gross amount of a dividend distributed to a Luxembourg corporate or individual holder will be subject to respectively Luxembourg corporate income tax and municipal business tax for the Luxembourg corporate holder or Luxembourg income tax for the Luxembourg individual holder. All or part of the withholding tax levied can in principle be credited against the applicable tax.

THE LUXEMBOURG TAX CONSIDERATIONS SUMMARIZED ABOVE ARE FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY. EACH SHAREHOLDER IN THE COMPANY SHOULD CONSULT HIS OR HER TAX ADVISOR AS TO THE PARTICULAR CONSEQUENCES THAT MAY APPLY TO SUCH SHAREHOLDER.

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UNDERWRITING

        Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and Goldman, Sachs & Co. are acting as joint bookrunning managers of the offering and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. is acting as the representative of the underwriters named below. Subject to the terms and conditions stated in the underwriting agreement dated the date of this prospectus, each underwriter named below has severally agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to that underwriter, the number of shares of Class A common shares set forth opposite the underwriter's name.

Underwriter
  Number of
Class A
Common Shares
 

Citigroup Global Markets Inc. 

       

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

       

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

       

Barclays Capital Inc.

       

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

       

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

       

J&E Davy

       

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

       

Total

                  

        The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the shares included in this offering are subject to approval of legal matters by counsel and to other conditions. The underwriters are obligated to purchase all the shares (other than those covered by the option to purchase additional shares described below) if they purchase any of the shares. The offering of the shares by the underwriters is subject to receipt and acceptance and subject to the underwriters' right to reject any order in whole or in part. Any sales by J&E Davy to U.S. persons will be made by or through its U.S. broker-dealer affiliates in accordance with applicable U.S. securities laws.

        Shares sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the initial public offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Any shares sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount from the initial public offering price not to exceed $            per share. If all of the shares are not sold at the initial offering price, the representative may change the public offering price and the other selling terms. The representative has advised us that the underwriters do not intend to make sales to discretionary accounts.

        If the underwriters sell more shares than the total number set forth in the table above, we have granted to the underwriters an option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of this prospectus, to purchase up to            additional Class A common shares at the public offering price less the underwriting discount. To the extent the option is exercised, each underwriter must purchase a number of additional shares approximately proportionate to that underwriter's initial purchase commitment. Any shares issued or sold under the option will be issued and sold on the same terms and conditions as the other shares that are the subject of this offering.

        We, ARD Holdings S.A. (the parent company of our two direct shareholders, our Parent Company and ARD Group Finance Holdings S.A.) and Paul Coulson (our Chairman and major shareholder) have agreed that, for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus, we and they will not, without the prior written consent of Citigroup Global Markets Inc., dispose of or hedge any of our Class A common shares or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for such shares, subject (i) in our case, to certain exceptions customarily applicable to issuers, and (ii) in the case of ARD Holdings S.A. and Mr. Coulson, to (A) such restrictions not applying to shares acquired in the open market after this offering and (B) certain other exceptions customarily applicable to

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corporate shareholders or individuals, as applicable. The foregoing restrictions applicable to ARD Holdings S.A. also apply to its direct and indirect subsidiaries (other than us and our subsidiaries). In addition, ARD Holdings S.A. has agreed that it and its direct and indirect subsidiaries (other than us and our subsidiaries) will, at all times during the 180-day period referred to above, beneficially own at least 80% of the voting and economic interests in us, and Mr. Coulson has agreed that, at all times during such 180-day period, his beneficial ownership of total share capital of ARD Holdings S.A. will be at least            %. Citigroup Global Markets Inc., in its sole discretion, may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. has no present intent or arrangement to release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements. The release of any lock-up is considered on a case by case basis. Factors in deciding whether to release shares or any such other securities may include the length of time before the lock-up expires, the number of shares involved, the reason for the requested release, market conditions, the trading price of the Company's common shares, historical trading volumes of the Company's common shares and whether the person seeking the release is an officer, director or affiliate of the Company.

        Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our shares. Consequently, the initial public offering price for our Class A common shares was determined by negotiations between us and the representative. Among the factors considered in determining the initial public offering price were our results of operations, our current financial condition, our future prospects, our markets, the economic conditions in and future prospects for the industry in which we compete, our management and currently prevailing general conditions in the equity securities markets, including current market valuations of publicly traded companies considered comparable to our company. We cannot assure you, however, that the price at which our Class A common shares will sell in the public market after the offering will not be lower than the initial offering price thereof or that an active trading market in our shares will develop and continue after the offering.

        We intend to apply to have the shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ARD".

        The following table shows the underwriting discounts and commissions that we are to pay to the underwriters in connection with this offering. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters' option to purchase additional shares.

 
  Paid by Us  
 
  No
Exercise
  Full
Exercise
 

Per Class A common share

  $     $    

Total

  $     $    

        We estimate that our expenses in connection with this offering, not including underwriting discounts and commissions, will be approximately $            (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel related to the review by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. of the terms of sale of the shares offered hereby, any required review of the terms of the directed share program and any registration or qualification of the shares under state securities or blue sky laws, which we have agreed to pay).

        In connection with the offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell shares in the open market. Purchases and sales in the open market may include short sales, purchases to cover short positions, which may include purchases pursuant to the option described above to purchase additional shares, and stabilizing purchases.

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    Short sales involve secondary market sales by the underwriters of a greater number of shares than they are required to purchase in the offering.

    "Covered" short sales are sales of shares in an amount up to the number of shares represented by the underwriters' option described above to purchase additional shares.

    "Naked" short sales are sales of shares in an amount in excess of the number of shares represented by the underwriters' option described above to purchase additional shares.

    Covering transactions involve purchases of shares either pursuant to the option described above to purchase additional shares or in the open market after the distribution has been completed in order to cover short positions.

    To close a naked short position, the underwriters must purchase shares in the open market after the distribution has been completed. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the shares in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering.

    To close a covered short position, the underwriters must purchase shares in the open market after the distribution has been completed or must exercise the option to purchase additional shares. In determining the source of shares to close the covered short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the option to purchase additional shares.

    Stabilizing transactions involve bids to purchase shares so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum.

        Purchases to cover short positions and stabilizing purchases, as well as other purchases by the underwriters for their own accounts, may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the shares. They may also cause the price of the shares to be higher than the price that would otherwise exist in the open market in the absence of these transactions. The underwriters may conduct these transactions on the New York Stock Exchange, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise. If the underwriters commence any of these transactions, they may discontinue them at any time.

        The underwriters are full-service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The underwriters and their respective affiliates have in the past performed commercial banking, investment banking and advisory services for us and our affiliates, from time to time for which they have received customary fees and reimbursement of expenses and may, from time to time, engage in transactions with and perform services for us in the ordinary course of their business for which they may receive customary fees and reimbursement of expenses. Certain of the underwriters and their respective affiliates have performed investment advisory, brokerage, custody and other investment services for some of our present and past officers, directors and employees for which they have received customary compensation. In terms of custody services, these underwriters may hold as client assets the debt and/or equity securities of our affiliates for such individuals and have arranged for these client assets to be registered in the name of the underwriters' nominee companies, whereby such individuals remain the beneficial owners of these client assets at all times. In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (which may include bank loans and/or credit default swaps) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers and may at any time hold long and short positions in such securities

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and instruments. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. In addition, it is anticipated that affiliates of some of the underwriters may be lenders, and in some cases agents or managers for the lenders, under certain of the credit facilities and other credit arrangements, and some of the underwriters and/or their affiliates may act as initial purchasers or underwriters in connection with certain offerings of debt securities, that we may enter into or conduct, as the case may be, or those of our affiliates. In their capacity as lenders, such lender affiliates may, in the future, seek a reduction of a loan commitment to us or our affiliates, or impose incremental pricing or collateral requirements with respect to such facilities or credit arrangements, in the ordinary course of business. The underwriters and their affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.

        We have agreed to indemnify the several underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make because of any of those liabilities.

        A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the web sites maintained by one or more underwriters, or selling group members, if any, participating in the offering. The underwriters may agree to allocate a number of shares to underwriters and selling group members for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Internet distributions will be allocated by the representative to underwriters and selling group members that may make Internet distributions on the same basis as other allocations.

Directed Share Program

        At our request, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. has reserved up to                        of the Class A common shares being offered by this prospectus for sale at the initial public offering price to certain persons who are employees and directors of ours through a directed share program. The number of shares available for sale to the general public will be reduced by the number of directed shares purchased by participants in the program. Each person buying shares through the directed share program has agreed that, for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus, he or she will not, without the prior written consent of Citigroup Global Markets Inc., dispose of or hedge any shares purchased in the program or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for our Class A common shares with respect to shares purchased in the program, subject to certain customary exceptions. Any directed shares not purchased will be offered by Citigroup Global Markets Inc. to the general public on the same basis as all other shares offered. We have agreed to indemnify Citigroup Global Markets Inc. against certain liabilities and expenses, including liabilities under the Securities Act, in connection with the sales of the directed shares.

Sales Outside of the United States

        Other than in the United States, no action has been taken by us or the underwriters that would permit a public offering of the securities offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. The securities offered by this prospectus may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, nor may this prospectus or any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the offer and sale of any such securities be distributed or published in any jurisdiction, except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable rules and regulations of that jurisdiction. Persons into whose possession this prospectus comes are advised to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to the offering and the distribution of this prospectus. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities offered by this prospectus in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or a solicitation is unlawful.

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Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area

        In relation to each member state of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a "Relevant Member State"), each underwriter has represented and agreed that with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that Relevant Member State it has not made and will not make an offer of shares which are the subject of the offering contemplated by this prospectus to the public in that Relevant Member State other than:

(a)
to any legal entity which is a "qualified investor" as defined in the Prospectus Directive;

(b)
to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than "qualified investors" as defined in the Prospectus Directive), as permitted under the Prospective Directive subject to obtaining the prior consent of the relevant underwriter or underwriters nominated by us for any such offer; or

(c)
in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive,

        provided that no such offer of shares shall require us or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 16 of the Prospectus Directive.

        For the purposes of this provision, the expression an "offer of shares to the public" in relation to any shares in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the shares to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the shares, as the same may be varied in that Relevant Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Relevant Member State, and the expression "Prospectus Directive" means Directive 2003/71/EC (as amended including by Directive: 2010/73/EC) and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State.

        The seller of the shares has not authorized and does not authorize the making of any offer of shares through any financial intermediary on its behalf, other than offers made by the underwriters with a view to the final placement of the shares as contemplated in this prospectus. Accordingly, no purchaser of the shares, other than the underwriters, is authorized to make any further offer of the shares on behalf of the sellers or the underwriters.

Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom

        This prospectus is only being distributed to, and is only directed at, persons who (i) are investment professionals, as such term is defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the "Financial Promotion Order"), (ii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) ("high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.") of the Financial Promotion Order, (iii) are outside the United Kingdom, or (iv) are persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the Financial Services Markets Act 2000) in connection with the offering and sale of the shares may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). This prospectus and its contents are confidential and shall not be distributed, published or reproduced (in whole or in part) or disclosed by recipients to any other person in the United Kingdom. Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this document or any of its contents.

Notice to Prospective Investors in France

        Neither this prospectus nor any other offering material relating to the shares described in this prospectus has been submitted to the clearance procedures of the Autorité des marchés financiers or of the competent authority of another member state of the European Economic Area and notified to the Autorité des marchés financiers . The shares have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or

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sold, directly or indirectly, to the public in France. Neither this prospectus nor any other offering material relating to the shares has been or will be:

    released, issued, distributed or caused to be released, issued or distributed to the public in France; or

    used in connection with any offer for subscription or sale of the securities to the public in France.

        Such offers, sales and distributions will be made in France only:

    to qualified investors ( investisseurs qualifiés ) and/or to a restricted circle of investors ( cercle restreint d'investisseurs ), in each case investing for their own account, all as defined in, and in accordance with Article L.411-2, D.411-1, D.411-2, D.734-1, D.744-1, D.754-1 and D.764-1 of the French Code monétaire et financier ;

    to investment services providers authorized to engage in portfolio management on behalf of third parties; or

    in a transaction that, in accordance with article L.411-2-II-1°-or-2°-or 3° of the French Code monétaire et financier and article 211-2 of the General Regulations ( Règlement Général ) of the Autorité des marchés financiers , does not constitute a public offer ( appel public à l'épargne ).

        The shares may be resold directly or indirectly, only in compliance with Articles L.411-1, L.411-2, L.412-1 and L.621-8 through L.621-8-3 of the French Code monétaire et financier .

Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong

        The shares may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong by means of any document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong), or (ii) to "professional investors" within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a "prospectus" within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 32, Laws of Hong Kong) and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the shares may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to shares which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to "professional investors" within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Japan

        The shares offered in this prospectus have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan. The shares have not been offered or sold and will not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to or for the account of any resident of Japan (including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), except (i) pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law and (ii) in compliance with any other applicable requirements of Japanese law.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Singapore

        This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the shares may not be circulated or distributed, nor may

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the shares be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the "SFA"), (ii) to a relevant person pursuant to Section 275(1), or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA, in each case subject to compliance with conditions set forth in the SFA.

        Where the shares are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is:

    a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or

    a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an individual who is an accredited investor,

shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or the beneficiaries' rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferred within six months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the shares pursuant to an offer made under Section 275 of the SFA except:

    to an institutional investor (for corporations, under Section 274 of the SFA) or to a relevant person defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA, or to any person pursuant to an offer that is made on terms that such shares, debentures and units of shares and debentures of that corporation or such rights and interest in that trust are acquired at a consideration of not less than S$200,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) for each transaction, whether such amount is to be paid for in cash or by exchange of securities or other assets, and further for corporations, in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA;

    where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer; or

    where the transfer is by operation of law.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Spain

        Neither the shares nor this prospectus have been approved or registered in the administrative registries of the Spanish National Securities Exchange Commission, or Comision Nacional del Mercado de Valores , or CNMV. Accordingly, the shares may not be offered in Spain except in circumstances which do not constitute a public offer of securities in Spain within the meaning of article 30bis of the Spanish Securities Market Law of July 28, 1988 ( Ley 24/1988 , de 28 Julio , del Mercado de Valores ), as amended and restated, and supplemental rules enacted thereunder.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Australia

        No placement document, prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document has been lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, or ASIC, in relation to the offering. This prospectus does not constitute a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act 2001, or the Corporations Act, and does not purport to include the information required for a prospectus, product disclosure statement or other disclosure document under the Corporations Act.

        Any offer in Australia of the shares may only be made to persons, or the Exempt Investors, who are "sophisticated investors" (within the meaning of Section 708(8) of the Corporations Act), "professional investors" (within the meaning of Section 708(11) of the Corporations Act) or otherwise

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pursuant to one or more exemptions contained in Section 708 of the Corporations Act so that it is lawful to offer the shares without disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act.

        The shares applied for by Exempt Investors in Australia must not be offered for sale in Australia in the period of 12 months after the date of allotment under the offering, except in circumstances where disclosure to investors under Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act would not be required pursuant to an exemption under Section 708 of the Corporations Act or otherwise or where the offer is pursuant to a disclosure document which complies with Chapter 6D of the Corporations Act. Any person acquiring shares must observe such Australian on-sale restrictions.

        This prospectus contains general information only and does not take account of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any particular person. It does not contain any securities recommendations or financial product advice. Before making an investment decision, investors need to consider whether the information in this prospectus is appropriate to their needs, objectives and circumstances, and, if necessary, seek expert advice on those matters.

Notice to Prospective Investors in the Dubai International Financial Centre

        This prospectus relates to an Exempt Offer in accordance with the Offered Securities Rules of the Dubai Financial Services Authority, or DFSA. This prospectus is intended for distribution only to persons of a type specified in the Offered Securities Rules of the DFSA. It must not be delivered to, or relied on by, any other person. The DFSA has no responsibility for reviewing or verifying any documents in connection with Exempt Offers. The DFSA has not approved this prospectus nor taken steps to verify the information set forth herein and has no responsibility for the prospectus. The shares to which this prospectus relates may be illiquid and/or subject to restrictions on their resale. Prospective purchasers of the shares offered should conduct their own due diligence on the shares. If you do not understand the contents of this prospectus you should consult an authorized financial advisor.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Switzerland

        The shares may not be publicly offered in Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, or SIX, or on any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. This document has been prepared without regard to the disclosure standards for issuance prospectuses under art. 652a or art. 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or the disclosure standards for listing prospectuses under art. 27 ff. of the SIX Listing Rules or the listing rules of any other stock exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the shares or the offering may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.

        Neither this document nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the offering, the Company, the shares have been or will be filed with or approved by any Swiss regulatory authority. In particular, this document will not be filed with, and the offer of shares will not be supervised by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA (FINMA), and the offer of shares has not been and will not be authorized under the Swiss Federal Act on Collective Investment Schemes, or CISA. The investor protection afforded to acquirers of interests in collective investment schemes under the CISA does not extend to acquirers of shares.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Canada

        The shares may be sold only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations . Any resale

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of the shares must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.

        Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser's province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser's province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.

        Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.

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EXPENSES OF THIS OFFERING

        We estimate that our expenses in connection with this offering, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, will be as follows:

        Total underwriting discounts and commissions to be paid to the underwriters represent    % of the total amount of the offering.

Itemized Expense
  Amount (in $)

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee

   

NYSE listing fee

   

FINRA filing fee

   

Printing expenses

   

Legal fees and expenses

   

Accounting fees and expenses

   

Miscellaneous costs

   

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ENFORCEABILITY OF CIVIL LIABILITIES

        We are a joint stock company ( société anonyme ) organized and existing under Luxembourg Law. All of our directors and officers and certain other persons referred to in this prospectus reside outside the United States in European member states including the United Kingdom, Ireland and Luxembourg. Substantially all of our assets, and all or a significant portion of the assets of our directors and officers, are located outside the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for you to effect service of process within the United States upon us or such persons, or to enforce against us or them in U.S. courts, including judgments predicated upon civil liability of us or such persons under U.S. securities laws.

Luxembourg

        We have been advised by our Luxembourg counsel that there is doubt as to whether the courts of Luxembourg would enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained in actions against us or our directors and officers, as well as the experts named herein, predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws. It may be difficult for you to recover against us based upon a judgment of a U.S. court because such judgments are not automatically enforceable in Luxembourg.

        The United States and Luxembourg are not currently bound by a treaty providing for reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments, other than arbitral awards rendered in civil and commercial matters. An enforceable judgment for the payment of monies rendered by any U.S. federal or state court based on civil liability, whether or not predicated solely upon the U.S. securities laws, would not directly be enforceable in Luxembourg. However a party who received such favorable judgment in a U.S. court may institute enforcement proceedings ( exequatur ) in Luxembourg by requesting enforcement of the U.S. judgment by the Luxembourg District Court ( Tribunal d'Arrondissement ) pursuant to Article 678 of the New Luxembourg Code of Civil Procedure. The Luxembourg District Court may authorize the enforcement of the U.S. judgment in Luxembourg if it is satisfied that all of the following conditions are met (subject to court interpretation, which may evolve):

    the U.S. judgment is enforceable in the United States;

    the U.S. court awarding the judgment has jurisdiction to adjudicate the respective matter under the applicable U.S. federal or state jurisdictions rules, and the jurisdiction of the U.S. court is recognized by Luxembourg private international and local law;

    the U.S. court has applied to the dispute the substantive law which would have been designated by the Luxembourg conflict of law rules;

    the principles of natural justice have been complied with;

    the U.S. judgment does not contravene international public policy ( ordre public ) or order, both substantive and procedural, as understood under the laws of Luxembourg or has been given in proceedings of a criminal nature;

    the U.S. court has acted in accordance with its own procedural laws;

    the U.S. judgment was granted following proceedings in which the counterparty had the opportunity to appear and to present a defense; and

    the U.S. judgment was not granted pursuant to an evasion of Luxembourg Law ( fraude à la loi luxembourgeoise ).

        In a judgment of the Luxembourg District Court, dated January 10, 2008 (decision number 13/2008; role number 111736), the Court differed slightly from the traditional rules for enforcing a judgment described above, and decided that, in order to enforce a foreign judgment in Luxembourg, a Luxembourg judge has to "make sure that three conditions are fulfilled, i.e., (1) the "indirect"

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competence of the foreign judge based on the connection of the litigation with such judge, (2) the conformity with international public order requirements, both substantive and procedural, and (3) the absence of fraud to the law." In the same judgment, the District Court held that the Luxembourg judge does not need "to verify that the (substantive) law applied by the foreign judge is the law which would have been applicable according to Luxembourg conflict of law rules."

        The Luxembourg District Court's precedent first condition—i.e., the "indirect" competence of the foreign judge based on the connection of the litigation with such judge—was undermined by a judgment of the Luxembourg Supreme Civil Court of July 5, 2012, which specified that the competence of the foreign judge must be settled solely by reference to Luxembourg law.

        This judgment was implemented by a judgment of Luxembourg Appeal Court of March 5, 2014. The Appeal Court clarified the condition regarding the competence of the foreign judge by adding back the criterion of the connection of the litigation with such judge. Nevertheless, the Appeal Court read this criterion in a more restrictive way than the District Court. Indeed, the Appeal Court specified that such judge must be the one with the closest and most substantive connection with the litigation.

        There is therefore some uncertainty with respect to the necessary conditions for enforcing foreign judgments as a matter of Luxembourg law. The current trend is towards the expansion of the interpretation power of the judge.

        Subject to the above remarks, Luxembourg courts tend not to review the merits of a foreign judgment, although there is no statutory prohibition on this type of review.

        Enforcement does not mean that all of the obligations resulting from the judgment are enforced in accordance with their specific terms, but only that they can be enforced if they are of a type that is recognized and enforced under Luxembourg Law generally.

        We have also been advised that there is doubt as to the enforceability of liabilities against us or our directors and officers in original actions in Luxembourg courts predicated solely upon the U.S. federal securities laws.

United Kingdom

        We have been informed by our English counsel that there is doubt regarding the enforceability in the U.S. judgments obtained in U.S. courts against us, our directors or officers based on the civil liability or other provisions of the United States securities laws or other laws.

        In addition, uncertainty exists as to whether the courts of England and Wales would:

    recognize or enforce judgments of United States courts obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liabilities provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States; or

    entertain original actions brought in England and Wales against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.

        We have been advised by Shearman & Sterling LLP that there is currently no treaty between (i) the United States and (ii) England and Wales providing for reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments of United States courts in civil and commercial matters (although the United States and the United Kingdom are both parties to the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards) and that a final judgment for the payment of money rendered by any general or state court in the United States based on civil liability, whether or not predicated solely upon the U.S. securities laws, would not be automatically enforceable in England and Wales. We have also been advised by Shearman & Sterling LLP that any final and conclusive monetary judgment for a definite sum obtained against us in U.S. courts would be treated by the courts of

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England and Wales as a cause of action in itself and sued upon as a debt at common law so that no retrial of the issues would be necessary, provided that:

    the relevant U.S. court had jurisdiction over the original proceedings according to English conflicts of laws principles at the time when proceedings were initiated;

    England and Wales courts had jurisdiction over the matter on enforcement and we either submitted to such jurisdiction or were resident or carrying on business within such jurisdiction and were duly served with process;

    the U.S. judgment was final and conclusive on the merits in the sense of being final and unalterable in the court that pronounced it and being for a definite sum of money;

    the judgment given by the courts was not in respect of penalties, taxes, fines or similar fiscal or revenue obligations (or otherwise based on a U.S. law that an English court considers to relate to a penal, revenue or other public law);

    the judgment was not procured by fraud;

    recognition or enforcement of the judgment in England and Wales would not be contrary to public policy or the Human Rights Act 1998;

    the proceedings pursuant to which judgment was obtained were not contrary to natural justice;

    the U.S. judgment was not arrived at by doubling, trebling or otherwise multiplying a sum assessed as compensation for the loss or damages sustained and not being otherwise in breach of Section 5 of the UK Protection of Trading Interests Act 1980, or is a judgment based on measures designated by the Secretary of State under Section 1 of that Act;

    there is not a prior decision of an English court or the court of another jurisdiction on the issues in question between the same parties; and

    the English enforcement proceedings were commenced within the limitation period.

        Whether these requirements are met in respect of a judgment based upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. securities laws, including whether the award of monetary damages under such laws would constitute a penalty, is an issue for the court making such decision.

        Subject to the foregoing, investors may be able to enforce in England and Wales judgments in civil and commercial matters that have been obtained from U.S. federal or state courts. Nevertheless, we cannot assure you that those judgments will be recognized or enforceable in England and Wales.

        If an English court gives judgment for the sum payable under a U.S. judgment, the English judgment will be enforceable by methods generally available for this purpose. These methods generally permit the English court discretion to prescribe the manner of enforcement. In addition, it may not be possible to obtain an English judgment or to enforce that judgment if the judgment debtor is or becomes subject to any insolvency or similar proceedings, or if the judgment debtor has any set-off or counterclaim against the judgment creditor. Also note that, in any enforcement proceedings, the judgment debtor may raise any counterclaim that could have been brought if the action had been originally brought in England unless the subject of the counterclaim was in issue and denied in the U.S. proceedings.

Ireland

        We have been advised by our Irish counsel, that there is doubt regarding the enforceability of the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws, whether in original actions or in actions for the enforcement of judgments of U.S. courts in the Republic of Ireland.

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        An original action in Ireland seeking to impose civil liability based upon the U.S. federal securities laws may not succeed as an Irish court may not regard itself as having jurisdiction in such an action and may not, depending on the particular circumstances, regard U.S. law as the governing law of the dispute.

        The United States and Ireland are not currently bound by a treaty providing for reciprocal enforcement of judgments, other than arbitral awards made in civil and commercial matters. A judgment for the payment of monies made by any U.S. federal or state court based on civil liability, whether or not predicated solely upon the U.S. securities laws, is not enforceable in Ireland without taking further proceedings in Ireland. An application for enforcement of a U.S. judgment in Ireland is made pursuant to the common law doctrine of obligations and in order to be capable of being enforced the U.S. judgment would need to be:

    (a)
    an in personam judgment for a definite sum of money-injunctive relief or specific performance orders will not be enforced;

    (b)
    final and conclusive and therefore there should be no stay on the execution of the original U.S. judgment or no possibility for the U.S. court which heard the matter to rehear the matter or hear further matters and come to a new decision; and

    (c)
    made by a court which had jurisdiction to hear the dispute and the Irish court will assess whether the court had such jurisdiction. In order to be satisfied that the U.S. court had jurisdiction the Irish Court would look to ascertain if:

    i.
    the debtor was at the time proceedings were instituted, present in the United States;

    ii.
    the judgment debtor was claimant or counterclaimant in the proceedings in the U.S. court;

    iii.
    the defendant voluntarily appeared before the U.S. court; or

    iv.
    the parties agreed to submit to the jurisdiction of the U.S. court.

        The Irish court can also exercise its right to refuse enforcement if the U.S. judgment was obtained by fraud, if it violates Irish public policy, if the judgment is in breach of rules of natural justice or if it is irreconcilable with an earlier foreign judgment.

        Subject to the above conditions, Irish courts tend not to review the merits of a foreign judgment, although there is no statutory prohibition on this type of review.

        Enforcement does not mean that all of the obligations resulting from the judgment are enforced in accordance with their specific terms, but only that they can be enforced if they are of a type that is recognized and enforced under Irish law generally.

        We have appointed Ardagh Metal Packaging USA Inc., located at Carnegie Office Park, 600 North Bell Avenue, Building 1, Suite 200, Carnegie, PA 15106, as our agent to receive service of process with respect to any action brought against us in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York under the federal securities laws of the United States or of any State of the United States or any action brought against us in the Supreme Court of the State of New York in the County of New York under the securities laws of the State of New York.

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LEGAL MATTERS

        Certain legal matters in connection with the offering will be passed upon for us by Shearman & Sterling LLP, New York, New York, our U.S. counsel, and M Partners, our Luxembourg counsel. Certain legal matters in connection with the offering will be passed upon for the underwriters by Cahill Gordon & Reindel  LLP , New York, New York, U.S. counsel to the underwriters. Certain Luxembourg taxation matters in connection with the offering will be passed upon by KPMG.


EXPERTS

        The consolidated financial statements of the Ardagh Group S.A. as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 and for the three years ended December 31, 2016 included in this prospectus have been so included in reliance on the report by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Dublin, Ireland, independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting. PricewaterhouseCoopers, Dublin, Ireland is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.

        The combined financial statements of certain metal beverage packaging operations of Ball Corporation as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2015 included in this prospectus have been so included in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent accountants, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

        The combined carve out financial statements of certain beverage can operations of Rexam PLC as of and for each of the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 included in this prospectus have been so included in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent accountants, given the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

        We have filed with the SEC a registration statement (including amendments and exhibits to the registration statement) on Form F-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the shares offered in this prospectus. This prospectus is a part of the registration statement and does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement. The rules and regulations of the SEC allow us to omit from this prospectus certain information included in the registration statement. For further information about us and our Class A common shares, you should refer to the registration statement. This prospectus also summarizes material provisions of contracts and other documents. Since this prospectus may not contain all of the information that you may find important, you should review the full text of these contracts and other documents. We have included these documents as exhibits to our registration statement.

        Upon completion of this offering, we will be a foreign private issuer. We will not be subject to the same requirements that are imposed on U.S. domestic issuers by the SEC. We will have a longer period to file our annual report with the SEC and are not required to file quarterly reports. We are not required to issue proxy statements or to disclose the detailed information about the compensation of our executive officers that is required to be disclosed by U.S. domestic issuers. Our directors and executive officers will not be subject to insider short-swing profit disclosure and recovery provisions under Section 16 of the Exchange Act. We will also be exempt from the requirements of SEC Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure), which is intended to ensure that select groups of investors do not receive material information about an issuer before it is disclosed to investors generally. We are, however, subject to anti-fraud and anti-manipulation rules of the SEC, such as Rule 10b-5 under the Exchange Act.

        We will provide our shareholders with annual reports on Form 20-F containing financial statements audited by our independent auditors within 120 days after the end of each fiscal year. We also intend to issue quarterly earnings press releases as soon as practicable after the end of each quarter and quarterly reports containing interim unaudited financial statements within 60 days after the end of each fiscal quarter. We will furnish these earnings press releases and quarterly reports to the SEC on Form 6-K.

        For further information about us and our shares, you may inspect a copy of the registration statement, of the exhibits and schedules to the registration statement or of any reports, statements or other information we file with the SEC without charge at the offices of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549, United States. You may obtain copies of all or any part of the registration statement from the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports and information statements and other information regarding registrants like us that file electronically with the SEC. You can also inspect our registration statement on this website. Our filings with the SEC are available through the electronic data gathering, analysis and retrieval (EDGAR) system of the SEC.

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INDEX TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Ardagh Group S.A.

       

Audited Financial Statements

   
 
 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   
F-3
 

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position at December 31, 2016 and 2015

    F-4  

Consolidated Income Statement for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014

    F-5  

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014

    F-6  

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014

    F-7  

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014

    F-8  

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

    F-9  

The Ball Carve-Out Business

   
 
 

Audited Financial Statements

   
 
 

Independent Auditors Report

   
F-74
 

Combined Statement of Earnings

    F-75  

Combined Statements of Comprehensive Earnings (Loss)

    F-76  

Combined Balance Sheets

    F-77  

Combined Statements of Cash Flow

    F-78  

Combined Statements of Changes In Net Investment

    F-79  

Notes to the Combined Financial Statements

    F-80  

Unaudited Financial Statements

   
 
 

Unaudited Condensed Combined Statements of Earnings for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015

   
F-108
 

Unaudited Condensed Combined Statements of Comprehensive Earnings (Loss) for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015

    F-109  

Unaudited Condensed Combined Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2016 (unaudited) and December 31, 2015

    F-110  

Unaudited Condensed Combined Statements of Cash Flows for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015

    F-111  

Unaudited Condensed Combined Statements of Changes in Net Investment for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015

    F-112  

Notes to Unaudited Condensed Combined Financial Statements

    F-113  

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The Rexam Carve-Out Business

       

Audited Financial Statements

   
 
 

Independent Auditors Report

   
F-129
 

Combined Income Statement

    F-131  

Combined Statement of Comprehensive Income

    F-132  

Combined Balance Sheet

    F-133  

Combined Cash Flow Statement

    F-134  

Combined Statement of Changes In Net Invested Capital

    F-135  

Notes to the Combined Carve Out Financial Statements

    F-136  

Unaudited Financial Statements

   
 
 

Combined Interim Income Statement

   
F-159
 

Combined Interim Statement of Comprehensive Income

    F-160  

Combined Interim Balance Sheet

    F-161  

Combined Interim Cash Flow Statement

    F-162  

Combined Interim Statement of Changes in Net Invested Capital

    F-163  

Notes to the Combined Carve Out Interim Financial Statements

    F-164  

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Ardagh Group S.A.

        In our opinion, the accompanying consolidated statement of financial position and the related consolidated income statement, consolidated statement of comprehensive income, consolidated statement of changes in equity and consolidated statement of cash flows present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Ardagh Group S.A. and its subsidiaries at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2016 in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits of these statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers
Dublin, Ireland
February 23, 2017

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A. (formerly Ardagh Finance Holdings S.A.)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

 
   
  At December 31,  
 
  Note   2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Non-current assets

                   

Intangible assets

    3     3,889     1,810  

Property, plant and equipment

    4     2,925     2,307  

Derivative financial instruments

    12     124      

Deferred tax assets

    6     259     178  

Other non-current assets

    5     20     14  

          7,217     4,309  

Current assets

                   

Inventories

    7     1,126     825  

Trade and other receivables

    8     1,135     651  

Related party receivables

    13         404  

Derivative financial instruments

    12     11      

Restricted cash

    9     27     11  

Cash and cash equivalents

    9     745     542  

          3,044     2,433  

TOTAL ASSETS

          10,261     6,742  

Equity attributable to owners of the parent

                   

Issued capital

    10          

Share premium

    10     136     400  

Capital contribution

    10     431      

Other reserves

          (324 )   (241 )

Retained earnings

          (2,301 )   (2,141 )

          (2,058 )   (1,982 )

Non-controlling interests

          2     2  

TOTAL EQUITY

          (2,056 )   (1,980 )

Non-current liabilities

                   

Borrowings

    12     8,142     6,397  

Employee benefit obligations

    14     905     720  

Deferred tax liabilities

    6     697     461  

Related party borrowings

    13     673      

Provisions

    16     55     48  

          10,472     7,626  

Current liabilities

                   

Borrowings

    12     8     7  

Interest payable

          81     79  

Derivative financial instruments

    12     8     7  

Trade and other payables

    15     1,534     879  

Income tax payable

          145     76  

Provisions

    16     69     48  

          1,845     1,096  

TOTAL LIABILITIES

          12,317     8,722  

TOTAL EQUITY and LIABILITIES

          10,261     6,742  

   

The accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A. (formerly Ardagh Finance Holdings S.A.)
CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT

 
   
  Year ended December 31, 2016   Year ended December 31, 2015   Year ended December 31, 2014  
 
  Note   Before
exceptional
items
€m
  Exceptional
Items
€m
  Total
€m
  Before
exceptional
items
€m
  Exceptional
Items
€m
  Total
€m
  Before
exceptional
items
€m
  Exceptional
Items
€m
  Total
€m
 
 
   
   
  Note 19
   
   
  Note 19
   
   
  Note 19
   
 

Revenue

    17     6,345         6,345     5,199         5,199     4,733         4,733  

Cost of sales

          (5,205 )   (15 )   (5,220 )   (4,285 )   (37 )   (4,322 )   (3,970 )   (122 )   (4,092 )

Gross profit/(loss)

          1,140     (15 )   1,125     914     (37 )   877     763     (122 )   641  

Sales, general and administration expenses

          (300 )   (116 )   (416 )   (274 )   (44 )   (318 )   (246 )   (35 )   (281 )

Intangible amortization

    3     (173 )       (173 )   (109 )       (109 )   (88 )   (33 )   (121 )

Loss on disposal of businesses

                                      (159 )   (159 )

Operating profit/(loss)

          667     (131 )   536     531     (81 )   450     429     (349 )   80  

Finance expense

    20     (450 )   (165 )   (615 )   (514 )   (13 )   (527 )   (477 )   (126 )   (603 )

Finance income

    20         78     78                 1         1  

Profit/(loss) before tax

          217     (218 )   (1 )   17     (94 )   (77 )   (47 )   (475 )   (522 )

Income tax (charge)/credit

    21     (97 )   43     (54 )   (95 )   32     (63 )   (64 )   78     14  

Profit/(loss) for the year

          120     (175 )   (55 )   (78 )   (62 )   (140 )   (111 )   (397 )   (508 )

Loss attributable to:

                                                             

Owners of the parent

                      (55 )               (140 )               (508 )

Non-controlling interests

                                                       

Loss for the year

                      (55 )               (140 )               (508 )

Loss per share:

                                                             

Basic loss for the year attributable to ordinary equity holders of the parent

    22                 (€5.34 )               (€14.00 )               (€50.80 )

The accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements are an integral part of these
consolidated financial statements.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A. (formerly Ardagh Finance Holdings S.A.)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

 
   
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  Note   2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Loss for the year

          (55 )   (140 )   (508 )

Other comprehensive expense

                         

Items that may subsequently be reclassified to income statement

                         

Foreign currency translation adjustments:

                         

—Arising in the year

          (52 )   (137 )   (148 )

—Reclassification to income statement on disposal of businesses

                  (1 )

          (52 )   (137 )   (149 )

Effective portion of changes in fair value of cash flow hedges:

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

—New fair value adjustments into reserve

          50     44     36  

—Movement out of reserve

          (77 )   (43 )   (34 )

—Movement in deferred tax

          (4 )        

          (31 )   1     2  

Items that will not be reclassified to income statement

   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 

—Re-measurements of employee benefit obligations

    14     (121 )   72     (123 )

—Deferred tax movement on employee benefit obligations

          16     (27 )   31  

          (105 )   45     (92 )

Total other comprehensive expense for the year

          (188 )   (91 )   (239 )

Total comprehensive expense for the year

          (243 )   (231 )   (747 )

Attributable to:

                         

Owners of the parent

          (243 )   (231 )   (747 )

Non-controlling interests

                   

Total comprehensive expense for the year

          (243 )   (231 )   (747 )

   

The accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements are an integral part of
these consolidated financial statements.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A. (formerly Ardagh Finance Holdings S.A.)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

 
  Attributable to the owner of the parent    
   
 
 
  Share
capital
€m
  Share
premium
€m
  Capital
contribution
€m
  Foreign
currency
translation
reserve
€m
  Cash flow
hedges
€m
  Retained
earnings
€m
  Total
€m
  Non-
controlling
interests
€m
  Total equity
€m
 
 
  Note 10
  Note 10
  Note 10
   
   
   
   
   
   
 

At January 1, 2014

        400         47     (5 )   (1,446 )   (1,004 )   2     (1,002 )

Loss for the year

                        (508 )   (508 )       (508 )

Other comprehensive (expense)/income

                (149 )   2     (92 )   (239 )       (239 )

At December 31, 2014

        400         (102 )   (3 )   (2,046 )   (1,751 )   2     (1,749 )

Loss for the year

                        (140 )   (140 )       (140 )

Other comprehensive (expense)/income

                (137 )   1     45     (91 )       (91 )

At December 31, 2015

        400         (239 )   (2 )   (2,141 )   (1,982 )   2     (1,980 )

Loss for the year

                        (55 )   (55 )       (55 )

Other comprehensive expense

                (52 )   (31 )   (105 )   (188 )       (188 )

Contribution from parent

            431                 431         431  

Share issuance

        6                     6         6  

Reduction in share premium

        (270 )               270              

Dividend payment

                        (270 )   (270 )       (270 )

At December 31, 2016

        136     431     (291 )   (33 )   (2,301 )   (2,058 )   2     (2,056 )

   

The accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A. (formerly Ardagh Finance Holdings S.A.)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

 
   
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  Note   2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Cash flows from operating activities

                         

Cash generated from operations

    23     1,109     950     701  

Interest paid — excluding cumulative PIK interest paid

    (i)     (372 )   (323 )   (316 )

Cumulative PIK interest paid

    (i)     (184 )        

Income tax paid

          (84 )   (59 )   (35 )

Net cash from operating activities

          469     568     350  

Cash flows from investing activities

                         

Purchase of business net of cash acquired

    25     (2,685 )       (1,038 )

Purchase of property, plant and equipment

          (310 )   (304 )   (321 )

Purchase of software and other intangibles

          (12 )   (8 )   (10 )

Proceeds from disposal of property, plant and equipment

          4     8     17  

Proceeds received from disposal of businesses

    25             397  

Net cash used in investing activities

          (3,003 )   (304 )   (955 )

Cash flows from financing activities

                         

Proceeds from borrowings

          3,950         4,231  

Repayment of borrowings

          (2,322 )   (198 )   (2,591 )

Proceeds from borrowings with related party

    13     673          

Repayment of borrowings from related party

                  (346 )

Contribution from parent

    10     431          

Repayment of borrowings issued to related party

    13     404          

Borrowings issued to related party

    13             (404 )

Proceeds from share issuance

    10     6          

Dividends paid

    24     (270 )        

Early redemption premium costs paid

          (108 )   (8 )   (97 )

Deferred debt issue costs paid

          (60 )   (1 )   (67 )

Proceeds from the termination of derivative financial instruments

    12         81      

Net cash inflow/(outflow) from financing activities

          2,704     (126 )   726  

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

          170     138     121  

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year

    9     553     414     294  

Exchange gains/(losses) on cash and cash equivalents

          49     1     (1 )

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

    9     772     553     414  

(i)
Total interest paid for the year ended December 31, 2016 is €556 million (2015: €323 million; 2014: €316 million).

   

The accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. General information

        Ardagh Group S.A. (the "Company"), formerly Ardagh Finance Holdings S.A., was incorporated in Luxembourg on May 6, 2011. The extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders of the Company on February 22, 2017 resolved to change the Company's name from Ardagh Finance Holdings S.A. to Ardagh Group S.A. The name change became effective on the same day.

        The Company is looking to effect a public offering of Class A common shares at the New York Stock Exchange (the "Offering"). Prior to the Offering, ARD Holdings S.A. (its ultimate parent), owns, directly or indirectly substantially, all of the equity interest in Ardagh Group S.A.

        The Company's registered office is 56, rue Charles Martel, L-2134 Luxembourg.

        Ardagh Group S.A. and its subsidiaries (together the "Group" or "Ardagh") are a leading supplier of innovative, value-added rigid packaging solutions. The Group's products include metal and glass containers primarily for food and beverage markets. End-use categories include beer, wine, spirits, carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, juices and flavored waters, as well as food, seafood and nutrition. Ardagh also supplies the paints & coatings, chemicals, personal care, pharmaceuticals and general household end-use categories.

        These consolidated financial statements have been prepared for the purposes of the initial public offering and reflect the consolidation of the legal entities forming the Group for the periods presented. The principal legal entities forming the Group are listed in Note 26.

        The principal accounting policies that have been applied to the consolidated financial statements are described in Note 2.

2. Summary of significant accounting policies

Basis of preparation

        The consolidated financial statements of the Group have been prepared in accordance with, and are in compliance with, International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") as adopted by the IASB and related interpretations. IFRS is comprised of standards and interpretations approved by the IASB and IAS and interpretations approved by the predecessor International Accounting Standards Committee that have been subsequently approved by the IASB and remain in effect. References to IFRS hereafter should be construed as references to IFRS as adopted by the IASB.

        The consolidated financial statements, are presented in euro, rounded to the nearest million and have been prepared under the historical cost convention except for the following:

    derivative financial instruments are stated at fair value; and

    employee benefit obligations are measured at the present value of the future estimated cash flows related to benefits earned and pension assets valued at fair value.

        The preparation of consolidated financial information in conformity with IFRS requires the use of critical accounting estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and income and expenses. It also requires management to exercise judgment in the process of applying Group accounting policies. These estimates, assumptions and judgments are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances and are subject to continual re-evaluation. However, actual outcomes may differ from these estimates. The areas involving a higher degree of judgment or complexity, or areas

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Summary of significant accounting policies (Continued)

where assumptions and estimates are significant to the consolidated financial statements are discussed in the critical accounting estimates and judgments.

        The consolidated financial statements for the Group were authorized for issue by the Board of Directors of Ardagh Group S.A. on February 23, 2017.

Recent accounting pronouncements

         New standards, amendments, improvements and interpretations which are effective for financial periods beginning on or after January 1, 2017 that are applicable to the Group, none of which have been early adopted.

        The following new standards, amendments to existing standards and interpretations effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2017 but which have not been adopted early by the Group. The Directors' assessment of the impact of the new standards listed below, on the reported results, consolidated statement of financial position and disclosures as a result of their adoption in future periods is on-going.

        IFRS 15, 'Revenue from contracts with customers' deals with revenue recognition and establishes principles for reporting useful information to users of financial statements about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from an entity's contracts with customers. Revenue is recognized when a customer obtains control of a good or service and thus has the ability to direct the use and obtain the benefits from the good or service. The standard replaces IAS 18, 'Revenue' and IAS 11, 'Construction contracts' and related interpretations. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018 and earlier application is permitted. The Group has started to assess the impact of IFRS 15 and, at this time, the Group does not expect that the implementation of this standard in 2018 will have a significant impact on the timing in which it recognizes revenue and therefore is not expected to have a significant impact on the consolidated income statement or the consolidated statement of financial position.

        IFRS 9, 'Financial instruments'. IFRS 9 is the first standard issued as part of a wider project to replace IAS 39 'Financial instruments: Recognition and measurement' ("IAS 39"). IFRS 9 has been completed in a number of phases and includes requirements on the classification and measurement of financial assets and liabilities. It also includes an expected credit loss model that replaces the incurred loss impairment model currently used as well as hedge accounting amendments. This standard becomes effective for annual periods commencing on or after January 1, 2018. The Group has started to assess the impact of the implementation of this standard and, at this time, the Group does not expect there to be a significant impact on the statement of financial position in respect of classification of financial assets and liabilities. The Group is continuing to evaluate the impact of prospective changes to hedge accounting and the introduction of an expected credit loss model on the consolidated income statement, the consolidated statement of comprehensive income and the consolidated statement of financial position.

        IFRS 16, 'Leases', sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases. The objective is to ensure that lessees and lessors provide relevant information in a manner that faithfully represents those transactions. This information gives a basis for users of financial statements to assess the effect that leases have on the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of the entity. IFRS 16 replaces IAS 17, 'Leases', and later interpretations and will result in

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Summary of significant accounting policies (Continued)

most operating leases being recorded on the consolidated statement of financial position. IFRS 16 is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019 with early adoption permitted. The Group is currently evaluating the effects that the adoption of IFRS 16 will have on the Group's consolidated financial statements, and anticipates the new guidance will impact its consolidated financial statements as the Company has a significant number of leases which will be recognized on the balance sheet (See Note 4).

        Other changes to IFRS have been issued but are not yet effective for the Group. However, they are either not expected to have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements or they are not currently relevant for the Group.

Basis of consolidation

(i)    Subsidiaries

        Subsidiaries are fully consolidated from the date on which control is transferred to the Group and are de-consolidated from the date on which control ceases. Subsidiaries are all entities (including structured entities) over which the Group has control. The Group controls an entity when it is exposed to, or has rights to, variable returns from its involvement with the entity and has the ability to affect those returns through its power to direct the activities of the entity.

        The purchase method of accounting is used to account for the acquisition of subsidiaries by the Group. The cost of an acquisition is the consideration given in exchange for control of the identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities of the acquired legal entities. Directly attributable transaction costs are expensed and included as exceptional items within sales, general and administration expenses. The acquired net assets are initially measured at fair value. The excess of the cost of acquisition over the fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. Any goodwill and fair value adjustments are recorded as assets and liabilities of the acquired legal entity in the currency of the primary economic environment in which the legal entity operates (the "functional currency"). If the cost of acquisition is less than the fair value of the Group's share of the net assets of the legal entity acquired, the difference is recognized directly in the consolidated income statement. The Group considers obligations of the acquiree in a business combination that arise as a result of the change in control, to be cash flows arising from obtaining control of the controlled entity, and classifies these obligations as investing activities in the consolidated statement of cash flows.

(ii)
Transactions eliminated on consolidation

        Transactions, balances and unrealized gains or losses on transactions between Group companies are eliminated. Subsidiaries' accounting policies have been changed where necessary to ensure consistency with the policies adopted by the Group.

Foreign currency

(i)    Foreign currency transactions

        Items included in the financial statements of each of the Group's entities are measured using the functional currency of that entity.

        Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into the functional currency at the foreign exchange rate ruling at the date of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Summary of significant accounting policies (Continued)

foreign currencies at the reporting date are translated into the functional currency at the foreign exchange rate ruling at that date. Foreign exchange differences arising on translation are recognized in the consolidated income statement, except: (i) differences on foreign currency borrowings that provide an effective hedge against a net investment in a foreign entity ("net investment hedges"), which are taken to other comprehensive income until the disposal of the net investment, at which time they are recognized in the consolidated income statement; and (ii) differences on certain derivative financial instruments discussed under "Derivative financial instruments" below. Net investment hedges are accounted for in a similar manner to cash flow hedges. The gain or loss relating to the ineffective portion of a net investment hedge is recognized immediately in the consolidated income statement within finance income or expense.

(ii)
Financial statements of foreign operations

        The assets and liabilities of foreign operations are translated into euro at foreign exchange rates ruling at the reporting date. The revenues and expenses of foreign operations are translated to euro at average exchange rates for the year. Foreign exchange differences arising on retranslation and settlement of such transactions are recognized in other comprehensive income. Gains or losses accumulated in other comprehensive income are recycled to the consolidated income statement when the foreign operation is sold.

        Non-monetary items measured at fair value in foreign currency are translated using the exchange rates as at the date when the fair value is determined.

Business combinations and goodwill

        All business combinations are accounted for by applying the purchase method of accounting. This involves measuring the cost of the business combination and allocating, at the acquisition date, the cost of the business combination to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed in a business combination are measured initially at their fair values at the acquisition date.

        The cost of an acquisition is measured as the aggregate of the consideration transferred, which is measured at acquisition date fair value, and the amount of any non-controlling interests in the acquiree. For each business combination, the Group elects whether to measure the non-controlling interests in the acquiree at fair value or at the proportionate share of the acquiree's identifiable net assets. Acquisition-related costs are expensed as incurred and included in sales, general and administration expenses.

        When the Group acquires a business, it assesses the financial assets and liabilities assumed for appropriate classification and designation in accordance with the contractual terms, economic circumstances and pertinent conditions as at the acquisition date.

        Any contingent consideration to be transferred by the acquirer will be recognized at fair value at the acquisition date.

        Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquisition over the fair value of the net identifiable assets of the acquired subsidiary at the date of acquisition.

        Goodwill is stated at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. Goodwill is allocated to those groups of cash-generating units ("CGUs") that are expected to benefit from the business combination

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Summary of significant accounting policies (Continued)

in which the goodwill arose for the purpose of assessing impairment. Goodwill is tested annually for impairment.

        Where goodwill has been allocated to a CGU and part of the operation within that unit is disposed of, the goodwill associated with the disposed operation is included in the carrying amount of the operation when determining the gain or loss on disposal. Goodwill disposed in these circumstances is measured based on the relative values of the disposed operation and the portion of the cash-generating unit retained.

Intangible assets

        Intangible assets are initially recognized at cost.

        Intangible assets acquired as part of a business combination are capitalized separately from goodwill if the intangible asset is separable or arises from contractual or other legal rights. They are initially recognized at cost which, for intangible assets arising in a business combination, is their fair value at the date of acquisition.

        Subsequent to initial recognition, intangible assets are carried at cost less any accumulated amortization and any accumulated impairment losses. The carrying values of intangible assets with finite useful lives are reviewed for indicators of impairment at each reporting date and are subject to impairment testing when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying values may not be recoverable.

        The amortization of intangible assets is calculated to write off the book value of finite lived intangible assets over their useful lives on a straight-line basis on the assumption of zero residual value as follows:

Computer software

  2 -   7 years

Customer relationships

  5 - 15 years

Technology

  8 - 15 years

(i)    Computer software

        Computer software development costs are recognized as assets. Costs associated with maintaining computer software programs are recognized as an expense as incurred.

(ii)    Customer relationships

        Customer relationships acquired in a business combination are recognized at fair value at the acquisition date. Customer relationships have a finite useful economic life and are carried at cost less accumulated amortization.

(iii)
Technology

        Technology based intangibles acquired in a business combination are recognized at fair value at the acquisition date and reflect the Group's ability to add value through accumulated technological expertise surrounding product and process development.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Summary of significant accounting policies (Continued)

(iv)
Research and development costs

        Research costs are expensed as incurred. Development costs relating to new products are capitalized if the new product is technically and commercially feasible. All other development costs are expensed as incurred.

Property, plant and equipment

(i)    Owned assets

        Items of property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and impairment losses, except for land which is shown at cost less impairment. Spare parts which form an integral part of plant and machinery and which have an estimated useful economic life greater than one year are capitalized. Spare parts which do not form an integral part of plant and machinery and which have an estimated useful economic life less than one year are included as consumables within inventory and expensed when utilized.

        Where items of property, plant and equipment have different useful lives, they are accounted for as separate items of property, plant and equipment.

(ii)
Leased assets

        The determination of whether an arrangement is, or contains a lease, is based on the substance of the arrangement and requires an assessment of whether the fulfillment of the arrangement is dependent on the use of a specific asset or assets, and the arrangement conveys a right to use the asset.

        Leases of property, plant and equipment where the Group has substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership are classified as finance leases.

        Leases where the lessor retains substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership are classified as operating leases. Payments made under operating leases (net of any incentives received from the lessor) are charged to the consolidated income statement on a straight-line basis over the period of the lease.

(iii)
Subsequent costs

        The Group recognizes in the carrying amount of an item of property, plant and equipment, the cost of replacing the component of such an item when that cost is incurred, if it is probable that the future economic benefits embodied with the item will flow to the Group and the cost of the item can be measured reliably. When a component is replaced the old component is de-recognized in the period. All other costs are recognized in the consolidated income statement as an expense as incurred. When a major overhaul is performed, its cost is recognized in the carrying amount of the plant and equipment as a replacement if the recognition criteria above are met.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Summary of significant accounting policies (Continued)

(iv)
Depreciation

        Depreciation is charged to the consolidated income statement on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of each part of an item of property, plant and equipment. Land is not depreciated. The estimated useful lives are as follows:

Buildings

  30 - 40 years

Plant and machinery

    3 - 40 years

Moulds

    2 -   3 years

Office equipment and vehicles

    3 - 10 years

        Assets' useful lives and residual values are adjusted if appropriate, at each balance sheet date.

Impairment of non-financial assets

        Assets that have an indefinite useful economic life are not subject to amortization and are tested annually for impairment or whenever indicators suggest that impairment may have occurred. Assets that are subject to amortization are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the asset's carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount.

        For the purposes of assessing impairment, assets excluding goodwill and long lived intangible assets, are grouped at the lowest levels at which cash flows are separately identifiable. Goodwill and long lived intangible assets are allocated to groups of CGUs. The groupings represent the lowest level at which the related assets are monitored for internal management purposes.

        Non-financial assets other than goodwill that suffered impairment are reviewed for possible reversal of the impairment at each reporting date.

        The recoverable amount of other assets is the greater of their value in use and fair value less costs to sell. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value, using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset. For an asset that does not generate largely independent cash inflows, the recoverable amount is determined for the CGU to which the asset belongs.

Inventories

        Inventories are measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value. The cost of inventories is based on the first-in, first-out basis and includes expenditure incurred in acquiring the inventories and bringing them to their current location and condition. In the case of finished goods and work-in-progress, cost includes direct materials, direct labor and attributable overheads based on normal operating capacity.

        Net realizable value is the estimated proceeds of sale less all further costs to completion, and less all costs to be incurred in marketing, selling and distribution.

        Spare parts which are deemed to be of a consumable nature, are included within inventories and expensed when utilized.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Summary of significant accounting policies (Continued)

Non-derivative financial instruments

        Non-derivative financial instruments comprise trade and other receivables, cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, borrowings and trade and other payables. Non-derivative financial instruments are recognized initially at fair value plus any directly attributable transaction costs, except as described below. Subsequent to initial recognition, non-derivative financial instruments are measured as described below.

(i)    Trade and other receivables

        Trade and other receivables are recognized initially at fair value and are thereafter measured at amortized cost using the effective interest rate method less any provision for impairment. A provision for impairment of trade receivables is recognized when there is objective evidence that the Group will not be able to collect all amounts due according to the original terms of the receivables.

        Factoring and related programs are employed by the Group where deemed to be of benefit by management.

(ii)
Securitized assets

        The Group entered into a series of securitization transactions involving certain of its trade receivables. The securitized assets are recognized on the consolidated statement of financial position, until all of the rights to the cash flows from those assets have expired or have been fully transferred outside the Group, or until substantially all of the related risks, rewards and control of the related assets have been transferred to a third party. No trade receivables were securitized at December 31, 2016 (2015: €nil).

(iii)
Cash and cash equivalents

        Cash and cash equivalents include cash in hand and call deposits held with banks. Cash and cash equivalents are carried at amortized cost.

        Short term bank deposits of greater than three months' maturity which do not meet the definition of cash and cash equivalents are classified as financial assets within current assets and stated at amortized cost.

(iv)
Restricted cash

        Restricted cash comprises cash held by the Group but which is ring-fenced or used as security for specific financing arrangements, and to which the Group does not have unfettered access. Restricted cash is measured at amortized cost.

(v)
Borrowings (including related party debt)

        Borrowings are recognized initially at fair value, net of transaction costs incurred. Borrowings are subsequently stated at amortized cost; any difference between the proceeds (net of transaction costs) and the redemption value is recognized in the Group's consolidated income statement over the period of the borrowings using the effective interest rate method.

        Borrowings are classified as current liabilities unless the Group has an unconditional right to defer settlement of the liability for at least twelve months after the reporting date.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Summary of significant accounting policies (Continued)

(vi)
Trade and other payables

        Trade and other payables are recognized initially at fair value and subsequently measured at amortized cost using the effective interest rate method.

Derivative financial instruments

        Derivatives are initially recognized at fair value on the date a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently re-measured at their fair value. The method of recognizing the resulting gain or loss depends on whether the derivative is designated as a hedging instrument, and if so, the nature of the item being hedged.

        The fair values of various derivative instruments used for hedging purposes are disclosed in Note 12. The full fair value of a hedging derivative is classified as a non-current asset or liability when the remaining maturity of the hedged item is more than 12 months and as a current asset or liability when the remaining maturity of the hedged item is less than 12 months. Trading derivatives are classified as a current asset or liability.

(i)    Cash flow hedges

        The effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivatives that are designated and qualify as cash flow hedges are recognized in other comprehensive income. Amounts accumulated in other comprehensive income are recycled to the consolidated income statement in the periods when the hedged item will affect profit or loss.

        Amounts accumulated in other comprehensive income are recycled from equity to the consolidated income statement in the period during which the hedged item will affect the income statement. The effective portion of changes in the fair value of derivatives that are designated and qualify as cash flow hedges is recognized in other comprehensive income. The gain or loss relating to the ineffective portion is recognized immediately in the consolidated income statement. When a hedging instrument expires or is sold, or when a hedge no longer meets the criteria for hedge accounting, any cumulative gain or loss existing at that time remains in equity and is recognized when the forecast cash flow arises. When a forecast transaction is no longer expected to occur, the cumulative gain or loss that was reported in equity is immediately transferred to the consolidated income statement.

(ii)
Fair value hedges

        Derivative financial instruments are classified as fair value hedges when they hedge the Group's exposure to changes in the fair value of a recognized asset or liability. Changes in the fair value of derivatives that are designated and qualify as fair value hedges are recorded in the Group's consolidated income statement, together with any changes in the fair value of the hedged item that is attributable to the hedged risk.

        The gain or loss relating to the effective portion of interest rate swaps hedging assets and borrowings is recognized in the consolidated income statement within 'finance expense'. The gain or loss relating to the ineffective portion of the interest rate swaps is recognized in the consolidated income statement within 'finance expense'. If a hedge no longer meets the criteria for hedge accounting, the adjustment to the carrying amount of a hedged item for which the effective interest rate method is used is amortized to profit or loss over the period to maturity.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Summary of significant accounting policies (Continued)

Fair value measurement

        The Group measures financial instruments such as derivatives and pension assets at fair value at each balance sheet date. Fair value related disclosures for financial instruments, related party convertible borrowings and pension assets that are measured at fair value or where fair values are disclosed, are summarized in the following notes:

    Disclosures for valuation methods, significant estimates and assumptions (Notes 12 and 14)

    Contingent consideration (Note 25)

    Quantitative disclosures of fair value measurement hierarchy (Note 12)

    Financial instruments (including those carried at amortized cost) (Note 12)

        Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The fair value measurement is based on the presumption that the transaction to sell the asset or transfer the liability takes place either:

    in the principal market for the asset or liability; or

    in the absence of a principal market, in the most advantageous market for the asset or liability.

        The principal or the most advantageous market must be accessible by the Group.

        The fair value of an asset or a liability is measured using the assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability, assuming that market participants act in their economic best interest.

        A fair value measurement of a non-financial asset takes into account a market participant's ability to generate economic benefits by using the asset in its highest and best use or by selling it to another market participant that would use the asset in its highest and best use.

        The Group uses valuation techniques that are appropriate in the circumstances and for which sufficient data are available to measure fair value, maximizing the use of relevant observable inputs and minimizing the use of unobservable inputs.

Employee benefits

(i)    Defined benefit pension plans

        Typically, defined benefit plans define an amount of pension benefit that an employee will receive on retirement, usually dependent on one or more factors such as age, years of service and compensation.

        The liability recognized in the consolidated statement of financial position in respect of defined benefit pension plans is the present value of the defined benefit obligation at the reporting date less the fair value of plan assets. The defined benefit obligation is calculated annually by independent actuaries using the projected unit credit method. The present value of the defined benefit obligation is determined by discounting the estimated future cash outflows using interest rates of high quality corporate bonds that are denominated in the currency in which the benefits will be paid, and that have terms to maturity approximating to the terms of the related pension liability.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Summary of significant accounting policies (Continued)

        Actuarial gains and losses arising from experience adjustments and changes in actuarial assumptions are charged or credited to equity in other comprehensive income in the period in which they arise. Past service costs are recognized immediately in the consolidated income statement.

(ii)    Multi-employer pension plans

        Multi-employer craft or industry based pension schemes ("multi-employer schemes") have arrangements similar to those of defined benefit schemes. In each case it is not possible to identify the Group's share of the underlying assets and liabilities of the multi-employer schemes and therefore in accordance with IAS 19(R), the Group has taken the exemption for multi-employer pension schemes to account for them as defined contribution schemes recognizing the contributions payable in each period in the consolidated income statement.

(iii)    Other end of service employee benefits

        In a number of countries, the Group pays lump sums to employees leaving service. These arrangements are accounted in the same manner as defined benefit pension plans.

(iv)    Other long term employee benefits

        The Group's obligation in respect of other long term employee benefits plans represents the amount of future benefit that employees have earned in return for service in the current and prior periods for post-retirement medical schemes, partial retirement contracts and long service awards. These are included in the category of employee benefit obligations on the consolidated statement of financial position. The obligation is computed on the basis of the projected unit credit method and is discounted to present value using a discount rate equating to the market yield at the reporting date on high quality corporate bonds of a currency and term consistent with the currency and estimated term of the obligations. Actuarial gains and losses are recognized in full in the Group's consolidated statement of comprehensive income in the period in which they arise.

(v)    Defined contribution plans

        A defined contribution plan is a pension plan under which the Group pays fixed contributions into a separate entity. The contributions are recognized as employee benefit expense when they are due.

Provisions

        Provisions are recognized when the Group has a present legal or constructive obligation as a result of a past event, it is probable that an outflow of economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation and the amount can be reliably estimated.

        Provisions are measured at the present value of the expenditures expected to be required to settle the obligation using a pre-tax rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the obligation.

Revenue recognition

        Revenue from the sale of goods is recognized in the consolidated income statement when the significant risks and rewards of ownership have been transferred to the buyer, primarily on dispatch of

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Summary of significant accounting policies (Continued)

the goods. Allowances for customer rebates are provided for in the same period as the related revenues are recorded. Revenue is included net of cash discounts and value added tax.

Exceptional items

        The Group's consolidated income statement, cash flow and segmental analysis separately identify results before specific items. Specific items are those that in management's judgment need to be disclosed by virtue of their size, nature or incidence to provide additional information. Such items include, where significant, restructuring, redundancy and other costs relating to permanent capacity realignment or footprint reorganization, directly attributable acquisition costs, profit or loss on disposal or termination of operations, start-up costs incurred in relation to plant builds or new furnaces, major litigation costs and settlements and impairment of non-current assets. In this regard the determination of 'significant' as included in our definition uses qualitative and quantitative factors. Judgment is used by the Group in assessing the particular items, which by virtue of their scale and nature, are disclosed in the Group's consolidated income statement, and related notes as exceptional items. Management considers columnar presentation to be appropriate in the consolidated income statement as it provides useful additional information and is consistent with the way that financial performance is measured by management and presented to the Board of Directors of ARD Holdings S.A. (the "Board") and the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of ARD Holdings S.A. (the "Executive Committee"). Exceptional restructuring costs are classified as restructuring provisions and all other exceptional costs when outstanding at the balance sheet date are classified as exceptional items payable.

Finance income and expense

        Finance income comprises interest income on funds invested, gains on disposal of financial assets, and gains on derivative instruments that are not designated as hedging instruments and are recognized in profit or loss.

        Finance expense comprises interest expense on borrowings (including amortization of deferred debt issuance costs), finance lease expenses, certain net foreign currency translation related to financing, net interest cost on net pension plan liabilities, losses on extinguishment of borrowings, losses on derivative instruments that are not designated as hedging instruments and are recognized in profit or loss and other finance expense.

        The Group capitalizes borrowing costs directly attributable to the acquisition, construction or production of manufacturing plants that require a substantial period of time to build that would have been avoided if the expenditure on the qualifying asset had not been made.

        Costs related to the issuance of new debt are deferred and amortized within finance expense over the expected terms of the related debt agreements by using the effective interest rate method.

Income tax

        Income tax on the profit or loss for the year comprises current and deferred tax. Income tax is recognized in the consolidated income statement except to the extent that it relates to items recognized in other comprehensive income.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Summary of significant accounting policies (Continued)

        Current tax is the expected tax payable on the taxable income for the year, using tax rates enacted or substantively enacted at the reporting date and any adjustment to tax payable in respect of previous years.

        Deferred income tax is recognized, using the liability method, on temporary differences arising between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their carrying amounts in the consolidated financial statements. However, deferred tax liabilities are not recognized if they arise from the initial recognition of goodwill; deferred income tax is not accounted for if it arises from initial recognition of an asset or liability in a transaction other than a business combination that at the time of the transaction affects neither accounting nor taxable profit or loss. Deferred income tax is determined using tax rates (and laws) that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date and are expected to apply when the related deferred income tax asset is realized or the deferred income tax liability is settled.

        Deferred income tax assets are recognized only to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profit will be available against which the temporary differences can be utilized. Deferred income tax is provided on temporary differences arising on investments in subsidiaries and associates, except for deferred income tax liability where the timing of the reversal of the temporary difference is controlled by the Group and it is probable that the temporary difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future.

        Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are offset when there is a legally enforceable right to offset current tax assets against current tax liabilities and when the deferred income tax assets and liabilities relate to income taxes levied by the same taxation authority on either the same taxable entity or different taxable entities where there is an intention to settle the balances on a net basis.

Segment reporting

        The Executive Committee has been identified as the Chief Operating Decision Maker ("CODM") for the Group.

        Operating segments are identified on the basis of the internal reporting provided to the Executive Committee in order to allocate resources to the segment and assess its performance.

Critical accounting estimates, assumptions and judgments

        Estimates and judgments are continually evaluated and are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The Group makes estimates and assumptions concerning the future. The resulting accounting estimates will, by definition, seldom equal the related actual results. The estimates and assumptions that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next financial year are discussed below.

(i)    Estimated impairment of goodwill and other long lived assets

        In accordance with IAS 36 'Impairment of assets' ("IAS 36"), the Group tests whether goodwill and other long lived assets have suffered any impairment in accordance with the accounting policies stated. The determination of recoverable amounts requires the use of estimates as outlined in Note 3. The Group's judgments relating to the impairment of goodwill and other long lived assets are included in Notes 3 and 4.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Summary of significant accounting policies (Continued)

(ii)    Establishing lives for depreciation and amortization purposes of property, plant and equipment and intangibles

        Long lived assets, consisting primarily of property, plant and equipment, customer intangibles and technology intangibles, comprise a significant portion of the Group's total assets. The annual depreciation and amortization charges depend primarily on the estimated lives of each type of asset and, in certain circumstances, estimates of fair values and residual values. The Board of Directors regularly review these asset lives and change them as necessary to reflect current thinking on remaining lives in light of technological change, prospective economic utilization and physical condition of the assets concerned. Changes in asset lives can have a significant impact on the depreciation and amortization charges for the period. It is not practical to quantify the impact of changes in asset lives on an overall basis, as asset lives are individually determined and there are a significant number of asset lives in use.

(iii)    Income taxes

        The Group is subject to income taxes in numerous jurisdictions and judgment is therefore required in determining the worldwide provision for income taxes. There are many transactions and calculations for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain during the ordinary course of business. The Group recognizes liabilities for anticipated tax audit issues based on estimates of whether additional taxes will be due. Where the final tax outcome of these matters is different from the amounts that were initially recorded, such differences will impact the income tax and deferred tax provisions in the period in which such determination is made.

(iv)    Measurement of employee benefit obligations

        The Group follows guidance of IAS 19(R) to determine the present value of its obligations to current and past employees in respect of defined benefit pension obligations, other long term employee benefits, and other end of service employee benefits which are subject to similar fluctuations in value in the long term. The Group with the assistance of professional actuaries, values such liabilities designed to ensure consistency in the quality of the key assumptions underlying the valuations. The critical assumptions and estimates applied are discussed in detail in Note 14.

(v)    Exceptional items

        The consolidated income statement and segment analysis separately identify results before exceptional items. Exceptional items are those that in our judgment need to be disclosed by virtue of their size, nature or incidence.

        The Group believes that this presentation provides additional analysis as it highlights exceptional items. Such items include, where significant, restructuring, redundancy and other costs relating to permanent capacity realignment or footprint reorganization, directly attributable acquisition costs, profit or loss on disposal or termination of operations, start-up costs incurred in relation to new operations or plant builds, major litigation costs, settlements and impairment of non-current assets. In this regard, the determination of 'significant' as included in our definition uses qualitative and quantitative factors which remain consistent from period to period. Management uses judgment in assessing the particular items, which by virtue of their scale and nature, are disclosed in the consolidated income statement and related notes as exceptional items. Management considers the consolidated income statement

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Summary of significant accounting policies (Continued)

presentation of exceptional items to be appropriate as it provides useful additional information and is consistent with the way that financial information is measured by management and presented to the Board of Directors and CODM. In that regard, management believes it to be consistent with paragraph 85 of IAS 1 'Presentation of financial statements' ("IAS 1"), which permits the inclusion of line items and subtotals that improve the understanding of performance.

vi)    Business combinations and goodwill

        Goodwill only arises in business combinations. The amount of goodwill initially recognized is dependent on the allocation of the purchase price to the fair value of the identifiable assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. The determination of the fair value of the assets and liabilities is based, to a considerable extent, on management's judgment. Allocation of the purchase price affects the results of the Group as finite lived intangible assets are amortized, whereas indefinite lived intangible assets, including goodwill, are not amortized and could result in differing amortization charges based on the allocation to indefinite lived and finite lived intangible assets.

3. Intangible assets

 
  Goodwill
€m
  Customer
relationships
€m
  Technology
and other
€m
  Software
€m
  Total
€m
 

Cost

                               

At January 1, 2015

    965     783     167     45     1,960  

Acquisitions

    3                 3  

Additions

            7     1     8  

Disposals

            (1 )       (1 )

Transfers

            (3 )   3      

Exchange

    79     68     11         158  

At December 31, 2015

    1,047     851     181     49     2,128  

Amortization

                               

At January 1, 2015

          (139 )   (32 )   (27 )   (198 )

Charge for the year

          (83 )   (19 )   (7 )   (109 )

Disposals

              1         1  

Exchange

          (11 )   (1 )       (12 )

At December 31, 2015

          (233 )   (51 )   (34 )   (318 )

Net book value

                               

At December 31, 2015

    1,047     618     130     15     1,810  

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

3. Intangible assets (Continued)

 
  Goodwill
€m
  Customer
relationships
€m
  Technology
and other
€m
  Software
€m
  Total
€m
 

Cost

                               

At January 1, 2016

    1,047     851     181     49     2,128  

Acquisitions

    894     1,242     31     11     2,178  

Additions

            8     3     11  

Impairment

                (2 )   (2 )

Exchange

    30     44     2         76  

At December 31, 2016

    1,971     2,137     222     61     4,391  

Amortization

                               

At January 1, 2016

          (233 )   (51 )   (34 )   (318 )

Charge for the year

          (143 )   (23 )   (7 )   (173 )

Exchange

          (2 )   (9 )       (11 )

At December 31, 2016

          (378 )   (83 )   (41 )   (502 )

Net book value

                               

At December 31, 2016

    1,971     1,759     139     20     3,889  

2016

        Goodwill and intangibles of €2,178 million were acquired as part of the acquisition of the Beverage Can Business in June 2016. Goodwill is based on management's preliminary estimates of fair values at the acquisition date. The period allowed by 'Business Combinations' ("IFRS 3R"), remains open at December 31, 2016. Please refer to Note 25 for further details of the purchase price allocation.

2015

        Fair value adjustments to goodwill of €3 million net of tax, were made in the twelve months to December 31, 2015 relating to the VNA Acquisition within the measurement period allowed by IFRS 3R. The purchase price allocation is now finalized.

        Development costs of €13 million were included in technology and other intangible assets at December 31, 2016 (2015: €12 million).

Goodwill

Allocation of goodwill

        Goodwill has been allocated to groups of CGUs for the purpose of impairment testing. The groupings represent the lowest level at which the related goodwill is monitored for internal management purposes. Goodwill acquired through business combination activity is allocated to CGUs that are expected to benefit from synergies in that combination. Given the size and timing of the acquisition of the Beverage Can Business, a preliminary allocation of the related goodwill has been made at December 31, 2016: the allocation will be finalized during 2017.

        The lowest level within the Group at which the goodwill is monitored for internal management purposes is Metal Packaging Europe, Metal Packaging Americas, Metal Packaging Europe—Acquired, Metal Packaging Americas—Acquired, Glass Packaging Europe and Glass Packaging North America.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

3. Intangible assets (Continued)

        A summary of the goodwill allocation is presented below:

 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Metal Packaging Europe

    268     274  

Metal Packaging Americas

    28     26  

Metal Packaging Europe—Acquired

    494      

Metal Packaging Americas—Acquired

    417      

Glass Packaging Europe

    57     62  

Glass Packaging North America

    707     685  

Total Goodwill

    1,971     1,047  

Impairment tests for goodwill

        The Group performs its impairment test of goodwill annually following approval of the annual budget.

Recoverable amount and carrying amount

        The Group used the value in use ("VIU") model for the purposes of the goodwill impairment testing as this reflects the Group's intention to hold and operate the assets.

        The VIU model uses the 2017 two-year budget approved by the Board of Directors of ARD Holdings S.A. (2015: 2016 two-year budget). The budget was then extended for a further three-year period (2015: 2016 three-year period) making certain assumptions including that capital expenditure equals depreciation and that any increase in input cost will be passed through to customers, in line with historic practice and contractual terms.

        The terminal value assumed long term growth in line with long term local inflation.

        Cash flows considered in the VIU model included the cash inflows and outflows related to the continuing use of the assets over their remaining useful lives, expected earnings, required maintenance capital expenditure, depreciation, tax and working capital.

        The post-tax discount rate applied to post-tax cash flows in the VIU model was estimated using the Capital Asset Pricing Model with regard to the risks associated with the cash flows being considered (country, market and specific risks of the asset).

        The modelled cash flows take into account the Group's established history of earnings, cash flow generation and the nature of the markets in which we operate, where product obsolescence is low. The key assumptions employed in modelling estimates of future cash flows are subjective and include projected Adjusted EBITDA, discount rates and growth rates, replacement capital expenditure requirements, rates of customer retention and the ability to maintain margin through the pass through of input cost inflation.

        A sensitivity analysis was performed reflecting potential variations in terminal growth rate and discount rate assumptions. In all cases the recoverable values calculated were in excess of the carrying

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Table of Contents


ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

3. Intangible assets (Continued)

values of the CGUs. The variation applied to terminal value growth rates and discount rates was a 50 basis points decrease and increase respectively and represents a reasonably possible change to the key assumptions of the VIU model.

        The additional disclosures required under IAS 36 in relation to significant goodwill amounts arising in the groups of CGUs are as follows:

 
  Metal
Packaging
Europe
€m/%
  Metal
Packaging
Americas
€m/%
  Metal
Packaging
Europe-
Acquired
€m/%
  Metal
Packaging
Americas-
Acquired
€m/%
  Glass
Packaging
Europe
€m/%
  Glass
Packaging
North
America
€m/%
 

2016

                                     

Carrying amount of goodwill

    268     28     494     417     57     707  

Excess of recoverable amount

    2,178     372     582     274     2,057     1,630  

Pre-tax discount rate applied

    8.3%     9.8%     8.9%     11.9%     8.7%     10.3%  

Growth rate for terminal value

    1.5%     2.0%     1.5%     2.0%     1.5%     2.0%  

2015

                                     

Carrying amount of goodwill

    274     26             62     685  

Excess of recoverable amount

    1,612     521             1,720     1,916  

Pre-tax discount rate applied

    9.9%     9.6%             9.0%     9.8%  

Growth rate for terminal value

    2.0%     2.5%             2.0%     2.5%  

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Table of Contents


ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

4. Property, plant and equipment

 
  Land and
buildings
€m
  Plant,
machinery
and other
€m
  Office
equipment
and vehicles
€m
  Total
€m
 

Cost

                         

At January 1, 2015

    696     2,614     43     3,353  

Additions

        283     1     284  

Disposals

    (6 )   (89 )   (10 )   (105 )

Transfers

    50     (66 )   16      

Exchange

    21     113     1     135  

At December 31, 2015

    761     2,855     51     3,667  

Depreciation

                         

At January 1, 2015

    (153 )   (949 )   (28 )   (1,130 )

Charge for the year

    (21 )   (267 )   (6 )   (294 )

Disposals

    3     84     10     97  

Exchange

    (3 )   (29 )   (1 )   (33 )

At December 31, 2015

    (174 )   (1,161 )   (25 )   (1,360 )

Net book value

                         

At December 31, 2015

    587     1,694     26     2,307  

 

 
  Land and
buildings
€m
  Plant,
machinery
and other
€m
  Office
equipment
and vehicles
€m
  Total
€m
 

Cost

                         

At January 1, 2016

    761     2,855     51     3,667  

Acquisitions

    171     459         630  

Additions

    3     315     5     323  

Impairment

        (8 )       (8 )

Disposals

    (6 )   (192 )   (10 )   (208 )

Transfers

    13     (29 )   16      

Exchange

    (9 )   (43 )   (1 )   (53 )

At December 31, 2016

    933     3,357     61     4,351  

Depreciation

                         

At January 1, 2016

    (174 )   (1,161 )   (25 )   (1,360 )

Charge for the year

    (26 )   (283 )   (9 )   (318 )

Disposals

    4     191     9     204  

Exchange

    6     41     1     48  

At December 31, 2016

    (190 )   (1,212 )   (24 )   (1,426 )

Net book value

                         

At December 31, 2016

    743     2,145     37     2,925  

        Depreciation expense of €313 million (2015: €289 million; 2014: €271 million) has been charged in cost of sales and €5 million (2015: €5 million; 2014: €4 million) in sales, general and administration expenses.

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Table of Contents


ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

4. Property, plant and equipment (Continued)

        Transfers primarily relate to the reclassification of construction in progress to the applicable classification within property, plant and equipment.

        Construction in progress at December 31, 2016 was €114 million (2015: €87 million).

        Included in property, plant and equipment is an amount for land of €195 million (2015: €160 million).

        No interest was capitalized in the year (2015: €nil).

        Substantially all of the Group's property, plant and equipment are pledged as security under the terms and conditions of the Group's financing arrangements.

Impairment

        The Directors have considered the carrying value of the Group's property, plant and equipment and assessed the indicators of impairment as at December 31, 2016 in accordance with IAS 36. In the year ended December 31, 2016 an exceptional impairment charge of €8 million (2015: €nil) has been recognized, of which €5 million relates to the impairment of plant and machinery in Metal Packaging Europe and €3 million relates to the impairment of a plant in Metal Packaging Americas.

        In the year ended December 31, 2014, the Group recognized exceptional impairment charges of €36 million relating to specific property, plant and equipment that is no longer in use in the Metal Packaging Europe division. Further impairment charges of €17 million were incurred in the Glass Packaging North America division relating to a plant closure.

Finance leases

        The depreciation charge for capitalized leased assets was €1 million (2015: €1 million; 2014: €1 million) and the related finance charges were €nil (2015: €nil; 2014: €nil). The net carrying amount is €10 million (2015: €10 million).

Operating lease commitments

        During the year, the expense in respect of operating lease commitments was as follows:

 
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Plant and machinery

    5     5     8  

Land and buildings

    24     21     14  

Office equipment and vehicles

    9     8     10  

    38     34     32  

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

4. Property, plant and equipment (Continued)

        At December 31, the Group had total commitments under non-cancellable operating leases which expire:

 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Not later than one year

    30     27     23  

Later than one year and not later than five years

    69     69     55  

Later than five years

    68     67     43  

    167     163     121  

Capital commitments

        The following capital commitments in relation to property, plant and equipment were authorized by management, but have not been provided for in the consolidated financial statements:

 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Contracted for

    110     30     67  

Not contracted for

    19     6     22  

    129     36     89  

5. Other non-current assets

        At December 31, 2016 other non-current assets of €20 million (2015: €14 million) include €6 million (2015: €7 million) relating to the Group's investment in its joint ventures.

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Table of Contents


ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

6. Deferred income tax

        The movement in deferred tax assets and liabilities during the year was as follows:

 
  Assets
€m
  Liabilities
€m
  Total
€m
 

At January 1, 2015

    417     (653 )   (236 )

Acquisition

    3         3  

(Charged)/credited to the income statement

    (21 )   20     (1 )

(Charged)/credited to other comprehensive income

    (28 )   1     (27 )

Exchange

    26     (48 )   (22 )

At December 31, 2015

    397     (680 )   (283 )

Acquisition (Note 25)

    73     (218 )   (145 )

(Charged)/credited to the income statement

    (42 )   33     (9 )

Credited/(charged) to other comprehensive income

    17     (5 )   12  

Reclassification

    3     (3 )    

Exchange

    (3 )   (10 )   (13 )

At December 31, 2016

    445     (883 )   (438 )

        The components of deferred income tax assets and liabilities are as follows:

 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Tax losses

    32     35  

Employee benefit obligations

    172     158  

Depreciation timing differences

    82     68  

Provisions

    94     83  

Other

    65     53  

    445     397  

Available for offset

    (186 )   (219 )

Deferred tax assets

    259     178  

Intangible assets

    (482 )   (330 )

Accelerated depreciation and other fair value adjustments

    (362 )   (308 )

Other

    (39 )   (42 )

    (883 )   (680 )

Available for offset

    186     219  

Deferred tax liabilities

    (697 )   (461 )

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Table of Contents


ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

6. Deferred income tax (Continued)

        The tax (charge)/credit recognized in the consolidated income statement is analyzed as follows:

 
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Tax losses

    (3 )   (18 )   (3 )

Employee benefit obligations

    (12 )   13     4  

Depreciation timing differences

    (12 )   (2 )   50  

Provisions

        (7 )   1  

Other deferred tax assets

    (15 )   (7 )   1  

Intangible assets

    38     30     23  

Accelerated depreciation and other fair value adjustments

    2     2     5  

Other deferred tax liabilities

    (7 )   (12 )   1  

    (9 )   (1 )   82  

        Deferred tax assets are only recognized on tax loss carry-forwards to the extent that the realization of the related tax benefit through future taxable profits is probable based on management's forecasts. The Group did not recognize deferred tax assets of €43 million (2015: €37 million) in respect of tax losses amounting to €223 million (2015: €148 million) that can be carried forward against future taxable income due to uncertainty regarding their utilization. In addition, the Group did not recognize deferred tax assets of €70 million (2015: €68 million) in respect of capital losses amounting to €201 million (2015: €195 million) that can be carried forward against future taxable income due to uncertainty regarding their utilization.

        No provision has been made for temporary differences applicable to investments in subsidiaries as the Group is in a position to control the timing of reversal of the temporary difference and it is probable that the temporary difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future. Given that exemptions and tax credits would be available in the context of the Group's investments in subsidiaries in the majority of jurisdictions in which it operates, the aggregate amount of temporary differences in respect of which deferred tax liabilities have not been recognized would be immaterial.

7. Inventories

 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Raw materials and consumables

    289     200  

Mould parts

    44     42  

Work-in-progress

    68     77  

Finished goods

    725     506  

    1,126     825  

        Inventory pledged as security for liabilities is not material.

        The amount recognized as a write down in inventories or as a reversal of a write down in the period was not significant.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

8. Trade and other receivables

 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Trade receivables

    920     608  

Other receivables and prepayments

    215     43  

    1,135     651  

        The fair values of trade and other receivables approximate the amounts shown above.

        Movements on the provision for impairment of trade receivables are as follows:

 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

At January 1,

    14     14     13  

Provision for receivables impairment

    1     2     1  

Receivables written off during the year as uncollectible

    (1 )   (2 )    

At December 31,

    14     14     14  

        The majority of the provision above relates to balances which are more than six months past due.

        The maximum exposure to credit risk at the reporting date is the carrying value of each class of receivable mentioned above.

Provisions against specific balances

        Significant balances are assessed for evidence that the customer is in significant financial difficulty. Examples of factors considered are high probability of bankruptcy, breaches of contract or major concession being sought by the customer. Instances of significant single customer related bad debts are rare and there is no significant concentration of risk associated with particular customers.

Providing against the remaining population of customers

        Historic data is monitored and applied as the primary source of evidence to assess the level of losses incurred, although impairments cannot yet be identified with individual receivables. Adverse changes in the payment status of customers in the Group, or national or local economic conditions that correlate with defaults on receivables in the Group, may also provide a basis for increase of the level of provision above historic losses. However, the fact that payments are made late by customers does not automatically provide evidence that a provision should be recognized.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

8. Trade and other receivables (Continued)

        As of December 31, 2016, trade receivables of €46 million (2015: €35 million) were past due but not impaired. These relate to a number of independent customers for whom there is no recent history of default. The ageing analysis of these trade receivables is as follows:

 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Up to three months past due

    40     29  

Three to six months past due

    4     3  

Over six months past due

    2     3  

    46     35  

Receivables factoring and related programs

        During the year ended December 31, 2016 the Group participated in several uncommitted accounts receivable factoring and related programs with various financial institutions for certain receivables. The programs are accounted for as true sales of the receivables, without recourse to the Group. A total of €277 million were sold under these programs as at December 31, 2016 (2015: €15 million), of which €225 million relates to the Beverage Can Business.

9. Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Cash at bank and in hand

    729     542  

Short term bank deposits

    16      

    745     542  

        In addition to cash and cash equivalents, the Group had €27 million of restricted cash at December 31, 2016 (2015: €11 million) which includes bank guarantees in the United States and early retirement plans in Germany.

10. Issued capital and reserves

Share capital

        Authorized, issued and fully paid shares:

 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Share capital (par value €0.01)

         

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

10. Issued capital and reserves (Continued)


 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016   2015  

Ordinary number of shares

    11,111,200     10,000,000  

Share premium

        On September 21, 2016, the Company issued 1,111,200 ordinary shares to ARD Group Finance Holdings S.A. at a par value of €0.01 per share, and with a share premium of €6 million.

        On the same date, the Board of Directors approved the reclassification of an element of the Company's share premium to retained earnings, thereby realizing a distributable reserve, and subsequently paid a dividend to its parent company.

Capital contribution

        On September 16, 2016 the Company received a contribution of €431 million in cash from its parent company. There were no terms and conditions associated with the contribution. The proceeds from this contribution were mainly used to redeem part of the principal amount outstanding of its $841 million 8.625% Senior PIK Notes due 2019 and €295 million 8.375% Senior PIK Notes due 2019.

        All other reserves are as stated in the consolidated statement of changes in equity.

11. Financial risk factors

        The Group's activities expose it to a variety of financial risks: capital risk, interest rate risk, currency exchange risk, commodity price risk, credit risk, and liquidity risk.

Capital structure and risk

        The Group's objectives when managing capital are to safeguard the Group's ability to continue as a going concern and provide returns to the Group's stakeholders. The Group funds its operations primarily from the following sources of capital: borrowings, cash flow and shareholders' equity. The Group aims to achieve a capital structure that results in an appropriate cost of capital to accommodate material investments or acquisitions, while providing flexibility in short and medium term funding. The Group also aims to maintain a strong balance sheet and to provide continuity of financing by having a range of maturities and borrowing from a variety of sources. The Group's overall treasury objectives are to ensure sufficient funds are available for the Group to carry out its strategy and to manage certain financial risks to which the Group is exposed, details of which are provided below.

        Financial risks are managed on the advice of Group Treasury and senior management. The Group does not permit the use of treasury instruments for speculative purposes, under any circumstances. Group Treasury regularly reviews the level of cash and debt facilities required to fund the Group's activities, plans for repayments and refinancing of debt, and identifies an appropriate amount of headroom to provide a reserve against unexpected funding requirements.

        Additionally, financial instruments, including derivative financial instruments, are used to hedge exposure to interest rate and currency exchange risk.

        One of the Group's key metrics has been the ratio of consolidated external net debt as a multiple of Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is the net profit or loss for the period before income tax

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

11. Financial risk factors (Continued)

expenses, net finance expense, depreciation and amortization and exceptional operating items. As at December 31, 2016 the ratio for the Group was 6.3x (2015: 6.3x; 2014: 7.1x).

Interest rate risk

        The Executive Committee's policy, in the management of interest rate risk, is to strike the right balance between the Group's fixed and floating rate financial instruments. The balance struck by the Executive Committee is dependent on prevailing interest rate markets at any point in time.

        At December 31, 2016, the Group's external borrowings were 73.8% (2015: 74.4%) fixed with a weighted average interest rate of 5.4% (2015: 6.2%; 2014: 6.2%). The Group has related party borrowings of €673 million as at December 31, 2016 (2015: €nil).

        Holding all other variables constant, including levels of the Group's external indebtedness, at December 31, 2016 a one percentage point increase in variable interest rates would increase interest payable by approximately €20 million (2015: €12 million). When considering the Group's related party borrowings, at December 31, 2016 a one percentage point increase in variable interest rates would have no estimated material impact on the pre-tax interest expense.

Currency exchange risk

        The Group operates in twenty-two countries, across five continents. The Group's main currency exposure in the year to December 31, 2016 was in relation to U.S. dollar, British pounds, Swedish krona, Polish zloty, Danish krone and Brazilian real. Foreign exchange risk arises from future commercial transactions, recognized assets and liabilities, and net investments in foreign operations.

        The Group has a limited level of transactional currency exposure arising from sales or purchases by operating units in currencies other than their functional currencies.

        The Group has certain investments in foreign operations, whose net assets are exposed to foreign currency translation risk. Currency exposure arising from the net assets of the Group's foreign operations is managed primarily through borrowings denominated in the relevant foreign currencies.

        Fluctuations in the value of these currencies with respect to the euro may have a significant impact on the Group's financial condition and results of operations as reported in euro. When considering the Group's position, excluding its related party borrowings, the Group believes that a strengthening of the euro exchange rate by 1% against all other foreign currencies from the December 31, 2016 rate would increase shareholders' equity by approximately €6 million (2015: €18 million).

Commodity price risk

        The Group is exposed to changes in prices of our main raw materials, primarily energy, steel and aluminum. Production costs in our Metal Packaging division are exposed to changes in prices of our main raw materials, primarily steel and aluminum. Steel is generally obtained under one-year contracts with prices that are usually fixed in advance. When such contracts are renewed in the future, our steel costs under such contracts will be subject to prevailing global steel and/or tinplate prices at the time of renewal, which may be different from historical prices. Unlike steel, where there is no functioning hedging market, aluminum is traded daily as a commodity (priced in U.S. dollars) on the London Metal Exchange. Aluminum is priced in U.S. dollars, and therefore fluctuations in the U.S. dollar/euro exchange rate also affect the euro cost of aluminum. The price and foreign currency risk on these aluminum purchases is hedged by entering into swaps under which we pay a fixed euro price.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

11. Financial risk factors (Continued)

Furthermore, the relative price of oil and its by-products may materially impact our business, affecting our transport, lacquer and ink costs.

        Production costs in our Glass Packaging division are sensitive to the price of energy. Our main energy exposure is to the cost of gas and electricity. These energy costs have experienced significant volatility in recent years with a corresponding effect on our production costs. In terms of gas, which represents 70% of our energy costs, there is a continuous de-coupling between the cost of gas and oil, whereby now only significant changes in the price of oil have an impact on the price of gas. The volatility in gas pricing is driven by shale gas development (United States only), and lack of liquefied natural gas in Europe as it is diverted to Asia, and storage levels. Volatility in the price of electricity is caused by the German Renewable Energy policy, the phasing out of nuclear generating capacity, fluctuations in the price of gas and the influence of carbon dioxide costs on electricity prices.

        As a result of the volatility of gas and electricity prices, the Group has either included energy pass-through clauses in our sales contracts or developed an active hedging strategy to fix a significant proportion of our energy costs through contractual arrangements directly with our suppliers, where there is no energy clause in the sales contract.

        Where pass through contracts do not exist the Group policy is to purchase gas and electricity by entering into forward price-fixing arrangements with suppliers for the bulk of our anticipated requirements for the year ahead. Such contracts are used exclusively to obtain delivery of our anticipated energy supplies. The Group does not net settle, nor do we sell within a short period of time after taking delivery. As a result, these contracts are treated as executory contracts under IAS 39 "Financial instruments: recognition and measurement."

        The Group typically builds up these contractual positions in tranches of approximately 10% of the anticipated volumes. Any gas and electricity which is not purchased under forward price-fixing arrangements is purchased under index tracking contracts or at spot prices. We have 81%, 58% and 54% of our energy risk covered for 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Credit risk

        Credit risk is managed on a Group basis. Credit risk arises from deposits with banks and financial institutions, as well as credit exposures to the Group's customers, including outstanding receivables. Group policy is to place excess liquidity on deposit, only with recognized and reputable financial institutions. For banks and financial institutions, only independently rated parties with a minimum rating of 'A' from at least two credit rating agencies are accepted, where possible.

        The credit ratings of banks and financial institutions are monitored to ensure compliance with Group policy. Group policy is to extend credit to customers of good credit standing. Credit risk is managed on an on-going basis, by dedicated people within the Group. The Group's policy for the management of credit risk in relation to trade receivables involves periodically assessing the financial reliability of customers, taking into account their financial position, past experience and other factors. Provisions are made, where deemed necessary, and the utilization of credit limits is regularly monitored. Management does not expect any significant counterparty to fail to meets its obligations. The maximum exposure to credit risk is represented by the carrying amount of each asset. For the year ended December 31, 2016, the Group's ten largest customers accounted for approximately 33% of total revenues (2015: 32%; 2014: 29%). There is no recent history of default with these customers.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

11. Financial risk factors (Continued)

Liquidity risk

        The Group is exposed to liquidity risk which arises primarily from the maturing of short term and long term debt obligations. The Group's policy is to ensure that sufficient resources are available either from cash balances, cash flows or undrawn committed bank facilities, to ensure all obligations can be met as they fall due.

        To effectively manage liquidity risk, the Group:

    has committed borrowing facilities that it can access to meet liquidity needs;

    maintains cash balances and liquid investments with highly-rated counterparties;

    limits the maturity of cash balances;

    borrows the bulk of its debt needs under long term fixed rate debt securities; and

    has internal control processes and contingency plans for managing liquidity risk.

        Cash flow forecasting is performed in the operating entities of the Group and is aggregated by Group Treasury. Group Treasury monitors rolling forecasts of the Group's liquidity requirements to ensure it has sufficient cash to meet operational needs while maintaining sufficient headroom on its undrawn committed borrowing facilities at all times so that the Group does not breach borrowing limits or covenants on any of its borrowing facilities. Such forecasting takes into consideration the Group's debt financing plans and covenant compliance and internal balance sheet ratio targets.

        Surplus cash held by the operating entities over and above the balance required for working capital management is transferred to Group Treasury. Group Treasury invests surplus cash in interest-bearing current accounts and time deposits with appropriate maturities to provide sufficient headroom as determined by the above-mentioned forecasts.

12. Financial assets and liabilities

        The Group's net external debt was as follows:

 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Loan notes

    7,513     5,764  

Term loan

    627     631  

Other borrowings

    10     9  

Total borrowings

    8,150     6,404  

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

    (772 )   (553 )

Derivative financial instruments used to hedge foreign currency and interest rate risk

    (124 )    

Net debt

    7,254     5,851  

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12. Financial assets and liabilities (Continued)

        At December 31, 2016, the Group's net debt and available liquidity was as follows:

Facility   Currency   Maximum
amount
drawable
  Final
maturity
date
  Facility
type
  Amount drawn   Undrawn
amount
 
 
   
  Local
currency
m

   
   
  Local
currency
m

  €m
  €m
 
4.250% First Priority Senior Secured Notes   EUR     1,155   15-Jan-22   Bullet     1,155     1,155      
4.625% Senior Secured Notes   USD     1,000   15-May-23   Bullet     1,000     949      
4.125% Senior Secured Notes   EUR     440   15-May-23   Bullet     440     440      
First Priority Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes   USD     1,110   15-Dec-19   Bullet     1,110     1,053      
Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes   USD     500   15-May-21   Bullet     500     474      
6.000% Senior Notes   USD     440   30-Jun-21   Bullet     440     417      
6.250% Senior Notes   USD     415   31-Jan-19   Bullet     415     394      
6.750% Senior Notes   USD     415   31-Jan-21   Bullet     415     394      
7.250% Senior Notes   USD     1,650   15-May-24   Bullet     1,650     1,565      
6.750% Senior Notes   EUR     750   15-May-24   Bullet     750     750      
Term Loan B Facility   USD     663   17-Dec-21   Amortizing     663     629      
HSBC Securitization Program   EUR     102   14-Jun-18   Revolving             102  
Bank of America Facility   USD     155   11-Apr-18   Revolving             147  
Unicredit Working Capital and Performance Guarantee Credit Lines   EUR     1   Rolling   Revolving             1  
Finance lease obligations   GBP/EUR             Amortizing     7     7      
Other borrowings   EUR     3       Amortizing     3     3      
Total borrowings / undrawn facilities                             8,230     250  
Deferred debt issue costs and bond discount                             (80 )    
Net borrowings / undrawn facilities                             8,150     250  
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash                             (772 )   772  
Derivative financial instruments used to hedge foreign currency and interest rate risk                             (124 )    
Net debt / available liquidity                             7,254     1,022  

        Net debt includes the fair value of associated derivative financial instruments that are used to hedge foreign exchange and interest rate risks relating to finance debt.

        Certain of the Group's borrowing agreements contain certain covenants that restrict the Group's flexibility in certain areas such as incurrence of additional indebtedness (primarily maximum borrowings

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12. Financial assets and liabilities (Continued)

to Adjusted EBITDA and a minimum Adjusted EBITDA to interest expense), payment of dividends and incurrence of liens.

        At December 31, 2015, the Group's net debt and available liquidity was as follows:

Facility
  Currency   Maximum
amount
drawable
  Final
maturity
date
  Facility
type
  Amount drawn   Undrawn
amount
 
 
   
  Local
currency
m

   
   
  Local
currency
m

  €m
  €m
 
8.375% Senior PIK Notes   EUR     283   15-Jun-19   Bullet     283     283      
8.625% Senior PIK Notes   USD     807   15-Jun-19   Bullet     807     741      
4.250% First Priority Senior Secured Notes   EUR     1,155   15-Jan-22   Bullet     1,155     1,155      
First Priority Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes   USD     1,110   15-Dec-19   Bullet     1,110     1,020      
6.000% Senior Notes   USD     440   30-Jun-21   Bullet     440     404      
9.250% Senior Notes   EUR     475   15-Oct-20   Bullet     475     475      
9.125% Senior Notes   USD     920   15-Oct-20   Bullet     920     845      
7.000% Senior Notes   USD     150   15-Nov-20   Bullet     150     138      
6.250% Senior Notes   USD     415   31-Jan-19   Bullet     415     381      
6.750% Senior Notes   USD     415   31-Jan-21   Bullet     415     381      
Term Loan B Facility   USD     688   17-Dec-19   Amortizing     688     632      
HSBC Securitization Program   EUR     129   14-Jun-18   Revolving             129  
Bank of America Facility   USD     155   11-Apr-18   Revolving             143  
Unicredit Working Capital and Performance Guarantee Credit Lines   EUR     1   Rolling   Revolving             1  
Finance lease obligations   GBP/EUR             Amortizing     6     6      
Other borrowings   EUR     3       Amortizing     3     3      
Total borrowings / undrawn facilities                             6,464     273  
Deferred debt issue costs and bond premiums and discounts                             (60 )    
Net borrowings / undrawn facilities                             6,404     273  
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash                             (553 )   553  
Net debt / available liquidity                             5,851     826  

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12. Financial assets and liabilities (Continued)

        The maturity analysis of the Group's borrowings is as follows:

 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Within one year or on demand

    8     7  

Between one and two years

    8     8  

Between two and five years

    3,332     4,465  

Greater than five years

    4,802     1,924  

    8,150     6,404  

        The table below analyzes the Group's financial liabilities (including interest payable) into relevant maturity groupings based on the remaining period at the reporting date to the contractual maturity date. The amounts disclosed in the table are the contracted undiscounted cash flows.

At December 31, 2016
  Borrowings
€m
  Derivative
financial
instruments
€m
  Trade and
other
payables
€m
 

Within one year or on demand

    447     8     1,534  

Between one and two years

    447          

Between two and five years

    4,400          

Greater than five years

    5,339          

 

At December 31, 2015
  Borrowings
€m
  Derivative
financial
instruments
€m
  Trade and
other
payables
€m
 

Within one year or on demand

    323     7     879  

Between one and two years

    323          

Between two and five years

    5,613          

Greater than five years

    2,009          

        The carrying amount and fair value of the Group's borrowings are as follows:

 
  Carrying value    
 
At December 31, 2016
  Amount
drawn
€m
  Deferred debt
issue costs and
bond discount
€m
  Total
€m
  Fair value
€m
 

Loan notes

    7,591     (78 )   7,513     7,817  

Term loan

    629     (2 )   627     635  

Finance leases

    7         7     7  

Bank loans, overdrafts and revolving credit facilities

    3         3     3  

    8,230     (80 )   8,150     8,462  

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12. Financial assets and liabilities (Continued)

   
  Carrying value    
 
  At December 31, 2015
  Amount
drawn
€m
  Deferred
debt issue
costs and
bond
discount
€m
  Total
€m
  Fair value
€m
 
 

Loan notes

    5,823     (59 )   5,764     5,770  
 

Term loan

    632     (1 )   631     626  
 

Finance leases

    6         6     6  
 

Bank loans, overdrafts and revolving credit facilities

    3         3     3  
 

    6,464     (60 )   6,404     6,405  

        Fair values are calculated on borrowings as follows:

    (i)
    Senior secured and senior notes—The fair value for debt securities in issue is calculated based on quoted market prices.

    (ii)
    Loan notes—The fair value of our loan terms are based on quoted market prices; however, these quoted market prices represent Level 2 inputs because the markets in which the term loans trade were not active.

    (iii)
    Bank loans, overdrafts and revolving credit facilities—The estimated value of fixed interest bearing deposits is based on discounted cash flows using prevailing money-market interest rates for debts with similar credit risk and remaining maturity.

    (iv)
    Finance leases—The carrying amount of finance leases is assumed to be a reasonable approximation of fair value.

Financing activity

Financing activity—2016

        On May 16, 2016 the Group issued the following notes:

    $1,000 million aggregate principal amount of 4.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2023;

    $500 million aggregate principal amount of Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2021 at a coupon of LIBOR plus 3.250%;

    €440 million aggregate principal amount of 4.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2023;

    $1,650 million aggregate principal amount of 7.250% Senior Notes due 2024; and

    €750 million aggregate principal amount of 6.750% Senior Notes due 2024.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12. Financial assets and liabilities (Continued)

        The net proceeds from the issuance and sale of these notes were used to finance the acquisition of the Beverage Can Business and to repay the following notes:

    €475 million aggregate principal amount of 9.250% Senior Notes due 2020;

    $920 million aggregate principal amount of 9.125% Senior Notes due 2020; and

    $15 million aggregate principal amount of $150 million 7.000% Senior Notes due 2020.

        These notes were repaid on May 16, 2016.

        The notes issued to finance the acquisition of the Beverage Can Business were held in escrow from the issuance date to the acquisition completion date. Interest charged during this period has been classified as an exceptional finance expense (see Note 19).

        On September 16, 2016, the Group repaid in full the principal amount outstanding of its $841 million 8.625% Senior PIK Notes due 2019 and €295 million 8.375% Senior PIK Notes due 2019. Costs associated with the early redemption have been classified as exceptional in the consolidated income statement.

        On October 3, 2016 the Group agreed to extend the maturity of the Term Loan B facility by two years to December 2021.

        On November 15, 2016, the Group repaid in full the principal amount outstanding of its $135 million 7.000% Senior Notes due 2020. Costs associated with the early redemption have been classified as exceptional in the consolidated income statement.

        Please refer to Note 28 for details of financing activity that has occurred in the period after the reporting date.

Financing activity—2015

        On February 12, 2015, Ardagh repaid in full the principal amount outstanding of its €180 million 8 3 / 4 % Senior Notes due 2020. Costs associated with the early redemption have been classified as exceptional in the consolidated income statement.

        On September 1, 2015, Ardagh repaid €11 million in full settlement of the amounts drawn under the U.S. equipment and real estate financing facilities.

        These repayments were funded from the Group's internal resources.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12. Financial assets and liabilities (Continued)

Effective interest rates

        The effective interest rates of borrowings at the reporting date are as follows:

 
  2016   2015  
 
  USD   EUR   USD   EUR  

8.375% Senior PIK Notes due 2019

                9.55 %

8.625% Senior PIK Notes due 2019

            9.83 %    

4.250% First Priority Senior Secured Notes due 2022

        4.52 %       4.52 %

4.625% Senior Secured Notes due 2023

    5.18 %            

4.125% Senior Secured Notes due 2023

        4.66 %        

First Priority Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2019

    3.49 %       3.49 %    

First Priority Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2021

    4.26 %            

6.000% Senior Notes due 2021

    6.38 %       6.38 %    

9.250% Senior Notes due 2020

                9.69 %

9.125% Senior Notes due 2020

            9.90 %    

7.000% Senior Notes due 2020

            7.53 %    

6.250% Senior Notes due 2019

    7.25 %       7.25 %    

6.750% Senior Notes due 2021

    7.45 %       7.45 %    

7.250% Senior Notes due 2024

    7.74 %            

6.750% Senior Notes due 2024

        7.01 %        

Term Loan B Facility due 2021

    4.16 %       4.16 %    

        The carrying amounts of the Group's net borrowings are denominated in the following currencies:

 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Euro

    2,332     1,902  

U.S. dollar

    5,816     4,500  

British pounds

    2     2  

    8,150     6,404  

        The Group has the following undrawn borrowing facilities:

 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Expiring within one year

    1     1  

Expiring beyond one year

    249     272  

    250     273  

F-43


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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12. Financial assets and liabilities (Continued)

Derivative financial instruments

        The Group uses the following hierarchy for determining and disclosing the fair value of financial instruments:

  Level 1   Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
  Level 2   Inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly (as prices) or indirectly (derived from prices); and
  Level 3   Inputs for the asset or liability that are not based on observable market data (unobservable inputs).

 

   
  Assets   Liabilities  
   
  Fair values
€m
  Contractual
or notional
amounts
€m
  Fair values
€m
  Contractual
or notional
amounts
€m
 
 

Fair Value Derivatives

                         
 

LME aluminum futures

    8     187          
 

Cross currency interest rate swaps

    124     1,499          
 

Forward foreign exchange contracts

            8     195  
 

Nymex gas swaps

    2     15          
 

Carbon futures

    1     2          
 

At December 31, 2016

    135     1,703     8     195  

 

   
  Assets   Liabilities  
   
  Fair values
€m
  Contractual
or notional
amounts
€m
  Fair values
€m
  Contractual
or notional
amounts
€m
 
 

Fair Value Derivatives

                         
 

LME aluminum futures

            3     36  
 

Cross currency interest rate swap

        405     1     5  
 

Nymex gas swaps

            3     18  
 

At December 31, 2015

        405     7     59  

        All derivative assets and liabilities mature within one year with the exception of the cross currency interest rate swaps ("CCIRS") which mature at dates between June 2019 and May 2022. There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 during the year.

        With the exception of interest on the CCIRS, all cash payments in relation to derivative instruments are paid or received when they mature. Bi-annual interest cash payments and receipts are made and received in relation to the CCIRS.

        The Group mitigates the counterparty risk for derivatives by contracting with major financial institutions which have high credit ratings.

F-44


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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12. Financial assets and liabilities (Continued)

LME aluminum futures

        The Group hedges a substantial portion of its anticipated aluminum purchases. Excluding conversion and freight costs, the physical aluminum deliveries are priced based on the average price of aluminum on the LME for the relevant month.

        Fair values have been based on LME-quoted market prices and are valued using Level 1 valuation inputs. The fair value of these contracts when initiated is €nil; no premium is paid or received.

Cross currency interest rate swaps

        In June 2016 the Group entered into cross currency interest rate swaps totaling $1,300 million. These swaps were entered into in order to partially swap the US dollar principal and interest repayments on the Group's $1,650 million 7.250% Senior Notes due 2024 equally into euro and British pounds. The Group also hedges a further $440 million of its external debt and interest thereon into euro using a CCIRS.

        An exceptional gain of €78 million was recognized in the consolidated income statement for the year relating to the gain on fair value of the CCIRS which were entered into during the second quarter and for which hedge accounting had not been applied until the third quarter. Further an exceptional loss of €10 million was incurred relating to cross currency interest rate swaps for which hedge accounting did not apply. See Note 19.

        In December 2015, the Group terminated its existing CCIRS due for maturity in June 2019, and replaced it with a new CCIRS with a maturity date of June 2019. The Group received proceeds of €81 million in consideration of the termination.

        The fair value of the CCIRS are based on Level 2 inputs.

Forward foreign exchange contracts

        The Group operates in a number of countries and, accordingly, hedges a portion of its currency transaction risk. The fair values are based on Level 2 valuation techniques and observable inputs including the contract prices.

Nymex gas swaps

        The Group hedges a portion of its Glass Packaging North America anticipated energy purchases on the New York Mercantile Exchange ("NYMEX").

        Fair values have been based on NYMEX-quoted market prices and Level 1 valuation inputs have been applied. The fair value of these contracts when initiated is €nil; no premium is paid or received.

Carbon futures

        The Group hedges a portion of its carbon purchases using European Union Allowance ("EUA") futures contracts. The fair values are based on Level 2 valuation techniques and observable inputs including the contract prices.

F-45


Table of Contents


ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

13. Related party receivables and borrowings

        The Group manages its financial risk position by managing its external debt position. Related party borrowings are excluded from the definition of net debt. The Group has related party borrowings of €673 million payable to ARD Group Finance Holdings S.A. (a subsidiary of its intermediate parent company and a shareholder of the Company) with a maturity date of 2076 with interest calculable dependent on the adjusted net income of the Company following payment of any dividend distributions, which is immaterial for the year ended December 31, 2016. Under the terms of the instrument, the number of shares to be issued is variable and dependent on market conditions at the time of conversion. As such it is classified as a financial liability. At December 31, 2015, the Group had €404 million receivable from ARD Finance S.A., the immediate parent company, that was non-interest bearing and repayable on demand. This was repaid in full in September 2016.

14. Employee benefit obligations

        The Group operates defined benefit and defined contribution pension schemes in most of its countries of operation and the assets are held in separate administered funds. The principal funded defined benefit schemes, which are funded by contributions to separate administered funds, are in the U.S, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Other defined benefit schemes are unfunded and the provision is recognized in the consolidated statement of financial position. The principal unfunded schemes are in Germany.

        The contribution rates to the funded plans are agreed with the Trustee boards, plan actuaries and the local pension regulators periodically. The contributions paid in 2016 were those recommended by the actuaries.

        In addition, the Group has other employee benefit obligations in certain territories.

        Total employee obligations recognized in the consolidated statement of financial position of €905 million (2015: €720 million) include other employee benefit obligations of €122 million (2015: €82 million).

        The employee obligations and assets of the defined benefit schemes included in the consolidated statement of financial position are analyzed below:

 
  U.S.   Germany   UK   Netherlands   Other   Total  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Obligations

    (1,137 )   (1,087 )   (345 )   (231 )   (898 )   (618 )   (540 )   (669 )   (22 )   (9 )   (2,942 )   (2,614 )

Assets

    1,012     961             626     357     513     655     8     3     2,159     1,976  

Net

    (125 )   (126 )   (345 )   (231 )   (272 )   (261 )   (27 )   (14 )   (14 )   (6 )   (783 )   (638 )

F-46


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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

14. Employee benefit obligations (Continued)

Defined benefit pension schemes

        The amounts recognized in the consolidated income statement are:

 
  Year ended
December 31,
 
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Current service cost and administration costs:

                   

Cost of sales—current service cost

    (37 )   (40 )   (32 )

Cost of sales—past service credit

    29         2  

SGA—current service cost

    (5 )   (5 )   (3 )

SGA—past service credit

    10          

    (3 )   (45 )   (33 )

Finance expense (Note 20)

    (24 )   (23 )   (20 )

    (27 )   (68 )   (53 )

        The amounts recognized in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income are:

 
  Year ended
December 31,
 
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Re-measurement of defined benefit obligation:

                   

Actuarial gain/(loss) arising from changes in demographic assumptions

    24     8     (27 )

Actuarial (loss)/gain arising from changes in financial assumptions

    (251 )   99     (227 )

Actuarial (loss)/gain arising from changes in experience

    (10 )   30     7  

    (237 )   137     (247 )

Re-measurement of plan assets:

                   

Actual return/(loss) less expected return on plan assets

    112     (81 )   129  

Actuarial (loss)/gain for the year on pension benefits

    (125 )   56     (118 )

Actuarial gain/(loss) on other long term and end of service employee benefits

    4     16     (5 )

    (121 )   72     (123 )

        The actual return on plan assets resulted in a gain of €186 million in 2016 (2015: €9 million loss; 2014: €191 million gain).

F-47


Table of Contents


ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

14. Employee benefit obligations (Continued)

        Movement in the defined benefit obligations and assets:

 
  At December 31,  
 
  Obligations   Assets  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

At January 1,

    (2,614 )   (2,557 )   1,976     1,925  

Interest income

            74     72  

Acquired

    (354 )       271      

Current service cost

    (42 )   (45 )        

Past service credit

    39              

Interest cost

    (95 )   (93 )        

Administration expenses paid from plan assets

            (3 )   (3 )

Re-measurements

    (237 )   137     112     (81 )

Liabilities/(assets) extinguished on reclassification

    187         (187 )    

Employer contributions

            43     38  

Employer contributions—acquisition related

            7      

Employee contributions

    (5 )   (5 )   5     5  

Benefits paid

    118     109     (118 )   (109 )

Exchange

    61     (160 )   (21 )   129  

At December 31,

    (2,942 )   (2,614 )   2,159     1,976  

        The defined benefit obligations above include €380 million (2015: €240 million) of unfunded obligations.

        Interest income and interest cost in the table above does not include interest cost of €3 million (2015: €2 million; 2014: €3 million) relating to other employee benefit obligations.

        The net obligations and assets acquired as part of the Beverage Can Acquisition exclude €33 million other employee benefit obligations mainly relating to a post-retirement medical scheme in North America. The Group was required to make a once-off contribution of €7 million in respect of the acquired defined benefit schemes.

        The past service gain includes an amount of €21 million recognized following the amendment of certain defined benefit pension schemes in Glass Packaging North America. This has been classified as an exceptional gain (Note 19). The remaining past service gain of €18 million was recognized following the transfer of a Netherlands defined benefit pension scheme to a multi-employer scheme as outlined here after, and following other defined benefit pension scheme amendments in Glass Packaging North America. During the year ended December 31, 2016 a defined benefit pension scheme in the Netherlands was transferred to a multi-employer scheme. Prior to the date of transfer, a past service credit of €8 million was recognized such that on the date of transfer, the defined benefit obligation and asset were both €187 million (December 31, 2015: €174 million and €168 million respectively). The Group has taken the exemption under IAS 19(R) to account for multi-employer schemes as defined contribution schemes. As a result, the scheme is no longer accounted for as a defined benefit pension scheme at December 31, 2016.

F-48


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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

14. Employee benefit obligations (Continued)

        Plan assets comprise:

 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2016
%
  2015
%
 

Equities

    1,152     1,196     53     61  

Target return funds

    275     180     13     9  

Bonds

    558     415     26     21  

Cash/other

    174     185     8     9  

    2,159     1,976     100     100  

        The pension assets do not include any of the Company's ordinary shares, other securities or other Group assets.

Investment strategy

        The choice of investments takes account of the expected maturity of the future benefit payments. The plans invest in diversified portfolios consisting of an array of asset classes that attempt to maximize returns while minimizing volatility. The asset classes include national and international equities, fixed income government and non-government securities and real estate, as well as cash.

Characteristics and associated risks

        Glass Packaging North America and Metal Packaging Americas each sponsor a defined benefit pension plan which is subject to Federal law (ERISA), reflecting regulations issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Labor.

        The Glass Packaging North America plan covers both hourly and salaried employees. The plan benefits are determined using a formula which reflects an employee's years of service and either their final average salary or a dollar per month benefit level. The plan is governed by a Fiduciary Benefits Committee ("the Committee") which is appointed by the Company and contains only employees of Ardagh Group. The Committee is responsible for the investment of the plan's assets, which are held in a trust for the benefit of employees, retirees and their beneficiaries, and which can only be used to pay plan benefits and expenses.

        The defined benefit pension plan is subject to IRS funding requirements with actuaries calculating the minimum and maximum allowable contributions each year. The defined benefit pension plan currently has no cash contribution requirement due to the existence of a credit balance following a contribution of approximately $200 million made in 2014 in connection with the VNA Acquisition. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) protects the pension benefits of employees and retirees when a plan sponsor becomes insolvent and can no longer meet its obligation. All plan sponsors pay annual PBGC premiums that have two components: a fixed rate based on participant count and a variable rate which is determined based on the amount by which the plan is underfunded.

        The Metal Packaging Americas plan covers hourly employees only. Plan benefits are determined using a formula which reflects the employees' years of service and is based on a final average pay formula.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

14. Employee benefit obligations (Continued)

        The UK pension plans are trust-based UK funded final salary defined benefit schemes providing pensions and lump sum benefits to members and dependents. There are two pension plans in place relating to Metal Packaging Europe, one of which relates to the Beverage Can Business. There are two pension plans in place in Glass Packaging Europe. One of the pension plans in the Metal Packaging Europe division has been closed to future accrual from July 1, 2014. For this plan, pensions are calculated based on service to the point of closure, but with members' benefits retaining a final salary link while employed by the Company. The other Metal Packaging Europe pension plan, relating to the Beverage Can Business, is closed to new entrants. For this plan, pensions are calculated based on service to retirement with members' benefits based on final career earnings. The pension plans relating to the Glass Packaging Europe division have been closed to future accrual from March 31, 2013 and September 30, 2015 respectively.

        The UK pension plans are each governed by a board of trustees which is independent of the Company. The trustees are responsible for managing the operation, funding and investment strategy. The UK pension plans are subject to the UK regulatory framework, the requirements of the Pensions Regulator and are subject to a statutory funding objective.

        The Group operates a number of defined benefit pension schemes in Germany including three relating to the Beverage Can Business. The pension plans in Germany operate under the framework of German Company Pension Law (BetrAVG) and general regulations based on German Labor Law. The entitlements of the plan members depend on years of service and final salary. Furthermore, the plans provide lifelong pensions. No separate assets are held in trust, i.e., the plans are unfunded defined benefit plans.

        The Dutch pension plan operates under the framework of Dutch fiscal and pension law (Pensioenwet). As a consequence, the Dutch plan is executed by and financed within a separate legal entity, in this case the Company's own local pension fund. The Dutch pension fund has a board of trustees that operates independent from the company. The Dutch plan has to comply with funding requirements that are set by the regulator, the Dutch National Bank.

        The main features of the Dutch plan are:

    Pension entitlements are based on an average pay scheme, which provides lifelong pensions after age 67; and

    Current pension accrual becomes vested immediately and does not depend on future service.

        The liabilities of all of the defined benefit plan schemes subject the Company to the following major risks:

    Discount rate risks where capital market conditions may result in a higher present value being placed on the remaining future obligations, leading to higher liabilities;

    Inflation risks, as benefits are linked to salary and pension payments are also subject to inflation adjustments; and

    Longevity risks whereby benefits may have to be paid for a longer period in the future than is anticipated by the mortality assumptions used to estimate the future benefits payable.

F-50


Table of Contents


ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

14. Employee benefit obligations (Continued)

        The assets of the relevant schemes subject the Company to the following risks:

    Future asset returns where if these are lower than assumed, the scheme's assets will be lower, and hence the funding level worse, than expected.

    Future pensions have to be paid directly by the Company. This could lead to a shortfall of liquid assets.

Assumptions and sensitivities

        The principal pension assumptions used in the preparation of the accounts take account of the different economic circumstances in the countries of operations and the different characteristics of the respective plans, including the length of duration of liabilities.

        The ranges of the principal assumptions applied in estimating defined benefit obligations were:

 
  U.S.   Germany   Netherlands   UK
 
  2016
%
  2015
%
  2016
%
  2015
%
  2016
%
  2015
%
  2016
%
  2015
%

Rates of inflation

  2.50   3.00   1.50   1.75   1.70   1.70   3.20   3.00

Rates of increase in salaries

  2.00 - 3.00   3.00   2.50   2.50   1.70   1.70   2.20   3.00

Discount rates

  4.45   4.70   1.57 - 2.06   2.16 - 2.72   1.10 - 2.00   2.50 - 2.60   2.80   3.90

        Assumptions regarding future mortality experience are set based on actuarial advice in accordance with published statistics and experience.

        These assumptions translate into the following average life expectancy in years for a pensioner retiring at age 65. The mortality assumptions for the countries with the most significant defined benefit plans are set out below:

 
  U.S.   Germany   Netherlands   UK  
 
  2016
Years
  2015
Years
  2016
Years
  2015
Years
  2016
Years
  2015
Years
  2016
Years
  2015
Years
 

Life expectancy, current pensioners

    22     21     21     21     24     24     21     20  

Life expectancy, future pensioners

    23     23     24     24     25     26     22     22  

        If the discount rate were to decrease by 50 basis points from management estimates, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would increase by an estimated €243 million (2015: €205 million). If the discount rate were to increase by 50 basis points, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would decrease by an estimated €242 million (2015: €204 million).

        If the inflation rate were to decrease by 50 basis points from management estimates, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would decrease by an estimated €93 million (2015: €84 million). If the inflation rate were to increase by 50 basis points, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would increase by an estimated €93 million (2015: €67 million).

        If the salary increase rate were to decrease by 50 basis points from management estimates, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would decrease by an estimated €93 million (2015: €88 million). If the salary increase rate were to increase by 50 basis points, the carrying amount of the pension obligations would increase by an estimated €92 million (2015: €70 million).

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Table of Contents


ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

14. Employee benefit obligations (Continued)

        The impact of increasing the expected longevity by one year would result in an increase in the Group's liability of €63 million at December 31, 2016 (2015: €60 million), holding all other assumptions constant.

        The Group's best estimate of contributions expected to be paid to defined benefit plans in 2017 is €37 million.

        The principal defined benefit schemes are described briefly below:

 
  Metal Packaging   Glass Packaging  
Nature of the schemes
  Europe
UK
Funded
  Europe
Germany
Unfunded
  Europe
Netherlands
Funded
  North
America
Funded
  Europe
UK
Funded
  Europe
Germany
Unfunded
  Europe
Netherlands
Funded
  North
America
Funded
 

2016

                                                 

Active members

    467     1,803     870     970         1,032         4,043  

Deferred members

    954     664     1,798     115     1,527     732         2,648  

Pensioners including dependents

    756     1,011     3,047     133     744     786         6,302  

Weighted average duration (years)

    20     18     18     20     23     19         12  

2015

                                                 

Active members

    118     648     875     143         956     571     4,068  

Deferred members

    412     513     1,906     105     1,527     690     636     2,661  

Pensioners including dependents

    344     871     2,964     124     744     738     457     6,185  

Weighted average duration (years)

    21     16     17     17     21     14     21     13  

        The expected total benefit payments over the next five years are:

 
  2017
€m
  2018
€m
  2019
€m
  2020
€m
  2021
€m
  Subsequent
five years
€m
 

Benefits

    126     123     126     131     132     716  

        The Group also has defined contribution plans; the contribution expense associated with these plans for 2016 was €31 million (2015: €14 million; 2014: €12 million). The Group's best estimate of the contributions expected to be paid to these plans in 2017 is €39 million.

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Table of Contents


ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

14. Employee benefit obligations (Continued)

Other employee benefits

 
  At
December 31,
 
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

End of service employee benefits

    23     23  

Long term employee benefits

    99     59  

    122     82  

        End of service employee benefits comprise principally amounts due to be paid to employees leaving the Group's service in France and Italy.

        Long term employee benefit obligations comprise amounts due to be paid under post-retirement medical schemes in Glass Packaging North America and Metal Packaging Beverage Americas, partial retirement contracts in Germany and other obligations to pay benefits primarily related to long service awards.

15. Trade and other payables

 
  At
December 31,
 
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Trade payables

    1,055     532  

Other payables and accruals

    414     309  

Amounts owed to parent company

    3      

Other tax and social security payable

    32     21  

Payables and accruals for exceptional items

    30     17  

    1,534     879  

        The fair values of trade and other payables approximate the amounts shown above.

        Other payables and accruals mainly comprise accruals for operating expenses, deferred income and accruals for value added taxes.

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Table of Contents


ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

16. Provisions

 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Current

    69     48  

Non-current

    55     48  

    124     96  

 

 
  Restructuring
€m
  Other
provisions
€m
  Total
provisions
€m
 

At January 1, 2015

    26     57     83  

Acquisitions

        6     6  

Provided

    18     24     42  

Utilization

    (5 )   (8 )   (13 )

Paid

    (22 )   (11 )   (33 )

Reclassification

        6     6  

Exchange

    1     4     5  

At December 31, 2015

    18     78     96  

Acquisitions

        36     36  

Provided

    25     29     54  

Utilization

    (11 )   (15 )   (26 )

Paid

    (10 )   (28 )   (38 )

Exchange

        2     2  

At December 31, 2016

    22     102     124  

        The restructuring provision relates to redundancy and other restructuring costs. Other provisions relate to probable environmental claims, customer quality claims, and onerous leases.

        The provisions classified as current are expected to be paid in the next twelve months. The majority of the restructuring provision is expected to be paid in 2017. The remaining balance contains longer term provisions for which the timing of the related payments is subject to uncertainty.

17. Segment analysis

        The Group's four operating and reportable segments are Metal Packaging Europe, Metal Packaging Americas, Glass Packaging Europe and Glass Packaging North America. This reflects the basis on which the Executive Committee of ARD Holdings S.A. reviews Group performance, following the acquisition of the Beverage Can Business in June 2016. All comparatives have been presented on this basis.

        Finance income is not allocated to segments as these are reviewed by the CODM on a group-wide basis. Performance of the business is assessed based on Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is the net profit or loss for the period before income tax expense, net finance expense, depreciation and amortization and exceptional operating items. Segmental revenues are derived from sales to external customers. Inter-segmental revenue is not material.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

17. Segment analysis (Continued)

        Segment assets consist of intangible assets, property, plant and equipment, derivative financial instrument assets, deferred tax assets, other non-current assets, inventories, trade and other receivables and cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash.

Reconciliation of loss for the year to Adjusted EBITDA

 
  Year ended
December 31,
 
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Loss for the year

    (55 )   (140 )   (508 )

Income tax expense/(credit) (Note 21)

    54     63     (14 )

Net finance expense (Note 20)

    537     527     602  

Depreciation and amortization (Notes 3, 4)

    491     403     363  

Exceptional operating items (Note 19)

    131     81     349  

Adjusted EBITDA

    1,158     934     792  

        The segment results for the year ended December 31, 2016 are:

 
  Metal
Packaging
Europe
€m
  Metal
Packaging
Americas
€m
  Glass
Packaging
Europe
€m
  Glass
Packaging
North America
€m
  Group
€m
 

Revenue

    2,235     1,059     1,392     1,659     6,345  

Adjusted EBITDA

    366     139     296     357     1,158  

Capital expenditure

    72     35     90     121     318  

Segment assets

    3,917     1,835     1,895     2,614     10,261  

        The segment results for the year ended December 31, 2015 are:

 
  Metal
Packaging
Europe
€m
  Metal
Packaging
Americas
€m
  Glass
Packaging
Europe
€m
  Glass
Packaging
North America
€m
  Group
€m
 

Revenue

    1,650     390     1,452     1,707     5,199  

Adjusted EBITDA

    260     44     284     346     934  

Capital expenditure

    46     15     109     134     304  

Segment assets

    1,863     405     1,765     2,305     6,338  

        The segment results for the year ended December 31, 2014 are:

 
  Metal
Packaging
Europe
€m
  Metal
Packaging
Americas
€m
  Glass
Packaging
Europe
€m
  Glass
Packaging
North America
€m
  Group
€m
 

Revenue

    1,668     306     1,406     1,353     4,733  

Adjusted EBITDA

    223     27     277     265     792  

Capital expenditure

    43     107     86     78     314  

Segment assets

    1,830     418     1,734     2,113     6,095  

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

17. Segment analysis (Continued)

        Capital expenditure is the sum of purchases of property, plant and equipment and software and other intangibles, net of proceeds from disposal of property, plant and equipment, as per the consolidated statement of cash flows.

        No customer accounted for greater than 10% of total revenue in 2016 (2015: one customer; 2014: one customer).

 
  At December 31,  
Segment assets
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Segment assets

    10,261     6,338  

Related party receivables

        404  

Total assets per consolidated statement of financial position

    10,261     6,742  

        Total revenue and non-current assets, excluding derivative financial instruments, taxes, pensions and goodwill arising on acquisitions, in countries which account for more than 10% of total revenue or non-current assets are as follows:

 
  Year ended December 31,  
Revenue
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

U.S.

    2,437     1,997     1,528  

United Kingdom

    724     662     610  

Germany

    656     573     653  

 

 
  At December 31,  
Non-current assets
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

U.S.

    2,189     1,431  

Germany

    760     356  

United Kingdom

    527     271  

        The revenue above is attributed to countries on a destination basis.

        The Company is domiciled in Luxembourg. During the year the Group had sales of €2 million (2015: €2 million, 2014: €1 million) to customers in Luxembourg. Non-current assets located in Luxembourg were €nil (2015: €nil).

        Within each reportable segment our packaging containers have similar production processes and classes of customers. Further, they have similar economic characteristics as evidenced by similar profit margins, similar degrees of risk and similar opportunities for growth. Based on the foregoing, we do not consider that they constitute separate product lines and thus additional disclosure relating to product lines is not necessary.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

18. Employee costs

 
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Wages and salaries

    1,076     927     849  

Social security costs

    151     133     126  

Defined benefit plan pension costs (Note 14)

    42     45     35  

Defined benefit past service credit (Note 14)

    (39 )       (2 )

Defined contribution plan pension costs (Note 14)

    31     14     12  

    1,261     1,119     1,020  

 

 
  Year ended December 31,  
Employees
  2016   2015   2014  

Production

    20,823     17,068     16,928  

Administration

    2,711     1,789     1,900  

    23,534     18,857     18,828  

19. Exceptional items

 
  Year ended
December 31,
 
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Past service credit

    (21 )        

Plant start-up costs

    5     27     19  

Restructuring costs

    22     12     27  

Exceptional impairment—working capital

        (2 )   8  

Exceptional impairment—property, plant and equipment

            53  

Non-cash inventory adjustment

    9         15  

Exceptional items—cost of sales

    15     37     122  

Transaction related costs—acquisition, IPO and disposals

    114     41     22  

Restructuring costs

        2     12  

Other

    2     1     1  

Exceptional items—SGA expenses

    116     44     35  

Exceptional impairment—intangible assets

            33  

Exceptional items—loss on disposal of businesses

            159  

Debt refinancing and settlement costs

    140     13     116  

Interest payable on acquisition notes

    15         10  

Exceptional loss on derivative financial instruments

    10          

Exceptional items—finance expenses

    165     13     126  

Exceptional gain on derivative financial instruments

    (78 )        

Exceptional items—finance income

    (78 )        

Total exceptional items

    218     94     475  

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

19. Exceptional items (Continued)

        Exceptional items are those that in management's judgment need to be disclosed by virtue of their size, nature or incidence.

2016

        Exceptional items of €218 million have been recognized in the year ended December 31, 2016, primarily comprising:

    €21 million pension service credit in Glass Packaging North America, following the amendment of certain defined benefit pension schemes during the period.

    Restructuring costs relate principally to €12 million in Metal Packaging Europe, €5 million in Metal Packaging Americas and €4 million in Glass Packaging North America. These costs include exceptional impairment charges of €8 million, of which €5 million relates to impairment of plant and machinery in Metal Packaging Europe and €3 million relates to the impairment of a plant in Metal Packaging Americas.

    €114 million transaction related costs incurred in the year ended December 31, 2016, primarily comprised of professional fees, bonuses and integration costs directly attributable to the acquisition of the Beverage Can Business, and IPO related costs.

    Debt refinancing and settlement costs of €140 million relating to the notes repaid in May 2016 and November 2016 and the Senior PIK notes repaid in September 2016. These costs also include premiums payable on the early redemption of the notes, accelerated amortization of deferred finance costs, debt issuance premium and discounts and interest charges incurred in lieu of notice. See Note 12 for further details of the notes repaid during the period.

    €15 million net interest charged in respect of notes held in escrow for the period between their issuance and the completion of the acquisition of the Beverage Can Business.

    €78 million exceptional gain on derivative financial instruments relating to the gain on fair value of the CCIRS which were entered into during the second quarter and for which hedge accounting had not been applied until the third quarter.

    €10 million exceptional loss on derivative financial instruments relating to hedge ineffectiveness on CCIRS for which hedge accounting did not apply. The net exceptional gain of €68 million is driven mainly by the currency volatility of the US dollar to British pounds CCIRS and by virtue of its magnitude is treated as an exceptional item. See Note 12 for further details of the CCIRS entered into during the period.

2015

        Exceptional items of €94 million have been incurred in the year ended December 31, 2015, primarily comprising:

    €38 million IPO—related costs.

    €27 million start-up costs related to two plants in Metal Packaging Americas.

    Restructuring costs of €9 million in Metal Packaging Europe and €5 million in Glass Packaging North America.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

19. Exceptional items (Continued)

    €3 million acquisition and disposal costs.

    €2 million reversal of impairment of assets in Metal Packaging Europe.

    €13 million finance costs comprised of €8 million premium on redemption of the €180 million 8 3 / 4 % Senior notes due 2020 and repaid in February 2015, €3 million accelerated amortization of deferred finance costs relating to the €180 million 8 3 / 4 % Senior notes and €2 million other finance costs.

2014

        Exceptional items of €475 million have been incurred in the year ended December 31, 2014, primarily comprising:

    €44 million exceptional impairment charges were incurred in the Metal Packaging Europe division relating to €36 million of specific property, plant and equipment that is no longer in use and the €8 million impairment of working capital.

    €11 million exceptional impairment charges were also incurred relating to intangible assets no longer in use.

    €39 million exceptional impairment charges were incurred in the Glass Packaging North America relating to a plant closure, comprising impairments to property, plant and equipment of €17 million, goodwill of €16 million, and customer relationships of €6 million.

    €126 million exceptional finance cost includes €116 million relating to the borrowings that were repaid in July 2014 and €10 million relating to the notes issued to finance the VNA Acquisition.

    €15 million non-cash inventory adjustment relates to the VNA Acquisition and is a non-recurring adjustment arising as a result of the fair value exercise carried out in accordance with IFRS 3R 'Business Combinations'.

20. Finance expense

 
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Senior secured and senior notes

    416     378     337  

Term loan

    26     26     28  

Other interest expense

    7     8     7  

Interest expense

    449     412     372  

Net pension interest cost (Note 14)

    24     23     20  

Foreign currency translation (gains)/losses

    (18 )   77     62  

Other finance (income)/expense

    (5 )   2     3  

Related party interest

            20  

Finance expense before exceptional items

    450     514     477  

Exceptional finance expense (Note 19)

    165     13     126  

Total finance expense

    615     527     603  

Exceptional finance income

    (78 )       (1 )

Net finance expense

    537     527     602  

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

21. Income tax

 
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Current tax:

                   

Current tax for the year

    63     54     69  

Adjustments in respect of prior years

    (18 )   8     (1 )

Total current tax

    45     62     68  

Deferred tax:

                   

Deferred tax for the year

    (6 )   17     (88 )

Adjustments in respect of prior years

    15     (16 )   6  

Total deferred tax

    9     1     (82 )

Income tax charge/(credit)

    54     63     (14 )

        Reconciliation of tax expense and the accounting loss multiplied by the Group's domestic tax rate for 2016, 2015 and 2014:

 
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Loss before tax

    (1 )   (77 )   (522 )

Loss before tax multiplied by the standard rate of Luxembourg corporation tax: 29.22% (2015: 29.22%; 2014: 29.22%)

        (22 )   (153 )

Tax losses for which no deferred income tax asset was recognized

    1     2     10  

Re-measurement of deferred taxes

    (5 )   (5 )    

Adjustment in respect of prior years

    (3 )   (8 )   5  

Income subject to other taxes

    9     11     17  

Income taxed at rates other than standard tax rates

    18     27     15  

Non-deductible items

    37     62     83  

Other

    (3 )   (4 )   9  

Income tax charge/(credit)

    54     63     (14 )

        The total tax charge/(credit) outlined above for each year includes tax credits of €43 million in 2016 (2015: €32 million; 2014: €78 million) in respect of exceptional items.

        Income subject to other taxes primarily relates to local income taxes in certain jurisdictions, non-deductible items primarily relate to non-deductible interest expense in Ireland and Luxembourg and income taxed at non-standard rates takes account of foreign tax rate differences (versus the Luxembourg standard 29.22% rate) on earnings.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

22. Earnings per share

        Basic earnings per share (EPS) is calculated by dividing the loss for the year attributable to ordinary equity holders of the parent by the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year.

        The following table reflects the income statement loss and share data used in the basic EPS computations:

 
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Loss attributable to ordinary equity holders of the parent

    (55 )   (140 )   (508 )
 
  2016   2015   2014  

Weighted average number of ordinary shares for basic EPS

    10,306,643     10,000,000     10,000,000  

Loss per share

    (€5.34 )   (€14.00 )   (€50.80 )

        The Group has related party borrowings as at December 31, 2016 of €673 million payable to ARD Group Finance Holdings S.A. (a subsidiary of its intermediate parent company and a shareholder of the Company) with a maturity date of 2076. These related party borrowings have a conversion feature that allows the Company to convert the debt to ordinary shares in the Company at a date of its choosing prior to the maturity date. Under the terms of the instrument, the number of shares to be issued is variable and dependent on market conditions at the time of conversion. As at December 31, 2016, the number of shares that this note would convert to is uncertain and therefore, no diluted EPS calculation has been completed to reflect these possible ordinary shares.

        There have been no other transactions involving ordinary shares or potential ordinary shares between the reporting date and the date of authorization of these financial statements.

23. Cash generated from operating activities

 
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Loss for the year

    (55 )   (140 )   (508 )

Income tax expense/(credit) (Note 21)

    54     63     (14 )

Net finance expense (Note 20)

    537     527     602  

Depreciation and amortization

    491     403     363  

Exceptional operating items (Note 19)

    131     81     349  

Movement in working capital

    120     90     8  

Exceptional acquisition-related, disposal and plant start-up costs paid

    (159 )   (54 )   (77 )

Exceptional restructuring paid

    (10 )   (20 )   (22 )

Cash generated from operations

    1,109     950     701  

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

24. Distributions made and proposed

 
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Cash dividends on ordinary shares declared and paid:

             

Interim dividend for 2016: €27 per share (2015: €nil per share)

    270      

    270      

25. Business combinations and disposals

2016

        On April 22, 2016 the Group entered into an agreement with Ball Corporation and Rexam PLC to acquire the Beverage Can Business. The acquisition was completed on June 30, 2016.

        The acquired business comprises ten beverage can manufacturing plants and two end plants in Europe, seven beverage can manufacturing plants and one end plant in the United States, two beverage can manufacturing plants in Brazil and certain innovation and support functions in Germany, the UK, Switzerland and the United States. The acquired business has annual revenue of approximately €2.8 billion ($3.0 billion).

        This is a strategically important acquisition which is highly complementary to the Group's existing metal and glass businesses.

        The following table summarizes the provisional consideration paid for the Beverage Can Business and the provisional fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed.

 
  €m  

Cash and cash equivalents

    10  

Property, plant and equipment

    630  

Intangible assets

    1,284  

Inventories

    266  

Trade and other receivables

    302  

Trade and other payables

    (394 )

Net deferred tax liability

    (145 )

Employee benefit obligations

    (116 )

Provisions

    (36 )

Total identifiable net assets

    1,801  

Goodwill

    894  

Total consideration

    2,695  

        The allocations above are based on management's provisional estimate of the fair values at the acquisition date.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

25. Business combinations and disposals (Continued)

        The net cash flow relating to the acquisition is summarized below:

 
  €m  

Cash consideration paid

    2,695  

Cash and cash equivalents acquired

    (10 )

Net cash outflow for purchase of business

    2,685  

        Goodwill arising from the acquisition reflects the anticipated synergies from integrating the acquired business into the Group and the skills and the technical talent of the Beverage Can workforce.

        Goodwill of €268 million which relates to the North American Beverage Can Business is expected to be deductible for tax purposes.

        For the year ended December 31, 2016 the Beverage Can Business contributed revenue of €1,351 million to the Group.

        If the acquisition of the Beverage Can Business had occurred on January 1, 2016 Group revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and profit for the year ended December 31, 2016 would have been €7,646 million, €1,333 million and €108 million, respectively.

2015

VNA acquisition

        Fair value adjustments to assets acquired of €3 million net of tax, were made in the year to December 31, 2015. The purchase price allocation is now finalized. The fair value of identifiable assets acquired was €656 million and acquired goodwill was €390 million.

2014

VNA Acquisition

        On April 11, 2014, Ardagh Group completed the purchase of 100% of the equity of VNA, from Compagnie de Saint-Gobain for a consideration of $1.5 billion (the "VNA Acquisition").

        VNA, which has its headquarters in Muncie, Indiana, is the second largest glass container manufacturer in the United States, serving the North American food and beverage industries. It produces approximately nine billion containers annually from its 13 facilities located throughout the United States and employs approximately 4,400 people. VNA has annual revenues of approximately $1.6 billion (€1.5 billion).

        The VNA Acquisition is strategically important for the Group. It further expands the glass manufacturing footprint in North America, strengthens existing customer relationships and increases the Group's product portfolio. Further, the combination of VNA and the Group's existing North American business provides opportunities for logistics savings, production improvements and other cost efficiencies.

        VNA contributed revenue of approximately €896 million and Adjusted EBITDA of approximately €165 million to the Group's results for the year ended December 31, 2014.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

25. Business combinations and disposals (Continued)

        The following table summarizes the consideration paid for VNA, and the provisional fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed.

 
  €m  

Cash and cash equivalents

    8  

Property, plant and equipment

    356  

Intangible assets

    539  

Inventories

    161  

Trade and other receivables

    94  

Trade and other payables

    (144 )

Net deferred tax liability

    (220 )

Provisions

    (32 )

Employee benefit obligations

    (103 )

Total identifiable net assets

    659  

Goodwill

    387  

Total consideration

    1,046  

        The allocations above are based on management's provisional estimate of the fair values at the acquisition date.

        Total consideration for the VNA Acquisition is comprised of the following:

 
  €m  

Cash consideration paid

    1,083  

Contingent cash consideration received*

    (37 )

Total consideration

    1,046  

*
Contingent consideration of €37 million ($50 million) was received from Compagnie de Saint-Gobain (relating to the Anchor Divestment, as defined here after) in July 2014. In accordance with IFRS 3R, this amount has been treated as an adjustment to the purchase consideration for VNA rather than as consideration for the Anchor Divestment.

        In the year ended December 31, 2014, the net cash flow relating to the VNA acquisition comprised the following;

 
  €m  

Cash consideration paid

    1,083  

Contingent cash consideration received

    (37 )

Cash and cash equivalents acquired

    (8 )

Total net cash outflow

    1,038  

        A detailed exercise has been performed to assess the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with the use of third party experts where appropriate. If new information obtained within one year of the acquisition date regarding facts and circumstances that existed at the acquisition date identifies adjustments to the above amounts, then the acquisition accounting will be revised.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

25. Business combinations and disposals (Continued)

        Goodwill of €387 million arising on the VNA Acquisition (which is not expected to be tax deductible) includes anticipated synergies from integrating VNA into the Group, and the skills and technical talent of the VNA workforce.

        Deferred tax is principally recognized on the temporary timing differences created by the fair value adjustments.

        The fair value of trade and other receivables was €94 million and included trade receivables with a fair value of €83 million.

        Acquisition related costs of €22 million (2013: €38 million) were incurred and classified as exceptional items in the consolidated income statement for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Disposal of former Anchor Glass plants

        On June 30, 2014, Ardagh Group completed the sale of six former Anchor Glass plants and certain related assets to an affiliate of KPS (the "Anchor Divestment"). The Group recognized a net loss on disposal of €124 million:

 
  €m  

Consideration*

    319  

Net assets disposed

    (446 )

Disposal costs

    (5 )

Cumulative foreign exchange differences

    8  

Loss on disposal

    (124 )

*
Consideration of €319 million excludes €37 million ($50 million) received from Compagnie de Saint-Gobain in relation to the divestment, as explained above. Total cash received relating to the divestment including the contingent cash consideration from Compagnie de Saint-Gobain is $486 million (€356 million).

        Prior to the divestment, the six former Anchor Glass plants contributed revenue of €205 million and Adjusted EBITDA of €40 million to the Group's results for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Other disposals

        During the year ended December 31, 2014 the Group disposed of a small business in the Metal Packaging division and also of its Metal Packaging operations in Australia and New Zealand for a total consideration of €78 million, on which the Group recognized a combined loss of €35 million.

 
  €m  

Consideration

    78  

Net assets disposed

    (102 )

Disposal costs

    (4 )

Cumulative foreign exchange differences

    (7 )

Loss on disposal

    (35 )

        Prior to the divestment, the other disposals contributed revenue of €158 million and Adjusted EBITDA of €15 million to the Group's results for the year ended December 31, 2014.

        If the VNA Acquisition, the Anchor Divestment and the other disposals had occurred on January 1, 2014 revenue and Adjusted EBITDA for the Group for the year ended December 31, 2014 would have been €4,684 million and €782 million, respectively.

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

26. Related party information

(i)    Interests of Mr. Paul Coulson

        As of February 23, 2017, the approval date of this Annual Report, companies owned by Paul Coulson own approximately 25% of the issued share capital of ARD Holdings S.A. Through its investment in the Yeoman group of companies, one of these companies has an interest in a further approximate 34% of the issued share capital of ARD Holdings S.A.

(ii)    Yeoman Capital S.A.

        At December 31, 2016, Yeoman Capital S.A. owned approximately 34% of the ordinary shares of ARD Holdings S.A. During 2015, the Group incurred costs of €nil (2015: €nil; 2014: €1 million) for fees charged by the Yeoman group of companies. The amount outstanding at year end was €nil (2015: €nil; 2014: €1 million).

(iii)    Common directorships

        Five of the ARD Holdings S.A. directors (Paul Coulson, Brendan Dowling, Wolfgang Baertz, Gerald Moloney and Herman Troskie) also serve as directors in the Yeoman group of companies. Four of the existing directors of Ardagh Group S.A. (Ian Curley, David Matthews, Wolfgang Baertz and Herman Troskie) are members of the Board of Directors of ARD Holdings S.A., our ultimate parent company.

(iv)    Joint ventures

        At December 31, 2016, the Group owed €2 million (2015: €2 million; 2014: €1 million) to Eura Glasrecycling GmbH & Co. KG. During 2016, the Group received a dividend of €nil (2015: €nil; 2014: €1 million) from Eura Glasrecycling GmbH & Co. KG and incurred €5 million (2015: €4 million; 2014: €4 million) for purchases of raw materials. At December 31, 2016, the Group owed €1 million (2015: €1 million; 2014: €1 million) to Copal SAS. During 2016, the Group incurred €3 million (2015: €3 million; 2014: €4 million) for raw materials purchased from Copal SAS.

(v)    Key management compensation

        Key management are those persons who have the authority and responsibility for planning, directing and controlling the activities of the Group. Key management is comprised of the members who served on the Board of Directors of ARD Holdings S.A. and the Group's global leadership team

F-66


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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

26. Related party information (Continued)

during the reporting period. The amount outstanding at year end was €4 million (2015: €4 million, 2014: €4 million).

 
  Year ended
December 31,
 
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Salaries and other short term employee benefits

    15     12     12  

Post-employment benefits

    1     1     1  

    16     13     13  

Transaction related compensation

    26          

    42     13     13  

(vi)    Pension schemes

        The Group's pension schemes are related parties. For details of all transactions during the year, please read Note 14.

(vii)    Related party balances

        Please refer to disclosures in Note 13.

(viii)    Subsidiaries

        The following table provides information relating to our principal operating subsidiaries, all of which are wholly owned, at December 31, 2016 and 2015.

F-67


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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

26. Related party information (Continued)

2016

Company
  Country of
incorporation
  Activity

Ardagh Metal Beverage Manufacturing Austria GmbH

  Austria   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Beverage Trading Austria GmbH

  Austria   Metal Packaging

Latas Indústria de Embalagens de Alumínio do Brasil Ltda

  Brazil   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Packaging Czech Republic s.r.o.

  Czech Republic   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Glass Holmegaard A/S

  Denmark   Glass Packaging

Ardagh Aluminium Packaging France SAS

  France   Metal Packaging

Ardagh MP West France SAS

  France   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Packaging France SAS

  France   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Beverage Trading France SAS

  France   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Beverage France SAS

  France   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Glass GmbH

  Germany   Glass Packaging

Heye International GmbH

  Germany   Glass Engineering

Ardagh Metal Packaging Germany GmbH

  Germany   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Germany MP GmbH

  Germany   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Beverage Trading Germany GmbH

  Germany   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Beverage Germany GmbH

  Germany   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Glass Sales Limited

  Ireland   Glass Packaging

Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited

  Ireland   Glass and Metal Packaging

Ardagh Group Italy S.r.l.

  Italy   Glass and Metal Packaging

Ardagh Aluminium Packaging Netherlands B.V.

  Netherlands   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Glass Dongen B.V.

  Netherlands   Glass Packaging

Ardagh Glass Moerdijk B.V.

  Netherlands   Glass Packaging

Ardagh Metal Packaging Netherlands B.V.

  Netherlands   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Beverage Trading Netherlands B.V.

  Netherlands   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Beverage Netherlands B.V.

  Netherlands   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Glass S.A.

  Poland   Glass Packaging

Ardagh Metal Packaging Poland Sp. z o.o.

  Poland   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Beverage Trading Poland Sp. z o.o.

  Poland   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Beverage Poland Sp. z o.o.

  Poland   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Beverage Trading Spain SL

  Spain   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Beverage Spain SL

  Spain   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Packaging Iberica S.A.

  Spain   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Glass Limmared AB

  Sweden   Glass Packaging

Ardagh Metal Beverage Europe GmbH

  Switzerland   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Glass Limited

  United Kingdom   Glass Packaging

Ardagh Metal Beverage Trading UK Limited

  United Kingdom   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Beverage UK Limited

  United Kingdom   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Packaging UK Limited

  United Kingdom   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Packaging USA Inc.

  United States   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Glass Inc.

  United States   Glass Packaging

Ardagh Metal Beverage USA Inc.

  United States   Metal Packaging

F-68


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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

26. Related party information (Continued)

2015

Company
  Country of
incorporation
  Activity

Ardagh Metal Packaging Czech Republic s.r.o.

  Czech Republic   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Glass Holmegaard A/S

  Denmark   Glass Packaging

Ardagh Aluminium Packaging France SAS

  France   Metal Packaging

Ardagh MP West France SAS

  France   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Packaging France SAS

  France   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Glass GmbH

  Germany   Glass Packaging

Heye International GmbH

  Germany   Glass Engineering

Ardagh Metal Packaging Germany GmbH

  Germany   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Germany MP GmbH

  Germany   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Glass Sales Limited

  Ireland   Glass Packaging

Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited

  Ireland   Glass and Metal Packaging

Ardagh Group Italy S.r.l.

  Italy   Glass and Metal Packaging

Ardagh Aluminium Packaging Netherlands B.V.

  Netherlands   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Glass Dongen B.V.

  Netherlands   Glass Packaging

Ardagh Glass Moerdijk B.V.

  Netherlands   Glass Packaging

Ardagh Metal Packaging Netherlands B.V.

  Netherlands   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Glass S.A.

  Poland   Glass Packaging

Ardagh Metal Packaging Poland Sp. z o.o.

  Poland   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Packaging Iberica S.A.

  Spain   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Glass Limmared AB

  Sweden   Glass Packaging

Ardagh Glass Limited

  United Kingdom   Glass Packaging

Ardagh Metal Packaging UK Limited

  United Kingdom   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Metal Packaging USA Inc.

  United States   Metal Packaging

Ardagh Glass Inc.

  United States   Glass Packaging

27. Contingencies

Environmental issues

        The Group is regulated under various national and local environmental, occupational health and safety and other governmental laws and regulations relating to:

    the operation of installations for manufacturing of metal packaging and surface treatment using solvents;

    the generation, storage, handling, use and transportation of hazardous materials;

    the emission of substances and physical agents into the environment;

    the discharge of waste water and disposal of waste;

    the remediation of contamination; and

    the design, characteristics, and recycling of its products.

F-69


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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

27. Contingencies (Continued)

        The Group believes, based on current information that it is in substantial compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations and permit requirements. It does not believe it will be required, under both existing or anticipated future environmental laws and regulations, to expend amounts, over and above the amount accrued, which will have a material effect on its business, financial condition or results of operations or cash flows. In addition, no material proceedings against the Group arising under environmental laws are pending.

Legal matters

        In 2015, the German competition authority (the Federal Cartel Office) initiated an investigation of the practices in Germany of metal packaging manufacturers, including Ardagh. The investigation is ongoing, and there is at this stage no certainty as to the extent of any charge which may arise. Accordingly, no provision has been recognized.

        With the exception of the above legal matter, the Group is involved in certain other legal proceedings arising in the normal course of its business. The Group believes that none of these proceedings, either individually or in aggregate, is expected to have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

28. Events after the reporting period

        On January 30, 2017, the Group issued $1,000 million 6.000% Senior Notes due 2025, the proceeds of which were used for the partial redemption of the First Priority Senior Secured Floating Rate Notes due 2019, on January 30, 2017, and will also be used for the redemption of the $415 million 6.250% Senior Notes due 2019 (the "2019 Senior Notes").

        On February 1, 2017, the Group gave notice to the holders of the 2019 Senior Notes of the redemption in full of the outstanding notes in accordance with their terms. The redemption date for the 2019 Senior Notes is March 2, 2017.

29. Company financial information

        This note has been included in these financial statements in accordance with the requirements of Regulation S-X rule 12.04 Condensed financial information of registrant . The financial information provided below relates to the individual company financial statements for Ardagh Group S.A. as presented in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB.

        Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards have been condensed or omitted. The footnote disclosures contain supplemental information only and, as such, these statements should be read in conjunction with the notes to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

        The condensed financial information has been prepared using the same accounting policies as set out in the consolidated financial statements, except that investments in subsidiaries are included at cost less any provision for impairment in value.

F-70


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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

29. Company financial information (Continued)

    i)
    Statement of financial position
 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Non-current assets

             

Investments in subsidiary undertakings

    1,510     400  

Related party receivables

        1,021  

    1,510     1,421  

Current assets

             

Related party receivables

        4  

Cash and cash equivalents

        2  

Other receivables

    2      

    2     6  

Total assets

    1,512     1,427  

Equity attributable to owners of the parent

             

Issued capital

         

Share premium

    136     400  

Capital contribution

    431      

Retained earnings

    270     2  

Total equity

    837     402  

Non-current liabilities

             

Borrowings

        1,019  

Related party borrowings

    673      

    673     1,019  

Current liabilities

             

Interest payable

        4  

Related party borrowings

        2  

Other payables

    2      

    2     6  

Total liabilities

    675     1,025  

Total equity and liabilities

    1,512     1,427  

F-71


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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

29. Company financial information (Continued)

    ii)
    Statement of comprehensive income
 
  Year ended
December 31,
 
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Finance income

    112     85     40  

Finance expense

    (64 )   (84 )   (39 )

Dividend income

    267          

Profit before exceptional items

    315     1     1  

Exceptional finance costs

    (47 )        

Profit before tax

    268     1     1  

Income tax

             

Profit and total comprehensive income for the year

    268     1     1  
    iii)
    Statement of cash flows
 
  Year ended
December 31,
 
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

Cash flows from operating activities

                   

Cash generated from operations

             

Cumulative PIK interest paid

    (184 )        

Net cash used in operating activities

    (184 )        

Cash flows from investing activities

                   

Repayment of loans from subsidiary undertakings

    1,112          

Contribution to subsidiary undertaking

    (1,110 )        

Dividends received

    267          

Loans granted to subsidiary undertakings

            (749 )

Net cash received from/(used in) investing activities

    269         (749 )

Cash flows from financing activities

                   

Repayment of borrowings

    (880 )        

Net proceeds from borrowings with related parties

    671         762  

Contribution from parent

    431          

Proceeds from share issuance

    6          

Dividends paid

    (270 )        

Early redemption premium costs

    (45 )        

Deferred debt issue costs paid

            (11 )

Net cash (outflow)/inflow from financing activities

    (87 )       751  

Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents

    (2 )       2  

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year

    2     2      

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

        2     2  

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ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

29. Company financial information (Continued)

    iv)
    Maturity analysis of the Company's borrowings

        The maturity analysis of the Company's borrowings including related party borrowings, is as follows:

 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
 

Within one year or on demand

         

Between one and two years

         

Between two and five years

        1,019  

Greater than five years

    673      

    673     1,019  
    v)
    Distributions paid and received

        During the year ended December 31, 2016 the Company received a dividend of €267 million (2015: €nil, 2014: €nil) from a subsidiary company. The Company also paid a dividend to its parent company of €270 million (2015: €nil, 2014: €nil).

    vi)
    Commitments and contingencies

        The Company has guaranteed certain liabilities of a number of its subsidiaries for year ended December 31, 2015.

        With exception of the above guarantee the Company had no commitments and contingencies at December 31, 2016 (2015: €nil).

    vii)
    Additional information

        The following reconciliations are provided as additional information to satisfy the Schedule I SEC Requirements for parent-only financial information.

 
  Year ended December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

IFRS loss reconciliation:

                   

Parent only—IFRS profit for the year

    268     1     1  

Additional loss if subsidiaries had been accounted for on the equity method of accounting as opposed to cost

    (323 )   (141 )   (509 )

Consolidated IFRS loss for the year

    (55 )   (140 )   (508 )


 
  At December 31,  
 
  2016
€m
  2015
€m
  2014
€m
 

IFRS equity reconciliation:

                   

Parent only—IFRS equity

    837     402     401  

Additional loss if subsidiaries had been accounted for on the equity method of accounting as opposed to cost

    (2,895 )   (2,384 )   (2,152 )

Consolidated—IFRS equity

    (2,058 )   (1,982 )   (1,751 )

F-73


Table of Contents

INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT

To the Management of Ball Corporation:

        We have audited the accompanying combined financial statements of certain metal beverage packaging operations of Ball Corporation (the "Business"), which comprise the combined balance sheets as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the related combined statements of earnings, of comprehensive earnings (loss), of changes in net investment and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2015.

    Management's Responsibility for the Combined Financial Statements

        Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the combined financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; this includes the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of combined financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

    Auditor's Responsibility

        Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the combined financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the combined financial statements are free from material misstatement.

        An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the combined financial statements. The procedures selected depend on our judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the combined financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, we consider internal control relevant to the Business' preparation and fair presentation of the combined financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Business' internal control. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the combined financial statements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

    Opinion

        In our opinion, the combined financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of certain metal beverage packaging operations of the Business as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2015, in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Denver, Colorado
March 31, 2016

F-74



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

COMBINED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS

 
  Years Ended December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014   2013  

Net sales

  $ 1,891.4   $ 2,150.9   $ 2,038.6  

Costs and expenses

                   

Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization)

    (1,483.8 )   (1,692.7 )   (1,623.9 )

Depreciation and amortization

    (82.1 )   (82.3 )   (104.7 )

Selling, general and administrative

    (149.7 )   (161.9 )   (124.8 )

Business consolidation and other activities

    (9.8 )   (8.7 )   (10.6 )

    (1,725.4 )   (1,945.6 )   (1,864.0 )

Earnings before interest and taxes

    166.0     205.3     174.6  

Interest Expense

    (1.0 )   (1.8 )   (6.2 )

Earnings before taxes

    165.0     203.5     168.4  

Tax provision

    (37.0 )   (43.5 )   (40.5 )

Net earnings

    128.0     160.0     127.9  

Less net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

    1.1     (2.2 )   (2.2 )

Net earnings attributable to certain metal beverage packaging operations of Ball Corporation

  $ 129.1   $ 157.8   $ 125.7  

   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the combined financial statements.

F-75



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

COMBINED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE EARNINGS (LOSS)

 
  Years Ended December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014   2013  

Net earnings

  $ 128.0   $ 160.0   $ 127.9  

Other comprehensive earnings (loss):

                   

Foreign currency translation adjustment

    (134.4 )   (175.7 )   58.3  

Pension benefits

    44.8     (36.8 )   (34.6 )

Effective financial derivatives

    (6.0 )   36.9     (31.7 )

Total other comprehensive earnings (loss)

    (95.6 )   (175.6 )   (8.0 )

Income tax (provision) benefit

    (10.0 )   14.2     8.4  

Total other comprehensive earnings (loss), net of tax

    (105.6 )   (161.4 )   0.4  

Total comprehensive earnings (loss)

    22.4     (1.4 )   128.3  

Less comprehensive (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

    1.1     (2.2 )   (2.2 )

Comprehensive earnings (loss) attributable to certain metal beverage packaging operations of Ball Corporation

  $ 23.5   $ (3.6 ) $ 126.1  

   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the combined financial statements.

F-76



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

COMBINED BALANCE SHEETS

 
  December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014  

Assets

             

Current assets

             

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 32.3   $ 17.0  

Receivables, net

    231.7     252.8  

Inventories, net

    222.5     238.8  

Deferred taxes and other current assets

    29.4     56.9  

Total current assets

    515.9     565.5  

Non-current assets

             

Property, plant and equipment, net

    794.0     789.8  

Goodwill

    816.6     913.9  

Intangibles and other assets, net

    91.8     121.6  

Total assets

  $ 2,218.3   $ 2,390.8  

Liabilities and Equity

             

Current liabilities

             

Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt

  $ 23.8   $ 9.6  

Accounts payable

    317.4     309.2  

Accrued employee costs

    61.4     71.1  

Other current liabilities

    67.4     74.4  

Total current liabilities

    470.0     464.3  

Non-current liabilities

             

Long-term debt

    0.6     84.9  

Employee benefit obligations

    322.2     396.6  

Deferred taxes and other liabilities

    68.5     82.9  

Total liabilities

    861.3     1,028.7  

Net investment

             

Net parent investment

    1,611.9     1,392.4  

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

    (254.9 )   (149.3 )

Total net parent investment

    1,357.0     1,243.1  

Non-controlling Interest

        119.0  

Total net investment

    1,357.0     1,362.1  

Total liabilities and net investment

  $ 2,218.3   $ 2,390.8  

   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the combined financial statements.

F-77



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

COMBINED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

 
  Years Ended December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014   2013  

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

                   

Net earnings

  $ 128.0   $ 160.0   $ 127.9  

Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to cash provided by (used in) operating activities:

                   

Depreciation and amortization

    82.1     82.3     104.7  

Business consolidation and other activities

    9.8     8.7     10.6  

Deferred tax provision (benefit)

    (5.7 )   1.6     (14.0 )

Other, net

    1.4     (1.5 )   (3.3 )

Working capital changes:

                   

Receivables

    (1.4 )   (17.1 )   74.7  

Inventories

    (4.7 )   (22.5 )   13.9  

Accrued employee costs

    (2.0 )   17.7     6.4  

Other current assets

    23.3     (30.2 )   0.1  

Accounts payable

    28.1     83.2     (22.9 )

Other current liabilities

    (5.6 )   29.0     (31.2 )

Other, net

    (6.0 )   11.2     (3.4 )

Cash provided by (used in) operating activities

    247.3     322.4     263.5  

Cash Flows from Investing Activities

                   

Capital expenditures

    (132.7 )   (122.8 )   (139.7 )

Other, net

    0.2     (0.5 )   1.7  

Cash provided by (used in) investing activities

    (132.5 )   (123.3 )   (138.0 )

Cash Flows from Financing Activities

                   

Long-term borrowings

    0.1     0.1     200.4  

Repayments of long-term borrowings

    (87.1 )   (162.2 )   (134.7 )

Net change in short-term borrowings

    26.4     4.8     (62.7 )

Contributions (to)/from Parent

    (27.5 )   (25.7 )   (109.6 )

Other, net

            (1.3 )

Cash provided by (used in) financing activities

    (88.1 )   (183.0 )   (107.9 )

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash

    (11.4 )   (30.9 )   3.2  

Change in cash and cash equivalents

    15.3     (14.8 )   20.8  

Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of year

    17.0     31.8     11.0  

Cash and cash equivalents—end of year

  $ 32.3   $ 17.0   $ 31.8  

   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the combined financial statements.

F-78



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

COMBINED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET INVESTMENT

 
  Parent Company    
   
 
($ in millions)
  Net Parent
Investment
  Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
  Noncontrolling
Interest
  Total Net
Investment
 

Balance at December 31, 2012

  $ 1,260.3   $ 11.7   $ 98.5   $ 1,370.5  

Net earnings (loss)

    125.7         2.2     127.9  

Other comprehensive earnings (loss), net of tax

        0.4         0.4  

Net contributions (distributions) from/to parent

    (130.1 )       20.5     (109.6 )

Balance at December 31, 2013

    1,255.9     12.1     121.2     1,389.2  

Net earnings (loss)

    157.8         2.2     160.0  

Other comprehensive earnings (loss), net of tax

        (161.4 )       (161.4 )

Net contributions (distributions) from/to parent

    (21.3 )       (4.4 )   (25.7 )

Balance at December 31, 2014

    1,392.4     (149.3 )   119.0     1,362.1  

Net earnings (loss)

    129.1         (1.1 )   128.0  

Other comprehensive earnings (loss), net of tax

        (105.6 )       (105.6 )

Acquisition of noncontrolling interests

    117.9         (117.9 )    

Net contributions (distributions) from/to parent

    (27.5 )           (27.5 )

Balance at December 31, 2015

  $ 1,611.9   $ (254.9 ) $   $ 1,357.0  

   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the combined financial statements.

F-79



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

Description of Business

        These combined financial statements reflect certain metal beverage packaging operations of Ball Corporation ("Ball," or "Parent"), including Ball's metal beverage packaging, Europe, segment, which consists of all of our metal beverage packaging operations within Europe, and certain operations in Brazil, which consists of two can plants in Jacarei and Alagoinhas and the regional headquarters in Sao Paulo. These metal beverage packaging operations (the "Business") are controlled by Ball, a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, or represent variable interest entities for which Ball is the primary beneficiary. Ball is one of the world's leading suppliers of metal packaging to the beverage industry. The Business manufactures and sells metal beverage products in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Serbia, and Brazil. References to the "carve-out operations," "we," "our," "us," and similar expressions refer to the Business.

Basis of Presentation

        The combined financial statements presented herein have been prepared on a stand-alone basis and have been derived from the consolidated financial statements and accounting records of Ball. The combined financial statements reflect the financial position, results of operations and cash flows, of the Business in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). All significant intercompany transactions and accounts among the carve-out operations have been eliminated.

        The combined financial statements may not be indicative of the Business' future performance and may not reflect what the combined results of operations, financial position and cash flows would have been had the Business operated as an independent company during all of the periods presented. To the extent that an asset, liability, revenue or expense is directly associated with the Business, it is reflected in the accompanying combined financial statements.

        These financial statements reflect all of the costs of doing business related to the operations of the Business, including expenses incurred by other entities on its behalf. Historically, Ball provided certain corporate functions to the Business and costs associated with these functions were allocated to the Business. These functions included corporate communications, regulatory compliance, human resource employee compensation and benefit management, treasury, investor relations, corporate controllership, internal audit, Sarbanes Oxley compliance, information technology, corporate and legal compliance, and insurance. The significant costs of such services were allocated to the Business based on the most relevant allocation method to the service provided, primarily based on net revenue or headcount. Stock-based incentive compensation was allocated/charged on the basis of the specific employees associated with each operation. Additionally, royalty charges for use of trade name and technology were allocated/charged based on net revenue.

        Management believes such allocations were reasonable; however, they may not be indicative of the actual expense that would have been incurred had the Business been operating as an independent company for all of the periods presented. Management has determined that it is not practicable to estimate what our expenses would have been on a stand-alone basis. The charges for these functions are included in selling, general, and administrative expenses in the combined statements of earnings.

        The Business' total net investment represents Ball's interest in the recorded net assets of the Business. The net investment balance represents the cumulative net investment by Ball and noncontrolling interests in the Business. Certain transactions between the Business and other related parties within the Ball group, including allocated expenses, are included in net investment. All

F-80



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

1. Description of Business and Basis of Presentation (Continued)

intercompany transactions and accounts between us and our Parent are reflected as net investment in the accompanying combined balance sheets. The assets and liabilities in the accompanying combined financial statements have been reflected at our Parent's historical cost basis.

        Ball's operations participate in Ball's centralized treasury management function and all available excess cash is transferred to Ball, however, certain operations maintain cash and derivative assets and liabilities outside of Ball's centralized management system. Where an entity has been included in these combined financial statements the cash, derivative assets, and derivative liabilities held by that entity have also been included in the combined financial statements. For derivative instruments held by Ball on behalf of an entity included in the Business, the impacts of the derivative instruments have been included within the Business' combined statement of earnings.

        Allocated costs and expenses have generally been considered to have been paid by the Business to Ball in the year in which the costs were incurred. Current income taxes are considered to have been remitted, in cash, by or to Ball in the year the related income taxes were recorded. Amounts receivable from or payable to Ball have been classified in the combined balance sheet within net investment. We reflected the cash generated by certain of our operations and expenses paid by Ball on behalf of our operations as a component of net investment in the accompanying combined balance sheets, combined statements of changes in net investment, and net contributions (to)/from Parent on the accompanying combined statements of cash flows. A discussion of the relationship with Ball, including a description of the costs that have been allocated to the Business, is included in Note 15 to the combined financial statements.

        Cash and bank overdrafts held locally and specifically related to the operations of the Business have been included in the combined balance sheets.

2. Critical and Significant Accounting Policies

        Our combined financial statements include the activities of the Business. The assets and liabilities in the accompanying combined financial statements have been reflected on a historical basis. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions within the carve-out operations are eliminated upon combination. The preparation of the combined financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. These estimates are based on historical experience and various assumptions believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Management evaluates these estimates on an ongoing basis and adjusts or revises the estimates as circumstances change. As future events and their impacts cannot be determined with precision, actual results may differ from these estimates. In the opinion of management, the financial statements reflect all adjustments necessary to fairly present the results of the periods presented.

Critical Accounting Policies

        The Business considers certain accounting policies to be critical, as their application requires management's judgment about the impacts of matters that are inherently uncertain. Detailed below is a discussion of the accounting policies the Business considers critical to our combined financial statements.

F-81



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Critical and Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

Exit and Other Closure Costs (Business Consolidation Costs)

        The Business estimates its liabilities for business closure activities by accumulating detailed estimates of costs and asset sale proceeds, if any, for each business consolidation initiative. This includes the estimated costs of employee severance, pension and related benefits; impairment of property and equipment and other assets, including estimates of net realizable value; accelerated depreciation; termination payments for contracts and leases; contractual obligations; and any other qualifying costs related to an exit plan. These estimated costs are grouped by specific projects within an overall exit plan and are then monitored on a monthly basis. Such costs represent management's best estimates, but require assumptions about the plans that may change over time. Changes in estimates for individual locations and other matters are evaluated periodically to determine if a change in estimate is required for the overall restructuring plan. Subsequent changes to the original estimates are included in current earnings and identified as business consolidation gains or losses.

Recoverability of Goodwill and Intangible Assets

        On an annual basis, and at interim periods when circumstances require, the Business tests the recoverability of its goodwill. The Business utilizes the two-step impairment analysis and has elected not to use the qualitative assessment or "step zero" approach. In the two-step impairment analysis, the Business compares the carrying value of each identified reporting unit to its fair value. If the carrying value of the reporting unit is greater than its fair value, the second step is performed, where the implied fair value of goodwill is compared to its carrying value. The Business recognizes an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds its implied fair value. The Business estimates fair value for each reporting unit using either an income approach or based on the weighted average of the estimated fair values using market and income approaches. Under the market approach, the Business uses available information regarding multiples used in recent transactions, if any, involving transfers of controlling interests as well as publicly available trading multiples based on the enterprise value of companies in the packaging industry. The appropriate multiple is applied to forecasted EBITDA (a non-GAAP item defined by the Business as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of each reporting unit to estimate face value. Under the income approach, fair value is estimated as the present value of estimated future cash flows of each reporting unit. The projected cash flows incorporate various assumptions related to weighted average cost of capital (WACC) and growth rates specific to each reporting unit.

        Amortizable intangible assets are tested for impairment, when deemed necessary, based on undiscounted cash flows and, if impaired, are written down to fair value based on either discounted cash flows or appraised values.

Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Other Employee Benefits

        The Business has defined benefit plans that cover certain of our European salaried and hourly employees. The relevant accounting guidance requires that management make certain assumptions relating to the long-term rate of return on plan assets, discount rates used to determine the present value of future obligations and expenses, salary inflation rates, health care cost trend rates, mortality rates and other assumptions. The Business believes that the accounting estimates related to our pension plans are critical accounting estimates, because they are highly susceptible to change from period to period based on the performance of plan assets, actuarial valuations, market conditions and contracted benefit changes. The selection of assumptions is based on historical trends and known economic and market conditions at the time of valuation, as well as independent studies of trends performed by the

F-82



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Critical and Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

Business' actuaries. However, actual results may differ substantially from the estimates that were based on the critical assumptions.

        The Business recognizes the funded status of each defined benefit pension plan in the combined balance sheets. Each overfunded plan is recognized as an asset, and each underfunded plan is recognized as a liability. Pension plan liabilities are revalued annually, or when an event occurs that requires remeasurement, based on updated assumptions and information about the individuals covered by the plan. For pension plans, accumulated actuarial gains and losses in excess of a 10 percent corridor and the prior service cost are amortized on a straight-line basis from the date recognized over the average remaining service period of active participants or over the average life for plans with significant inactive participants. The majority of costs related to defined benefit plans are included in cost of sales; the remainder is included in selling, general and administrative expenses.

Income Taxes

        The Business' operating results have been included in Ball's tax filings for non-U.S. jurisdictions. Amounts presented in these combined financial statements related to income taxes have been determined on a separate tax return basis. These amounts may not reflect tax positions taken or to be taken by Ball or the Business and have been available for use by Ball, and may remain with Ball after the separation from Ball.

        Deferred income taxes reflect the future tax consequences of differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their financial reporting amounts at each balance sheet date, based upon enacted income tax laws and tax rates. Income tax expense or benefit is provided based on earnings reported in the financial statements. The provision for income tax expense or benefit differs from the amounts of income taxes currently payable because certain items of income and expense included in the combined financial statements are recognized in different time periods by taxing authorities.

        Deferred tax assets, including operating loss, capital loss and tax credit carryforwards, are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that any portion of these tax attributes will not be realized. In addition, from time to time, management must assess the need to accrue or disclose uncertain tax positions for proposed adjustments from various U.S. and foreign tax authorities who regularly audit the Business' income tax returns. In making these assessments, management must often analyze complex tax laws of multiple jurisdictions, including many foreign jurisdictions. The accounting guidance prescribed a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The Business records the related interest expense and penalties, if any, as tax expense in the tax provision.

Derivative Financial Instruments

        The Business uses derivative financial instruments for the purpose of hedging commercial risk exposures to fluctuations in currency exchange rates and raw material costs. The Business' derivative instruments are recorded in the combined balance sheets at fair value. The Business values each derivative financial instrument either by using a single valuation technique based on observable market inputs performed internally or by obtaining valuation information from a reliable and observable market source. For a derivative designated as a cash flow hedge, the effective portion of the derivative's mark to fair value is initially recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive earnings and subsequently reclassified into earnings when the hedged item affects earnings, unless it is probable

F-83



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Critical and Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

that the forecasted transaction will not occur. The ineffective portion of the mark to fair value associated with all hedges is recorded in earnings immediately. Derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting are marked to fair value with gains and losses immediately recorded in earnings. In the combined statements of cash flows, derivative activities are classified based on the items being hedged.

        Realized gains and losses from hedges are classified in the combined statements of earnings consistent with the accounting treatment of the items being hedged. Upon the early dedesignation of an effective derivative contract, the gains or losses are deferred in accumulated other comprehensive earnings until the originally hedged item affects earnings. Any gains or losses incurred after the dedesignation date are recorded in earnings immediately.

Contingencies

        The Business is subject to various legal proceedings and claims, including those that arise in the ordinary course of business. The Business records loss contingencies when it determines that the outcome of the future event is probable of occurring and when the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Gain contingencies are recognized in the financial statements when they are realized.

        The determination of a reserve for a loss contingency is based on management's judgment of probability and estimates with respect to the likelihood of an outcome and valuation of the future event. Liabilities are recorded or adjusted when events or circumstances cause these judgments or estimates to change. In assessing whether a loss is probable, management may consider the following factors, among others: the nature of the litigation, claim or assessment; available information, opinions or views of legal counsel and other advisors; and the experience gained from similar cases by the Business and others. We provide disclosures for material contingencies when there is a reasonable possibility that a loss or an additional loss may be incurred. Actual amounts realized upon settlement of contingencies may be different than amounts recorded and disclosed and could have a significant impact on the Business' combined financial statements. See Note 17 to the combined financial statements for further details.

Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Combination

        Our combined financial statements include the accounts of the Business. The assets and liabilities in the accompanying combined financial statements have been reflected on a historical basis. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions within the carve-out operations are eliminated upon combination.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

        Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less.

Inventories

        Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market using either the first-in, first-out (FIFO) cost method of accounting or the average cost method. Inventory cost is calculated for each inventory

F-84



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Critical and Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

component taking into consideration the appropriate cost factors including fixed and variable overhead, material price volatility and production levels.

Depreciation and Amortization

        Property, plant and equipment are carried at the cost of acquisition or construction and depreciated over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Repairs and maintenance costs, including labor and material costs for major improvements such as annual production line overhauls, are expensed as incurred, unless those costs substantially increase the useful lives or capacity of the existing assets. Assets are depreciated and amortized using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives, generally 5 to 40 years for buildings and improvements and 2 to 20 years for machinery and equipment. Finite-lived intangible assets are generally amortized over their estimated useful lives of 3 to 23 years. The Business periodically reviews these estimated useful lives and when appropriate, changes are made prospectively.

        Deferred financing costs are amortized over the life of the related loan facility and are reported as part of the interest expense. When debt is extinguished prior to its maturity date, the write-off of the remaining unamortized deferred financing costs, or a pro rata portion thereof, is also reported in the combined statement of earnings.

        For certain business consolidation activities, accelerated depreciation may be required over the remaining useful life for assets designated to be scrapped or abandoned. The accelerated depreciation related to such activities is disclosed as part of business consolidation and other activities in the appropriate period.

Revenue Recognition

        The Business recognizes sales of products when the four basic criteria of revenue recognition are met: delivery has occurred; title has transferred; there is persuasive evidence of an agreement or arrangement and the price is fixed or determinable; and collection is reasonably assured. Shipping and handling costs are reported within cost of sales in the combined statements of earnings. Net sales to major customers, as a percentage of consolidated net sales, were as follows:

 
  2015   2014   2013  

Heineken N.V. 

    14 %   13 %   13 %

Coca-Cola Bottlers' Sales & Services Company LLC

    11 %   12 %   13 %

Research and Development

        Research and development costs are expensed as incurred in connection with the Business' programs for the development of products and processes. Costs incurred in connection with these programs, which are included in cost of sales, amounted to $3.9 million, $5.9 million and $4.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Currency Translation

        Assets and liabilities of foreign operations with a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar are translated using period-end exchange rates, and revenues and expenses are translated using average exchange rates during each period. Translation gains and losses are reported in accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss) as a component of net investment.

F-85



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Critical and Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

Fair Value Measurements

        U.S. GAAP defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or be paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (exit price) and establishes a falur value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value using the following definitions (from highest to lowest priority):

    Level 1—Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities.

    Level 2—Observable inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, including quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data by correlation or other means.

    Level 3—Prices or valuation techniques requiring inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.

Net Parent Investment

        In the accompanying combined balance sheets, net parent investment represents our Parent's historical investment in us, our accumulated net earnings, and the net effect of transactions with, and allocations from our Parent. See Principles of Combination and Basis of Presentation above for additional information.

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

        We review long-lived assets for impairment when circumstances indicate the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable based on the undiscounted future cash flows of the asset. We review long-lived assets for impairment at the individual asset or the asset group level for which the lowest level of independent cash flows can be identified. If the carrying amount of the asset is determined not be recoverable, a write-down to fair value is recorded. Fair values are determined based on quoted market values, discounted cash flows, or external appraisals, as applicable. We determined there were no long-lived held for use asset impairments in 2015, 2014, or 2013.

Accounts Receivable and Allowances for Doubtful Accounts

        Accounts receivable represent valid claims against customers for products sold or services rendered, net of allowances for doubtful accounts. We assess the creditworthiness of our counterparties on an ongoing basis and require security, including prepayments and other forms of collateral, when appropriate. We establish provisions for losses on accounts receivable due from customers if we determine that it is probable we will not collect all or part of the outstanding balance. Outstanding customer receivables are regularly reviewed for possible nonpayment indicators, and allowances for doubtful accounts are recorded based upon management's estimate of collectability at each balance sheet date. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014, our allowances for doubtful accounts were $2.3 million and $1.5 million, respectively.

F-86



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

3. Accounting Pronouncements

New Accounting Guidance

        In February 2016, lease accounting guidance was issued which, for operating leases, requires a lessee to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, in its balance sheet. The guidance also requires a lessee to recognize a single lease cost, calculated so that the cost of the lease is allocated over the lease term, on a generally straight-line basis. The guidance is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. Management is currently assessing the impact the adoption of this standard will have on its combined financial statements.

        In November 2015, accounting guidance was issued that requires classification of all deferred tax assets and liabilities, along with any related valuation allowance, as noncurrent on the balance sheet. As a result, each tax jurisdiction will now only have one net noncurrent deferred tax asset or liability. The guidance, however, does not change the existing requirement that only permits offsetting within a tax jurisdiction, that is, companies are still prohibited from offsetting deferred tax liabilities from one jurisdiction against deferred tax assets of another tax jurisdiction. The guidance will be applied prospectively on January 1, 2016. Current deferred tax assets and current deferred tax liabilities were $3.6 million and $0.5 million, respectively, at December 31, 2015.

        In September 2015, amendments to existing accounting guidance were issued to simplify the accounting for adjustments made to provisional amounts recognized in business combinations. Under the previous guidance, companies were required to retrospectively revise comparative financial statements for changes made to provisional amounts. The amended guidance eliminates the requirement to retrospectively account for these adjustments. The guidance will be applied prospectively to adjustments to provisional amounts that occur on or after January 1, 2016. The guidance is not expected to have a material effect on the Business' combined financial statements.

        In July 2015, amendments to existing accounting guidance were issued to modify the subsequent measurement of inventory. Under existing guidance, an entity measures inventory at the lower of cost or market, with market defined as replacement cost, net realizable value (NRV), or NRV less a normal profit margin. An entity uses current replacement cost provided that it is not above NRV (ceiling) or below NRV less a normal profit margin (floor). Amendments in the new guidance require an entity to subsequently measure inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value and eliminates the need to determine replacement cost and evaluate whether it is above the ceiling or below the floor. NRV is defined as the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. The guidance will be effective for the Business on January 1, 2017, and early adoption is permitted. The guidance is not expected to have a material effect on our combined financial statements.

        In May 2015, amendments to the existing accounting guidance were issued to remove the requirement to categorize net asset value per share, currently utilized as a practical expedient, by investment within the fair value hierarchy based on redeemable dates. This amendment also removes the requirement to make certain disclosures for all investments that are eligible to be measured at fair value using the net asset value per share expedient. The guidance will be applied prospectively on January 1, 2016. The guidance is not expected to have a material effect on the company's consolidated financial statements.

F-87



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

3. Accounting Pronouncements (Continued)

        In April 2015, amendments to existing accounting guidance were issued to provide explicit guidance related to a customer's accounting for fees paid in a cloud computing arrangement. Under the guidance, cloud computing arrangements that include a software license would be accounted for consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. Conversely, cloud computing arrangements that do not include a software license would be accounted for as a service contract. The guidance will be effective for the Business on January 1, 2016, and early adoption is permitted. The guidance is not expected to have a material effect on our combined financial statements.

        In April 2015, accounting guidance was issued to change the balance sheet presentation for debt issuance costs. Under the new guidance, debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability will be presented as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts, rather than as a deferred charge. The guidance does not affect the recognition and measurement of debt issuance costs; hence, amortization of debt issuance costs would continue to be reported as interest expense. In August 2015, subsequent clarification guidance was issued permitting companies to defer and present debt issuance costs related to line-of-credit arrangements as an asset and amortize them over the terms of these arrangements, regardless of whether there are any amounts outstanding under those arrangements. This guidance will be applied retrospectively on January 1, 2016. The guidance will not have a material effect on our combined financial statements.

        In August 2014, accounting guidance was issued to define management's responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity's ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosure in certain circumstances. Under the new guidance, management is required to evaluate, at each annual and interim reporting period, whether there are conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date the financial statements are issued and to provide related disclosures. The guidance will be effective for the Business on January 1, 2017, and is not expected to have a material effect on our combined financial statements.

        In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") and International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB") jointly issued new revenue recognition guidance which outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. The new guidance contains a more robust framework for addressing revenue issues and is intended to remove inconsistencies in existing guidance and improve comparability of revenue recognition practices across entities, industries, jurisdictions and capital markets. The guidance will supersede the majority of current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. In July 2015, the FASB approved the deferral of the effective date of the new revenue recognition guidance by one year. The guidance will be effective on January 1, 2018 and 2019, for public and private companies, respectively. Early adoption is permitted; however, entities are not permitted to adopt the standard earlier than the original effective date of January 1, 2017. Entities have the option of using either a full retrospective or modified retrospective approach for the adoption of the standard. Management is currently assessing the impact that the adoption of this standard will have on its combined financial statements.

F-88



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

4. Business Consolidation and Other activities

        The Business recognized $9.8 million, $8.7 million, and $10.6 million of business consolidation and other activity charges in the combined statements of earnings for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014, and 2013, respectively.

2015

        During 2015, the Business recorded a charge of $4.7 million for the write down of property held for sale to fair value less cost to sell. The Business also recognized charges of $5.1 million for individually insignificant items.

2014

        The Business recorded charges of $4.1 million, primarily for headcount reductions, cost-out initiatives and the relocation of the Business' European headquarters from Germany to Switzerland.

        The Business recorded charges of $1.1 million related to business reorganization activities in the Business' metal beverage packaging, Europe, operations. Also included in 2014 were charges of $3.5 million related to the write off of previously capitalized costs associated with the Business' Lublin, Poland, facility, and for other insignificant activities.

2013

        The Business recorded charges of $10.6 million, primarily for headcount reductions, cost-out initiatives and the relocation of the Business' European headquarters from Germany to Switzerland.

5. Receivables

 
  December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014  

Trade accounts receivable

  $ 174.3   $ 176.6  

Less allowances for doubtful accounts

    (2.3 )   (1.5 )

Net trade accounts receivable

    172.0     175.1  

Other receivables

    59.7     77.7  

  $ 231.7   $ 252.8  

        Other receivables include sales tax receivable, vendor rebate receivables and other miscellaneous receivables.

        The Parent has entered into several regional uncommitted accounts receivable factoring programs with various financial institutions for certain receivables of the European portion of the Business. The programs are accounted for as true sales of the receivables, without recourse to the Business. Receivables of $190.4 million and $83.8 million were sold under these programs as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

F-89



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

6. Inventories

 
  December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014  

Raw materials and supplies

  $ 93.5   $ 105.6  

Work-in-process and finished goods

    143.9     148.7  

Less inventory reserves

    (14.9 )   (15.5 )

  $ 222.5   $ 238.8  

7. Property, Plant and Equipment

 
  December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014  

Land

  $ 23.6   $ 25.8  

Buildings

    300.8     306.0  

Machinery and equipment

    1,252.1     1,212.2  

Construction-in-progress

    62.9     92.8  

    1,639.4     1,636.8  

Accumulated depreciation

    (845.4 )   (847.0 )

  $ 794.0   $ 789.8  

        Property, plant and equipment are stated at historical or acquired cost. Depreciation expense amounted to $74.2 million, $74.4 million and $98.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

8. Goodwill

($ in millions)
  Total  

Balance at December 31, 2013 (a)

  $ 1,037.2  

Effects of currency exchange rates

    (123.3 )

Balance at December 31, 2014 (a)

    913.9  

Effects of currency exchange rates

    (97.3 )

Balance at December 31, 2015 (a)

  $ 816.6  

(a)
This balance is net of accumulated impairment losses of $44.4 million.

F-90



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

9. Intangibles and Other Assets

 
  December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014  

Intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization of $10.7 million and $10.3 million at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively)

  $ 15.1   $ 17.7  

Capitalized software (net of accumulated amortization of $27.3 million and $25.8 million at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively)

    21.7     22.2  

Long-term deferred tax assets

    26.6     37.9  

Other

    28.4     43.8  

  $ 91.8   $ 121.6  

        Total amortization expense of intangible assets and capitalized software amount to $7.9 million, $7.9 million and $6.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Based on intangible asset and capitalized software values and currency exchange rates as of December 31, 2015, total annual amortization expense is expected to be $7.8 million, $7.1 million, $6.4 million, $5.5 million and $4.2 million for the years 2016 through 2020, respectively, and $5.7 million combined for all years thereafter.

10. Leases

        The Business leases warehousing and manufacturing space and equipment for its operations. Certain of the Business' leases in effect at December 31, 2015, include renewal options and/or escalation clauses for adjusting lease expense based on various factors. Total noncancelable operating leases in effect at December 31, 2015, require rental payments of $9.6 million, $5.2 million, $3.2 million, $1.5 million and $1.5 million for the years 2016 through 2020, respectively, and $2.9 million combined for all years thereafter. Lease expense for all operating leases was $19.3 million, $23.0 million and $23.2 million in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

11. Debt and Interest Costs

        Long-term debt and interest rates in effect consisted of the following:

 
  December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014  

Senior Credit Facilities, due June 2018 (at variable rates)

             

Term C Loan, euro denominated (2014—1.65%)

  $   $ 92.9  

Other

    0.9     1.2  

Less: Current portion of long-term debt

    (0.3 )   (9.2 )

  $ 0.6   $ 84.9  

        In February 2015, the Business extinguished its $92.9 million Term C Loan. In connection with this extinguishment, the Business recorded a charge of $1.3 million, which is included in total interest expense, in the combined statements of earnings. There were no similar charges or costs recognized in the combined statements of earnings for the years ended December 31, 2014, and 2013.

F-91



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

11. Debt and Interest Costs (Continued)

        The Business also had approximately $121.7 million of short-term uncommitted credit facilities available at December 31, 2015, of which $23.5 million was outstanding and due on demand. At December 31, 2014, the Business had no significant amounts outstanding under short-term uncommitted credit facilities. The weighted average interest rate of the outstanding short-term facilities was 0.39 percent at December 31, 2015.

        The fair value of the long-term debt was estimated to be $0.9 million at December 31, 2015, which approximated the carrying value. The fair value of the long-term debt was estimated to be $93.2 million at December 31, 2014, which approximated the carrying value. The fair value reflects the market rates at each period end for debt with credit ratings similar to the Business' ratings and is classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. Rates currently available to the Business for loans with similar terms and maturities are used to estimate the fair value of long-term debt based on discounted cash flows.

        Long-term debt obligations outstanding at December 31, 2015, have maturities of $0.3 million, $0.3 million, $0.2 million and $0.1 million in the years ending December 31, 2016 through 2019, respectively, and no maturities thereafter.

        Interest payments (net of capitalized interest) were $0.8 million, $4.6 million and $6.1 million in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

12. Taxes on Income

        The Business' operating results have been included in Ball's tax filings for non-U.S. jurisdictions. Amounts presented in these combined financial statements related to income taxes have been determined on a separate tax return basis. Certain of our tax attributes may be retained by Ball after the separation from Ball. These amounts may not reflect tax positions taken or to be taken by Ball or the Business and have been available for use by Ball and may remain with Ball after the separation from Ball. All of the Business' earnings are foreign.

        The provision for income tax expense is:

 
  Years Ended December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014   2013  

Current

  $ 42.7   $ 41.9   $ 54.5  

Deferred

    (5.7 )   1.6     (14.0 )

Tax provision

  $ 37.0   $ 43.5   $ 40.5  

        These combined financial statements reflect certain metal beverage packaging operations that are based in various jurisdictions outside of the United States. As the Business is owned by Ball, which is subject to the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 35%, the Business applied the U.S. federal statutory rate in reconciling the effective tax rate.

F-92



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12. Taxes on Income (Continued)

        The income tax provision recorded within the combined statements of earnings differs from the provision determined by applying the U.S. statutory tax rate to pretax earnings as a result of the following:

 
  Years Ended December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014   2013  

Statutory U.S. federal income tax

  $ 57.8   $ 71.2   $ 58.9  

Increase (decrease) due to:

                   

Foreign tax rate differences

    (22.4 )   (28.7 )   (13.3 )

Uncertain tax positions, including interest

    1.6     1.0     (5.1 )

Provision for taxes

  $ 37.0   $ 43.5   $ 40.5  

Effective tax rate expressed as a percentage of pretax earnings

    22.4 %   21.4 %   24.1 %

        The 2015 full year effective income tax rate was 22.4 percent compared to 2014 of 21.4 percent. The higher tax rate in 2015 compared to 2014 was primarily due to a higher foreign tax rate differential in 2014.

        The 2014 full year effective income tax rate was 21.4 percent compared to 2013 of 24.1 percent. The lower tax rate in 2014 was primarily the result of a higher foreign tax rate differential.

        Ball's Serbian subsidiary was granted an income tax holiday that applies to only a portion of its earnings and expired at the end of 2015. In addition, the Serbian subsidiary was granted tax relief equal to 80 percent of additional local investment for a ten-year period that will expire in 2022. The tax relief may be used to offset tax on earnings not covered by the initial tax holiday and has $18.8 million remaining as of December 31, 2015. The Business' Alagoinhas plant was granted a tax holiday which expires in 2023. Under the terms of the holiday, a certain portion of the plant's earnings receive up to a 19 percent tax exemption from Brazilian income taxes. One of the Business' Polish subsidiaries was granted a tax holiday in 2014 based on new capital investment. The holiday provides up to $33.9 million of tax relief over a ten year period.

        Management's intention is to indefinitely reinvest undistributed foreign earnings of the Business and, as a result, no deferred taxes have been provided on these earnings. Retained earnings for the Business totaled $1,638 million as of December 31, 2015. It is not practical to estimate the additional taxes that may become payable upon the eventual remittance of the undistributed foreign earnings; however, repatriation of these earnings could result in a material increase in the Business' effective tax rate.

        Net income tax payments made by the Business were $18.2 million, $32.9 million and $53.5 million in 2015, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

F-93



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12. Taxes on Income (Continued)

        The significant components of deferred tax assets and liabilities were:

 
  December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014  

Deferred tax assets:

             

Accrued employee benefits

  $ 47.3   $ 58.3  

Inventory and other reserves

    1.4     1.5  

Net operating losses and other tax attributes

    10.7     13.1  

Other

    6.1     4.7  

Total deferred tax assets

    65.5     77.6  

Valuation allowance

    (9.7 )   (13.1 )

Net deferred tax assets

    55.8     64.5  

Deferred tax liabilities:

             

Property, plant and equipment

    (34.7 )   (38.4 )

Intangible assets

    (4.6 )   (5.3 )

Other

    (8.8 )   (5.4 )

Total deferred tax liabilities

    (48.1 )   (49.1 )

Net deferred tax asset (liability)

  $ 7.7   $ 15.4  

        The net deferred tax asset (liability) was included in the combined balance sheets as follows:

 
  December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014  

Deferred taxes and other current assets

  $ 3.6   $ 1.7  

Intangibles and other assets, net

    26.6     37.9  

Other current liabilities

    (0.5 )   (0.4 )

Deferred taxes and other liabilities

    (22.0 )   (23.8 )

Net deferred tax asset (liability)

  $ 7.7   $ 15.4  

        At December 31, 2015, the Business had net operating loss carryforwards in various foreign locations, primarily with no expiration date, of $37.6 million with a related tax benefit of $10.7 million.

        Valuation allowances have been established on deferred tax assets which the Business believes are not more likely than not to be realized. For the years ended December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, valuation allowances of $9.7 million and $13.1 million have been established against the net operating loss carryforwards of our European subsidiaries. During the period ended December 31, 2015, valuation allowances decreased by $3.4 million due to the expiration of net operating loss carryforwards.

F-94



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12. Taxes on Income (Continued)

        A rollforward of the unrecognized tax benefits related to uncertain income tax positions at December 31, as recorded in other liabilities, follows:

($ in millions)
  2015   2014   2013  

Balance at January 1

  $ 44.0   $ 49.9   $ 52.8  

Additions based on tax positions related to the current year

            0.2  

Additions for tax positions of prior years

    0.2     1.3      

Reductions for settlements

    (5.9 )       (5.0 )

Reductions due to lapse of statute of limitations

    (0.4 )   (2.1 )    

Effect of foreign currency exchange rates

    (3.9 )   (5.1 )   1.9  

Balance at December 31

  $ 34.0   $ 44.0   $ 49.9  

        The annual provisions for income taxes included tax expense and interest, related to uncertain tax positions, of $1.6 million and $1.0 million for 2015 and 2014, respectively and a tax benefit, including interest, of $5.1 million for 2013.

        At December 31, 2015, the amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would reduce tax expense was $38.9 million. No reductions in unrecognized tax benefits are expected within the next 12 months from settlements with taxing authorities. The Business' significant tax return filings are in Switzerland, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Poland, and Brazil. With limited exceptions, the Business is no longer subject to examinations by foreign tax authorities for years prior to 2008. At December 31, 2015, the Business is either under examination or has been notified of a pending examination by tax authorities in Germany and the United Kingdom.

        The Business recognizes the accrual of interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense. The Business recognized $0.9 million of tax benefit in 2015 and $1.7 million and $1.1 million of additional income tax expense in 2014 and 2013, respectively, for potential interest on these items. At December 31, 2015 and 2014, the accrual for uncertain tax positions included potential interest expense of $4.9 million and $6.2 million, respectively. No penalties have been accrued.

13. Employee Benefit Obligations

 
  December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014  

Underfunded defined benefit pension liabilities

  $ 330.8   $ 406.3  

Less current portion and prepaid pension assets

    (17.5 )   (20.1 )

Long-term defined benefit pension liabilities

    313.3     386.2  

Deferred compensation plans

    2.8     3.1  

Other

    6.1     7.3  

  $ 322.2   $ 396.6  

        The Business' pension plans cover European employees meeting certain eligibility requirements. The defined benefit plans for certain salaried and hourly employees in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, provide pension benefits based on employee compensation and years of service. While the German plans are not funded, the Business maintains book reserves, and annual additions to the

F-95



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

13. Employee Benefit Obligations (Continued)

reserves are generally tax deductible. With the exception of the German plans, our policy is to fund the plans in amounts at least sufficient to satisfy statutory funding requirements taking into consideration what is currently deductible under existing tax laws and regulations.

Defined Benefit Pension Plans

        All defined benefit pension plans are foreign. An analysis of the change in benefit accruals for 2015 and 2014 follows:

 
  December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014  

Change in projected benefit obligation:

             

Benefit obligation at prior year end

  $ 696.6   $ 655.7  

Service cost

    14.9     13.4  

Interest cost

    16.9     23.8  

Benefits paid

    (24.3 )   (28.3 )

Net actuarial (gains) losses

    (37.1 )   101.0  

Effect of exchange rates

    (57.1 )   (69.0 )

Plan amendments and other

    (0.2 )    

Benefit obligation at year end

    609.7     696.6  

Change in plan assets:

             

Fair value of assets at prior year end

    290.3     228.1  

Actual return on plan assets

    9.0     62.0  

Employer contributions

    1.2     23.8  

Contributions to unfunded

             

German plans (a)

    18.1     22.2  

Benefits paid

    (24.3 )   (28.3 )

Effect of exchange rates

    (15.4 )   (17.5 )

Fair value of assets at end of year

    278.9     290.3  

Underfunded status

  $ 330.8   $ 406.3  

(a)
The German plans are unfunded and the liability is included in the Business' combined balance sheets. Benefits are paid directly by the Business to the participants. The German plans represented $317.1 million and $393.9 million of the total underfunded status at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

        Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss) consisted of:

 
  December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014  

Net actuarial loss

  $ 116.5   $ 166.5  

Net prior service cost (credit)

    (1.6 )   (1.8 )

Tax effect and currency exchange rates

    (30.6 )   (45.9 )

  $ 84.3   $ 118.8  

F-96



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

13. Employee Benefit Obligations (Continued)

        The accumulated benefit obligation for all defined benefit pension plans was $555.5 million and $628.5 million at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Following is the information for defined benefit plans with an accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets:

 
  December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014  

Projected benefit obligation

  $ 329.8   $ 403.1  

Accumulated benefit obligation

    309.3     377.1  

Fair value of plan assets (a)

    6.9     4.9  

(a)
The German plans are unfunded and, therefore, there is no fair value of plan assets associated with them. The unfunded status of those plans was $317.1 million and $393.9 million at December 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

        Components of net periodic benefit cost were:

 
  December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014   2013  

Service cost

  $ 14.9   $ 13.4     12.1  

Interest cost

    16.9     23.8     21.9  

Expected return on plan assets

    (18.1 )   (14.9 )   (14.3 )

Amortization of prior service cost (credit)

    (0.4 )   (0.5 )   (0.4 )

Recognized net actuarial loss

    6.5     5.1     3.1  

Curtailment and settlement losses

            1.6  

Total net periodic benefit cost

  $ 19.8   $ 26.9   $ 24.0  

        The estimated net actuarial gain (loss) and prior service cost (credit) for the defined benefit pension plans that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss) into net periodic benefit cost during 2016 are a loss of $4.5 million and a gain of $0.4 million, respectively.

        Contributions to the Business' defined benefit pension plans, not including the unfunded German plans, are expected to be insignificant in 2016. This estimate may change based on changes in actual plan asset performance and available cash flow, among other factors. Benefit payments related to these plans are expected to be $7.0 million, $7.1 million, $7.3 million, $7.4 million and $7.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2016 through 2020, respectively, and a total of $40.3 million for the years 2021 through 2025. Payments to participants in the unfunded German plans are expected to be approximately $16.0 million to $17.6 million in each of the years 2016 through 2020 and a total of $75.0 million for the years 2021 through 2025.

        Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations at December 31 were:

 
  United Kingdom   Germany  
 
  2015   2014   2013   2015   2014   2013  

Discount rate

    3.75 %   3.75 %   4.50 %   2.25 %   1.75 %   3.25 %

Rate of compensation increase

    3.00 %   3.00 %   4.25 %   2.50 %   2.50 %   2.75 %

Pension increase

    3.15 %   3.15 %   3.40 %   1.75 %   1.75 %   1.75 %

F-97



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

13. Employee Benefit Obligations (Continued)

        The discount and compensation increase rates used above to determine the benefit obligations at December 31, 2015, will be used to determine net periodic benefit cost for 2016. A reduction of the expected return on pension assets assumption by one quarter of a percentage point would result in an approximate $0.7 million increase in the 2016 pension expense, while a quarter of a percentage point reduction in the discount rate applied to the pension liability would result in estimated additional pension expense of $1.8 million in 2016.

        Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost for the years ended December 31 were:

 
  United Kingdom   Germany  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014   2013   2015   2014   2013  

Discount rate

    3.75 %   4.50 %   4.50 %   1.75 %   3.25 %   3.25 %

Rate of compensation increase

    3.00 %   4.25 %   3.75 %   2.50 %   2.75 %   2.75 %

Pension increase

    3.15 %   3.40 %   2.90 %   1.75 %   1.75 %   1.75 %

Expected long-term rate of return on assets

    6.50 %   6.50 %   7.00 %   N/A     N/A     N/A  

        Current financial accounting standards require that the discount rate used to calculate the actuarial present value of pension benefit obligations reflect the time value of money as of the measurement date of the benefit obligation and reflect the rates of return currently available on high quality fixed income securities whose cash flows (via coupons and maturities) match the timing and amount of future benefit payments of the plan. In addition, changes in the discount rate assumption should reflect changes in the general level of interest rates.

        In the United Kingdom and Germany, the Business and its actuarial consultants considered the applicable iBoxx 15+ year AA corporate bond yields for the respective markets and determined a rate consistent with those expectations. The discount rates selected for December 31, 2015, were based on the range of values obtained from cash flow specific methods, together with the changes in the general level of interest rates reflected by the benchmarks.

        The assumption related to the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets reflects the average rate of earnings expected on the funds invested to provide for the benefits over the life of the plans. The assumption was based upon the Business' pension plan asset allocations, investment strategies and the views of investment managers and other large pension plan sponsors. Some reliance was placed on historical asset returns for our plans. An asset return model was used to project future asset returns using simulation and asset class correlation. The analysis included expected future risk premiums, forward-looking return expectations derived from the yield on long-term bonds and the price earnings ratios of major stock market indexes, expected inflation and real risk-free interest rate assumptions and the fund's expected asset allocation.

        For pension plans, accumulated actuarial gains and losses in excess of a 10 percent corridor and the prior service cost are amortized over the average remaining service period of active participants or over the average life for plans with significant inactive participants.

F-98



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

13. Employee Benefit Obligations (Continued)

Defined Benefit Pension Plan Assets

Policies and Allocation Information

        Investment policies and strategies for plan assets in the United Kingdom are established by pension investment committees of the Business and include the following common themes: (1) to provide for long-term growth of principal without undue exposure to risk, (2) to minimize contributions to the plans, (3) to minimize and stabilize pension expense and (4) to achieve a rate of return above the market average for each asset class over the long term. The pension investment committees are required to regularly, but no less frequently than annually, review asset mix and asset performance, as well as the performance of the investment managers. Based on their reviews, which are generally conducted quarterly, investment policies and strategies are revised as appropriate.

        Assets contributed to the United Kingdom plans are invested using established percentages. Following are the established percentages as of December 31, 2015:

 
  United Kingdom (a)  

Cash and cash equivalents

    4 %

Equity securities

    20 %

Fixed income securities

    64 %

Absolute return investments

    9 %

Alternative investments

    3 %

(a)
The percentages provided reflect the asset allocation percentage at December 31, 2015. The portfolio mix is expected to be adjusted over time toward more fixed income securities.

Fair Value Measurements of Pension Plan Assets

        Following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for pension assets measured at fair value:

        Commingled funds:     The shares held are valued at the net asset value (NAV) at year end.

        Alternative investments including limited partnerships:     Certain of the partnership investments receive fair market valuations on a quarterly basis. Certain other partnerships invest in market-traded securities, both on a long and short basis. These investments are valued using quoted market prices.

        The preceding methods described may produce a fair value calculation that may not be indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. Furthermore, although the Business believes its valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with other market participants, the use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine the fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different fair value measurement at the reporting date.

F-99



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

13. Employee Benefit Obligations (Continued)

        The Business' assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and may affect the valuation of the fair value of assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels.

        The following is a summary of plan assets as of December 31:

 
  December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014  

U.K. pension assets, at fair value (all Level 2):

             

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 10.9      

Equity commingled funds

    54.4     71.3  

Fixed income commingled funds

    174.0     174.1  

Absolute return funds

    24.5     17.2  

Alternative investments

    8.2     22.8  

Net UK assets

    272.0     285.4  

Switzerland pension assets, at fair value (all Level 2)

    6.9     4.9  

  $ 278.9   $ 290.3  

14. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Earnings (Loss)

        The activity related to accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss) was as follows:

($ in millions)
  Foreign
Currency
Translation
  Pension
Benefits)
(Net of Tax)
  Effective
Derivatives
(Net of tax)
  Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Earnings (Loss)
 

December 31, 2013

  $ 146.2   $ (99.4 ) $ (34.7 ) $ 12.1  

Other comprehensive earnings (loss) before reclassifications

    (175.7 )   (22.8 )   2.5     (196.0 )

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)

        3.4     31.2     34.6  

December 31, 2014

    (29.5 )   (118.8 )   (1.0 )   (149.3 )

Other comprehensive earnings (loss) before reclassifications

    (134.4 )   30.2     (6.0 )   (110.2 )

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)

        4.3     0.3     4.6  

December 31, 2015

  $ (163.9 ) $ (84.3 ) $ (6.7 ) $ (254.9 )

F-100



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

14. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Earnings (Loss) (Continued)

        The following table provides additional details of the amounts recognized into net earnings from accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss):

 
  December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014  

Gains (losses) on cash flow hedges:

             

Commodity contracts and currency exchange contracts recorded in cost of sales

  $ (1.8 ) $ (34.0 )

Currency exchange contracts recorded in SG&A expense

    1.7      

Total before tax effect

    (0.1 )   (34.0 )

Tax benefit (expense) on amounts reclassified into earnings

    (0.2 )   2.8  

Recognized gain (loss)

  $ (0.3 ) $ (31.2 )

Amortization of pension benefits(a):

             

Prior service income (cost)

  $ 0.4   $ 0.5  

Acturial gains (losses)

    (6.5 )   (5.1 )

Total before tax effect

    (6.1 )   (4.6 )

Tax benefit (expense) on amounts reclassified into earnings

    1.8     1.2  

Recognized gain (loss)

  $ (4.3 ) $ (3.4 )

(a)
These components are included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost included in Note 13.

15. Related Party Transactions and Net Investment

        The combined financial statements have been prepared on a stand-alone basis and have been derived from the consolidated financial statements and accounting records of Ball.

Allocation of General Corporate Expense

        During 2015, 2014 and 2013, we were allocated $21.1 million, $24.6 million and $12.8 million, respectively, of net general corporate expenses incurred by Ball which are included within selling, general and administrative expenses in the combined statements of earnings.

        The expense allocations have been determined on a basis management considers to be a reasonable reflection of the utilization of services provided or the benefit received by us during the periods presented. The allocations may not, however, reflect the expense we would have incurred as an independent company for the periods presented. Actual costs that may have been incurred if we had been a stand-alone company would depend on a number of factors, including the chosen organizational structure, what functions were outsourced or performed by employees and strategic decisions made in areas such as information technology and infrastructure. Accordingly, it is not practicable to estimate what our expenses would have been on a stand-alone basis.

Net Parent Investment

        The Business' European operations have historically participated in Ball's centralized cash management and funding system. Our working capital and capital expenditure requirements have historically been part of the corporate-wide cash management program for Ball. As part of this program, Ball maintains all cash generated by the Business' operations and cash required to meet the

F-101



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

15. Related Party Transactions and Net Investment (Continued)

Business' operating and investing needs is provided by Ball as necessary. Net cash generated by or used by our operations is reflected as a component of net parent investment on the accompanying combined balance sheets and as Net contributions (to)/from Parent on the accompanying combined statements of cash flows.

        The Business has various intercompany amounts due to and from the Parent and other Parent businesses. These intercompany amounts resulted from various capital and other operating transactions of the Business and of the Parent to which the Business was either a party or was an intermediary and are included in net parent investment in the combined balance sheets. The related net intercompany interest is included in interest expense in the combined statements of earnings.

        All significant intercompany transactions between the Business and Ball have been included in these combined financial statements and are considered to be transacted through net parent investment in the accompanying combined financial statements at the time the transaction is recorded. The total net effect of the settlement of these intercompany transactions represents capital contributions from or distributions to the Parent and therefore is reflected in the accompanying combined statements of cash flows as a financing activity, in the accompanying combined statements of changes in net investment as Net contributions/(distributions) from/(to) Parent and in the accompanying combined balance sheets as net parent investment.

        The components of the net transfers to and from Ball for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 
  Years Ended December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014   2013  

Cash pooling and general financing activities

  $ (85.6 ) $ (93.8 ) $ (162.9 )

Corporate allocations

    21.1     24.6     12.8  

Income tax expense

    37.0     43.5     40.5  

Net decrease in net parent investment

  $ (27.5 ) $ (25.7 ) $ (109.6 )

Noncontrolling Interest

        A wholly-owned subsidiary of Ball owned an interest in a joint venture company (Latapack-Ball), organized and operating in Brazil, a portion of which is included in the Business. The Business recorded our Parent's 60.1 percent ownership interest in Latapack-Ball and the corresponding noncontrolling interest in our combined financial statements. In December 2015, Ball acquired the remaining interests in its Latapack-Ball joint venture, $117.9 million of which relates to the Business. This transaction has been recorded as an increase in net parent investment and as reduction of noncontrolling interest, with no impact on cash. Since this acquisition did not result in a change of control, it was treated as a transaction within net investment and resulted in the elimination of the noncontrolling interest of the Business.

16. Financial Instruments and Risk Management

        The Business employs established risk management policies and procedures, which seek to reduce the Business' commercial risk exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates. However, there can be no assurance that these policies and procedures will be successful. Although the instruments utilized involve varying degrees of credit, market and interest risk, the counterparties to the agreements are expected to perform fully under the terms of the agreements. The

F-102



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

16. Financial Instruments and Risk Management (Continued)

Business monitors counterparty credit risk, including lenders, on a regular basis, but the Business cannot be certain that all risks will be discerned or that its risk management policies and procedures will always be effective. Additionally, in the event of default under Ball's master derivative agreements, the non-defaulting party has the option to set-off any amounts owed with regard to open derivative positions.

Commodity Price Risk

Aluminum

        The Business manages commodity price risk in connection with market price fluctuations of aluminum ingot through two different methods. First, the Business enters into container sales contracts that include aluminum ingot-based pricing terms that generally reflect the same price fluctuations under commercial purchase contracts for aluminum sheet. The terms include fixed, floating or pass-through aluminum ingot component pricing. Second, the Business uses certain derivative instruments such as option and forward contracts as economic and cash flow hedges of commodity price risk where there are material differences between sales and purchase contracted pricing and volume.

        At December 31, 2015, the Business had aluminum contracts limiting its aluminum exposure with notional amounts of approximately $97.3 million, which received hedge accounting treatment. The aluminum contracts, which are recorded at fair value, include cash flow hedges that offset sales and purchase contracts of various terms and lengths. Cash flow hedges relate to forecasted transactions that expire within the next three years. Included in net investment at December 31, 2015, within accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss) is a net after-tax loss of $8.3 million associated with these contracts. A net gain of $5.2 million is expected to be recognized in the combined statement of earnings during the next 12 months, the majority of which will be offset by pricing changes in sales and purchase contracts, thus resulting in little or no earnings impact to the Business.

Steel

        Most sales contracts involving our steel products either include provisions permitting the Business to pass through some or all steel cost changes incurred, or they incorporate annually negotiated steel prices.

Currency Exchange Rate Risk

        The Business' objective in managing exposure to currency fluctuations is to limit the exposure of cash flows and earnings to changes associated with currency exchange rate changes through the use of various derivative contracts. In addition, at times the Business manages earnings translation volatility through the use of currency option strategies, and the change in the fair value of those options is recorded in the Business' net earnings. The Business' currency translation risk results from the currencies in which we transact business. The Business faces currency exposures in our global operations as a result of various factors including selling our products in various currencies, purchasing raw materials and equipment in various currencies and tax exposures not denominated in the functional currency. Sales contracts are negotiated with customers to reflect cost changes and, where there is not an exchange pass-through arrangement, the Business uses forward and option contracts to manage currency exposures. At December 31, 2015, the Business had outstanding exchange forward contracts and option contracts with notional amounts totaling approximately $288.7 million. Approximately $1.7 million of net after-tax gain related to these contracts is included in accumulated other

F-103



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

16. Financial Instruments and Risk Management (Continued)

comprehensive earnings (loss) at December 31, 2015, of which no gain or loss is expected to be recognized in the combined statement of earnings during the next 12 months. The contracts outstanding at December 31, 2015, expire within the next five years.

Collateral Calls

        The Business' agreements with its financial counterparties require the Business to post collateral in certain circumstances when the negative mark to fair value of the derivative contracts exceeds specified levels. Additionally, the Business has collateral posting arrangements with certain customers on these derivative contracts. The cash flows of the margin calls are shown within the investing section of the Business' combined statements of cash flows. As of December 31, 2015, the aggregate fair value of all derivative instruments with credit-risk-related contingent features that were in a net liability position was $7.4 million and no collateral was required to be posted. As of December 31, 2014, the aggregate fair value of all derivative instruments with credit-risk-related contingent features that were in a net liability position was $5.6 million and no collateral was required to be posted.

Fair Value Measurements

        The Business has classified all applicable financial derivative assets and liabilities as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and presented those values in the table below. The Business' assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and may affect the valuation of assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels.

 
  December 31, 2015   December 31, 2014  
($ in millions)
  Derivatives
Designated as
Hedging
Instruments
  Derivatives not
Designated as
Hedging
Instruments
  Total   Derivatives
Designated
as Hedging
Instruments
  Derivatives not
Designated as
Hedging
Instruments
  Total  

Assets:

                                     

Commodity contracts

  $ 1.2   $   $ 1.2   $ 2.6   $   $ 2.6  

Foreign currency contracts

    1.9         1.9     0.8         0.8  

Total current derivative contracts

  $ 3.1   $   $ 3.1   $ 3.4   $   $ 3.4  

Commodity contracts

  $ 0.5   $   $ 0.5   $ 2.0   $   $ 2.0  

Total noncurrent derivative contracts

  $ 0.5   $   $ 0.5   $ 2.0   $   $ 2.0  

Liabilities:

                                     

Commodity contracts

  $ 2.2   $   $ 2.2   $ 1.7   $   $ 1.7  

Foreign currency contracts

        0.1     0.1     1.6     0.1     1.7  

Total current derivative contracts

  $ 2.2   $ 0.1   $ 2.3   $ 3.3   $ 0.1   $ 3.4  

Commodity contracts

  $ 6.1   $   $ 6.1   $ 6.8   $   $ 6.8  

Total noncurrent derivative contracts

  $ 6.1   $   $ 6.1   $ 6.8   $   $ 6.8  

F-104



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

16. Financial Instruments and Risk Management (Continued)

        The Business uses closing spot and forward market prices as published by the LME, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Reuters and Bloomberg to determine the fair value of any outstanding aluminum and currency spot and forward contracts. Option contracts are valued using a Black-Scholes model with observable market inputs for aluminum and currency. We value each of our financial instruments either internally using a single valuation technique or from a reliable observable market source. The Business does not adjust the value of its financial instruments except in determining the fair value of a trade that settles in the future by discounting the value to its present value using 12-month LIBOR as the discount factor. The Business performs validations of our internally derived fair values reported for our financial instruments on a quarterly basis utilizing counterparty valuation statements. The Business periodically evaluates counterparty creditworthiness and, as of December 31, 2015, has not identified any material circumstances requiring that the reported values of our financial instruments be adjusted.

        The following table provides the effects of derivative instruments in the combined statements of earnings and on accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss):

Impact on Earnings from Derivative Instruments

 
   
  Years ended December 31,  
 
   
  2015   2014   2013  
($ in millions)
  Location of Gain (Loss)
Recognized in Earnings on
Derivatives
  Cash Flow
Hedge-
Reclassified
Amount From
Other
Comprehensive
Earnings
(Loss)
  Gain (Loss)
on
Derivatives
Not
Designated
As Hedge
Instruments
  Cash Flow
Hedge-
Reclassified
Amount From
Other
Comprehensive
Earnings
(Loss)
  Gain (Loss)
on
Derivatives
Not
Designated
As Hedge
Instruments
  Cash Flow
Hedge-
Reclassified
Amount From
Other
Comprehensive
Earnings
(Loss)
  Gain (Loss)
on
Derivatives
Not
Designated
As Hedge
Instruments
 

Commodity contracts— manage exposure to supplier pricing

  Cost of sales   $ (1.7 ) $ 1.3   $ (34.2 ) $ (2.3 ) $ (12.6 ) $ (1.5 )

Interest rate contracts— manage exposure for outstanding debt

  Interest expense                     (0.4 )    

Foreign currency contracts— manage exposure to sales of products

  Cost of sales     (0.1 )   1.3     0.2     (0.9 )   (0.5 )    

Foreign currency contracts— manage exposure for transactions with Parent

  Selling, general and administrative     1.7     (1.3 )                

Total

      $ (0.1 ) $ 1.3   $ (34.0 ) $ (3.2 ) $ (13.5 ) $ (1.5 )

        The changes in accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss) for effective derivatives were as follows:

 
  Years ended December 31,  
($ in millions)
  2015   2014   2013  

Amounts reclassified into earnings:

                   

Commodity contracts

  $ 1.7   $ 34.2   $ 12.6  

Interest rate contracts

            0.4  

Currency exchange contracts

    (1.6 )   (0.2 )   0.5  

Change in fair value of cash flow hedges:

                   

Commodity contracts

    (10.1 )   1.8     (46.3 )

Currency exchange contracts

    3.8         2.4  

Foreign currency and tax impacts

    0.6     (2.1 )   1.0  

  $ (5.6 ) $ 33.7   $ (29.4 )

F-105



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

17. Contingencies

        The Business is subject to numerous lawsuits, claims or proceedings arising out of the ordinary course of business, including actions related to product liability; personal injury; the use and performance of its products; warranty matters; patent, trademark or other intellectual property infringement; contractual liability; the conduct of its business; tax reporting in domestic and foreign jurisdictions; workplace safety; and environmental and other matters. Some of these lawsuits, claims and proceedings involve substantial amounts, and some of the environmental proceedings involve potential monetary costs or sanctions that may be material. Ball and the Business have denied liability with respect to many of these lawsuits, claims and proceedings and are vigorously defending such lawsuits, claims and proceedings. Ball carries various forms of commercial, property and casualty, and other forms of insurance; however, such insurance may not be applicable or adequate to cover the costs associated with a judgment against Ball or the Business with respect to these lawsuits, claims and proceedings. The Business does not believe that these lawsuits, claims and proceedings are material individually or in the aggregate. While management believes the Business has established adequate accruals for expected future liability with respect to pending lawsuits, claims and proceedings, where the nature and extent of any such liability can be reasonably estimated based upon then presently available information, there can be no assurance that the final resolution of any existing or future lawsuits, claims or proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the liquidity, results of operations or financial condition of the Business.

        The Business' Brazilian operations are involved in various governmental assessments, principally related to claims for taxes on the internal transfer of inventory, gross revenue taxes and tax incentives. The Business does not believe that the ultimate resolution of these matters will materially impact the results of operations, financial position or cash flows. Under customary local regulations, the Business may need to post cash or other collateral if the process to challenge any administrative assessment proceeds to the Brazilian court system; however, the level of any potential cash or collateral required would not be expected to significantly impact the liquidity of the Business.

18. Indemnifications and Guarantees

General Guarantees

        The Business or its appropriate consolidated direct or indirect subsidiaries have made certain indemnities, commitments and guarantees under which the specified entity may be required to make payments in relation to certain transactions. These indemnities, commitments and guarantees include indemnities to the customers of the subsidiaries in connection with the sales of their packaging products and services; guarantees to suppliers of subsidiaries of the Business guaranteeing the performance of the respective entity under a purchase agreement, construction contract or other commitment; guarantees in respect of certain foreign subsidiaries' pension plans; indemnities for liabilities associated with the infringement of third party patents, trademarks or copyrights under various types of agreements; indemnities to governmental agencies in connection with the issuance of a permit or license to the Business or a subsidiary. The duration of these indemnities, commitments and guarantees varies and, in certain cases, is indefinite. In addition, many of these indemnities, commitments and guarantees do not provide for any limitation on the maximum potential future payments the Business could be obligated to make. As such, the Business is unable to reasonably estimate its potential exposure under these items.

        The Business has not recorded any liability for these indemnities, commitments and guarantees in the accompanying combined balance sheets. The Business does, however, accrue for payments under

F-106



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

18. Indemnifications and Guarantees (Continued)

promissory notes and other evidences of incurred indebtedness and for losses for any known contingent liability, including those that may arise from indemnifications, commitments and guarantees, when future payment is both reasonably estimable and probable. Finally, the Ball carries general liability insurance policies that covers the locations included in the Business and has obtained indemnities, commitments and guarantees from third party purchasers, sellers and other contracting parties, which the Business believes would, in certain circumstances, provide recourse to any claims arising from these indemnifications, commitments and guarantees.

19. Subsequent Events

        In March 2016, the Parent and certain entities of the Business entered into a $1.5 billion multicurrency revolving credit facility with various outside financial institutions to provide liquidity for working capital needs, acquisitions, or other general corporate purposes. The multicurrency revolving credit facility bears interest at variable rates. This multicurrency revolving credit facility expires in March 2021.

        Subsequent events were evaluated through March 31, 2016, the date on our financial statements were available to be issued for disclosure in the accompanying combined financial statements.

F-107



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS

FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2016 AND 2015

($ in millions)
  2016   2015  

Net sales

  $ 937.1   $ 970.2  

Costs and expenses

             

Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization)

    (722.1 )   (776.3 )

Depreciation and amortization

    (42.5 )   (40.1 )

Selling, general and administrative

    (77.5 )   (80.5 )

Business consolidation and other activities

    (14.4 )   (7.3 )

    (856.5 )   (904.2 )

Earnings before interest and taxes

    80.6     66.0  

Interest expense

    (6.0 )   (1.3 )

Earnings before taxes

    74.6     64.7  

Tax provision

    (15.4 )   (16.9 )

Net earnings

    59.2     47.8  

Less net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

        0.8  

Net earnings attributable to certain metal beverage packaging operations of Ball Corporation

  $ 59.2   $ 48.6  

   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

F-108



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED STATEMENTS OF

COMPREHENSIVE EARNINGS (LOSS)

FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2016 AND 2015

($ in millions)
  2016   2015  

Net earnings

  $ 59.2   $ 47.8  

Other comprehensive earnings (loss):

             

Foreign currency translation adjustment

    (25.5 )   (88.8 )

Pension benefits

    (45.4 )   11.0  

Effective financial derivatives

    2.4     (8.4 )

Total other comprehensive earnings (loss)

    (68.5 )   (86.2 )

Income tax (provision) benefit

    11.5     0.6  

Total other comprehensive earnings (loss), net of tax

    (57.0 )   (85.6 )

Total comprehensive earnings (loss)

    2.2     (37.8 )

Less comprehensive (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

        0.8  

Comprehensive earnings (loss) attributable to certain metal beverage packaging operations of Ball Corporation

  $ 2.2   $ (37.0 )

   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

F-109



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED BALANCE SHEETS

AS AT JUNE 30, 2016 (UNAUDITED) AND DECEMBER 31, 2015

($ in millions)
  June 30,
2016
(Unaudited)
  December 31,
2015
 

Assets

             

Current assets

             

Cash and cash equivalents

  $ 64.1   $ 32.3  

Receivables, net

    352.2     231.7  

Inventories, net

    238.4     222.5  

Deferred taxes and other current assets

    36.5     29.4  

Total current assets

    691.2     515.9  

Non-current assets

             

Property, plant and equipment, net

    804.9     794.0  

Goodwill

    835.1     816.6  

Intangibles and other assets, net

    103.8     91.8  

Total assets

  $ 2,435.0   $ 2,218.3  

Liabilities and Equity

             

Current liabilities

             

Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt

  $ 39.9   $ 23.8  

Accounts payable

    286.1     317.4  

Accrued employee costs

    62.4     61.4  

Other current liabilities

    59.7     67.4  

Total current liabilities

    448.1     470.0  

Non-current liabilities

             

Long-term debt

    67.1     0.6  

Employee benefit obligations

    382.8     322.2  

Deferred taxes and other liabilities

    63.2     68.5  

Total liabilities

    961.2     861.3  

Net investment

             

Net parent investment

    1,785.7     1,611.9  

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

    (311.9 )   (254.9 )

Total net parent investment

    1,473.8     1,357.0  

Non-controlling interest

         

Total net investment

    1,473.8     1,357.0  

Total liabilities and net investment

  $ 2,435.0   $ 2,218.3  

   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

F-110



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2016 AND 2015

($ in millions)
  2016   2015  

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

             

Net earnings

  $ 59.2   $ 47.8  

Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to cash provided by (used in) operating activities:          

             

Depreciation and amortization

    42.5     40.1  

Business consolidation and other activities

    14.4     7.3  

Deferred tax provision (benefit)

    2.7     0.4  

Other, net

    (17.2 )   5.9  

Working capital changes

    (190.8 )   (65.5 )

Cash provided by (used in) operating activities

    (89.2 )   36.0  

Cash Flows from Investing Activities

             

Capital expenditures

    (63.9 )   (78.0 )

Other, net

        0.1  

Cash provided by (used in) investing activities

    (63.9 )   (77.9 )

Cash Flows from Financing Activities

             

Long-term borrowings

    66.6      

Repayments of long-term borrowings

    (0.2 )   (86.9 )

Net change in short-term borrowings

    14.2     30.9  

Contributions (to)/from Parent

    114.6     109.4  

Cash provided by (used in) financing activities

    195.2     53.4  

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash

    (10.3 )   (10.5 )

Change in cash and cash equivalents

    31.8     1.0  

Cash and cash equivalents—beginning of period

    32.3     17.0  

Cash and cash equivalents—end of period

  $ 64.1   $ 18.0  

   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

F-111



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET INVESTMENT

FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2016 AND 2015

 
  Parent Company    
   
 
($ in millions)
  Net Parent
Investment
  Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
  Non-
controlling
Interest
  Total Net
Investment
 

Balance at January 1, 2016

  $ 1,611.9   $ (254.9 ) $   $ 1,357.0  

Net earnings (loss)

    59.2             59.2  

Other comprehensive earnings (loss), net of tax

        (57.0 )       (57.0 )

Net contributions (distributions) from/to parent

    114.6             114.6  

Balance at June 30, 2016 (unaudited)

  $ 1,785.7   $ (311.9 ) $   $ 1,473.8  

 

 
  Parent Company    
   
 
($ in millions)
  Net Parent
Investment
  Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
  Non-
controlling
Interest
  Total Net
Investment
 

Balance at January 1, 2015

  $ 1,392.4   $ (149.3 ) $ 119.0   $ 1,362.1  

Net earnings (loss)

    48.6         (0.8 )   47.8  

Other comprehensive earnings (loss), net of tax

        (85.6 )       (85.6 )

Net contributions (distributions) from/to parent

    109.4             109.4  

Balance at June 30, 2015 (unaudited)

  $ 1,550.4   $ (234.9 ) $ 118.2   $ 1,433.7  

   

The accompanying notes are an integral part of the unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

F-112



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

Description of Business

        These unaudited condensed combined financial statements reflect certain metal beverage packaging operations of Ball Corporation ("Ball"), including Ball's metal beverage packaging, Europe, segment, which consists of all of our metal beverage packaging operations within Europe, and certain operations in Brazil, which consists of two can plants in Jacarei and Alagoinhas and the regional headquarters in Sao Paulo. These metal beverage packaging operations (the "Business") manufacture and sell metal beverage products in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Serbia and Brazil. References to the "carve-out operations", "we", "our", "us" and similar expression refer to the Business.

        The Business was formerly controlled by Ball, a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange or represents variable interest entities of which Ball was the primary beneficiary.

        On April 22, 2016 Ardagh Group ("Ardagh") entered into an agreement with Ball and Rexam PLC to purchase certain metal beverage can manufacturing assets and support locations in Europe, Brazil and the United States which include certain assets and support functions of this Business. The purchase was completed on June 30, 2016.

Seasonality of Operations

        The Business is subject to seasonal fluctuations. Sales volumes in Europe tend to be highest during the period from May through August with a less significant increase in demand leading up to the winter holiday season in the United Kingdom. Sales volumes in Brazil tend to be highest from September through December.

Basis of Presentation

        The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements are prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). The Business was acquired by the Ardagh Group in June 30, 2016. Such unaudited condensed combined financial statements have been prepared for inclusion in an offering memorandum by ARD Finance S.A., a subsidiary of the Ardagh Group, for the issuance of debt. Pushdown accounting has not been applied in the preparation of this unaudited condensed financial statements.

        Throughout the periods presented in the unaudited condensed combined financial statements, the Business did not exist as a combined, legally constituted entity. The unaudited condensed combined financial statements have therefore been derived from the financial statements of Ball Corporation to represent the financial position and performance of the Business on a combined basis throughout those periods in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

        Outstanding inter-entity balances, transactions, and cash flows between entities comprising the Business have been eliminated.

        In the opinion of management, all adjustments (which include normal recurring adjustments, except as disclosed herein) necessary to present fairly the unaudited condensed combined balance sheets as of June 30, 2016; the unaudited condensed combined statements of earnings and unaudited condensed combined statements of comprehensive income and unaudited condensed combined statement of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015; and the unaudited condensed

F-113



CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

1. Description of Business and Basis of Presentation (Continued)

combined statements changes in net investment for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, as applicable, have been made. The results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full fiscal year or any future periods.

        The unaudited condensed combined financial statements and accompanying notes should be read in conjunction with the combined full financial statements and the notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2015, which were prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

        The accounting policies, presentation and methods of computation followed in the unaudited condensed combined financial statements are the same as those applied in Ball's latest combined full financial statements. The financial information is presented in millions of United State Dollar ($ million) because that is the currency Ball primarily operates in.

        These financial statements reflect all of the costs of doing business related to the operations of the Business, including expenses incurred by other entities on its behalf. Historically, Ball provided certain corporate functions to the Business and costs associated with these functions were allocated to the Business. These functions included corporate communications, regulatory compliance, human resource employee compensation and benefit management, treasury, investor relations, corporate controllership, internal audit, Sarbanes Oxley compliance, information technology, corporate and legal compliance, and insurance. The significant costs of such services were allocated to the Business based on the most relevant allocation method to the service provided, primarily based on net revenue or headcount. Stock-based incentive compensation was allocated/charged on the basis of the specific employees associated with each operation. Additionally, royalty charges for use of trade name and technology were allocated/charged based on net revenue.

        Management believes such allocations were reasonable; however, they may not be indicative of the actual expense that would have been incurred had the Business been operating as an independent company for all of the periods presented. Management has determined that it is not practicable to estimate what our expenses would have been on a stand-alone basis. The charges for these functions are included in selling, general, and administrative expenses in the unaudited condensed combined statements of earnings.

        The Business' total net investment represents Ball's interest in the recorded net assets of the Business. The net investment balance represents the cumulative net investment by Ball and non-controlling interests in the Business. Certain transactions between the Business and other related parties within the Ball group, including allocated expenses, are included in net investment. All intercompany transactions and accounts between us and Ball are reflected as net investment in the accompanying unaudited condensed combined balance sheets. The assets and liabilities in the accompanying unaudited condensed combined financial statements have been reflected at Ball's historical cost basis.

        Ball's operations participated in Ball's centralized treasury management function and all available excess cash is transferred to Ball, however, certain operations maintain cash and derivative assets and liabilities outside of Ball's centralized management system. Where an entity has been included in these unaudited condensed combined financial statements the cash, derivative assets, and derivative liabilities held by that entity have also been included in the unaudited condensed combined financial statements. For derivative instruments held by Ball on behalf of an entity included in the Business, the impacts of

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CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

1. Description of Business and Basis of Presentation (Continued)

the derivative instruments have been included within the Business' unaudited condensed combined statement of earnings.

        Allocated costs and expenses have generally been considered to have been paid by the Business to Ball in the period in which the costs were incurred. Current income taxes are considered to have been remitted, in cash, by or to Ball in the period the related income taxes were recorded. Amounts receivable from or payable to Ball have been classified in the unaudited condensed combined balance sheet within net investment. We reflected the cash generated by certain of our operations and expenses paid by Ball on behalf of our operations as a component of net investment in the accompanying unaudited condensed combined balance sheets, unaudited condensed combined statements of changes in net investment, and net contributions (to)/from Parent on the accompanying unaudited condensed combined statements of cash flows. A discussion of the relationship with Ball, including a description of the costs that have been allocated to the Business, is included in Note 11 to the unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

        Cash and bank overdrafts held locally and specifically related to the operations of the Business have been included in the unaudited condensed combined balance sheets.

2. Accounting pronouncement

New Accounting Pronouncements

        In May 2014, the FASB and IASB jointly issued new revenue recognition guidance which outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. The new guidance contains a more robust framework for addressing revenue issues and is intended to remove inconsistencies in existing guidance and improve comparability of revenue recognition practices across entities, industries, jurisdictions and capital markets. The guidance will supersede the majority of current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. In July 2015, the FASB approved the deferral of the effective date of the new revenue recognition guidance by one year. The guidance will be effective for the Business on January 1, 2018, and early adoption is permitted. However, entities are not permitted to adopt the standard earlier than the original effective date of January 1, 2017. Entities have the option of using either a full retrospective or modified retrospective approach for the adoption of the standard. Management is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on the Business' unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

        In August 2014, accounting guidance was issued to define management's responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity's ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures in certain circumstances. Under the new guidance, management is required to evaluate, at each annual and interim reporting period, whether there are conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date the financial statements are issued and to provide related disclosures. The guidance will be effective on January 1, 2017. Management is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on the Business' unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

        In January 2016, accounting guidance was issued on the classification and measurement of financial assets and liabilities (equity securities and financial liabilities) under the fair value option and

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CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Accounting pronouncement (Continued)

the presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments. Under the new guidance, entities will need to measure equity investments that do not result in consolidation and are not accounted under the equity method at fair value and recognize any changes in fair value in net earnings. An exception will apply to those equity investments that do not have a readily determinable fair value and do not qualify for the practical expedient to estimate fair value under the guidance and, as such, these investments may be measured at cost. The guidance will be effective on January 1, 2018. Management is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on the Business' unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

        In February 2016, lease accounting guidance was issued which, for operating leases, requires a lessee to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, in its balance sheet. The guidance also requires a lessee to recognize a single lease cost, calculated so that the cost of the lease is allocated over the lease term, generally on a straight-line basis. The guidance will be effective for the Business on January 1, 2019. Management is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on the Business' unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

        In March 2016, final accounting guidance was issued eliminating the requirements to retrospectively apply the equity method in previous periods when an investor initially obtains significant influence over an investee. The new guidance requires the investor to apply the equity method prospectively from the date the investment qualifies for the equity method. The investor will add the carrying value of the existing investment to the cost of the additional investment to determine the initial cost basis of the equity method investment. This guidance will be applied prospectively on January 1, 2017. Management is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on the Business' unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

        In March 2016, accounting guidance was issued on the effect of derivative contract novation on existing hedge accounting relationships. The amendment clarify that a change in the counterparty to a derivative instrument designated as a hedging instrument does not in and of itself require designation of that hedging relationship, provided that all other hedge accounting criteria continue to be met. The guidance will be applied prospectively on January 1, 2017. Management is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on the Business' unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

        On March 14, 2016 the FASB issued the ASU 2016-06. Topic 815 requires that embedded derivatives be separated from the host contract and accounted for separately as derivatives if certain criteria are met, including the "clearly and closely related" criterion. The amendments in this Update clarify the requirements for assessing whether contingent call (put) options that can accelerate the payment of principal on debt instruments are clearly and closely related to their debt hosts. An entity performing the assessment under the amendments is required to assess the embedded call (put) options solely in accordance with the four-step decision sequence. The amendments apply to all entities that are issuers of or investors in debt instruments (or hybrid financial instruments that are determined to have a debt host) with embedded call (put) options. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. Management is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on the Business' unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

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CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Accounting pronouncement (Continued)

        On March 17, 2016 the FASB issued the ASU 2016-08. This update releases Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-08—Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net). The amendments in this Update will clarify the implementation guidance on principal versus agent considerations. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. Management is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on the Business' unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

        On March 30, 2016 the FASB issued the ASU 2016-09. The Board is issuing this Update as part of its initiative to reduce complexity in accounting standards. The areas for simplification in this Update involve several aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. Some of the areas for simplification apply only to nonpublic entities. In addition, the amendments in this Update eliminate the guidance in Topic 718 that was indefinitely deferred shortly after the issuance of FASB Statement No. 123 (revised 2004), Share-Based Payment. This Accounting Standards Update is the final version of Proposed Accounting Standards Update—Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting, which has been deleted. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. Management is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on the Business' unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

        On April 14, 2016 the FASB issued the ASU 2016-10. This update releases Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-10—Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing. This Update clarifies guidance related to identifying performance obligations and licensing implementation guidance contained in the new revenue recognition standard. The Update includes targeted improvements based on input the Board received from the Transition Resource Group for Revenue Recognition and other stakeholders. The Update seeks to proactively address areas in which diversity in practice potentially could arise, as well as to reduce the cost and complexity of applying certain aspects of the guidance both at implementation and on an ongoing basis. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. Management is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on the Business' unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

        On May 3, 2016 the FASB issued the ASU 2016-11 on Revenue Recognition (Topic 605) and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815). The amendments in this Update eliminate some guidance related to revenue recognition and derivatives. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. Management is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on the Business' unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

        On May 9, 2016 the FASB issued the ASU 2016-12 "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)—Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients". The amendments in this update address narrow-scope improvements to the guidance on collectability, noncash consideration, and completed contracts at transition. Additionally, the amendments in this update provide a practical expedient for contract modifications at transition and an accounting policy election related to the presentation of sales taxes and other similar taxes collected from customers. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. Management is assessing the effects that

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CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

2. Accounting pronouncement (Continued)

the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on the Business' unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

        On June 16, 2016 the FASB issued the ASU 2016-13 "Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of credit losses on financial instruments". This update amends guidance on reporting credit losses for assets held at amortized cost basis and available for sale debt securities. For assets held at amortized cost basis, this update eliminates the probable initial recognition threshold in current GAAP and, instead, requires an entity to reflect its current estimate of all expected credit losses. For available for sale debt securities, credit losses should be measured in a manner similar to current GAAP, however this topic will require that credit losses be presented as an allowance rather than as a write-down. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Management is assessing the effects that the adoption of this accounting pronouncement may have on the Business' unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

3. Business Consolidation and Other activities

        During the six months ended June 30, 2016, the Business recognized charges of $11.7 million for professional services and other costs associated with the acquisition of Rexam Plc. The Business also recognized charges of $2.7 million for individually insignificant items for the six months ended June 30, 2016.

        During the six months ended June 30 2015, the Business recorded a charge of $4.7 million for the write down of property held for sale to fair value less cost to sell. The Business also recognized charge of $2.6 million for individually insignificant items for the six months ended June 30, 2015.

4. Receivables

($ in millions)
  June 30,
2016
(unaudited)
  December 31,
2015
 

Trade accounts receivable

  $ 312.7   $ 174.3  

Less allowances for doubtful accounts

    (5.7 )   (2.3 )

Net trade accounts receivable

    307.0     172.0  

Other receivables

    45.2     59.7  

  $ 352.2   $ 231.7  

        Ball has entered into several regional uncommitted accounts receivable factoring programs with various financial institutions for certain receivables of the European portion of the Business. The programs are accounted for as true sales of the receivables, without recourse to the Business. Receivables of $175.9 million and $190.4 million were sold under these programs as of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively.

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CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

5. Property, Plant and Equipment

($ in millions)
  June 30,
2016
(unaudited)
  December 31,
2015
 

Land

  $ 31.0   $ 23.6  

Buildings

    296.6     300.8  

Machinery and equipment

    1,284.5     1,252.1  

Construction-in-progress

    56.4     62.9  

    1,668.5     1,639.4  

Accumulated depreciation

    (863.6 )   (845.4 )

  $ 804.9   $ 794.0  

        Depreciation expense amounted to $39.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 (six months ended June 30, 2015: $36.7 million).

6. Goodwill

($ in millions)
  Total  

Balance at December 31, 2015 (a)

  $ 816.6  

Effects of currency exchange rates

    18.5  

Balance at June 30, 2016 (unaudited) (a)

  $ 835.1  

(a)
This balance is net of accumulated impairment losses of $44.4 million.

7. Intangibles and Other Assets

($ in millions)
  June 30,
2016
(unaudited)
  December 31,
2015
 

Intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization of $9.2 million and $10.7 million at June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively)

  $ 15.9   $ 15.1  

Capitalized software (net of accumulated amortization of $26.3 million and $27.3 million at June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively)

    20.9     21.7  

Long-term deferred tax assets

    43.8     26.6  

Other

    23.2     28.4  

  $ 103.8   $ 91.8  

        Total amortization expense of intangible assets and capitalized software amount to $3.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 (six months ended June 30, 2015: $3.4 million).

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CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

8. Debt and Interest Costs

        Long-term debt and interest rates in effect consisted of the following:

($ in millions)
  June 30,
2016
(unaudited)
  December 31,
2015
 

Multi-currency euro revolver due March 2021 (at variable rates)

  $ 66.6   $  

Other

    0.5     0.9  

Less: Current portion of long-term debt

        (0.3 )

  $ 67.1   $ 0.6  

        In February 2015, the Business extinguished its $92.9 million Term C loan. In connection with this extinguishment, the Business recorded a charge of $1.3 million, which is included in total interest expense, in the combined statements of earnings. There were no similar charges or costs recognized in the combined statements of earnings for the period ended June 30, 2016. At June 30, 2016, the Business had no significant amounts outstanding under short term uncommitted credit facilities.

        The Business had $66.6 million outstanding under a multi-currency revolving credit facility, entered into in March 2016 and available to Ball and certain of its subsidiaries including the Business.

        The Business also had approximately $124.4 million of short term uncommitted credit facilities available at June 30, 2016, of which $39.9 million was outstanding and due on demand.

        The fair value of the long term debt was estimated to approximate its carrying value. The fair value reflects the market rates at each period end for debt with credit ratings similar to the Business' ratings and is classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. Rates currently available to the Business for loans with similar terms and maturities are used to estimate the fair value of long term debt based on discounted cash flows.

9. Employee Benefit Obligations

        The Business' pension plans cover European employees meeting certain eligibility requirements. The defined benefit plans for certain salaried and hourly employees in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, provide pension benefits based on employee compensation and years of service. While the German plans are not funded, the Business maintains book reserves, and annual additions to the reserves are generally tax deductible. With the exception of the German plans, our policy is to fund the plans in amounts at least sufficient to satisfy statutory funding requirements taking into consideration what is currently deductible under existing tax laws and regulations.

        Contributions to the Business' defined benefit pension plans, not including the unfunded German plants, were $7.9 million in the first six months of 2016, and are expected to be approximately $20.4 million for the full year 2016. This estimate may change based on the any changes in actual plan asset performance and available cash flow, among other factors. Payments to participants in the unfunded German plans were $9.0 million in the first six months of 2016 and are expected to be approximately $17.7 million for the full year 2016.

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CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

10. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Earnings (Loss)

        The activity related to accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss) was as follows:

($ in millions)
  Foreign
Currency
Translation
  Pension
Benefits)
(Net of Tax)
  Effective
Derivatives
(Net of tax)
  Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Earnings (Loss)
 

January 1, 2016

  $ (163.9 ) $ (84.3 ) $ (6.7 ) $ (254.9 )

Other comprehensive earnings (loss) before reclassifications

    (25.5 )   (35.2 )   (2.7 )   (63.4 )

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)

        1.6     4.8     6.4  

June 30, 2016 (unaudited)

  $ (189.4 ) $ (117.9 ) $ (4.6 ) $ (311.9 )

 

($ in millions)
  Foreign
Currency
Translation
  Pension
Benefits)
(Net of Tax)
  Effective
Derivatives
(Net of tax)
  Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Earnings (Loss)
 

January 1, 2015

  $ (29.5 ) $ (118.8 ) $ (1.0 ) $ (149.3 )

Other comprehensive earnings (loss) before reclassifications

    (88.8 )   8.7     (6.9 )   (87.0 )

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)

        2.3     (0.9 )   1.4  

June 30, 2015 (unaudited)

  $ (118.3 ) $ (107.8 ) $ (8.8 ) $ (234.9 )

        The following table provides additional details of the amounts recognized into net earnings from accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss):

 
  Six months ended 30 June  
($ in millions)
  2016
(unaudited)
  2015
(unaudited)
 

Gains (losses) on cash flow hedges:

             

Commodity contracts and currency exchange contracts recorded in cost of sales          

  $ (4.9 ) $ 1.4  

Currency exchange contracts recorded in SG&A expense

    (0.4 )   (0.4 )

Total before tax effect

    (5.3 )   1.0  

Tax benefit (expense) on amounts reclassified into earnings

    0.5     (0.1 )

Recognized gain (loss)

  $ (4.8 ) $ 0.9  

Amortization of pension benefits:

             

Prior service income (cost)

  $ 0.2   $  

Acturial gains (losses)

    (2.5 )   (3.3 )

Total before tax effect

    (2.3 )   (3.3 )

Tax benefit (expense) on amounts reclassified into earnings

    0.7     1.0  

Recognized gain (loss)

  $ (1.6 ) $ (2.3 )

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CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

11. Related Party Transactions and Net Investment

        The unaudited condensed combined financial statements have been prepared on a stand-alone basis and have been derived from the consolidated financial statements and accounting records of Ball.

Allocation of General Corporate Expense

        During the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, we were allocated $19 million and $14 million, respectively, of net general corporate expenses incurred by Ball which are included within selling, general and administrative expenses in the unaudited condensed combined statements of earnings.

        The expense allocations have been determined on a basis management considers to be a reasonable reflection of the utilization of services provided or the benefit received by us during the periods presented. The allocations may not, however, reflect the expense we would have incurred as an independent company for the periods presented. Actual costs that may have been incurred if we had been a stand-alone company would depend on a number of factors, including the chosen organizational structure, what functions were outsourced or performed by employees and strategic decisions made in areas such as information technology and infrastructure. Accordingly, it is not practicable to estimate what our expenses would have been on a stand-alone basis.

Net Parent Investment

        The Business' European operations have historically participated in Ball's centralized cash management and funding system. Our working capital and capital expenditure requirements have historically been part of the corporate-wide cash management program for Ball. As part of this program, Ball maintains all cash generated by the Business' operations and cash required to meet the Business' operating and investing needs is provided by Ball as necessary. Net cash generated by or used by our operations is reflected as a component of net parent investment on the accompanying unaudited condensed combined balance sheets and as Net contributions (to)/from Parent on the accompanying unaudited condensed combined statements of cash flows.

        The Business has various intercompany amounts due to and from Ball and other Ball's businesses. These intercompany amounts resulted from various capital and other operating transactions of the Business and of Ball to which the Business was either a party or was an intermediary and are included in net parent investment in the unaudited condensed combined balance sheets. The related net intercompany interest is included in interest expense in the unaudited condensed combined statements of earnings.

        All significant intercompany transactions between the Business and Ball have been included in these unaudited condensed combined financial statements and are considered to be transacted through net parent investment in the accompanying unaudited condensed combined financial statements at the time the transaction is recorded. The total net effect of the settlement of these intercompany transactions represents capital contributions from or distributions to Ball and therefore is reflected in the accompanying unaudited condensed combined statements of cash flows as a financing activity, in the accompanying unaudited condensed combined statements of changes in net investment as Net contributions/(distributions) from/(to) Parent and in the accompanying unaudited condensed combined balance sheets as net parent investment.

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CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

11. Related Party Transactions and Net Investment (Continued)

        The components of the net transfers to and from Ball for the six month periods ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 are as follows:

 
  Six months ended June 30,  
($ in millions)
  2016
(unaudited)
  2015
(unaudited)
 

Cash pooling and general financing activities

  $ 80.2   $ 78.5  

Corporate allocations

    19.0     14.0  

Income tax expense

    15.4     16.9  

Net increase in net parent investment

  $ 114.6   $ 109.4  

Noncontrolling Interest

        A wholly-owned subsidiary of Ball owned an interest in a joint venture company (Latapack-Ball), organized and operating in Brazil, a portion of which is included in the Business. The Business recorded Ball's 60.1 percent ownership interest in Latapack-Ball and the corresponding non-controlling interest in our unaudited condensed combined financial statements. In December 2015, Ball acquired the remaining interests in its Latapack-Ball joint venture, $117.9 million of which relates to the Business. This transaction has been recorded as an increase in net parent investment and as reduction of non-controlling interest, with no impact on cash. Since this acquisition did not result in a change of control, it was treated as a transaction within net investment and resulted in the elimination of the non-controlling interest of the Business.

12. Financial Instruments and Risk Management

        The Business employs established risk management policies and procedures, which seek to reduce the Business' commercial risk exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates. However, there can be no assurance that these policies and procedures will be successful. Although the instruments utilized involve varying degrees of credit, market and interest risk, the counterparties to the agreements are expected to perform fully under the terms of the agreements. The Business monitors counterparty credit risk, including lenders, on a regular basis, but the Business cannot be certain that all risks will be discerned or that its risk management policies and procedures will always be effective. Additionally, in the event of default under Ball's master derivative agreements, the non-defaulting party has the option to set-off any amounts owed with regard to open derivative positions.

Commodity Price Risk

Aluminum

        The Business manages commodity price risk in connection with market price fluctuations of aluminum ingot through two different methods. First, the Business enters into container sales contracts that include aluminum ingot-based pricing terms that generally reflect the same price fluctuations under commercial purchase contracts for aluminum sheet. The terms include fixed, floating or pass-through aluminum ingot component pricing. Second, the Business uses certain derivative instruments such as

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CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12. Financial Instruments and Risk Management (Continued)

option and forward contracts as economic and cash flow hedges of commodity price risk where there are material differences between sales and purchase contracted pricing and volume.

        At June 30, 2016, the Business had aluminum contracts limiting its aluminum exposure with notional amounts of approximately $11.2 million, which received hedge accounting treatment. The aluminum contracts, which are recorded at fair value, include cash flow hedges that offset sales and purchase contracts of various terms and lengths. Cash flow hedges relate to forecasted transactions that expire within the next three years. Included in net investment at June 30, 2016, within accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss) is a net after-tax loss of $0.2 million associated with these contracts. A net gain of $0.2 million is expected to be recognized in the unaudited condensed combined statement of earnings during the next 12 months, the majority of which will be offset by pricing changes in sales and purchase contracts, thus resulting in little or no earnings impact to the Business.

Steel

        Most sales contracts involving our steel products either include provisions permitting the Business to pass through some or all steel cost changes incurred, or they incorporate annually negotiated steel prices.

Currency Exchange Rate Risk

        The Business' objective in managing exposure to currency fluctuations is to limit the exposure of cash flows and earnings to changes associated with currency exchange rate changes through the use of various derivative contracts. In addition, at times the Business manages earnings translation volatility through the use of currency option strategies, and the change in the fair value of those options is recorded in the Business' net earnings. The Business' currency translation risk results from the currencies in which we transact business. The Business faces currency exposures in our global operations as a result of various factors including selling our products in various currencies, purchasing raw materials and equipment in various currencies and tax exposures not denominated in the functional currency. Sales contracts are negotiated with customers to reflect cost changes and, where there is not an exchange pass-through arrangement, the Business uses forward and option contracts to manage currency exposures. At June 30, 2016 the Business had outstanding exchange forward contracts and option contracts with notional amounts totaling approximately $355.8 million. Approximately $2.1 million of net after-tax gain related to these contracts is included in accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss) at June 30, 2016, of which no gain or loss is expected to be recognized in the unaudited condensed combined statement of earnings during the next 12 months. The contracts outstanding at June 30, 2016, expire within the next five years.

Collateral Calls

        The Business' agreements with its financial counterparties require the Business to post collateral in certain circumstances when the negative mark to fair value of the derivative contracts exceeds specified levels. Additionally, the Business has collateral posting arrangements with certain customers on these derivative contracts. The cash flows of the margin calls are shown within the investing section of the Business' unaudited condensed combined statements of cash flows. As of June 30, 2016, the aggregate fair value of all derivative instruments with credit-risk-related contingent features that were in a net liability position was nil (December 31, 2015: $7.4 million) and no collateral was required to be posted.

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CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12. Financial Instruments and Risk Management (Continued)

Fair Value Measurements

        The Business has classified all applicable financial derivative assets and derivative liabilities as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy as of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, and presented those values in the table below. The Business' assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment and may affect the valuation of assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels.

 
  June 30, 2016 (unaudited)   December 31, 2015  
($ in millions)
  Derivatives
Designated as
Hedging
Instruments
  Derivatives not
Designated as
Hedging
Instruments
  Total   Derivatives
Designated as
Hedging
Instruments
  Derivatives not
Designated as
Hedging
Instruments
  Total  

Assets:

                                     

Commodity contracts

  $ 0.2   $   $ 0.2   $ 1.2   $   $ 1.2  

Foreign currency contracts

        0.1     0.1     1.9         1.9  

Total current derivative contracts

  $ 0.2   $ 0.1   $ 0.3   $ 3.1   $   $ 3.1  

Commodity contracts

  $   $   $   $ 0.5   $   $ 0.5  

Total noncurrent derivative contracts

  $   $   $   $ 0.5   $   $ 0.5  

Liabilities:

                                     

Commodity contracts

  $ 0.1   $   $ 0.1   $ 2.2   $   $ 2.2  

Foreign currency contracts

        0.7     0.7         0.1     0.1  

Total current derivative contracts

  $ 0.1   $ 0.7   $ 0.8   $ 2.2   $ 0.1   $ 2.3  

Commodity contracts

  $   $   $   $ 6.1   $   $ 6.1  

Total noncurrent derivative contracts

  $   $   $   $ 6.1   $   $ 6.1  

        The Business uses closing spot and forward market prices as published by the LME, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Reuters and Bloomberg to determine the fair value of any outstanding aluminum and currency spot and forward contracts. Option contracts are valued using a Black-Scholes model with observable market inputs for aluminum and currency. We value each of our financial instruments either internally using a single valuation technique or from a reliable observable market source. The Business does not adjust the value of its financial instruments except in determining the fair value of a trade that settles in the future by discounting the value to its present value using 12-month LIBOR as the discount factor. The Business performs validations of our internally derived fair values reported for our financial instruments on a quarterly basis utilizing counterparty valuation statements. The Business periodically evaluates counterparty creditworthiness and, as of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, has not identified any material circumstances requiring that the reported values of our financial instruments be adjusted.

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CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12. Financial Instruments and Risk Management (Continued)

        The following table provides the effects of derivative instruments in the unaudited condensed combined statements of earnings and on unaudited condensed combined accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss):

Impact on Earnings from Derivative Instruments

 
   
  Six months ended June 30,  
 
   
  2016 (unaudited)   2015 (unaudited)  
($ in millions)
  Location of Gain (Loss)
Recognized in Earnings
on Derivatives
  Cash Flow
Hedge-
Reclassified
Amount
From Other
Comprehensive
Earnings (Loss)
  Gain (Loss) on
Derivatives Not
Designated As
Hedge
Instruments
  Cash Flow
Hedge-
Reclassified
Amount From
Other
Comprehensive
Earnings (Loss)
  Gain (Loss) on
Derivatives Not
Designated As
Hedge
Instruments
 

Commodity contracts—

                             

manage exposure to supplier pricing

  Cost of sales   $ (4.9 ) $   $ 1.4   $  

Foreign currency contracts—

                             

manage general risk within the business

  Selling, general and administrative     (0.4 )   (0.9 )   (0.5 )   0.1  

Total

      $ (5.3 ) $ (0.9 ) $ 0.9   $ 0.1  

        The changes in accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss) for effective derivatives were as follows:

 
  Six months
ended June 30,
 
($ in millions)
  2016
(unaudited)
  2015
(unaudited)
 

Amounts reclassified into earnings:

             

Commodity contracts

  $ 4.9   $ (1.4 )

Currency exchange contracts

    0.4     0.5  

Change in fair value of cash flow hedges:

             

Commodity contracts

    (2.9 )   (1.5 )

Currency exchange contracts

        (6.0 )

Foreign currency and tax impacts

    (0.3 )   0.6  

  $ 2.1   $ (7.8 )

13. Contingencies

        The Business is subject to numerous lawsuits, claims or proceedings arising out of the ordinary course of business, including actions related to product liability; personal injury; the use and performance of its products; warranty matters; patent, trademark or other intellectual property infringement; contractual liability; the conduct of its business; tax reporting in domestic and foreign

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CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

13. Contingencies (Continued)

jurisdictions; workplace safety; and environmental and other matters. Some of these lawsuits, claims and proceedings involve substantial amounts, and some of the environmental proceedings involve potential monetary costs or sanctions that may be material. Ball and the Business have denied liability with respect to many of these lawsuits, claims and proceedings and are vigorously defending such lawsuits, claims and proceedings. Ball carries various forms of commercial, property and casualty, and other forms of insurance; however, such insurance may not be applicable or adequate to cover the costs associated with a judgment against Ball or the Business with respect to these lawsuits, claims and proceedings. The Business does not believe that these lawsuits, claims and proceedings are material individually or in the aggregate. While management believes the Business has established adequate accruals for expected future liability with respect to pending lawsuits, claims and proceedings, where the nature and extent of any such liability can be reasonably estimated based upon then presently available information, there can be no assurance that the final resolution of any existing or future lawsuits, claims or proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on the liquidity, results of operations or financial condition of the Business.

        The Business' Brazilian operations are involved in various governmental assessments, principally related to claims for taxes on the internal transfer of inventory, gross revenue taxes and tax incentives. The Business does not believe that the ultimate resolution of these matters will materially impact the results of operations, financial position or cash flows. Under customary local regulations, the Business may need to post cash or other collateral if the process to challenge any administrative assessment proceeds to the Brazilian court system; however, the level of any potential cash or collateral required would not be expected to significantly impact the liquidity of the Business.

14. Indemnifications and Guarantees

General Guarantees

        The Business or its appropriate consolidated direct or indirect subsidiaries have made certain indemnities, commitments and guarantees under which the specified entity may be required to make payments in relation to certain transactions. These indemnities, commitments and guarantees include indemnities to the customers of the subsidiaries in connection with the sales of their packaging products and services; guarantees to suppliers of subsidiaries of the Business guaranteeing the performance of the respective entity under a purchase agreement, construction contract or other commitment; guarantees in respect of certain foreign subsidiaries' pension plans; indemnities for liabilities associated with the infringement of third party patents, trademarks or copyrights under various types of agreements; indemnities to governmental agencies in connection with the issuance of a permit or license to the Business or a subsidiary. The duration of these indemnities, commitments and guarantees varies and, in certain cases, is indefinite. In addition, many of these indemnities, commitments and guarantees do not provide for any limitation on the maximum potential future payments the Business could be obligated to make. As such, the Business is unable to reasonably estimate its potential exposure under these items.

        The Business has not recorded any liability for these indemnities, commitments and guarantees in the accompanying unaudited condensed combined balance sheets. The Business does, however, accrue for payments under promissory notes and other evidences of incurred indebtedness and for losses for any known contingent liability, including those that may arise from indemnifications, commitments and guarantees, when future payment is both reasonably estimable and probable. Finally, the Ball carries

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CERTAIN METAL BEVERAGE PACKAGING OPERATIONS OF BALL CORPORATION

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

14. Indemnifications and Guarantees (Continued)

general liability insurance policies that covers the locations included in the Business and has obtained indemnities, commitments and guarantees from third party purchasers, sellers and other contracting parties, which the Business believes would, in certain circumstances, provide recourse to any claims arising from these indemnifications, commitments and guarantees.

15. Subsequent Events

        There have been no material events subsequent to June 30, 2016 which would require adjustment or additional disclosure to the unaudited condensed combined financial statements.

F-128


Independent Auditor's Report

To the Directors of Rexam PLC

        We have audited the accompanying combined carve out financial statements of Certain Beverage Can Operations of Rexam PLC, which comprise the combined balance sheet as at December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, and the related combined income statement, combined statement of comprehensive income, combined cash flow statement, combined statement of changes in net invested capital and the related notes to the combined carve out financial statements for the years then ended (the combined carve out financial statements).

Management's Responsibility for the Combined Carve Out Financial Statements

        Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the combined carve out financial statements in accordance with applicable law and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). This includes the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of combined carve out financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

Auditor's Responsibility

        Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the combined carve out financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the combined carve out financial statements are free from material misstatement.

        An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the combined carve out financial statements. The procedures selected depend on our judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the combined carve out financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, we consider internal control relevant to the Company's preparation and fair presentation of the combined carve out financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the combined carve out financial statements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

Opinion

        In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Certain Beverage Can Operations of Rexam PLC as at December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, and the results of the operations and cash flows for the years then ended in accordance with IFRSs as adopted by the IASB.

Emphasis of matter—basis of preparation

        The basis of preparation and accounting policies used in preparing these combined carve out financial statements are each discussed in notes 1 and 3 to the combined carve out financial statements.

        This basis of preparation sets out the method used in identifying the financial position, performance and cash flows in relation to each of the plants which have been included in this set of

F-129


combined carve out financial statements. These notes explain that the businesses included in the combined carve out financial statements have not operated as a single entity. These combined carve out financial statements are, therefore, not necessarily indicative of results that would have occurred if the businesses had operated as a single business during the year presented or of future results of the combined businesses. Our opinion is not modified with respect to these matters.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
London, United Kingdom
March 31, 2016

F-130



CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

COMBINED INCOME STATEMENT

 
   
  For the years ended December 31  
 
  Notes   2015   2014   2013  
 
   
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Sales

        900.4     894.6     984.9  

Cost of sales

  4     (704.9 )   (684.2 )   (759.0 )

Gross profit

        195.5     210.4     225.9  

Selling and distribution costs

  4     (83.5 )   (86.3 )   (91.4 )

Administrative expenses

  4     (31.2 )   (34.5 )   (35.7 )

Research and development

  4     (2.3 )   (2.7 )   (3.0 )

Exceptional items

  6     (11.2 )        

Profit before tax

        67.3     86.9     95.8  

Tax

  7     (24.2 )   (30.0 )   (31.9 )

Profit for the year

        43.1     56.9     63.9  

   

The accompanying notes form part of the combined carve out financial statements.

F-131



CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

COMBINED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

 
  For the years ended
December 31
 
 
  2015   2014   2013  
 
  (in £ millions)
 

Profit for the year

    43.1     56.9     63.9  

Other comprehensive income/(loss) for the year:

                   

Items that may be reclassified to profit or loss:

                   

Exchange differences

    14.3     9.6     (4.0 )

Total comprehensive income for the year

    57.4     66.5     59.9  

   

The accompanying notes form part of the combined carve out financial statements.

F-132



CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

COMBINED BALANCE SHEET

 
   
  As at December 31  
 
  Notes   2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
   
  (in £ millions)
 

Assets

                             

Non current assets

                             

Goodwill

  8     303.3     293.0     287.4     290.0  

Other intangible assets

  9     2.9     2.5     2.7     3.3  

Property, plant and equipment

  10     180.4     173.5     181.8     181.2  

Trade and other receivables

  12     23.9     10.7     11.5     16.7  

Deferred tax assets

  7         0.2     0.2      

        510.5     479.9     483.6     491.2  

Current assets

                             

Inventories

  11     74.7     78.0     74.7     62.1  

Trade and other receivables

  12     39.9     47.4     50.5     57.5  

        114.6     125.4     125.2     119.6  

Total assets

        625.1     605.3     608.8     610.8  

Liabilities

                             

Current liabilities

                             

Trade and other payables

  13     (138.6 )   (132.2 )   (124.3 )   (141.0 )

Provisions

  15     (1.1 )            

        (139.7 )   (132.2 )   (124.3 )   (141.0 )

Non current liabilities

                             

Deferred tax liabilities

  7     (28.3 )   (30.0 )   (31.5 )   (30.1 )

Trade and other payables

  13     (4.7 )   (3.5 )   (4.9 )   (7.5 )

Provisions

  15     (0.6 )            

        (33.6 )   (33.5 )   (36.4 )   (37.6 )

Total liabilities

        (173.3 )   (165.7 )   (160.7 )   (178.6 )

Net assets

        451.8     439.6     448.1     432.2  

Net invested capital

        451.8     439.6     448.1     432.2  

   

The accompanying notes form part of the combined carve out financial statements.

F-133



CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

COMBINED CASH FLOW STATEMENT

 
   
  For the years
ended
December 31
 
 
  Notes   2015   2014   2013  
 
   
  (in £ millions)
 

Cash flows from operating activities

                       

Cash generated from operations

  16     102.5     123.5     107.3  

Tax paid

  7     (27.2 )   (33.1 )   (30.1 )

Net cash flows from operating activities

        75.3     90.4     77.2  

Cash flows used in investing activities

                       

Capital expenditure

        (30.1 )   (15.4 )   (33.2 )

Net cash flows used in investing activities

        (30.1 )   (15.4 )   (33.2 )

Cash flows used in financing activities

                       

Net transfers to Rexam

        (45.2 )   (75.0 )   (44.0 )

Net cash flows used in financing activities

        (45.2 )   (75.0 )   (44.0 )

Net change in cash and cash equivalents

                 

   

The accompanying notes form part of the combined carve out financial statements.

F-134



CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

COMBINED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET INVESTED CAPITAL

 
  For the years ended
December 31
 
 
  2015   2014   2013  
 
  (in £ million)
 

Balance at January 1

    439.6     448.1     432.2  

Profit for the year

    43.1     56.9     63.9  

Exchange differences

    14.3     9.6     (4.0 )

Net transfers to Rexam

    (45.2 )   (75.0 )   (44.0 )

Balance at December 31

    451.8     439.6     448.1  

   

The accompanying notes form part of the combined carve out financial statements.

F-135



CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. Nature of operations and basis of presentation

        The combined carve out financial statements reflect certain wholly owned beverage can operations (the Business) of Rexam PLC (Rexam), a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange based in London, UK. Rexam is a leading global beverage can maker. The Business manufactures aluminum and steel cans for a wide variety of beverages, including carbonated soft drinks, beer and energy drinks.

        The Business comprises the following manufacturing plants in Europe and the United States:

    Europe: Valdemorillo, Spain and Enzesfeld, Austria;

    United States: Bishopville, SC; Chicago, IL; Fairfield, CA; Fremont, OH; Olive Branch, MS; Valparaiso, IN; Whitehouse, OH; Winston-Salem, NC.

        The Business also comprises the assets and liabilities of the regional headquarters office in Chicago, IL.

        The combined carve-out financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. Rexam applies IFRS as endorsed by the European Union (EU) in its consolidated financial statements. For the purposes of the combined carve out financial statements, no differences exist between IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and IFRS as endorsed by the EU. The combined carve out financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention unless otherwise determined by IFRS.

        Under IFRS1, 'First Time Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards', a number of exemptions are permitted to be taken in preparing the combined balance sheet at the date of transition to IFRS. For the purposes of the combined carve out financial statements, the Business has measured its assets and liabilities at the carrying amounts that were included in Rexam's consolidated financial statements, based on Rexam's date of transition to IFRS as endorsed by the EU on January 1, 2004. The Business has assumed a transition date to IFRS of January 1, 2013. All references to 2012 in the combined carve out financial statements relate to the transition date of January 1, 2013.

        The results and financial position of the Business have historically formed a component of Rexam's consolidated financial statements as prepared under IFRS as endorsed by the EU. However the Business has not previously prepared or reported any combined financial information or financial statements, and therefore no reconciliations from previous financial information to IFRS have been presented.

        The Business does not constitute a separate legal group. The combined carve out financial statements have been prepared specifically for the purpose of facilitating the divestment of the Business and on a basis that combines the results and assets and liabilities of each of the manufacturing plants, warehouses and operations constituting the Business by applying the principles underlying the consolidation procedures of IFRS10 'Consolidated Financial Statements'. The combined carve out financial statements have been prepared on a carve out basis from the consolidated financial statements of Rexam and include the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses that management has determined are attributable to the Business.

        To determine the assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses that are considered attributable to the Business, management have reassessed how Rexam has historically reported. This included reassessing Rexam's European supply chain and limited risk distributor arrangements in order to attribute revenue

F-136



CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

1. Nature of operations and basis of presentation (Continued)

and costs based on place of production. A production based attribution method reflects arrangements whereby a sales transaction might be fulfilled with inventory produced by several plants. Therefore, each plant that produces and contributes inventory towards a sales transaction will record a portion of the sales transaction's revenue and also incur the associated costs. Additionally, revenue by plant is used to attribute trade receivables as at the balance sheet date. For the US plants, there is no equivalent supply chain and distributor arrangement and therefore no equivalent revenue and related cost assumption is required or applied. All US revenue and related costs are directly attributable to a specific plant.

        The combined carve out financial statements reflect all of the costs of doing business related to the operations of the Business, including expenses incurred by other entities on its behalf. They include allocations of direct and indirect costs made by Rexam to depict the Business on a stand-alone basis. Indirect costs relate to certain support functions that are provided on a centralized basis within Rexam, including Rexam shared service centre locations. As certain expenses reflected in the combined carve out financial statements are allocated, the combined carve out financial statements may not be indicative of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows that would have been presented if the Business had been a stand-alone entity. Therefore, the combined carve out financial statements may not necessarily be indicative of the future financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Business. Actual costs that may have been incurred if the Business had been a stand-alone company would depend on a number of factors, including the chosen organizational structure, what functions were outsourced or performed by employees and strategic decisions made in areas such as information technology and infrastructure. Accordingly, it is not practicable to estimate what the expenses of the Business would have been on a stand-alone basis.

        As Rexam uses a centralized cash management system, allocated costs and expenses have generally been deemed to have been paid by the Business to Rexam in the year in which the costs were incurred and assumed to be remitted to Rexam as reflected within the combined cash flow statement as net transfers to Rexam. Current income taxes are deemed to have been remitted in cash to Rexam in the year they were recorded in the combined income statement. A discussion of the relationship with Rexam, including a description of the costs that have been allocated to the Business, is included in Note 19.

        All significant intercompany transactions within the Business have been eliminated.

        Since the Business has not in the past constituted a separate legal group, it is not possible to show share capital or an analysis of reserves of the Business. The net assets of the Business are represented by the cumulative investment of Rexam in the Business, shown as net invested capital in the combined balance sheet. The year on year movement in net invested capital is shown in the combined statement of changes in net invested capital.

        All significant intercompany transactions between the Business and Rexam have been included in these combined carve out financial statements and are considered to be transacted through net invested capital in the accompanying combined carve out financial statements at the time the transaction is recorded. The total net effect of the settlement of these intercompany transactions represents capital contributions from or distributions to Rexam and therefore is reflected in the accompanying combined cash flow statement as a financing activity, in the accompanying combined statement of changes in net invested capital as Net transfers to Rexam and in the accompanying combined balance sheet as Net invested capital.

F-137



CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

1. Nature of operations and basis of presentation (Continued)

        The combined carve out financial statements were authorized for issue by Rexam on March 31, 2016.

2. Going concern

        The Business meets its working capital requirements through being a component of Rexam. Rexam has the resources to continue to enable the Business to meet its liabilities as they fall due. Based on this, management has a reasonable expectation that the Business has adequate resources to continue its operations for the foreseeable future while it remains a component of Rexam. The Business therefore has adopted the going concern basis in preparing the combined carve out financial statements.

3. Principal accounting policies

Key estimates and assumptions

        The preparation of the combined carve out financial statements in accordance with IFRS requires the use of estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Although these estimates are based on management's best knowledge of the amount, events or actions, actual results may ultimately differ from those estimates. The key estimates and assumptions used in the combined carve out financial statements are set out below.

(i)    Goodwill impairment testing

        Goodwill is tested for impairment at each year end and at any time where there is any indication that goodwill may be impaired. The recoverable amount of a cash generating unit (CGU) is based on the higher of fair value less costs of disposal or value in use. This calculation requires the use of estimates which include cash flow projections for each CGU and discount rates based on Rexam's weighted average cost of capital, adjusted for any business or geographic risk relevant to the particular CGU. For details of goodwill impairment testing for the Business and the key estimates used see Note 8.

(ii)    Allocation of costs

        The Business receives various administrative services from Rexam shared service providers. The combined carve out financial statements reflect allocated expenses associated with these centralized Rexam support functions and also include other allocated overhead costs related to the support functions. These allocations are based on a number of utilization measures including revenue, headcount and IT users. The use of alternative measures could result in different allocated expenses. For details of cost allocations see Note 19.

(iii)    Revenue recognition

        Revenue from the sale of goods is measured at the fair value of the consideration, net of rebates and trade discounts. Revenue from the sale of goods is recognized when the Business has transferred the significant risks and rewards of ownership of the goods to the buyer, when the amount of revenue can be measured reliably and when it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the Business, typically on delivery of goods. Rexam enters into, and the

F-138



CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

3. Principal accounting policies (Continued)

Business participates in, long term contracts with both customers and suppliers. In certain cases the Business participates in up front payments in relation to these contracts which are charged against sales in respect of customers, and operating expenses in respect of suppliers, over their useful economic lives, typically being the related contract term. In addition, the Business recognizes any rebates receivable or payable in accordance with the terms of these long term contracts, which are typically volume based. There is judgment in respect of some of the more complex long term contracts relating to the timing of revenue recognition, any related rebates and the period over which up front payments are recognized in the combined income statement.

Retirement benefit obligations

        The combined carve out financial statements include costs in relation to retirement benefit obligations. Rexam operates, and the Business participates in, certain defined benefit pension plans in the UK, US and Austria, and medical benefit plans in the US. The costs depend on factors such as life expectancy of the members, the salary progression of current employees, the returns that plan assets generate and the discount rate used to calculate the present value of the liabilities. The current service cost and administration costs are included in administrative expenses in the combined income statement. As the Business participates in, but is not the sponsoring entity for any defined benefit pension plans or medical benefit plans, the multi-employer exemption in IAS19 'Employee Benefits' has been taken with the result that all costs have been allocated to the combined income statement but no amounts are recorded in the combined balance sheet.

        Rexam also operates, and the Business participates in, defined contribution pension plans. A defined contribution pension plan is one under which fixed contributions are paid to a third party and there are no further payment obligations once the contributions have been paid. The allocated contributions are included in administrative expenses in the combined income statement.

Share based payment

        Rexam operates, and the Business participates in, equity and cash settled share option schemes. As the Business participates in, but is not the sponsoring entity of these plans, all costs have been allocated to the combined income statement but no amounts are recorded in the combined balance sheet.

Income taxes

        Tax in the combined income statement represents the sum of current tax and deferred tax. Income taxes are presented on a separate tax return basis as if the Business were a stand-alone entity. The current tax charge is calculated on the basis of tax laws enacted or substantially enacted at the balance sheet date in countries where the Business operates and generates taxable income. The Business recognizes deferred taxes using the liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets have been recognized where it is probable that they will be recovered. In recognizing deferred tax assets, the Business has considered if it is more likely than not that sufficient future profits will be available to absorb all temporary differences. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are only offset in the combined

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

3. Principal accounting policies (Continued)

balance sheet where there is a legally enforceable right of offset and there is an intention to settle the balance net. Additional taxes may arise following the proposed divestment of the Business by Rexam.

Foreign currencies

        The combined carve out financial statements are presented in sterling. The balance sheets of non sterling operations are translated into sterling using the exchange rate at the balance sheet date and the income statements are translated into sterling using the average exchange rate for the year. The functional currencies of the Business are those of the primary economic environments in which it operates and in all cases are the local currencies.

        The principal exchange rates against sterling used in the combined carve out financial statements are as follows:

 
  Average
2015
  Closing
2015
  Average
2014
  Closing
2014
  Average
2013
  Closing
2013
  Closing
2012
 

Euro

    1.38     1.36     1.24     1.28     1.18     1.20     1.23  

US dollar

    1.53     1.48     1.65     1.56     1.56     1.65     1.62  

Exceptional items

        Items which are exceptional, being material in terms of size and/or nature, are presented separately in the combined income statement. The principal events which may give rise to exceptional items include restructuring, goodwill impairments, major asset impairments and disposals and employee incentive related costs with respect to the proposed acquisition of Rexam by Ball.

Goodwill

        Goodwill, when initially recognized, represents the excess of the cost of an acquisition over the interest in the fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities of the acquiree at acquisition. Goodwill is carried at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. Goodwill in the combined carve out financial statements has been proportionally allocated to the plants included within the parameter relative to the total historic goodwill recognized at the date of acquisition. Goodwill is allocated to CGU's for the purposes of impairment testing. CGU's have been determined to be the US and Europe, which is consistent with the CGU's identified by Rexam. Internally generated goodwill is not recognized as an asset.

Other intangible assets

        Other intangible assets are carried at cost less accumulated amortization and accumulated impairment losses. Amortization begins when an asset is available for use and is calculated on a straight line basis to allocate the cost of the asset over its estimated useful life as follows:

Computer software acquired

  2 to 3 years

Computer software developed

  Up to 7 years

Other

  Up to 17 years

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NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

3. Principal accounting policies (Continued)

        The cost of separately acquired intangible assets, including computer software, comprises the purchase price and any directly attributable costs of preparing the asset for use. Computer software development costs that are directly associated with the implementation of major business systems are capitalized as intangible assets. Expenditure on research is recognized as an expense in the combined income statement as incurred.

Property, plant and equipment

        Property, plant and equipment is carried at cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses. Cost comprises purchase price and directly attributable costs. Assets under construction are not depreciated. For all other property, plant and equipment, depreciation is calculated on a straight line basis to allocate cost, less residual value of the assets, over their estimated useful lives as follows:

Freehold buildings

  Up to 50 years

Manufacturing machinery

  7 to 20 years

Computer hardware

  Up to 8 years

Fixtures, fittings and vehicles

  4 to 10 years

        Following an evaluation of the estimated useful lives of manufacturing machinery in 2015, the Business increased the useful lives to a maximum of 20 years from 17 years, effective January 1, 2015. The impact of this change was to reduce the 2015 depreciation charge by £1.5m and increase the tax charge by £0.5m. The evaluation was carried out by a third party appraiser.

        Residual values and useful lives are reviewed at least each year end.

Impairment of assets

        This policy applies to all assets except inventories, deferred tax assets and financial assets. At each balance sheet date the Business assesses whether there is any indication that an asset may be impaired. Where an indicator of impairment exists, the Business makes an estimate of recoverable amount. Where the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its recoverable amount the asset is written down to its recoverable amount. Recoverable amount is based on the higher of fair value less costs of disposal or value in use and is determined for an individual asset. If the asset does not generate cash inflows that are largely independent of those from other assets or groups of assets, the recoverable amount of the CGU to which the asset belongs is determined. Discount rates reflecting the asset specific risks and the time value of money are used for the value in use calculation.

        When an asset is written down to its recoverable amount, the impairment loss is recognized as an expense in the combined income statement in the year in which is it incurred. Impairment losses incurred in CGU's are applied against the carrying amount of goodwill allocated to the units. Should circumstances change which result in a reversal of a previous impairment, the value of the asset is increased and the reversal is recognized in the combined income statement in the year in which it occurs. The increase in the carrying amount of the asset is limited to the amount which would have been recorded had no impairment been recognized in prior years. Impairment losses applied to goodwill are not reversed.

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NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

3. Principal accounting policies (Continued)

Inventories

        Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Cost is determined on a first in first out basis. Cost comprises directly attributable purchase and conversion costs and an allocation of production overheads based on normal operating capacity. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price less estimated costs to completion and selling costs. Provisions against the value of inventories are made for slow moving or obsolete inventory.

Provisions

        Provisions are recognized when a present obligation exists in respect of a past event and where the amount can be reliably estimated. Provisions for restructuring are recognized for direct expenditure on business reorganizations where plans are sufficiently detailed and well advanced, and where appropriate communication to those affected has been undertaken on or before the balance sheet date. Provisions are discounted where the time value of money is considered to be material.

Leases

        Payments made under operating leases are recognized as an expense in the combined income statement on a straight line basis over the lease term. The Business does not have any finance leases.

Financial instruments

        Derivatives, comprising foreign currency contracts relating to capital expenditure that are specifically attributable to the Business, are measured at fair value. In addition, Rexam operates, and the Business participates in, certain aluminum and steel commodity contracts. As these contracts are not specific to the Business, no amounts are recorded in the combined balance sheet; however the combined income statement reflects full allocation of the related hedging results.

        Trade and other receivables are initially measured at fair value and subsequently measured at amortized cost less any provision for impairment. They are discounted where the time value of money is considered material. Trade and other payables are measured at cost.

        Derivatives are included in trade and other receivables and trade and other payables when considered not to be material.

New accounting standards and interpretations

        The following accounting standards are effective for accounting periods beginning after January 1, 20I5 and have not yet been adopted by the Business.

        (i)    IFRS9 "Financial Instruments".    The standard addresses the classification, measurement and recognition of financial assets and liabilities. The standard is effective for accounting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018 and earlier adoption is permitted subject to EU endorsement. The Business has yet to assess the impact of IFRS9.

        (ii)    IFRS15 "Revenue from Contracts with Customers".    The standard addresses revenue recognition and establishes principles for reporting information about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from an entity's contracts with customers. The standard is effective for accounting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018 and earlier adoption is permitted subject to EU endorsement. The Business has yet to assess the impact of IFRS15.

F-142



CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

3. Principal accounting policies (Continued)

        (iii)    IFRS16 "Leases".    The standard addresses the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases. The standard is effective for accounting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019 and earlier adoption is permitted subject to EU endorsement and only for entities that apply IFRS15 at or before the date of initial application of this standard. The Business has yet to assess the impact of IFRS16.

        There are no other IFRSs or IFRS Interpretation Committee interpretations not yet effective that would be expected to have an impact on the Business.

4. Operating expenses

        The following operating expense items are included in the combined income statement.

 
  2015   2014   2013  
 
  (in £ millions)
 

Raw materials used

    (533.7 )   (515.1 )   (576.7 )

Employee benefit expense (Note 5)

    (110.0 )   (103.7 )   (113.8 )

Freight costs

    (61.1 )   (59.5 )   (63.2 )

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

    (29.2 )   (26.9 )   (27.7 )

Amortization of intangible assets

    (0.7 )   (0.4 )   (0.5 )

Operating lease rental expense

    (2.8 )   (2.7 )   (3.4 )

        Employee benefit expense and depreciation of property, plant and equipment in the above table include exceptional items.

5. Employee benefit expense

 
  2015   2014   2013  
 
  (in £ millions)
 

Wages and salaries

    (90.1 )   (84.6 )   (89.4 )

Social security

    (7.8 )   (7.7 )   (8.0 )

Share based payment

    (1.4 )   (2.4 )   (6.3 )

Defined benefit pension plans

    (8.2 )   (6.7 )   (6.9 )

Medical benefit plans

    (0.9 )   (0.8 )   (1.2 )

Defined contribution pension plans

    (1.6 )   (1.5 )   (2.0 )

Total employee benefit expense

    (110.0 )   (103.7 )   (113.8 )

        The charge for share based payment relates wholly to corporate allocations. Defined benefit pension plans include corporate allocations of £4.7m for 2015 (2014: £3.2m, 2013: £2.5m). Medical benefit plans include corporate allocations of £nil for 2015 (2014: £0.1m, 2013: £0.1m). Defined contribution pension plans include corporate allocations of £0.8m for 2015 (2014: £0.6m, 2013: £0.9m).

        The combined carve out financial statements do not include key management compensation as the Rexam Executive Leadership Team (ELT) does not form part of the Business. However, the combined income statement includes an allocation for employee benefit expense relating to the ELT.

F-143



CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

6. Exceptional items

 
  2015  
 
  (in £ millions)
 

Conversion of the Valdemorillo plant from steel to aluminum

    (7.1 )

Employee related incentive costs

    (4.1 )

Exceptional items before tax

    (11.2 )

Tax on exceptional items

    3.5  

Exceptional items after tax

    (7.7 )

        Employee related incentive costs have been incurred as a consequence of the proposed acquisition of Rexam by Ball. There were no exceptional items in 2014 or 2013.

7. Tax

(i)    Tax included in the combined income statement

 
  2015   2014   2013  
 
  (in £ millions)
 

Current tax

    (27.2 )   (33.1 )   (30.1 )

Deferred tax

    3.0     3.1     (1.8 )

    (24.2 )   (30.0 )   (31.9 )

(ii)    Tax reconciliation

        A reconciliation of the tax charge applicable to the profit before tax at the US rate of 35% with the tax charge in the combined income statement is set out below. The US tax rate is used as the majority of the Business is US based.

 
  2015   2014   2013  
 
  (in £ millions)
 

Profit before tax

    67.3     86.9     95.8  

Tax charge at the US rate of 35%

    (23.6 )   (30.4 )   (33.5 )

US state taxes net of federal benefit

    (1.9 )   (2.0 )   (2.2 )

Spanish property, plant and equipment tax revaluation

            1.2  

Lower domestic tax rates on non US earnings

    1.3     2.4     2.6  

Tax charge in the combined income statement

    (24.2 )   (30.0 )   (31.9 )

Effective tax rate

    36.0 %   34.5 %   33.3 %

F-144



CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

7. Tax (Continued)

(iii)    Analysis of deferred tax

        The following table sets out the deferred tax assets and liabilities included in the combined balance sheet.

 
  2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  (in £ millions)
 

Deferred tax assets

        0.2     0.2      

Deferred tax liabilities

    (28.3 )   (30.0 )   (31.5 )   (30.1 )

Net deferred tax liabilities

    (28.3 )   (29.8 )   (31.3 )   (30.1 )
 
  Accelerated tax
depreciation
  Other
temporary
differences
  Total  
 
  (in £ millions)
 

At January 1, 2015

    (30.2 )   0.4     (29.8 )

Exchange differences

    (1.5 )       (1.5 )

Credit for the year

    2.9     0.1     3.0  

At December 31, 2015

    (28.8 )   0.5     (28.3 )

At January 1, 2014

    (31.9 )   0.6     (31.3 )

Exchange differences

    (1.6 )       (1.6 )

Credit/(charge) for the year

    3.3     (0.2 )   3.1  

At December 31, 2014

    (30.2 )   0.4     (29.8 )

At January 1, 2013

    (31.7 )   1.6     (30.1 )

Exchange differences

    0.6         0.6  

Charge for the year

    (0.8 )   (1.0 )   (1.8 )

At December 31, 2013

    (31.9 )   0.6     (31.3 )

        Deferred tax assets and liabilities are presented as non current in the combined balance sheet. All deferred tax assets are recoverable within one year.

        The following table sets out the gross amounts of deferred tax assets and liabilities in respect of each type of temporary difference.

 
  2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  (in £ millions)
 

Deferred tax assets:

                         

Other temporary differences

    3.4     3.1     2.5     3.2  

Deferred tax liabilities:

                         

Accelerated tax depreciation

    (28.8 )   (30.2 )   (31.9 )   (31.7 )

Other temporary differences

    (2.9 )   (2.7 )   (1.9 )   (1.6 )

    (31.7 )   (32.9 )   (33.8 )   (33.3 )

Net deferred tax liabilities

    (28.3 )   (29.8 )   (31.3 )   (30.1 )

F-145



CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

8. Goodwill

(1)    Summary

 
  2015   2014   2013  
 
  (in £ millions)
 

Cost and carrying value at the beginning of the year

    293.0     287.4     290.0  

Exchange differences

    10.3     5.6     (2.6 )

Cost and carrying value at the end of the year

    303.3     293.0     287.4  

        Goodwill is monitored at a CGU level, which is an allocation of goodwill attributable to equivalent CGU's within Rexam. The following table sets out the carrying value of goodwill that is allocated to CGU's as at December 31.

 
  2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

United States

    230.1     216.1     205.0     208.8  

Europe

    73.2     76.9     82.4     81.2  

    303.3     293.0     287.4     290.0  

(ii)    Impairment testing

        The recoverable amounts of CGU's are determined based on value in use calculations at the end of each year. The cash flow projections used in these calculations are based on Rexam approved financial budgets and financial plans over a period from 2013 to 2018 and represent cash flows attributable directly to the CGU's included within the combined carve out financial statements. The calculation of value in use requires the use of estimates which, although based on management's best knowledge, may ultimately differ from actual results.

        The key assumptions for the value in use calculations are:

        (a)    Discount rates.    The pre tax discount rates used in the value in use calculations are set out in the table below. These discount rates are derived from Rexam's weighted average cost of capital, as adjusted for any business or geographic risk relevant to the CGU. Changes in the discount rates over the years are calculated with reference to latest market assumptions for the risk free rate, equity market risk premium and debt cost.

 
  2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  %
  %
  %
  %
 

United States

    11     10     10     10  

Europe

    11     10     10     10  

F-146



CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

8. Goodwill (Continued)

        (b)    Growth rates.    Cash flows beyond the planning horizon have been extrapolated using growth rates as set out in the table below. These growth rates used do not exceed the long term growth rates relating to each region and business in which the CGU's operate.

 
  2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  %
  %
  %
  %
 

United States

    1.6     2.1     2.4     2.5  

Europe

    1.2     1.6     2.0     1.6  

        (c)    Sales and costs.    Forecasts for sales and margins are based on analyses of sales, markets, costs and competitors. Consideration is given to past experience and knowledge of future contracts. Forecasts for aluminum and steel costs are based on forward prices and time projections after taking into account any pass through of costs. Forecasts for other raw materials and energy are based on inflation forecasts and supply and demand factors.

        Management considers that no reasonably possible change in any of the key assumptions would cause the recoverable amount of goodwill attached to the United States and Europe CGU's to fall below their carrying value in any of the years reported.

F-147



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NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

9. Other intangible assets

 
  Computer
software
acquired
  Computer
software
developed
  Other   Total  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Cost:

                         

At January 1, 2015

    4.2     17.8     1.4     23.4  

Exchange differences

    0.2     1.0     0.1     1.3  

Disposals

        (1.3 )       (1.3 )

Transfer from property, plant and equipment

        1.0         1.0  

At December 31, 2015

    4.4     18.5     1.5     24.4  

Accumulated amortization:

                         

AT January 1, 2015

    (4.0 )   (16.6 )   (0.3 )   (20.9 )

Exchange differences

    (0.1 )   (1.0 )       (1.1 )

Disposals

        1.3         1.3  

Other movements

    (0.1 )   (0.6 )   (0.1 )   (0.8 )

At December 31, 2015

    (4.2 )   (16.9 )   (0.4 )   (21.5 )

Carrying value at December 31, 2015

    0.2     1.6     1.1     2.9  

Cost:

                         

At January 1, 2014

    3.9     16.8     1.4     22.1  

Exchange differences

    0.1     1.0     0.1     1.2  

Disposals

            (0.1 )   (0.1 )

Transfer from property, plant and equipment

    0.2             0.2  

At December 31, 2014

    4.2     17.8     1.4     23.4  

Accumulated amortization:

                         

At January 1, 2014

    (3.9 )   (15.2 )   (0.3 )   (19.4 )

Exchange differences

    (0.1 )   (0.9 )       (1.0 )

Other movements

        (0.5 )       (0.5 )

At December 31, 2014

    (4.0 )   (16.6 )   (0.3 )   (20.9 )

Carrying value at December 31, 2014

    0.2     1.2     1.1     2.5  

F-148



CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

9. Other intangible assets (Continued)

 
  Computer
software
acquired
  Computer
software
developed
  Other   Total  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Cost:

                         

At January 1, 2013

    4.6     17.1     2.7     24.4  

Exchange differences

        (0.3 )       (0.3 )

Disposals

    (0.7 )   (2.0 )   (1.3 )   (4.0 )

Transfer from property, plant and equipment

        2.0         2.0  

At December 31, 2013

    3.9     16.8     1.4     22.1  

Accumulated amortization:

                         

At January 1, 2013

    (4.6 )   (14.9 )   (1.6 )   (21.1 )

Exchange differences

        0.3         0.3  

Disposals

    0.7         1.3     2.0  

Other movements

        (0.6 )       (0.6 )

At December 31, 2013

    (3.9 )   (15.2 )   (0.3 )   (19.4 )

Carrying value at December 31,2013

        1.6     1.1     2.7  

        The combined income statement includes allocated amortization expense of £0.7m for 2015 (2014: £0.4m; 2013: £0.5m).

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NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

10. Property, plant and equipment

 
  Property   Plant and
equipment
  Assets under
construction
  Total  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Cost:

                         

At January 1, 2015

    72.3     421.7     11.1     505.1  

Exchange differences

    2.2     10.2     0.6     13.0  

Additions

            31.7     31.7  

Disposals

    (0.1 )   (32.8 )       (32.9 )

Reclassifications

    1.8     9.3     (11.1 )    

Transfer to other intangible assets

            (1.0 )   (1.0 )

Other movements

        0.2         0.2  

At December 31, 2015

    76.2     408.6     31.3     516.1  

Accumulated depreciation:

                         

At January 1, 2015

    (31.6 )   (300.0 )       (331.6 )

Exchange differences

    (1.0 )   (6.7 )       (7.7 )

Depreciation for the year

    (2.2 )   (26.2 )       (28.4 )

Disposals

    0.1     32.3         32.4  

Other movements

    (0.3 )   (0.1 )       (0.4 )

At December 31, 2015

    (35.0 )   (300.7 )       (335.7 )

Carrying value at December 31, 2015

    41.2     107.9     31.3     180.4  

Cost:

                         

At January 1, 2014

    69.6     389.3     23.4     482.3  

Exchange differences

    2.2     9.9     0.2     12.3  

Additions

            15.9     15.9  

Disposals

    (0.1 )   (2.9 )   (2.2 )   (5.2 )

Reclassifications

    0.6     25.4     (26.0 )    

Transfer to other intangible assets

            (0.2 )   (0.2 )

At December 31, 2014

    72.3     421.7     11.1     505.1  

Accumulated depreciation:

                         

At January 1, 2014

    (28.6 )   (271.9 )       (300.5 )

Exchange differences

    (0.8 )   (6.1 )       (6.9 )

Depreciation for the year

    (2.1 )   (24.5 )       (26.6 )

Disposals

    0.1     2.6         2.7  

Other movements

    (0.2 )   (0.1 )       (0.3 )

At December 31, 2014

    (31.6 )   (300.0 )       (331.6 )

Carrying value at December 31, 2014

    40.7     121.7     11.1     173.5  

Cost:

                         

At January 1, 2013

    65.1     371.2     28.7     465.0  

Exchange differences

    (0.8 )   (3.2 )   (0.1 )   (4.1 )

Additions

        0.7     33.1     33.8  

Disposals

    (0.3 )   (9.9 )       (10.2 )

Reclassifications

    5.6     30.7     (36.3 )    

Transfer to other intangible assets

            (2.0 )   (2.0 )

Other movements

        (0.2 )       (0.2 )

At December 31, 2013

    69.6     389.3     23.4     482.3  

F-150



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NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

10. Property, plant and equipment (Continued)

 
  Property   Plant and
equipment
  Assets under
construction
  Total  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Accumulated depreciation:

                         

At January 1, 2013

    (26.7 )   (257.1 )       (283.8 )

Exchange differences

    0.3     1.8         2.1  

Depreciation for the year

    (2.1 )   (24.9 )       (27.0 )

Disposals

    0.1     8.5         8.6  

Other movements

    (0.2 )   (0.2 )       (0.4 )

At December 31, 2013

    (28.6 )   (271.9 )       (300.5 )

Carrying value at December 31, 2013

    41.0     117.4     23.4     181.8  

        The combined income statement includes allocated depreciation expense of £0.8m for 2015 (2014: £0.3m; 2013: £0.7m).

11. Inventories

 
  2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Raw materials, stores and consumables

    19.7     18.3     15.2     11.7  

Work in progress

    0.2     0.1     0.2     0.3  

Finished goods

    54.8     59.6     59.3     50.1  

    74.7     78.0     74.7     62.1  

        The following table sets out an analysis of provisions against inventories.

 
  2015   2014   2013  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Balance at the beginning of the year

    (1.5 )   (1.6 )   (1.9 )

Charge for the year

    (0.1 )       (0.1 )

Released in the year

        0.1     0.1  

Utilized

    0.1         0.3  

Balance at the end of the year

    (1.5 )   (1.5 )   (1.6 )

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12. Trade and other receivables

 
  2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Non current assets:

                         

Prepayments

    23.9     10.7     11.5     16.7  

Current assets:

                         

Trade receivables

    32.1     40.8     47.1     55.8  

Provision for impairment

    (0.2 )   (0.2 )   (0.5 )   (1.4 )

Net trade receivables

    31.9     40.6     46.6     54.4  

Prepayments

    7.5     4.7     3.9     2.6  

Derivatives

    0.1     0.1          

Other receivables

    0.4     2.0         0.5  

    39.9     47.4     50.5     57.5  

Total trade and other receivables

    63.8     58.1     62.0     74.2  

        The following table sets out an analysis of provisions for impairment of trade and other receivables.

 
  2015   2014   2013  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Balance at the beginning of the year

    (0.2 )   (0.5 )   (1.4 )

Impairment in the year

        (0.1 )   (0.1 )

Released in the year

        0.2     0.9  

Utilized

        0.2     0.1  

Balance at the end of the year

    (0.2 )   (0.2 )   (0.5 )

        The following table sets out an ageing analysis of total trade and other receivables, including those which are past due but not impaired.

 
  2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Not yet due

    61.5     53.9     54.4     66.4  

Past due less than 3 months

    2.1     4.1     7.1     7.8  

Past due between 3 and 6 months

    0.2         0.2      

More than 12 months

        0.1     0.3      

    63.8     58.1     62.0     74.2  

        The maximum amount of credit risk with respect to customers is represented by the carrying amount on the combined balance sheet. Customer credit facilities for new customers must be approved by management. Credit limits are set with reference to trading history and reports from credit rating agencies. Customer credit facilities are received at the sales order entry stage and at the time of shipment so as not to exceed customer limits. Overdue accounts are regularly reviewed and impairment provisions are created where necessary. As a matter of policy, all outstanding trade balances greater than three months are fully provided except as approved by management and with due regard to the

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

12. Trade and other receivables (Continued)

historical risk profile of the customer. The Business has extremely low historical levels of customer credit defaults, due in part to the large multinational nature of many of its customers and the long term relationships it, and Rexam, has with them. For all years reported, there were no new major customers where the Business considered there was a risk of significant credit default. There are no trade and other receivables that would otherwise be past due or impaired whose terms have been renegotiated.

        The carrying amounts of total trade and other receivables are denominated in the following currencies.

 
  2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

US dollar

    48.6     38.8     43.7     52.0  

Euro

    15.2     19.3     18.3     22.2  

    63.8     58.1     62.0     74.2  

13. Trade and other payables

 
  2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Current liabilities:

                         

Trade payables

    (98.1 )   (94.4 )   (85.7 )   (94.9 )

Social security and other taxes

    (3.4 )   (2.7 )   (3.3 )   (3.5 )

Accrued expenses

    (31.9 )   (31.8 )   (32.5 )   (39.8 )

Accrued capital expenditure

    (3.6 )   (2.0 )   (1.5 )   (0.9 )

Derivatives

                (0.5 )

Other payables

    (1.6 )   (1.3 )   (1.3 )   (1.4 )

    (138.6 )   (132.2 )   (124.3 )   (141.0 )

Non current liabilities:

                         

Accrued expenses

    (4.4 )   (3.1 )   (4.6 )   (7.1 )

Other payables

    (0.3 )   (0.4 )   (0.3 )   (0.4 )

    (4.7 )   (3.5 )   (4.9 )   (7.5 )

Total trade and other payables

    (143.3 )   (135.7 )   (129.2 )   (148.5 )

        The carrying amounts of total trade and other payables are denominated in the following currencies.

 
  2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

US dollar

    (121.3 )   (107.3 )   (101.3 )   (118.1 )

Euro

    (20.8 )   (28.3 )   (27.9 )   (30.3 )

Sterling

    (1.2 )   (0.1 )       (0.1 )

    (143.3 )   (135.7 )   (129.2 )   (148.5 )

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

14. Financial instruments

        The following table sets out the carrying value and the market value of financial assets and liabilities.

 
  2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Financial assets:

                         

Trade and other receivables

    32.3     42.6     46.6     54.9  

Derivatives

    0.1     0.1          

    32.4     42.7     46.6     54.9  

Financial liabilities:

                         

Trade and other payables

    (139.9 )   (133.0 )   (125.9 )   (144.5 )

Derivatives

                (0.5 )

    (139.9 )   (133.0 )   (125.9 )   (145.0 )

        Trade and other receivables exclude prepayments. Trade and other payables exclude social security and other taxes.

        The carrying values of trade and other receivables and trade and other payables are assumed to approximate to their fair values due to their short term nature. The fair value of derivative contracts has been determined by marking those contracts to market at prevailing market prices.

        In all years reported, all financial instruments are categorized as level 2 in the fair value measurement hierarchy, whereby the fair value is determined by using valuation techniques. The valuation techniques for level 2 instruments use observable market data where it is available, for example quoted market prices, and rely less on estimates.

        Financial risk management of the Business is mainly exercised and monitored at a Rexam level. It is based on sound economic objectives and good corporate practice. Rexam treasury operations are carried out under policies and parameters approved by the Rexam board of directors. Central treasury activities include the investment of surplus cash, the issuance, repayment and repurchase of short term and long term debt and interest rate management. The Business is not exposed to significant market based currency, interest or commodity risk in any of the years reported. See Note 12 for information on liquidity based credit risk with respect to customers.

        Capital risk management is exercised and monitored at a Rexam level. The objective is to minimize its cost of capital by optimizing the efficiency of its capital structure, being the balance between equity and debt. Rexam views its ordinary share capital as equity. This objective is always subject to an overriding principle that capital must be managed to ensure Rexam's ability to continue as a going concern in order to provide returns for shareholders and benefits for other stakeholders. Rexam is able to adjust its capital structure through the issue or redemption of either debt or equity and by adjustment to the dividend paid to equity holders. Rexam uses a range of financial metrics to monitor the efficiency of its capital structure, including its weighted average cost of capital and net debt to EBITDA and ensures that its capital structure provides sufficient financial strength to allow it to secure access to debt finance at reasonable cost. The Business is directly impacted by the objectives and decisions made by Rexam set out above.

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

14. Financial instruments (Continued)

        The following table sets out the undiscounted contractual maturities for financial liabilities.

 
  Within
one year
  Between
one and
two years
  Between
two and
five years
  Total  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

At December 31, 2015:

                         

Trade and other payables

    (135.2 )   (1.4 )   (3.3 )   (139.9 )

At December 31, 2014:

                         

Trade and other payables

    (129.5 )   (2.3 )   (1.2 )   (133.0 )

At December 31, 2013:

                         

Trade and other payables

    (121.0 )   (2.2 )   (2.7 )   (125.9 )

At December 31, 2012:

                         

Trade and other payables

    (137.0 )   (1.7 )   (5.8 )   (144.5 )

Derivatives:

                         

Gross payments

    (10.1 )   (0.1 )       (10.2 )

Gross receipts

    9.6     0.1         9.7  

15. Provisions

 
  £m  

At January 1, 2015

     

Charge for the year

    (1.3 )

Utilized in the year

    0.6  

Other movements

    (1.0 )

At December 31, 2015

    (1.7 )

Current liabilities

    (1.1 )

Non current liabilities

    (0.6 )

    (1.7 )

        Provisions at December 31, 2015 relate to severance and early retirement charges resulting from the conversion of the Valdemorillo plant from steel to aluminum.

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

16. Reconciliation of profit before tax to cash generated from operations

 
  2015   2014   2013  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Profit before tax

    67.3     86.9     95.8  

Adjustments for:

                   

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment

    29.2     26.9     27.7  

Amortization of other intangible assets

    0.7     0.4     0.5  

Loss on property, plant and equipment

    0.5     2.5     1.6  

Loss on other intangible assets

        0.1     2.0  

Movement in working capital

    4.6     6.7     (20.3 )

Movement in provisions

    0.7          

Other adjustments

    (0.5 )        

Cash generated from operations

    102.5     123.5     107.3  

17. Contingent liabilities

        There are no contingent liabilities in any of the years reported that require disclosure.

18. Commitments

(i)    Operating lease commitments

        The following table sets out the total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases.

 
  2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Property:

                         

Within one year

    2.1     2.1     2.4     1.9  

Between one and five years

    2.7     3.2     2.6     2.2  

Over five years

            0.5     0.5  

    4.8     5.3     5.5     4.6  

Plant and equipment:

                         

Within one year

    1.0     1.0     1.0     0.6  

Between one and five years

    0.4     1.3     2.1     1.7  

    1.4     2.3     3.1     2.3  

(ii)    Capital commitments

        The following table sets out contracts placed for future capital expenditure not provided in the combined carve out financial statements.

 
  2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Property plant and equipment

    7.5     7.3     1.5     4.3  

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

19. Related parties

        The Business receives various administrative services from Rexam shared service providers. These services include a share of costs incurred in the European and US headquarters, plus central costs such as tax, treasury, accounting, HR and IT. The combined carve out financial statements reflect allocated expenses associated with these centralized Rexam support functions and also include allocated share based payment, retirement benefits, derivatives and overhead costs related to the support functions. In order to present relevant and reliable information, these corporate allocations are based on a number of utilization measures including revenue, headcount and IT users. Many of the corporate allocations are based on the use of revenue as the utilization measure, unless a more appropriate methodology exists for specific costs such as the quantity of IT users for certain IT costs and the use of headcount for costs that are predominantly a function of the quantity of personnel. Generally such amounts have been deemed to have been paid by the Business in the year in which the costs are recorded.

        The following table sets out the expense for corporate allocations included in the combined income statement.

 
  2015   2014   2013  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Corporate allocations included in:

                   

Selling and distribution costs

    (1.6 )   (1.8 )   (1.9 )

Administrative expenses

    (28.9 )   (32.8 )   (33.8 )

Research and development

    (2.3 )   (2.7 )   (3.0 )

Exceptional items

    (3.9 )        

    (36.7 )   (37.3 )   (38.7 )

        The Business sells to other Rexam businesses. These sales are made on terms equivalent to those that prevail in arm's length transactions. The following table sets out sales to other Rexam businesses included in the combined income statement.

 
  2015   2014   2013  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Sales to other Rexam businesses

    26.2     20.3     21.6  

        The following table sets out trading and other balances with other Rexam businesses included in the combined balance sheet.

 
  2015   2014   2013   2012  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Trade receivables

    3.1     1.2     2.0     1.9  

Other payables

    (0.3 )   (0.3 )   (0.2 )   (0.3 )

        All balances at the balance sheet date are unsecured and interest free and settlement occurs through net parent investment. There have been no guarantees provided or received.

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

19. Related parties (Continued)

        The components of the net transfers to and from Rexam for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

 
  2015   2014   2013  
 
  £m
  £m
  £m
 

Cash pooling and general financing activities

    (79.9 )   (122.0 )   (93.0 )

Sales to Rexam

    (26.2 )   (20.3 )   (21.6 )

Corporate allocations

    36.7     37.3     38.7  

Income tax expense

    24.2     30.0     31.9  

Net decrease in net invested capital

    (45.2 )   (75.0 )   (44.0 )

20. Post balance sheet events

        The Business performed an evaluation of post balance sheet events up to March 31, 2016, the date the combined carve out financial statements were authorized for issue. There are no events that would require adjustment or additional disclosure to the combined carve out financial statements in any of the years reported.

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

COMBINED INTERIM INCOME STATEMENT

For the six months ended June 30 (unaudited)

 
  Notes   2016   2015  
 
   
  £m
  £m
 

Sales

        442.3     470.0  

Cost of sales

        (343.1 )   (368.8 )

Gross profit

        99.2     101.2  

Selling and distribution costs

        (46.2 )   (40.7 )

Administrative expenses

        (17.0 )   (16.9 )

Research and development

        (1.0 )   (1.2 )

Exceptional items

  2     (2.8 )   (4.3 )

Profit before tax

        32.2     38.1  

Tax

        (12.5 )   (14.2 )

Profit for the period

        19.7     23.9  

   

The accompanying notes form part of the combined carve out interim financial statements.

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

COMBINED INTERIM STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

For the six months ended June 30 (unaudited)

 
  2016   2015  
 
  £m
  £m
 

Profit for the period

    19.7     23.9  

Other comprehensive income/(loss) for the period:

             

Items that may be reclassified to profit or loss in subsequent periods (net of tax):

             

Exchange differences

    51.7     (12.8 )

Total comprehensive income for the period, net of tax

    71.4     11.1  

   

The accompanying notes form part of the combined carve out interim financial statements.

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

COMBINED INTERIM BALANCE SHEET

As at June 30, 2016

 
  Notes   June 30,
2016
  December 31,
2015
 
 
   
  £m
(unaudited)

  £m
 

Assets

                   

Non current assets

                   

Goodwill

    3     335.8     303.3  

Other intangible assets

          0.2     2.9  

Property, plant and equipment

    4     197.3     180.4  

Trade and other receivables

          23.9     23.9  

Deferred tax assets

          0.8      

          558.0     510.5  

Current assets

                   

Inventories

          90.1     74.7  

Trade and other receivables

          74.4     39.9  

          164.5     114.6  

Total assets

          722.5     625.1  

Liabilities

                   

Current liabilities

                   

Trade and other payables

          (150.4 )   (138.6 )

Provisions

              (1.1 )

          (150.4 )   (139.7 )

Non current liabilities

                   

Deferred tax liabilities

          (30.7 )   (28.3 )

Trade and other payables

          (5.6 )   (4.7 )

Provisions

          (1.4 )   (0.6 )

          (37.7 )   (33.6 )

Total liabilities

          (188.1 )   (173.3 )

Net assets

          534.4     451.8  

Net invested capital

          534.4     451.8  

   

The accompanying notes form part of the combined carve out interim financial statements.

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

COMBINED INTERIM CASH FLOW STATEMENT

For the six months ended June 30 (unaudited)

 
   
  For the six
months ended
June 30
 
 
  Notes   2016   2015  
 
   
  £m
  £m
 

Cash flows from operating activities

                   

Cash generated from operations

    6     17.2     45.0  

Tax paid

          (11.1 )   (16.5 )

Net cash flows from operating activities

          6.1     28.5  

Cash flows used in investing activities

                   

Capital expenditure

          (17.3 )   (6.8 )

Net cash flows used in investing activities

          (17.3 )   (6.8 )

Cash flows used in financing activities

                   

Net transfers from/(to) Rexam

          11.2     (21.7 )

Net cash flows used in financing activities

          11.2     (21.7 )

Net change in cash and cash equivalents

               

   

The accompanying notes form part of the combined carve out interim financial statements.

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

COMBINED INTERIM STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET INVESTED CAPITAL

For the six months ended June 30

 
  For the six months ended June 30  
 
  2016   2015  
 
  £m
  £m
 

Balance at January 1

    451.8     439.6  

Profit for the period

    19.7     23.9  

Other comprehensive income for the period (exchange differences)

    51.7     (12.8 )

Total comprehensive income

    523.2     450.7  

Net transfers from/(to) Rexam

    11.2     (21.7 )

Balance at June 30 (unaudited)

    534.4     429.0  

   

The accompanying notes form part of the combined carve out interim financial statements.

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. Nature of operations and basis of presentation

        The combined carve out interim financial statements reflect certain wholly owned beverage can operations (the Business) of Rexam PLC (Rexam), formerly a publicly traded company on the London Stock Exchange based in London, UK. The Business was formerly controlled by Rexam. On April 22, 2016 Ardagh Group ("Ardagh") entered into an agreement with Ball and Rexam PLC to purchase certain metal beverage can manufacturing assets and support locations in Europe, Brazil and the United States which include certain assets and support functions of this Business. The purchase was completed on June 30, 2016.

        The Business manufactures aluminum and steel cans for a wide variety of beverages, including carbonated soft drinks, beer and energy drinks.

        The Business comprises the following manufacturing plants in Europe and the United States:

    Europe: Valdemorillo, Spain and Enzesfeld, Austria;

    United States: Bishopville, SC; Chicago, IL; Fairfield, CA; Fremont, OH; Olive Branch, MS; Valparaiso, IN; Whitehouse, OH; Winston-Salem, NC.

        The Business also comprises the assets and liabilities of the regional headquarters office in Chicago, IL.

        The combined carve out interim financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2016 have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standard 34 'Interim Financial Reporting' as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board. The combined carve out interim financial statements do not include all of the information required for full annual financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the combined carve out full financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015, which were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ('IFRS') as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, and on which the independent auditors' report was unqualified.

        The accounting policies, presentation and methods of computation followed in the combined carve out interim financial statements are the same as those applied in Rexam's latest combined carve out full financial statements. The financial information is presented in British Pounds Sterling (£ million) because that is the currency Rexam primarily operated in. The combined carve out interim financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention unless otherwise determined by IFRS.

        The combined carve out interim financial statements presented in this interim report do not represent financial statements within the meaning of Section 340 (4) of the Companies Act, 2014.

        Income tax in interim periods is accrued using the effective tax rate expected to be applicable to annual earnings.

        Rexam applied IFRS as endorsed by the European Union (EU) in its consolidated financial statements. For the purposes of the combined carve out financial statements, no differences exist between IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and IFRS as endorsed by the EU. The combined carve out financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention unless otherwise determined by IFRS. The results and financial position of the Business have historically formed a component of Rexam's consolidated financial statements as prepared under IFRS as endorsed by the EU.

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

1. Nature of operations and basis of presentation (Continued)

        The Business does not constitute a separate legal group. The combined carve out interim financial statements have been prepared specifically for the purpose of inclusion in an offering memorandum by ARD Finance S.A., a subsidiary of Ardagh Group, for the issuance of debt, and on a basis that combines the results and assets and liabilities of each of the manufacturing plants, warehouses and operations constituting the Business by applying the principles underlying the consolidation procedures of IFRS 10 'Consolidated Financial Statements'. The combined carve out interim financial statements have been prepared on a carve out basis from the consolidated financial statements of Rexam and include the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses that management has determined are attributable to the Business.

        To determine the assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses that are considered attributable to the Business, management have reassessed how Rexam has historically reported. This included reassessing Rexam's European supply chain and limited risk distributor arrangements in order to attribute revenue and costs based on place of production. A production-based attribution method reflects arrangements whereby a sales transaction might be fulfilled with inventory produced by several plants. Therefore, each plant that produces and contributes inventory towards a sales transaction will record a portion of the sales transaction's revenue and also incur the associated costs. Additionally, revenue by plant is used to attribute trade receivables as at the balance sheet date. For the US plants, there is no equivalent supply chain and distributor arrangement and therefore no equivalent revenue and related cost assumption is required or applied. All US revenue and related costs are directly attributable to a specific plant.

        The combined carve out financial statements reflect all of the costs of doing business related to the operations of the Business, including expenses incurred by other entities on its behalf. They include allocations of direct and indirect costs, related to the operations of the Business, made by Rexam to depict the Business on a stand-alone basis. Indirect costs relate to certain support functions that are provided on a centralized basis within Rexam, including Rexam shared service centre locations. As certain expenses reflected in the combined carve out financial statements are allocated, the combined carve out financial statements may not be indicative of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows that would have been presented if the Business had been a stand-alone entity. Therefore, the combined carve out financial statements may not necessarily be indicative of the future financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Business. Actual costs that may have been incurred if the Business had been a stand-alone company would depend on a number of factors, including the chosen organizational structure, what functions were outsourced or performed by employees and strategic decisions made in areas such as information technology and infrastructure. Accordingly, it is not practicable to estimate what the expenses of the Business would have been on a stand-alone basis.

        As Rexam used a centralized cash management system, allocated costs and expenses have generally been deemed to have been paid by the Business to Rexam in the period in which the costs were incurred and assumed to be remitted to Rexam as reflected within the combined cash flow statement as net transfers to Rexam. Current income taxes are deemed to have been remitted in cash to Rexam in the period they were recorded in the combined income statement. A discussion of the relationship with Rexam, including a description of the costs that have been allocated to the Business, is included in Note 9.

        All significant intercompany transactions within the Business have been eliminated.

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

1. Nature of operations and basis of presentation (Continued)

        Since the Business has not in the past constituted a separate legal group, it is not possible to show share capital or an analysis of reserves of the Business. The net assets of the Business are represented by the cumulative investment of Rexam in the Business, shown as net invested capital in the combined balance sheet. The movement in net invested capital is shown in the combined statement of changes in net invested capital.

        All significant intercompany transactions between the Business and Rexam have been included in these combined carve out interim financial statements and are considered to be transacted through net invested capital in the accompanying combined carve out interim financial statements at the time the transaction is recorded. The total net effect of the settlement of these intercompany transactions represents capital contributions from or distributions to Rexam and therefore is reflected in the accompanying combined interim cash flow statement as a financing activity, in the accompanying combined interim statement of changes in net invested capital as Net transfers to Rexam and in the accompanying combined interim balance sheet as Net invested capital.

        There are no new IFRS standards effective from January 1, 2016 which have a material effect on the combined carve out interim financial statements. IFRS 15, 'Revenue from contracts with customers' is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018. IFRS 9, 'Financial instruments' becomes effective for annual periods commencing on or after January 1, 2018. IFRS 16, 'Leases' is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019. The Business has yet to assess the impact of these standards.

        The combined carve out interim financial statements were authorized for issue by the Board of Directors of ARD Finance S.A. on September 5, 2016.

2. Exceptional items

 
  For the six
months ended
June 30
 
 
  2016   2015  
 
  £m
  £m
 

Conversion of the Valdemorillo plant from steel to aluminum

    2.8     4.4  

Employee related incentive costs

          (0.1 )

Total exceptional items

    2.8     4.3  

3. Goodwill

 
  June 30,
2016
  December 31,
2015
 
 
  £m
  £m
 

Cost and carrying value at January 1

    303.3     293.0  

Exchange differences

    32.5     10.3  

Cost and carrying value at the end of the period

    335.8     303.3  

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

4. Property, plant and equipment

 
  Total  
 
  £m
 

Cost:

       

At January 1, 2016

    516.1  

Exchange differences

    58.3  

Additions

    17.3  

Disposals

    (49.3 )

Reclassifications

    0.5  

Transfer to other intangible assets

    (1.6 )

Other movements

    (8.0 )

At June 30, 2016

    533.3  

Accumulated depreciation:

       

At January 1, 2016

    (335.7 )

Exchange differences

    (38.7 )

Depreciation for the year

    (12.1 )

Disposals

    49.0  

Other movements

    1.5  

At June 30, 2016

    (336.0 )

Carrying value at 30 June 2016

    197.3  

Cost:

       

At January 1, 2015

    505.1  

Exchange differences

    13.0  

Additions

    31.7  

Disposals

    (32.9 )

Reclassifications

     

Transfer to other intangible assets

    (1.0 )

Other movements

    0.2  

At December 31, 2015

    516.1  

Accumulated depreciation:

       

At January 1, 2015

    (331.6 )

Exchange differences

    (7.7 )

Depreciation for the year

    (28.4 )

Disposals

    32.4  

Other movements

    (0.4 )

At December 31, 2015

    (335.7 )

Carrying value at December 31, 2015

    180.4  

        During the period, additions of £17.3 million were comprised mainly of ordinary course maintenance projects, plus a conversion of one production line from standard 12 oz to specialty sleek capability. Assets with a total cost of £49.3 million and accumulated depreciation of £49.0 million,

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

4. Property, plant and equipment (Continued)

either replaced or disposed by maintenance and line conversion projects, were written off during the period.

        The combined income statement includes allocated depreciation expense of £12.1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 (six months ended June 30, 2015: £12.3 million; year ended December 31, 2015: £28.4 million).

5. Fair value measurements

        The carrying values of trade and other receivables and trade and other payables are assumed to approximate to their fair values due to their short term nature. The fair value of derivative contracts has been determined by marking those contracts to market at prevailing market prices.

        In all periods reported, all financial instruments are categorized as level 2 in the fair value measurement hierarchy, whereby the fair value is determined by using valuation techniques. The valuation techniques for level 2 instruments use observable market data where it is available, for example quoted market prices, and rely less on estimates. There were no changes in valuation techniques or transfers between categories in the period.

6. Reconciliation of profit before tax to cash generated from operations

 
  Six months
ended June 30
 
 
  2016   2015  
 
  £m
  £m
 

Profit before tax

    32.2     38.1  

Adjustments for:

             

Depreciation and amortization of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets

    12.1     12.3  

Loss on sale of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets

    0.3      

Movement in working capital

    (27.1 )   (7.1 )

Movement in provisions

    (0.3 )   1.7  

Other adjustments

         

Cash generated from operations

    17.2     45.0  

7. Contingent liabilities

        There are no contingent liabilities in any of the periods reported that require disclosure.

8. Capital commitments

        The following table sets out contracts placed for future capital expenditure not provided in the combined carve out interim financial statements.

 
  June 30,
2016
  December 31,
2015
 
 
  £m
  £m
 

Property plant and equipment

    0.4     7.5  

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

9. Related parties

        During its ownership by Rexam, the Business received various administrative services from Rexam shared service providers. These services included a share of costs incurred in the European and US headquarters, plus central costs such as tax, treasury, accounting, HR and IT. The combined carve out interim financial statements reflect allocated expenses associated with these centralized Rexam support functions and also include allocated share based payment, retirement benefits, derivatives and overhead costs related to the support functions. In order to present relevant and reliable information, these corporate allocations are based on a number of utilization measures including revenue, headcount and IT users. Many of the corporate allocations are based on the use of revenue as the utilization measure, unless a more appropriate methodology exists for specific costs such as the quantity of IT users for certain IT costs and the use of headcount for costs that are predominantly a function of the quantity of personnel. Generally such amounts have been deemed to have been paid by the Business in the period in which the costs were recorded.

        The following table sets out the expense for corporate allocations included in the combined income statement.

 
  Six months
ended
June 30
 
 
  2016   2015  
 
  £m
  £m
 

Corporate allocations included in:

             

Administrative expenses

    6.9     8.2  

    6.9     8.2  

        Whilst owned by Rexam, the Business sold to other Rexam businesses. These sales were made on terms equivalent to those that prevail in arm's length transactions. The following table sets out sales to other Rexam businesses included in the combined income statement.

 
  Six months
ended
June 30
 
 
  2016   2015  
 
  £m
  £m
 

Sales to other Rexam businesses

         

        The following table sets out trading and other balances with other Rexam businesses included in the combined balance sheet.

 
  June 30,
2016
  December 31,
2015
 
 
  £m
(unaudited)

  £m
 

Trade receivables

        3.1  

Other payables

        (0.3 )

        All balances at the balance sheet date are unsecured and interest free and settlement occurs through net parent investment. There have been no guarantees provided or received.

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CERTAIN BEVERAGE CAN OPERATIONS OF REXAM PLC

NOTES TO THE COMBINED CARVE OUT INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

9. Related parties (Continued)

        The components of the net transfers to and from Rexam for the six month periods ended June 30, 2016 and 2015 are as follows:

 
  Six months
ended
June 30
 
 
  2016   2015  
 
  £m
  £m
 

Cash pooling and general financing activities

    (8.2 )   (44.1 )

Sales to Rexam

         

Corporate allocations

    6.9     8.2  

Income tax expense

    12.5     14.2  

Net increase/(decrease) in net invested capital

    11.2     (21.7 )

10. Seasonality of operations

        The Business is subject to seasonal fluctuations. Sales volumes in North America tend to be highest during the period from April to September and in Europe from May to August. The increase in working capital in the period is primarily due to seasonality of operations.

11. Post balance sheet events

        There have been no material events subsequent to June 30, 2016 which would require adjustment or additional disclosure to the combined carve out interim financial statements.

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LOGO


Table of Contents

 

Class A Common Shares

Ardagh Group S.A.



PROSPECTUS



Joint Book-Running Managers

Citigroup   Deutsche Bank Securities   Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Barclays

 

Credit Suisse

 

J.P. Morgan

Co-Managers

Davy   Wells Fargo Securities

        Until            (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that effect transactions in these securities, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers' obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.


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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 6.    Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

        Pursuant to the provisions of Luxembourg Law, the Registrant may not indemnify a director or officer for criminal liability, gross negligence, willful misconduct, or an intentional breach of his/her statutory duties.

        Pursuant to the Registrant's Articles of Association: (i) a director or officer of the Company shall be indemnified by the Company to the fullest extent permitted by Luxembourg Law, against liability and expenses reasonably incurred or paid by him in connection with any claim, action, suit or proceeding which he becomes involved in as a party by virtue of his being or having been such a director or officer and against all amounts incurred in settlement thereof; (ii) no indemnification shall be provided to any director or officer: (a) against any liability to the Company or its shareholders by reason of wilful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his office; (b) with respect to any matter as to which he shall have been finally adjudicated to have acted in bad faith and not in the interests of the Company; or (c) in the event of settlement, unless the settlement has been approved by a court of competent jurisdiction or by the board of directors of the Company; (iii) the Company may give contractual indemnities to the directors of the Company for any actions performed by such director in his time in office in relation to the affairs of the Company.

Item 7.    Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

         Not applicable

Item 8.    Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.

(a)
Exhibits
Exhibit No.   Description of Exhibit
  1.1 * Form of Underwriting Agreement
        
  2.1 + Equity and Asset Purchase Agreement dated April 22, 2016 by and among Ardagh Group S.A., Ball Corporation and Rexam PLC
        
  2.2 + Amendment No. 1 to the Equity and Asset Purchase Agreement dated June 9, 2016 by and among Ardagh Group S.A., Ball Corporation and Rexam PLC
        
  2.3 + Amendment No. 2 to the Equity and Asset Purchase Agreement dated June 30, 2016 by and among Ardagh Group S.A., Ball Corporation and Rexam PLC
        
  3.1   Form of Articles of Association
        
  4.1 Specimen Certificate Evidencing Class A Common Shares
        
  5.1 * Opinion of M Partners
        
  10.1 * Form of Registration Rights Agreement
        
  10.2   Form of Shareholder Agreement
        
  10.3   Form of Indemnification Agreement
        
  21.1   Subsidiaries of Ardagh Group S.A.
        
  23.1   Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers, Dublin, Ireland
 
   

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Exhibit No.   Description of Exhibit
  23.2   Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
        
  23.3   Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
        
  23.4 * Consent of M Partners (included in Exhibit 5.1)
        
  24.1 ** Powers of Attorney (included on the signature page of the initial filing of the Registration Statement)
        
  99.1 ** Credit Agreement dated as of December 17, 2013 among: (i) Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. and Ardagh Packaging Finance S.A. (as Borrowers); (ii) Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited (as Parent Guarantor); (iii) the Subsidiary Guarantors from time to time party thereto; (iv) the Lenders from time to time party thereto; (v) Citibank, N.A. (as Administrative Agent) and (vi) Citibank, N.A., London Branch (as Security Agent)
        
  99.2 ** Indenture dated as of February 5, 2014 among: (i) Ardagh Packaging Finance plc and Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. (as Issuers); (ii) Citibank, N.A., London Branch (as Trustee, Principal Paying Agent and Transfer Agent); (iii) Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited (as Parent Guarantor); (iv) the Subsidiary Guarantors listed therein and (v) Citigroup Global Markets Deutschland AG (as Registrar)
        
  99.3 ** Indenture (as supplemented to the date hereof) dated as of July 3, 2014 among: (i) Ardagh Packaging Finance plc and Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. (as Issuers); (ii) Citibank, N.A., London Branch (as Trustee, Principal Paying Agent, Transfer Agent and Security Agent); (iii) Citibank, N.A. (as U.S. Paying Agent); (iv) Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited (as Parent Guarantor); (v) the Subsidiary Guarantors listed therein and (vi) Citigroup Global Markets Deutschland AG (as Registrar)
        
  99.4 ** Indenture dated as of July 3, 2014 among: (i) Ardagh Packaging Finance plc and Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. (as Issuers); (ii) Citibank, N.A., London Branch (as Trustee, Principal Paying Agent and Transfer Agent); (iii) Citibank, N.A. (as U.S. Paying Agent); (iv) Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited (as Parent Guarantor); (v) the Subsidiary Guarantors listed therein and (vi) Citigroup Global Markets Deutschland AG (as Registrar)
        
  99.5 ** Indenture (as supplemented to the date hereof) dated as of May 16, 2016 among: (i) Ardagh Packaging Finance plc and Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. (as Issuers); (ii) Citibank, N.A., London Branch (as Trustee, Principal Paying Agent, Transfer Agent and Security Agent); (iii) Citibank, N.A. (as U.S. Paying Agent); (iv) Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited (as Parent Guarantor); (v) the Subsidiary Guarantors listed therein and (vi) Citigroup Global Markets Deutschland AG (as Registrar)
        
  99.6 ** Indenture (as supplemented to the date hereof) dated as of May 16, 2016 among: (i) Ardagh Packaging Finance plc and Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. (as Issuers); (ii) Citibank, N.A., London Branch (as Trustee, Principal Paying Agent and Transfer Agent); (iii) Citibank, N.A. (as U.S. Paying Agent); (iv) Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited (as Parent Guarantor); (v) the Subsidiary Guarantors listed therein and (vi) Citigroup Global Markets Deutschland AG (as Registrar)
        
  99.7 ** Indenture dated as of September 16, 2016 among: (i) ARD Finance S.A. (as Issuer); (ii) Citibank, N.A., London Branch (as Trustee, Principal Paying Agent, Transfer Agent and Security Agent); (iii) Citibank, N.A. (as U.S. Paying Agent) and (vi) Citigroup Global Markets Deutschland AG (as Registrar)
 
   

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Exhibit No.   Description of Exhibit
  99.8 ** Indenture dated as of January 30, 2017 among: (i) Ardagh Packaging Finance plc and Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. (as Issuers); (ii) Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited (As Parent Guarantor); (iii) Citibank, N.A., London Branch (as Trustee, Principal Paying Agent and Transfer Agent); (iv) Citibank, N.A. (as U.S. Paying Agent); and (v) Citigroup Global Markets Deutschland AG (as Registrar)

*
To be filed by amendment.

**
Previously filed.

Class A common shares of the Company will be in an uncertificated form. Therefore the Company is not filing a specimen certificate evidencing Class A common shares.

+
Exhibits and schedules have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K and will be supplementally provided to the SEC upon request.

Item 9.    Undertakings.

        The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.

        Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit, or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

        The Registrant hereby undertakes that:

        (1)   For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.

        (2)   For the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

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SIGNATURES

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets the requirements for filing on Form F-1 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the city of London, United Kingdom, on February 23, 2017.

    Ardagh Group S.A.

 

 

By:

 

/s/ DAVID MATTHEWS

        Name:  David Matthews
        Title:     Chief Financial Officer

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on February 23, 2017.

SIGNATURE
 
TITLE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
*

Ian Curley
  Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ DAVID MATTHEWS

David Matthews

 

Chief Financial Officer and Director
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

*

Paul Coulson

 

Chairman and Director

 

David Wall

 

Chief Executive Officer, Metal, and Director

  

John Riordan

 

President, Glass North America, and Director

 

Johan Gorter

 

Chief Executive Officer, Glass Europe, and Director

/s/ BRENDAN DOWLING

Brendan Dowling

 

Director

II-4


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SIGNATURE
 
TITLE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Houghton Fry

 

Director

*

Wolfgang Baertz

 

Director

  

Gerald Moloney

 

Director

*

Herman Troskie

 

Director

*By:

 

/s/ DAVID MATTHEWS


 

 
    Name:   David Matthews    
    Title:   Attorney-in-fact    

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Table of Contents


SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

        Pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, the undersigned, the duly authorized representative in the United States of Ardagh Group S.A., has signed this registration statement in the City of Newark, State of Delaware on February 23, 2017.

Signatures
   
 
Title

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
          /s/ Donald J. Puglisi

      Authorized U.S. Representative
Name:   Donald J. Puglisi        
Title:   Managing Director        

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Exhibit
No.
  Description of Exhibit
  1.1 * Form of Underwriting Agreement
        
  2.1 + Equity and Asset Purchase Agreement dated April 22, 2016 by and among Ardagh Group S.A., Ball Corporation and Rexam PLC
        
  2.2 + Amendment No. 1 to the Equity and Asset Purchase Agreement dated June 9, 2016 by and among Ardagh Group S.A., Ball Corporation and Rexam PLC
        
  2.3 + Amendment No. 2 to the Equity and Asset Purchase Agreement dated June 30, 2016 by and among Ardagh Group S.A., Ball Corporation and Rexam PLC
        
  3.1   Form of Articles of Association
        
  4.1 Specimen Certificate Evidencing Class A Common Shares
        
  5.1 * Opinion of M Partners
        
  10.1 * Form of Registration Rights Agreement
        
  10.2   Form of Shareholder Agreement
        
  10.3   Form of Indemnification Agreement
        
  21.1   Subsidiaries of Ardagh Group S.A.
        
  23.1   Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers, Dublin, Ireland
        
  23.2   Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
        
  23.3   Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
        
  23.4 * Consent of M Partners (included in Exhibit 5.1)
        
  24.1 ** Powers of Attorney (included on the signature page of the initial filing of the Registration Statement)
        
  99.1 ** Credit Agreement dated as of December 17, 2013 among: (i) Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. and Ardagh Packaging Finance S.A. (as Borrowers); (ii) Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited (as Parent Guarantor); (iii) the Subsidiary Guarantors from time to time party thereto; (iv) the Lenders from time to time party thereto; (v) Citibank, N.A. (as Administrative Agent) and (vi) Citibank, N.A., London Branch (as Security Agent)
        
  99.2 ** Indenture dated as of February 5, 2014 among: (i) Ardagh Packaging Finance plc and Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. (as Issuers); (ii) Citibank, N.A., London Branch (as Trustee, Principal Paying Agent and Transfer Agent); (iii) Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited (as Parent Guarantor); (iv) the Subsidiary Guarantors listed therein and (v) Citigroup Global Markets Deutschland AG (as Registrar)
        
  99.3 ** Indenture (as supplemented to the date hereof) dated as of July 3, 2014 among: (i) Ardagh Packaging Finance plc and Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. (as Issuers); (ii) Citibank, N.A., London Branch (as Trustee, Principal Paying Agent, Transfer Agent and Security Agent); (iii) Citibank, N.A. (as U.S. Paying Agent); (iv) Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited (as Parent Guarantor); (v) the Subsidiary Guarantors listed therein and (vi) Citigroup Global Markets Deutschland AG (as Registrar)
 
   

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Exhibit
No.
  Description of Exhibit
  99.4 ** Indenture dated as of July 3, 2014 among: (i) Ardagh Packaging Finance plc and Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. (as Issuers); (ii) Citibank, N.A., London Branch (as Trustee, Principal Paying Agent and Transfer Agent); (iii) Citibank, N.A. (as U.S. Paying Agent); (iv) Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited (as Parent Guarantor); (v) the Subsidiary Guarantors listed therein and (vi) Citigroup Global Markets Deutschland AG (as Registrar)
        
  99.5 ** Indenture (as supplemented to the date hereof) dated as of May 16, 2016 among: (i) Ardagh Packaging Finance plc and Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. (as Issuers); (ii) Citibank, N.A., London Branch (as Trustee, Principal Paying Agent, Transfer Agent and Security Agent); (iii) Citibank, N.A. (as U.S. Paying Agent); (iv) Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited (as Parent Guarantor); (v) the Subsidiary Guarantors listed therein and (vi) Citigroup Global Markets Deutschland AG (as Registrar)
        
  99.6 ** Indenture (as supplemented to the date hereof) dated as of May 16, 2016 among: (i) Ardagh Packaging Finance plc and Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. (as Issuers); (ii) Citibank, N.A., London Branch (as Trustee, Principal Paying Agent and Transfer Agent); (iii) Citibank, N.A. (as U.S. Paying Agent); (iv) Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited (as Parent Guarantor); (v) the Subsidiary Guarantors listed therein and (vi) Citigroup Global Markets Deutschland AG (as Registrar)
        
  99.7 ** Indenture dated as of September 16, 2016 among: (i) ARD Finance S.A. (as Issuer); (ii) Citibank, N.A., London Branch (as Trustee, Principal Paying Agent, Transfer Agent and Security Agent); (iii) Citibank, N.A. (as U.S. Paying Agent) and (vi) Citigroup Global Markets Deutschland AG (as Registrar)
        
  99.8 ** Indenture dated as of January 30, 2017 among: (i) Ardagh Packaging Finance plc and Ardagh Holdings USA Inc. (as Issuers); (ii) Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited (As Parent Guarantor); (iii) Citibank, N.A., London Branch (as Trustee, Principal Paying Agent and Transfer Agent); (iv) Citibank, N.A. (as U.S. Paying Agent); and (v) Citigroup Global Markets Deutschland AG (as Registrar)

*
To be filed by amendment.

**
Previously filed.

Class A common shares of the Company will be in an uncertificated form. Therefore the Company is not filing a specimen certificate evidencing Class A common shares.

+
Exhibits and schedules have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K and will be supplementally provided to the SEC upon request.

II-8




Exhibit 2.1

 

Execution Version

 

EQUITY AND ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

by and among

 

ARDAGH GROUP S.A.,

 

BALL CORPORATION,

 

and REXAM PLC,

 

dated as of April 22, 2016

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

Page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PURCHASE AND SALE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.1

 

Purchase and Sale of Purchased Assets

 

2

1.2

 

Excluded Assets

 

4

1.3

 

Assumed Liabilities

 

7

1.4

 

Excluded Liabilities

 

8

1.5

 

Purchase Price

 

9

1.6

 

Net Debt/Working Capital Purchase Price Adjustment

 

9

1.7

 

Manner of Transfer

 

12

1.8

 

Foreign Acquisition Agreement

 

12

1.9

 

Works Council/Consultation Matters

 

12

1.10

 

Tax Treatment of Purchase Price

 

14

1.11

 

Closing

 

16

1.12

 

Closing Deliveries

 

17

1.13

 

Non-Assignment; Consents

 

19

1.14

 

Withholding

 

21

1.15

 

Additional Purchase Price Adjustment

 

22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF SELLER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.1

 

Organization and Authority

 

24

2.2

 

Organization and Authority of the Purchased Entities

 

25

2.3

 

Capital Stock of Purchased Entities

 

25

2.4

 

No Conflicts

 

26

2.5

 

Governmental Consents and Approvals

 

26

2.6

 

Litigation

 

26

2.7

 

Financial Statements

 

27

2.8

 

No Undisclosed Liabilities

 

28

2.9

 

Absence of Certain Changes

 

28

2.10

 

Intellectual Property

 

28

2.11

 

Contracts

 

29

2.12

 

Title; Sufficiency of Assets

 

31

2.13

 

Title to Business Real Property; Encumbrances

 

31

2.14

 

Compliance with Law; Permits

 

32

2.15

 

Environmental Matters

 

33

2.16

 

Labor

 

33

2.17

 

Employee Benefit Matters

 

34

2.18

 

Taxes

 

36

2.19

 

Brokers

 

38

 

i



 

2.20

 

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; UK Bribery Act

 

38

2.21

 

Customers and Suppliers

 

38

2.22

 

Disclaimer

 

38

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE III

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PURCHASER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.1

 

Organization and Authority of Purchaser and Purchaser’s Affiliates

 

39

3.2

 

No Conflicts

 

39

3.3

 

Governmental Consents and Approvals

 

40

3.4

 

Litigation

 

40

3.5

 

Acquisition of Equity for Investment

 

40

3.6

 

Acquisition of Rexam Securities

 

40

3.7

 

Brokers

 

41

3.8

 

Financing

 

41

3.9

 

Investigation

 

42

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE IV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COVENANTS AND AGREEMENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.1

 

Conduct of the Business

 

43

4.2

 

Prior Notice to Invoke Certain Conditions

 

45

4.3

 

Access to Information; Confidentiality

 

46

4.4

 

Non-Solicitation

 

47

4.5

 

Regulatory and Other Authorizations; Notices and Consents

 

48

4.6

 

Permits Transfer

 

49

4.7

 

Affiliate Transactions

 

50

4.8

 

Termination of Insurance Coverage

 

50

4.9

 

Use of Seller and Rexam Names and Marks

 

50

4.10

 

License to Retained Intellectual Property

 

52

4.11

 

Credit and Performance Support Obligations

 

54

4.12

 

Mutual Transition Services Agreement

 

54

4.13

 

Contact with Customers and Suppliers

 

54

4.14

 

Distribution of Cash Balances

 

55

4.15

 

Weissenthurm Conversion

 

55

4.16

 

Restructuring

 

55

4.17

 

Further Assurances; Post-Closing Cooperation

 

56

4.18

 

Financing

 

56

4.19

 

Acquisition of Rexam Securities

 

64

4.20

 

Rexam Obligations

 

64

4.21

 

Pre-Closing Business Employee Information Obligations

 

64

4.22

 

Hedging Arrangements

 

64

4.23

 

Additional Ancillary Agreements

 

66

 

ii



 

 

 

ARTICLE V

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EMPLOYEE MATTERS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.1

 

Employee Benefit Matters

 

66

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE VI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TAXES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.1

 

Apportionment of Taxes

 

72

6.2

 

Transfer Taxes

 

73

6.3

 

Tax Returns

 

73

6.4

 

Tax Cooperation

 

74

6.5

 

Refunds or Credits; Amended Returns

 

74

6.6

 

Contests

 

75

6.7

 

VAT

 

76

6.8

 

Earnings and Profits

 

76

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE VII

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONDITIONS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.1

 

Conditions to the Obligations of Purchaser

 

76

7.2

 

Conditions to the Obligations of Seller

 

77

7.3

 

Additional Condition to Obligations of Seller and Purchaser

 

78

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TERMINATION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.1

 

Termination

 

79

8.2

 

Effect of Termination

 

80

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE IX

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INDEMNIFICATION AND SURVIVAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9.1

 

Survival of Representations, Warranties, Covenants and Agreements

 

81

9.2

 

Indemnification

 

81

9.3

 

Indemnity Procedures

 

84

9.4

 

Tax Effect

 

85

9.5

 

Additional Provisions Related to Indemnification for Seller-Indemnified On-Site Environmental Liabilities and Breach of Section 2.15

 

86

9.6

 

Insurance Offset

 

89

 

iii



 

 

 

ARTICLE X

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DEFINITIONS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10.1

 

Definitions

 

89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE XI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11.1

 

Assignment

 

111

11.2

 

Public Announcements

 

111

11.3

 

Expenses

 

112

11.4

 

Severability

 

112

11.5

 

No Third Party Beneficiaries

 

112

11.6

 

Amendment; Waiver

 

112

11.7

 

Governing Law

 

112

11.8

 

Jurisdiction

 

112

11.9

 

Waiver of Jury Trial

 

113

11.10

 

Specific Performance

 

113

11.11

 

Headings

 

113

11.12

 

Counterparts

 

113

11.13

 

Further Documents

 

114

11.14

 

Notices

 

114

11.15

 

Construction

 

115

11.16

 

Exchange Rates

 

116

11.17

 

Bulk Sales Laws

 

116

11.18

 

Entire Agreement

 

116

11.19

 

Certain Claims

 

116

 

iv



 

EXHIBITS

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit A

 

Sample Closing Statement

Exhibit B

 

Forms of Foreign Acquisition Agreements

Exhibit C

 

Form of Assignment and Assumption Agreement and Bill of Sale

Exhibit D

 

Form of FIRPTA Certificate

Exhibit E

 

Form of Mutual Transition Services Agreement

Exhibit F

 

Form of Lease Assignment and Assumption Agreement

Exhibit G

 

French Offer Letter

Exhibit H

 

Dutch Offer Letter

Exhibit I

 

Form of Brazilian Ends Supply Agreement

 

SCHEDULES

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule 1

 

Purchased Entities

Schedule 1.1(a)(ii)

 

Business Real Property

Schedule 1.1(b)(i)(A)

 

Contracts Exclusively Related to the Business

Schedule 1.1(b)(i)(B)

 

Other Contracts

Schedule 1.1(b)(i)(C)

 

Business IP Licenses

Schedule 1.1(b)(i)(D)

 

Transferred Supplier Contracts

Schedule 1.1(b)(i)(E)

 

Transferred Customer Contracts

Schedule 1.1(b)(ix)

 

Employee Benefit Plan Assets

Schedule 1.1(b)(x)

 

Transferred Intellectual Property

Schedule 1.1(b)(xiii)

 

Other Purchased Assets

Schedule 1.2(c)

 

Excluded Entities

Schedule 1.2(m)

 

Excluded Fixtures, Equipment and Tangible Personal Property

Schedule 1.2(n)(i)

 

Excluded Customer Contracts

Schedule 1.2(n)(ii)

 

Other Excluded Business Contracts

Schedule 1.2(v)

 

Other Excluded Assets

Schedule 1.3(c)

 

Other Employment Benefit Plan Liabilities

Schedule 1.3(k)

 

Other Assumed Liabilities

Schedule 1.4(d)

 

Excluded Liabilities Related to Employee Benefit Plans

Schedule 1.4(k)

 

Other Excluded Liabilities

Schedule 1.9(e)

 

Consultation with Business Employees’ Representatives

Schedule 1.15(b)

 

Additional Purchase Price Adjustment

Schedule 2.7(a)

 

Financial Statements

Schedule 2.17(d)

 

Defined Benefit Plans

Schedule 2.18

 

US Federal Tax Classification of Purchased Entities

Schedule 4.1(j)

 

Interim Period Capital Expenditures

Schedule 4.1(n)

 

Excepted Business Employees

Schedule 4.3

 

Access to Information

Schedule 4.4(a)

 

Seller Non-Solicitation

Schedule 4.4(b)

 

Purchaser Non-Solicitation

Schedule 4.7(a)

 

Intercompany Agreements

Schedule 4.7(b)

 

Intercompany Receivables

 

v



 

Schedule 4.8

 

Termination of Insurance Coverage

Schedule 4.9(b)

 

SLEEK Marks and SLEEK Cans

Schedule 4.9(c)

 

Seller and Rexam Marks

Schedule 4.10(a)(ii)

 

License to Retained Intellectual Property

Schedule 4.16

 

Restructuring

Schedule 5.1(c)

 

Retention Liabilities and Incentives

Schedule 5.1(h)

 

Pension and Certain Other Post-Employment Benefit Obligations

 

 

 

Schedule 10.1(a)-1

 

Business Employees

Schedule 10.1(a)-2

 

Excluded Business Employees

Schedule 10.1(b)

 

Conveyed Purchased Entities

Schedule 10.1(c)

 

Excluded Pipeline Project Equipment

Schedule 10.1(d)

 

Excluded Pipeline Project IP

Schedule 10.1(e)

 

Facilities

Schedule 10.1(f)

 

Knowledge of Purchaser

Schedule 10.1(g)

 

Knowledge of Seller

Schedule 10.1(h)

 

Leased Business Real Property

Schedule 10.1(j)

 

Owned Business Real Property

Schedule 10.1(k)

 

Permitted Encumbrances

Schedule 10.1(l)

 

Purchased Affiliate Interests

Schedule 10.1(m)

 

Purchased Working Capital Definition

Schedule 10.1(n)

 

Rexam Entities

Schedule 10.1(o)

 

Seller Entities

Schedule 10.1(q)

 

Transferred Fixtures, Equipment and Tangible Personal Property

Schedule 10.1(r)

 

UK Purchased Entities

Schedule 10.1(s)

 

Section 1.15 Definitions

Schedule 10.1(t)

 

Key Employees

 

SELLER DISCLOSURE LETTER

 

vi



 

This EQUITY AND ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT, dated as of April 22, 2016, is made and entered into by and among Ardagh Group S.A., a Luxembourg company (“ Purchaser ”), Ball Corporation, an Indiana corporation (“ Seller ”), and (subject in all respects to Section 4.20 ) Rexam PLC, a public limited company registered in England and Wales (“ Rexam ” and collectively with Purchaser and Seller, the “ Parties ”). Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings set forth in Section 10.1 .

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to Rule 2.7 of the City Code (as defined herein), on February 19, 2015, Seller announced (the “ Rule 2.7 Announcement ”) its firm intention to make, indirectly through Ball UK Acquisition Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Seller (“ Acquisition Sub ”), a recommended offer for the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of Rexam (the “ Rexam Transaction ”);

 

WHEREAS, in connection with the Rexam Transaction, Seller, Rexam and Acquisition Sub have entered into that certain co-operation agreement, dated February 19, 2015 (as amended, the “ Co-operation Agreement ”);

 

WHEREAS, in connection with obtaining the regulatory clearances necessary under applicable Competition/Investment Laws (as hereinafter defined) for the consummation of the Rexam Transaction (the “ Clearances ”), Seller has entered into certain discussions with applicable regulatory authorities in the United States, Brazil and the European Union and has prior to the date of this Agreement (i) received a conditional clearance decision from Conselho Administrativo De Defesa Econômica (“ CADE ”) in Concentration Act No. 08700.006567/2015-07, (ii) received a conditional clearance decision from the European Commission (the “ EC ”) in Case No. M.7567 pursuant to Article 8(2) of the EU Merger Regulation and (iii) reached preliminary agreement with United States Federal Trade Commission (“ FTC ”) Staff regarding divestitures sufficient for the FTC to approve the Rexam Transaction;

 

WHEREAS, in furtherance of obtaining the Clearances, Seller has agreed, subject to certain conditions, to effect, among other things, the sale and divestiture of the Business (as hereinafter defined);

 

WHEREAS, to effect the sale and divestiture of the Business, the Parties are, among other things, entering into this Agreement in respect of the sale of the Purchased Assets (as hereinafter defined) and the assumption of the Assumed Liabilities (as hereinafter defined) following the consummation of the Rexam Transaction, which sale and divestiture of the Business are otherwise subject to the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement;

 

WHEREAS, in accordance with the Restructuring (as hereinafter defined), either prior to, or immediately after, the consummation of the Rexam Transaction and in any event before the Closing (as hereinafter defined), certain of the assets and liabilities subject to the foregoing sale and divestiture will be transferred to, and certain of the assets and liabilities not subject to the foregoing sale and divestiture will be transferred from, as applicable, the entities set forth on Schedule 1 , each a direct or indirect subsidiary of Seller or Rexam (collectively, the “ Purchased Entities ”);

 

1



 

WHEREAS, immediately following the consummation of the Rexam Transaction, Rexam will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Seller, and Seller, through its ownership of Rexam and its Affiliates, will hold, directly or indirectly, all of the Purchased Assets and the Assumed Liabilities; and

 

WHEREAS, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, at the Closing, the Parties intend that Seller shall cause the applicable Seller Entities and Rexam Entities to sell, assign, transfer, convey and deliver to Purchaser, and Purchaser shall purchase and acquire from the applicable Seller Entities and Rexam Entities all of their right, title and interest in and to all of the Purchased Assets, and Purchaser shall assume all of the Assumed Liabilities (the “ Transaction ”).

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth in this Agreement, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, each of the Parties, as applicable, agrees as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

PURCHASE AND SALE

 

1.1                                Purchase and Sale of Purchased Assets . Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement (including but not limited to Section 1.13 ), at the Closing, Seller shall cause the Seller Entities and the Rexam Entities to sell, assign, transfer, convey and deliver, free and clear of all Encumbrances other than Permitted Encumbrances on Purchased Assets (other than the Purchased Equity, which shall be sold, assigned, transferred, conveyed and delivered, free and clear of all Encumbrances other than those arising under securities Laws), to Purchaser and its designated Affiliates, and Purchaser shall purchase, acquire and accept on its behalf and on behalf of its designated Affiliates from the Seller Entities and the Rexam Entities, as applicable, all of their respective right, title and interest as of the Closing in and to only the following (collectively, the “ Purchased Assets ”):

 

(a)                                  (i) the Purchased Equity and (ii) the Business Real Property set forth on Schedule 1.1(a)(ii) ; and

 

(b)                                  to the extent not otherwise sold, assigned, transferred, conveyed or delivered to Purchaser directly or indirectly by the purchase of the Purchased Equity:

 

(i)                                      all rights under (A) any Contracts that are exclusively related to the Business, including each Contract set forth on Schedule 1.1(b)(i)(A)  (except, in each case, for any Excluded Business Contracts and any Contracts that are the subject of clause (B), (C), (D) or (E) of this Section 1.1(b)(i) ), (B) the Contracts set forth on Schedule 1.1(b)(i)(B) , (C) all Contracts with respect to Intellectual Property set forth on Schedule 1.1(b)(i)(C)  to the extent exclusively related to the Business (the “ Business IP Licenses ”), (D) the Transferred Supplier Contracts or such portion of the Transferred Supplier Contracts solely to the extent related to the Business and (E) the Transferred Customer Contracts or such portion of the

 

2



 

Transferred Customer Contracts solely to the extent related to the Business (collectively with the foregoing clauses (A), (B), (C) and (D), such Contracts or portion of such Contracts, as the case may be, together with any Contracts to the extent related to the Business to which a Purchased Entity or a subsidiary of a Purchased Entity is a party, the “ Specified Business Contracts ”), it being agreed that any such Contracts that are Shared Contracts shall be governed by Section 1.13(c)  and shall be treated as Purchased Assets only to the extent provided therein; provided , however , that Seller may update Schedule 1.1(b)(i)  no later than two (2) Business Days prior to the Confirmation Date to account for Contracts that were entered into in accordance with the terms of this Agreement or that have terminated in accordance with their terms after the date of this Agreement and prior to the time of such update;

 

(ii)                                   all inventory (whether raw materials, work in process, semi-finished goods, finished goods, scrap or supplies), including any such inventory on consignment, to the extent primarily used in the Business, wherever located (including at any of the Business Real Property) (collectively, together with any inventory primarily used in the Business owned by any Purchased Entity or a subsidiary of a Purchased Entity as of the Closing, the “ Inventory ”);

 

(iii)                                (A) all Books and Records (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, any Tax Returns) and (B) copies of all Tax Returns to the extent (and only to the extent) related to Taxes of the Purchased Entities or with respect to the Purchased Assets;

 

(iv)                               all Transferred Fixtures, Equipment and Tangible Personal Property (including (A) all copies of third party software embedded therein and (B) copies of Technical Documentation that are maintained at the Facilities with respect thereto);

 

(v)                                  to the extent transferable under applicable Law, in part or whole, all rights to all causes of action, lawsuits, judgments, claims, defenses against third parties and demands of any nature arising on or after the Closing Date, whether arising by way of counterclaim or otherwise, in each case to the extent (and only to the extent) related to any Purchased Asset or Assumed Liability, except for claims for refunds of any Taxes (which shall be governed by Section 6.5(a) );

 

(vi)                               to the extent transferable under applicable Law, all Business Permits and Environmental Permits (and all applications therefor) used exclusively in, or obtained exclusively for, the operation of the Business;

 

(vii)                            all goodwill in respect of, or arising primarily out of, the conduct of the Business (including the exclusive right for Purchaser to represent itself as carrying on the operation of the Business at the applicable Business Real Properties in succession to Seller or Rexam, as applicable);

 

3


 

(viii)                         all guaranties, warranties, indemnities and similar rights granted by any third party to the extent in respect of the Business or a Purchased Asset for the period on and after the Closing Date;

 

(ix)                               all assets related to Employee Benefit Plans as explicitly set forth on Schedule 1.1(b)(ix) ;

 

(x)                                  (A) the Intellectual Property set forth on Schedule 1.1(b)(x)  (collectively, “ Transferred Intellectual Property ”), and (B) copies of Know-How Documentation that are maintained as of the date of this Agreement at the Facilities or any of the Business Real Property;

 

(xi)                               all personnel records to the extent pertaining to the Transferred Business Employees, to the extent permitted by applicable Law and subject to Section 1.2(l) , and copies thereof (to the extent permitted by applicable Law) to the extent retained by Seller, Rexam or any of their respective Affiliates in accordance with Section 1.2(l) ;

 

(xii)                            the insurance policies set forth on Schedule 4.8 ;

 

(xiii)                         the other assets listed on Schedule 1.1(b)(xiii) ;

 

(xiv)                        the Purchased Affiliate Interests; and

 

(xv)                           all advance trade credits and rebates and the prepaid item set forth on Exhibit A (in each case as calculated in accordance with the Closing Statement Methodologies) to the extent (and only to the extent) related to any Purchased Asset or Assumed Liability.

 

Seller and Purchaser acknowledge and agree that a single asset may fall within more than one of Section 1.1(b)(i)  through Section 1.1(b)(xv) ; such fact does not imply that (i) such asset shall be transferred more than once or (ii) any duplication of such asset is required.  Seller and Purchaser further acknowledge and agree that any single asset that falls within any of Section 1.1(b)(i)  through Section 1.1(b)(xv)  may be transferred through the purchase of the Purchased Equity as well as through a separate asset transfer listed in this Section 1.1 ; such fact does not imply that (A) such asset shall be transferred more than once or (B) any duplication of such asset is required.  The fact that a Purchased Asset may not be included under one clause of this Section 1.1 does not imply that it is not intended to be included under another clause of this Section 1.1 .  Seller and Purchaser also acknowledge and agree that from and after the Closing, none of Seller, Rexam or any of their Affiliates (other than the Purchased Entities) will retain hereunder any direct or indirect right, title or interest in any Purchased Asset, except as provided in this Agreement.

 

1.2                                Excluded Assets . Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, except for the Purchased Assets, all other assets, properties or rights (including Contracts), wherever located, whether real, personal or mixed, tangible or intangible, of the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and each of their respective Affiliates ( provided , however , that for purposes of this Section 1.2 (except Section 1.2(c) , 1.2(d) , 1.2(j) , 1.2(m) , 1.2(n) , 1.2(o)  and 1.2(p)) , no

 

4



 

Purchased Entity shall be considered an Affiliate of Seller, Rexam, or any of their other Affiliates that is not a Purchased Entity) (collectively, and including the assets listed below, the “ Excluded Assets ”) shall be retained by the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and each of their respective Affiliates, and shall be excluded from the Purchased Assets, including the Seller Entities’, the Rexam Entities’ and each of their respective Affiliates’ right, title and interest to, the following assets, properties and rights:

 

(a)                                  any and all cash and Cash Equivalents;

 

(b)                                  any and all Accounts Receivable (other than Accounts Receivable of the Purchased Entities);

 

(c)                                   the equity, equity participation, voting rights or other participations and interests in the entities listed on Schedule 1.2(c)  held by the Purchased Entities as of the date of this Agreement (the “ Excluded Entities ”) and transferred to Seller, Rexam or one or more of their respective Affiliates that is not a Purchased Entity in accordance with the Restructuring Steps Plan;

 

(d)                                  the assets owned by the Purchased Entities as of the date of this Agreement and to be transferred to Seller, Rexam or one or more of their respective Affiliates that is not a Purchased Entity in accordance with the Restructuring Steps Plan;

 

(e)                                   (i) any and all Tax refunds and prepayments of Excluded Taxes and (ii) any net operating losses or other tax attributes of Seller or its Affiliates related to any Pre-Closing Tax Periods;

 

(f)                                    any and all Tax Returns except as set forth in Section 1.1(b)(iii)(B) ;

 

(g)                                   any and all Real Property other than the Business Real Property;

 

(h)                                  any and all Business Permits and Environmental Permits except as set forth in Section 1.1(b)(vi)  and any Permits other than Business Permits;

 

(i)                                      any and all assets and rights related to Employee Benefit Plans (except as set forth in Section 1.1(b)(ix) );

 

(j)                                     except as set forth on Schedule 4.8 , any and all insurance policies (including self-insurance arrangements) and all rights and proceeds thereunder, whether or not related to the Business;

 

(k)                                  any and all credits, prepaid expenses, deferred charges, advance payments, security deposits, prepaid rent, prepaid items and duties;

 

(l)                                      any (1) personnel records with respect to the Transferred Business Employees that Seller, Rexam or any of their Affiliates are required by Law to maintain in their possession and (2) Books and Records relating to any Purchased Asset or Assumed Liability that Seller, Rexam or any of their Affiliates are required by Law to maintain in their possession;

 

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(m)                              all Excluded Fixtures, Equipment and Tangible Personal Property;

 

(n)                                  any and all rights under (i) the Customer Contracts (or portions thereof) set forth on Schedule 1.2(n)(i) , (ii) the Contracts (or portions thereof) set forth on Schedule 1.2(n)(ii) , (iii) any Shared Contract (or portions thereof) which Seller or its Affiliates are to retain or receive, as described in Section 1.13 , (iv) any other Contract with respect to Intellectual Property other than any Business IP License (the Contracts described under the foregoing clauses (i) — (iv) being the “ Excluded Business Contracts ”) and (v) any other Contract that is not a Specified Business Contract;

 

(o)                                  any and all Seller and Rexam Marks, without limiting the license set forth in Section 4.9 ;

 

(p)                                  any and all Intellectual Property other than Transferred Intellectual Property, without limiting the licenses set forth in Section 4.9 and Section 4.10 ;

 

(q)                                  any and all rights to all causes of action, lawsuits, judgments, claims, defenses against third parties and demands of any nature (1) arising prior to the Closing Date, whether arising by way of counterclaim or otherwise, in each case whether or not related to the Business, the Purchased Assets (other than any of the foregoing held by the Purchased Entities) or the Assumed Liabilities and (2) arising on or after the Closing Date, other than as set forth in Section 1.1(b)(v) ;

 

(r)                                     any and all guaranties, warranties, indemnities and similar rights (1) in respect of the Business or a Purchased Asset (other than any of the foregoing held by the Purchased Entities) for the period prior to the Closing Date and (2) arising on or after the Closing Date, other than as set forth in Section 1.1(b)(viii) ;

 

(s)                                    all rights of Seller, Rexam or their Affiliates arising under this Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements or from the consummation of the Transaction and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Ancillary Agreements;

 

(t)                                     the corporate charter, qualification to conduct business as a foreign corporation, arrangements with registered agents relating to foreign qualifications, taxpayer and other identification numbers, corporate seal, minute books, stock transfer books and blank stock certificates for any entity other than a Purchased Entity;

 

(u)                                  any intercompany receivables between (i) any Seller Entity or Rexam Entity and any of their respective Affiliates, or between any such Affiliate and any other such Affiliate or (ii) any Purchased Entity and any Affiliate of a Seller Entity or Rexam Entity; and

 

(v)                                  any and all assets listed on Schedule 1.2(v) .

 

Seller and Purchaser acknowledge and agree that neither Purchaser nor any of its Affiliates will acquire or be permitted to retain hereunder any direct or indirect right, title or interest in any Excluded Assets, except as provided in this Agreement.

 

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1.3                                Assumed Liabilities .  Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Purchaser hereby agrees, effective as of the Closing, to assume and to pay, discharge and perform in accordance with their terms only the following Liabilities of the Seller Entities and Rexam Entities (collectively, the “ Assumed Liabilities ”):

 

(a)                                  any and all Liabilities arising out of or relating to the ownership or use of the Purchased Assets or the operation or conduct of the Business, in either case from and after the Closing, except to the extent that any such Liabilities are Excluded Liabilities or otherwise are the express responsibility of Seller, Rexam, a Seller Entity or a Rexam Entity pursuant to this Agreement;

 

(b)                                  any and all Liabilities relating to the Transferred Business Employees with respect to any period (or portion thereof) commencing on or after the Closing Date;

 

(c)                                   (i) any and all Liabilities arising out of the Purchased Entity Employee Benefit Plans and (ii) any other Liabilities related to Employee Benefit Plans allocated to Purchaser as set forth in Article V or otherwise set forth on Schedule 1.3(c) ;

 

(d)                                  any and all Liabilities to the extent (and only to the extent) required to be performed on or after the Closing Date under any Contract, Permit, approval or authorization constituting part of the Purchased Assets, including, subject to Section 1.13 , any and all Purchaser Portion of the Shared Contract Liabilities but excluding the Seller Portion of the Shared Contract Liabilities;

 

(e)                                   any and all Liabilities for any trade, account, note or loan payables for goods or services purchased by or provided to the Business from and after the Closing Date;

 

(f)                                    any and all Liabilities to the extent (and only to the extent) relating to Taxes attributable or imposed on the Business or the Purchased Assets for any period (or portion thereof) beginning on or after the Closing Date or that are the responsibility of Purchaser under Article VI other than Excluded Taxes;

 

(g)                                   any and all Liabilities to the extent (and only to the extent) arising out of or relating to any products manufactured at the Facilities on or after the Closing Date;

 

(h)                                  any and all On-Site Environmental Liabilities whether arising prior to, on or after the Closing Date;

 

(i)                                      any and all Liabilities to the extent (and only to the extent) arising out of or relating to violations by Purchaser of, and/or non-compliance by Purchaser with (or, in each case, its Affiliates, including following the Closing, the Purchased Entities) of any Laws relating to occupational safety and health, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act of 1970, on or after the Closing Date;

 

(j)                                     solely to the extent provided in Section 4.7 , Liabilities arising out of or relating to the Intercompany Agreements;

 

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(k)                                  the other Liabilities set forth on Schedule 1.3(k) ; and

 

(l)                                      any and all Liabilities arising from advance trade credits and rebates  (in each case as calculated in accordance with the Closing Statement Methodologies) to the extent (and only to the extent) related to any Purchased Asset.

 

Seller and Purchaser acknowledge and agree that a single Liability may fall within more than one of Section 1.3(a)  through Section 1.3(k) ; such fact does not imply that (i) such Liability shall be transferred more than once or (ii) any duplication of such Liability is required.  Seller and Purchaser further acknowledge and agree that any single Liability that falls within any of Section 1.3(a)  through Section 1.3(k)  may also be transferred through the purchase of the Purchased Equity as well as through a separate transfer of such Liability as listed in this Section 1.3 ; such fact does not imply that (A) such Liability shall be transferred more than once or (B) any duplication of such Liability is required.  The fact that a Liability may be excluded under one clause does not imply that it is not intended to be included under another clause of this Section 1.3 Seller and Purchaser also acknowledge and agree that (except as otherwise expressly provided in Section 1.4 and subject to the provisions of Article IX ), any and all Liabilities of the Purchased Entities as of the Closing, including any and all On-Site Environmental Liabilities and Off-Site Environmental Liabilities of the Purchased Entities, shall transfer to Purchaser by the transfer of the Purchased Equity.

 

1.4                                Excluded Liabilities .  Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 1.3 , Purchaser shall not assume or be liable for any of the following Liabilities of the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities or any of their respective Affiliates ( provided , however , that except as otherwise expressly provided in this Section 1.4 and subject to the provisions of Article IX , (A) no Purchased Entity shall be considered an Affiliate of any Seller Entity or Rexam Entity for purposes of this Section 1.4 and (B) nothing in this Section 1.4 shall alter the principle that the Liabilities of the Purchased Entities as of the Closing, including any and all On-Site Environmental Liabilities and Off-Site Environmental Liabilities, shall remain Liabilities of the Purchased Entities) (the “ Excluded Liabilities ”):

 

(a)                                  any and all Liabilities to the extent arising out of or relating to the Excluded Assets;

 

(b)                                  any and all Liabilities arising out of or relating to the ownership or use of the Purchased Assets or the operation or conduct of the Business, in either case prior to the Closing, except to the extent that any such Liabilities are the responsibility of Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement;

 

(c)                                   any Retained Employment Liabilities;

 

(d)                                  the Liabilities set forth on Schedule 1.4(d)  related to the Purchased Entity Employee Benefit Plans;

 

(e)                                   any and all Liabilities related to the Employee Benefit Plans other than the Purchased Entity Employee Benefit Plans and any other Liabilities related to Employee Benefit Plans other than those expressly allocated to Purchaser as set forth in Article V ;

 

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(f)                                    any and all obligations required to be performed prior to the Closing Date under any Contract, Permit, license, approval or authorization constituting part of the Purchased Assets, including, subject to Section 1.13 , any and all Seller Portion of the Shared Contract Liabilities but excluding the Purchaser Portion of the Shared Contract Liabilities, and excluding (subject to the provisions of Article IX ) any such Liabilities that are On-Site Environmental Liabilities;

 

(g)                                   any and all Liabilities for any trade, account, note or loan payables for goods or services purchased by or provided to the Business prior to the Closing Date;

 

(h)                                  any Excluded Taxes;

 

(i)                                      any and all Liabilities to the extent arising out of or relating to the Intercompany Agreements or any other intercompany obligations between Seller and any of its Affiliates, or Rexam and any of its Affiliates other than the Assumed Liabilities set forth in Section 1.3(j) ;

 

(j)                                     any and all Off-Site Environmental Liabilities relating to Hazardous Materials that have been transported to an Off-Site Location prior to the Closing Date, provided, for the avoidance of doubt, that this does not apply to Off-Site Environmental Liabilities of the Purchased Entities;

 

(k)                                  any other Liabilities set forth on Schedule 1.4(k) ; and

 

(l)                                      any other Liabilities of the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities or any of their respective Affiliates other than Assumed Liabilities.

 

1.5                                Purchase Price .  In consideration for the Purchased Assets and other obligations of Seller pursuant to this Agreement, at the Closing, Purchaser shall (a) pay to Seller, on behalf of the Seller Entities and Rexam Entities, the Closing Purchase Price in cash by wire transfer of immediately available funds and (b) assume the Assumed Liabilities.  For purposes of this Agreement, the “ Purchase Price ” means (i) the Base Purchase Price, minus (ii) the amount of Net Debt (or plus the amount of any negative Net Debt), if any, plus (iii) the amount, if any, by which the Purchased Working Capital exceeds the Working Capital Target, minus (iv) the amount, if any, by which the Purchased Working Capital is less than the Working Capital Target (the amount of any such adjustment to the Base Purchase Price, the “ Net Debt/Working Capital Adjustment Amount ”). If required by applicable Law, the portion of the Purchase Price allocable to the Purchased Entities located in Brazil will be paid in Brazilian Reais.

 

1.6                                Net Debt/Working Capital Purchase Price Adjustment .

 

(a)                                  Section 1.6(a)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter sets forth, for illustrative purposes only, a calculation of the Net Debt and Purchased Working Capital as of December 31, 2015 (the “ Sample Closing Statement ”), prepared and calculated using the line items and in accordance with the policies, procedures, principles and methods set forth on Exhibit A (the “ Closing Statement Methodologies ”).

 

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(b)                                  At least five (5) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, Seller shall cause to be prepared and delivered to Purchaser a closing statement (the “ Closing Statement ”) setting forth a good faith estimate of the Net Debt/Working Capital Adjustment Amount as of the Closing Date (such estimate, the “ Estimated Adjustment Amount ”) and the calculation of such Estimated Adjustment Amount, including an estimate of the Net Debt and the Purchased Working Capital (estimated as of the Closing Date).  The Closing Statement shall be in the format set forth in the Sample Closing Statement and prepared and calculated in accordance with the Closing Statement Methodologies, in each case unless otherwise agreed by Seller and Purchaser.  Until two (2) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, Purchaser may propose, and Seller will consider in good faith but is under no obligation to agree to, revisions to such calculation of the Estimated Adjustment Amount.  Unless Seller agrees to any such changes, the Closing Statement delivered by Seller shall be used for purposes of calculating the Estimated Adjustment Amount.

 

(c)                                   Within ninety (90) days after the Closing Date (or if only the First Closing shall have occurred but either or both the France Closing or the Dutch Closing shall not have occurred, within ninety (90) days after the last to occur of the France Closing or the Dutch Closing, as applicable), Purchaser shall cause to be prepared and deliver to Seller a post - closing statement (the “ Post - Closing Statement ”), setting forth the actual Net Debt/Working Capital Adjustment Amount, calculated as of the Closing Date, and the calculation of the Net Debt/Working Capital Adjustment Amount, including the Net Debt and the Purchased Working Capital (in each case, calculated as of the Closing Date).  The Post-Closing Statement shall be in the format set forth in the Sample Closing Statement and prepared and calculated in accordance with the Closing Statement Methodologies, in each case unless otherwise agreed by Seller and Purchaser.

 

(d)                                  Each of Seller and Purchaser agrees (i) to reasonably assist the other in the preparation and/or review of the Closing Statement and the Post-Closing Statement and the related determination of the Estimated Adjustment Amount, the actual Net Debt/Working Capital Adjustment Amount and the Purchase Price; (ii) that Seller shall, after the delivery to Purchaser of the Closing Statement, and Purchaser shall, after the delivery to Seller of the Post-Closing Statement until the earlier of (x) the date Seller delivers an Objections Statement or (y) forty-five (45) days after delivery of the Post-Closing Statement to Seller, provide the other and its Representatives, upon the reasonable request of Purchaser or Seller, as applicable, with reasonable access during normal business hours to its books, records (including work papers, schedules, memoranda and other documents), supporting data, facilities and management for purposes of the review of the Closing Statement or the Post-Closing Statement, as applicable, and the related determinations of the Estimated Adjustment Amount, the actual Net Debt/Working Capital Adjustment Amount and the Purchase Price, and (iii) to reasonably cooperate with the other in connection with such reviews and determinations.

 

(e)                                   If Seller has any objections to any amounts reflected in the Post-Closing Statement, Seller will deliver to Purchaser a statement setting forth its objections thereto (an “ Objections Statement ”), which statement will identify in reasonable detail those items and amounts to which Seller objects and set forth, in reasonable detail, the basis for such objection (the “ Disputed Items ”), and Purchaser and Seller will attempt to resolve and finally determine and agree upon the Disputed Items as promptly as practicable.  If an Objections Statement is not

 

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delivered to Purchaser within forty-five (45) days after receipt by Seller of the Post-Closing Statement, the Post-Closing Statement as prepared by Purchaser will be final, binding and non-appealable by the Parties.  Seller and Purchaser will negotiate in good faith to resolve the Disputed Items, but if they do not reach a final resolution within thirty (30) days after the delivery of the Objections Statement to Purchaser (as such thirty (30)-day period may be extended to the extent agreed by Seller and Purchaser in writing), Seller and Purchaser will submit any unresolved Disputed Items to Deloitte LLP (the “ Arbiter ”). The proposed representative of the Arbiter shall be reasonably acceptable to Seller and Purchaser. In the event Seller and Purchaser submit any unresolved Disputed Items to the Arbiter, each of them will submit a Post-Closing Statement together with such supporting documentation as it deems appropriate, to the Arbiter within ten (10) days after the date on which the Arbiter executes an engagement letter for purposes of resolving the Disputed Items.  Seller and Purchaser will use their respective commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Arbiter to resolve such dispute as soon as practicable, but in any event within thirty (30) days after the date on which the Arbiter receives the Post-Closing Statements prepared by Seller and Purchaser, or as soon thereafter as practicable.  Seller and Purchaser shall instruct the Arbiter to make a written determination of each Disputed Item within thirty (30) days after being appointed or as soon thereafter as practicable.  In resolving any Disputed Item, the Arbiter shall be instructed not to assign a value to any item greater than the greatest value for such item claimed by either Seller or Purchaser or less than the smallest value for such item claimed by either Seller or Purchaser.  Seller and Purchaser will use their respective commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Arbiter to notify them in writing of its resolution of such dispute as soon as practicable.  The determination of the Arbiter with respect to each Disputed Item will, in the absence of manifest error, be final, binding and non-appealable by the Parties and shall be a final arbitral award that may be entered and enforced in any court having jurisdiction.  Each Party will bear its own costs and expenses in connection with the resolution of such dispute by the Arbiter.  The fees, costs and expenses of the Arbiter will be paid by the Party whose positions generally did not prevail in the Arbiter’s resolution of the dispute, or if the Arbiter determines that no Party could be fairly found to be the prevailing Party, then such fees, costs and expenses will be borne fifty percent (50%) by Seller and fifty percent (50%) by Purchaser.

 

(f)                                    (i)                                      If the Closing Purchase Price, solely for this purpose calculated by applying the Net Debt/Working Capital Adjustment Amount (as finally determined pursuant to Section 1.6(c)  or Section 1.6(e) ) in lieu of the Estimated Adjustment Amount, is less than the Closing Purchase Price actually paid pursuant to Section 1.12(a)(i) , then the Base Purchase Price will be adjusted downward by the amount of such shortfall, and Seller shall pay or cause to be paid an amount in cash equal to such shortfall to Purchaser by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account or accounts designated in writing by Purchaser to Seller.  Any such payment is to be made within five (5) Business Days of the date on which the Net Debt/Working Capital Adjustment Amount is finally determined pursuant to this Section 1.6 .

 

(ii)                                   If the Closing Purchase Price, solely for this purpose calculated by applying the Net Debt/Working Capital Adjustment Amount (as finally determined pursuant to Section 1.6(c)  or Section 1.6(e) ) in lieu of the Estimated Adjustment Amount, is greater than the Closing Purchase Price actually paid pursuant to Section 1.12(a)(i) , then the Base Purchase Price will be adjusted upward by the amount of such excess, and Purchaser shall pay or cause to be paid an amount in cash equal to such excess to Seller

 

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by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account or accounts designated in writing by Seller to Purchaser.  Any such payment is to be made within five (5) Business Days of the date on which the Net Debt/Working Capital Adjustment Amount is finally determined pursuant to this Section 1.6 .

 

1.7                                Manner of Transfer .  The Parties acknowledge that, in order to facilitate the transfer of the Purchased Assets to Purchaser, the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and their respective Affiliates may transfer some or substantially all of the Purchased Assets and Assumed Liabilities to one (1) or more of the Purchased Entities.  In such case, each Purchased Asset or Assumed Liability so transferred to a Purchased Entity shall not be transferred to Purchaser pursuant to Section 1.1 or Section 1.3 , respectively, but instead shall be transferred to Purchaser by virtue of the transfer of the Purchased Equity.  If any such transfer is not in accordance with the Restructuring Steps Plan, or if Purchaser does not consent in writing to such transfer (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), then Seller shall indemnify and hold Purchaser and its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities after Closing) harmless from any Loss or incremental Taxes suffered or incurred by any of them as a result of or arising out of or relating to any such action taken by the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities or any of their respective Affiliates.

 

1.8                                Foreign Acquisition Agreement .  The transfer of each Purchased Entity organized in a jurisdiction in which local Laws require observance of specified formalities or procedures to legally effect a transfer of such entity, asset or liability will be effected pursuant to short-form acquisition agreements (the “ Foreign Acquisition Agreements ”) on a country-by-country basis.  Each Foreign Acquisition Agreement shall be in substantially the form attached as Exhibit B hereto, except for:  (i) the deletion of provisions which are inapplicable to such Purchased Entity; (ii) such changes as may be necessary to satisfy the requirements of applicable local Law; and (iii) such changes as may be reasonably agreed upon by Seller and Purchaser, including regarding employees and employee benefit matters in order to adapt such agreement to the particular circumstances of the relevant Purchased Entity and country; provided , in each case that the Foreign Acquisition Agreements shall serve purely to effect and make enforceable vis-à-vis third parties the transfer of the legal and beneficial title to the applicable Purchased Equity and shall not have any significant effect on the value being received by Purchaser or given by Seller, including the allocation of assets and Liabilities as between them, all of which shall be determined by this Agreement.

 

1.9                                Works Council/Consultation Matters .

 

(a)                                  Seller and Purchaser acknowledge that, (i) under French labor Laws, one or more works’ councils of Ball Packaging Europe France S.A.S. and Ball Trading France S.A.S. (the “ French Entities ”) will need to be informed and consulted with respect to the Restructuring and the offer made by Purchaser to acquire the entire share capital and voting rights of Divest Trading France S.A.S., Divest Manufacturing France S.A.S. and Ball Trading Spain S.L. (collectively, the “ French and Spanish Entities ” and such share capital voting rights, collectively, the “ French and Spanish Shares ”) and (ii) under Dutch labor Laws, the works’ council of Ball Packaging Europe Oss B.V. and Ball Trading Netherlands B.V. (the “ Dutch Entities ”) will need to be informed and consulted with respect to the Restructuring and the offer made by Purchaser to acquire the entire share capital and voting rights of the Dutch Entities (collectively, the “ Dutch

 

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Shares ”).  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement and without prejudice to clause (z) of the proviso to Section 1.11(b) , (1) unless and until Seller has executed and delivered to Purchaser the France Acceptance Notice, the French and Spanish Entities will not be considered Purchased Entities and the French Seller Entities will not be considered Seller Entities for the purpose of this Agreement, and, if no such France Acceptance Notice is delivered prior to First Closing, the Closing Purchase Price shall be reduced by the France Purchase Price, and (2) unless and until Seller has executed and delivered to Purchaser the Dutch Acceptance Notice, the Dutch Entities will not be considered Purchased Entities and (with respect to the Dutch Entities only) the Dutch Seller Entity will not be considered a Seller Entity for the purpose of this Agreement, and, if no such Dutch Acceptance Notice is delivered prior to First Closing, the Closing Purchase Price shall be reduced by the Dutch Purchase Price.

 

(b)                                  On the terms and conditions set forth in the offer letter attached as Exhibit G hereto (the “ French Offer Letter ” and the offer set forth therein, the “ French Offer ”), including the price specified therein (the “ France Purchase Price ”), Purchaser has irrevocably offered to acquire the French and Spanish Shares (within the time limit set forth therein) and to have the provisions of this Agreement apply to such French and Spanish Shares following completion of the consultation process described in Section 1.9(a)(i) .  Subject to acceptance of the French Offer by Seller following completion of the consultation process described in Section 1.9(a)(i) , and upon delivery to Purchaser of the executed acceptance notice attached as Schedule 2 to the French Offer Letter (the “ France Acceptance Notice ”), this Agreement shall apply to the French and Spanish Shares and, save as set forth in clause (z) of the proviso to Section 1.11(b) , the French and Spanish Entities shall be included in the Purchased Entities. On the France Closing, shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, the France Purchase Price and the Foreign Closing Documents relating to the French and Spanish shares in the manner set forth in Section 1.12 .

 

(c)                                   On the terms and conditions set forth in the offer letter attached as Exhibit H hereto (the “ Dutch Offer Letter ” and the offer set forth therein, the “ Dutch Offer ”), including the price specified therein (the “ Dutch Purchase Price ”), Purchaser has irrevocably offered to acquire the Dutch Shares (within the time limit set forth therein) and to have the provisions of this Agreement apply to such Dutch Shares following completion of the consultation process described in Section 1.9(a)(ii) .  Subject to acceptance of the Dutch Offer by Seller following completion of the consultation process described in Section 1.9(a)(ii)  and upon delivery to Purchaser of the executed acceptance notice attached as Schedule 2 to the Dutch Offer Letter (the “ Dutch Acceptance Notice ”), this Agreement shall apply to the Dutch Shares and, save as set forth in clause (z) of the proviso to Section 1.11(b) , the Dutch Entities shall be included in the Purchased Entities. On the Dutch Closing, Purchaser and Seller shall deliver or cause to be delivered the Dutch Purchase Price and the Foreign Closing Documents relating to the Dutch Shares in the manner set forth in Section 1.12 .

 

(d)                                  Seller and Purchaser shall reasonably cooperate with each other and any relevant Affiliates in connection with the applicable consultation processes described in this Section 1.9 , including (i) Purchaser timely providing any required information relating to Purchaser, or to any measures envisaged by Purchaser or as otherwise reasonably requested by Seller in respect of or for the purpose of such consultation processes and (ii) Seller keeping Purchaser informed of the status of such consultation and any material developments so far as they relate to the French Entities or the Dutch Entities.  Without Purchaser’s prior written

 

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consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, Seller shall not (and shall cause the French entities and the Dutch entities not to) enter into any material agreement with, or make any material commitment to, the relevant works council which would bind or impose any material obligation on Purchaser, the French Entities or the Dutch Entities after the Closing; provided ; however ; for the avoidance of doubt, that Purchaser’s consent shall not be required with respect to any matter affecting only employees of Seller who are not Business Employees.  If, as a result of any such consultation processes, changes to this Agreement or the Ancillary Agreements, or further arrangements in connection with the Transaction, are considered necessary by Seller, Seller shall negotiate in good faith with Purchaser on such changes (if any) to this Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements or further arrangements (if any) in connection with the Transaction that are appropriate, in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the French Offer Letter and/or the Dutch Offer Letter (as applicable).

 

(e)           Seller and Purchaser shall, and Seller shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause Rexam to, cooperate in connection with any notification to, or any consultation with, employees of Seller, Rexam or of their Affiliates who are not included in or covered by the notice and consultation processes referred to in Section 1.9(d)  and who might be affected by the Restructuring or the Transaction and such employees’ Employee Representative Bodies, labor boards and relevant government agencies concerning the Restructuring and the Transaction, whether required by Law or otherwise undertaken by Seller, Rexam or their Affiliates.  Purchaser shall timely provide Seller and its relevant Affiliates any information required or  reasonably requested by Seller or Rexam relating to Purchaser and its plans for employees in connection with any such notification or consultation.  Prior to the Closing Date, all communications between Purchaser and any Employee Representative Body or group of Business Employees shall be coordinated and agreed with the Person(s) set forth on Schedule 1.9(e) .

 

1.10        Tax Treatment of Purchase Price .

 

(a)           Seller shall cooperate in good faith with Purchaser to assist Purchaser in obtaining information reasonably necessary for Purchaser to prepare the Preliminary Allocation (as defined in subsection (b) below). Without limiting the foregoing, Seller shall provide to Purchaser such information available to Seller (or which Seller may obtain through commercially reasonable efforts) within seven (7) days following written request by Purchaser to assist Purchaser in preparing the Preliminary Allocation.

 

(b)           No later than thirty (30) days after the date of this Agreement, Purchaser shall deliver a draft allocation of the Purchase Price among the Conveyed Purchased Entities set forth in Schedule 10.1(b)  and the other Purchased Assets to be sold directly by Seller and the Rexam Entities to Purchaser and its designated Affiliates hereunder (excluding, for the avoidance of doubt, any Purchased Assets to the extent held indirectly held by a Conveyed Purchased Entity) (the “ Preliminary Allocation ”).  If Seller disagrees with the Preliminary Allocation, Seller may, within fifteen (15) days after delivery of the Preliminary Allocation, deliver a notice (the “ Seller’s Allocation Notice ”) to Purchaser to such effect, specifying those items as to which Seller disagrees and setting forth Seller’s proposed allocation.  Seller and Purchaser shall, during the fifteen (15) days following such delivery, use commercially reasonable efforts to reach agreement on the disputed items or amounts in order to determine the

 

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allocation of the Purchase Price.  If Seller and Purchaser are unable to reach such agreement, they shall promptly thereafter cause the Arbiter to resolve any remaining disputed items, if reasonably practicable, at least ten (10) days prior to the Closing.  The Preliminary Allocation as prepared by Purchaser if no Seller’s Allocation Notice has been given, as adjusted pursuant to any agreement between Seller and Purchaser or as determined by the Arbiter (the “Closing Allocation”) shall be conclusive and used by the Parties for purposes of the Closing.  If the Closing Allocation is not determined prior to the Closing, the Purchase Price shall be allocated for purposes of the Closing in accordance with the Preliminary Allocation, or such other allocation as Purchaser and Seller agree to in writing for purposes of the Closing (and adjustments shall be made thereafter as agreed or determined by the Arbiter to reflect any differences between such allocation and the Closing Allocation).

 

(c)           Seller and Purchaser agree to further apportion and, as applicable, to cause their relevant Affiliates to further apportion, the Purchase Price (as allocated in the Closing Allocation) and any other items that are treated as additional consideration for Tax purposes among the Purchased Assets (including among the Purchased Equity) in a manner consistent with the Closing Allocation and in accordance with Section 1060 of the Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder and applicable rules in the jurisdiction in which the Purchased Assets are located (the “ Apportionment Principles ”) and the procedures as set forth herein. No later than ninety (90) days after the Closing Date, Purchaser shall deliver to Seller a proposed apportionment of the Purchase Price and any other items that are treated as additional consideration for Tax purposes as of the Closing Date determined in a manner consistent with the Closing Allocation and the Apportionment Principles (the “ Interim Apportionment ”).  If Seller disagrees with the Interim Apportionment, Seller may, within fifteen (15) days after delivery of the Interim Apportionment, deliver a notice (the “ Seller’s Apportionment Notice ”) to Purchaser to such effect, specifying those items as to which Seller disagrees and setting forth Seller’s proposed apportionment.

 

(d)           If the Seller’s Apportionment Notice is duly delivered, Seller and Purchaser shall, during the fifteen (15) days following such delivery, use commercially reasonable efforts to reach agreement on the disputed items or amounts in order to determine the allocation of the Purchase Price and any other items that are treated as additional consideration for Tax purposes.  If Seller and Purchaser are unable to reach such agreement, they shall promptly thereafter cause the Arbiter to resolve any remaining disputes.  Any apportionment of the Purchase Price and any other items that are treated as additional consideration for Tax purposes determined pursuant to the decision of the Arbiter shall incorporate, reflect and be consistent with the Apportionment Principles and the Closing Allocation.  The Interim Apportionment, as prepared by Purchaser if the Seller’s Apportionment Notice has not been given, as adjusted pursuant to any agreement between Seller and Purchaser or as determined by the Arbiter (the “ Final Apportionment ”), shall be conclusive and binding on the Parties.  No Party shall (and each shall cause their respective Affiliates not to) take any position inconsistent with the Final Apportionment on any Tax Return or in any Tax proceeding, in each case (i) except to the extent otherwise required pursuant to a “determination” within the meaning of Section 1313(a) of the Code (or any analogous provision of state, local or foreign law) or pursuant to any other applicable Laws or (ii) without the consent of the other Party.  Any subsequent adjustments to the Purchase Price including pursuant to Section 1.6 shall be allocated among the Purchased Assets in a manner that is consistent with the Final Apportionment.

 

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1.11        Closing .

 

(a)           The Closing shall take place at the offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, 4 Times Square, New York, New York, 10036, on the same day as the date on which the Rexam Transaction is consummated (but after the consummation of the Rexam Transaction); provided that if each of the conditions set forth in Article VII (excluding conditions that, by their terms, cannot be satisfied until the Closing, but the Closing shall be subject to the satisfaction or waiver of those conditions) shall not have been satisfied as of such date, then the Closing shall occur on the first (1 st ) Business Day after such conditions shall have been satisfied or waived, or at such other time or date as Purchaser and Seller may mutually agree in writing (the date on which the Closing occurs, the “ Closing Date ”).

 

(b)           The Parties acknowledge and agree that in order to comply with applicable Law in the jurisdictions where the Purchased Assets are located, the Closing may take place at a different date and time in different jurisdictions. In particular, the Parties acknowledge and agree that (i) conditions to the transfer of (x) the French and Spanish Shares set forth in the French Offer Letter or (y) the Dutch Shares set forth in the Dutch Offer Letter may, in each case, be satisfied after the conditions to the transfer of other Purchased Assets set forth in Article VII have been satisfied and in any such case Closing shall take place with respect to all Purchased Assets other than the French and Spanish Shares and/or Dutch Shares, as applicable (the “ First Closing ”), and (ii) (x) the consummation of the sale of the French and Spanish Shares (the “ France Closing ”) shall occur in accordance with the terms of the French Offer Letter and (y) the consummation of the sale of the Dutch Shares (the “ Dutch Closing ”) shall occur in accordance with the terms of the Dutch Offer Letter. The Parties further acknowledge and agree that (1) subject to the subsequent clause (2) of this sentence, all actions and documents relating to the transfer of the French and Spanish Shares and/or the Dutch Shares, as applicable (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Foreign Closing Documents relating to the French and Spanish Shares and/or the Dutch Shares, as applicable), shall not be required to be taken or delivered at the First Closing but only at the France Closing and/or the Dutch Closing, as applicable; (2) all references to Net Debt, Purchased Working Capital and any other items taken into account in the Purchase Price adjustment in accordance with this Agreement shall not be adjusted to reflect the exclusion of the French and Spanish Shares and the Dutch Shares, as applicable, at the First Closing but shall be reflected as if the France Closing and the Dutch Closing shall have occurred at the First Closing; and (3) unless otherwise indicated in this Section 1.11(b) , all references to the Closing in this Agreement shall be deemed to refer to the First Closing.  To the extent that the France Closing and/or the Dutch Closing shall not have occurred simultaneously with the First Closing, the covenants set forth in Article IV (other than Sections 4.2 , 4.3(d) , 4.4 , 4.5 , 4.9 , 4.10 , 4.12 , 4.15 , 4.16 , 4.17 , 4.18 , 4.19 and 4.20 ) shall apply with respect to the French and Spanish Entities or the Dutch Entities (as applicable) from the date of the France Acceptance Notice or Dutch Acceptance Notice (as applicable) until the France Closing or Dutch Closing (as applicable); provided , however , that (y) in no event shall any violation of such covenants during the period following the First Closing until the France Closing or Dutch Closing (as applicable) affect the requirement to effect the France Closing or Dutch Closing (as applicable) but shall only result, if applicable, in a claim for indemnification under Section 9.2(a)(i)(i)(B)  or Section 9.2(b)(i)(B) , as applicable, and (z) for the purposes of the covenants set forth in Section 4.7 only, the French and Spanish Entities and Dutch Entities shall be deemed to be Purchased Entities only upon occurrence of the France closing and Dutch Closing (as applicable).

 

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(c)           Subject to Section 1.11(b) , for the purposes of this Agreement and unless Purchaser and Seller agree otherwise, the Closing shall be deemed to have occurred at 12:01 A.M. local time in each applicable jurisdiction on the Closing Date, or, if the Rexam Transaction shall have been consummated on the Closing Date, one minute after consummation of the Rexam Transaction.

 

1.12        Closing Deliveries . At the Closing,

 

(a)           Purchaser shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to Seller:

 

(i)            subject to Section 1.9(a) , to one or more accounts designated by Seller (such designation to be made in writing at least two (2) Business Days before the Confirmation Date), the Closing Purchase Price by wire transfer of immediately available funds;

 

(ii)           a counterpart to each of the Ancillary Agreements (other than the Assignment and Assumption Agreement and Bill of Sale delivered under Section 1.12(a)(iv)  and any Lease Assignment and Assumption Agreements delivered under Section 1.12(a)(v) ) to which Purchaser or its designated Affiliate is a party, substantially in the forms attached as exhibits hereto, duly executed by Purchaser, as applicable;

 

(iii)          the certificate to be delivered pursuant to Section 7.2(a) ;

 

(iv)          to the extent any Purchased Asset (other than the Business Real Property) or Assumed Liability is not held by a Purchased Entity, a counterpart of the Assignment and Assumption Agreement and Bill of Sale for such Purchased Assets (other than the Purchased Equity) and such Assumed Liabilities, by and among the applicable Seller Entities, the applicable Rexam Entities and Purchaser, substantially in the form attached as Exhibit C hereto (the “ Assignment and Assumption Agreement and Bill of Sale ”), duly executed by Purchaser or its designated Affiliate;

 

(v)           with respect to each Lease for a Leased Business Real Property to be assigned to Purchaser (and not indirectly conveyed by transfer of the applicable Purchased Entity), a duly executed counterpart of a lease assignment and assumption agreement for such Lease, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit F or in such other form as may be reasonably required by the landlord under such Lease (the “ Lease Assignment and Assumption Agreement ”); and

 

(vi)          with respect to jurisdictions outside the United States in which Purchased Assets (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the Purchased Equity) or Assumed Liabilities are located, other forms and agreements as Seller and Purchaser mutually agree are reasonably necessary or appropriate to effect the transfer of the Purchased Assets or the assumption of the Assumed Liabilities pursuant to this Agreement, as Seller and Purchaser mutually agree are reasonably necessary or appropriate to effect the transfer of the Purchased Entities or the assumption of the Assumed Liabilities pursuant to this Agreement (collectively, the “ Foreign Closing

 

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Documents ”), in each case duly executed (as required) by Purchaser or its designated Affiliate.

 

(b)           Seller shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to Purchaser:

 

(i)            such bills of sale, share/stock transfer forms, share transfer deeds or notarial copies of share transfer deeds (or, in the event notarial copies cannot be available at Closing, certified copies of share transfer deeds), stock powers or other instruments of transfer (in a form that is consistent with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, pursuant to any applicable Foreign Acquisition Agreement, and otherwise consistent in such jurisdictions) as Seller and Purchaser mutually agree are reasonably necessary or appropriate to effect the transfer of the Purchased Entities, in each case duly executed by the applicable Seller Entities and Rexam Entities;

 

(ii)           the certificate to be delivered pursuant to Section 7.1(a) ;

 

(iii)          counterparts of the Assignment and Assumption Agreement and Bill of Sale duly executed by each Seller Entity named as a party thereto and each Rexam Entity named as party thereto, as applicable;

 

(iv)          a special warranty deed in customary form for each Facility and each Owned Business Real Property located in the United States and such deeds, bills of sale, assignments, certificates of title, transfer forms and other documents and instruments for each Facility and each Owned Business Real Property located outside the United States (each, a “ Deed ”);

 

(v)           customary owner’s affidavits of title as may be reasonably required by the title company of Purchaser’s choosing in connection with the conveyance of the Owned Business Real Property located in the United States;

 

(vi)          counterparts of the Foreign Closing Documents duly executed by each Seller Entity named as a party thereto and each Rexam Entity named as a party thereto, as applicable;

 

(vii)         a certificate, executed by Rexam Beverage Can Company that complies with Treasury Regulation Section 1.1445—2(b)(2) of the Code, substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto;

 

(viii)        counterparts to the Ancillary Agreements (other than the Assignment and Assumption Agreement and Bill of Sale delivered under Section 1.12(b)(iii)  and any Lease Assignment and Assumption Agreements delivered under Section 1.12(b)(ix) ), substantially in the forms attached as exhibits hereto, duly executed by the applicable Seller Entities and Rexam Entities;

 

(ix)          a duly executed counterpart of each Lease Assignment and Assumption Agreement; and

 

(x)           a receipt for the Closing Purchase Price.

 

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1.13        Non-Assignment; Consents .

 

(a)           Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, this Agreement shall not constitute an agreement to sell, assign, transfer, convey or deliver a Purchased Asset or for Purchaser to assume an Assumed Liability if a sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance, delivery or assumption thereof (i) would be prohibited by Law or (ii) would, without the approval, authorization or consent of, filing with, notification to, or granting or issuance of any order, waiver or Permit by, any relevant Person (collectively, “ Approvals ”), (A) constitute a breach or other contravention thereof or of any Contract related to the Business or (B) be ineffective, void or voidable, in the case of each of clause (A) and (B) unless and until such Approval is obtained.

 

(b)           If the Closing occurs and the circumstances described in Section 1.13(a)  exist, Seller and Purchaser shall use their respective reasonable best efforts to obtain, or cause to be obtained, any Approval required to sell, assign or transfer any Purchased Asset to Purchaser and to obtain the unconditional release of the Seller Entities and/or the Rexam Entities so that Purchaser shall be solely responsible for the Assumed Liabilities; provided , that nothing in this Agreement shall obligate or in any way require Purchaser or any of its Affiliates to expend money, commence any litigation or offer or grant any material accommodation (financial or otherwise) to any third party in connection with obtaining any Approval.  Seller shall keep Purchaser reasonably informed in a timely manner as to all material developments regarding the Approvals and the Purchased Assets. If any such Approval is not obtained prior to Closing, then from the Closing through the earlier of (i) such time as such Approval or Approvals are obtained and (ii) December 31, 2018, Seller and Purchaser will put in place any arrangement reasonably acceptable to Purchaser and Seller (with any appropriate “firewalls” or similar procedures required under applicable Competition/Investment Laws) intended to both (x) provide Purchaser, to the fullest extent practicable, the claims, rights and benefits of any such Purchased Assets (including by means of any contract manufacturing, co-packing, subcontracting, sublicensing or subleasing arrangement) and (y) cause Purchaser to bear all Assumed Liabilities thereunder in accordance with this Agreement; provided , however , that with respect to Customer Contracts included in the Purchased Assets (including Shared Contracts described in Section 1.13(c) ), Seller shall, if not prohibited by applicable regulatory authorities pursuant to Competition/Investment Law, seek to substitute approximately equivalent volume if the customer party to the applicable Customer Contract does not provide Approval prior to Closing.  Seller shall use commercially reasonable efforts to enforce, at the request (and for the benefit) of Purchaser, any rights of Seller, the Seller Entities, Rexam or the Rexam Entities, as applicable, arising from any such Purchased Asset to the extent such rights are related to the Business.

 

(c)           Any Contract to be assigned, transferred and conveyed in accordance with Section 1.1(b)(i)  (or that would be indirectly conveyed to Purchaser under Section 1.1(a)(i) ) that is not exclusively related to the Business (each, a “ Shared Contract ”) shall be assigned, transferred and conveyed only with respect to (and preserving the meaning of) those parts that relate to the Business to the extent so related to the Business, to Purchaser, if so assignable, transferable or conveyable, or appropriately amended or split prior to or on the Closing, so that at the Closing (x) Purchaser shall be entitled to the rights and benefits of those parts of the Shared Contract that relate to the Business and shall assume the related portion of any Liabilities contemplated by this Agreement (the “ Purchaser Portion of the Shared Contract Liabilities ”) and

 

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(y) Seller (or its applicable Affiliate) shall be entitled to the rights and benefits of those parts of the Shared Contract other than those related to the Business and shall assume or retain the related portion of any Liabilities contemplated by this Agreement (the “ Seller Portion of the Shared Contract Liabilities ”); provided , however , that (i) in no event shall any Person be required to assign (or amend or split), either in its entirety or in part, any Shared Contract that is not assignable (or cannot be amended or split) by its terms without obtaining required Approvals and (ii) if any Shared Contract cannot be so partially assigned or split by its terms or otherwise, or cannot be amended, without such Approval or Approvals, then (subject to the regulatory requirements described in Section 1.13(b) ) from the Closing through the earlier of (1) such time as such Approval or Approvals are obtained, and (2) December 31, 2018, Seller and Purchaser will establish an agency, contract manufacturing, co-packing or other similar arrangement reasonably satisfactory to Seller and Purchaser (with any appropriate “firewalls” or similar procedures required under applicable Competition/Investment Laws) intended (I) with respect to Shared Contracts other than those that are indirectly conveyed to Purchaser under Section 1.1(b)(i) , to both (x) provide Purchaser, to the fullest extent practicable under such Shared Contract, the claims, rights and benefits of those parts that relate to the Business (including by means of any contract manufacturing, co-packing, subcontracting, sublicensing or subleasing arrangement) and (y) cause Purchaser to bear the Assumed Liabilities thereunder from and after the Closing in accordance with this Agreement to the extent that Purchaser receives the rights and benefits of the parts of the Shared Contracts that relate to the Business and (II) with respect to Shared Contracts that are indirectly conveyed to Purchaser under Section 1.1(b)(i) , to both (x) provide Seller (or its applicable Affiliate), to the fullest extent practicable under such Shared Contract, the claims, rights and benefits of those parts that do not relate to the Business (including by means of any contract manufacturing, co-packing, subcontracting, sublicensing or subleasing arrangement) and (y) cause Seller (or its applicable Affiliate) to bear the Excluded Liabilities thereunder from and after the Closing in accordance with this Agreement to the extent that Seller (or its applicable Affiliate) receives the rights and benefits of the parts of the Shared Contracts that do not relate to the Business.  In furtherance of the foregoing, (i) Purchaser will promptly pay, perform or discharge when due any Assumed Liability arising thereunder after the Closing Date to the extent that Purchaser receives the rights and benefits of the parts of such Shared Contracts that relate to the Business and (ii) Seller (or its applicable Affiliate) will promptly pay, perform or discharge when due any Excluded Liability arising thereunder after the Closing Date to the extent that Seller (or its applicable Affiliate) receives the rights and benefits of the parts of such Shared Contracts that do not relate to the Business. Seller shall use commercially reasonable efforts to enforce, at the request (and for the benefit) of Purchaser, any rights of Seller, the Seller Entities, Rexam or the Rexam Entities, as applicable, arising from the portion of any Shared Contract that is not assigned or transferred to Purchaser to the extent such rights are related to the Business.  Purchaser shall use commercially reasonable efforts to enforce, at the request (and for the benefit) of Seller or its Affiliates, as applicable, arising from the portion of any Shared Contract that is not assigned or transferred to (or otherwise retained by) Seller or its Affiliates to the extent such rights are not related to the Business.

 

(d)           To the extent not prohibited by applicable Law (and to the extent consistent with the relevant arrangement agreed to by Seller and Purchaser pursuant to Section 1.13(b)  or 1.13(c) ), Seller and Purchaser agree to treat and report, and to cause their respective Affiliates to treat and report, on their Tax Returns, (i) the Purchased Assets that are

 

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subject to the provisions of this Section 1.13 (the “ Non-Transferred Purchaser Assets ”) as assets owned by Purchaser or its Affiliates and (ii) the Excluded Assets that are subject to the provisions of this Section 1.13 (the “ Non-Transferred Seller Assets ”) as assets owned by Seller or its Affiliates.  Each of Seller and Purchaser agrees to notify the other Party promptly in writing if it determines that such treatment (to the extent consistent with the relevant arrangement agreed to by Seller and Purchaser pursuant to Section 1.13(b)  or 1.13(c) ) is not permitted under applicable Laws.  Where such treatment is not permitted under applicable Law, and subject to the terms of any relevant arrangement agreed to by Seller and Purchaser pursuant to Section 1.13(b)  or 1.13(c) , (i) the amount of the Taxes imposed on Seller or any of its Affiliates with respect to any Non-Transferred Purchaser Asset for any Post-Closing Tax Period, if any, for which Purchaser is responsible shall be calculated on a “with and without” basis and Purchaser shall pay such amounts over to Seller and (ii) the amount of the Taxes imposed on Purchaser or any of its Affiliates with respect to any Non-Transferred Seller Asset for any Post - Closing Tax Period, if any, for which Seller is responsible shall be calculated on a “with and without” basis and Seller shall pay such amounts over to Purchaser.  Seller shall provide, and shall cause its Affiliates to provide, Purchaser with a reasonable opportunity to review the relevant portion of any applicable Tax Returns relating to any Non-Transferred Purchaser Assets (and accompanying schedules, calculations and other reasonably requested work papers) as necessary for determining the amount of such Taxes; provided however , that, in the case of Tax Returns of Seller, Rexam or any of their Affiliates (or of a consolidated, combined, unitary or Tax group including any of them), Seller may, in lieu of delivering the Tax Returns, deliver to Purchaser pro-forma statements setting forth in sufficient detail the information relevant for determining the amount of such Taxes.  Purchaser shall provide, and shall cause its Affiliates to provide, Seller with a reasonable opportunity to review the relevant portion of any applicable Tax Returns relating to any Non-Transferred Seller Assets (and accompanying schedules, calculations and other reasonably requested work papers) as necessary for determining the amount of such Taxes; provided however , that, in the case of Tax Returns of Purchaser or any of its Affiliates (or of a consolidated, combined, unitary or Tax group including any of them), Purchaser may, in lieu of delivering the Tax Returns, deliver to Seller pro-forma statements setting forth in sufficient detail the information relevant for determining the amount of such Taxes.  If Seller and Purchaser are unable to reach an agreement in respect of any dispute concerning the amount of such Taxes, they shall promptly submit any such dispute for resolution to the Arbiter.  All costs and expenses of the Arbiter shall be borne equally by Seller and Purchaser.

 

1.14        Withholding .  Purchaser shall be entitled to deduct and withhold, or cause to be deducted and withheld, from any and all amounts payable pursuant to this Agreement such amounts as are required to be deducted and withheld under any applicable Tax Law (taking into account any administrative guidance issued by any Taxing Authority), provided that Purchaser shall give five (5) Business Days’ notice to Seller prior to making any such withholding.  Seller and Purchaser shall cooperate to quantify any such withholding obligation and shall provide any reasonably requested information with respect thereto no less than ten (10) Business Days prior to the date on which such withholding is required.  To the extent that amounts are so deducted and withheld, Purchaser shall (i) pay to the competent Taxing Authority the full amount required to be so deducted or withheld and (ii) promptly forward to Seller an official receipt or other documentation reasonably necessary to evidence such payment. Such amounts so deducted and withheld and paid over to the applicable Taxing Authority shall be treated for all purposes of this

 

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Agreement as having been paid to the Person in respect of which such deduction and withholding was made.

 

1.15        Additional Purchase Price Adjustment.

 

(a)           Seller acknowledges that the fundamental economic benefits that Purchaser expects to receive from the Transaction are predicated on the Business having a sales perimeter of at least the 2017 Volume Threshold Amount in the 2017 calendar year, and that  the covenants and agreements set forth in this Section 1.15 are essential to allow Purchaser to achieve these fundamental economic benefits.

 

(b)           Set forth on Schedule 1.15(b)  is a list of the identified volume of cans and ends (“ Units ”) expected to be sold by the Business in the 2017 calendar year, including the customers to which such Units will be sold, the Facility in which such Units are manufactured and from which they will be shipped to such customers.

 

(c)           As promptly as practicable after December 31, 2017 (but in any event by March 15, 2018), Purchaser shall deliver to Seller a report (the “ 2017 Actual Volume Report ”) setting forth the aggregate number of Units actually sold, brokered, assigned to, or contract manufactured by Purchaser or its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) from the Facilities during the 2017 calendar year (the “ 2017 Actual Volume ”).  If Seller has any objections to the amounts reflected in the 2017 Actual Volume Report, it shall notify Purchaser in writing of its objections within 30 days of its receipt of such report, in which case, the provisions of Section 1.6(e)  shall apply mutatis mutandi to the resolution of any such dispute.   If Seller has not objected to such report within such 30 day period, the 2017 Actual Volume shall be deemed to be as reflected in such report delivered by Purchaser.

 

(d)           If the 2017 Actual Volume is deemed or determined to be less than the 2017 Volume Threshold Amount, then no later than 10 Business Days following the later of (i) Seller’s receipt of such report (if Seller has not objected thereto) or (ii) the final determination of the 2017 Actual Volume in accordance with Section 1.15(c) , Seller shall pay to Purchaser an amount equal to the 2017 Volume Shortfall Amount; provided that in no event shall the payment to be made by Seller to Purchaser under this subsection (d) exceed $75 million.

 

(e)           If the 2017 Actual Volume is deemed or determined to be greater than the 2017 Volume Threshold Amount then, subject to Section 1.15(f) , no later than 10 Business Days following the later of (i) Seller’s receipt of such report (if Seller has not objected thereto) or (ii) the final determination of the 2017 Actual Volume in accordance with Section 1.15(c) , Purchaser shall pay to Seller an amount equal to the 2017 Volume Surplus Amount; provided that in no event shall the payment to be made by Purchaser to Seller under this subsection (e) exceed $75 million.

 

(f)            If Purchaser determines, and so notifies Seller in writing, that the 2017 Actual Volume has been reduced as a direct result of the sale by Seller or any of its Affiliates of Units to any of the customers at the customer locations listed on Schedule 1.15(b)  with respect to such customers (as reflected in the 2017 Actual Volume Report and subject to the dispute resolution provisions described in Section 1.15(c) ), then, subject to Section 1.15(d)  (but without

 

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duplication of any volumes attributable to payments made thereunder), no later than 10 Business Days following the later of (i) Seller’s receipt of such report (if Seller has not objected thereto) or (ii) the final determination of the number of Units so sold by Seller or any of its Affiliates in accordance with Section 1.15(c) , Seller shall pay to Purchaser (x) the Seller Volume Payment Amount; provided that the amount (if any) payable by Seller to Purchaser under Section 1.15(d)  and this Section 1.15(f)  shall be reduced by, or to the extent there is no amount payable by Seller to Purchaser under Section 1.15(d)  or this Section 1.15(f)  (after taking into account the reduction (if any) to any amount payable by Seller to Purchaser as a result of the application of this proviso), Purchaser shall pay to Seller (solely to the extent a reduction (if any) for such amount payable has not already been made hereunder), the Purchaser Volume Payment Amount with respect to any Units sold by Purchaser or its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) in the 2017 calendar year from volume expected to be retained by Seller or its Affiliates in 2017 after giving effect to the Transaction (the “ Seller Retained Volume ”).  If Seller determines, and so notifies Purchaser in writing, that Purchaser is required to make a payment to Seller under this Section 1.15(f) , it shall, as promptly as practicable after December 31, 2017 (but in any event by March 15, 2018), deliver a report to Purchaser setting forth its determination of the Seller Retained Volume (the “ Seller Retained Volume Report ”).  If Purchaser has any objections to such report, it shall notify Seller in writing of its objections within 30 days of its receipt of such report, in which case the provisions of Section 1.6(e)  shall apply mutatis mutandi to the resolution of any such dispute.   The payments required to be made by Purchaser under this subsection (e) shall be made no later than 10 Business Days following the later of (i) Purchaser’s receipt of the Seller Retained Volume Report (if Purchaser has not objected thereto) or (ii) the final determination of the amount of Seller Retained Volume.

 

(g)           If, with respect to any volume of Units, Purchaser is required to make payments to Seller under both Section 1.15(e)  and Section 1.15(f) , or Seller is required to make payments to Purchaser under both Section 1.15(d)  and Section 1.15(f) , Purchaser or Seller, as applicable, shall first satisfy its obligations under Section 1.15(d)  or Section 1.15(e) , as applicable, before making any payment under Section 1.15(f) ; provided that in no event shall Purchaser or Seller be required to make payments under both Section 1.15(e)  and Section 1.15(f)  or Section 1.15(d)  and Section 1.15(f) , as applicable, with respect to the same volume of Units.

 

(h)           Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, Purchaser shall not, and shall cause its Affiliates not to, effect or permit any of the following, and Purchaser’s right to receive any potential payment from Seller under  Section 1.15(d)  shall irrevocably terminate if Purchaser or its applicable Affiliate (x) takes any action with the primary intent of artificially preventing or decreasing the amount of any payments potentially due to Seller under Section 1.15(e)  (or increasing the payments potentially due to Purchaser under Section 1.15(d) ) (including any action to delay sales of Units until after the end of the 2017 calendar year), (y) acts in bad faith with respect to attaining any volume of cans or ends for the purpose of reducing the payments potentially due to Seller (or increasing the payments potentially due to Purchaser) under Section 1.15(e)  or Section 1.15(d) , or (z) fails to conduct the Business in a manner generally consistent with the efforts and resources that Purchaser and its Affiliates would devote to its other operations and businesses similarly situated to the Business absent Section 1.15(d)  and Section 1.15(e) .

 

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(i)                                      The payments to be made by Purchaser or Seller pursuant to this Section 1.15 shall be treated in all respects as adjustments to the Purchase Price, and shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account or accounts designated in writing by Seller or Purchaser to the other no fewer than three Business Days prior to the scheduled date of such payment.

 

(j)                                     Purchaser and Seller agree that to the extent any of the information to be exchanged between them pursuant to this Section 1.15 for purposes of determining any payments due to each other hereunder is competitively sensitive, such information will be disclosed only to specifically identified employees of Seller or Purchaser who do not have day-to-day pricing or strategic responsibilities, as applicable, or third party Representatives of either of them.  Seller and Purchaser will cooperate to identify any such competitively sensitive information and to ensure that such information is reviewed only by such specifically identified employees who do not have day-to-day pricing or strategic responsibilities or third party Representatives.

 

ARTICLE II

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF SELLER

 

Except (a) as set forth in the Seller and Rexam Public Documents or (b) as set forth in the disclosure letter delivered by Seller to Purchaser immediately prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement (the “ Seller Disclosure Letter ”) (it being agreed that disclosure of any item in any section or subsection of the Seller Disclosure Letter shall be deemed disclosure with respect to all other sections or subsections of the Seller Disclosure Letter to which applicability of such disclosure is reasonably apparent), Seller represents and warrants to Purchaser as follows:

 

2.1                                Organization and Authority . Seller, Rexam, each of the Seller Entities and each of the Rexam Entities is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing (or its local equivalent) under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its formation, except (with respect to a Seller Entity or Rexam Entity) where the failure to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, be or reasonably be expected to be, materially adverse to the Business, taken as a whole (an “ Adverse Effect ”). Seller and Rexam have all necessary corporate or similar organizational power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, to carry out their respective obligations hereunder and to consummate the Transaction. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by Seller and Rexam, the performance by Seller and Rexam of their obligations hereunder and the consummation by Seller and Rexam of the Transaction, have been (and the execution and delivery by the Seller Entities and the Rexam Entities of the Ancillary Agreements to which they will be a party and the performance by them of all actions contemplated to be taken by them pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and any such Ancillary Agreements shall have been prior to the Closing) duly authorized by all requisite corporate or similar action on the part of Seller and Rexam (and the Seller Entities and the Rexam Entities), as applicable. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Seller and Rexam, and assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by Purchaser, this Agreement is a valid and binding obligation of Seller and Rexam, enforceable against them in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, fraudulent conveyance, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar Law relating to creditors’ rights generally and

 

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general principles of equity.  The Ancillary Agreements will be duly executed and delivered by the applicable Seller Entities and Rexam Entities, and assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto, will be valid and binding obligations of such Persons, enforceable against them in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, fraudulent conveyance, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar Law relating to creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity.

 

2.2                                Organization and Authority of the Purchased Entities . Each Purchased Entity (a) is duly organized and validly existing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its formation and has all necessary corporate or similar organizational power and authority to own, operate or lease the properties and assets owned, operated or leased by it and to carry on the portion of the Business conducted by such Purchased Entity as currently conducted and (b) is duly licensed or qualified to do business and, in jurisdictions where such concept is recognized, is in good standing (or its local equivalent) in each jurisdiction in which the properties owned or leased by it or the operations of the portion of the Business conducted by such Purchased Entity make such licensing or qualification necessary or desirable, except in each of clauses (a) and (b) as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to have an Adverse Effect.  True and correct copies of the charter, bylaws, or similar organizational documents of each Purchased Entity, each as in effect on the date of this Agreement, have been made available by Seller to Purchaser.

 

2.3                                Capital Stock of Purchased Entities .

 

(a)                                  Section 2.3 of the Seller Disclosure Letter sets forth a list, as of the date of this Agreement, of all authorized and outstanding (in reach case to the extent such concepts are recognized under applicable local Law of the jurisdiction of formation or organization) capital stock or other equity interests (the “ Interests ”) of each of the Purchased Entities, including the identities of the holders of such issued and outstanding Interests.  With respect to the Purchased Entities, (i) except for the Interests, there are no outstanding equity securities or other similar ownership interests of any class or type of or in any of the Purchased Entities, (ii) each of the Interests is, to the extent applicable, duly authorized, has been validly issued, and is fully paid and non-assessable, (iii) there are no outstanding Options with respect to the Interests and (iv) there are no outstanding contractual obligations of the Purchased Entities to repurchase, redeem or otherwise acquire any capital stock or other equity interests in, any other Person.

 

(b)                                  The Interests are owned by Seller, Rexam, the Seller Entities or the Rexam Entities, as the case may be, free and clear of all Encumbrances.  Subject to Section 1.9 , upon consummation of the Transaction (and without consideration of any actions taken by Purchaser), Purchaser will own all the Interests free and clear of all Encumbrances.  Other than other Purchased Entities, Purchased Affiliate Interests and the Excluded Entities, no Purchased Entity has any equity interests in any other Person as of the date of this Agreement.  At the Closing, the Purchased Entities will not own any equity interests in any other Person except other Purchased Entities and Purchased Affiliate Interests.  Each of the Purchased Affiliate Interests is, to the extent applicable, duly authorized, has been validly issued, and is fully paid and non-assessable. There are no voting trusts, stockholder agreements, proxies or other agreements or understandings in effect with respect to the voting or transfer of any of the Interests or the Purchased Affiliate Interests.

 

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2.4                                No Conflicts .  Assuming that all Consents have been obtained and except as may result from any facts or circumstances relating to Purchaser or its Affiliates, the execution and delivery of this Agreement by Seller and Rexam does not, the execution, delivery and performance of the Ancillary Agreements by the applicable Seller Entities and Rexam Entities will not, and the consummation of the Transaction by Seller, Rexam, the Seller Entities and the Rexam Entities will not (a) violate, conflict with or result in the breach of the certificate of incorporation or bylaws (or similar organizational documents) of Seller, Rexam, any Seller Entity, any Rexam Entity or any Purchased Entity, (b) conflict with or violate any Law or Governmental Order applicable to Seller, Rexam, any Seller Entity, any Rexam Entity or any Purchased Assets or (c) except as set forth in Section 2.4(c)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter, conflict with, result in any breach of, constitute a default (or event which with the giving of notice or lapse of time, or both, would become a default) under, require any consent under, or give to others any rights to, or result in termination, cancellation, amendment, suspension or revocation or acceleration of any obligation under, or result in the creation of an Encumbrance (other than a Permitted Encumbrance on Purchased Assets other than the Purchased Equity, which shall be sold, assigned, transferred, conveyed and delivered, free and clear of all Encumbrances other than those arising under securities Laws) on any of the Purchased Assets pursuant to, any Material Contract to which any Seller Entity, Rexam Entity or Purchased Entity is a party, or by which any of the Purchased Assets is bound or affected, except, in the case of the foregoing clauses (b) and (c), for any of the foregoing that, individually or in the aggregate, would not have or reasonably be expected to have an Adverse Effect.

 

2.5                                Governmental Consents and Approvals .  Except (a) for filings with the EC, CADE and the FTC contemplated by the Clearances in connection with the Rexam Transaction and a filing with the EC in connection with the Transaction, (b) for any filings or notifications that may be required under applicable state or foreign property transfer Laws or Environmental Laws, (c) as may be necessary as a result of any facts or circumstances relating solely to Purchaser or any of its Affiliates and (d) as otherwise set forth on Section 2.5 of the Seller Disclosure Letter, no Consent of, action by, filing with or notification to any Governmental Authority is required for the consummation by Seller, Rexam, the Seller Entities and the Rexam Entities of the Transaction, except where the failure to obtain such Consent or action or to make such filing or notification would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have an Adverse Effect.

 

2.6                                Litigation .  As of the date of this Agreement, with respect to the Purchased Assets, no Action by or against Seller, Rexam, any Seller Entity, Rexam Entity or Purchased Entity is pending or, to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened in writing, challenging the legality, validity or enforceability of this Agreement or the consummation of the Transaction, in each case that, if upheld, would individually or in the aggregate have or reasonably be expected to have an Adverse Effect.  Except as disclosed on Section 2.6 of the Seller Disclosure Letter, as of the date of this Agreement, with respect to the Purchased Assets, there is no Action pending or, to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened in writing, against Seller, Rexam, any Seller Entity, Rexam Entity or Purchased Entity by or before any Governmental Authority or by any third party other than such Actions as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to have an Adverse Effect.  As of the date of this Agreement, none of Seller, Rexam, the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities or any of their respective assets or properties, including the Purchased Assets, is subject to any Governmental Order (nor, to the Knowledge of Seller, is

 

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there any such Governmental Order threatened in writing to be imposed by any Governmental Authority) that has or would reasonably be expected to have an Adverse Effect.

 

2.7                                Financial Statements .

 

(a)                                  Attached as Schedule 2.7(a)  are:  (i) the Seller Balance Sheet and Rexam Balance Sheet, (ii) the Seller Income Statement and Rexam Income Statement, (iii) the Seller Statement of Cash Flows and Rexam Statement of Cash Flows ((i), (ii) and (iii), collectively and together with the notes thereto, the “ Audited Financial Statements ”), and (iv) the Pro Forma Financial Statements.  Except as set forth on Schedule 2.7(a)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter, (1) the Audited Financial Statements have been prepared using the books of account and other financial records of Seller, Rexam, the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and the Purchased Entities, as applicable; (2) the Seller Balance Sheet and Rexam Balance Sheet included in the Audited Financial Statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the portions of the Business to which they relate as of their respective dates; (3) the Seller Income Statement and the Rexam Income Statement included in the Audited Financial Statements present fairly, in all material respects, the results of operations of that portion of the Business to which they relate and for the respective periods set forth therein; (4) the Seller Statement of Cash Flows and the Rexam Statement of Cash Flows included in the Audited Financial Statements present fairly, in all material respects, the cash flows of that portion of the Business to which they relate for the respective periods set forth therein; and (5) each of the Seller Balance Sheets, the Seller Income Statement, the Seller Statement of Cash Flows, the Rexam Balance Sheets, the Rexam Income Statement and the Rexam Statement of Cash Flows included in the Audited Financial Statements has been prepared in conformity with GAAP (in the case of the financial statements of the portion of the Business owned by Seller) or IFRS (in the case of the financial statements of the portion of the Business owned by Rexam), applied on a consistent basis during the periods involved.

 

(b)                                  The Pro Forma Financial Statements (i) have been prepared based on the Audited Financial Statements with such adjustments as are set forth in Section 2.7(b)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter and were prepared in accordance with the methodology set out in the notes to the Pro Forma Financial Statements; and (ii) present fairly in all material respects the pro forma financial position and results of operation of the Business as if the Restructuring occurred on the dates for preparation of pro forma balance sheets and income statements as per the applicable guidance set forth in Article 11 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act for preparation of such financial statements.

 

(c)                                   The systems of internal controls over financial reporting with respect to the Business are sufficient in all material respects to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP or IFRS, as applicable, and to maintain accountability for the assets of the Business, (ii) receipts and expenditures are executed only in accordance with management’s authorization, (iii) the books and records of the Business accurately and fairly reflect in reasonable detail the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Business and (iv) Seller or Rexam, as applicable, can prevent or timely detect the unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Purchased Assets that could materially affect the financial statements or the Business.  To the

 

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Knowledge of Seller, there are no material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting with respect to the Business.

 

2.8                                No Undisclosed Liabilities .   Except as set forth on Section 2.8 of the Seller Disclosure Letter and except for (a) Liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice after December 31, 2015 and which would not have an Adverse Effect, (b) Liabilities reflected or reserved for in the Audited Financial Statements or (c) Excluded Liabilities, the Business does not have any material Liabilities that would be required to be reflected or reserved against in a combined balance sheet of that portion of the Business owned by the Seller Entities and Purchased Entities, on the one hand, or the Rexam Entities, on the other hand, prepared in accordance with GAAP or IFRS, as applicable, as applied in preparing the Seller Balance Sheet and the Rexam Balance Sheet, as included in the Audited Financial Statements.

 

2.9                                Absence of Certain Changes .  Since December 31, 2015 to the date of this Agreement, except (a) as set forth on Section 2.9 of the Seller Disclosure Letter, (b) in connection with or in preparation for the Rexam Transaction or the Transaction (including the Restructuring), or (c) as disclosed in the Audited Financial Statements: (i) the Business has been conducted in all material respects in the ordinary course consistent with past practice; and (ii) there has not occurred any change, effect, event or development that, individually or in the aggregate, has had or would reasonably be expected to have an Adverse Effect.

 

2.10                         Intellectual Property .

 

(a)                                  Section 2.10(a)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter contains a complete and accurate list of the material Transferred Intellectual Property owned by the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities or the Purchased Entities, as applicable, as of the date of this Agreement.  The material Transferred Intellectual Property  is subsisting and, to the Knowledge of Seller, valid and enforceable, and as of the date of this Agreement, the material Transferred Intellectual Property and the material Seller and Rexam Licensed IP is not subject to any outstanding Governmental Order materially adversely affecting, and there is no opposition or cancellation proceeding pending before any Governmental Authority that would materially adversely affect, the use thereof in the Business, or that would materially impair the validity or enforceability thereof.

 

(b)                                  A Seller Entity, Rexam Entity or Purchased Entity, as applicable, (i) is the sole and exclusive owner of each of the material Transferred Intellectual Property and the material Seller and Rexam Licensed IP and (ii) is licensed or otherwise possesses rights to use all material Intellectual Property licensed or otherwise provided to it under the material Business IP Licenses, on and subject to the terms of such Business IP Licenses.

 

(c)                                   (i) To the Knowledge of Seller, the conduct of the Business by any of the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities or the Purchased Entities, as applicable, does not, and has not within the past twelve (12) months, infringed upon, misappropriated or otherwise violated any Intellectual Property of any third party, (ii) there are no claims or actions regarding infringement, misappropriation or other violation relating to the conduct of the Business that, as of the date of this Agreement, are pending before any Governmental Authority or, to the Knowledge of Seller,

 

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threatened in writing against them, and (iii) to the Knowledge of Seller, as of the date of this Agreement, no third party is infringing upon, misappropriating or otherwise violating any of the Transferred Intellectual Property or the Seller and Rexam Licensed IP, except, in each case of the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to have an Adverse Effect.

 

(d)                                  The Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and the Purchased Entities have used commercially reasonable efforts to protect the confidential and proprietary nature of all material trade secrets included within any of the Transferred Intellectual Property and the Seller and Rexam Licensed IP.

 

(e)                                   Each material element of the Business IT Systems, is either owned by, or used pursuant to a valid lease or license to, the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities or the Purchased Entities.

 

(f)                                    Seller, Rexam and their respective Affiliates have not granted any license to, option to license or option to acquire ownership interest in the material Seller and Rexam Licensed IP that materially conflicts with the license granted pursuant to Section 4.10 .

 

(g)                                   Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, (i) the representations and warranties in Section 2.10(c)  constitute the sole representations and warranties of Seller with respect to infringement, misappropriation or other violation of intellectual property; and (ii) without limiting the representations and warranties in Sections 2.4 , 2.9 , 2.11 and 2.12 , the representations and warranties in this Section 2.10 constitute the sole representations and warranties of Seller with respect to intellectual property matters.

 

2.11                         Contracts .

 

(a)                                  Section 2.11(a)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter lists all Contracts, as of the date of this Agreement (other than Contracts that are Excluded Assets) that are to be transferred to Purchaser pursuant to Article I (collectively, the “ Material Contracts ”), that constitute:

 

(i)                                      leases or subleases for tangible personal property which require lease payments in excess of $10 million in the twelve (12) month period immediately following the date of this Agreement (other than those agreements which are terminable without material penalty on sixty (60) days’ notice);

 

(ii)                                   any Customer Contract (or portion thereof) under which one or more Seller Entities, Rexam Entities or Purchased Entities received payments from one or more Person (other than any Affiliates of the foregoing Seller Entities, Rexam Entities or Purchased Entities) for the purchase of two-piece metal beverage cans manufactured at one or more of the Facilities and representing an amount, individually or in the aggregate, of $25 million or more during the twelve (12) months ended December 31, 2015, other than purchase orders placed by customers in the ordinary course of business and such Contracts (or portions thereof) that may be cancelled by such Seller Entity, Rexam Entity or Purchased Entity without material penalty upon no more than ninety (90) days’ notice;

 

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(iii)                                any Supplier Contracts (or portion thereof) under which a Seller Entity, a Rexam Entity or a Purchased Entity made aggregate payments in excess of $15 million during the twelve (12) months ended December 31, 2015, other than purchase orders placed in the ordinary course of business and such Contracts (or portions thereof) that may be cancelled by such Seller Entity, Rexam Entity or Purchased Entity without material penalty upon no more than ninety (90) days’ notice;

 

(iv)                               any freight, transportation, warehouse services, logistics or similar Contracts (or portions thereof) under which a Seller Entity, a Rexam Entity or a Purchased Entity made aggregate payments in excess of $10 million during the twelve (12) months ended December 31, 2015, other than purchase orders placed in the ordinary course of business and such Contracts (or portions thereof) that may be cancelled by such Seller Entity, Rexam Entity or Purchased Entity without material penalty upon no more than ninety (90) days’ notice;

 

(v)                                  Contracts requiring future capital expenditures in excess of $25 million;

 

(vi)                               a Contract relating to indebtedness of the Business (other than any Intercompany Agreements) for borrowed money in excess of $50 million in principal amount, other than that which will be repaid in full prior to Closing or that will not be an Assumed Liability or Liability of a Purchased Entity;

 

(vii)                            a guaranty for borrowed money of the Business (other than any Intercompany Agreements) in excess of $50 million, other than that which will be released prior to Closing or that will not be an Assumed Liability or Liability of a Purchased Entity;

 

(viii)                         any supplier finance Contract having a value in excess of $25 million in the aggregate;

 

(ix)                               any material partnership or joint venture Contract involving sharing of revenues, profits, losses, costs or Liabilities with an unaffiliated third party;

 

(x)                                  any material Intercompany Agreement, other than those that will be terminated prior to Closing;

 

(xi)                               any collective bargaining agreement, works council agreement or similar agreement with any union, works council or other Employee Representative Body other than any National Collective Bargaining Agreements (collectively, “ Collective Bargaining Agreements ”);

 

(xii)                            any material Business IP License; and

 

(xiii)                         any other Contract that obligates a Seller Entity, a Rexam Entity or a Purchased Entity (in each case with respect to the Business) to pay an aggregate amount in excess of $20 million to an unaffiliated third party in the twelve (12) month period immediately following the date of this Agreement other than an Employee Benefit Plan.

 

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(b)                                  Seller has made available to Purchaser true and complete copies of all Material Contracts.  As of the date of this Agreement, each Material Contract is in full force and effect and is a valid and binding obligation of the Seller Entity, Rexam Entity or Purchased Entity party thereto, as applicable, and, to the Knowledge of Seller, the counterparty thereto.  Each Seller Entity, Rexam Entity or Purchased Entity, as applicable, has performed all obligations required to be performed by it to date under the Material Contracts and is not (with or without the lapse of time or the giving of notice, or both) in breach or default thereunder, except for failures to perform that, individually or in the aggregate, do not or would not, have or reasonably be expected to have an Adverse Effect.

 

2.12                         Title; Sufficiency of Assets .

 

(a)                                  The Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and the Purchased Entities collectively will as of immediately prior to the Closing own all right, title and interests in and to the Purchased Assets free and clear of all Encumbrances, other than (in the case of Purchased Assets other than the Purchased Equity) Permitted Encumbrances, except with respect to the Specified Business Contracts and any Lease for any Leased Business Real Property for restrictions contained in those agreements including restrictions on assignments, use and other Encumbrances granted thereunder.

 

(b)                                  As of the Closing, the Purchased Assets (including the Interests) and the assets held by the Purchased Entities, (i) taking into account the Ancillary Agreements and all of the assets, services, products, real property, Intellectual Property to be provided, acquired, leased or licensed pursuant to any Deed or under the Ancillary Agreements (or, with respect to Intellectual Property, under Sections 4.9 and 4.10 of this Agreement) and (ii) assuming all Approvals and Business Permits have been obtained or transferred (or the benefits or burdens thereunder have been provided to Purchaser), are sufficient in all material respects for the continued viability and competitiveness of the Business after the Closing and constitute all of the material rights, property and assets necessary for the conduct of the Business in all material respects as it is currently conducted and for the continued viability and competitiveness of the Business.

 

2.13                         Title to Business Real Property; Encumbrances .

 

(a)                                  Except as set forth on Section 2.13(a)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter, (i) the applicable Seller Entities, Rexam Entities or Purchased Entities at the Closing will have, in all material respects, good title to the Facilities and the Owned Business Real Property and valid leasehold interests in all Leased Business Real Property, in each case free and clear of all Encumbrances, except Permitted Encumbrances and (ii) the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and the Purchased Entities do not lease, sublease or license any of the Business Real Property to any other Person that is not an Affiliate of any of the foregoing.

 

(b)                                  As of the date of this Agreement, there are no pending, or to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened, material appropriation, condemnation, eminent domain or like proceedings relating to the Facilities or Owned Business Real Property or, to the Knowledge of Seller, the Leased Business Real Property.

 

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(c)                                   The buildings, structures, and other improvements that are material to the Business and comprise the Facilities and Owned Business Real Property are in sufficient operating condition for the purpose for which they are presently being used, except where such failure to be in sufficient operating condition would not have an Adverse Effect.

 

(d)                                  With respect to each Lease of Leased Business Real Property, to the extent not revoked, withdrawn or expired on the date hereof, none of the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and the Purchased Entities has exercised or given any notice of exercise, nor has Seller, as of the date of this Agreement, received from any landlord or sublandlord any notice of exercise of, any option, right of first offer or right of first refusal contained in any such Lease pertaining to termination, purchase, expansion, renewal, extension or relocation, except as set forth in Section 2.13(d)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter.

 

(e)                                   No material and uncured default by any of the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities or the Purchased Entities, as the case may be, or, to the Knowledge of Seller, by any landlord exists with respect to the Leased Business Real Property.  To the Knowledge of Seller, no event has occurred or condition exists which, with the giving of notice or the lapse of time or both, would constitute such material default as described in the preceding sentence.

 

2.14                         Compliance with Law; Permits .

 

(a)                                  None of the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and the Purchased Entities is in violation of any Laws applicable to the conduct of the Business except, in each case, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to have an Adverse Effect; provided , however , that this Section 2.14 does not apply with respect to Intellectual Property, Environmental Laws and any Environmental Permits required thereunder, labor relations matters or employee benefits matters, or Taxes, which are exclusively the subject of the representations and warranties in Sections 2.10 , 2.15 , 2.16 , 2.17 and 2.18 , respectively.

 

(b)                                  Except as set forth on Section 2.14(b)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter, the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities or the Purchased Entities hold all Permits necessary under applicable Laws for the conduct of the Business as presently conducted (the “ Business Permits ”), other than any such Business Permits the absence of which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to have an Adverse Effect.  As of the date of this Agreement, no Action is pending, or to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened, seeking the revocation or cancellation of any such Business Permit.

 

(c)                                   Other than in connection with the Rexam Transaction, none of the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and the Purchased Entities has given an undertaking to, or is subject to an order of, or investigation or enquiry by, any court or Governmental Authority (including any national competition authority and/or the EC) to the extent related to the Business under any anti-trust or similar legislation in any jurisdiction where any Seller Entity or Rexam Entity or Purchased Entity is active other than any such undertaking, order, investigation or inquiry which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to have an Adverse Effect.

 

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2.15                         Environmental Matters .

 

(a)                                  With respect to the operation of the Business: (i) to the Knowledge of Seller, the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and the Purchased Entities are in material compliance with all applicable Environmental Laws, (ii) to the Knowledge of Seller, the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and the Purchased Entities have, or at the Closing will have, all Environmental Permits which are required under applicable Environmental Laws for the conduct of the Business, other than any such Environmental Permits the absence of which would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to have an Adverse Effect, and no Action is pending, or, to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened, to revoke, cancel or adversely modify any such Environmental Permits and (iii) to the Knowledge of Seller, the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and the Purchased Entities are in compliance in all material respects with the terms and conditions of such Environmental Permits.

 

(b)                                  There is no material civil, criminal or administrative action, demand or claim pending or, to the Knowledge of Seller, as of the date of this Agreement, threatened under any Environmental Laws with respect to the Business. To the Knowledge of Seller, the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and the Purchased Entities are not subject to any open or pending investigations with respect to the Business pursuant to Environmental Law or any Environmental Permit, including the receipt of any requests for information related to such investigations, with respect to any matter that is reasonably likely to result in a material Liability to the Business or the Purchased Assets. The Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and the Purchased Entities are not subject to any material order, judgment or decree pursuant to applicable Environmental Law or any Environmental Permit with respect to the Business.

 

(c)                                   To the Knowledge of Seller, except as set forth on Section 2.15(c)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter, there have been no Releases of Hazardous Materials at any of the Business Real Property that would be reasonably likely to subject the Purchased Entities, the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities or Purchaser to any material Liability under any Environmental Law or any Environmental Permit or require any material expenditure by any of them thereunder.

 

(d)                                  The representations and warranties set forth in this Section 2.15 are Seller’s sole and exclusive representations and warranties with respect to environmental matters (including Environmental Permits) and Hazardous Materials in this Agreement.

 

2.16                         Labor .

 

(a)                                  Subject to compliance with any data privacy or other applicable Law, Section 2.16(a)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter sets forth, as of the date of this Agreement, for each Key Employee each such individual’s rate of pay or annual compensation, job title, location and date of hire.

 

(b)                                  The Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and the Purchased Entities, with respect to the Business Employees, (i) are in compliance with all applicable Laws, Collective Bargaining Agreements and National Collective Bargaining Agreements respecting employment and employment practices, terms and conditions of employment, workers compensation,

 

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occupational safety and health requirements, plant closings, wages and hours, withholding of Taxes, worker classification, employment discrimination, disability rights or benefits, equal opportunity, affirmative action, labor relations, employee leave issues and unemployment insurance and related matters, (ii) are in compliance with the U.S. Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, as amended, and all other similar U.S. state and non-U.S. Laws (collectively, “ WARN ”), (iii) have paid in full, or adequately accrued for, all wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, benefits and other compensation due to or on behalf of such Business Employees and (iv) are not engaged in any unfair labor practice under applicable Law or the subject of any unfair labor practice charges or other complaints before the labor board of any Governmental Authority or otherwise subject to any actual claims or, to the Knowledge of Seller, claims that are threatened in writing, by or on behalf of any Business Employees, except, in each case, as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have or reasonably be expected to have an Adverse Effect.

 

(c)                                   Except as set forth in Section 2.16(c)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter, as of the date of this Agreement (i) no Seller Entity, Rexam Entity or Purchased Entity is a party to any Collective Bargaining Agreement with respect to any Business Employees, (ii) to the Knowledge of Seller, there are no material union organizing activities taking place among the Business Employees and subject to consultation regarding the Restructuring, there is no current attempt among the Business Employees to organize, certify or establish any Employee Representative Body, and (iii) since December 31, 2014, there has not occurred or, to the Knowledge of Seller, been threatened any material strike, slowdown, picketing, work stoppage or other similar labor activity with respect to all or any of the Business Employees.

 

2.17                         Employee Benefit Matters .

 

(a)                                  Section 2.17(a)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter contains a true and complete list of each material (i) pension, retirement, savings, profit-sharing, stock bonus, stock purchase, stock option, restricted stock, deferred compensation, bonus or other incentive compensation and equity compensation plan, program, policy, agreement, contract, arrangement or fund, including each pension plan, fund or program within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA, (ii) medical, dental, hospitalization, supplemental unemployment benefits, life insurance or other welfare plan, fund or program within the meaning of Section 3(1) of ERISA, (iii) standard form or template employment, termination, severance, retention plan, and change in control or similar program, policy, agreement, contract or arrangement with respect to any Business Employee, (iv) individual employment (including an offer letter containing a compensation guaranty), consulting, termination, severance, retention, and change in control or similar agreement, contract or arrangement with respect to any Key Employee, and (v) each other employee benefit agreement, contract, arrangement or fund, in each case, (A) that is sponsored, maintained or contributed to or required to be contributed to by any Purchased Entity or to which any Purchased Entity could have liability or (B) with respect to which a Seller Entity, a Rexam Entity or an ERISA Affiliate contributes for the benefit of, or has liability on behalf of, any Business Employee (each, an “ Employee Benefit Plan ”).  Section 2.17(a)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter indicates which of the Employee Benefit Plans are sponsored or maintained by any of the Purchased Entities or, in the case of Employee Benefit Plans that are agreements, to which any of the Purchased Entities is a party (the “ Purchased Entity Employee Benefit Plans ”).

 

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Seller has made available to Purchaser copies or details of the material terms of Employee Benefit Plans listed on Section 2.17(a)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter.

 

(b)                                  With respect to each Employee Benefit Plan: (i) each such Employee Benefit Plan has been operated and administered in all material respects in accordance with its terms and applicable Law, including (where applicable) ERISA and the Code, (ii) all contributions required to be made pursuant to Law or the terms of any Employee Benefit Plan have been made on or before their applicable due dates, and (iii) each of the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and the Purchased Entities have performed all material obligations required to be performed under, and are not in any material respect in default under, or in material violation of, any such Employee Benefit Plan.  There are no pending or, to the Knowledge of Seller, threatened claims (other than claims for benefits in the ordinary course), lawsuits, charges, complaints, grievances, investigations, audits, proceedings or arbitrations that have been asserted or instituted with respect to any Employee Benefit Plan.  Each Employee Benefit Plan intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is the subject of a favorable determination or opinion letter from the IRS, and each Employee Benefit Plan intended to be qualified for special tax treatment under any other applicable Law is in material compliance with the requirements for such treatment, and, to the Knowledge of Seller, nothing has occurred that would reasonably be expected to adversely affect such qualification.

 

(c)                                   Except as set forth on Section  2.17(c)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter, (i) none of the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities or the Purchased Entities or any of their ERISA Affiliates (A) sponsors or contributes to an Employee Benefit Plan that is a “defined benefit plan” (as defined in ERISA Section 3(35)) or which outside of the U.S. provides benefits on a defined benefit basis (a “ Defined Benefit Plan ”); (B) has an obligation to contribute to an Employee Benefit Plan that is a “multiemployer plan” (as defined in ERISA Sections 4001(a)(3) and 3(37)(A)); (C) has any material liability, contingent or otherwise, either under Title IV of ERISA, with respect to an Employee Benefit Plan; or (D) sponsors, maintains or contributes to any plan, program or arrangement that provides for post-retirement or other post-employment welfare benefits (other than health care continuation coverage as required by Law), and (ii) other than the UK DB Plan, none of the UK Employee Benefit Plans provide retirement benefits that are not “money purchase benefits” as defined in section 181 of the UK Pension Schemes Act 1993.

 

(d)                                  In relation to each of the Defined Benefit Plans set forth on Schedule 2.17(d) , including the UK DB Plan, (i) Seller has made available to Purchaser a copy of the most recent actuarial valuation report, (ii) all funding standards and requirements under applicable local Laws are satisfied, and (iii) no legal proceedings, audits or examinations have been instituted by any Governmental Authority with respect to any such Defined Benefit Plan.

 

(e)                                   In relation to the UK DB Plan, (i) no contribution notice or financial support direction under the UK Pensions Act 2004 has been issued to any of the Purchased Entities and, to the Knowledge of Seller, there is no fact or circumstance likely to give rise to any such notice or direction, (ii) there has been no arrangement which might be construed as a compromise or reduction of a statutory debt in respect of a Purchased Entity under section 75 or 75A of the UK Pensions Act 1995 in relation to the UK DB Plan, and (iii) no event has occurred which may result in a debt becoming due from any of the Purchased Entities to any Defined

 

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Benefit Plan under section 75 or 75A of the UK Pensions Act 1995 or any other similar applicable Law and no event has occurred which would permit the trustees of the UK DB Plan to wind up the UK DB Plan.  In addition, the payment schedule and all material terms of the draft agreement between Ball Packaging Europe UK Limited and the Trustees of the UK DB Plan that is expected to be finalized in April 2016 (the “ UK Trustee Agreement ”) have been provided to Purchaser.  The terms of the UK Trustee Agreement, which shall be consistent in all material respects with the terms previously disclosed by Seller to Purchaser, when executed, will supersede and replace any prior UK funding agreements, including the Current UK Funding Agreement, provided that, as of the Closing Date, the existing guarantee from Ball Europe GmbH will remain in place.

 

(f)                                    Except as set forth in Section 2.17(f)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter, as of the date of this Agreement, no Key Employee has notified Seller in writing that he or she intends to terminate his or her employment with any of the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities or the Purchased Entities.  As of the date of this Agreement, except in connection with the transfer of Key Employees in accordance with Article V ,  none of the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and the Purchased Entities has a present intent to terminate the employment of any Key Employee and none of the Seller Entities, Rexam Entities and the Purchased Entities has given notice of termination to any Key Employee.  As of the date of this Agreement, Seller reasonably believes that the Business Employees at each location, site or facility of the Business who are scheduled to become Transferred Employees constitute all of the employees reasonably necessary to conduct the operations of the Business in all material respects as currently conducted at each such location, site or facility.

 

(g)                                   Except as set forth on Section 2.17(g)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter, the Rexam Transaction, the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the Transaction will not (i) result in any material payment becoming due to any Business Employee, (ii) materially increase any benefits otherwise payable to any Business Employee under any Employee Benefit Plan, (iii) result in the acceleration of the time of payment or vesting of any compensation or benefits to any Business Employee or (iv) give rise to the payment of any amount that would not be deductible by the Purchased Entities or Purchaser by reason of Section 280G of the Code.  Neither the Purchased Entities nor any of the Seller Entities or Rexam Entities has any obligation to compensate any Business Employee for any excise Taxes incurred by such Business Employee, including under Section 4999 of the Code.

 

(h)                                  Except for the ESPP, as of or prior to the Closing Date, none of the Business Employees scheduled to become Transferred Employees hold any outstanding awards under the employee stock purchase schemes of Seller or any of its Affiliates.

 

2.18                         Taxes .

 

(a)                                  All material Tax Returns required to be filed with respect to the Purchased Assets, the Assumed Liabilities or by or on behalf of any Purchased Entity have been timely filed (taking into account applicable extensions), and all such Tax Returns were true, correct and complete in all material respects when filed.  All material Taxes required to be paid (whether or not shown to be due on such Tax Returns) have been paid or accrued and each of the Purchased Entities have withheld and paid all material Taxes that such Purchased Entity is obligated to

 

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withhold from amounts owing to any employee, creditor or third party, in each case other than such Taxes that are being contested in good faith and for which such Purchased Entity has made provision in its financial statements in accordance with GAAP or IFRS, as applicable, and as shown in Section 2.18(a)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter.

 

(b)                                  There are no material ongoing federal, provincial, state, local or foreign audits or examinations of any material Tax Return with respect to the Purchased Assets, the Assumed Liabilities or any Purchased Entity which has been officially announced by a Taxing Authority and, to the Knowledge of Seller, no such audit or examination is proposed, pending or threatened.

 

(c)                                   There are no material Encumbrances for Taxes upon any of the Purchased Assets, except for Permitted Encumbrances.

 

(d)                                  There are no outstanding written agreements, consents or waivers to extend the statutory period of limitations applicable to the assessment of any material Taxes or material deficiencies against any Purchased Entity.

 

(e)                                   No Purchased Entity is a party to any agreement providing for the allocation or sharing of material Taxes (other than (i) any such agreement solely among the Purchased Entities and (ii) any such agreement entered into in the ordinary course of business, in each case the primary purpose of which does not relate to Taxes).

 

(f)                                    All relevant Tax records (including invoices) to be maintained by a Purchased Entity being Tax resident in: (i) Germany have been maintained pursuant to Section 147 of the German Fiscal Code ( Abgabenordnung ), (ii) Switzerland have been maintained pursuant to article 126 of the Swiss Direct Federal Tax law ( Bundesgesetz über die direkte Bundessteuer ), to article 70 of the Swiss Value Added Tax law ( Mehrwertsteuergesetz ) as well as to article 958f of the Swiss Code of Obligation ( Obligationenrecht ) in general, and (iii) Austria have been maintained and will be maintained until Closing pursuant to Austrian Tax law, in particular but not limited according to Section 132 of the Austrian Fiscal Code ( Bundesabgabenordnung ) and all disclosure, notification and accounting obligations have been fulfilled and will be fulfilled by a Purchased Entity being Tax resident in Austria until Closing.

 

(g)                                   None of the Purchased Entities will be required to include any item of income in, or exclude any item of deduction from, taxable income as a result of (i) any change in accounting method initiated by it or any other relevant party on or prior to the Closing Date, (ii) any closing agreement pursuant to Section 7121 of the Code or any similar provision of state, local or non-U.S. Law entered into on or prior to the Closing Date, (iii) an installment sale or open transaction arising on or prior to the Closing Date, (iv) a prepaid amount received, or paid, on or prior to the Closing Date or (v) deferred gains arising from a transaction on or prior to the Closing Date.

 

(h)                                  The U.S. federal tax classification of each of the Purchased Entities as a corporation, partnership, disregarded entity or other type of entity as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date is set forth in the attached Schedule 2.18 .

 

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(i)                                      The representations set forth in Section 2.17 and this Section 2.18 shall constitute Seller’s only representations and warranties with respect to Taxes.

 

2.19                         Brokers .   Seller shall be solely responsible for the fees and expenses of any broker, finder or investment banker entitled to any brokerage, finder’s or other fee or commission in connection with the Transaction based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of Seller.

 

2.20                         Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; UK Bribery Act .  (a) Except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have an Adverse Effect, none of Seller, the Seller Entities, Rexam, the Rexam Entities (in a manner related to the Business) or the Purchased Entities or, to the Knowledge of Seller, any director, officer, agent, employee, affiliate or other person associated with or acting on behalf of Seller, the Seller Entities, Rexam, the Rexam Entities or the Purchased Entities has, in the last five years, violated (i) the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “ FCPA ”), including by making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA, (ii) the U.K. Bribery Act 2010 or (iii) Laws enacted to implement the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Officials in International Business Transactions; and (b) the Purchased Entities have instituted and maintain reasonable policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued material compliance with the FCPA, the UK Bribery Act 2010 and any other applicable Law of similar effect.

 

2.21                         Customers and Suppliers Section 2.21 of the Seller Disclosure Letter lists the top 10 customers and top 10 suppliers of the Business for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 (determined on a combined basis based on, in the case of customers, the amount of revenues recognized by the Business during such fiscal year and, in the case of suppliers, on the dollar amount purchased therefrom).  Except as described on Section 2.21 of the Seller Disclosure Letter, as of the date of this Agreement, none of Seller, Rexam, their respective Affiliates or the Business has received any written notice that any customer or supplier of the Business has terminated or plans to terminate or materially decrease the amount of business conducted with the Business, other than as a result of expiration or termination of Contracts in accordance with their terms or as reflect ordinary course volume fluctuations as part of the normal product life cycle management.

 

2.22                         Disclaimer .  EXCEPT AS SET FORTH IN THIS ARTICLE II , NONE OF SELLER, REXAM, THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES OR ANY OF THEIR AND THEIR AFFILIATES’ RESPECTIVE REPRESENTATIVES MAKE OR HAVE MADE ANY OTHER REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AT LAW OR IN EQUITY, IN RESPECT OF SELLER, THE SELLER ENTITIES, THE REXAM ENTITIES, THE PURCHASED ENTITIES, THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES OR THE BUSINESS, THE PURCHASED ASSETS OR THE ASSUMED LIABILITIES.  ANY SUCH OTHER REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY IS HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED.  EXCEPT

 

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TO THE EXTENT SPECIFICALLY SET FORTH IN THIS ARTICLE II , THE SELLER ENTITIES AND THE REXAM ENTITIES ARE SELLING, ASSIGNING AND TRANSFERRING THE PURCHASED ASSETS AND THE ASSUMED LIABILITIES TO PURCHASER ON AN “AS IS” BASIS.

 

ARTICLE III

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF PURCHASER

 

Except as set forth in the disclosure letter delivered by Purchaser to Seller immediately prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, Purchaser represents and warrants to Seller as follows:

 

3.1                                Organization and Authority of Purchaser and Purchaser’s Affiliates . Purchaser is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing (or its local equivalent) under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its formation. Purchaser has all necessary corporate power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement, to carry out its obligations hereunder and to consummate the Transaction. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by Purchaser, the performance by Purchaser of its obligations hereunder and the consummation by Purchaser of the Transaction, have been duly authorized by all requisite corporate action on the part of Purchaser. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Purchaser, and assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by Seller and Rexam, this Agreement is a valid and binding obligation of Purchaser, enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, fraudulent conveyance, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar Law relating to creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity.  The execution and delivery of the Ancillary Agreements by Affiliates of Purchaser, and the performance by such Affiliates of their obligations thereunder will be duly authorized by all requisite corporate action on the part of such Affiliates. The Ancillary Agreements will be duly executed and delivered by the applicable Affiliates of Purchaser, and assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto will be valid and binding obligations of such Affiliates, enforceable against them in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, fraudulent conveyance, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar Law relating to creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity.

 

3.2                                No Conflicts .  Assuming that all Consents have been obtained and except as may result from any facts or circumstances relating to Seller, Rexam, the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities or the Purchased Entities, the execution and delivery of this Agreement by Purchaser does not, the execution, delivery and performance of the Ancillary Agreements by the applicable Affiliates of Purchaser will not, and the consummation of the Transaction by Purchaser will not (a) violate, conflict with or result in the breach of the certificate of incorporation or bylaws (or similar organizational documents) of Purchaser or such Affiliates, (b) conflict with or violate any Law or Governmental Order applicable to Purchaser or such Affiliates or (c) conflict with, result in any breach of, constitute a default (or event which with the giving of notice or lapse of time, or both, would become a default) under, require any consent under, or give to others any rights to, or result in termination, cancellation, or acceleration of any obligation under, or result in the

 

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creation of an Encumbrance under, any Contract to which Purchaser or such Affiliates are a party, except, in the case of the foregoing clauses (b) and (c), for any of the foregoing that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay the performance by Purchaser of its obligations under this Agreement or the performance by such Affiliates of their obligations under the applicable Ancillary Agreements.

 

3.3                                Governmental Consents and Approvals .  Except for filings with the EC, CADE and the FTC contemplated by the Clearances in connection with the Rexam Transaction and a filing with the EC in connection with the Transaction, no Consent of, action by, filing with or notification to any Governmental Authority is required for the consummation by Purchaser of the Transaction, except where the failure to obtain such Consent or action or to make such filing or notification would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay the performance by Purchaser of its obligations under this Agreement.

 

3.4                                Litigation .  As of the date of this Agreement, no Action by or against Purchaser is pending or, to the Knowledge of Purchaser, threatened in writing, challenging the legality, validity or enforceability of this Agreement or the consummation of the Transaction, in each case that, if upheld, would reasonably be expected to prevent or materially delay the consummation of the Transaction by Purchaser.  As of the date of this Agreement, Purchaser is not subject to any Governmental Order (nor, to the Knowledge of Purchaser, is there any such Governmental Order threatened in writing to be imposed by any Governmental Authority) which could, individually or in the aggregate, be or reasonably be expected to be, materially adverse to the ability of Purchaser to perform its obligations under this Agreement or consummate the Transaction.

 

3.5                                Acquisition of Equity for Investment .  Purchaser (or one or more of its Affiliates) will acquire the Interests and Purchased Affiliate Interests for investment purposes and not with a view toward or for offer or sale in connection with any distribution thereof, or with any present intention of offering, distributing or selling any of the Interests or Purchased Affiliate Interests.  Purchaser acknowledges that the Interests and Purchased Affiliate Interests have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “ Securities Act ”), or any state securities Laws, and agrees that the Interests and Purchased Affiliate Interests may not be sold, transferred, offered for sale, pledged, hypothecated or otherwise disposed of without registration under the Securities Act, except pursuant to an exemption from such registration available, or in a transaction not subject to registration, under the Securities Act and without compliance with foreign securities Laws, in each case, to the extent applicable.  Purchaser (or its applicable Affiliate) is an “accredited investor” within the meaning of Rule 501 under the Securities Act, and any Interests or Purchased Affiliate Interests that Purchaser or its Affiliates receive hereunder will be received only on its own behalf and not for the account or benefit of any other person or entity.  Each of Purchaser and its applicable Affiliates is able to bear the economic risk of holding the Interests and Purchased Affiliate Interests for an indefinite period (including total loss of its investment).

 

3.6                                Acquisition of Rexam Securities . Neither Purchaser nor any Person Acting in Concert with Purchaser has acquired any Interest in Securities of Rexam in the twelve (12) months prior to the date of this Agreement.

 

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3.7                                Brokers .  Purchaser shall be solely responsible for the fees and expenses of any broker, finder or investment banker entitled to any brokerage, finder’s or other fee or commission in connection with the Transaction based upon arrangements made by or on behalf of Purchaser.

 

3.8                                Financing .   Purchaser has, as of the date of this Agreement, committed financing (the “ Financing ”) pursuant to an executed commitment letter (the “ Commitment Letter ”) to which an agreed version of an interim loan agreement is attached, and an executed fee letter, in each case dated on or prior to the date of this Agreement, among one or more substantially wholly owned Affiliates controlled by Purchaser (the “ Purchaser Financing Parties ”) and the Financing Sources, copies of which have been provided to Seller (with the fee letter redacted in a customary manner solely with respect to fee amounts and economic terms (and none of the redacted provisions would allow the Financing Sources to reduce the amount of funding to be provided under the Financing Documents or the conditions on which such funding is available)) (the “ Financing Documents ”), the proceeds of which shall be on-lent or otherwise transferred by the Purchaser Financing Parties to Purchaser or each substantially wholly owned Affiliate controlled by Purchaser that will purchase Purchased Assets at or prior to Closing in accordance with the terms of this Agreement (the “ Purchasing Entities ”), in each case pursuant to Section 4.18(b)(B)  and the terms of one or more intercompany financing agreements. All conditions precedent to the funding (the “ Financing Conditions Precedent ”) are set forth in the Financing Documents, and at Closing Purchaser or the applicable Purchasing Entities will (subject to satisfaction of the Financing Conditions Precedent) have the necessary cash resources to pay the Closing Purchase Price and meet all of Purchaser’s financial obligations under this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements.  As of the date of this Agreement, (i) there are no conditions precedent related to the funding of the full amount of the Financing, and (ii) there are no, and there are not contemplated to be any, agreements, side letters or arrangements relating to (a) the conditions precedent to the funding of the full amount of the Financing or (b) any reduction of the amount of the Financing, in each case other than as expressly set forth in the Financing Documents.  None of the Financing Documents have been amended, restated or otherwise modified or waived prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, and the respective commitments contained therein have not been withdrawn, rescinded, amended, restated or otherwise modified in any respect prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement. As of the date of this Agreement, each of the Financing Documents is in full force and effect and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Purchaser Financing Parties (subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and general principles of equity), and to the Knowledge of Purchaser, each of the other parties thereto, and enforceable against the Purchaser Financing Parties, and, to the Knowledge of Purchaser, each of the other parties thereto, in accordance with its terms. As of the date of this Agreement, no event has occurred which would constitute a breach or default (or an event which with notice or lapse of time or both would constitute a default) or prevent any of the Financing Conditions Precedent from being satisfied, in each case on the part of the Purchaser Financing Parties, or, to the Knowledge of Purchaser, any other parties thereto, under the Financing Documents. As of the date of this Agreement, Purchaser does not have any reason to believe that (x) any of the Financing Conditions Precedent will not be satisfied, or (y) the Financing will not be available to any of Purchaser, the Purchaser Financing Parties and the Purchasing Entities at Closing. Purchaser has fully paid, or caused to be fully paid, all commitment fees and other fees to the extent required to be paid on or prior to

 

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the date of this Agreement in connection with the Financing. Except as permitted by Section 4.18 , Purchaser shall not agree, nor shall it allow any of its Affiliates or Representatives to agree, to amend the terms of, or waive any term of or right under, any of the Financing Documents and shall not take any action or omit to take any action, and shall cause its Affiliates and Representatives not to take any action or omit to take any action, which would impair or restrict its ability to enforce its rights or the rights of the Purchaser Financing Parties thereunder in any manner.  Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that the obtaining of the Financing is not a condition to Closing or the consummation of the Transaction, and that, irrespective and independently of the availability of the Financing, Purchaser shall be obligated to pay the Closing Purchase Price and meet all its financial obligations under this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements, subject only to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Article VII .

 

3.9                                Investigation .  Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that it (a) has made its own inquiry and investigation into, and, based thereon, has formed an independent judgment concerning the Purchased Assets, the Assumed Liabilities and the Business and (b) has been furnished with or given access to such information about the Purchased Assets, the Assumed Liabilities and the Business as it has requested.  Purchaser further acknowledges and agrees that (i) the only representations, warranties, covenants and agreements made by Seller or any of its Affiliates or Representatives are the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements made in this Agreement, (ii) except as set forth in Article II , none of Seller, Rexam or any of their respective Affiliates or its Representatives makes any other representation or warranty of any kind or nature whatsoever, oral or written, express or implied, with respect to Seller, the Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities, the Purchased Entities, the Purchased Assets, the Assumed Liabilities, the Business, this Agreement or the Ancillary Agreements (or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby), including representations, warranties, covenants and agreements relating to the financial condition, results of operations, assets or Liabilities of any of the foregoing entities and (iii) none of Seller, Rexam nor any of their respective Affiliates or Representatives makes any representation or warranty as to (A) the operation of the Business by Purchaser after the Closing in any manner or (B) the probable success or profitability of the Business (whether before or after the Closing).  Except for the representations and warranties contained in Article II , neither Purchaser nor any of its Affiliates have relied upon any other representations or warranties or any other information made or supplied by or on behalf of Seller, Rexam or any of their respective Affiliates or Representatives, and Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that none of Seller, Rexam, their respective Affiliates or Representatives has any liability or responsibility for any other representation, warranty, opinion, projection, forecast, advice, statement or information made, communicated or furnished (orally or in writing) to Purchaser, its Affiliates or their respective Representatives (including any opinion, projection, forecast, advice, statement or information that may have been or may be provided to Purchaser by any Affiliate or Representative of Purchaser).  Except to the extent Purchaser has otherwise advised Seller in writing, as of the date of this Agreement and to the Knowledge of Purchaser, neither Purchaser nor any of its Affiliates or Representatives is aware of (x) any of the representations or warranties contained in Article II being untrue or incorrect or (y) any material errors in, or material omissions from, the Seller Disclosure Letter.

 

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ARTICLE IV

 

COVENANTS AND AGREEMENTS

 

4.1                                Conduct of the Business .  From the date of this Agreement until the Closing (or until the earlier termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 8.1 ), except as expressly required by applicable Law, as set forth on Section 4.1 of the Seller Disclosure Letter, as specifically contemplated by this Agreement, including as required to implement the Restructuring Steps Plan, as required by the Monitoring Trustee or other designated Competition/Investment Law authority or as otherwise waived or consented to in writing by Purchaser (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), with respect to the Business, Seller shall cause the Seller Entities and the Purchased Entities (as applicable) to, and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause Rexam to cause the Rexam Entities to:

 

(a)                                  (i) carry on the portion of the Business controlled by them in all material respects in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice and (ii) use its commercially reasonable efforts to maintain and preserve the relationships and goodwill of the Business with its customers, suppliers and others having material business dealings with the Business;

 

(b)                                  not grant, create, assume or otherwise incur any Encumbrance (other than a Permitted Encumbrance on Purchased Assets that are not the Interests or the Purchased Affiliate Interests) on any of the Purchased Assets or any assets of any Purchased Entity, other than in the ordinary course of business and other than to the extent such assets will be Excluded Assets;

 

(c)                                   not sell, transfer or dispose of any material Purchased Assets or material assets of any Purchased Entity, other than the sale of Inventory in the ordinary course of business or in accordance with the Restructuring Steps Plan;

 

(d)                                  use commercially reasonable efforts to preserve intact the goodwill and the relationships of the Business with its customers, suppliers, distributors, landlords and others having material business dealings with the Business;

 

(e)                                   not amend the certificate or articles of incorporation or by-laws (or other comparable corporate charter documents) of any of the Purchased Entities or take any action with respect to any such amendment or any recapitalization, reorganization, liquidation or dissolution of any of the Purchased Entities, file a petition in bankruptcy under any provisions of bankruptcy Law on behalf of any Purchased Entity, Seller Entity or Rexam Entity or consent to the filing of any bankruptcy petition against any Purchased Entity, Seller Entity or Rexam Entity;

 

(f)                                    not authorize, issue, sell, grant or otherwise dispose of any shares of capital stock of or any Option with respect to any of the Purchased Entities, or permit any Encumbrances to be imposed on any such shares;

 

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(g)                                   (A) not enter into any new Contract that would be a Material Contract under the definition of Material Contract if entered into prior to the date of this Agreement (and that would be a Purchased Asset and Assumed Liability), other than the renewal of a Material Contract in accordance with its terms or in the ordinary course of business on terms that are not materially less favorable to the Business than the terms of the Material Contract being renewed; or (B) not accelerate, terminate, cancel, amend or otherwise modify any Material Contract in any material respect;

 

(h)                                  not incur, assume or guarantee any indebtedness for borrowed money other than (i) in an amount not exceeding $50 million in the aggregate or (ii) indebtedness that will be repaid prior to the Closing;

 

(i)                                      not enter into any hedging arrangement that would be a Purchased Asset or an Assumed Liability that will not be terminated prior to the Closing;

 

(j)                                     not incur any obligations, Liabilities or indebtedness in respect of capital expenditures to be incurred after Closing, other than as expressly set forth on Schedule 4.1(j)  or in an amount not exceeding $5 million individually or $40 million in the aggregate;

 

(k)                                  not settle, pay, discharge or satisfy any material Action where such settlement, payment, discharge or satisfaction would impose (i) any Liabilities (other than Excluded Liabilities) on the Business or the Purchased Entities in excess of $2 million individually or $10 million in the aggregate or (ii) material restrictions or limitations upon the operation of the Business following the Closing;

 

(l)                                      (A) not abandon, fail to maintain or otherwise dispose of any of the Transferred Intellectual Property; and (B) not sell or otherwise dispose of any of the material Seller and Rexam Licensed IP (provided that, for purposes of this Section 4.1(l)(B) , the time period limitation in the definition of Seller and Rexam Licensed IP that such Intellectual Property be the applicable Intellectual Property owned by Seller, Rexam or their respective Affiliates as of the Closing Date shall be replaced by such ownership as of the date of this Agreement, it being understood and agreed that, for clarity, all other requirements of such definition shall apply as provided in Section 4.10(a) ), other than in the ordinary course of selling products and services;

 

(m)                              except in the ordinary course of business or as required under the terms of any Employee Benefit Plan, Collective Bargaining Agreement, National Collective Bargaining Agreement or applicable Law, not (i) enter into, adopt or materially amend any material compensation or benefit plan, policy, practice, arrangement or agreement for any Business Employee (other than the adoption of or amendment to a compensation or benefit plan, policy, practice, arrangement or agreement that is generally applicable to employees of the Purchased Entities, Seller Entities or Rexam Entities, as applicable), (ii) materially increase the compensation or benefits payable or to become payable to any Business Employee or (iii) grant any new awards, or amend or modify the terms of any outstanding awards, under any Employee Benefit Plan, in each case, as it applies to Business Employees;

 

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(n)                                  except as required by applicable Law, as set forth on Schedule 4.1(n) , or as otherwise required in the EC Commitments or by the FTC, not transfer or permit to be transferred any Business Employee, or offer any Business Employee the opportunity to transfer, to another business unit of Seller, Rexam or any of their Affiliates or terminate the employment of any Business Employee other than for cause;

 

(o)                                  subject to the outcome of the consultations set out in Section 1.9 , not enter into or materially amend any Collective Bargaining Agreement or National Collective Bargaining Agreement (or enter into any other material commitment with any Employee Representative Body) covering Business Employees;

 

(p)                                  to the extent there would be a material adverse Tax effect on Purchaser or any Purchased Entity in a Post-Closing Tax Period, not make, change or revoke any Tax elections, or change any material method of Tax accounting, file any amended Tax Return or any Tax Return inconsistent with past practices, file any claims for material Tax refunds, enter into any closing agreement or similar agreement with respect to Taxes; settle or compromise any Tax liability or surrender any right to claim a Tax refund, offset or other reduction in Tax liability or change or agree to any change of the value of any real, personal or intangible property for Tax assessment or other Tax purposes; and

 

(q)                                  not enter into an enforceable agreement to do any of the foregoing.

 

4.2                                Prior Notice to Invoke Certain Conditions .   On the Confirmation Date (no later than 7:00 a.m. London time), Purchaser will deliver a notice in writing to Seller if Purchaser considers any of the conditions set forth in Section 7.1(a) , Section 7.1(b)  or Section 7.1(d)  not to be satisfied at the Confirmation Date and intends to invoke such condition (in such case, providing reasonable details of the event which has occurred, or circumstance which has arisen, which it considers as being sufficiently material to permit Purchaser to invoke the relevant condition(s)).  Without prejudice to Purchaser’s and Seller’s rights set forth in Section 7.3 , if any of the conditions set forth in Section 7.1(a) , Section 7.1(b)  or Section 7.1(d)  are not invoked by provision of the notice pursuant to the previous sentence, such conditions shall at such time be deemed irrevocably waived and may not thereafter be invoked by Purchaser.  Seller shall inform Purchaser of the Unconditional Offer Date by written notice delivered to Purchaser at least five (5) Business Days prior to the Unconditional Offer Date.  Notwithstanding anything in this Section 4.2 , if the Scheme is not approved at the Sanction Hearing or the date of the Sanction Hearing is delayed, rescheduled or otherwise adjourned to a later date, any deemed waiver of all or any of the conditions set forth in Section 7.1 by Purchaser pursuant to this Section 4.2 shall be automatically rescinded and shall be null and void, and the obligations of Purchaser and Seller set forth in this Section 4.2 shall remain applicable with respect to the date to which the Unconditional Date has been delayed, rescheduled or adjourned and the corresponding Confirmation Date.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the condition in Section 7.1(b)  has not been satisfied in all respects on or before the Confirmation Date, this Section 4.2 (together with Section 8.1(g)  as it relates to Section 7.1(b)) shall not apply to Section 7.1(b) .

 

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4.3                                Access to Information; Confidentiality .

 

(a)                                  From the date of this Agreement until the Closing (or until the earlier termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 8.1 ), upon reasonable notice, Seller shall, shall cause its applicable subsidiaries and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause Rexam and Rexam’s applicable subsidiaries to: (i) afford Purchaser and its authorized Representatives reasonable access to the Business Real Property and related Books and Records; and (ii) furnish to the authorized Representatives of Purchaser such additional financial and operating data and other information regarding the Business (or copies thereof) as Purchaser may from time to time reasonably require in order to prepare for the Closing; provided , however , that any such access or furnishing of information shall be scheduled and coordinated through the Person(s) set forth on Schedule 4.3 and shall be conducted at Purchaser’s expense, during normal business hours, under the supervision of Seller’s or Rexam’s, as applicable, or their Affiliates’ personnel and in such a manner as not to interfere with the normal operations of the Business; further provided , that neither Seller nor Rexam shall be required to disclose (or cause their respective Affiliates to disclose) any information to Purchaser if such disclosure would be reasonably likely to: (w) cause competitive harm to the Business if the Transaction is not consummated; (x) jeopardize any attorney-client or other legal privilege; or (y) contravene any applicable Laws (including any Competition/Investment Law and any applicable Law relating to data protection), fiduciary duties or Contracts; and provided , further , that notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, access to the Business Real Property shall not include the right to collect or otherwise take samples at said properties, including samples of environmental media such as soils, surface waters, sediments or groundwater, or building materials.

 

(b)                                  The terms of the Confidentiality Agreement, dated as of July 14, 2015, between Purchaser and Seller (the “ Confidentiality Agreement ”), shall continue in full force and effect until the Closing, at which time such Confidentiality Agreement and the obligations of Purchaser under this Section 4.3(b)  shall terminate; provided , however , that, from and after the Closing, except as would have been permitted under the terms of the Confidentiality Agreement, Purchaser shall, and shall cause its Affiliates and their respective Representatives to, treat and hold as confidential, and not disclose to any Person, information related to the discussions and negotiations between the Parties regarding this Agreement and the Transaction and all confidential information relating to Seller and Rexam or their respective subsidiaries and Affiliates (other than confidential information relating to the Purchased Entities and the Purchased Assets).  If this Agreement is, for any reason, terminated prior to the Closing, the Confidentiality Agreement shall continue in full force and effect in accordance with its terms.

 

(c)                                   Nothing provided to Purchaser pursuant to Section 4.3(a)  shall in any way amend or diminish Purchaser’s obligations under the Confidentiality Agreement.  Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that any information provided to Purchaser or its Affiliates or their respective Representatives pursuant to Section 4.3(a)  or otherwise by or on behalf of Seller, Rexam or any Affiliate or Representative of any of them shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Confidentiality Agreement.

 

(d)                                  From and after the Closing for a period of two (2) years, Seller agrees to, and shall cause the Seller Entities, Rexam and the Rexam Entities and use reasonable best efforts to cause their respective Representatives to, (i) treat and hold as confidential (and not (except as expressly permitted by this Agreement or any Ancillary Agreement) disclose or provide access to any Person (other than Seller’s Affiliates and Representatives) to) any confidential and

 

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proprietary information to the extent relating to the Business and relating to trade secrets, processes, product development, price, customer and supplier lists, pricing and marketing plans, policies and strategies, details of client and consultant contracts, operations methods, product development techniques, business acquisition plans, new personnel acquisition plans and all other confidential or proprietary information with respect to the Purchased Entities, the Purchased Assets or the Business unless such information (A) is or becomes generally available to, or known by, the public through no disclosure in violation hereof of Seller or its Affiliates or any of its or their Representatives, (B) is required to be publicly disclosed by Law or the rules or regulations of any U.S. or foreign securities exchange or similar organization, or (C) becomes available to Seller or its Affiliates or their respective Representatives from and after the Closing, from a third party source that is not known by Seller to be under any obligations of confidentiality in respect of such information, (ii) in the event that Seller, Rexam, any Seller Entity, Rexam Entity or any of their respective Representative becomes legally compelled to disclose any such information, provide Purchaser (to the extent permitted by Law and reasonably practicable) with prompt written notice of such requirement so that Purchaser may seek, at Purchaser’s sole expense, a protective order or other remedy or waive compliance with this Section 4.3(d)  and (iii) in the event that such protective order or other remedy is not obtained, or Purchaser waives compliance with this Section 4.3(d) , furnish only that portion of such confidential information which is legally required to be provided.  In addition, the foregoing shall not prohibit Seller, its Affiliates or any of their respective Representatives from using the confidential information described in Section 4.3(d)(i)  for the purpose of complying with the terms of this Agreement or any of the Ancillary Agreements or any Contract that has not been assigned or transferred pursuant to Section 1.13 .  Furthermore, the provisions of this Section 4.3(d)  will not prohibit any retention of copies of records or any disclosure in connection with the preparation and filing of financial statements or Tax Returns of Seller or its Affiliates or any disclosure made in connection with the enforcement of any right or remedy relating to this Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements or the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby.

 

4.4                                Non-Solicitation .

 

(a)                                  Seller agrees that following the Closing for the applicable periods and in the geographic locations set forth on Schedule 4.4(a) , none of Seller or any of its Affiliates will, without the prior written consent of Purchaser, solicit to employ or hire (whether as an officer, employee or consultant or other independent contractor) any Transferred Business Employee with an annual base salary in excess of $100,000; provided , however , that the restrictions of this Section 4.4(a)  shall not apply (i) to any general advertisement or any search firm engagement which, in any such case, is not directed or focused on any such Transferred Business Employee and any resultant hiring, (ii) the hiring of any such Transferred Business Employee who directly or indirectly contacts Seller or its Affiliates of her or his own accord or (iii) the solicitation or hiring of any such Transferred Business Employee whose employment by or term in office with Purchaser or its Affiliates is terminated prior to the date of the applicable solicitation.

 

(b)                                  Purchaser agrees that following the Closing for the applicable periods and in the geographic locations set forth on Schedule 4.4(b) , none of Purchaser or any of its Affiliates will, without the prior written consent of Seller, solicit to employ or hire (whether as an officer, employee or consultant or other independent contractor) any employee of Seller or any of its Affiliates (i) to whom Purchaser or any of its Affiliates were introduced or with whom they

 

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otherwise had contact in connection with their evaluation of the Transaction or (ii) with an annual base salary in excess of $100,000 (other than any Transferred Business Employee); provided , however , that the restrictions of this Section 4.4(b)  shall not apply (x) to any general advertisement or any search firm engagement which, in any such case, is not directed or focused on any such employee and any resultant hiring, (y) to the hiring of any such employee who directly or indirectly contacts Purchaser or its Affiliates of her or his own accord, or (z) to the solicitation or hiring of any such employee whose employment by or term in office with Seller or its Affiliates is terminated prior to the date of the applicable solicitation.

 

4.5                                Regulatory and Other Authorizations; Notices and Consents .

 

(a)                                  Each of Seller and Purchaser shall (and Seller shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause Rexam to) use its reasonable best efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, and assist and cooperate with each other in doing, all things necessary and advisable (subject to applicable Law) to cause the Closing conditions set forth in Article VII to be satisfied and to consummate and make effective the Transaction as soon as practicable in accordance with the terms hereof, including using reasonable best efforts to obtain promptly all required Consents of the EC, CADE and the FTC for the Transaction (including to have issued the EC’s approval decision pursuant to Section 19 of the EC Commitments and for the approval of Purchaser as the purchaser of the Purchased Assets); provided , however , that no Party shall be required to pay any fees or other payments to any such Governmental Authorities in order to obtain any such Consent (other than normal filing fees that are imposed by Law on Seller).  Seller and Purchaser shall not, and Seller shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause Rexam not to, knowingly enter into any acquisition or other agreement, make any announcement with respect to any transaction (except as required pursuant to applicable Law or the rules of any applicable stock exchange) or take any other action that could reasonably be expected to have the effect of materially delaying, impairing or impeding the receipt of any Consents of any Governmental Authority with respect to the Transaction.  Seller and Purchaser each agree, to the extent required by applicable Law (including Competition/Investment Laws), to make, or to cause to be made any required filing with or notification to the EC, CADE and the FTC with respect to the Transaction and the approval of Purchaser as the purchaser of the Purchased Assets as promptly as practicable after the date of this Agreement and in any event within any time period imposed by applicable Competition/Investment Laws, and to supply promptly any additional information and documentary material that may be requested pursuant to Competition/Investment Laws (including, in the case of Purchaser, to promptly make available to the EC, CADE, the FTC and any other applicable Governmental Authority and the Monitoring Trustee information and appropriate personnel in response to any queries made by them that are raised in connection with the Clearances or the Consents, which may include information regarding this Agreement, Purchaser’s capabilities as the potential purchaser of the Business, or other matters).  If any objections are asserted with respect to the Transaction under any Competition/Investment Law or if any suit or proceeding is instituted or threatened by any Governmental Authority or any private party challenging the Transaction as violative of any Competition/Investment Law, each of Seller and Purchaser shall (and Seller shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause Rexam to) use its reasonable best efforts to promptly resolve such objections.  In furtherance of the foregoing, Purchaser shall, and shall cause its Affiliates to, take all action, including but not limited to agreeing to hold separate or to divest any of the Purchased Assets or businesses or properties or assets of Purchaser or any of its Affiliates and to

 

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terminate any existing relationships and contractual rights and obligations, as may be required by: (i) the applicable Governmental Authority in order to resolve such objections as such Governmental Authority may have to such transactions under any Competition/Investment Law; or (ii) any domestic or foreign court or other tribunal, in any Action brought by a private party or Governmental Authority challenging such transactions as violative of any Competition/Investment Law, in order to avoid the entry of, or to effect the dissolution, vacating, lifting, altering or reversal of, any order that has the effect of restricting, preventing or prohibiting the consummation of the Transaction.

 

(b)                                  Subject to the Confidentiality Agreement and applicable Law, each of Seller and Purchaser shall (and Seller shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause Rexam to) promptly disclose to the other Parties, and provide copies to the other Parties of, all correspondence, filings or communications between them or any of their Representatives, on the one hand, and any Governmental Authority or members of its staff, on the other hand, relating to the matters that are the subject of this Agreement and the Transaction and permit the other Parties to review in advance any proposed correspondence, filings or communication by such Party to any Governmental Authority relating to the matters that are the subject of this Agreement; provided , however , that materials may be redacted (i) to remove references concerning the valuation, projections, business plans or prospects of the Purchased Entities, Purchased Assets or the Business and (ii) as necessary to otherwise comply with contractual arrangements or applicable Laws, provided that in the case of each of the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), if a Party provides redacted materials to any other Party, it must also provide on an “outside counsel only” basis a copy of the same materials without any redactions applied to the legal advisors of that Party.  Neither Seller nor Purchaser shall (and Seller shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause Rexam not to) agree to participate in any meeting with any Governmental Authority in respect of any filings, investigation (including any settlement of the investigation), litigation or other inquiry related to the Transaction unless it first uses commercially reasonable efforts to consult with the other Parties in advance and, to the extent permitted by such Governmental Authority, gives the other Parties the opportunity to attend and participate at such meeting; provided , however , that Purchaser shall not have the obligation to consult with the other Parties with respect to, or give the other Parties the opportunity to attend (other than such Parties’ respective outside counsel), that portion of any meeting with any Governmental Authority during which Purchaser reasonably expects to discuss the valuation, projections, business plans or prospects of the Purchased Entities, Purchased Assets or the Business.  Subject to the Confidentiality Agreement, each of Seller and Purchaser shall (and Seller shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause Rexam to) coordinate and cooperate fully with each other in exchanging such information and providing such assistance as the other Party may reasonably request in connection with the foregoing and in seeking Consents under the applicable Competition/Investment Laws.

 

4.6                                Permits Transfer .  Seller and Purchaser shall, and Seller shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause Rexam to, coordinate and cooperate with each other in exchanging information and assistance in connection with making all filings or notifications necessary to transfer any Business Permits (and any applications therefor) and Environmental Permits that are part of the Purchased Assets to Purchaser, or in connection with any applications for new Permits relating to the Business.

 

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4.7                                Affiliate Transactions .

 

(a)                                  Except with respect to the Mutual Transition Services Agreement or any Contracts entered into pursuant to Section 4.16 or as otherwise set forth on Schedule 4.7(a) , immediately prior to the Closing, Seller shall, and shall cause its Affiliates to, terminate, effective as of the Closing Date, all Contracts between Seller, Rexam or any of their respective Affiliates (other than the Purchased Entities), on the one hand, and any Purchased Entity, on the other hand (collectively, “ Intercompany Agreements ”).

 

(b)                                  Except as set forth on Schedule 4.7(b) , immediately prior to the Closing, all intercompany receivables, payables and loans between Seller, Rexam or any of their respective Affiliates (other than the Purchased Entities), on the one hand, and a Purchased Entity, on the other hand, shall be, at Seller’s election, settled, paid, capitalized, distributed or otherwise terminated, with the result that there shall not be intercompany receivables, payables and loans between Seller, Rexam or any of their respective Affiliates (other than the Purchased Entities), on the one hand, and a Purchased Entity, on the other hand, after Closing.

 

4.8                                Termination of Insurance Coverage .  Except as set forth on Schedule 4.8 , Purchaser acknowledges that all insurance coverage for the Purchased Assets, the Assumed Liabilities and the Purchased Entities under policies of Seller, Rexam and their respective Affiliates (other than the Purchased Entities) shall terminate as of the Closing and, following the Closing, no claims may be brought against any such policy of Seller, Rexam and their respective Affiliates in respect of the Purchased Assets, the Assumed Liabilities and the Purchased Entities regardless of whether the events underlying such claim arose prior to or after the Closing.

 

4.9                                Use of Seller and Rexam Names and Marks .

 

(a)                                  Effective upon the Closing, Seller, on behalf of itself and its Affiliates, grants to Purchaser and its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities), a limited, irrevocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicenseable, fully paid-up, royalty-free, world-wide right and license to use the Seller and Rexam Marks set forth on Schedule 4.9(c)  and the SLEEK Marks set forth on Schedule 4.9(b) , in each case solely for the specific uses, as and to the extent, and for the specific periods after Closing as set out in Section 4.9(b)  and Section 4.9(c) , and subject to the terms and conditions hereof.

 

(b)                                  Effective as of the Closing, (i) with respect to such printing plates of the Business owned by Purchaser and its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) as of the Closing Date which cause any of the Seller and Rexam Marks to be printed on beverage can products of the Business, Purchaser and its controlled Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) shall have the right to continue using such printing plates in the ordinary course of conducting the Business until such printing plates are refurbished or replaced, (ii) with respect to the Inventory of the Business that bears any of the Seller and Rexam Marks existing in the possession or control of Purchaser and its controlled Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) as of the Closing Date, Purchaser and its controlled Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) shall have the right to exhaust such Inventory in the ordinary course of conducting the Business, (iii) with respect to the pallets owned by Purchaser and its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) that bear any of the Seller and Rexam Marks as of the Closing Date, and any top frames

 

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owned by Purchaser and its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) and used in connection with such pallets that bear any of the Seller and Rexam Marks as of the Closing Date, Purchaser and its controlled Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) shall have the right to continue using such pallets and top frames in the ordinary course of conducting the Business solely until they are replaced in the ordinary course of conducting the Business, and (iv) with respect to the use of the SLEEK Trademark(s) that are (i) set forth on Schedule 4.9(b)  and owned by Seller or Rexam or their applicable Affiliates and (ii) used as of the Closing Date to designate certain two-piece metal beverage cans of the Business in the Territory, which cans are further described on Schedule 4.9(b)  (the “ SLEEK Cans ”), in each case in the form and manner as such Trademarks are so used as of the Closing Date (the “ SLEEK Marks ”), Purchaser and its controlled Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) shall have the right to continue such use of such SLEEK Marks, solely in reasonably the same form and manner, and solely for the purpose of designating such SLEEK Cans of the Business in the Territory, in each case until such time as Purchaser and its Affiliates cease to manufacture SLEEK Cans.  Without limiting the foregoing, (i) in the event that Seller or Rexam notifies Purchaser that it is modifying the form, manner or use of any SLEEK Mark in connection with Seller’s or Rexam’s use on SLEEK Cans, Purchaser shall, and shall cause its controlled Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) to use commercially reasonable efforts to adopt such modified form, manner or use as promptly as reasonably practicable following such notice, and (ii) Purchaser shall not and shall cause its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) to not (A) use any Trademarks other than the SLEEK Marks to designate cans having the characteristics described on Schedule 4.9(b) , or (B) use any SLEEK Marks on any cans or other products other than the SLEEK Cans.

 

(c)                                   Except as provided in Section 4.9(a)  and Section 4.9(b) , effective as of the Closing, Purchaser shall, and shall cause its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) to, as soon as reasonably practicable, cease any and all uses of any Trademarks that constitute, include or are derived from any of the Trademarks of Seller or Rexam set forth on Schedule 4.9(c) , or any other Trademarks confusingly similar to any of the foregoing (collectively, the “ Seller and Rexam Marks ”), including by (i) no later than three (3) months after the Closing Date, deleting all Seller and Rexam Marks from all vehicles, business cards, schedules, stationery, packaging materials, displays, promotional materials, forms, websites, email, computer software and systems and other materials, and deleting or stickering over the Seller and Rexam Marks in all manuals, used in connection with the Business, and (ii) no later than three (3) months after the Closing Date or after obtaining any necessary Consents required by any Governmental Authority with respect to such removal, whichever is later, removing all Seller and Rexam Marks from all signage of any of the Business Real Property.

 

(d)                                  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Purchaser and its Affiliates (including, following the Closing, the Purchased Entities) shall have no rights (other than as separately agreed by the Parties in writing) to use any Seller and Rexam Marks other than as expressly provided in this Section 4.9 .  Any use by Purchaser or any of its controlled Affiliates (including, following the Closing, the Purchased Entities) of any of the Seller and Rexam Marks as permitted in this Section 4.9 is subject to their use of such Seller and Rexam Marks in a form and manner, and with standards of quality, consistent with any written usage requirements in effect for the Seller and Rexam Marks as of the Closing Date of which Purchaser is made aware.  Purchaser and its Affiliates (including, following the Closing, the Purchased Entities) shall not use the Seller and Rexam Marks in a manner that would reasonably be

 

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expected to reflect negatively on such name and marks or on Seller or Rexam or any of their Affiliates.  Purchaser and its Affiliates (including, following the Closing, the Purchased Entities) shall, in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 9.3 , and subject to the terms of Section 9.2(c) , indemnify and hold harmless Seller and Rexam and any of their Affiliates for any Losses arising from any Third Party Claims relating to the use of any of the Seller and Rexam Marks pursuant to this Section 4.9 or any violation hereof.  All use of the Seller and Rexam Marks under this Section 4.9 shall inure to the benefit of Seller and Rexam and their Affiliates.

 

(e)                                   Purchaser shall promptly, and in any event within sixty (60) days after the Closing Date, file with the applicable Governmental Authority to amend the certificate of incorporation, approval certificate, business license or other relevant corporate documentation of the Purchased Entities to delete any Seller and Rexam Marks and any other references to Seller or Rexam in the names of the Purchased Entities (if applicable).

 

(f)                                    Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that the remedy at Law for any breach of the requirements of this Section 4.9 would be inadequate, and agrees and consents that without intending to limit any additional remedies that may be available (in accordance with Section 11.9 ), Seller shall be entitled to a temporary or permanent injunction, without proof of actual damage or inadequacy of legal remedy, and without posting any bond or other undertaking, in any Action which may be brought to enforce any of the provisions of this Section 4.9 .

 

(g)                                   WITHOUT LIMITING, FOR CLARITY, THE APPLICABLE REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES SET FORTH IN ARTICLE II (AND, FOR CLARITY. SUBJECT TO THE EFFECTIVENESS, SURVIVAL AND OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT WITH RESPECT THERETO), (i) NONE OF SELLER, REXAM, THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES OR ANY OF THEIR AND THEIR AFFILIATES’ RESPECTIVE REPRESENTATIVES MAKE OR HAVE MADE ANY OTHER REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AT LAW OR IN EQUITY, IN RESPECT OF ANY OF THE SELLER AND REXAM MARKS OR SLEEK MARKS, AND ANY SUCH REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY IS HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED, AND (ii) SELLER, REXAM AND THEIR AFFILIATES, AS APPLICABLE, ARE LICENSING SELLER AND REXAM MARKS AND SLEEK MARKS TO PURCHASER UNDER THIS SECTION 4.9 ON AN “AS IS” BASIS.

 

4.10                         License to Retained Intellectual Property .

 

(a)                                  Effective as of the Closing, Seller and Rexam hereby grants, on behalf of themselves and their respective Affiliates, to Purchaser and its Affiliates (including, following the Closing, the Purchased Entities) a perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, fully paid-up royalty-free license under all Intellectual Property (other than any (x) Trademarks (without limiting Section 4.9 ) or (y) Excluded Pipeline Project IP) that is owned by Seller, Rexam or their respective Affiliates as of the Closing Date and either (i) in use, or held for use, at any of the Facilities for the manufacture or sale of two-piece metal beverage cans and ends by the Business in the Territory or (ii) being developed at the Leased Business Real Property set forth on Schedule 4.10(a)(ii)  or any of the Facilities, in each case, for the manufacture or sale of two-piece metal beverage cans and ends by the Business in the Territory ((i) and (ii) collectively, the

 

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Seller and Rexam Licensed IP ”), in each case solely for use in the development, manufacture, marketing, distribution or sale of two-piece metal beverage cans and ends by the Business in the Territory (including any future can plants in the Territory owned or operated by Purchaser).

 

(b)                                  The license granted under Section 4.10(a)  shall not be sublicenseable except with the prior written consent of Seller, provided that such license shall be sublicenseable without consent solely to Purchaser’s Affiliates, and to Purchaser’s or any of its Affiliates’ customers (but solely as end users of products) or service providers, in each case in connection with the development, manufacture, marketing, distribution or sale of two-piece metal beverage cans and ends of the Business (but not for the use or benefit of any third party other than Purchaser or any of its wholly owned Affiliates).  The license granted under Section 4.10(a)  shall be personal, non-assignable and non-transferable, in whole or in part, except to an Affiliate of Purchaser, or in connection with any merger, change of control or sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the equity, assets or business of Purchaser (or such Affiliate assignee of Purchaser), provided that in each case no such assignment or other transfer shall be made except in connection with transfer of the relevant Facility, including the Transferred Fixtures, Equipment and Tangible Personal Property therein, as a going concern.  As used in this Section 4.10 , “ Territory ” means worldwide.

 

(c)                                   Purchaser’s license includes the right to modify or improve the Seller and Rexam Licensed IP solely in the development, manufacture, marketing, distribution or sale of two-piece metal beverage cans and ends by the Business in the Territory.  All confidential Seller and Rexam Licensed IP shall be deemed to be confidential information of Seller or Rexam (as applicable) and subject to Section 4.3 and the Confidentiality Agreement.

 

(d)                                  Purchaser and its Affiliates (including, following the Closing, the Purchased Entities) shall, in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 9.3 , and subject to the terms of Section 9.2(c) , indemnify and hold harmless the Seller Indemnitees for any Losses arising from any Third Party Claim relating to the use of any of the Seller and Rexam Licensed IP pursuant to this Section 4.10 or any violation hereof.  All use of any Intellectual Property pursuant to this Section 4.10 shall inure to the benefit of Seller and Rexam and their Affiliates.

 

(e)                                   Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that the remedy at Law for any breach of the requirements of this Section 4.10 would be inadequate, and agrees and consents that without intending to limit any additional remedies that may be available (in accordance with Section 11.9 and Section 11.10 ), Seller shall be entitled to a temporary or permanent injunction, without proof of actual damage or inadequacy of legal remedy, and without posting any bond or other undertaking, in any Action which may be brought to enforce any of the provisions of this Section 4.10 .

 

(f)                                    WITHOUT LIMITING, FOR CLARITY, THE APPLICABLE REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES SET FORTH IN ARTICLE II (AND, FOR CLARITY. SUBJECT TO THE EFFECTIVENESS, SURVIVAL AND OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT WITH RESPECT THERETO), (i) NONE OF SELLER, REXAM, THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES OR ANY OF THEIR AND THEIR AFFILIATES’ RESPECTIVE REPRESENTATIVES MAKE OR HAVE MADE ANY OTHER

 

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REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AT LAW OR IN EQUITY, IN RESPECT OF ANY OF THE SELLER AND REXAM LICENSED IP AND ANY SUCH REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY IS HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED AND (ii)  SELLER, REXAM AND THEIR AFFILIATES, AS APPLICABLE, ARE LICENSING SELLER AND REXAM LICENSED IP TO PURCHASER UNDER THIS SECTION 4.10 ON AN “AS IS” BASIS.

 

(g)           For purposes of this Section 4.10 , any references to Affiliates of Purchaser shall only apply for so long as they remain Affiliates of Purchaser, it being understood and agreed that, except as expressly permitted under the second sentence of Section 4.10(b) , any license or sublicense to an Affiliate of Purchaser under this Section 4.10 shall terminate automatically upon such Affiliate ceasing to be an Affiliate of Purchaser.

 

4.11        Credit and Performance Support Obligations .

 

(a)           Purchaser agrees to use all commercially reasonable efforts to cause Seller, Rexam and their respective Affiliates (other than the Purchased Entities) to be absolutely and unconditionally relieved on or prior to the Closing of all Liabilities arising out of the letters of credit, performance bonds, corporate guarantees and other similar items issued and outstanding in connection with the Business that are Assumed Liabilities (together the “ Seller Guarantees ”), and Purchaser shall, in accordance with the procedures set forth in Article IX , indemnify Seller, Rexam and their respective Affiliates (other than the Purchased Entities) against any Losses arising with respect to such Liabilities.  Purchaser agrees to continue to use all commercially reasonable efforts after the Closing to relieve Seller and its Affiliates (other than the Purchased Entities) of all such Seller Guarantees.

 

(b)           Seller agrees to use all commercially reasonable efforts to cause Purchaser and its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) to be absolutely and unconditionally relieved on or prior to the Closing of all Liabilities arising out of the letters of credit, performance bonds, corporate guarantees and other similar items issued and outstanding that are Excluded Liabilities (together the “ Purchased Entity Guarantees ”), and Seller shall, in accordance with the procedures set forth in Article IX , indemnify Purchaser and its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) against any Losses arising with respect to such Liabilities.  Seller agrees to continue to use all commercially reasonable efforts after the Closing to relieve Purchaser and its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) of all such Purchased Entity Guarantees.

 

4.12        Mutual Transition Services Agreement . At the Closing, Purchaser, the applicable Purchased Entities and the applicable Seller Entities shall enter into a mutual transition services agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit E  (the “ Mutual Transition Services Agreement ”).

 

4.13        Contact with Customers and Suppliers .  From the date of this Agreement until the Closing Date, Purchaser and its Affiliates and their respective Representatives shall contact or communicate with the customers, suppliers, distributors and licensors of the Business in connection with the Transaction only with the prior written consent of Seller and from the date of this Agreement until the closing of the Rexam Transaction, of Rexam (with respect to customers, suppliers, distributors and licensors of the portion of the Business held by Rexam).  Nothing in this Section 4.13 shall prohibit Purchaser from contacting the customers, suppliers and licensors

 

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of the Business in the ordinary course of Purchaser’s businesses for the purpose of selling products of Purchaser’s businesses or for any other purpose unrelated to the Business and the Transaction; provided , however , that Purchaser does not discuss this Agreement or the Transaction in doing so.

 

4.14        Distribution of Cash Balances .  Prior to the Closing, Seller shall be permitted to cause the Purchased Entities to distribute any and all cash balances held by such Purchased Entities to one or more Affiliates of Seller, as applicable, as directed by Seller.  To the extent any such cash is not so distributed by the Closing, the cash shall remain held by such Purchased Entities upon sale to Purchaser; provided , that in no event shall an amount of cash and Cash Equivalents in excess of $20 million be included in Net Debt or Purchased Working Capital and taken into account pursuant to Section 1.6 in the calculation of the Purchase Price; provided further that Seller shall use its reasonable efforts to minimize the level of cash and Cash Equivalents held by the Purchased Entities on the Closing Date.

 

4.15        Weissenthurm Conversion .  At Purchaser’s option, which shall be exercised, if at all, by Purchaser upon Seller’s receipt of Purchaser’s written notice of such exercise within two (2) years after the Closing Date, Seller shall reimburse all reasonable, documented and actually incurred costs of Purchaser (only to the extent incurred through the earlier of (a) five (5) years following the Closing Date or (b) the completion of the conversion described below) in converting the production lines operating at the Facility located in Weissenthurm, Germany from steel production to aluminum production, up to a maximum aggregate reimbursement by Seller of €60 million.  Any payments made by Seller in respect of such conversion shall be due within ninety (90) days of Seller’s receipt of documentation for such reasonable, actually incurred costs of Purchaser, which documentation shall (at Seller’s sole option) be subject to reasonable audit by Seller.

 

4.16        Restructuring .  To facilitate the Transaction, from the date of this Agreement until the Closing Date, Seller shall, and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause Rexam to, use its reasonable best efforts to effectuate the restructuring substantially as outlined in the steps plan set forth in Schedule 4.16 (such steps plan, the “ Restructuring Steps Plan ” and the steps outlined therein, the “ Restructuring ”) prior to the Closing, except with respect to actions expressly contemplated or permitted by the Restructuring Steps Plan to take place after the First Closing, with such changes to the Restructuring Steps Plan as may be requested by any Governmental Authority or the Monitoring Trustee.  Seller shall keep Purchaser reasonably informed with respect to the status of the Restructuring and shall make changes to the Restructuring Steps Plan only after prior, good faith consultation with Purchaser (or its counsel) and after considering in good faith Purchaser’s views and comments that are provided in a timely manner.  If Purchaser does not consent in writing (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) to any such changes to the Restructuring Steps Plan, then Seller shall indemnify and hold Purchaser and its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities after Closing) harmless from any Loss and any incremental Taxes for a Post-Closing Tax Period suffered or incurred by any of them as a result of or arising out of or relating to any such change unless such change was required by the Monitoring Trustee. Seller and Purchaser agree that they will, in the twenty (20) day period following the date of this Agreement, discuss in good faith the optimal structure (from the viewpoint of each of them) for the restructuring and transfer to Purchaser of the Purchased Assets located in Brazil, and any resulting amendments to this Agreement and the

 

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Restructuring Steps Plan resulting from any change to the structure from that reflected in this Agreement and the Restructuring Steps Plan on the date hereof.

 

4.17        Further Assurances; Post-Closing Cooperation .

 

(a)           Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, at any time or from time to time after the Closing, each of the Parties shall, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to, execute and deliver such other documents and instruments, provide such materials and information and take such other actions as may reasonably be necessary, proper or advisable, to the extent permitted by Law, to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement and to cause the Transaction to occur.

 

(b)           Purchaser and Seller agree that Seller may maintain copies of any Books and Records or other books and records that are included in the Purchased Assets and that are delivered to Purchaser hereunder.  Purchaser agrees to retain and maintain such Books and Records or other books and records related to the Purchased Assets for a period of at least seven (7) years after Closing or such longer minimum period as is required by applicable Law (plus, in each case, any additional time during which Purchaser has been advised by Seller that (i) there is an ongoing Tax audit with respect to periods prior to the Closing or (ii) any such period is otherwise open to assessment).  During any such period, Purchaser agrees to give Seller and its Affiliates and their respective Representatives reasonable cooperation, access (including copies) and staff assistance, as needed, during normal business hours and upon reasonable notice, with respect to the Books and Records or any other books and records delivered to Purchaser hereunder as may be necessary for general business purposes, including the defense of litigation, the preparation of Tax Returns and financial statements and the management and handling of Tax audits.

 

(c)           If, following the Closing, any right, property or asset not forming part of the Purchased Assets is found to have been transferred to Purchaser in error, either directly or indirectly (including as a result of the Restructuring), Purchaser shall transfer, or shall cause its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) to transfer, at no cost to Seller or its Affiliates, such right, property or asset (and any related Liability) as soon as reasonably practicable to the Affiliate of Seller indicated by Seller.  If, following the Closing, any right, property or asset forming part of the Purchased Assets is found to have been retained by any Seller Entity or Rexam Entity in error, either directly or indirectly (including as a result of the Restructuring), Seller shall transfer, or shall cause the other Seller Entities to transfer, at no cost to Purchaser, such right, property or asset (and any related Liability) as soon as reasonably practicable to Purchaser or an Affiliate of Purchaser (including a Purchased Entity) indicated by Purchaser.

 

4.18        Financing .

 

(a)           Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, Purchaser acknowledges and agrees that the obtaining of the Financing is not a condition to Closing or the consummation of the Transaction, and that, irrespective and independently of the availability of the Financing, Purchaser shall be obligated to pay the Closing Purchase Price and meet all its financial obligations under this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements, subject only to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions set forth in Article VII .

 

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(b)           From the date of this Agreement until the Closing Date, Purchaser shall use its reasonable best efforts to, and shall cause its Affiliates to use their reasonable best efforts to, take or cause to be taken, all actions and to do, or cause to be done, all things necessary, proper or advisable to (i) consummate and obtain the Financing on the terms and conditions described in the Financing Documents, (ii) maintain in effect and comply, and if applicable cause its Affiliates to comply, with their respective obligations under the Financing Documents, (iii) enforce its rights, or cause its Affiliates to enforce their rights, under the Financing Documents and cause the Financing Sources to fund the Financing at or prior to Closing in accordance with their terms and conditions and (iv) no later than the Confirmation Date, satisfy or obtain the waiver of the Financing Conditions Precedent (other than the occurrence of the Unconditional Date and Closing and satisfaction of the Relevant Certain Funds Conditions Precedent) (it being understood that nothing in this Agreement shall prevent Purchaser or any Purchaser Financing Party from seeking to obtain alternative financing for the Transaction on better market, credit, economic or legal terms than those terms described in the Financing Documents; provided , that no such alternative financing shall release Purchaser or any Purchaser Financing Party from consummating the Financing unless and until such alternative financing is funded on the Closing Date or funded into escrow in accordance with the escrow requirements set forth in clause (1) below).  Purchaser shall not and shall not permit any of its Affiliates to amend, restate, modify, terminate, replace, or assign all or a portion of any Financing facilities (or commitments thereof) described in, or agree to any waiver of any provisions under, any Financing Document, in each case without the prior written consent of Seller, if such amendment, restatement, modification, termination, replacement, assignment or waiver (1) reduces the aggregate amount of the Financing (including by increasing the amount of fees to be paid) to an amount that is insufficient to consummate the Transaction (taking into account the available cash resources of Purchaser and its Affiliates to the extent funded at the time of such reduction into an escrow account in the name of the applicable Purchaser Financing Party with a reputable financial institution (presently expected to be an affiliate of the Financing Sources) reasonably satisfactory to Seller (it being understood that Citibank, N.A., London Branch is reasonably satisfactory to Seller), that acts as escrow agent in international financial or capital markets in the ordinary course of its business, subject to the terms of an escrow agreement customary for acquisition financings of a similar nature that is reasonably satisfactory to Seller and consistent with the terms of the Financing Documents, solely for the purpose of funding the Transaction at Closing and with conditions for the release of the amounts therein no more onerous than the conditions applicable to the relevant facility under the Financing Documents), including the payment of all fees, premiums and expenses associated therewith, (2) imposes new or additional conditions or any contingencies or otherwise expands upon, amends or otherwise modifies any of the conditions to the receipt of any portion of the Financing (including any amendment or modification of the Financing Conditions Precedent or the Relevant Certain Funds Conditions Precedent), (3) would or might reasonably be expected to prevent, impede or delay (x) the occurrence of Closing or (y) the satisfaction or waiver of the Financing Conditions Precedent (other than the occurrence of the Unconditional Date and Closing), (4) adversely impacts the ability of Purchaser or the Purchaser Financing Parties to enforce their rights against any other party to any Financing Document or (5) adversely impacts the ability of Purchaser, any Purchaser Financing Parties or any Purchasing Entity to consummate the Transaction; provided , however , that no such consent from Seller shall be required for any amendment, restatement, modification, termination, replacement, assignment or waiver of any Financing Document that

 

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(x) is limited to adding or replacing lenders, lead arrangers, bookrunners, syndication agents or similar entities that have not executed such document as of the date of this Agreement, (y) increases the commitments or the amount of indebtedness thereunder or (z) is de minimis or technical in nature and does not otherwise adversely affect the certainty of, the conditions for utilization of, or amount of, the Financing in any respect.  For purposes of this Agreement, all references to Financing shall be deemed to include the financing contemplated by the Financing Documents, in each case as amended, restated, modified, terminated, replaced, assigned or waived in accordance with this Section 4.18(b) , and all references to the Financing Documents shall be deemed to include such documents as may be amended, restated, modified, terminated, replaced, assigned or waived in accordance with this Section 4.18(b) .

 

Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement or any Financing Document to the contrary: to the extent that sufficient funds to consummate the Transaction have not been funded into escrow in accordance with the escrow requirements set forth in clause (1) above and the definitive documentation in respect of the Financing that is in accordance with the requirements therefor as set out in this Agreement has not become effective prior to the date that is the later of (x) May 15, 2016 and (y) the date that is three (3) Business Days prior to the Confirmation Date, then no later than such date Purchaser shall cause the Purchaser Financing Parties to deliver written notice to the Financing Sources requiring them to execute and deliver (and the Purchaser Financing Parties shall execute and deliver), prior to the Confirmation Date, a fully effective interim facilities agreement in the form attached to the Financing Documents on the date of this Agreement, subject only to amendments permitted pursuant to this Section 4.18(b) ; provided , that the Financing Sources and the Purchaser Financing Parties shall not be required to execute such interim facilities agreement if definitive documentation in respect of the Financing that is in accordance with the requirements therefor as set out in this Agreement has become effective, or sufficient funds to consummate the Transaction have funded into escrow in accordance with the escrow requirements set forth in clause (1) above, prior to the Confirmation Date; provided , further , that if definitive documentation in respect of the Financing has become effective and for any reason is terminated or withdrawn by the Financing Sources, and sufficient funds to consummate the Transaction have not funded into escrow in accordance with the escrow requirements set forth in clause (1) above, then Purchaser shall cause the Purchaser Financing Parties to promptly deliver written notice to the Financing Sources requiring them to execute and deliver (and the Purchaser Financing Parties shall execute and deliver) a fully effective interim facilities agreement in the form attached to the Financing Documents on the date of this Agreement, subject only to amendments permitted pursuant to this Section 4.18(b) . The proceeds of the Financing and all amounts deposited into escrow in accordance with the escrow requirements set forth in clause (1) above shall be fully available to Purchaser or the applicable Purchasing Entities at Closing for purposes of paying the full amount of the Closing Purchase Price.

 

(c)           From the date of this Agreement until the Closing Date, Purchaser shall, or shall cause the applicable Purchaser Financing Parties to, give Seller prompt written notice of (i) any material breach or default by any party to any Financing Documents or of any termination or waiver, amendment or other modification of any Financing Document that, in the case of waivers, amendments or modifications, would require the prior consent of Seller pursuant to the provisions of the immediately preceding paragraph, and any notification from one or more Financing Sources of the failure or inability to satisfy one or more Financing Conditions

 

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Precedent, (ii) any withdrawal, repudiation or termination in writing of any Financing Document by any Financing Source, and (iii) any material dispute or disagreement between or among any parties to the Financing Documents. From the date of this Agreement until the Closing Date, in the event that Purchaser or any Purchaser Financing Party commences an enforcement action to enforce its rights under any Financing Document or to cause any Financing Source to fund all or any portion of the Financing, Purchaser shall, or shall cause the applicable Purchaser Financing Parties to, keep Seller reasonably informed of the status of such enforcement action.

 

(d)           From the date of this Agreement until the Closing Date, Seller shall, and shall cause the Seller Entities to, and, subject to Section 4.20 shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause Rexam and the Rexam Entities to, use reasonable efforts to provide, such assistance and cooperation as Purchaser may reasonably request and that is necessary or customary in connection with the arrangement of the Financing (it being acknowledged and agreed by each Party that neither Rexam nor the Rexam Entities undertakes or will be required to undertake any direct duty to provide any such assistance). Subject to Section 4.20 and the parenthetical in the immediately preceding sentence, such assistance shall include Seller using reasonable efforts to, and to using its reasonable best efforts to cause Rexam and the Rexam Entities to use reasonable efforts to:

 

(i)            provide and use its reasonable efforts to cause Seller’s, Rexam’s, the Seller Entities’ and the Rexam Entities’ respective advisors and auditors to provide the Purchaser Financing Parties and the Financing Sources with customary supplemental financial, statistical and non-financial due diligence information which the Purchaser Financing Parties may reasonably require to complete such Financing and such other information as is reasonably necessary in connection with the Financing and which can be provided without unreasonable effort or expense of Seller, Rexam, or any of their respective Affiliates or Representatives; provided that any such information of a financial nature shall be limited to the Available Financial Information or, solely in connection with customary auditor comfort letters provided pursuant to clause (iii) below, limited to, derived from or based on, the Available Financial Information;

 

(ii)           provide reasonable assistance in the preparation of customary information memorandums, offering memorandums, prospectuses and supplements (the “ Financing Marketing Materials ”) thereto and related marketing materials and ancillary documents, in each case to be used in connection with the Financing, and providing, to the extent such information is reasonably available to such Person, customary information in respect of the Purchased Assets for inclusion in any such marketing material (in the case of any marketing materials to be used in connection with the issuance of securities, having regard to the requirements of applicable securities laws and market practice in the context of a Rule 144A/Regulation S offering of securities); provided that to the extent that any financial information is provided by or addressed by Seller, Rexam, or any of their respective Affiliates or Representatives in connection with any of the foregoing, such information shall be limited to the Available Financial Information;

 

(iii)          deliver and provide reasonable assistance in the preparation of the Available Financial Information and using reasonable efforts to cause the applicable

 

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auditors to deliver customary audit reports (limited solely to audit reports in respect of the Audited Financial Statements), review reports and customary SAS 72 comfort letters and other customary cooperation by the auditors in connection with the preparation of the Financing Marketing Materials with respect to such Available Financial Information and any customary SAS 72 or equivalent negative assurance in connection with the preparation of the Financing Marketing Materials as Purchaser may reasonably request;

 

(iv)          make, cause the Seller Entities to make, and use reasonable efforts to cause the Rexam Entities to make, their respective officers and advisors available from time to time following reasonable notice to attend, prepare written materials for, and make a reasonable number of presentations regarding the business of the Business, as appropriate at due diligence meetings (including in respect of any bring-down due diligence), roadshows and before analysts and rating agencies (and Seller consents and shall cause its Affiliates to, and shall use its reasonable best efforts to cause Rexam and the Rexam Entities to, consent to Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services and Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. providing issuer and/or debt ratings to the Purchaser Financing Parties for the Financing); provided that to the extent that any financial information is provided by or addressed by Seller, Rexam, or any of their respective Affiliates or Representatives in connection with the foregoing, such information shall be limited to the Available Financial Information;

 

(v)           cause the Purchased Entities to execute and deliver, customary definitive documentation in respect of the Financing to the extent required pursuant to the terms of the Financing Documents as in effect on the date of this Agreement or as amended to the extent permitted pursuant to the terms hereof, including customary closing certificates (other than solvency certificates) reasonably required by such Financing Documents and reasonably requested by Purchaser;

 

(vi)          comply, and cause their applicable Affiliates to comply, with  customary publicity guidelines for a Rule 144/Regulation S offering of debt securities with respect to the Financing, including (unless required by the UK Takeover Panel, the City Code, Law or the rules and regulations of an applicable securities exchange on which its shares are listed, in which case Purchaser shall be informed sufficiently in advance) refraining from public comment regarding any such Financing without the prior written consent of Purchaser (such consent not to be unreasonably conditioned, delayed or withheld).

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, Purchaser expressly agrees that:

 

(A) no new information which could be material to the Rexam shareholders shall be released by or on behalf of Purchaser or any Purchaser Financing Party (i) less than fourteen (14) days prior to the date of the meeting of the Rexam shareholders (as adjourned, if applicable) convened to approve the Rexam Transaction or (ii) following such shareholder meeting and prior to Closing, in either case without the prior written consent of Seller, it being understood that Seller shall use its reasonable efforts to, and

 

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use its reasonable best efforts to cause Rexam and the Rexam Entities to use their reasonable efforts to, approve the release of such information if:

 

(i) a draft of the relevant materials containing such information is delivered by or on behalf of Purchaser or any Purchaser Financing Party to Seller sufficiently in advance of its proposed release to allow Seller to review it;

 

(ii) such information is reasonably necessary in connection with the syndication of the Financing;

 

(iii) only with respect to Financing Marketing Materials released prior to May 16, 2016, Purchaser determines, in its sole discretion, acting reasonably, that failure to include such information in the Financing Marketing Materials, would render such Financing Marketing Materials misleading for an investment decision under applicable securities laws; and

 

(iv) with respect to any information (including any supplement to previously released Financing Marketing Materials) released on or after May 16, 2016, Seller determines, in its sole discretion, acting reasonably, that the release of such information would not be expected to delay or otherwise adversely affect the meeting of the Rexam shareholders or the consummation of the Rexam Transaction;

 

(B) without prejudice to the above, Purchaser shall ensure that, unless required by Law or with Seller’s prior written consent, no new information which could be material to the Rexam shareholders shall be released by or on behalf of Purchaser or any Purchaser Financing Party before the date falling fourteen (14) days prior to the date of the meeting of Rexam shareholders (as adjourned, if applicable) convened to approve the Rexam Transaction, it being understood that:

 

(i) Purchaser shall, or shall cause the Purchaser Financing Parties to, post all or part of, as required by Seller, any Financing Marketing Materials on a website and allow Seller to release a public announcement informing Rexam shareholders of such posting and providing a hyperlink to the relevant Financing Marketing Materials or part of it (as applicable); and

 

(ii) Seller shall use its reasonable efforts to, and use its reasonable best efforts to cause Rexam and the Rexam Entities to use their reasonable efforts to, approve the release of such information if the circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iv) of Section 4.18(d)(vi)(A)  above apply;

 

(C)  in the case of clauses (A) and (B) above:

 

(i)  Purchaser shall, and shall cause the Purchaser Financing Parties to, provide Seller and shall allow Seller sufficient time to review any information to be released by or on behalf of Purchaser or any Purchaser Financing Party for the purposes of the Financing;

 

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(ii) Except as set forth in (iii) below, Purchaser shall not release and shall ensure that no information is released for the purposes of the Financing by or on behalf of Purchaser or any Purchaser Financing Party without confirmation from Seller that the information is not material to Rexam shareholders (the “ Release Confirmation ”),

 

(iii) Solely with respect to information in Financing Marketing Materials released by or on behalf of Purchaser or any Purchaser Financing Party prior to May 16, 2016:

 

(1) Purchaser and the Purchaser Financing Parties shall be entitled to release, without a Release Confirmation, such information if, in the sole determination of Purchaser acting reasonably, it relates to the business, financial condition and results of operations or affairs of the Purchased Assets or the Purchased Entities and which, for the avoidance of doubt does not contain any forward looking statement (including plans or intentions) for any Purchased Asset or Purchased Entities to the extent the use of such forward looking statement would  be expected to delay or otherwise adversely affect the meeting of Rexam shareholders or the consummation of the Rexam Transaction, provided that Purchaser and the Purchaser Financing Parties have complied with the provisions of (i) above and has used its reasonable efforts to obtain the Release Confirmation; and

 

(2) Seller shall be deemed to have consented to the release of such information only if the information has been notified by or on behalf of Purchaser to Seller in accordance with Section 11.14 of this Agreement (the “ Release Request ”) and a written refusal (including by email) to release such information has not been received by Purchaser or its Representatives within two (2) Business Days of receipt of the Release Request; and

 

(D) Purchaser and the Purchaser Financing Parties shall carry out any syndication of its bank facilities in accordance with Practice Statement No. 25 — Debt Syndication During Offer Periods issued by the UK Takeover Panel.

 

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, (x) in no event other than the occurrence and continuation of a Seller Intentional Breach, shall compliance with this Section 4.18(d)  by Seller, the Seller Entities, Rexam, the Rexam Entities, or any of their respective Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) or Representatives be a condition to the Closing, (y) it is understood and agreed that Seller, Rexam, their respective Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) and Representatives shall not be required to take any action that would require them to incur any cost or expense, pay any commitment or similar fee, incur any actual or potential liability, or provide or agree to provide any indemnity, in each case in connection with the Financing or any assistance provided pursuant to this Section 4.18(d)  for which they would not otherwise be reimbursed or indemnified pursuant to this Agreement, and (z) in no event

 

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shall Seller, Rexam, or their respective Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) and Representatives be required by the terms of this Section 4.18(d)  to: (A) take any actions to the extent such actions would unreasonably interfere with, or cause unreasonable disruption to, the ongoing business or operations of Seller, Rexam, or their respective Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) or Representatives; (B) take any action that would reasonably be expected to conflict with, or result in any violation or breach of, or default (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) under, the certificate or articles of incorporation or by-laws (or other comparable corporate charter documents) of Seller, Rexam, or their respective Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) or Representatives, any applicable Laws (including the City Code), or any Contract (including this Agreement) to which Seller, Rexam, or their respective Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) or Representatives is a party; (C) take any actions to the extent such actions would cause the satisfaction of any condition to Closing set forth in this Agreement to be delayed or fail; (D) provide access to or disclose any information that Seller or Rexam reasonably determines is subject to the attorney-client or similar privilege; provided , that in the event any such party does not provide information in reliance on this clause (D), it shall provide notice to Purchaser promptly upon obtaining knowledge that such information is being withheld and it shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to communicate, to the extent permitted, the applicable information in a way that would not result in the loss of such privilege; or (E) execute or deliver, or take any corporate or other action to adopt or approve, any document, agreement, collateral, certificate, notice or instrument with respect to the Financing, including any pledge agreements, security documents, and closing certificates, other than those applicable only to the Purchased Entities and that are effective no earlier than, and conditioned on the occurrence of, the Closing.

 

(e)           Purchaser shall from time to time, promptly upon request by Seller or Rexam (and in any event within three (3) Business Days following such request), (1) reimburse such Person for all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) incurred by such Person or its Affiliates in connection with the Financing, including in connection with (x) the cooperation of such Person or its Affiliates contemplated by Section 4.18(d) , and (y) Seller or Rexam seeking or obtaining ratings for the Purchased Entities and any potential Financing for the Transaction, to the extent such costs or expenses (i) are incurred by Seller or Rexam after the date of this Agreement, including as a result of cooperating as contemplated by Section 4.18(d)  or (ii) have been incurred by Seller or Rexam prior to the date of this Agreement and, in the case of this clause (ii), have been identified to Purchaser prior to such date or approved by Purchaser after such date (such approval not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), and (2) indemnify, defend and hold harmless such Person, its Affiliates and their respective Representatives from and against any and all Losses, damages, claims, interest, awards, judgments, penalties, costs and expenses suffered or incurred by any of them related to any claims asserted by a Financing Source or any third party in connection with the Financing, the Financing Documents and costs and expenses incurred in defending such claims, and any information used in connection therewith or provided pursuant to Section 4.18(d) , except in each case to the extent arising from such Person’s or its Affiliate’s fraud.

 

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(f)            Without limiting the cooperation provisions of Section 4.18(d)  in any respect, all non-public or otherwise confidential information regarding each of Seller, Rexam and their respective Affiliates and the Purchased Entities obtained by Purchaser, its Affiliates, their Financing Sources or the respective Representatives (for the purpose of this Section 4.18(f)  treating the reference to “Seller” in such definition as a reference to each “Financing Source”) pursuant to this Section 4.18 shall be kept confidential in accordance with the Confidentiality Agreement; provided that, subject to Section 4.20 and the terms of the Co-operation Agreement, such information may be shared (x) on a non-public basis with participants in the Financing who enter into confidentiality arrangements customary for financing transactions of the same type as the Financing and (y) on a confidential basis with rating agencies.

 

4.19        Acquisition of Rexam Securities .  Purchaser shall not, and shall cause any Person Acting in Concert with Purchaser not to, acquire any Interest in Securities of Rexam from the date of this Agreement and until the Rexam Transaction is consummated.

 

4.20        Rexam Obligations . Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary and without limiting Rexam’s obligations under applicable Law (including, for the avoidance of doubt, under the City Code), each of Purchaser and Seller hereby acknowledges and agrees that nothing in this Agreement shall require Rexam, its Affiliates, and its and their officers, directors, agents, successors or assigns to do anything which is not permitted pursuant to Rule 21.2 of the City Code.

 

4.21        Pre-Closing Business Employee Information Obligations .  As soon as reasonably practicable following the execution of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date, and subject to compliance with any data privacy or other applicable Law, Seller shall update Section 2.16(a)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter to include, for (i) the Key Employees, (ii) each Business Employee of the Seller Entities at the Vice-President level and above and (iii) each Business  Employee of Rexam at Band 2 and above, in each case who is scheduled to become a Transferred Employee, each such individual’s rate of pay or annual compensation, job title, location, date of hire, full-time or part-time status, temporary or permanent status, status as a regular or leased employee, date of commencement of leave (as applicable) status as an active or inactive employee, and classification under applicable wage and hour Law, to the extent such information has not already been provided.

 

4.22        Hedging Arrangements .

 

(a)           From the date of this Agreement until the Closing Date, each of Seller and Purchaser shall, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to, and Seller shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause Rexam and its Affiliates to, use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain from the bank counterparties to each aluminum or aluminum premium hedge that has been entered into at the request of a counterparty to a Customer Contract, a Fixed Price Customer Contract or Supplier Contract that is exclusively related to the Business and to which such counterparty is bearing a corresponding economic adjustment that will be realized to the benefit or detriment of Purchaser (each, a “ Back-to-Back Business Hedge ”), all consents required to transfer and novate such Back-to Back Hedge to Purchaser and release Seller, Rexam and/or any of their respective Affiliates from such Back-to Back Business Hedge and, if applicable, Seller Guarantees, and, to the extent such consents are obtained,

 

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Purchaser shall assume, from and after the Closing, all rights, liabilities, duties and obligations under each such Back-to-Back Business Hedge.

 

(b)           In the event that any of the Back-to-Back Business Hedges is not transferred and novated to Purchaser or its Affiliate as of the Closing Date in accordance with Section 4.22(a)  (any Back-to-Back Business Hedge not so transferred and novated, an “ Unassumed Back-to-Back Hedge ”), Seller and Purchaser shall, not later than the tenth (10 th ) Business Day prior to the Closing Date, agree on a time prior to the Closing Date to early terminate each such Unassumed Back-to-Back Hedge prior to the Closing Date, and (i) with respect to Unassumed Back-to-Back Hedges that are early terminated at a net loss, (A) Purchaser shall designate losses in an amount not to exceed $16.5 million (the “ Capped Back-to-Back Hedge Termination Loss ”) to be included as an asset for purposes of the calculation of Net Debt pursuant to Section 1.6 and (B) any losses in excess of the Capped Back-to-Back Hedge Termination Loss not so designated shall be paid by Purchaser to Seller at the time that Seller would have otherwise been required to make payment under the Unassumed Back-to-Back Hedge to which the particular loss relates had the Unassumed Back-to-Back Hedge not been early terminated, or (ii) with respect to any Unassumed Back-to-Back Hedge that is early terminated at a net gain, the amount of such gain shall be included as a liability for purposes of the calculation of Net Debt pursuant to Section 1.6 .

 

(c)           From the date of this Agreement until the Closing Date, each of Seller and Purchaser shall, and shall cause their respective Affiliates to, and Seller shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause Rexam and its Affiliates to, use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain from the bank counterparties to each currency and other hedge that is exclusively related to the Business and that Seller and Purchaser have agreed to novate (each, an “ Other Business Hedge ”), all consents required to transfer and novate such Other Business Hedge to Purchaser and release Seller, Rexam and/or any of their respective Affiliates from such Other Business Hedge and, if applicable, Seller Guaranties, and, to the extent such consents are obtained, Purchaser shall assume, from and after the Closing, all rights, liabilities, duties and obligations under each such Other Business Hedge.

 

(d)           In the event that an Other Business Hedge is transferred and novated to Purchaser or its Affiliate in accordance with Section 4.22(c) , Seller and Purchaser shall mark-to-market such Other Business Hedge as of the Closing Date and (i) with respect to such Other Business Hedge that reflects a loss position as of the Closing Date, the amount of such loss position shall be included as a liability for purposes of the calculation of Net Debt pursuant to Section 1.6 and (ii) with respect to such Other Business Hedge that reflects a positive position as of the Closing Date, the amount of such positive position shall be included as an asset for purposes of the calculation of Net Debt pursuant to Section 1.6 .

 

(e)           In the case of a Back-to-Back Business Hedge that relates both to one or more Transferred Contracts and one or more Contracts that are Excluded Assets (each a “ Shared Back-to-Back Hedge ”), Seller and Purchaser shall, not later than the tenth (10 th ) Business Day prior to the Closing Date, agree on a time to early terminate that portion of such Shared Back-to-Back Hedge that is related to a Transferred Contract prior to the Closing Date, and (i) with respect to any such portion of Shared Back-to-Back Hedges that are early terminated at a net loss, (A) Purchaser shall designate losses in an amount that, together with any losses included

 

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pursuant to Section 4.22(b)  as an asset for purposes of the calculation of Net Debt pursuant to Section 1.6 , shall not exceed the Capped Back-to-Back Hedge Termination Loss, to be included as an asset for purposes of the calculation of Net Debt pursuant to Section 1.6 and (B) any losses in excess of the Capped Back-to-Back Hedge Termination Loss shall be paid by Purchaser to Seller at the time that Seller would have otherwise been required to make payment to its counterparty under the Shared Back-to-Back Hedge to which the particular loss relates had the Shared Back-to-Back Hedge not been early terminated, or (ii) with respect to any such portion of a Shared Back-to-Back Hedge that is early terminated at a net gain, the amount of such gain shall be included as a liability for purposes of the calculation of Net Debt pursuant to Section 1.6 .

 

4.23        Additional Ancillary Agreements .

 

(a)           Between the date of this Agreement and the Closing Date, Seller and Purchaser will negotiate in good faith two agreements, which will include terms and conditions customary for similar agreements, providing for the supply of cans and/or can ends between Purchaser and Seller or one or more of their respective Affiliates from certain Facilities in Europe and the U.S., for a period of up to twelve (12) months after the Closing Date.

 

(b)           Seller and Purchaser also agree to negotiate in good faith promptly following the date of this Agreement (but, in any event prior to the Closing Date), an agreement, pursuant to which, as of the Closing Date, Purchaser shall cause Ball Europe GmbH to provide Seller and its Affiliates certain transitional services necessary to support Seller’s (and its Affiliates’) operations in Bierne (France), Belgrade (Serbia) and Lublin (Poland), in consideration for fees payable to Purchaser in an amount to be agreed and reflected in such agreement and on other terms and conditions customary for similar agreements, including in respect of indemnification.

 

(c)           Once in forms agreed by the Parties, the agreements described in this Section 4.23 shall be deemed to be Ancillary Agreements for all  purposes of this Agreement.

 

ARTICLE V

 

EMPLOYEE MATTERS

 

5.1          Employee Benefit Matters .

 

(a)           Transferred Business Employees .

 

(i)            Each Offer Employee shall receive an offer of employment from Purchaser or an Affiliate of Purchaser within thirty (30) days following the date of this Agreement, or within five (5) Business Days of the applicable date of hire with respect to any Offer Employee hired after the date of this Agreement, which offer shall be on terms and conditions no less favorable in the aggregate to such Offer Employee than the terms and conditions provided to such Offer Employee by the relevant Seller Entity or Rexam Entity as of the date immediately prior to such offer being made, and which shall comply with the requirements of Section 5.1(b)  and which shall provide that employment with

 

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Purchaser or one of its Affiliates will commence effective as of the Closing Date.  Each Offer Employee who accepts the offer of employment pursuant to the prior sentence and commences employment with Purchaser or one of its Affiliates immediately following the Closing shall become a Transferred Business Employee as of immediately following the Closing.  For a period of one year following the Closing, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, Purchaser and its Affiliates shall not be permitted to employ any Offer Employee who is employed by Rexam or any Rexam Entity as of the date of this Agreement or who becomes employed by Rexam or any Rexam Entity between the date of this Agreement and Closing, and in each case who has not become a Transferred Business Employee.

 

(ii)           Where in accordance with the Transfer Regulations the contract of employment of any Business Employee transfers automatically to Purchaser or any of its Affiliates in connection with the transfer of the Purchased Assets or to a Purchased Entity in connection with the Restructuring, such contract of employment shall have effect (a) from the Closing Date as if originally made between Purchaser or such Affiliate of Purchaser or, (b) in the case of a Restructuring, from the date of the applicable transfer as if made between the applicable Purchased Entity, and the Business Employee and all rights, powers, duties, liabilities and obligations of the applicable Seller Entity or Rexam Entity in respect of or in relation to such Business Employees and their contracts of employment in force immediately before the Closing Date (or the applicable Restructuring date) (in each case with the exception of accrued occupational pension scheme rights) shall transfer to Purchaser, its applicable Affiliate or the applicable Purchased Entity in accordance with the Transfer Regulations.

 

(b)           Employment Terms, Compensation and Benefits .  Effective immediately upon the Closing, Purchaser shall or shall cause its respective Affiliates to provide to each of the Transferred Business Employees and each employee of the Purchased Entities (each a “ Purchased Entity Employee ” and collectively, and together with the Transferred Business Employees, the “ Transferred Employees ”) who remains in the employment of Purchaser or any of its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) employment in the same or an equivalent position and, continuing until the second anniversary of the Closing Date, substantially the same employment terms and conditions and observe the Transferred Employees’ statutory and contractual rights with (i) base salary, wage rate, annual cash incentive compensation opportunity and long-term incentive compensation opportunity that in each case is no less favorable than the base salary, wage rate and annual cash incentive compensation opportunity and long-term incentive compensation opportunity (including equity and equity-related incentive compensation) in effect for such Transferred Employee immediately prior to Closing (provided, however, that in no event shall Purchaser be required to provide any equity compensation to the Transferred Employees); (ii) (A) in the case of each U.S. Transferred Employee, employee benefits that, in the aggregate, are no less favorable than those in effect for such U.S. Transferred Employee immediately prior to the Closing Date and (B) in the case of Non-U.S. Transferred Employees, employee benefits that, on an individual basis, are of economically similar value to those paid or provided to each such Non-U.S. Transferred Employee by Seller, Rexam or any of their respective Affiliates, as applicable, immediately prior to the Closing Date; and (iii) notice and severance benefits that are no less favorable than the notice and severance benefits that would have been applicable to such Transferred Employee under the Employee Incentives

 

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Schedule to the Co-operation Agreement or any applicable severance plans of Seller, Rexam or Affiliate of Seller or Rexam immediately prior to the Closing Date, taking into account each such Transferred Employee’s additional period of service and any increase to base salary or wage rate and incentive compensation opportunity with Purchaser or its Affiliates following the Closing. Purchaser agrees that it shall not, nor shall it cause or permit any of its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) to, in the case of any Transferred Employee who was previously employed by Rexam or any Rexam Entity, relocate such employee during the two-year period following the Closing Date to a work location more than twenty-five (25) miles from the location at which such employee was employed immediately prior to the Closing without such person’s consent. This Section 5.1(b)  is subject to the Transfer Regulations and any other applicable Law that protects any Transferred Employee’s acquired rights or otherwise requires Purchaser or any of its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) and is without limitation of Purchaser and its Affiliates’ ability to provide more generous terms and conditions, compensation or benefits to the Transferred Employees following the Closing.  Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, Purchaser and its Affiliates will have no obligation to continue the employment of any Transferred Employee for any period following the Closing Date.

 

(c)           Retention Liabilities and Incentives . The Seller Entities, the Rexam Entities and their respective Affiliates shall be solely responsible for all Liabilities related to (i) any outstanding equity awards or equity-related arrangements granted to Transferred Employees by a Seller Entity or Rexam Entity on or prior to the Closing Date, with the exception of the ESPP and (ii) the payment of any cash retention and long and short-term incentive awards granted by a Seller Entity or Rexam Entity and payable to Transferred Employees on or before the Closing Date, in each case in accordance with the terms of the applicable Employee Benefit Plan. Seller shall cause each outstanding and unvested long-term incentive award granted to each Transferred Employee employed by Rexam or any Rexam Entity to vest and be paid in accordance with the terms that are no less favorable than those contemplated by Schedule 2 to the Co-operation Agreement. Seller shall cause each outstanding and unvested long-term incentive award granted to each Transferred Employee employed by Seller or any Seller Entity, other than the Rexam or the Rexam Entities, to vest in accordance with the provisions of such award on or immediately prior to the Closing Date and, to the extent any such outstanding long-term incentive award is not vested and paid to a Transferred Employee on or immediately prior to the Closing Date, Seller shall grant a cash retention award to such Transferred Employee, in each case in accordance with the Ball Packaging Europe Special Incentive Program. In addition, to the extent permitted by the applicable Employee Benefit Plan, Collective Bargaining Agreement, National Collective Bargaining Agreement or applicable Law, Seller shall pay or cause to be paid to each Transferred Employee in cash on or as soon as reasonably practicable after the Closing Date a pro rata portion of the 2016 short-term incentive award granted to such Transferred Employee. The pro rata 2016 short-term incentive award amount shall be determined on the basis of the number of days elapsed in 2016 through the Closing Date and performance equal to actual performance through the Closing Date.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, Purchaser and its Affiliates shall be solely responsible for the payment of any cash retention awards granted to Transferred Employees on or prior to the Closing that are payable to the Transferred Employees after the Closing Date in connection with the satisfaction of a continued service requirement and any short term incentive payments that are due to be paid in the normal course after the Closing Date; provided , however , that any such retention awards and short term

 

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incentive awards shall be listed on Schedule 5.1(c)  and included in Net Debt for purposes of Section 1.6 .

 

(d)           Severance Liabilities .  Purchaser and its Affiliates shall be solely responsible for any severance, change in control, accrued paid time off, redundancy, termination indemnitees or similar termination payments or benefits that may become payable (i) to any Transferred Employee terminated by Purchaser or its Affiliates on or following the Closing Date and (ii) to any Business Employee (A) who does not receive an offer of employment as required pursuant to Sections 5.1(a)  and Section 5.1(b)  and who resigns as of the Closing Date under circumstances entitling the Business Employee to any such payments and benefits, or (B) who asserts a statutory right to object to the transfer of employment contemplated by Section 5.1(a)(ii)  where Purchaser and its Affiliates fail to comply with the Transfer Regulations or otherwise do not honor Section 5.1(a)  or Section 5.1(b)  and who is entitled to severance on the termination of his or her employment following such objection, and Purchaser shall indemnify Seller, Rexam and any of their respective Affiliates from any and all Liabilities for such payments and benefits.  To the extent that Seller, Rexam or any of their respective Affiliates become liable for, or are legally required to make, severance, change in control, accrued paid time off, redundancy, termination indemnity or similar termination payments or benefits to any Transferred Employee or Business Employee described in the foregoing clause (ii), Purchaser shall, or shall cause its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) to, reimburse Seller, Rexam or any of their respective Affiliates, as applicable, as soon as practicable but in any event within thirty (30) days of receipt from Seller, Rexam or any of their respective Affiliates, as applicable, of appropriate verification, for all payments, costs and expenses actually incurred in respect thereof by Seller, Rexam or any of their respective Affiliates, as applicable, as required by applicable Law or any Contract. Except as provided above in this Section 5.1(d) , Seller and its Affiliates shall be solely responsible for any severance, change in control, accrued paid time off, redundancy, termination indemnitees or similar termination payments or benefits that may become payable to Business Employees dismissed by Seller or its Affiliates.

 

(e)           Service Credit .  To the extent that any Transferred Employee’s acquired rights are not already protected by the Transfer Regulations or other applicable Law, Purchaser shall, and shall cause its Affiliates to, recognize the prior service of, or recognized with respect to, each Transferred Employee as if such service had been performed with Purchaser for all purposes, including eligibility, vesting, service-related level of benefits and benefit accrual (except for any benefit accruals for U.S. union and non-union hourly Transferred Employees under the defined benefit Rexam Pension Plan, provided that such service for benefit accruals purposes under the Rexam Pension Plan shall be recognized for purposes of early retirement subsidies in accordance with Schedule 5.1(h) ) under the employee benefit plans and policies provided by Purchaser to such Transferred Employee following the Closing, to the same extent such service was recognized by Seller, Rexam or any of their respective Affiliates, as applicable, immediately prior to the Closing. Purchaser shall, or shall cause its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) to, (i) waive any preexisting condition limitations otherwise applicable to Transferred Employees and their eligible dependents under any plan of Purchaser or any Affiliate of Purchaser that provides health or life benefits in which the Transferred Employees may be eligible to participate following the Closing, other than any limitations that were in effect with respect to a Transferred Employee as of the Closing under the analogous Employee Benefit Plan, (ii) honor any deductible, co-payment and out-of-pocket maximums incurred by the

 

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Transferred Employees and their eligible dependents under the health plans in which they participated immediately prior to the Closing during the portion of the calendar year prior to the Closing in satisfying any deductibles, co-payments or out-of-pocket maximums under health plans of Purchaser or any of its Affiliates in which they are eligible to participate after the Closing in the same plan year in which such deductibles, co-payments or out-of-pocket maximums were incurred and (iii) waive any waiting period limitation or evidence of insurability requirement that would otherwise be applicable to a Transferred Employee and his or her eligible dependents on or after the Closing, in each case to the extent such Transferred Employee or eligible dependent had satisfied any similar limitation or requirement under an analogous Employee Benefit Plan prior to the Closing.

 

(f)            CBAs .  Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, immediately following the Closing, Purchaser shall or shall cause its Affiliates to assume each Collective Bargaining Agreement and any and all Liabilities thereunder whether arising before, on or after the Closing and provide to the Transferred Employees who remain in the employment of Purchaser or any of its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) and whose employment is subject to a Collective Bargaining Agreement or National Collective Bargaining Agreement, terms and conditions of employment in accordance with such Collective Bargaining Agreement or National Collective Bargaining Agreement until its expiration, modification or termination in accordance with its terms and applicable Law.

 

(g)           WARN .  Seller and its Affiliates shall comply with all WARN obligations through the Closing Date with respect to the Business.

 

(h)           Pension and Certain Other Post-Employment Benefit Obligations . The rights and obligations of Seller and Purchaser or their respective Affiliates in connection with any pension and post-employment benefit obligations, including the Defined Benefit Plans, with respect to Transferred Employees and former employees of the Purchased Entities are described in Schedule 5.1(h) .

 

(i)            Multiemployer Plan .  Seller and Purchaser intend to comply with the requirements of Section 4204 of ERISA in order that the Transaction shall not be deemed a complete or partial withdrawal from the I.A.M. National Pension Fund (the “ Multiemployer Plan ”), but only to the extent that there are unfunded vested benefits in the Multiemployer Plan that would trigger the occurrence of withdrawal liability, by virtue of a full or partial withdrawal, as a result of the Transaction.  Accordingly, Seller and Purchaser agree as follows:

 

(i)            Purchaser will be obligated to make contributions to the Multiemployer Plan in accordance with any Collective Bargaining Agreement relating thereto and shall contribute to the Multiemployer Plan with respect to the business and operations of the Purchased Assets and Purchased Entities on the same terms as Rexam had an obligation to contribute to the Multiemployer Plan prior to the Closing Date.

 

(ii)           Unless and until a variance or exemption is obtained in accordance with Section 4204(c) of ERISA, Purchaser will provide to the Multiemployer Plan, for a period of five plan years commencing with the first plan year beginning after the Closing Date (the “ Contribution Period ”), a bond issued by a corporate surety company that is an

 

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acceptable surety for purposes of Section 412 of ERISA, or an amount held in escrow by a bank or similar financial institution satisfactory to the Multiemployer Plan, as applicable, or such other security as may be permitted under Section 4204(a)(1)(B) of ERISA or regulations thereunder, in an amount equal to the greater of:

 

(A)          the average annual contribution required to be made by Rexam to the Multiemployer Plan with respect to the business and operation of the Facilities, as applicable, for the three plan years preceding the plan year in which the Closing Date occurs, or

 

(B)          the annual contribution that Rexam was required to make with respect to the business and operations of the Facilities under the Multiemployer Plan for the last plan year before the plan year in which the Closing Date occurs,

 

which applicable bond or escrow shall be paid to the Multiemployer Plan if Purchaser (or its applicable Affiliate) withdraws from the Multiemployer Plan, or fails to make a contribution to the Multiemployer Plan when due, at any time during the Contribution Period.  Seller agrees to cooperate with Purchaser in connection with any application for a variance or exemption under Section 4204(c) of ERISA made by Purchaser to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or to the Multiemployer Plan and to  otherwise comply with the obligations of a “Seller” under Section 4204 of ERISA.  The full costs and expenses relating to the provision of any bond, letter of credit or escrow required under this Section 5.1(h) , shall be paid by Purchaser.

 

(iii)          If Purchaser withdraws from the Multiemployer Plan in a complete or partial withdrawal with respect to the Business and operations of the Facilities under the Multiemployer Plan during the Contribution Period defined above, Seller shall be secondarily liable for any withdrawal Liability it would have incurred to the Multiemployer Plan with respect to the Business and operations of such Facilities (but for the provisions of Section 4204 of ERISA) if the withdrawal Liability of Purchaser with respect to the Multiemployer Plan is not paid.  Purchaser agrees to provide Seller reasonable advance notice of any action or event which could result in the imposition of withdrawal Liability contemplated by this Section 5.1(h)  and in any event Purchaser shall promptly furnish Seller with a copy of any notice of withdrawal Liability it may receive with respect to the Multiemployer Plan, together with all pertinent details.  In the event that any such withdrawal Liability shall be assessed against Purchaser, Purchaser further agrees to provide Seller advance notice of any intention on the part of Purchaser not to make full payment of any withdrawal Liability when the same shall become due.

 

(iv)          Purchaser shall indemnify, defend and hold Seller and Rexam harmless against the imposition of any secondary Liability, or any Liability resulting from the failure of Purchaser to provide a bond, letter of credit, escrow or other security pursuant to this Section 5.1(h) .

 

(j)            Following the Closing, the employees of Ball Packaging Europe UK Limited will no longer be able to acquire interests in common stock of Seller pursuant to the Ball

 

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Corporation Employee Stock Purchase Plan with HMRC reference number A1939 (the “ ESPP ”).  S ubject to applicable Law and the ESPP’s terms, Purchaser shall cause Ball Packaging Europe UK Limited to continue and administer the ESPP through the ESPP Trustee until all awards thereunder have become payable.  Seller shall indemnify Purchaser against any Taxes which are incurred by Purchaser or Ball Packaging Europe UK Limited as a result of the Transaction in relation to the administration of the ESPP (including the delivery of any interests in shares to the participants) and the cost of acquisition, in accordance with the terms of the ESPP, of any Matching Shares (as defined in the ESPP) awarded prior to the Closing Date provided that Ball Packaging Europe UK Limited continues to administer the ESPP in accordance with its terms and this Section 5.1(j) .

 

(k)           The provisions of this Section 5.1 are solely for the benefit of the Parties, and no Business Employee or other employee or former employee of Seller or any other individual associated therewith shall be regarded for any purpose as a third party beneficiary of this Agreement, and nothing herein shall be construed as an amendment to any Employee Benefit Plan or any employee benefit plan of Purchaser for any purpose. The Parties acknowledge and agree that nothing contained in this Agreement, including in this Section 5.1 , shall require Purchaser or any of its Affiliates to maintain the employment of any Business Employee, except as required by applicable Law or an applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

TAXES

 

6.1          Apportionment of Taxes .

 

(a)           To the extent permitted or required by applicable Law, the taxable year of each of the Purchased Entities that includes the Closing Date shall be treated as closing on (and including) the Closing Date.  To the extent such treatment is not permitted or required by applicable Law, for purposes of this Agreement, in the case of any Straddle Period, (i) property Taxes and other Taxes imposed on a periodic basis allocable to the Pre-Closing Tax Period based on the number of days of such taxable period included in the Pre-Closing Tax Period and the number of days of such taxable period included in the Post-Closing Tax Period and (ii) Taxes (other than Taxes described in clause (i)) allocable to the Pre-Closing Tax Period shall be computed as if such taxable period ended as of the end of the day on the Closing Date; provided that exemptions, allowances or deductions that are calculated on an annual basis (including, but not limited to, depreciation and amortization deductions) shall be allocated between Pre-Closing Tax Period and the Post-Closing Tax Period in proportion to the number of days in each period.  Subject to the provisions of this Agreement, Seller shall be liable for Taxes (other than Transfer Taxes) that are attributable to any Pre-Closing Tax Period, and Purchaser shall be liable for Taxes (other than Excluded Taxes) that are attributable to any Post-Closing Tax Period. Seller shall also be responsible, without duplication, for any Excluded Taxes (except for any Excluded Taxes for which Seller is not required to indemnify Purchaser pursuant to Section 9.2(c)(vi) ).

 

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(b)           Payment by Seller and Seller’s Affiliates of any amount due under this Article VI shall be made no later than three (3) days prior to the date such amounts are required to be paid to the appropriate Taxing Authority or other appropriate party.

 

6.2          Transfer Taxes .  All excise, sales, use, registration, stamp, recording, documentary, conveyancing, franchise, property, transfer, gains and similar Taxes, levies, charges and fees, other than any Restructuring Taxes (collectively, “ Transfer Taxes ”) incurred in connection with the Transaction, including for the avoidance of doubt any Transfer Taxes incurred by Seller, Rexam or their respective Affiliates related to any transfer of assets to or from the Purchased Entities related to the Transaction, shall be borne equally by Seller and Purchaser.  Seller shall cooperate in providing Purchaser with any appropriate resale exemption certifications and other similar documentation.  For the avoidance of doubt, Transfer Taxes shall not include any amounts described in the definition of Excluded Taxes or VAT described in Section 6.7 .

 

6.3          Tax Returns .

 

(a)           Seller shall timely prepare and timely file, or cause to be prepared and timely filed, all Tax Returns in respect of the Purchased Entities that are:  (i) required to be filed after the date of this Agreement in respect of Pre-Closing Tax Periods (other than Straddle Periods subject to Section 6.3(b)  below); and (ii)  any combined, consolidated or unitary Tax Return that includes Seller or any of its Affiliates (other than the Purchased Entities), on the one hand, and any of the Purchased Entities or their respective subsidiaries, on the other hand.  Such Tax Returns described in the foregoing clause (i) shall be prepared in a manner consistent with the past practices of the Purchased Entities, unless otherwise required by Law.  Any Tax Returns described in the foregoing clause (i) that are to be prepared, or filed, by Seller or its Affiliates under this Section 6.3(a)  shall be provided to Purchaser for its review and comments at least ten (10) Business Days prior to such items being filed, and Seller shall consider in good faith any reasonable comments received from Purchaser at least three (3) Business Days prior to the due date. Seller shall timely pay any Taxes shown on any such Tax Returns (other than any Taxes for which Seller is not required to indemnify Purchaser pursuant to Section 9.2(c)(vi) ) to the relevant Taxing Authority.

 

(b)           Purchaser shall prepare and timely file, or cause to be prepared and timely filed, all Tax Returns in respect of the Purchased Entities for any Straddle Period and, to the extent they are not otherwise required to be filed or caused to be filed by Seller under Section 6.3(a) , Tax Returns for any Pre-Closing Tax Periods.  Such Tax Returns shall be prepared on a basis consistent with the past practices of the Purchased Entities, unless otherwise required by Law.  Any Tax Returns that are to be prepared, or filed, by Purchaser or the Purchased Entities under this Section 6.3(b)  shall be provided to Seller for its review, and comments, together with a statement setting forth the amount of Tax for which Seller is responsible under Article VI , at least ten (10) Business Days prior to such items being filed, and Purchaser shall incorporate any reasonable comments received from Seller at least three (3) Business Days prior to the due date so long as such comments, if so incorporated, would not materially prejudice Purchaser or any of its Affiliates.  Purchaser shall pay any and all Taxes shown as due on any Tax Return filed by Purchaser pursuant to this Section 6.3(b) .  Purchaser shall be entitled to reimbursement from Seller in respect of any Taxes that are the responsibility

 

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of Seller under Article VI .  Upon payment of any such Tax, Purchaser shall present a statement to Seller setting forth the amount of reimbursement to which Purchaser is entitled under Article VI together with such supporting evidence as is reasonably necessary to calculate the amount to be reimbursed.  Seller shall make such reimbursement promptly but in no event later than ten (10) Business Days after the presentation of such statement.

 

(c)           If Seller and Purchaser are unable to resolve all open issues with respect to any Tax Return as provided in Section 6.3(a)  and Section 6.3(b)  above prior to the due date (taking into account any extension validly obtained), such Tax Return will be filed as proposed by Seller (in the case of a Tax Return described in Section 6.3(a) ) or Purchaser (in the case of a Tax Return described in Section 6.3(b) ), and such open issues shall be referred to the Tax Advisor promptly after the filing due date.  The Tax Advisor shall resolve such open issues, and any reimbursement payment or indemnification payment by either Seller or Purchaser under this Article VI shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the resolution of the Tax Advisor.

 

6.4          Tax Cooperation .

 

(a)           Purchaser and Seller agree to furnish or cause to be furnished to each other, upon request, as promptly as practicable, such information and assistance (including access to Books and Records with the assistance of employees) as is reasonably necessary for the filing of all Tax Returns, the making of any election relating to Taxes, the preparation for any audit by any Taxing Authority, and the prosecution or defense of any claim, suit or proceeding relating to any Tax, provided, however, that in the case of Tax Returns of either Party or their Affiliates (or of a consolidated, combined, unitary or Tax group any of them), the Party providing the Tax Return may, in lieu of delivering the Tax Return, deliver to the other Party pro-forma statements setting forth in sufficient detail the relevant information.

 

(b)           Without limiting Section 6.4(a) , within the time limits permitted by applicable Laws, Seller shall be entitled to request that a Purchased Entity and an appropriate Affiliate of Seller (other than a Purchased Entity) make (or join in making, as applicable) a Degrouping Election. If Seller exercises its right under this Section 6.4(b) , Purchaser shall cause the relevant Purchased Entity to enter into the Degrouping Election (including filing such Degrouping Election with the relevant Taxing Authority, whether separately or together with that Purchased Entity’s relevant Tax Return) and provide an executed copy of such Degrouping Election to Seller within five (5) Business Days of receipt of the draft form of the Degrouping Election from Seller.

 

6.5          Refunds or Credits; Amended Returns .

 

(a)           Purchaser shall promptly pay to Seller any refunds or credits of Taxes received by Purchaser or any of its Affiliates (i) relating to any Pre-Closing Tax Period of the Purchased Assets or (ii) that are refunds or credits of Taxes previously paid by Seller. Purchaser shall be entitled to all other refunds and credits of Taxes attributable to the Purchased Assets.

 

(b)           Purchaser shall not (i) amend any Tax Return relating to any Pre-Closing Tax Period or (ii) make any Tax election that would affect in any Pre-Closing Tax Period, in each case without the consent of Seller, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned,

 

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or delayed; provided that, Purchaser shall be entitled to amend any Tax Return relating to a Pre-Closing Tax Period if (x) Purchaser requests and receives written confirmation from Seller that Seller has determined that such amendment would not materially prejudice Seller or (y) Purchaser obtains a Tax Opinion to the effect that (A) such amendment would correct an error, omission or factual discrepancy found in such Tax Return, (B) there is no reasonable basis for the original position claimed on such Tax Return, and (C) the failure to so amend such Tax Return could subject Purchaser to penalties or other additional costs or expenses. In the case Purchaser amends any Tax Return relating to any Pre-Closing Tax Period pursuant to the proviso in the previous sentence, Purchaser shall notify Seller promptly in writing of such amendment and provide to Seller a copy of any Tax Opinion obtained in connection with such amendment. Purchaser shall prepare and file any amended return as may be reasonably requested by Seller, provided (1) that Seller shall bear any and all costs of preparing, filing and pursuing such return, and (2) that Purchaser shall not be required to take any action that Purchaser determines could materially prejudice Purchaser or its Affiliates (including, following the Closing, the Purchased Entities). Notwithstanding the foregoing, Purchaser agrees to take the necessary administrative action, at Seller’s expense, including but not limited to amending the relevant Tax Return of Ball Packaging Europe UK Ltd., as reasonably directed by Seller in order to allow final resolution of the 2006 UK Tax Dispute; provided that, upon Purchaser’s request and at Seller’s cost, Seller shall deliver to Purchaser a Tax Opinion or such other documents or information reasonably satisfactory to Purchaser (upon which Purchaser and its Affiliates may rely) that supports the administrative action so requested and or the position or treatment set forth on such amended Tax return or addresses other matters as reasonably requested by Purchaser.

 

6.6          Contests .   Whenever any Taxing Authority asserts a claim, makes an assessment, or otherwise disputes the amount of Taxes for which Seller, and not Purchaser, is liable under this Agreement, Purchaser shall upon receipt of such assertion, promptly, but in no event more than twenty (20) Business Days from such receipt, inform Seller in writing and Seller shall have the right to control any resulting proceedings and to determine whether and when to settle any such claim, assessment or dispute to the extent such proceedings or determinations affect the amount of Taxes for which Seller may be liable under this Agreement and does not materially affect the amount for which Purchaser is liable under this Agreement. Whenever any Taxing Authority asserts a claim, makes an assessment or otherwise disputes the amount of Taxes for which Purchaser, and not Seller, is liable under this Agreement, Purchaser shall have the right to control any resulting proceedings and to determine whether and when to settle any such claim, assessment or dispute, except to the extent such proceedings affect the amount of Taxes for which Seller is liable under this Agreement. Whenever any Taxing Authority asserts a claim, makes an assessment or otherwise disputes the amount of Taxes for which both Seller and Purchaser may be liable, (i) each such Party may participate in any resulting proceedings, (ii) the proceedings shall be controlled by the Party that would bear the burden of the greater portion of the sum of the adjustment and any corresponding adjustments that may reasonably be anticipated for future taxable periods and (iii) neither Party shall settle the proceedings without the consent of the other Party, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed, provided however, that when an amount in dispute is $250,000 or less, the Party that would bear the burden of the greater portion of the sum of the adjustment and any corresponding adjustments that may reasonably be anticipated for future taxable periods may settle any such proceeding on behalf of both Parties without the consent of the other Party if the Party bearing the greater burden obtains a Tax Opinion, on which both Parties may rely, to the effect that the settlement is

 

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reasonable based on the facts and circumstances of the issue which is the basis of such proceeding.

 

6.7          VAT . The Purchase Price shall be exclusive of VAT and if VAT is properly charged or chargeable upon Seller or any of its Affiliates, Purchaser shall pay Seller (in addition to the Purchase Price) the amount of such VAT within five (5) Business Days of receipt of a VAT invoice in compliance with local Laws.

 

6.8          Earnings and Profits .   Schedule 2.18 contains a list of the Purchased Entities that (i) are treated as “controlled foreign corporations” or (ii) are disregarded entities and direct subsidiaries of Purchased Entities treated as “controlled foreign corporations” immediately prior to the Closing for U.S. federal income tax purposes (the Purchased Entities described in clauses (i) and (ii), and designated as such in Schedule 2.18, Purchased CFCs ”). Except with the express written consent of Seller, none of Purchaser nor its Affiliates shall take, or cause or permit the Purchased CFCs to take, any action outside the ordinary course of business of Purchaser or any Purchased CFCs on or after the Closing Date (including any restructuring or Tax election with respect to such Purchased Entities, and other than any transaction contemplated by this Agreement (including the Restructuring) or that was subject to a binding contract or other commitment entered into prior to the Closing or that is a recurring obligation) that would increase or decrease the earnings and profits of Seller or its Affiliates by a material amount for any Tax period that includes the Closing Date, as calculated for U.S. federal income Tax purposes.

 

ARTICLE VII

 

CONDITIONS

 

7.1          Conditions to the Obligations of Purchaser . The obligations of Purchaser hereunder to consummate the Transaction shall be subject to the fulfillment, on or before the Closing Date, other than in respect of the conditions set forth in Section 7.1(a) , Section 7.1(b)  and Section 7.1(d)  which shall be subject to the fulfillment, on or before: (1) the Confirmation Date or (2) only in the event the notice set forth in Section 4.2 has been delivered to Seller at the Confirmation Date and without prejudice to Seller’s right set forth in Section 8.1(g) , the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions (all or any of which may be waived in whole or in part by Purchaser in its sole discretion, to the extent permitted by Law):

 

(a)           (i) The representations and warranties of Seller contained in Section 2.1 , Section 2.3(a)  and Section 2.19 shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the Confirmation Date (or if clause (2) of Section 7.1 applies, the Closing Date) with the same force and effect as if made as of such date (other than such representations and warranties as are made as of another date, which shall be so true and correct as of such other date), (ii) all of the other representations and warranties of Seller contained in this Agreement (disregarding all qualifications and exceptions contained therein relating to materiality) shall be true and correct as of the Confirmation Date (or if clause (2) of Section 7.1 applies, the Closing Date), with the same force and effect as if made as of such date (other than such representations and warranties as are made as of another date, which shall be so true and correct as of such other date; provided, however, that in the case that clause (1) of Section 7.1 applies, representations made as of the

 

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Closing shall for purposes of this Section 7.1(a)  be deemed made as of the Confirmation Date), except in either case where any failure of such representations and warranties to be so true and correct would not result in a Business Material Adverse Effect, (iii) (1) the covenants and agreements contained in this Agreement (other than Section 4.18(d) ) to be complied with by Seller on or before the Closing shall have been complied with in all material respects and (2) no Seller Intentional Breach shall have occurred and be continuing, in each case as of the Confirmation Date (or if clause (2) of Section 7.1 applies, the Closing Date), and (iv) Purchaser shall have received a certificate signed on behalf of Seller by an officer of Seller to the effect that the conditions set forth in the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) have been satisfied.

 

(b)           (i) The FTC shall have accepted for public comment an agreement containing a consent order that includes a proposed decision and order that, if issued as a final order, would require Seller or Rexam to consummate the Transaction with Purchaser (or that incorporates, directly or by reference, the terms of this Agreement) and shall have approved the terms of this Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements and Purchaser as the purchaser of the Purchased Assets and Assumed Liabilities, (ii) the EC shall have issued its decision pursuant to paragraph 19 of the EC Commitments approving the terms of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements and Purchaser as the purchaser of the Purchased Assets and Assumed Liabilities and shall have approved the Transaction in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) 139/2004 and (iii) CADE shall have approved the terms of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements and Purchaser as the purchaser of the Purchased Assets and Assumed Liabilities in Brazil, and shall have determined that the conditions set forth in the Merger Control Agreement ( Acordos em Controle de Concentrações ) are satisfied.

 

(c)           No Governmental Authority shall have enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any Law or Governmental Order (whether temporary, preliminary or permanent) that remains in effect that has the effect of making the Transaction illegal or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of the Transaction.

 

(d)           Except with respect to actions planned to take place post-Closing (with respect to the French and Spanish Entities and Dutch Entities or as otherwise expressly noted therein), the Restructuring shall have been completed in all material respects in accordance with the terms of the Restructuring Steps Plan set forth in Schedule 4.16 (as such plan may be modified as permitted by Section 4.16 ).

 

(e)           All conditions to the consummation of the Rexam Transaction (other than, if the Rexam Transaction is being implemented by way of a Scheme, the approval at the Sanction Hearing) shall have been satisfied or, if applicable, waived.

 

7.2          Conditions to the Obligations of Seller . The obligations of Seller hereunder to consummate the Transaction shall be subject to the fulfillment, on or before the Closing Date, other than in respect of the conditions set forth in Section 7.2(a)  and Section 7.2(b)  which shall be subject to the fulfillment, on or before: (1) the Confirmation Date or (2) only in the event the notice set forth in Section 4.2 has been delivered to Seller at the Confirmation Date and without prejudice to Seller’s right set forth in Section 8.1(g), the Closing Date, of each of the following conditions (all or any of which may be waived in whole or in part by Seller in its sole discretion, to the extent permitted by Law):

 

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(a)           (i) Each of the Purchaser Fundamental Representations shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the Confirmation Date (or if clause (2) of Section 7.1 applies, the Closing Date) with the same force and effect as if made as of such date (other than such representations and warranties as are made as of another date, which shall be so true and correct as of such other date, (ii) all of the other representations and warranties of Purchaser contained in this Agreement (disregarding all qualifications and exceptions contained therein relating to materiality) shall be true and correct as of the Confirmation Date (or if clause (2) of Section 7.2 applies, the Closing Date), with the same force and effect as if made as of such date (other than such representations and warranties as are made as of another date, which shall be so true and correct as of such other date; provided , however , that in the case that clause (1) of Section 7.2 applies, representations made as of the Closing shall for purposes of this Section 7.2(a)  be deemed made as of the Confirmation Date), except in either case where any failure of such representations and warranties to be so true and correct would not materially delay or prevent the consummation of the Transaction in accordance with the terms hereof, (ii) the covenants and agreements contained in this Agreement to be complied with by Purchaser on or before the Closing shall have been complied with in all material respects as of the Confirmation Date (or if clause (2) of Section 7.2 applies, the Closing Date), and (iii) Seller shall have received a certificate signed on behalf of Purchaser by an officer of Purchaser to the effect that the conditions set forth in the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) have been satisfied.

 

(b)           (i) The FTC shall have accepted for public comment an agreement containing a consent order that includes a proposed decision and order that, if issued as a final order, would require Seller or Rexam to consummate the Transaction with Purchaser (or that incorporates, directly or by reference, the terms of this Agreement) and shall have approved the terms of this Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements and Purchaser as the purchaser of the Purchased Assets and Assumed Liabilities, (ii) the EC shall have issued its decision pursuant to paragraph 19 of the EC Commitments approving the terms of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements and Purchaser as the purchaser of the Purchased Assets and Assumed Liabilities and shall have approved the Transaction in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) 139/2004 and (iii) CADE shall have approved the terms of this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements and Purchaser as the purchaser of the Purchased Assets and Assumed Liabilities in Brazil, and shall have determined that the conditions set forth in the Merger Control Agreement ( Acordos em Controle de Concentrações ) are satisfied.

 

(c)           No Governmental Authority shall have enacted, issued, promulgated, enforced or entered any Law or Governmental Order (whether temporary, preliminary or permanent) that remains in effect that has the effect of making the Transaction illegal or otherwise prohibiting the consummation of the Transaction.

 

(d)           All conditions to the consummation of the Rexam Transaction (other than, if the Rexam Transaction is being implemented by way of a Scheme, the approval at the Sanction Hearing) shall have been satisfied or, if applicable, waived.

 

7.3          Additional Condition to Obligations of Seller and Purchaser .   The obligations of each of Seller and Purchaser hereunder to consummate the Transaction shall be subject to the fulfillment, on or before the Closing, of the additional condition that, if the Rexam Transaction is implemented by way of a Scheme, the Scheme becomes effective in accordance with its terms or

 

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if the Rexam Transaction is implemented by way of an Offer, the Offer becomes or is declared unconditional in all respects.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

TERMINATION

 

8.1          Termination .   This Agreement may be terminated, and the transactions contemplated hereby may be abandoned at any time prior to the Closing:

 

(a)           by mutual written agreement of Seller and Purchaser;

 

(b)           upon written notice, by Seller or Purchaser to the other Parties, in the event that any Governmental Order or Law restraining, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting or making illegal the consummation of the Transaction shall have become final and non-appealable;

 

(c)           upon written notice, by Seller or Purchaser to the other Parties in the event that (i) after accepting an agreement containing a consent order for public comment, the FTC notifies Seller that Purchaser is not an acceptable purchaser of the Purchased Assets and Assumed Liabilities, (ii) Seller receives final written notification from the EC that it will not approve Purchaser as the purchaser of the Purchased Assets and Assumed Liabilities, or that it will not clear the Transaction, or (iii) Seller receives written notification from CADE that the approval of Purchaser as the purchaser of the Purchased Assets and Assumed Liabilities shall not be granted; provided , however , that the right to terminate this Agreement under this Section 8.1(c)  shall not be available to:  (x) Seller if Seller is in material breach of its obligations pursuant to Section 4.5 and such breach shall have been the cause of, or shall have resulted in, the applicable event set forth in the foregoing clauses (i) (iii); or (y) Purchaser if Purchaser is in material breach of its obligations pursuant to Section 4.5 and such breach shall have been the cause of, or shall have resulted in, the applicable event set forth in the foregoing clauses (i) (iii);

 

(d)           by either Seller or Purchaser, upon written notice to the non-terminating Parties by the terminating Party, if the Closing shall not have occurred by September 5, 2016 (the “ End Date ”); provided , however , that (i) to the extent the “Long Stop Date” (as defined in the Rule 2.7 Announcement) is extended as permitted under the Rule 2.7 Announcement or the Co-operation Agreement, the End Date shall be extended until the equivalent date of such extension (it being understood and agreed that in no event shall the End Date be later than October 31, 2016 without the prior written consent of Purchaser, which shall not be unreasonably withheld) and (ii) the right to terminate this Agreement under this Section 8.1(d)  shall not be available to:  (x) Seller if Seller’s failure to perform any material covenant or obligation under this Agreement shall have been the cause of, or shall have resulted in, the failure of the Closing to occur on or prior to such date; or (y) Purchaser if Purchaser’s failure to perform any material covenant or obligation under this Agreement shall have been the cause of, or shall have resulted in, the failure of the Closing to occur on or prior to such date;

 

(e)           by Purchaser, if there has been a material breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement of Seller (either in respect of itself or Rexam) such that the condition to Closing set forth in Section 7.1(a)  would not be satisfied as of such time and such

 

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breach, if curable, has not been cured by the earlier of (i) the date that is thirty (30) days after Purchaser has notified Seller in writing of such breach or (ii) the End Date (as such date may be extended pursuant to Section 8.1(d)) ;

 

(f)            by Seller, if there has been a material breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement of Purchaser such that the condition to Closing set forth in Section 7.2(a)  would not be satisfied as of such time and such breach, if curable, has not been cured by the earlier of (i) the date that is thirty (30) days after Seller has notified Purchaser in writing of such breach or (ii) the End Date (as such date may be extended pursuant to Section 8.1(d) );

 

(g)           by Seller, if Purchaser provides the notice pursuant to Section 4.2 by the applicable time required therein; or

 

(h)           immediately, without action of any Party, if the Rexam Transaction is terminated, withdrawn or lapses.

 

8.2          Effect of Termination .  In the event of termination of this Agreement as provided in Section 8.1 , this Agreement shall forthwith become void and there shall be no liability on the part of any Party except: (i) as set forth in Section 4.3(b) , Section 4.3(c) , Section 4.18(e) , this Section 8.2 and Article XI ; and (ii) that nothing herein shall relieve Seller or Purchaser from liability for any willful breach of this Agreement occurring prior to such termination, in which case the other non-breaching Party shall be entitled to all rights and remedies available at law or equity.  For purposes of this Section 8.2 , “willful breach” or “willfully breached” shall mean a deliberate act or a deliberate failure to act by a Party, which act or failure to act (A) constitutes, in and of itself, a material breach of this Agreement and (B) such Party knew would prevent or materially delay, or knew the likely effect of which material breach was to prevent or materially delay, the Closing or the Financing from occurring.  If this Agreement is terminated and the Transaction is abandoned pursuant to Section 8.1(e)  or Section 8.1(h)  (if the Rexam Transaction is terminated, withdrawn or lapses as a result of Seller invoking a condition relating to Anti-trust Material Adverse Effect or a breach by Seller of the Co-operation Agreement or of any undertaking of Seller set forth in the Rule 2.7 Announcement), then, without prejudice to or limitation of any other rights or remedies which may be available to Purchaser or its Affiliates, concurrently with the termination of this Agreement by Seller or within two (2) Business Days following the termination of this Agreement by Purchaser, Seller shall promptly reimburse Purchaser all documented costs, fees and expenses incident to the Financing (including all reasonable fees and expenses of legal counsel, accountants and other advisors and all rating agency fees, printing expenses, escrow agent fees and the amount of any premium or penalty paid or broken funding costs incurred in connection with the release and return of escrowed funds to bond holders or lenders); provided that in no event shall the payment to be made by Seller pursuant to this sentence exceed $100 million; provided, that Seller shall not be required to reimburse Purchaser if the Rexam Transaction is terminated, withdrawn or lapses because the FTC, the EC or CADE fails to approve Purchaser as a suitable purchaser of the Purchased Assets and Assumed Liabilities or fails to approve the terms of this Agreement.

 

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ARTICLE IX

 

INDEMNIFICATION AND SURVIVAL

 

9.1          Survival of Representations, Warranties, Covenants and Agreements .   The representations and warranties of Seller and Purchaser contained in this Agreement shall survive the Closing for a period of fifteen (15) months following the Closing Date; provided, however that (1) the representations and warranties of (A) Seller contained in Sections 2.1 , 2.2 , 2.3(a)  and 2.19 (collectively, the “ Seller Fundamental Representations ”) and (B) Purchaser contained in Sections 3.1 , 3.7 and 3.8 (collectively, the “ Purchaser Fundamental Representations ”) shall survive indefinitely, (2) the representations and warranties of Seller contained in Section 2.18 (Taxes) shall survive the Closing until ninety (90) days after the expiration of the relevant statute of limitations (including any extensions thereof, whether automatic or permissive), and (3) any representation or warranty or covenant or agreement that would otherwise terminate shall continue to survive, with respect to such claim only, if a Claim Notice or Indemnity Notice (as applicable) shall have been timely given in good faith based on facts reasonably expected to establish a valid claim under this Article IX on or prior to such termination date, until the related claim for indemnification has been satisfied or otherwise resolved as provided in this Article IX ; provided , however , that the covenants and agreements of Seller and Purchaser with respect to indemnification for Taxes shall survive the Closing Date until ninety (90) days following the expiration of the applicable statutory periods of limitations for the assessment and collection of Tax (or, if written notice of a good faith claim for indemnification shall have been duly given prior to such time, until the final resolution of such claim).  The other covenants and agreements of Seller and Purchaser that contemplate actions to be taken or not taken, in respect of Seller, Purchaser and Rexam, or obligations in effect after the Closing, shall survive in accordance with their terms.  The covenants and agreements of Seller or Purchaser that contemplate actions to be taken or not taken prior to the Closing shall terminate as of twelve (12) months following the Closing.

 

9.2          Indemnification .

 

(a)           Subject to the provisions of this Article IX , from and after the Closing, Seller shall indemnify Purchaser and its Affiliates and its and their officers, directors, agents, successors and assigns (collectively, the “ Purchaser Indemnitees ”) in respect of, and hold them harmless from and against, (i) any and all Losses suffered, incurred or sustained by a Purchaser Indemnitee by reason of or resulting from (A) any breach of any representation or warranty of Seller (either in respect of itself or Rexam) in this Agreement at and as of the Closing as though made at and as of such time (or, if made as of a specific date, at and as of such date) (in each case, without giving effect to any limitations or qualifications as to “materiality” (including the word “material”), Business Material Adverse Effect or Adverse Effect set forth therein) or (B) nonfulfillment of or failure to perform any covenant or agreement on the part of Seller (either in respect of itself or Rexam) contained in this Agreement, (ii) the Excluded Assets and the Excluded Liabilities, (iii) subject to the limitations set forth in Section 9.5 , Seller-Indemnified On-Site Environmental Liabilities, (iv) Losses or Taxes, as applicable, directly resulting from actions taken by Seller, Rexam or any of their respective Affiliates in order to effect the Restructuring to the extent provided in Section 1.7 or Section 4.16 , whether such Losses or Taxes arise prior to, on or after the Closing Date, (v) any and all Taxes that are the responsibility

 

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of Seller under Article VI , and (vi) any and all Liabilities arising out of or relating to the Purchased Entity Guarantees; provided , however , that (1) Seller shall have no liability under Section 9.2(a)(i)(A)  as a result of the breach of or inaccuracy in any such representation or warranty to the extent that Purchaser had actual knowledge that such representation or warranty was untrue or incorrect prior to the date of this Agreement, (2) with respect to indemnification by Seller for any claim pursuant to Section 9.2(a)(i)(A)  (other than any Seller Fundamental Representation), (X) no claim shall be deemed to have occurred unless the amount of Losses with respect thereto exceeds $100,000, (Y) Seller shall not be liable unless the aggregate amount of Losses for all such claims exceeds an amount equal to 0.5% of the Purchase Price and then only to the extent of such excess and (Z) Seller’s maximum liability for all such claims shall not exceed an amount equal to 1% of the Purchase Price in the aggregate, and (3) in no event shall the aggregate amount of Losses for which Seller is obligated to indemnify the Purchaser Indemnitees under this Article IX (other than Section 9.2(a)(ii)  and Section 9.2(a)(v) ) exceed an amount equal to 50% of the Purchase Price; provided , further , that the limitations set forth in subsections (1) and (2) in this Section 9.2(a)  shall not apply to any Loss to the extent such Loss results from Seller’s, Rexam’s or their respective Affiliates’ fraud, and any indemnifiable amounts arising from such Loss shall not be counted against the limits set forth in subsection (2).

 

(b)           Subject to the provisions of this Article IX , from and after the Closing, Purchaser shall indemnify Seller and its Affiliates and its and their officers, directors, agents, successors and assigns (collectively, the “ Seller Indemnitees ”) in respect of, and hold them harmless from and against, (i) any and all Losses suffered, incurred or sustained by a Seller Indemnitee by reason of or resulting from (A) any breach of any representation or warranty of Purchaser in this Agreement at and as of the Closing as though made at and as of such time (or, if made as of a specific date, at and as of such date) (in each case, without giving effect to any limitations or qualifications as to “materiality” (including the word “material”) or material adverse effect set forth therein) or (B) nonfulfillment of or failure to perform any covenant or agreement on the part of Purchaser contained in this Agreement, (ii) the Assumed Liabilities, including Seller-Indemnified On-Site Environmental Liabilities (except with respect to the latter, Purchaser shall have no obligation to indemnify Seller to the extent Purchaser Indemnitees have a right of indemnification pursuant to Section 9.2(a) , taking into account any limitations on such right set forth in this Article IX ), (iii) the ownership or operation of the Purchased Assets or the Business after the Closing Date, (iv) all Taxes that are the responsibility of Purchaser under Article VI and (v) any and all Liabilities arising out of or relating to the Seller Guarantees; provided , however , that Purchaser shall have no liability under this Section 9.2 as a result of the breach of or inaccuracy in any such representation or warranty to the extent that Seller had actual knowledge that such representation or warranty was untrue or incorrect prior to the date of this Agreement.

 

(c)           The indemnity obligations of the Parties under this Article IX (other than, except as specifically provided in Section 9.2(c)(vi) , any indemnity obligations with respect to Taxes that are the responsibility of Seller under Article VI ) shall be subject to, and further limited by, the provisions as set forth in this Section 9.2(c) .

 

(i)            No indemnity shall be payable under this Article IX with respect to Losses for which the Indemnified Party has not provided the Indemnifying Party a Claim Notice or Indemnity Notice, as applicable, with respect to such claim, setting forth in

 

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reasonable detail the specific facts and circumstances pertaining thereto as soon as practical following the time at which the Indemnified Party discovered or reasonably should have discovered such claim.  The failure to give such written notice as soon as practical shall not, however, relieve the Indemnifying Party of its indemnification obligations, except and only to the extent that the Indemnifying Party has been materially prejudiced by reason of such failure.

 

(ii)           Each of the Parties shall use its commercially reasonable efforts to take all actions as may be reasonably required or necessary to mitigate, to the extent practicable, Losses in connection with claims for which a Purchaser Indemnitee or a Seller Indemnitee, as the case may be, seeks indemnification under this Article IX .

 

(iii)          Seller shall have no indemnity obligations under this Article IX for Losses to the extent such Losses are reflected as a Liability of the Business included in the Audited Financial Statements or the Pro Forma Financial Statements or are otherwise taken into account for purposes of Section 1.6 .

 

(iv)          No Indemnifying Party shall have any indemnity obligations for special or punitive damages to the extent awarded against an Indemnified Party in connection with a Third Party Claim.

 

(v)           Except for fraud or as provided in Section 1.7 , Section 4.4 , Section 4.9(d) , Section 4.10(d) , Section 4.11 , Section 4.15 , Section 4.16 , Section 4.18(e) , Section 5.1 , Article VI , Section 8.2 and Section 11.10 , from and after the Closing, the rights and remedies set forth in this Article IX shall constitute the sole and exclusive rights and remedies of the Parties with respect to this Agreement, the events giving rise to this Agreement and the Transaction.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, no Party shall have any rights to set-off indemnifiable Losses pursuant to this Article IX against other obligations owed to any other Party. Without limiting the foregoing, Purchaser, for itself and its Affiliates, does hereby irrevocably release, hold harmless and forever discharge Seller and its Affiliates from any and all Liabilities arising pursuant to Environmental Law or with respect to Hazardous Materials resulting from or arising out of or in connection with the Purchased Assets except for fraud or the remedies expressly set forth in this Agreement.  In furtherance of, but subject to, the foregoing, Purchaser, for itself and on behalf of its Affiliates, hereby irrevocably waives any and all rights and benefits with respect to such Liabilities that it now has, or in the future may have conferred upon it by virtue of any Law or common law principle, in each case, which provides that a general release does not extend to claims which a party does not know or suspect to exist in its favor at the time of executing the release, if knowledge of such claims would have materially affected such party’s settlement with the obligor.  In connection with the foregoing, Purchaser hereby acknowledges that it is aware that factual matters now unknown to it and Seller or any of their respective Affiliates may have given, or hereafter may give, rise to Liabilities arising under Environmental Laws or with respect to Hazardous Materials, and Purchaser further agrees that the release set forth in this Section 9.2(c)(v)  has been negotiated and agreed upon in light of that awareness, and Purchaser, for itself and its Affiliates, nevertheless hereby intends

 

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irrevocably to release, hold harmless and forever discharge Seller and its Affiliates from all such Liabilities except for fraud or the remedies expressly set forth in this Agreement.

 

(vi)          No indemnity shall be payable under this Article IX with respect to Taxes (A) that have been paid by Seller or its Affiliates to the appropriate Taxing Authority prior to the Closing Date, (B) that result from any transactions undertaken on the Closing Date after the Closing by Purchaser or any of Purchaser’s Affiliates (including, following the Closing, the Purchased Entities) outside the ordinary course of business for such entities and not already contemplated by this Agreement (including the Restructuring), (C) that would not have resulted but for any non-compliance of Purchaser with any of its obligations under this Agreement, (D) to the extent such Taxes are actually paid by, or obtained from, third parties, (E) that result from any change enacted after the Closing Date in the applicable Tax rates with respect to any Pre-Closing Tax Period, (F) for which a Tax Benefit (not otherwise reflected in the Audited Financial Statements or taken into account in determining the Purchase Price) of a Purchased Entity is carried over from a Pre-Closing Tax Period to a Post-Closing Tax Period and is available to set off or use against any liability for such Taxes of the same type and character for which such Tax Benefit relates, or (G) that are treated as arising to Seller or any Affiliate of Seller (other than any Purchased Entities) as a result of a Degrouping Election pursuant to Section 6.4(b)  or would have been so treated but for a failure by Purchaser or any Affiliate of Purchaser (including any Purchased Entity) to enter into a Degrouping Election upon a request by Seller pursuant to Section 6.4(b) .

 

9.3          Indemnity Procedures .   All claims for indemnification by any Indemnified Party under Section 9.2 (other than claims for indemnification with respect to Taxes, which shall be governed exclusively by Article VI ) shall be asserted and resolved as set forth in this Section 9.3.

 

(a)           In the event any claim or demand in respect of which an Indemnified Party might seek indemnity under Section 9.2 is asserted against or sought to be collected from such Indemnified Party by a Person other than Seller, Purchaser or any Affiliate of Seller or of Purchaser (a “ Third Party Claim ”), the Indemnified Party shall promptly deliver a Claim Notice to the Indemnifying Party.  With respect to any Third Party Claim, the Indemnifying Party shall have the right to control the defense of such Third Party Claim at the Indemnifying Party’s sole cost and expense, including the right to settle such Third Party Claim, if the Indemnifying Party gives notice of its intention to do so to the Indemnified Party within five (5) Business Days of the receipt of notice from the Indemnified Party of such Third Party Claim; provided , however , that if the proposed settlement provides for relief other than the payment of money damages, the Indemnifying Party may settle such Third Party Claim only with the consent of the Indemnified Party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed; provided , further , that if there exists a conflict of interest that would make it inappropriate in the reasonable judgment of the Indemnified Party, upon consultation with legal counsel, for the same counsel to represent both the Indemnified Party and the Indemnifying Party, then the Indemnified Party shall be entitled to retain its own counsel in each jurisdiction for which the Indemnified Party reasonably determines counsel is required, at the sole cost and expense of the Indemnifying Party.  The Indemnified Party shall cooperate with the Indemnifying Party and its counsel in contesting any Third Party Claim, including in making any counterclaim against the Person asserting the Third Party Claim, or any cross-complaint against any Person (other than the

 

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Indemnifying Party or any of its Affiliates).  The Indemnified Party may, at its sole cost and expense, retain separate counsel to participate in, but not control, any defense or settlement of any Third Party Claim.  The Indemnified Party shall be entitled to retain, at the sole cost and expense of the Indemnifying Party, its own counsel to control or participate in any Third Party Claim if the Indemnified Party reasonably determines that the Indemnifying Party fails to defend appropriately such Third Party Claim.

 

(b)           If the Indemnifying Party elects not to defend such Third Party Claim or fails to notify the Indemnified Party in writing of its election to defend as provided in Section 9.3(a) , the Indemnified Party may pay, compromise or defend such Third Party Claim and seek indemnification under Section 9.2 for any and all Losses based upon, arising from or relating to such Third Party Claim; provided , however , that if any proposed settlement provides for relief other than the payment of money damages, the Indemnified Party may settle such Third Party Claim only with the consent of the Indemnifying Party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.

 

(c)           In the event any Indemnified Party should have a claim under Section 9.2 against any Indemnifying Party that does not involve a Third Party Claim, the Indemnified Party shall promptly deliver an Indemnity Notice to the Indemnifying Party.  The failure to give such prompt written notice shall not, however, relieve the Indemnifying Party of its indemnification obligations, except and only to the extent that the Indemnifying Party has been materially prejudiced by reason of such failure.

 

(d)           In the event of any claim for indemnity under Section 9.2 , the Indemnified Party agrees to give the Indemnifying Party and its Affiliates and their respective Representatives reasonable access to the Books and Records will use reasonable efforts to provide reasonable access to employees of the Business and the Purchased Entities in connection with the matters for which indemnification is sought, to the extent the Indemnifying Party reasonably deems necessary in connection with its rights and obligations under this Article IX .

 

9.4          Tax Effect .

 

(a)           The amount of any Loss or Taxes for which indemnification is provided under this Article IX shall be reduced to take account of any net Tax Benefit actually realized in the year of the loss or in the succeeding three (3) taxable years by the Indemnified Party arising from the incurrence or payment of any such Loss.

 

(b)           Any amounts paid pursuant to this Article IX shall be considered an adjustment to the Purchase Price to the extent allowed under applicable Law.  Purchaser and Seller, and each of their respective Affiliates, shall prepare and file, and cause their Affiliates to prepare and file, Tax Returns (and if applicable, accounting documents) consistent with the treatment described in the foregoing sentence.  The indemnities expressed to be given in favor of (i) the Purchaser Indemnitees under Section 9.2(b) , and (ii) the Seller Indemnitees under Section 9.2(c) , shall, to the extent the relevant Purchaser Indemnitee or the relevant Seller Indemnitee is a Person subject to United Kingdom corporation tax, so far as possible be treated as indemnities in favor of (i) Purchaser, and (ii) Seller, only and payments in respect of such indemnities shall be made as between Seller and Purchaser only.

 

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9.5          Additional Provisions Related to Indemnification for Seller-Indemnified On-Site Environmental Liabilities and Breach of Section 2.15 .

 

(a)           Application .  For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of Sections 9.2(c)  and 9.3 of this Agreement shall also apply to claims for indemnification related to Seller-Indemnified On-Site Environmental Liabilities.  To the extent that a Purchaser Indemnitee makes a claim pursuant to Section 9.2(a)(i)(A)  for breach of the representations set forth in Section 2.15 , the provisions of this Section 9.5 (other than Sections 9.5(b)  and 9.5(c) ) shall be applicable to such claim.

 

(b)           Baskets and Caps .  With respect to indemnification by Seller for any claim pursuant to Section 9.2(a)(iii) , (i) no claim shall be deemed to have occurred unless the amount of Losses with respect thereto exceeds $100,000 and (ii) Seller shall not be liable unless the aggregate amount of Losses for all such claims exceeds an amount equal to 1% of the Purchase Price (the “ Aggregate Environmental Basket ”) and then only to the extent of the amount of Losses in excess of such aggregate basket.  For purposes of clarification, matters that are not subject to indemnification because the Losses incurred with respect to such matters do not exceed $100,000 shall not be counted towards the Aggregate Environmental Basket.  Seller’s maximum liability for all claims arising pursuant to Section 9.2(a)(iv)  shall not exceed an amount equal to 5% of the Purchase Price in the aggregate.

 

(c)           Survival .  The right of Purchaser Indemnitees to make a claim for indemnification pursuant to Section 9.2(a)(iii)  shall survive the Closing for a period of thirty-six (36) months following the Closing Date (“ Environmental Indemnity Survival Date ”).  A claim for indemnification pursuant to said section will continue to survive only if a Claim Notice or Indemnity Notice (as applicable) shall have been timely given in good faith based on facts reasonably expected to establish a valid claim under this Article IX or prior to the Environmental Indemnity Survival Date; provided , however , that if the Aggregate Environmental Basket is not exceeded by the Environmental Indemnity Survival Date, Seller shall have no indemnification obligations for any claims with respect to Seller-Indemnified On-Site Environmental Liabilities.

 

(d)           Other Limitations on Indemnification .  The following principles, terms and limitations shall apply to any claims for indemnification with respect to Seller-Indemnified On-Site Environmental Liabilities or related claims for breach of the representations set forth in Section 2.15 :

 

(i)            If the cost of investigation or remediation of actual or alleged contamination of the Business Real Properties, or the cost of correcting a non-compliance with Environmental Law that is subject to indemnity, is increased due to the actions or omissions by or on behalf of any Person other than Seller, its Affiliates, their respective Representatives or any Person for which or whom Seller or any of its Affiliates or Representatives is responsible, Seller shall not be responsible to the extent of any such increase in costs incurred.

 

(ii)           Seller shall only be obligated to indemnify Purchaser Indemnitees for fines or penalties arising out of actual or alleged noncompliance with Environmental Laws accruing during the period prior to the Closing Date or for expenditures made or

 

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actions taken by Purchaser Indemnitees to achieve compliance with applicable Environmental Laws, to the extent the operations at the Business Real Property were not in compliance on the Closing Date, and shall in no event be liable (A) for any Losses arising out of any expenditures made or actions taken by any Purchaser Indemnitee to maintain compliance with applicable Environmental Laws based on circumstances arising after the Closing Date; (B) for expenditures that are not commercially reasonable, taking into account the obligation to come into compliance with applicable Environmental Law or, subject to the express written consent of Seller at Seller’s sole discretion, improve the Business Real Property in a manner that goes beyond what is required to bring said assets into compliance with applicable Environmental Law for the purpose of providing an economic benefit to a Purchaser Indemnitee; or (C) for operating costs relating to the ongoing operation of the Business at the Business Real Property, provided, for purposes of clarification, that this limitation does not apply to the costs incurred to correct the noncompliance that is the subject to indemnification hereunder.

 

(iii)          Seller shall not be responsible for any Losses, including costs of investigation and remediation of properties impacted by Hazardous Materials, to the extent such Losses are incurred due to (A) actions that are not required by applicable Environmental Law or any demand, claim, action, suit, directive or order of a Governmental Authority or any third party, unless such actions are undertaken with the express written consent of Seller at Seller’s sole discretion; (B) any change in Environmental Laws or written interpretation thereof by the applicable Governmental Authority, in either case, after the Closing Date; (C) the closure of any Business Real Property after the Closing Date; (D) any change in the use of the Business Real Property after the Closing Date that would trigger investigation or remediation obligations or would result in the imposition of a more stringent remediation standard; or (E) any investigation or remediation that is conducted to achieve compliance in excess of the least stringent applicable remediation standard, consistent with the manufacturing operations at the Business Real Property in effect as of the Closing Date.  Seller shall not be liable for any operating costs associated with post-remedial monitoring (excluding such monitoring that is implemented to verify that a remedial activity has achieved compliance with applicable remediation standards, prior to entering into a long-term post-remedial phase) and operations and maintenance after completion of a remediation of any environmental media.  To the extent necessary to implement the foregoing, Purchaser Indemnitees shall agree to appropriate deed restrictions and engineering controls that prohibit uses of the property that are inconsistent with the least stringent remediation standard and limit exposure to contaminants that are allowed to remain in place.

 

(iv)          Seller shall not be responsible for costs for investigation, remediation, corrective actions or other Losses arising out of or related to any investigation of soil or groundwater that any Purchaser Indemnitee voluntarily initiates, performs or causes to be performed by any Person or Governmental Authority, if such investigation is not required by any Environmental Law or demanded or required by a Governmental Authority, or is not a prudent response (without consideration of the indemnity provided hereunder) to a demand or claim by a third party.

 

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(v)           Seller shall not be responsible for any Losses arising as a result of any matter as to which a Purchaser Indemnitee has initiated contact with a Governmental Authority if the principal, but not necessarily exclusive, reason for the contact is to identify, enhance or accelerate a claim for indemnification pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(vi)          If any Purchaser or Affiliate of Purchaser sells any Business Real Property and the right of Purchaser Indemnitees to indemnification with respect to On-Site Environmental Liabilities has not terminated in accordance with the terms of this Section 9.5 or Section 9.2(a)(i)(A)  for breach of the representations set forth in Section 2.15 , Purchaser shall or shall cause said Affiliate to include Section 9.5(d)(iii)  or equivalent language in the purchase and sale agreement and shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless Seller Indemnitees for any Losses incurred by Seller Indemnitees due to the failure to comply with this obligation.

 

(vii)         Seller shall not be obligated to indemnify Purchaser Indemnitees for any costs and expenses associated with Purchaser Indemnitees’ oversight of Seller’s performance of its defense and indemnity obligations, and Seller shall not be obligated to indemnify Purchaser Indemnitees for any internal costs attributed to the time spent on an indemnified matter by any of Purchaser Indemnitees.

 

(e)           Control of Investigation or Remediation .

 

(i)            With respect to any matter subject to indemnification by Seller that relates to the investigation or remediation of any Release of Hazardous Materials at or from the Business Real Property, Seller shall have the right, but not the obligation, to take the lead and implement any such investigation or remediation.  Seller shall promptly provide copies to Purchaser of all notices, correspondence, draft reports, submissions, work plans, and final reports and shall give Purchaser a reasonable opportunity (at Purchaser’s own expense) to comment on any submissions Seller intends to deliver or submit to the appropriate regulatory body prior to said submission.  Purchaser may, at its own expense, hire its own consultants, attorneys or other professionals to monitor the investigation or remediation, including any field work undertaken by Seller, and Seller shall provide Purchaser with the results of all such field work.  Notwithstanding the above, Purchaser shall not take any actions that shall unreasonably interfere with Seller’s performance of the investigation, remediation and/or containment.  Seller shall undertake any such work required herein in a manner designed to minimize any disruption with the conduct of operations at the property.  Purchaser shall allow Seller and its Affiliates and their respective Representatives reasonable access upon reasonable advance notice to the Business Real Property to conduct any of the work contemplated herein and shall fully cooperate with Seller in the performance of the investigation, remediation or containment, including, but not limited to, providing Seller and its Affiliates and their respective Representatives with reasonable access to employees and documents as necessary.

 

(ii)           If Seller declines to undertake the performance of an investigation and remediation hereunder, Purchaser shall be entitled to control the investigation and remediation.  Purchaser shall promptly provide copies to Seller of all notices,

 

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correspondence, draft reports, submissions, work plans, and final reports and shall give Seller a reasonable opportunity to comment on any submissions Purchaser intends to deliver or submit to the appropriate regulatory body prior to said submission.  Seller may, at its own expense, hire its own consultants, attorneys or other professionals to monitor the investigation and remediation, including any field work undertaken by Purchaser, and Purchaser shall provide Seller with the results of all such field work.  Notwithstanding the above, Seller shall not take any actions that shall unreasonably interfere with Purchaser’s performance of the investigation and remediation.  Seller’s decision to allow Purchaser to undertake investigation and remediation hereunder shall not limit or affect Seller’s obligation to indemnify Purchaser for said investigation and remediation as otherwise provided in this Agreement, including the limits on said obligation as set forth in this Section 9.5 .

 

9.6          Insurance Offset .   If the amount of any indemnifiable Losses, at any time following the payment of an indemnification obligation, is offset or reduced by the payment of any insurance proceeds, the amount of such insurance proceeds, less any costs, expenses, premiums or Taxes incurred in connection therewith (including but not limited to any future increase in insurance premiums, retroactive premiums, costs associated with any loss of insurance and replacement thereof or self-insured component of such insurance coverage) shall be promptly repaid to the Indemnifying Party.

 

ARTICLE X

 

DEFINITIONS

 

10.1        Definitions . As used in this Agreement, the following defined terms have the meanings indicated below:

 

2006 UK Tax Dispute ” means the HM Revenue and Customs (“ HMRC ”) U.K. income tax examination of the 2006 tax year of Ball (UK) Holdings Ltd. currently in progress.  Ball (UK) Holdings Ltd. has appealed the decision made by HMRC to the First-tier Tribunal with a hearing currently scheduled in early December 2016.

 

2017 Actual Volume ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.15(c) .

 

2017 Actual Volume Report ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.15(c) .

 

2017 Volume Shortfall Amount ” has the meaning ascribed to such term on Schedule 10.1(s) .

 

2017 Volume Surplus Amount ” has the meaning ascribed to such term on Schedule 10.1(s) .

 

2017 Volume Threshold Amount ” has the meaning ascribed to such term on Schedule 10.1(s) .

 

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Accounts Receivable ” means all trade accounts and notes receivable and other miscellaneous receivables to the extent (and solely to the extent) related to the Business as of the Closing arising out of the sale or other disposition of goods or services of the Business prior to the Closing.

 

Acquisition Sub ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Recitals herein.

 

Acting in Concert ” has the meaning ascribed to “acting in concert” in the UK City Code on Takeovers and Mergers.

 

Action ” means any action, suit, proceeding, arbitration or Governmental Authority investigation.

 

Adverse Effect ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.1 .

 

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any Person, any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by, or under direct or indirect common control with, such Person.  For purposes of this definition, a Person shall be deemed to control another Person if it owns or controls fifty percent (50%) or more of the voting equity of the other Person (or other comparable ownership if the Person is not a corporation).  As used in this Agreement, except where specified otherwise, the term “Affiliate” shall (i) with respect to Seller, for all periods prior to the Closing, include each applicable Purchased Entity, (ii) with respect to Rexam, for all periods prior to the Closing, include each applicable Purchased Entity and (iii) with respect to Purchaser, for all periods following the Closing, include each Purchased Entity.

 

Aggregate Environmental Basket ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 9.5(b) .

 

Agreement ” means this Equity and Asset Purchase Agreement, the Seller Disclosure Letter and the Exhibits and Schedules hereto, as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time.

 

Ancillary Agreements ” means the Mutual Transition Services Agreements, the Assignment and Assumption Agreement and Bill of Sale, any Foreign Acquisition Agreement(s), any Lease Assignment and Assumption Agreement(s) and the Brazilian Ends Supply Agreement.

 

Anti-trust Material Adverse Effect ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Article V (Definitions) of the Rule 2.7 Announcement.

 

Apportionment Principles ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.10(c) .

 

Approvals ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.13(a) .

 

Arbiter ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.6(e) .

 

Assignment and Assumption Agreement and Bill of Sale ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.12(a)(iv) .

 

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Assumed Liabilities ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.3 .

 

Audited Financial Statements ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.7(a) .

 

Available Financial Information ” means (i) the Audited Financial Statements, (ii) unaudited financial statements as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and for all subsequent quarterly periods until the Closing Date, in each case and for each financial statement to the extent reasonably essential to consummate the Financing and available without unreasonable effort and expense (other than expenses reimbursed or indemnified under this Agreement), representing the combined balance sheet, combined statement of income and cash flows and other related statements of that portion of the Business owned by (x) the Rexam Entities and (y) the Seller Entities and the Purchased Entities directly or indirectly owned by Seller Entities, prepared, in the case of each of clauses (x) and (y), in accordance with GAAP or IFRS, as the case may be, which shall be reviewed by the applicable auditors in accordance with IAS 34 or equivalent and an unaudited combined balance sheet and combined income statement prepared on a pro forma basis to give effect to the business combination representing the Business, and (iii) any other financial information (and related management discussion and analysis prepared in connection therewith) solely with respect to the Purchased Assets, solely to the extent that such financial information (and related management discussion and analysis, if applicable), is reasonably essential to consummate the Financing and available without unreasonable effort and expense (other than expenses reimbursed or indemnified under this Agreement).

 

Back-to-Back Business Hedge ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.22(a) .

 

Base Purchase Price ” means $3,420,000,000.

 

Books and Records ” means all files, documents, instruments, papers and other books and records exclusively relating to the Business, including financial statements and related work papers and letters from accountants, budgets, pricing guidelines, ledgers, journals, deeds, title policies, minute books, customer and supplier lists, operating plans and environmental studies and plans.

 

Brazilian Ends Supply Agreement ” means the form of Brazilian Ends Supply Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit I .

 

Business means the business of manufacturing, selling and distributing two-piece metal beverage cans and ends as conducted on the date of this Agreement as contemplated to be conducted through the Business Real Property taking into account the anticipated effects of the Restructuring (unless the applicable context refers to the Business as of a specific date or time period, in which case as conducted on such date or during such time period).

 

Business Day ” means any day that is not a Saturday, a Sunday or other day on which banks are required or authorized by Law to be closed in the city of Chicago, Illinois, or London, United Kingdom or Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.

 

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Business Employees ” means (i) any employee of a Purchased Entity; and (ii) any employee of a Seller Entity or Rexam Entity who (A) is assigned to and works wholly or mainly in the Business as of the Closing or (B) is named on Schedule 10.1(a)-1 , including in all cases of the foregoing clauses (i) and (ii), any such employee who is absent from work because of any leave of absence, illness, vacation, holiday, short- or long-term disability or other paid time off, but excluding in any event any such employee who would be covered by clauses (i) and (ii) but who is identified on Schedule 10.1(a) - 2 .

 

Business Hedge ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.22(a) .

 

Business IP Licenses ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.1(b)(i) .

 

Business IT Systems ” means all IT Assets used or held for use in the operation of the Business and included in the Purchased Assets, but in each case excluding any Intellectual Property.

 

Business Material Adverse Effect ” means any change, effect, event, occurrence, or development that individually or in the aggregate is or would be or reasonably be expected to be materially adverse to (1) the ability of Seller or Rexam to perform their respective obligations under this Agreement and to consummate the Transaction, or (2) the business, financial condition or results of operations of the Purchased Assets or the Business, taken as a whole; provided , however , that none of the following shall be deemed (either alone or in combination) to constitute, and none of the following shall be taken into account in determining whether there has been, a Business Material Adverse Effect under clause (2) hereof (except in the case of clauses (b) and (d) to the extent (and solely to the extent) disproportionately affecting the Purchased Assets or the Business relative to other companies in the industry and geographic regions in which the Business operates): (a) any adverse change, effect, event, occurrence or development attributable to the execution of this Agreement, the disclosure or consummation of the Transaction or the identity of Purchaser as the purchaser of the Business; (b) any change, effect, event, occurrence or development: (i) in the financial or securities markets (including interest rates, exchange rates, commodity prices), or economic, regulatory or political conditions in general; (ii) in the industries in which the Business operates in general (including those generally affecting the manufacturing, sale or distribution of cans and ends); or (iii) resulting from natural disasters, acts of war, sabotage or terrorism, or an escalation or worsening thereof; (c) any failure by the Business to meet any internal or published projections, forecasts or revenue or earnings predictions (it being understood that this clause (c) shall not prevent or otherwise affect a determination that any event, circumstance, change or effect underlying such failure has resulted in, or contributed to, a Business Material Adverse Effect); (d) changes in Law or accounting standards or authoritative interpretations thereof; (e) any action expressly required to be taken pursuant to this Agreement, including the Restructuring and as required by the Monitoring Trustee; or (f) any action or inaction approved or consented to by Purchaser.

 

Business Permits ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.14(b) .

 

Business Real Property ” means, collectively, the Facilities, the Owned Business Real Property and the Leased Business Real Property.

 

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CADE ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Recitals herein.

 

Capped Back-to-Back Hedge Termination Loss ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.22(b) .

 

Cash Equivalents ” means money orders, bank drafts, commercial paper, treasury bills, short-term government bonds, marketable securities (other than those set forth on Exhibit A ), checks received but not yet deposited, money market funds, or any other short-term, liquid investments readily convertible into cash within 90 days.

 

City Code ” means the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers in the United Kingdom.

 

Claim Notice ” means written notification pursuant to Section 9.3 of a Third Party Claim as to which indemnity under Section 9.2 is sought by an Indemnified Party, enclosing a copy of all papers served, if any, and specifying in reasonable detail the nature of and basis for such Third Party Claim and for the Indemnified Party’s claim against the Indemnifying Party under Section 9.2 , together with the estimated amount as determined in good faith of the Loss arising from such Third Party Claim.

 

Clearances ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Recitals herein.

 

Closing ” means the closing of the transactions contemplated by Section 1.11 .

 

Closing Allocation ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.10(b) .

 

Closing Date ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.11(a) .

 

Closing Purchase Price ” means (i) if the Estimated Adjustment Amount is zero, the Base Purchase Price, (ii) if the Estimated Adjustment Amount is greater than zero, the sum of the Base Purchase Price plus the Estimated Adjustment Amount, or (iii) if the Estimated Adjustment Amount is less than zero, the Base Purchase Price minus the absolute value of the Estimated Adjustment Amount.

 

Closing Statement ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.6(b) .

 

Closing Statement Methodologies ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.6(a) .

 

Code ” means the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

Collective Bargaining Agreements ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.11(a)(xi) .

 

Commitment Letter ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.8 .

 

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Competition/Investment Law ” means any Law that is designed or intended to prohibit, restrict or regulate (i) foreign investment or (ii) antitrust, monopolization, restraint of trade or competition.

 

Confidentiality Agreement ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.3(b) .

 

Confirmation Date ” means the date falling one (1) Business Day prior to the Unconditional Date.

 

Consent ” means any consent, approval, authorization, consultation, waiver, permit, grant, agreement, certificate, exemption, order, registration, declaration, filing, notice of, with or to any Person or under any Law, or the expiration or termination of a waiting period under any Competition/Investment Law, in each case required to permit the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

Contract ” means any loan or credit agreement, bond, debenture, note, mortgage, indenture, lease, supply agreement, license agreement, development agreement or other contract, agreement, obligation, commitment or instrument that is legally binding, including all amendments thereto.

 

Contribution Period ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 5.1(i)(ii) .

 

Conveyed Purchased Entities ” means the entities set forth on Schedule 10.1(b) .

 

Co-operation Agreement ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Recitals herein.

 

Copyrights ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the definition of Intellectual Property herein.

 

Current UK Funding Agreements ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Schedule 5.1(h) .

 

Customer Contracts means any Contract in effect as of the Closing Date  between a Seller Entity, a Rexam Entity or a Purchased Entity, on the one hand, and a customer of any of the foregoing for the manufacture and supply of two-piece metal beverage cans and/or ends manufactured as of the Closing from any of the Facilities.

 

Deed ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.12(b)(iv) .

 

Defined Benefit Plan ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.17(c) .

 

Degrouping Election ” means an election or elections reallocating income, profits or gains arising as a consequence or in respect of, by reference to or in connection with a Purchased Entity ceasing to be a member of a group of which Seller or any of Seller’s Affiliates is also a member for any Tax purpose in form and substance satisfactory to Seller, including

 

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without limitation an election under (i) Section 792 of the UK Corporation Tax Act 2009; and (ii) Section 171A of the UK Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992.

 

Disputed Items ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.6(e) .

 

Dutch Acceptance Notice ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.9(c) .

 

Dutch Closing ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.11(b) .

 

Dutch Entities ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.9(a) .

 

Dutch Offer ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.9(c) .

 

Dutch Offer Letter ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.9(c) .

 

Dutch Purchase Price ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.9(c) .

 

Dutch Shares ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.9(a) .

 

EC ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Recitals hereto.

 

EC Commitments ” means the commitments to the EC made on December 3, 2015 in Case No. M.7567 pursuant to Article 6(2) of the EU Merger Regulation.

 

Employee Benefit Plan ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.17(a) .

 

Employee Representative Body ” means any union, works council, employee forum or other body recognized by Seller or Rexam for any information, consultation or collective bargaining purposes.

 

Encumbrance ” means any encumbrance, lien, charge, pledge, mortgage, title retention agreement, security interest of any nature, adverse claim, exception, reservation, easement, right of occupation, any matter capable of registration against title, option, right of pre-emption or privilege or any agreement or other commitment, whether written or oral, to create any of the foregoing (excluding restrictions on transfer arising under securities Laws).

 

End Date ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 8.1(d) .

 

Environmental Indemnity Survival Date ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 9.5(c) .

 

Environmental Laws ” means any Law pertaining to: (i) the protection of the environment (including air quality, surface water, groundwater, soils, subsurface strata, sediments, drinking water, noise, natural resources and biota) or human health and safety (but only with respect to exposure to Hazardous Materials); or (ii) the use, registration, management, generation, storage, treatment, recycling, disposal, discharge, transportation, Release, threatened Release, investigation or remediation of Hazardous Materials.

 

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Environmental Permits ” means licenses, permits, approvals, certificates, registrations, restrictions and authorizations issued by or required from any Governmental Authority, whether federal, state or local, domestic or foreign, issued under Environmental Laws.

 

ERISA ” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.

 

ERISA Affiliate ” means any entity that is a member of a “controlled group of corporations” with, or is under “common control” with, or is a member of the same “affiliated service group” with any Purchased Entity, in each case, as defined in Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code.

 

ESPP ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 5.1(j) .

 

ESPP Trustee ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 5.1(j) .

 

Estimated Adjustment Amount ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.6(b) .

 

Excluded Assets ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.2 .

 

Excluded Business Contracts ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.2(n) .

 

Excluded Entities ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.2(c).

 

Excluded Fixtures, Equipment and Tangible Personal Property ” means any Fixtures, Equipment and Tangible Personal Property (i) that is set forth on Schedule 1.2(m) , (ii) that is Excluded Pipeline Project Equipment or (iii) that is not Transferred Fixtures, Equipment and Tangible Personal Property or Fixtures, Equipment and Tangible Personal Property transferred indirectly via transfer of the Purchased Entities.

 

Excluded Liabilities ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.4 .

 

Excluded Pipeline Project Equipment ” means the Fixtures, Equipment and Tangible Personal Property embodying, containing, comprising or otherwise associated with any of the Excluded Pipeline Project IP, including such items set forth on Schedule 10.1(c) .

 

Excluded Pipeline Project IP ” means all Intellectual Property associated with the pipeline projects of Seller and its Affiliates that are identified on Schedule 10.1(d) .

 

Excluded Taxes ” means, without duplication, any and all (i) Taxes for which Seller is responsible under Article VI ; (ii) Taxes for which any Purchased Entity is liable prior to Closing as a result of being a member of a group or fiscal unity filing a consolidated, combined, affiliated, unitary or similar income Tax Return; (iii) Taxes arising out of or resulting from any breach of any covenant or agreement of Seller contained in this Agreement; (iv) Taxes of any person imposed on any Purchased Entity as a transferee or successor, by contract or pursuant to

 

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any law or regulation, which Taxes relate to an event or transaction occurring on or before the Closing; or (v) Restructuring Taxes.

 

Facilities ” means the plants ( including, if applicable, any on-site warehouses or other onsite buildings or structures used by the listed Facility on the same parcel of land) set forth on Schedule 10.1(e) .

 

FCPA ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.20 .

 

Final Apportionment ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.10(d) .

 

Financing ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.8 .

 

Financing Conditions Precedent ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.8 .

 

Financing Documents ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.8 .

 

Financing Marketing Materials ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.18(d)(ii) .

 

““ Financing Sources ” means the Persons (including the parties to the Financing Documents, but excluding Purchaser and its Affiliates) that have committed to provide (directly or indirectly) or otherwise entered into agreements in connection with the Financing, and any joinder agreements, indentures or credit agreements entered into pursuant thereto or relating thereto, including the agents, arrangers, lenders and other entities that have committed to provide or arrange all or part of the Financing, together with their Affiliates and representatives involved in the Financing and their successors and assigns.

 

First Closing ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.11(b) .

 

Fixtures, Equipment and Tangible Personal Property ” means all furniture, fixtures, furnishings, vehicles (including trucks, trailers, pickup trucks, forklifts and any other vehicles), equipment, machines, computers, tools, dunnage (including pallets, bags, snakewrap, chipboard, stretch film, separator sheets and strapping), spare parts and tooling, office and other supplies and other tangible personal property, but in each case excluding the Business Real Property, Inventory and any Intellectual Property.

 

Foreign Acquisition Agreements ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.8 .

 

Foreign Closing Documents ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.12(a)(vi) .

 

France Acceptance Notice ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.9(b) .

 

France Closing ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.11(b) .

 

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France Purchase Price ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.9(b) .

 

French and Spanish Entities ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.9(a) .

 

French and Spanish Shares ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.9(a) .

 

French Entities ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.9(a) .

 

French Offer ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.9(b) .

 

French Offer Letter ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.9(b) .

 

FTC ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Recitals herein.

 

GAAP ” means accounting principles generally accepted in the United States consistently applied from period to period and throughout any period in accordance with the past practices of Seller.

 

Governmental Authority ” means any national, state, local, supranational or foreign government or any court of competent jurisdiction, administrative agency, board, bureau, arbitrator or arbitral body or commission or other national, state, local, supranational or foreign governmental authority or instrumentality entitled to exercise any administrative, executive, judicial, legislative, police, regulatory or taxing authority or power.

 

Governmental Order ” means any order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree, stipulation, determination or award entered or issued by or with any Governmental Authority.

 

Hazardous Materials ” means pollutants, contaminants, toxic substances, hazardous substances or waste, pesticides, petroleum products, used or waste petroleum products, polychlorinated biphenyls and asbestos, greenhouse gases and any element, compound, chemical mixture or other substance that is defined or regulated under any applicable Environmental Law or determined or identified as hazardous or toxic under any applicable Environmental Law.

 

HMRC ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the definition of 2006 UK Tax Dispute.

 

IFRS ” means the International Financial Reporting Standards and IFRS Interpretation Committee interpretations as issued by the IASB and with those parts of the UK Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies reporting thereunder, consistently applied from period to period and throughout any period in accordance with the past practices of Rexam.

 

Indemnified Party ” means any Person claiming indemnification under any provision of Article IX .

 

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Indemnifying Party ” means any Person against whom a claim for indemnification is being asserted under any provision of Article IX .

 

Indemnity Notice ” means written notification pursuant to Section 9.3 of a claim for indemnity under Article IX by an Indemnified Party, specifying in reasonable detail the nature of and basis for such claim, together with the estimated amount as determined in good faith of the Loss arising from such claim.

 

Intellectual Property ” means, in any jurisdiction worldwide, all intellectual property rights of any kind, including rights in, to and concerning (a) patents, statutory invention registrations and applications for any of the foregoing (including provisional applications), and all related continuations, continuations-in-part, divisionals, reissues, re-examinations, substitutions, and extensions thereof (“ Patents ”), (b) trademarks, service marks, names, corporate names, trade names, Internet domain names, logos, slogans, trade dress, design rights, and other similar designations of source or origin, together with the goodwill symbolized by any of the foregoing (excluding Designs, “ Trademarks ”), (c) copyrights (including copyrights in software) and copyrightable subject matter (“ Copyrights ”), (d) software, data, databases and compilations of information, (e) confidential and proprietary information, inventions, formulas, processes, developments, technology, research, trade secrets and know-how, (f) all design rights, including industrial design rights and community design rights (“ Designs ”), (g) all applications and registrations for the foregoing and (h) all rights and remedies against past, present, and future infringement, misappropriation or other violation thereof.

 

Intercompany Agreements ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.7(a) .

 

Interest in Securities ” has the meaning ascribed to “interest in securities” in the UK City Code on Takeovers and Mergers.

 

Interests ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.3(a) .

 

Interim Apportionment ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.10(c) .

 

Inventory ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.1(b)(ii) .

 

IT Assets ” means copies of software, systems, servers, computers, hardware, firmware, middleware, networks, data communications lines, routers, hubs, switches and all other information technology equipment, and all associated documentation, but in each case excluding any Intellectual Property.

 

Key Employees ” means the key members of senior management listed on Schedule 10.1(t) .

 

Know-How Documentation ” means copies of tangible and electronic embodiments of know-how, documentation of ideas, research and development files, laboratory notebooks and other similar tangible or electronic materials, in each case solely to the extent related to any of the Seller and Rexam Licensed IP, but in each case excluding (i) any of the

 

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foregoing to the extent related to any of the Excluded Pipeline Project IP, and (ii) any Intellectual Property.

 

Knowledge of Purchaser ” means the actual knowledge of the officers and employees of Purchaser listed in Schedule 10.1(f) .

 

Knowledge of Seller ” means the actual knowledge of the officers and employees of Seller or Rexam (or their applicable Affiliates) listed in Schedule 10.1(g) .

 

Law ” means any national, state, local, supranational or foreign law, statute, code, order, consent decree, ordinance, rule, regulation or treaty (including any Tax treaty), in each case promulgated by a Governmental Authority.

 

Lease ” means any real property lease or sublease of a Person.

 

Lease Assignment and Assumption Agreement ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.12(a)(v) .

 

Leased Business Real Property ” means the Real Property (or portions thereof) (other than any Facility or Owned Business Real Property) set forth on Schedule 10.1(h)  that is leased or subleased by a Seller Entity, Rexam Entity or Purchased Entity as a lessee or sublessee pursuant to a Lease.

 

Liabilities ” means any and all debts, liabilities, commitments and obligations of any kind, whether fixed, contingent or absolute, matured or unmatured, liquidated or unliquidated, accrued or not accrued, asserted or not asserted, known or unknown, determined, determinable or otherwise, whenever or however arising (including, whether arising out of any contract or tort based on negligence or strict liability) and whether or not the same would be required by GAAP or IFRS to be reflected in financial statements or disclosed in the notes thereto.

 

Loss ” means any and all damages, Liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees).

 

Material Contracts ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.11(a) .

 

Monitoring Trustee ” means one or more natural or legal person(s) who is/are appointed by Seller and approved by the EC in connection with Case No. M.7567 and who has/have the duty to monitor Seller’s compliance with the conditions and obligations attached to the EC’s decision in Case No. M.7567, and likewise approved by CADE in Concentration Act No. 08700.006567/2015-07 and by the FTC in Case No. 2015-0706, currently ING Bank NV London Branch for the EC and CADE.

 

Multiemployer Plan ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 5.1(i) .

 

Mutual Transition Services Agreement ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.12 .

 

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National Collective Bargaining Agreement ” means any collective bargaining agreement, works council agreement or similar agreement with any union, works council or other Employee Representative Body that is nationally applicable or required by applicable Law.

 

Net Debt ” means, as of any specified date, the amount calculated using the formula for line item 8 set forth on Exhibit A, with each of the line items therein determined as of such date; provided, however, that, notwithstanding the foregoing, the fixed amounts described in Notes 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 of Exhibit A shall be used (without duplication) for the purposes of determining Net Debt as of any date on which such calculation is made hereunder.

 

Net Debt/Working Capital Adjustment Amount ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.5 .

 

Non-Transferred Purchaser Assets ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.13(d) .

 

Non-Transferred Seller Assets ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.13(d) .

 

Non-U.S. Transferred Employee ” means any Business Employee whose employment is governed by laws outside the United States and who becomes a Transferred Employee.

 

Objections Statement ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.6(e) .

 

Off-Site Environmental Liabilities ” means Liabilities at Off-Site Locations relating to the transport, disposal, recycling, reclamation, treatment, storage, Release or threatened Release of Hazardous Materials that originated from the Business Real Property, and any agreement, decree, judgment, or order relating to the foregoing.

 

Off-Site Location ” means any location other than: (i) the Business Real Property; and (ii) any Real Property that is adjacent to or in the vicinity of a Business Real Property that has been impacted by a Release from such Business Real Property.

 

Offer ” means, if the Rexam Transaction is implemented by way of a “takeover offer,” as defined in Chapter 3 of Part 28 of the UK Companies Act 2006, including any adjournment thereof, the offer to be made by or on behalf of Seller to acquire the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Rexam and, where the context admits, any subsequent revision, variation, extension or renewal of such offer.

 

Offer Employee ” means any Business Employee who is not, or as of immediately prior to Closing will not be, an employee of a Purchased Entity and whose contract of employment does not automatically transfer to Purchaser or any of its Affiliates as a result of the Transaction pursuant to the Transfer Regulations or other applicable Law.

 

On-Site Environmental Liabilities ” means the following Liabilities relating to the Business Real Property: (i) actual or alleged violations of or non-compliance with any Environmental Law, including a failure to obtain, maintain or comply with any Environmental

 

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Permits, including fines and penalties relating to such violations and the costs and expenses of bringing the Facilities into compliance and including, for purposes of clarification, violations of or noncompliance with applicable Environmental Laws relating to the sale of products or substances produced by such Business Real Property, including, as amended or supplemented, California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65) and The European Union Regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals ( EC 1907/2006) l; (ii) obligations arising under or pursuant to any applicable Environmental Law or Environmental Permit; (iii) the presence of Hazardous Materials (including asbestos-containing materials) or the introduction of Hazardous Materials to the environment at, in, on, under or migrating to or from any Business Real Property, including Liabilities relating to, resulting from or arising out of the investigation, remediation, or monitoring of such Hazardous Materials; (iv) natural resource damages, property damages, personal or bodily injury or wrongful death relating to the presence of or exposure to Hazardous Materials (including asbestos-containing materials), at, in, on, under or migrating to or from any of the Business Real Property; and (v) any agreement, decree, judgment, or order relating to the foregoing.

 

Option ” with respect to any Person means any security, right, subscription, warrant, option, “phantom” stock right or other Contract that gives the right to: (i) purchase or otherwise receive or be issued any shares of capital stock of such Person or any security of any kind convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any shares of capital stock of such Person; or (ii) receive or exercise any benefits or rights similar to any rights enjoyed by or accruing to the holder of shares of capital stock of such Person, including any rights to participate in the equity or income of such Person or to participate in or direct the election of any directors or officers of such Person or the manner in which any shares of capital stock of such Person are voted.

 

Other Business Hedge ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.22(c) .

 

Owned Business Real Property ” means the Real Property (or portion thereof) (other than any Facility or Leased Business Real Property) set forth on Schedule 10.1(j)  in which a Seller Entity, Rexam Entity or Purchased Entity has fee title (or the jurisdictional equivalent).

 

Parties ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Preamble herein.

 

Patents ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the definition of Intellectual Property herein.

 

Permit ” means permits, approvals, authorizations, consents, licenses or certificates issued by any Governmental Authority.

 

Permitted Encumbrance ” means the following Encumbrances: (a) Encumbrances for Taxes, assessments or other governmental charges or levies that are not yet due and payable or due but not delinquent or that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves have been maintained in accordance with GAAP or IFRS, as applicable; (b) statutory Encumbrances of landlords and Encumbrances of carriers, warehousemen, mechanics, materialmen, repairmen and other Encumbrances imposed by Law

 

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for amounts not yet due or due but not delinquent or being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings; (c) Encumbrances incurred or deposits made to a Governmental Authority in connection with a Permit; (d) Encumbrances incurred or deposits made in the ordinary course of business in connection with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance or other types of social security; (e) recorded or unrecorded easements, rights-of-way, covenants, conditions, restrictions, licenses, reservations, subdivisions, and other charges or encumbrances or defects of title of any kind or rights of others for rights-of-way, utilities and other similar purposes; (f) Encumbrances not created by the Purchased Entities that affect the underlying fee interest of any Leased Business Real Property; (g) Encumbrances incurred in the ordinary conduct of the Business securing obligations or liabilities that are not individually or in the aggregate material to the relevant asset or property; (h) gaps in the chain of title evident from the records of the relevant Governmental Authority maintaining such records or as would be disclosed on a current title commitment, abstract, or similar report; (i) all licenses and covenants not to assert with respect to Intellectual Property, (j) zoning, building, subdivision, land use, environmental regulations and other similar restrictions or requirements; (k) Encumbrances resulting from any facts or circumstances caused by Purchaser or its Affiliates; (l) any set of facts an accurate up-to-date survey would show; (m) Leases affecting the Owned Business Real Properties or Leased Business Real Properties and entered into in the ordinary course of Business; and (n) the Encumbrances set forth on Schedule 10.1(k) ; in the case of each of clauses (e), (f) and (j), which do not materially impair the use of the property subject to such Encumbrance for the Business as currently conducted.

 

Person ” means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust or unincorporated organization or Governmental Authority or any other entity.

 

Post-Closing Statement ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.6(c) .

 

Post-Closing Tax Period ” means (i) any Tax period commencing after the Closing Date and (ii) with respect to a Tax period that commences before but ends after the Closing Date, the portion of such period commencing with and including the day after the Closing Date.

 

Pre-Closing Tax Period ” means (i) any Tax period ending on or before the Closing Date and (ii) with respect to a Tax period that commences before but ends after the Closing Date, the portion of such period up to and including the Closing Date.

 

Preliminary Allocation ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.10(b) .

 

Pro Forma Financial Statements ” means the pro forma combined balance sheet and related statement of income for the Business as of and for the year ended December 31, 2015 that are based on the Audited Financial Statements as adjusted to reflect the results of operations and financial condition of the Business.

 

Purchase Price ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.5 .

 

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Purchased Affiliate Interests ” means those equity interests held by certain Purchased Entities as set forth on Schedule 10.1(l) .

 

Purchased Assets ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.1 .

 

Purchased CFCs ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 6.8 .

 

Purchased Entities ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Recitals herein.

 

Purchased Entity Employee ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 5.1(b) .

 

Purchased Entity Employee Benefit Plans ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.17(a) .

 

Purchased Entity Guarantees ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.11(b) .

 

Purchased Equity ” means the equity interests in the Conveyed Purchased Entities to be transferred to Purchaser hereunder.

 

Purchased Working Capital ” has the meaning set forth on Schedule 10.1(m) .

 

Purchaser ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Preamble herein.

 

Purchaser Financing Party ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.8 .

 

Purchaser Fundamental Representations ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 9.1 .

 

Purchaser Indemnitees ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 9.2(a) .

 

Purchaser Portion of the Shared Contract Liabilities ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.13(c) .

 

Purchaser Volume Payment Amount ” has the meaning ascribed to such term on Schedule 10.1(s) .

 

Purchasing Entities ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.8 .

 

Real Property ” means all land and any buildings, structures, facilities or improvements located thereon, all fixtures permanently affixed thereto.

 

Release ” means release, spill, emission, discharge, leaking, pumping, injection, deposit, disposal, discharge, dispersal, leaching, or migration into or through the environment of any Hazardous Materials.

 

Release Confirmation ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.18(d) .

 

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Release Request ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.18(d) .

 

Relevant Certain Funds Conditions Precedent ” means

 

(i)                                      (x) no Certain Funds Event of Default (1) having occurred and continuing or (2) occurring as a result of the drawdown of the Credit Facilities; (y) all Major Representations being true and accurate on the date of drawdown of the Credit Facilities, and (z) the payment in full (or the delivery of irrevocable instructions for the payment in full) of all fees, expenses and other amounts payable under the Commitment Letter;

 

(ii)                                   the conditions precedent set forth in clauses (ii) and (ix) under “Specified Conditions Precedent” in the Certain Funds Conditions Schedule to the Commitment Letter; or

 

(iii)                                if an interim facilities agreement has been entered into in accordance with Section 4.18(b) , provision of the items referred to in paragraphs 6 and 12 of Appendix 4 to the form of interim facilities agreement attached to the Financing Documents as at the date of this Agreement and fulfillment of the conditions set out in clauses 3.1(b), (c) and (d) of such interim facilities agreement (in such form).

 

Capitalized terms used in this definition shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Financing Documents as in effect on the date of this Agreement.

 

Representatives ” means the directors, officers, employees, agents or advisors (including attorneys, accountants, consultants, bankers and financial advisors) of Seller, Rexam or Purchaser and their respective Affiliates, as applicable.

 

Restructuring ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section  4.16 .

 

Restructuring Steps Plan ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section  4.16 .

 

Restructuring Taxes ” means any and all Taxes imposed in a Pre-Closing Tax Period, Straddle Period and/or a Post-Closing Tax Period with respect to any reorganizations or corporate restructurings or other transactions involving the Purchased Assets or the Purchased Entities undertaken by Seller and its Affiliates in connection with, and in furtherance of, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Restructuring Steps Plan referred to herein (including any Taxes imposed with respect to any transfers of Excluded Assets or Excluded Liabilities).

 

Retained Employment Liabilities ” means, with respect to the Purchased Assets, (i) any and all Liabilities arising out of or relating to any employees of any Seller Entities or Rexam Entities or any of their respective Affiliates (other than the Purchased Entities) other than Transferred Business Employees; and (ii) any and all Liabilities relating to Transferred Business Employees that are incurred or arise prior to the Closing Date.

 

Rexam ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Preamble herein.

 

Rexam Balance Sheet means the audited combined balance sheet as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 of that portion of the Business owned by the Rexam

 

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Entities (including, for purposes hereof, the Valdemorillo and Enzesfeld Facilities and related assets and liabilities to be transferred to the applicable Purchased Entities pursuant to the Restructuring) .

 

Rexam Entities ” means all Affiliates of Rexam that transfer Purchased Assets and/or Assumed Liabilities to Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement, as set forth on Schedule 10.1(n) .

 

Rexam Income Statement ” means the audited combined statement of income for the years ended December 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 of that portion of the Business owned by the Rexam Entities (including, for purposes hereof, the Valdemorillo and Enzesfeld Facilities and related assets and liabilities to be transferred to the applicable Purchased Entities pursuant to the Restructuring).

 

Rexam Statement of Cash Flows means the audited combined statement of cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2014 and 2015 of that portion of the Business owned by the Rexam Entities (including, for purposes hereof, the Valdemorillo and Enzesfeld Facilities and related assets and liabilities to be transferred to the applicable Purchased Entities pursuant to the Restructuring).

 

Rexam Transaction ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Recitals herein.

 

Rule 2.7 Announcement ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Recitals herein.

 

Sample Closing Statement ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.6(a) .

 

Sanction Hearing ” means the hearing of the High Court of Justice in England and Wales at which Rexam will seek an order sanctioning the Scheme, pursuant to Section 899 of the UK Companies Act 2006 including any adjournment thereof.

 

Scheme ” means a scheme of arrangement proposed to be made under Sections 895 to 899 of the UK Companies Act 2006 between Rexam and its shareholders, the principal terms of such scheme being set out in the announcement of Seller’s firm intention to effect the Rexam Transaction.

 

SEC ” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Securities Act ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 3.5 .

 

Seller ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Preamble herein.

 

Seller and Rexam Licensed IP ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.10(a) .

 

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Seller and Rexam Marks ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.9(c) .

 

Seller and Rexam Public Documents ” means all reports, schedules, forms, statements, prospectuses and other documents (including exhibits and other information incorporated therein) filed by Seller with the SEC, to the extent publicly available, or published by Rexam in accordance with relevant rules of the UK Financial Conduct Authority and made available to Purchaser, in each case prior to the date of this Agreement (but excluding any “risk factor” disclosures contained therein, any disclosure of risks included in any “forward-looking statements” disclaimer or any other statements that are similarly non-specific, predictive or forward-looking in nature).

 

Seller Balance Sheet ” means the audited combined balance sheet as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 of that portion of the Business owned by (i)  the Seller Entities or (ii) the Purchased Entities directly or indirectly owned by the Seller Entities.

 

Seller Disclosure Letter ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Article II .

 

Seller Entities ” means all Affiliates of Seller that transfer Purchased Assets (including Purchased Equity) and/or Assumed Liabilities to Purchaser pursuant to this Agreement, as set forth on Schedule 10.1(o) .

 

Seller Fundamental Representations ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 9.1 .

 

Seller Guarantees ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.11(a) .

 

Seller Income Statement ” means the audited combined statement of income for the years ended December 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 of that portion of the Business owned by (i) the Seller Entities or (ii) the Purchased Entities directly or indirectly owned by the Seller Entities.

 

Seller-Indemnified On-Site Environmental Liabilities ” means On-Site Environmental Liabilities arising from facts, conditions, circumstances, exposures or violations in existence or occurring prior to the Closing Date.

 

Seller Indemnitees ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 9.2(b) .

 

Seller Intentional Breach ” means a deliberate act or a deliberate failure to act by Seller, which act or failure to act (i) constitutes, in and of itself, a material breach of Seller’s obligations under Section 4.18(d) , (ii) Seller knew would prevent or materially delay, or knew the likely effect of which material breach of Seller’s obligations under Section 4.18(d)  was to prevent or materially delay, the availability of the Financing at Closing, and (iii) actually makes the Financing unavailable at Closing.

 

Seller Portion of the Shared Contract Liabilities ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.13(c) .

 

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Seller Retained Volume ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.15(f) .

 

Seller Retained Volume Report ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.15(e) .

 

Seller Statement of Cash Flows ” means the audited combined statement of cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2014 and 2015 of that portion of the Business owned by (i) the Seller Entities or (ii) the Purchased Entities directly or indirectly owned by the Seller Entities.

 

Seller Volume Payment Amount ” has the meaning ascribed to such term on Schedule 10.1(s) .

 

Seller’s Allocation Notice ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.10(b) .

 

Seller’s Apportionment Notice ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.10(c) .

 

Shared Back-to-Back Hedge ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.22(e) .

 

Shared Contract ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.13(c) .

 

SLEEK Cans ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.9(b) .

 

SLEEK Marks ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.9(b) .

 

Specified Business Contracts ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.1(b)(i) .

 

Straddle Period ” means any taxable period that begins on or before and ends after the Closing Date.

 

Supplier Contracts means any Contract in effect as of the Closing Date between a Seller Entity, a Rexam Entity or a Purchased Entity, on the one hand, and a supplier of any of the foregoing for materials and/or services in respect of the manufacture and supply of two-piece metal beverage cans and/or ends manufactured as of the Closing from any of the Facilities.

 

Tax Advisor ” means an independent tax counsel at a law firm or “big four” accounting firm of recognized international standing in Brazil, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States or any other applicable jurisdiction that imposes the Tax in respect of which advice is rendered or an opinion is delivered that is experienced as to such matters, provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, if acceptable to both Seller and Purchaser, the Tax Advisor for a matter can be the auditor of either such Party.

 

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Tax Benefit ” means any Tax refund, Tax advantage or Tax benefit, in particular any reduction of the taxable income or any increase of Tax losses or Tax loss carryforwards, interest carryforwards, Tax reduction, lengthening of any amortization or depreciation period, higher depreciation allowance, increase of the Tax basis of assets, increase of any amortizable or accruable item or amount relevant for the assessment of any Tax, any Tax credit (such as a corporate income tax credit ( Körperschaftsteuerguthaben ) within the meaning of Section 37 of the German Corporate Income Tax Act ( Körperschaftsteuergesetz ) or other Tax credit under the Tax laws of any other jurisdiction) and any Tax deduction in connection with the disallowance of provisions for Tax purposes, in each case of the above, either relating to past, present or future periods or portions thereof.  In computing the amount of Tax Benefit, the Indemnified Party shall be deemed to recognize all other items of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit, and shall take into account any available Tax attributes (e.g. net operating loss or credit carryforwards), before recognizing any item arising out of the incurrence or payment of any indemnity payment hereunder.

 

Tax Opinion ” means the written opinion in respect of the Tax matters addressed therein issued by a Tax Advisor.

 

Tax Return ” means any report, return, document, declaration or other information or filing required to be supplied to any Taxing Authority or jurisdiction (foreign or domestic) with respect to Taxes.

 

Taxes ” means any and all taxes, fees, levies or other assessments, including Federal, state, local, or foreign income, gross receipts, excise, real or personal property, sales, withholding, social security, occupation, use, service, service use, value added, license, net worth, payroll, stamp, franchise or similar taxes, or customs duties imposed by any Taxing Authority, together with any interest, penalties or additions to tax and additional amounts imposed with respect thereto.

 

Taxing Authority ” means any agency or political subdivision of any federal, foreign, state, local or municipal government entity with the authority to impose any Tax.

 

Technical Documentation ” means, with respect to any Fixtures, Equipment and Tangible Personal Property, copies of tangible and electronic technical documentation, including engineering documents, operating manuals, technical reports and laboratory notebooks, but in each case (i) solely to the extent related to such Fixtures, Equipment and Tangible Personal Property, and (ii) excluding any Intellectual Property.

 

Territory ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.10(b) .

 

Third Party Claim ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 9.3(a) .

 

Trademarks ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the definition of Intellectual Property herein.

 

Transaction ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in the Recitals hereof.

 

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Transfer Regulations ” means any Law implementing the European Acquired Rights Directive 2001/23/EC in any member state of the European Union in which any Business Employee is employed.

 

Transfer Taxes ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 6.2 .

 

Transferred Business Employees ” means, with respect to the Purchased Assets, the Business Employees who immediately prior to the Closing are employees of a Seller Entity or Rexam Entity (but not of a Purchased Entity), whose employment transfers to Purchaser or any Affiliate of Purchaser as a result of the Transaction or are Offer Employees who are offered employment by Purchaser or its applicable Affiliate pursuant to Section 5.1(a)(i)  and who accept such offer of employment and commence employment with Purchaser or its Affiliates at or immediately following the Closing Date.

 

Transferred Customer Contracts ” means those Customer Contracts, or the portions thereof, set forth on Schedule 1.1(b)(i)(E) .

 

Transferred Employees ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 5.1(b) .

 

Transferred Fixtures, Equipment and Tangible Personal Property ” means all Fixtures, Equipment and Tangible Personal Property that is located at the Business Real Property and exclusively related to the Business, including that listed on Schedule 10.1(q) , and any vehicles exclusively related to the Business even if not located at the Business Real Property.

 

Transferred Intellectual Property ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.1(b)(x) .

 

Transferred Supplier Contracts ” means those Supplier Contracts, or the portions thereof, set forth on Schedule 1.1(b)(i)(D) .

 

UK DB Plan ” means the Ball Packaging Europe UK Pension Scheme.

 

UK Employee Benefit Plan ” means any Employee Benefit Plan sponsored, maintained or contributed to by any of the UK Purchased Entities.

 

UK Purchased Entities ” means the Purchased Entities set forth on Schedule 10.1(r) .

 

UK Takeover Panel ” means the United Kingdom Panel on Takeovers and Mergers.

 

UK Trustee Agreement ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.17(e) .

 

Unassumed Back-to-Back Hedge ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.22(b) .

 

Unconditional Date ” means the date of the Sanction Hearing.

 

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Unconditional Offer Date ” means, if the Rexam Transaction is implemented by way of an Offer, the date on which the Offer becomes or is declared unconditional in all respects.

 

Units ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.15(a) .

 

U.S. Transferred Employee ” means any Business Employee whose employment is governed by the laws of the United States (including any state therein) and who becomes a Transferred Employee.

 

VAT ” means, in relation to any jurisdiction within the European Union, the value added tax provided for in Directive 2006/112/EC and charged under the provisions of any national legislation implementing that directive or Directive 77/388/EEC together with legislation supplemental thereto and, in relation to any other jurisdiction, the equivalent Tax (if any) in that jurisdiction.

 

WARN ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 2.16(b)(ii) .

 

Working Capital Target ” means $363,000,000.

 

ARTICLE XI

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

11.1                         Assignment .  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties and their respective successors and assigns.  No assignment of this Agreement or any of the rights, interests or obligations provided by this Agreement (whether by operation of Law or otherwise) shall be made by any Party without the prior written consent of the other Parties, and any such attempted assignment without such consent shall be void; provided , however , that Purchaser may assign this Agreement or any of its rights and obligations under this Agreement to one or more Affiliates of Purchaser without the prior written consent of the other Parties; provided , further , that Purchaser shall remain responsible for the performance by any such assignee of its obligations hereunder; provided , further , that Purchaser may pledge or collaterally assign its rights under this Agreement to one or more Financing Sources or any administrative agent, collateral agent or security trustee of such Persons without the prior written consent of the other Parties as collateral security for its obligations under the Financing Documents.

 

11.2                         Public Announcements .  No Party shall issue or make any public announcement, press release or other public disclosure regarding this Agreement or its subject matter without Seller’s prior written consent, in the case of any proposed disclosure by Purchaser or any of its Affiliates, or without Purchaser’s prior written consent, in the case of any proposed disclosure by Seller or Rexam or any of their respective Affiliates, except for any such disclosure that is, in the opinion of the disclosing Party’s counsel, required by applicable Law or the rules of a stock exchange on which the securities of the disclosing Party are listed or necessary to comply with announcement obligations under the City Code.  In the event a Party is, in the opinion of its counsel, required to make a public disclosure by applicable Law or the rules of a stock exchange on which its securities are listed, such Party shall, to the extent practicable, submit the proposed disclosure in writing to Seller, in the case of any proposed disclosure by Purchaser or any of its Affiliates, in the case of any proposed disclosure by Seller or Rexam or any of their respective

 

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Affiliates, prior to the date of disclosure and provide Seller or Purchaser, as applicable, a reasonable opportunity to comment thereon.

 

11.3                         Expenses .  Whether or not the Transaction is consummated, except as otherwise specified herein, each Party shall bear its own expenses with respect to the Transaction.

 

11.4                         Severability .  If any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable under present or future Laws effective during the term hereof (including but not limited to anything not permitted under Rule 21.2 of the City Code), such provision shall be fully severable and this Agreement shall be construed and enforced as if such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision never comprised a part hereof and the remaining provisions hereof shall remain in full force and effect and shall not be affected by the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or by its severance herefrom.  Furthermore, in lieu of such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision, there shall be added automatically as part of this Agreement, a provision as similar in its terms to such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible and be legal, valid and enforceable.

 

11.5                         No Third Party Beneficiaries .  Except for (a)  Article IX which is intended to benefit, and to be enforceable by, the parties specified therein and (b) this Section 11.5 and Sections 11.6 through 11.9 and Section 11.19 which are intended to benefit, and to be enforceable by, each Financing Source, this Agreement is for the sole benefit of the Parties, each as applicable, and their permitted assigns and nothing herein, express or implied, shall give or be construed to give to any Person, other than the Parties, each as applicable, and such permitted assigns, any legal or equitable rights hereunder.

 

11.6                         Amendment; Waiver .  The failure of any Party to enforce any condition or part of this Agreement at any time shall not be construed as a waiver of that condition or part, nor shall it forfeit any rights to future enforcement thereof.  Any waiver hereunder shall be effective only if delivered to the other Parties in writing by the Party making such waiver. This Agreement may not be amended except by an agreement in writing signed by each of the Parties; provided, however , that no modification or amendment to this Agreement shall be made that would adversely affect the rights of the Financing Sources as set forth in Sections 11.5 through Section 11.9 or Section 11.19 without the prior written consent of the Financing Sources.

 

11.7                         Governing Law .  This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with and governed by the Laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflicts of Laws provisions thereof.

 

11.8                         Jurisdiction .  The Parties agree that any Action seeking to enforce any provision of, or based on any matter arising out of or in connection with, this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be brought in the United States District Court located in New York, New York in the Borough of Manhattan so long as such court shall have subject matter jurisdiction over such Action, or alternatively in the New York State Court located in New York, New York in the Borough of Manhattan if the aforesaid United States District Court does not have subject matter jurisdiction, and that any cause of action arising out of this Agreement shall be deemed to have arisen from a transaction of business in the State of New York, and each of the Parties hereby irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of such court (and of

 

112



 

the appropriate appellate courts therefrom) in any such Action and irrevocably waives, to the fullest extent permitted by Law, any objection that it may now or hereafter have to the laying of the venue of any such Action in any such court or that any such Action which is brought in such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.  Process in any such Action may be served on any Party anywhere in the world, whether within or without the jurisdiction of such court.  Without limiting the foregoing, each Party agrees that service of process on such Party as provided in Section 11.14 shall be deemed effective service of process on such Party.

 

11.9                         Waiver of Jury Trial .  EACH OF THE PARTIES WAIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY WITH RESPECT TO ANY LITIGATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT.  EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY:  (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF THE OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER; AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED BY THIS AGREEMENT, AS APPLICABLE, BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 11.9 .

 

11.10                  Specific Performance .  The Parties acknowledge that, in view of the uniqueness of the Business and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, each of Seller and Purchaser would not have an adequate remedy at law for money damages in the event that this Agreement has not been performed in accordance with its terms, and therefore agrees that, in addition to all other remedies available at law or in equity, the other Parties (on behalf of itself and the third-party beneficiaries of this Agreement provided in Section 11.5 ) shall be entitled to an injunction or injunctions to prevent or restrain breaches or threatened breaches of this Agreement by the other (as applicable), and to specifically enforce the terms and provisions of this Agreement to prevent breaches or threatened breaches of, or to enforce compliance with, the covenants and obligations of the other (as applicable), and this right shall include the right of Seller to cause Purchaser and the Purchaser Financing Parties, as applicable, to draw upon and cause the Financing to be fully funded if the conditions set forth in Sections 7.1 and 7.3 have been satisfied (other than those conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at the Closing) or waived.  Each of Seller and Purchaser agrees that it will not oppose the granting of an injunction, specific performance and other equitable relief on the basis that any other Party has an adequate remedy at law or that any award of specific performance is not an appropriate remedy for any reason at law or in equity.  Any Party seeking an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches of this Agreement and to enforce specifically the terms and provisions of this Agreement shall not be required to provide any bond or other security in connection with any such order or injunction.

 

11.11                  Headings .  The headings of the sections and subsections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute a part hereof.

 

11.12                  Counterparts .  The Parties may execute this Agreement in one or more counterparts, and each fully executed counterpart shall be deemed an original.

 

113


 

11.13                  Further Documents .  Each of Seller and Purchaser shall, and shall cause its respective Affiliates to, at the request of the other Party, execute and deliver to such other Party all such further instruments, assignments, assurances and other documents as such other Party may reasonably request in connection with the carrying out of this Agreement and the Transaction.

 

11.14                  Notices .  All communications, notices and Consents provided for herein shall be in writing and be given in person or by means of email, telex, facsimile or other means of wire transmission (with request for assurance of receipt in a manner typical with respect to communications of that type), by overnight courier or by mail, and shall become effective:  (a) on delivery if given in person; (b) on the date of transmission if sent by email, telex, facsimile or other means of wire transmission; (c) one (1) Business Day after delivery to the overnight service; or (d) four (4) Business Days after being mailed, with proper postage and documentation, for first-class registered or certified mail, prepaid.  Notices shall be addressed as follows:

 

If to Purchaser, to:

 

Ardagh Group S.A.
56 rue Charles Martel

Luxembourg, 2134
Email: Herman.Troskie@mpartners.lu
Attn:
Herman Troskie

 

with a copy to:

 

Shearman & Sterling LLP
599 Lexington Avenue

New York, New York
Facsimile No.: (646) 848-8966
Email: cobrien@shearman.com

 gkarafotias@shearman.com

Attn:    Clare O’Brien

 George Karafotias

 

If to Seller, to:

 

Ball Corporation
10 Longs Peak Drive
Broomfield, Colorado 80021
Facsimile No.: (303) 460 - 2691
Email:
            cbaker@ball.com
Attn:                     Charles E. Baker

 

with copies to:

 

114



 

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
155 N. Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois  60606
Facsimile No.: (312) 407-0411
Email:
            charles.mulaney@skadden.com
                                                shilpi.gupta@skadden.com
Attn:                     Charles W. Mulaney, Jr.
                                                Shilpi Gupta

 

If to Rexam, to:

 

Rexam PLC
4 Millbank
London SW1P 3XR, United Kingdom
Email:
            david.gibson@rexam.com
Attn:                     David Gibson

 

with a copy to:

 

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP

65 Fleet Street

London EC4Y 1HS, United Kingdom

Facsimile No.: (44) 20 7832 7001

Email:             julian.long@freshfields.com

david.sonter@freshfields.com

Attn:                     Julian Long

David Sonter

 

provided , however , that if any Party shall have designated a different address by notice to the others, then to the last address so designated.

 

11.15                  Construction .  The language in all parts of this Agreement shall be construed, in all cases, according to its fair meaning.  The Parties acknowledge that each Party and its counsel have reviewed and revised this Agreement and that any rule of construction to the effect that any ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be employed in the interpretation of this Agreement.  Words in the singular shall be deemed to include the plural and vice versa and words of one gender shall be deemed to include the other gender as the context requires.  The terms “hereof,” “herein,” and “herewith” and words of similar import shall, unless otherwise stated, be construed to refer to this Agreement as a whole (including all of the Exhibits and Schedules hereto) and not to any particular provision of this Agreement.  Article, Section, Exhibit and Schedule references are to the Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules to this Agreement unless otherwise specified.  Unless otherwise stated, all references to any agreement shall be deemed to include the exhibits, schedules and annexes to such agreement.  The word “including” and words of similar import when used in this Agreement shall mean “including, without limitation,” unless the context otherwise requires or unless otherwise specified.  The word “or” shall not be exclusive.  Unless otherwise specified in a particular case, the word “days” refers to calendar days.  References herein to this Agreement shall be deemed to refer to

 

115



 

this Agreement as of the date of such agreement and as it may be amended thereafter, unless otherwise specified.  All references to “dollars” or “$” shall be deemed references to the lawful money of the United States of America; all references to “Euro” or “€” shall be deemed references to the lawful money of the European Union; and all references to “Brazilian Real” or “R$” shall be deemed references to the lawful money of Brazil.  References to “costs” and/or “expenses” incurred by any Person shall not include any amount in respect of VAT comprised in such costs or expenses for which either that Person or, if relevant, any other member of the group to which that Person belongs for VAT purposes is entitled to credit or repayment as VAT input tax under any applicable provisions.

 

11.16                  Exchange Rates .  If any portion of the Purchase Price allocated to the Purchased Equity is stated in Euro or Brazilian Reals, then the Parties shall use for such purposes the exchange rate between $ and Euro and $ and Brazilian Real, as applicable, as reported on the Bloomberg Screen at 7:00 a.m. EDT on the applicable date of payment.

 

11.17                  Bulk Sales Laws .  Each Party hereby waives and will cause its Affiliates to waive compliance by the other Parties and their respective Affiliates with any applicable bulk sale or bulk transfer laws of any jurisdiction in connection with the sale of the Purchased Assets to Purchaser.

 

11.18                  Entire Agreement .  This Agreement, the Ancillary Agreements and the Confidentiality Agreement constitute the entire agreement among the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede any prior understanding, agreements, or representations by or among the Parties, written or oral to the extent they relate in any way to the subject matter hereof.

 

11.19                  Certain Claims .  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, Seller agrees that (a) neither it nor any of its Representatives or Affiliates shall have any rights or claims against any Financing Source in connection with or related to this Agreement, the Financing or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, and (b) no Financing Source shall have any liability or obligation to Seller or any of its Representatives or Affiliates in connection with or related to this Agreement, the Financing or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, in the case of each of (a) and (b), including for any consequential, special, exemplary, punitive or indirect damages (including any loss of profits, business or anticipated savings) or damages of a tortious nature.

 

[ Signature Page follows ]

 

116



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the duly authorized officers of Seller, Purchaser and (subject in all respects to Section 4.20 ) Rexam as of the date first written above.

 

 

BALL CORPORATION

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Charles E. Baker

 

 

Name: Charles E. Baker

 

 

Title: Vice President

 

 

 

ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Woh Fry

 

 

Name: Woh Fry

 

 

Title: Director

 

 

 

REXAM PLC

 

 

 

By:

/s/ David Gibson

 

 

Name: David Gibson

 

 

Title: Company Secretary

 

[Signature Page to Equity and Asset Purchase Agreement]

 




Exhibit 2.2

 

Execution Version

 

AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO THE

EQUITY AND ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

AMENDMENT NO. 1 (this “ Amendment ”), dated as of June 9, 2016, to the Equity and Asset Purchase Agreement, dated as of April 22, 2016 (the “ Agreement ”), by and among Ardagh Group S.A., a Luxembourg company (“ Purchaser ”), Ball Corporation, an Indiana corporation (“ Seller ”), and (subject in all respects to Section 4.20 of the Agreement) Rexam PLC, a public limited company registered in England and Wales (“ Rexam ” and collectively with Purchaser and Seller, the “ Parties ”).  Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Agreement.

 

WHEREAS, the Parties entered into the Agreement pursuant to which the Seller agreed to cause the applicable Seller Entities and Rexam Entities to sell, assign, transfer, convey and deliver to the Purchaser, and the Purchaser agreed to purchase and acquire from the applicable Seller Entities and Rexam Entities, all of their right, title and interest in and to all of the Purchased Assets upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein;

 

WHEREAS, the Parties desire to amend the Agreement as set forth in this Amendment in accordance with Section 11.6 thereof.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties to this Amendment hereby agree as follows:

 

1.                                              Section 1.11(c) .  The Agreement is hereby amended by deleting in its entirety Section 1.11(c) of the Agreement and replacing it with the following:

 

“(c)                                    Subject to Section 1.11(b) , for the purposes of this Agreement and unless Purchaser and Seller agree otherwise, the Closing shall be deemed to have occurred at 11:59 P.M. local time in each applicable jurisdiction on the Closing Date.”

 

2.                                              Section 1.15 .  The Agreement is hereby amended by deleting in its entirety Section 1.15 of the Agreement and replacing it with the following:

 

“1.15                                      Additional Purchase Price Adjustment .

 

(a)                                         Seller acknowledges that the fundamental economic benefits that Purchaser expects to receive from the Transaction are predicated on the Business having a sales perimeter of at least the 2017 Volume Threshold Amount in the 2017 calendar year, and that the covenants and agreements set forth in this Section 1.15 are essential to allow Purchaser to achieve these fundamental economic benefits.

 

(b)                                         Set forth on Schedule 1.15(b)  is a list of the identified volume of cans and ends (“ Units ”) expected to be sold by the Business in the 2017 calendar

 



 

year, including (except for the volume specified under “ Other Volumes ”) the customers to which such Units will be sold, the Facility in which such Units are manufactured and from which they will be shipped to such customers.

 

(c)                                          As promptly as practicable after December 31, 2017 (but in any event by March 15, 2018), Purchaser shall deliver to Ernst & Young LLP, Seller’s designated third-party representative (the “ Seller Representative ”), a report (the “ 2017 Actual Volume Report ”) setting forth the aggregate number of Units actually sold, brokered, assigned to, or contract manufactured by Purchaser or its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) from the Facilities during the 2017 calendar year (the “ 2017 Actual Volume ”). Each of the Seller Representative (and, if applicable, the Arbiter) shall be permitted to share with Seller only aggregated volume information relating to any difference between the 2017 Volume Threshold Amount and the 2017 Actual Volume across all the Facilities (and without any customer-level specific data) in connection with its evaluation hereunder. The Seller Representative (and, if applicable, the Arbiter) may request additional information from Purchaser to verify the information in the 2017 Actual Volume Report, and Purchaser shall cooperate with the Seller Representative (and, if applicable, the Arbiter) in connection with their review of the 2017 Actual Volume Report, including providing the Seller Representative (and, if applicable, the Arbiter) with reasonable access to its books, records and management for purposes of such review. If, after consultation with the Seller Representative, Seller has any objections to the amounts reflected in the 2017 Actual Volume Report, it shall notify Purchaser in writing of its objections within thirty (30) days of its receipt of such report, in which case, the provisions of Section 1.6(e)  shall apply mutatis mutandi to the resolution of any such dispute (except that the Seller Representative shall represent Seller therein). If Seller has not objected to such report within such thirty (30) day period, the 2017 Actual Volume shall be deemed to be as reflected in such report delivered by Purchaser.

 

(d)                                         If the 2017 Actual Volume is deemed or determined to be less than the 2017 Volume Threshold Amount, then no later than ten (10) Business Days following the final determination of the 2017 Actual Volume in accordance with Section 1.15(c) , Seller shall pay to Purchaser an amount equal to the 2017 Volume Shortfall Amount; provided that in no event shall the payment to be made by Seller to Purchaser under this subsection (d) exceed $75 million.

 

(e)                                          If Purchaser determines, and so notifies the Seller Representative in writing as promptly as practicable after December 31, 2017 (but in any event by March 15, 2018), that the 2017 Actual Volume has been reduced as a direct result of the sale by Seller or any of its Affiliates of Units to any of the customers at the customer locations listed on Schedule 1.15(b)  with respect to such customers or of Units included in “Other Volumes” on Schedule 1.15(b)  (as reflected in the 2017 Actual Volume Report and subject to the dispute resolution provisions described in Section 1.15(c) ) (the “ Section 1.15 Report ”) then, no later than ten (10) Business Days following the final determination of the number of

 

2



 

Units so sold by Seller or any of its Affiliates in accordance with Section 1.15(c) , Seller shall pay to Purchaser the Seller Volume Payment Amount. The Seller Representative may request additional information from Purchaser (and, if applicable, the Arbiter may request additional information from each of Purchaser and Seller) to verify the information in the Section 1.15 Report, and Purchaser shall cooperate in connection with the Seller Representative’s review of the Section 1.15 Report (and, if applicable, each of Seller and Purchaser shall cooperate with the Arbiter in connection with its review of the Section 1.15 Report), including providing the Seller Representative (or the Arbiter, if applicable) with reasonable access to its books, records and management for purposes of such review. Each of the Seller Representative (and, if applicable, the Arbiter) shall be permitted to share with Seller only aggregated volume information relating to the customers to which Purchaser reports that volume has been sold by Seller and its Affiliates across all of the Facilities (and without any customer-level specific data) in connection with its evaluation hereunder, and the Arbiter (if applicable) will be permitted to share with Purchaser only aggregated volume information relating to the volume of Units sold by Seller and its Affiliates that would give rise to any payments by Seller under this Section 1.15(e)  across the facilities of Seller and its Affiliates (and without any customer-level specific data). If, after consultation with the Seller Representative, Seller has any objections to the amounts reflected in the Section 1.15 Report, it shall notify Purchaser of its objections within thirty (30) days of its receipt of such report, in which case, the provisions of Section 1.6(e)  shall apply mutatis mutandi to the resolution of any such dispute (except that the Seller Representative shall represent Seller therein). If Seller has not objected to such report within such thirty (30) day period, the Section 1.15 Report shall be deemed to be as reflected in such report delivered by Purchaser.

 

(f)                                           If, with respect to any volume of Units, Seller is required to make payments to Purchaser under both Section 1.15(d)  and Section 1.15(e) , Seller shall first satisfy its obligations under Section 1.15(d)  before making any payment under Section 1.15(e) ; provided that in no event shall Seller be required to make payments under both Section 1.15(d)  and Section 1.15(e)  with respect to the same volume of Units.

 

(g)                                          Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, Purchaser shall not, and shall cause its Affiliates not to, effect or permit any of the following, and Purchaser’s right to receive any potential payment from Seller under Section 1.15(d)  shall irrevocably terminate if Purchaser or its applicable Affiliate (x) takes any action with the primary intent of artificially increasing the payments potentially due to Purchaser under Section 1.15(d) ) (including any action to delay sales of Units until after the end of the 2017 calendar year), (y) acts in bad faith with respect to attaining any volume of cans or ends for the purpose of increasing the payments potentially due to Purchaser under Section 1.15(d) , or (z) fails to conduct the Business in a manner generally consistent with the efforts and resources that Purchaser and its Affiliates would

 

3



 

devote to its other operations and businesses similarly situated to the Business absent Section 1.15(d) . The payments to be made by Seller pursuant to this Section 1.15 shall be treated in all respects as adjustments to the Purchase Price, and shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account or accounts designated in writing by Purchaser to Seller no fewer than three (3) Business Days prior to the scheduled date of such payment.”

 

3.                                              Schedule 10.1(r) . The Agreement is hereby further amended by deleting in its entirety Schedule 10.1(r) to the Agreement and replacing it with the amended Schedule 10.1(r) attached hereto.

 

4.                                              Section 11.20 .  This Agreement is further amended by adding a new Section 11.20 as follows:

 

“11.20 Conflicts With FTC Order . In the event of any conflict between the terms of the final Decision and Order of the FTC in In the Matter of Ball Corporation (the “ FTC Order ”) and the terms of this Agreement, the terms of the FTC Order shall govern and control.”

 

5.                                              Section 11.21 .  This Agreement is further amended by adding a new Section 11.21 as follows:

 

“11.21                               Rescission .  If Seller has divested the Purchased Assets and the Assumed Liabilities to Purchaser prior to the date of the FTC Order, and if, at the time the FTC determines to make the FTC Order final and effective, the FTC notifies Seller that Purchaser is not an acceptable purchaser of the Purchased Assets and the Assumed Liabilities, then Seller shall immediately rescind the Transaction, in whole or in part, as directed by the FTC, and shall divest the Purchased Assets and the Assumed Liabilities (or such portion thereof as directed by the FTC) within one hundred eighty (180) days from the date of the FTC Order, absolutely and in good faith, at no minimum price, to an acquirer that receives the prior approval of the FTC, and only in a manner that receives the prior approval of the FTC and the Parties shall promptly take all actions as may be necessary or desirable to effect such rescission.”

 

6.                                              Entire Agreement .  This Amendment constitutes a complete and exclusive statement of the terms of the agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, between the Parties with respect to such subject matter.

 

7.                                              Execution of Amendment .  The exchange of copies of this Amendment and of signature pages by facsimile, “portable document format” (“.pdf”) form or other electronic transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Amendment as to the Parties and may be used in lieu of the original Amendment for all purposes.  Signatures of the Parties transmitted by facsimile, .pdf or other electronic means shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

 

4



 

8.                                              Incorporation By Reference .  The provisions of Sections 11.4 ( Severability ), 11.5 ( No Third Party Beneficiaries ), 11.8 ( Governing Law ), 11.9 ( Waiver of Jury Trial ), 11.11 ( Headings ), 11.12 ( Counterparts ), 11.13 ( Further Documents ), and 11.15 ( Construction ) of the Agreement shall apply mutatis mutandis as if such provisions were set forth in full herein.

 

9.                                              Governing Law .  This Amendment shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of New York, without regard to its rules of conflict of laws.

 

10.                                       Full Force and Effect .  Except as amended hereby, the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect in accordance with its terms.

 

5



 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Amendment. all as of the date first above written.

 

 

ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Herman Troskie

 

 

Name:

Herman Troskie

 

 

Title:

Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BALL CORPORATION

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Charles E. Baker

 

 

Name:

Charles E. Baker

 

 

Title:

Vice President

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REXAM PLC

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ David Gibson

 

 

Name:

David Gibson

 

 

Title:

Company Secretary

 

[ Amendment No. 1 to the Equity and Asset Purchase Agreement ]

 




Exhibit 2.3

 

EXECUTION VERSION

 

AMENDMENT NO. 2
TO THE
EQUITY AND ASSET PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

AMENDMENT NO. 2 (this “ Second Amendment ”), dated as of June 30, 2016, to the Equity and Asset Purchase Agreement, dated as of April 22, 2016, and as amended (the “ Agreement ”), by and among Ardagh Group S.A., a Luxembourg company (“ Purchaser ”), Ball Corporation, an Indiana corporation (“ Seller ”), and (subject in all respects to Section 4.20 of the Agreement) Rexam PLC, a public limited company registered in England and Wales (“ Rexam ” and collectively with Purchaser and Seller, the “ Parties ”).  Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Agreement.

 

WHEREAS, the Parties entered into the Agreement pursuant to which, among other things, Seller agreed to cause the applicable Seller Entities and Rexam Entities to sell, assign, transfer, convey and deliver to the Purchaser, and the Purchaser agreed to purchase and acquire from the applicable Seller Entities and Rexam Entities, all of their right, title and interest in and to all of the Purchased Assets upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein;

 

WHEREAS, the Parties previously amended the Agreement by entering into that certain Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement, dated as of June 9, 2016, in order to amend certain provisions of the Agreement; and

 

WHEREAS, the Parties desire to further amend the Agreement as set forth in this Second Amendment in accordance with Section 11.6 of the Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties to this Second Amendment hereby agree as follows:

 

1.             Schedules .  The Agreement is hereby amended by replacing the Schedules to the Agreement, dated as of April 22, 2016, in their entirety with the Amended and Restated Schedules to the Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A and hereby deemed effective as of April 22, 2016 (the “ Amended Schedules ”).  For the avoidance of doubt, the Amended Schedules also replace any amendments, modifications or alterations of the Schedules to the Agreement, dated as of April 22, 2016, prior to the date hereof.

 

2.             Seller Disclosure Letter .  The Agreement is hereby amended by replacing the Seller Disclosure Letter, dated as of April 22, 2016, in its entirety with the Amended and Restated Seller Disclosure Letter attached hereto as Exhibit B and hereby deemed effective as of April 22, 2016 (the “ Amended Disclosure Letter ”).  For the avoidance of doubt, the Amended Disclosure Letter also replaces any amendments, modifications or alterations of the Seller Disclosure Letter, dated as of April 22, 2016, prior to the date hereof.

 

3.             Section 1.6(a) .  The Agreement is hereby amended by deleting “Section 1.6 of the Seller Disclosure Letter” in Section 1.6(a) of the Agreement and replacing it with “ Exhibit A hereto.”

 



 

4.             Section 1.6(c) .  The Agreement is hereby amended by deleting and restating Section 1.6(c) of the Agreement in its entirety as follows:

 

“Within ninety (90) days after the Closing Date (or if only the First Closing shall have occurred but either or both the France Closing or the Dutch Closing shall not have occurred, within ninety (90) days after the last to occur of the France Closing or the Dutch Closing, as applicable), Purchaser shall cause to be prepared and deliver to Seller a post - closing statement (the “ Post - Closing Statement ”), setting forth the actual Net Debt/Working Capital Adjustment Amount, calculated as of the Closing Date, and the calculation of the Net Debt/Working Capital Adjustment Amount, including the Net Debt and the Purchased Working Capital (in each case, calculated as of the Closing Date); provided further that the Net Debt/Working Capital Adjustment Amount on the Post-Closing Statement shall have been adjusted downwards or upwards, as applicable, by the difference between:

 

(i) the amount equal to: (A) the net working capital of the La Ciotat business transferred to the French and Spanish Entities in connection with the Restructuring (the “ La Ciotat Business ”), less (B) the net debt of the La Ciotat Business (such calculation under this clause (i), the “ France Closing La Ciotat Working Cap/Net Debt Adjustment ”), and

 

(ii) the amount equal to: (A) the net working capital of the La Ciotat Business as of the date of the First Closing, less (B) the net debt of the La Ciotat Business as of the date of the First Closing, plus (C) the profits after tax of the La Ciotat Business from the date of First Closing until, and including, the date of the France Closing, and less (D) the amount of all capital expenditure incurred in respect of the La Ciotat Business during the same period (such calculation under this clause (ii), the “ First Closing La Ciotat Adjustment ” and the difference between the France Closing La Ciotat Working Cap/Net Debt Adjustment and the First Closing La Ciotat Adjustment, the “ La Ciotat Adjustment Amount ”),

 

and, for the avoidance of doubt, (1) if the La Ciotat Adjustment Amount is a positive number, such amount shall constitute an upward adjustment in the Closing Purchase Price in accordance with Section 1.6(f) , and (2) if the La Ciotat Adjustment Amount is a negative number, such amount shall constitute a downward adjustment in the Closing Purchase Price in accordance with Section 1.6(f) .  The Post-Closing Statement shall be in the format set forth in the Sample Closing Statement and prepared and calculated in accordance with the Closing Statement Methodologies, in each case unless otherwise agreed by Seller and Purchaser. The Parties hereby agree that the Post-Closing Statement

 

2



 

shall not include as a deduction the $63,428,295 included as Item 7(s) in the Closing Statement. Attached as Exhibit A-2 is the Closing Statement contemplated by Section 1.6(b) .  The Parties hereby expressly acknowledge and agree that the amounts included in the Closing Statement are estimates only and that inclusion or exclusion of any amounts in the Closing Statement shall not affect any determination of such amounts or give rise to any presumption of inclusion or exclusion of such amounts for purposes of the determination of the Post-Closing Statement. The Parties hereto reserve all rights with respect to the determination, calculation and review of the Post-Closing Statement. “

 

5.             Section 1.9(a) .  The Agreement is hereby amended by deleting references in Section 1.9(a) to “French Seller Entities” and “Dutch Seller Entities” and replacing them with references to “French Entities” and “Dutch Entities”, respectively.

 

6.             Section 1.11(b) .  The Agreement is hereby amended by deleting in its entirety the last sentence of Section 1.11(b) of the Agreement and replacing it with the following:

 

“To the extent that the France Closing and/or the Dutch Closing shall not have occurred simultaneously with the First Closing, the covenants set forth in Article IV (other than Sections 4.2 , 4.3(d) , 4.4 , 4.5 , 4.9 , 4.10 , 4.12 , 4.15 , 4.16 , 4.17 , 4.18 , 4.19 and 4.20 ) shall apply with respect to the French and Spanish Entities or the Dutch Entities (as applicable) from the date of the France Acceptance Notice or Dutch Acceptance Notice (as applicable) until the France Closing or Dutch Closing (as applicable); provided , however , that (y) in no event shall any violation of such covenants during the period following the First Closing until the France Closing or Dutch Closing (as applicable) affect the requirement to effect the France Closing or Dutch Closing (as applicable) but shall only result, if applicable, in a claim for indemnification under Section 9.2(a)(i)(B)  or Section 9.2(b)(i)(B) , as applicable, and (z) for the purposes of the covenants set forth in Section 4.7 only, the French and Spanish Entities and Dutch Entities shall be deemed to be Purchased Entities only upon occurrence of the France Closing and Dutch Closing (as applicable).  For the avoidance of doubt, any Purchased Asset to be sold, assigned, transferred, conveyed and delivered in accordance with Section 1.1 to Purchaser or its designated Affiliates, and any Assumed Liability to be assumed, paid, discharged or performed by Purchaser in accordance with Section 1.3 , shall be so conveyed or assumed, as applicable, as of the France Closing or Dutch Closing (as applicable) to the extent such Purchased Assets and Assumed Liabilities are subject to the Restructuring and are to be so conveyed to or assumed (indirectly) by Purchaser and/or its designated Affiliates by such Person’s purchase of the French and Spanish Shares or the Dutch Shares (as applicable).”

 

7.             Section 1.13(c) .  The Agreement is hereby amended by adding the following language immediately after the words “(each, a “ Shared Contract ”) shall”:  “, unless noted otherwise in the applicable Schedule (including where such Contract is denoted as subject to the Mutual Transition Services Agreement),”.

 

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8.             Section 2.7(b)(i) .  The Agreement is hereby amended by replacing “ Section 2.7(b)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter” in Section 2.7(b)(i) of the Agreement with “ Schedule 2.7(b) .”

 

9.             Section 2.15(c) .  The Agreement is hereby amended by replacing “ Section 2.15(c)  of the Seller Disclosure Letter” in Section 2.15 of the Agreement with “ Section 2.15 of the Seller Disclosure Letter.”

 

10.          Section 3.8 .  The Agreement is hereby amended by replacing “ Section 4.18(b)(B) ” in Section 3.8 of the Agreement with “ Section 4.18(b) .”

 

11.          Section 4.9(a) .  The Agreement is hereby amended by deleting and restating Section 4.9(a) of the Agreement in its entirety as follows:

 

“Effective upon the Closing, Seller, on behalf of itself and its Affiliates, grants to Purchaser and its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities), a limited, irrevocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicenseable, fully paid-up, royalty-free, worldwide right and license to use the RECAN Marks set forth on Schedule 4.9(c) , the Seller and Rexam Marks set forth on Schedule 4.9(c)  and the SLEEK Marks set forth on Schedule 4.9(b) , in each case solely for the specific uses, as and to the extent, and for the specific periods after Closing as set out in Section 4.9(b)  and Section 4.9(c) , and subject to the terms and conditions hereof.”

 

12.          Section 4.9(b) .  The Agreement is hereby amended by adding the following at the end of Section 4.9(b) of the Agreement:

 

“Effective as of the Closing, with respect to the use of the RECAN Trademark(s) that are used in the Business as of the Closing Date (i) on certain websites and marketing materials to designate certain metal beverage can recycling activities of the Business in the Territory, (ii) in the corporate names of the following Purchased Entities: recan UK Ltd., recan GmbH and Recan Organizacja Odzysku Opakowań S.A., and (iii) in connection with any products or services sold by the Purchased Entities identified in (ii) (the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii), collectively, the “ RECAN Activities ”), in each case in the form and manner as such Trademarks are so used as of the Closing Date (the “ RECAN Marks ”), Purchaser and its controlled Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) shall have the right to continue such use of such RECAN Marks, solely in reasonably the same form and manner, and solely for the RECAN Activities, in each case until such time as Purchaser and its Affiliates cease to conduct such activities.  Without limiting the foregoing, (i) in the event that Seller or Rexam notifies Purchaser that it is modifying the form, manner or use of any RECAN Mark in connection with Seller’s or Rexam’s RECAN Activities, Purchaser shall, and shall cause its controlled Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) to use commercially reasonable efforts to adopt such modified form, manner or use as promptly as reasonably practicable following such notice, and (ii) Purchaser shall not and shall cause its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) to not (A) use any Trademarks other than the RECAN Marks to designate the metal beverage can recycling activities that are a part of the RECAN Activities, (B) use

 

4



 

any RECAN Marks to designate any activities other than the RECAN Activities, or (C) use any RECAN Marks on any beverage cans or other products or services other than those included in the RECAN Activities.”

 

13.          Section 4.22(a) .  The Agreement is hereby amended by replacing the references to “Fixed Price” and “Back-to Back Hedge” in Section 4.22(a) of the Agreement with references to “fixed price” and “Back-to-Back Business Hedge.”

 

14.          Section 4.22(c) .  The Agreement is hereby amended by replacing “Guaranties” in Section 4.22(c) of the Agreement with “Guarantees.”

 

15.          Section 4.22(e) .  The Agreement is hereby amended by replacing the references to “Transferred Contracts” in Section 4.22(e) of the Agreement with references to “Specified Business Contracts.”

 

16.          Section 5.1(c) .  The Agreement is hereby amended by adding the following at the end of Section 5.1(c) of the Agreement:

 

“Purchaser shall or shall cause its Affiliates, including any Purchased Entity, to pay any Seller Post-Closing Incentive Payments through payroll, after the deduction of any Taxes which Purchaser shall or shall cause its Affiliates to pay to the appropriate Taxing Authority provided that Seller shall notify Purchaser of the gross Seller Post-Closing Incentive Payments due to the Transferred Employees no later than 5 Business Days before they are due to be paid to the Transferred Employees and Seller and Purchaser agree that, to the extent not included in Net Debt, the Net Seller Post-Closing Incentive Payments shall be included in the Net Debt/Working Capital Adjustment Amount.”

 

17.          Section 5.1(j) .  The Agreement is hereby amended by replacing “ESPP Trustee” in Section 5.1(j) of the Agreement with “ESPP trustee.”

 

18.          Section 7.2(a) .  The Agreement is hereby amended by deleting and restating Section 7.2(a) of the Agreement in its entirety as follows:

 

“(i) Each of the Purchaser Fundamental Representations shall be true and correct in all material respects as of the Confirmation Date (or if clause (2) of Section 7.2 applies, the Closing Date) with the same force and effect as if made as of such date (other than such representations and warranties as are made as of another date, which shall be so true and correct as of such other date), (ii) all of the other representations and warranties of Purchaser contained in this Agreement (disregarding all qualifications and exceptions contained therein relating to materiality) shall be true and correct as of the Confirmation Date (or if clause (2) of Section 7.2 applies, the Closing Date), with the same force and effect as if made as of such date (other than such representations and warranties as are made as of another date, which shall be so true and correct as of such other date; provided , however , that in the case that clause (1) of Section 7.2 applies, representations made as of the Closing shall for purposes of this Section 7.2(a)  be deemed made as of the

 

5



 

Confirmation Date), except in either case where any failure of such representations and warranties to be so true and correct would not materially delay or prevent the consummation of the Transaction in accordance with the terms hereof, (iii) the covenants and agreements contained in this Agreement to be complied with by Purchaser on or before the Closing shall have been complied with in all material respects as of the Confirmation Date (or if clause (2) of Section 7.2 applies, the Closing Date), and (iv) Seller shall have received a certificate signed on behalf of Purchaser by an officer of Purchaser to the effect that the conditions set forth in the foregoing clauses (i), (ii) and (iii) have been satisfied.”

 

19.          Section 10.1 .  The Agreement is hereby amended in Section 10.1 thereof by deleting the defined terms “ Business Hedge ,” “ ESPP Trustee ,” “ Seller Retained Volume ” and “ Seller Retained Volume Report ” therein and adding the following defined terms in alphabetical order therein:

 

““ First Closing La Ciotat Adjustment ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.6(c) .

 

France Closing La Ciotat Working Cap/Net Debt Adjustment ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.6(c) .

 

La Ciotat Adjustment Amount ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.6(c) .

 

La Ciotat Business ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 1.6(c) .

 

Net Seller Post-Closing Incentive Payments ” means the actual cost to Purchaser and its Affiliates (including the Purchased Entities) of paying the Seller Post-Closing Incentive Payments, including the net amount of any additional employer Taxes after the deduction of any corporation or other tax reliefs available to Purchaser or its Affiliate, as applicable, to the extent that they are not already accrued in the accounts of a Purchased Entity prior to the Closing Date.

 

RECAN Activities ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.9(b) .

 

RECAN Marks ” has the meaning ascribed to such term in Section 4.9(b) .

 

Seller Post-Closing Incentive Payments ” means any short-term incentive awards to be made by Seller or its Affiliates to Transferred Employees pursuant to Section 5.1(c)  and listed in Exhibit C to that certain Amendment No. 2, dated as of June 30, 2016, of the Agreement by and among Purchaser, Seller and Rexam that are paid after the Closing Date.”

 

20.          Section 11.14 .  The Agreement is hereby amended by replacing “Herman.Troskie@mpartners.lu” in Section 11.14 of the Agreement with “Herman Troskie@maitlandgroup.com.”

 

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21.          Section 11.16 .  The Agreement is hereby amended by replacing “on the applicable date of payment.” with “on the Business Day two (2) days prior to the Closing Date.”

 

22.          Entire Agreement .  This Second Amendment, together with Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement, the Agreement, and that certain letter agreement between Seller and Purchaser, dated June 20, 2016, constitute a complete and exclusive statement of the terms of the agreement between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, between the Parties with respect to such subject matter.

 

23.          Execution of Second Amendment .  The exchange of copies of this Second Amendment and of signature pages by facsimile, “portable document format” (“.pdf”) form or other electronic transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Second Amendment as to the Parties and may be used in lieu of the original Second Amendment for all purposes.  Signatures of the Parties transmitted by facsimile, .pdf or other electronic means shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.

 

24.          Incorporation By Reference .  The provisions of Sections 11.4 ( Severability ), 11.5 ( No Third Party Beneficiaries ), 11.8 ( Governing Law ), 11.9 ( Waiver of Jury Trial ), 11.11 ( Headings ), 11.12 ( Counterparts ), 11.13 ( Further Documents ), and 11.15 ( Construction ) of the Agreement shall apply mutatis mutandis as if such provisions were set forth in full herein.

 

25.          Governing Law .  This Second Amendment shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the substantive laws of the State of New York, without regard to its rules of conflict of laws.

 

26.          Full Force and Effect .  Except as amended hereby, the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect in accordance with its terms.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Second Amendment, all as of the date first above written.

 

 

ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

 

 

 

By:

 /s/ Herman Troskie

 

 

Name: Herman Troskie

 

 

Title: Director

 

 

 

 

 

BALL CORPORATION

 

 

 

 

By:

 /s/ Charles E. Baker

 

 

Name: Charles E. Baker

 

 

Title: Vice President

 

 

 

 

 

REXAM PLC

 

 

 

By:

 /s/ David Gibson

 

 

Name: David Gibson

 

 

Title: Company Secretary

 

[ Amendment No. 2 to the Equity and Asset Purchase Agreement ]

 




Exhibit 3.1

 

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

 

OF

 

ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

INTERPRETATION

 

 

 

 

1.

Definitions

 

 

 

 

FORM, NAME, DURATION AND REGISTERED OFFICE

 

 

 

2.

Form and Name

 

3.

Duration

 

4.

Registered Office

 

 

 

 

CORPORATE OBJECTS

 

 

 

5.

Corporate Objects

 

 

 

 

SHARES

 

 

 

6.

Share Capital and Rights Attaching to Shares

 

7.

Power to Issue Shares

 

8.

Variation of Rights Attaching to Shares

 

9.

Power of the Company to Purchase or otherwise Acquire its own Shares

 

10.

Suspension and/or Waiver of Voting Right; Voting by Incapacitated Holders

 

11.

Statements of Share Ownership

 

 

 

 

REGISTRATION OF SHARES

 

 

 

12.

Register of Shareholders

 

13.

Transfer of Shares

 

14.

Conversion of Class B Common Shares

 

15.

Compulsory Transfer of Shares

 

 

 

 

ALTERATION OF SHARE CAPITAL

 

 

 

16.

Power to Alter Capital

 

 

 

 

DIVIDENDS AND LEGAL RESERVE

 

 

 

17.

Dividends

 

18.

Legal Reserve

 

 

 

 

MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS

 

 

 

19.

General Meetings

 

 



 

20.

Record Date For Shareholder Notice; Voting.

 

21.

Convening of General Meetings

 

22.

Participation by telephone or video conference

 

23.

Quorum at General Meetings

 

24.

Voting on Ordinary and Special Resolutions

 

25.

Instrument of Proxy

 

26.

Adjournment of General Meeting

 

 

 

 

DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

 

 

 

27.

Number of Directors

 

28.

Election of Directors

 

29.

Classes of Directors

 

30.

Term of Office of Directors

 

31.

Removal of Directors

 

32.

Vacancy in the Office of Director

 

33.

Remuneration of Directors

 

34.

Directors to Manage Business

 

35.

Powers of the Board of Directors

 

36.

Appointment of Chairman and Secretary

 

37.

Appointment, Duties and Remuneration of Officers

 

38.

Indemnification of Directors and Officers

 

39.

Binding Signatures

 

 

 

 

MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

 

 

40.

Board Meetings

 

41.

Notice of Board Meetings

 

42.

Participation by telephone or video conference

 

43.

Quorum at Board Meetings

 

44.

Board to Continue in the Event of Vacancy

 

45.

Written Resolutions

 

46.

Validity of Acts of Directors

 

 

 

 

CORPORATE RECORDS

 

 

 

47.

Minutes of the Meetings of the Shareholders

 

48.

Minutes of the Meetings of the Board

 

49.

Place Where Corporate Records Kept

 

50.

Service of Notices

 

 

 

 

FINANCIAL YEAR

 

 

 

51.

Financial Year

 

 



 

AUDITOR

 

 

 

52.

Appointment of Auditor

 

 

 

 

VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP AND DISSOLUTION

 

 

 

53.

Winding-Up

 

 

 

 

CHANGES TO CONSTITUTION

 

 

 

54.

Changes to Articles

 

55.

Governing Law

 

 


 

INTERPRETATION

 

1.                                       Definitions

 

1.1                                In these Articles, the following words and expressions shall, where not inconsistent with the context, have the following meanings, respectively:

 

Acquiror

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 15.1;

 

 

 

Acquiror Expert

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 15.1;

 

 

 

Acquiror Purchase Price

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 15.2;

 

 

 

Act

 

the Luxembourg law of 10 August 1915 pertaining to commercial companies, as amended from time to time;

 

 

 

Affected Class B common share

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 14.4;

 

 

 

Affiliate

 

with respect to a person, means any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such person;

 

 

 

Articles

 

means these articles, as amended from time to time in accordance with Article 54;

 

 

 

Article 15 Notice

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 15.1;

 

 

 

Auditor

 

means one or more independent auditors ( réviseurs d’enterprises ) appointed in accordance with these Articles and includes an individual, company or partnership;

 

 

 

Board

 

the board of directors appointed or elected from time to time pursuant to these Articles;

 

 

 

Chairman

 

the chairman of the Board;

 

1



 

Class A common shares

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 6.1;

 

 

 

Class B common shares

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 6.1;

 

 

 

clear days

 

in relation to the period of a notice, that period excluding the day when the notice is given or deemed to be given and the day for which it is given or on which it is to take effect;

 

 

 

Common Shares

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 6.1;

 

 

 

Company

 

the company for which these Articles are approved and confirmed;

 

 

 

Compulsory Acquisition Notice

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 15.2;

 

 

 

Control

 

with respect to any person, means the possession, directly or indirectly, by another person of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of such first person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise

 

 

 

Conversion

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 14.2;

 

 

 

Conversion Trigger

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 14.3;

 

 

 

Depository

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 12.4;

 

 

 

Director

 

a director of the Company;

 

 

 

EUR

 

the single currency of participating member states of the European Union and the lawful currency for the time being of Luxembourg;

 

 

 

Fair Market Value

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 9.6;

 

 

 

Family Member

 

with respect to any natural person who is a Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder, such person’s spouse,

 

2



 

 

 

domestic partner, parents, step parents, grandparents, lineal descendants, siblings and lineal descendants of siblings. Lineal descendants includes adopted persons and stepchildren.

 

 

 

indemnified party

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 38.1;

 

 

 

Luxembourg

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 4.1;

 

 

 

notice

 

written notice as further provided in these Articles unless otherwise specifically stated;

 

 

 

Notice of Objection

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 15.3;

 

 

 

notice to the Company

 

written notice addressed to the Secretary or another officer identified by the Company to Shareholders from time to time, delivered to the registered office of the Company by hand or mail, or to the Company by facsimile or electronic mail (with customary proof of confirmation that such notice has been transmitted).

 

 

 

Officer

 

any person appointed as an officer of the Company by the Board, with such title, powers and duties as designated by resolution of the Board in accordance with Article 37;

 

 

 

Ordinary Resolution

 

a resolution adopted at an ordinary general meeting (including the annual general meeting) with the quorum set forth in Article 23.1 and the majority set forth in Article 24.1;

 

 

 

Parent

 

ARD Holdings S.A. and any successors thereto and any person to which all or substantially all of the Common Shares held by the Parent are assigned;

 

 

 

Permitted Entity

 

(a) a Permitted Trust solely for the benefit of (i) a Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder, (ii) one or more Family Members of such Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder and/or (iii) any other Permitted Entity of such

 

3



 

 

 

Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder;

 

(b) any general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, corporation or other entity exclusively owned by (i) a Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder, (ii) one or more Family Members of such Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder and/or (iii) any other Permitted Entity of such Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder;

 

(c) the personal representative of the estate of a Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder upon the death of such Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder solely to the extent such individual or entity is acting in the capacity as personal representative of such estate;

 

(d) a revocable living trust, which revocable living trust is itself a Permitted Trust, following the death of the natural person grantor of such trust, solely to the extent that such shares are held in such trust pending distribution to the beneficiaries designated in such trust, all of whom are Qualified Holders; and

 

(e) a guardian or conservator of a Qualified Holder who has been adjudged disabled, incapacitated, incompetent or otherwise unable to manage his own affairs by a court of competent jurisdiction, solely in that guardian’s or conservator’s capacity as such.

 

Except as explicitly provided for in these Articles, a Permitted Entity of a Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder shall not cease to be a Permitted Entity of that Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder solely by reason of his death.

 

 

 

Permitted Transfer

 

any transfer of a Class B common share to a Qualified Holder.

 

 

 

Permitted Trust

 

a trust where each trustee is (a) a Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder, (b) a Family Member of a Pre-IPO

 

4



 

 

 

Equity Interest Holder, or (c) a professional (including an attorney or accountant) in the business of providing trustee services, including private professional fiduciaries, trust companies and bank trust departments.

 

 

 

person

 

any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust or other incorporated or unincorporated organisation or any other entity, including a governmental entity or authority;

 

 

 

Pre-IPO Equity Interest

 

a beneficial direct or indirect equity interest in (i) Parent, including as a holder of a beneficial equity interest in any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or similar business entity that holds the beneficial interest in shares in Parent, or (ii) any Subsidiary of Parent, including as a holder of a beneficial equity interest in any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or similar business entity that holds the beneficial interest in shares in such Subsidiary.

 

 

 

Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder

 

a person who, as of the date of the closing of the initial public offering of Class A common shares, is a beneficial owner (and thus ignoring and excluding any holder who is a nominee for the benefit of a beneficial owner, no such nominee being a Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder for these purposes) of a Pre-IPO Equity Interest, including any natural person who has transferred his Pre-IPO Equity Interest to a Permitted Entity as of such date.

 

 

 

Purchase Price

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 15.3;

 

 

 

Qualified Holder

 

(i) Parent or any Subsidiary of Parent (or any successor to Parent or any of its Subsidiaries), or (ii) any Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder or any Family Member or Permitted Entity of such Pre-IPO Equity Interest Holder.

 

5



 

Register of Shareholders

 

the register of shareholders referred to in these Articles;

 

 

 

Relevant Shareholder

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 14.5;

 

 

 

Remaining Holder Expert

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 15.3;

 

 

 

Reorganisation Event

 

An event in which the shareholders of Parent and/or other Subsidiaries of Parent (or any successors thereto) will receive proportionate direct ownership in Class B common shares or Class A common shares, whether by dividend, distribution, exchange offer or other means, substantially the same or fewer than (adjusting for fractional shares) the number of the Class B common shares owned by Parent and any Subsidiaries of Parent (or any successors thereto) immediately prior to the date of such event.

 

 

 

Remaining Holders

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 15.1;

 

 

 

Remaining Shares

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 15.1;

 

 

 

Secretary

 

the person appointed as secretary of the Company by the Board, including any deputy or assistant secretary and any person appointed by the Board to perform any of the duties set forth in Article 36.2 and specifically entrusted by resolution to the Secretary;

 

 

 

Share Capital in Issue

 

the sum of the aggregate par value of the issued Common Shares, taking into account that the par value of each Class A common share is EUR 0.01 and the par value of each Class B common share is EUR 0.10;

 

 

 

Shareholder

 

any person registered in the Register of Shareholders as the holder of shares in the Company;

 

 

 

Special Resolution

 

a resolution adopted at an extraordinary general meeting with the quorum set forth in Article 23.2 and

 

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the majority set forth in Article 24.2;

 

 

 

Subsidiary

 

an incorporated or unincorporated entity in which another person (i) has a majority of the shareholders’ or members’ voting rights or (ii) has the right to appoint or remove a majority of the members of the administrative, management or supervisory body and is at the same time a shareholder in or member of such entity;

 

 

 

Transfer

 

has the meaning ascribed in Article 13.6;

 

 

 

Treasury Share

 

a share of the Company that was or is treated as having been acquired and held by the Company and has been held (or is treated as having been held) continuously by the Company since it was so acquired and has not been cancelled.

 

1.2                                In these Articles, where not inconsistent with the context:

 

(a)                                  words denoting the plural number include the singular number and vice versa ;

 

(b)                                  words denoting the masculine gender include the feminine and neuter genders;

 

(c)                                   the word:

 

(i)                                      “may” shall be construed as permissive;

 

(ii)                                   “shall” shall be construed as imperative; and

 

(iii)                                “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”;

 

(d)                                  a reference to statutory provision shall be deemed to include any amendment or re-enactment thereof;

 

(e)                                   the word “corporation” means a legal entity ( personne morale );

 

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(f)                                    unless otherwise provided herein, words or expressions used in these Articles and defined in the Act shall bear the same meaning in these Articles as in the Act.

 

1.3                                In these Articles expressions referring to writings shall, unless the contrary intention appears, include facsimile, printing, lithography, photography, electronic mail and other modes of representing words in visible form.

 

1.4                                Headings used in these Articles are for convenience only and are not to be used or relied upon in the construction hereof.

 

FORM, NAME, DURATION AND REGISTERED OFFICE

 

2.                                       Form and Name

 

The Company’s legal name is “Ardagh Group S.A.” and it is a public limited liability company ( société anonyme ).

 

3.                                       Duration

 

The Company is incorporated for an unlimited duration.

 

4.                                       Registered Office

 

4.1                                The registered office of the Company is established in the City of Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (“ Luxembourg ”). It may be transferred within Luxembourg by a resolution of the Board, which may amend the Articles accordingly.

 

4.2                                If the Board determines that extraordinary political or military developments or events have occurred or are imminent and that these developments or events would interfere with the normal activities of the Company at its registered office, or with the ease of communication between such office and persons abroad, the registered office may be temporarily transferred abroad until the complete cessation of these extraordinary circumstances. Such temporary measures shall have no effect on the nationality of the Company which, notwithstanding the temporary transfer of its registered office, will remain a Luxembourg incorporated company. Such temporary measures will be taken by the Board and notified to the Shareholders of the Company.

 

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CORPORATE OBJECTS

 

5.                                       Corporate Objects

 

5.1                                The corporate objects of the Company are to hold, directly or indirectly, equity or other interests in other persons, including its Subsidiaries, and take all actions as are necessary or useful to realise these objects.

 

5.2                                The Company has the power to carry out the following actions:

 

(a)                                  the acquisition, holding, management and disposal, in any form, by any means, directly or indirectly, of participations, rights and interests in, and obligations of, Luxembourg and non-Luxembourg companies, partnerships or other incorporated or non-incorporated entities;

 

(b)                                  the acquisition by purchase, subscription, assumption or in any other manner and the transfer by sale, exchange or in any other manner of equity securities, bonds, debentures, notes and other securities or financial instruments of any kind and contracts thereon or related thereto;

 

(c)                                   the ownership, administration, development and management of a portfolio of assets, including real estate assets and the assets referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) above;

 

(d)                                  the holding, acquisition, disposal, development, licensing or sublicensing, and management of, or the investment in, any patents or other intellectual property rights of any nature or origin as well as the rights deriving therefrom;

 

(e)                                   the issuance of debt and equity securities in any currency and in any form including by way of:

 

(i)                                      the issue of shares, notes, bonds, debentures or any other form of debt or equity security and in any manner, whether by way of private placement, public offering or otherwise; and

 

(ii)                                   borrowing from any third party, including banks, financial institutions, or other person whether or not affiliated with the Company;

 

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(f)                                    to the extent permitted under Luxembourg law, the provision of any form of equity or debt funding or any other form of financial assistance in any currency and whether or not financed by any of the methods mentioned in (e) above and whether subordinated or unsubordinated, to any person including to the Company’s subsidiaries, Affiliates and/or any other persons that may or may not be Shareholders or Affiliates of the Company;

 

(g)                                   the giving of guarantees or the creation of any form of encumbrance or security over all or any of its assets to guarantee or secure its own obligations or those obligations and undertakings of any other companies or persons that may or may not be Shareholders or Affiliates, and, generally, for its own benefit and/or the benefit of any other persons that may or may not be Shareholders or Affiliates of the Company; and

 

(h)                                  taking any actions designed or intended to protect the Company against credit, currency exchange, interest rate or other risks.

 

5.3                                The objects and powers described in this Article 5 are to be interpreted in their broadest sense and any transaction or agreement which is entered into by the Company that is not inconsistent with the foregoing objects or powers will be deemed to be within the scope of such objects or powers.

 

SHARES

 

6.                                       Share Capital and Rights Attaching to Shares

 

6.1                                The authorised share capital of the Company is EUR [number], divided into (i) [number] Class A common shares, with a par value of EUR 0.01 each (the “ Class A common shares ”), and (ii)  [number] of Class B common shares, with a par value of EUR 0.10 per share (the “ Class B common shares ,” and, together with the Class A common shares, the “ Common Shares ”).The Company shall at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorised but unissued share capital such number of Class A common shares as shall from time to time be sufficient to effect the conversion of all Class B common shares outstanding from time to time in accordance with Article 14.

 

6.2                                The issued share capital of the Company on the date of the adoption of these Articles is EUR [number] divided into [number] Class B common shares.  The

 

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Company may issue additional shares, including Class A common shares in accordance with these Articles.

 

6.3                                The holders of Class A common shares shall, subject to these Articles:

 

(a)                                  be entitled to one vote per Class A common share (being one vote per EUR 0.01 of the share capital);

 

(b)                                  not be entitled to convert the Class A common shares into any other class of shares;

 

(c)                                   be entitled, with holders of Class B common shares in accordance with Article 17.2, to such dividends or other distributions as the Company may from time to time declare;

 

(d)                                  in the event of a winding-up or dissolution of the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary or for the purpose of a reorganisation or otherwise, be entitled, with holders of Class B common shares in accordance with Article 53.2, to the surplus assets of the Company; and

 

(e)                                   generally be entitled to enjoy all of the rights attaching to shares.

 

6.4                                The holders of Class B common shares shall, subject to these Articles:

 

(a)                                  be entitled to ten votes per Class B common share (being one vote per EUR 0.01 of the share capital as each Class B common share has a par value of EUR 0.10);

 

(b)                                  (i) be entitled, at the option of the holder exercised in accordance with Article 14, to convert each Class B common share into one Class A common share at any time, and (ii) be subject to mandatory conversion, as provided in Article 14;

 

(c)                                   be entitled, with holders of Class A common shares in accordance with Article 17.2, to such dividends or other distributions as the Company may from time to time declare;

 

(d)                                  in the event of a winding-up or dissolution of the Company, whether voluntary or involuntary or for the purpose of a reorganisation or otherwise be entitled, with

 

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holders of Class A common shares in accordance with Article 53.2, to the surplus assets of the Company; and

 

(e)                                   generally be entitled to enjoy all of the rights attaching to shares.

 

6.5                                The holders of Class A common shares and Class B common shares will vote together on all matters, unless otherwise required by the Act or these Articles.

 

7.                                       Power to Issue Shares

 

7.1                                Without prejudice to any special rights conferred on the Shareholders of any existing shares or class of shares (which special rights shall not be affected, modified or abrogated except with such consent or sanction as is provided in these Articles), and subject to the provisions of the Act, any share may be issued either at par or at a premium and with such rights and/or restrictions, whether in respect of dividends, voting, return of capital, transferability or otherwise, as the Company may from time to time direct.

 

7.2                                Any share premium created upon the issue of shares pursuant to Article 7.1 shall be available for repayment to the Shareholders, the payment of which shall be within the absolute discretion of the Board.   Without limiting the foregoing, the Board is authorised to use any share premium for the purpose of making any share premium repayment to Shareholders or repurchasing shares of the Company.

 

7.3                                (a) The Board is generally and unconditionally authorised for a period of five years from [date of the instrument of restatement of the Articles] , to issue Common Shares, to grant options to subscribe for Common Shares and to issue any other instruments convertible into Common Shares up to a maximum of the authorised but as yet unissued share capital of the Company to such persons and on such terms as the Board determines in its absolute discretion.  The Board may set the subscription price for the Common Shares so issued, as well as determining the form of consideration to be paid for any such Common Shares which may include (i) cash, including the setting off of claims against the Company that are certain, due and payable, (ii) payment in kind, and (iii) reallocation of the share premium, profit reserves or other reserves of the Company. The Board is also authorised to issue Common Shares free of charge within the limitations of Article 32-3 (5bis) of the Act.

 

(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board may not pursuant to Article 7.3(a) issue Class B common shares in excess of the [     ] Class B common shares issued on [date of the instrument of restatement of the Articles] except:

 

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(i)                                      In connection with stock splits or share dividends (also known as bonus issues) being made to all holders of outstanding Common Shares in accordance with Article 17.2; or

 

(ii)                                   In connection with a Reorganisation Event, provided that the number of Class B common shares issued in such Reorganisation Event is substantially the same as or less than the number of Class B common shares received by the Company in such Reorganisation Event as treasury shares which are to be cancelled by the Company in due course.

 

7.4                                The Board is authorised to withdraw or limit the Luxembourg statutory preemption provisions upon the issuance of Common Shares pursuant to the authority conferred by Article 7.3.

 

7.5                                The Board shall be authorised to appoint, in its absolute discretion, a representative, to appear before a public notary in Luxembourg for the purpose of amending the Articles to reflect the changes resulting from the increases to the issued share capital of the Company in accordance with Article 7.3.

 

8.                                       Variation of Rights Attaching to Shares

 

Where a resolution of an extraordinary general meeting is such as to change the respective rights of the Class A common shares or the Class B common shares, the Special Resolution must, in order to be valid, fulfil the quorum and majority requirements with respect to each such class of shares.

 

9.                                       Power of the Company to Purchase or otherwise Acquire its own Shares

 

9.1                                The Company may purchase, acquire or receive its own shares for cancellation or to hold them as Treasury Shares within the limits, and subject to the conditions, set forth in the Act and other applicable laws and regulations.

 

9.2                                Pursuant to and in conformity with the provisions of Article 49-2 of the Act, and in conformity with all other applicable laws and regulations, (including any rules and regulations of any stock market, exchange or securities settlement system on which the shares are traded, as may be applicable to the Company), the Company is authorised to purchase, acquire, receive and/or hold shares, including the Common Shares, from time to time, provided that:

 

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(a)                                  the shares hereby authorised to be purchased shall all be fully paid-up issued shares in the Company;

 

(b)                                  the maximum number of shares purchased, acquired or received by the Company shall be such that the aggregate nominal value or the aggregate accounting par value of the shares held by persons other than the Company does not fall below the minimum issued share capital prescribed by the Act;

 

(c)                                   the maximum price which may be paid for each share shall not exceed the Fair Market Value (as defined in Article 9.6);

 

(d)                                  the minimum price which may be paid for each share shall be the par value of the share;

 

(e)                                   the acquisitions, including the shares previously acquired by the Company and held by it, and shares acquired by a person acting in his own name but on the Company’s behalf, may not have the effect of reducing the net assets of the Company below the amount mentioned in paragraphs (1) and (2) of Article 72-1 of the Act.

 

9.3                                This authority, (unless previously revoked, varied or renewed by the general meeting) is granted for a period of five years from [date of the instrument of restatement of the Articles] .

 

9.4                                This authority relates only to:

 

(a)                                  one or more market purchases (being a purchase of Class A common shares by the Company of shares offered for sale by any Shareholder on any stock exchange on which the Class A common shares are traded), as the Board shall determine without such acquisition offer having to be made to all Shareholders; and

 

(b)                                  purchases effected in circumstances other than those referred to in Article 9.4(a), where an offer on the same terms has been made by the Company to all Shareholders in a similar situation.

 

9.5                                The Board shall be authorised to appoint, in its absolute discretion, a representative, to appear before a public notary in Luxembourg for the purpose of amending the Articles to reflect the changes resulting from the cancellation of any shares

 

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repurchased in accordance with the terms of this Article 9, if such election is made to cancel the shares.

 

9.6                                For the purposes of this Article 9, “ Fair Market Value ” means, in respect of any share:

 

(a)                                  the actual price at which the Company effects a purchase of its own shares pursuant to an announced open market repurchase program on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Company’s shares are not listed on the New York Stock Exchange, on such other securities exchange on which the Company’s shares are then listed or traded; or

 

(b)                                  in the case of any repurchase of shares that is not effected pursuant to an announced open market repurchase program on the New York Stock Exchange or another securities exchange, the fair market value determined in good faith by an independent auditor ( réviseur d’entreprises ) appointed by the Board on the basis of such information and facts as available to, and deemed relevant by, the independent auditor.

 

9.7                                Voting rights attaching to a Treasury Share shall be suspended and shall not be exercised by the Company while it holds such Treasury Shares and, except where required by the Act, all Treasury Shares shall be excluded from the calculation of any percentage or fraction of the share capital, or shares, of the Company for determining the quorum and majority requirements of any general meeting.  The aforementioned restrictions on voting rights shall apply to shares issued by the Company and held by direct and indirect subsidiaries, in accordance with Article 49bis of the Act.

 

10.                                Suspension and/or Waiver of Voting Right; Voting by Incapacitated Holders

 

10.1                         The Board may suspend the right to vote of any Shareholder if such Shareholder does not fulfil his obligations under the Articles (as in effect on [ the date of the instrument of restatement of the Articles]) or any deed of subscription or deed of commitment entered into by such Shareholder.

 

10.2                         Any Shareholder may individually decide not to exercise, temporarily or definitively, such Shareholder’s right to vote all or any of such Shareholder’s shares. Any such Shareholder shall be bound by such waiver, which shall be enforceable by the

 

15



 

Company from the date of the Company’s receipt of notice from such Shareholder of such waiver.

 

10.3                         If the voting rights of one or more Shareholders are suspended in accordance with this Article 10 or a Shareholder has temporarily or permanently waived such Shareholder’s voting right in accordance with this Article 10, such Shareholders shall receive notice of and may attend any general meeting of Shareholders but the shares with respect to which such Shareholder does not have, or has waived, voting rights in accordance with this Article 10 shall not be taken into account for determining whether the quorum and majority vote requirements are satisfied.

 

10.4                         A Shareholder of unsound mind, or in respect of whom an order has been made by any court having jurisdiction (whether in Luxembourg or elsewhere) in matters concerning mental disorder, may vote, by such Shareholder’s committee, receiver, guardian or other person appointed by that court and any such committee, receiver, guardian or other person may vote by proxy.  Evidence to the satisfaction of the Board of the authority of the person claiming to exercise the right to vote shall be deposited at the registered office of the Company or at such other place as is specified in accordance with these Articles for the deposit of proxies, not less than forty-eight (48) hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting or adjourned meeting at which the right to vote is exercised, failing which the right to vote shall not be exercised.

 

11.                                Statements of Share Ownership

 

At the request of a Shareholder, the Company shall issue a statement of share ownership evidencing the number of Common Shares registered in such Shareholder’s name in the Register of Shareholders on the date of such statement.

 

REGISTRATION OF SHARES

 

12.                                Register of Shareholders

 

12.1                         The shares are and will remain in registered form ( actions nominatives ) and the Shareholders are not permitted to request the conversion of their shares into bearer form.

 

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12.2                         The Board shall cause to be kept a Register of Shareholders and shall enter therein the particulars required by the Act.

 

12.3                         The Company shall be entitled to treat the registered holder of any share as the absolute owner thereof and accordingly shall not be bound to recognise any equitable claim or other claim to, or interest in, such share on the part of any other person.

 

12.4                         Where shares are recorded in the Register of Shareholders on behalf of one or more persons in the name of a securities settlement system or the operator of such system, or in the name of a professional depository of securities, or any other depository (such system, professional or other depository, being referred to as “ Depository ”) or of a sub-depository designated by one or more Depositories, the Company, subject to it having received from the Depository with which those shares are kept in account satisfactory evidence of the underlying ownership of Common Shares by those persons and their authority to vote the shares, will permit those persons to exercise the rights attaching to those shares, including admission to and voting at general meetings.  A notice may be given by the Company to the holders of shares held through a Depository by giving such notice to the Depository whose name is listed in the Register of Shareholders in respect of the shares, and any such notice shall be regarded as proper notice to all underlying holders of shares.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company shall make payments, by way of dividends or otherwise, in cash, shares or other assets as permitted pursuant to these Articles, only to the Depository or sub-depository recorded in the Register of Shareholders or in accordance with its instructions, and such payment by the Company shall release the Company from any and all obligations in respect of such payment.

 

12.5                         In the case of joint holders of shares, the Company shall treat the first named holder on the Register of Shareholders as having been appointed by the joint holders to receive all notices and to give a binding receipt for any dividend(s) payable in respect of such share(s) on behalf of all joint holders, without prejudice to the rights of the other holders to information as set out in the Act.

 

13.                                Transfer of Shares

 

13.1                         Any Shareholder may, subject to the provisions of the Act and the restrictions contained in these Articles, transfer all or any of such Shareholder’s shares by written instrument of transfer; provided that shares listed or admitted to trading on a

 

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stock exchange may be transferred in accordance with the rules and regulations of such exchange.

 

13.2                         Any Transfer (as defined below) of a Class B common share that is not first determined by the Board to be a Permitted Transfer shall be a breach of these Articles with the effect that (i) such Class B common share shall immediately be deemed to be an Affected Class B common share with respect to which a Conversion Trigger described in Article 14.3(a)(ii) occurred at the time of the Transfer and (ii) the Board may suspend the voting rights of such Class B common share until such Class B common share is converted in accordance with Article 14.5.

 

13.3                         At such time as a Qualified Holder of a Class B common share ceases to be a Qualified Holder without first effecting a conversion of such Class B common share into a Class A common share, there shall be a breach of these Articles with the effect that (i) such Class B common share shall immediately be considered an Affected Class B common share with respect to which a Conversion Trigger described in Article 14.3(a)(ii) occurred at the time such person ceased to be a Qualified Holder and (ii) the Board may suspend the voting rights of such Class B common share until such Class B common share is converted in accordance with Article 14.5.

 

13.4                         If a holder of Class B common shares wishes to Transfer any such shares, he shall provide notice to the Company, (a) specifying the number of Class B common shares he wishes to Transfer and the identity of the transferee(s) of such shares (which shall not exceed four transferees for any one share), (b) representing to the Company that the proposed Transfer is a Permitted Transfer and (c) describing such holder’s basis for such representation.   In determining whether any such Transfer is a Permitted Transfer, the Board may request such additional information from the holder of such Class B common share as it determines is reasonably necessary to enable the Board to make such determination.  The Board shall determine whether such Transfer is (or is not) a Permitted Transfer, which determination will be final and binding on the holder of such share.  The Board shall not be required to give any reasons for its determination, and the Company shall not be held liable for any losses resulting from any such determination or any delay by the Board in making such determination.

 

13.5                         The Board may, from time to time, establish such additional policies and procedures (not in violation of the Act or applicable laws or regulations, including these Articles)

 

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relating to the Transfer of Class B common shares as the Board may determine necessary or advisable in connection therewith.

 

13.6                         For purposes of this Article 13, a “Transfer” of any Class B common share (a) means any direct or indirect sale, assignment, transfer, conveyance or other transfer or disposition of such Class B common share or any legal or beneficial interest in such share, whether or not for value and whether voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law, including the transfer of voting control with respect to such share by proxy or otherwise, and (b) shall be deemed to occur with respect to a Class B common share held by a Qualified Holder if there occurs any act or circumstance that would result in such person ceasing to be a Qualified Holder, including as a result of the transfer, in one transaction or a series of transactions, of voting securities in such person or the right to elect or appoint the directors or managers of such person to persons who are not otherwise Qualified Holders. “Transferred” shall have a correlative meaning.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following shall not be considered a “Transfer” for such purposes:

 

(a)                                  the granting of a revocable proxy to directors or officers of the Company in connection with actions to be taken at general meetings of the Company;

 

(b)                                  the entering into a voting trust, agreement or arrangement solely with other holders of Class B common shares, which voting trust, agreement or arrangement is disclosed in writing to the Secretary of the Company;

 

(c)                                   any change in the trustees or the persons having or exercising voting control over Class B common shares held by any Permitted Entity, so long as, after such change, such Permitted Entity continues to be a Qualified Holder;

 

(d)                                  the pledging or granting of a security interest over a Class B common share in connection with a bona fide loan or indebtedness transaction so long as the pledgor of such Class B common share continues to exercise voting control over such Class B common share;

 

(e)                                   any existing or replacement pledges of or security interests in Class B common Shares by Parent or any Subsidiary of Parent pursuant to the security documents relating to the 7.125%/7.875% Senior Secured Toggle Notes due 2023 and the 6.625%/7.375% Senior Secured Toggle Notes due 2023 issued by ARD Finance S.A. (or any renewal, extension, substitution, refinancing or

 

19



 

replacement of such notes) so long as the pledgor of such Class B common share continues to exercise voting control over such Class B common share;

 

(f)                                    a transfer to the Acquiror pursuant to Article 15; or

 

(g)                                   any transfer to the Company.

 

14.                                Conversion of Class B Common Shares

 

14.1                         All Class B common shares are issued as repurchasable shares ( actions rachetables ) pursuant to the terms of Article 49-8 of the Act.

 

14.2                         Following the occurrence of a Conversion Trigger, each Class B common share will be converted into one Class A common share at the time and in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Article 14 (the “ Conversion ”).

 

14.3                         For purposes of this Article 14, a “ Conversion Trigger ” will occur:

 

(a)                                  with respect to any Class B common share, (i) at any time at the option of the holder of such Class B common share, exercised by notice to the Company, or (ii) upon the holder of such Class B common share ceasing to be a Qualified Holder; or

 

(b)                                  with respect to all Class B common shares, at such time as the Register of Shareholders reflects (or the Board otherwise determines) that Qualified Holders cease to own, directly or indirectly, in the aggregate, Class B common shares constituting at least ten per cent (10%) of the aggregate number of then issued Common Shares, excluding for purposes of such calculation any Treasury Shares.

 

14.4                         The Board shall effect the Conversion of any Class B common share in respect of which a Conversion Trigger shall have occurred (the “ Affected Class B common share ”) no later than 14 days following the receipt by the Company of notice to the Company (in the case of the Conversion Trigger described in Article 14.3(a)) or the Company becoming aware of the occurrence of the Conversion Trigger (in the case of a Conversion Trigger described in Article 14.3(b)), provided that the Company shall not be liable for any losses incurred by any person resulting from any delay in effecting any Conversion.

 

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14.5                         The Conversion will be implemented in the following manner:

 

(a)                                  each Affected Class B common share will be repurchased by the Company for its par value, with no cash payment being made to a Shareholder whose Class B common share is being so repurchased (the “ Relevant Shareholder ”);

 

(b)                                  the Company shall issue one Class A common share to the Relevant Shareholder for each Affected Class B common share repurchased and the purchase price for each Affected Class B common share shall remain outstanding as a claim of the Relevant Shareholder against the Company which claim will be set off against the subscription price payable by the Relevant Shareholder for each Class A common share;

 

(c)                                   upon set-off of the claim pursuant to Article 14.5(b) in satisfaction of the subscription price in respect of each Class A common share the Company shall credit EUR 0.09 to the share premium account of the Company and EUR 0.01 to the share capital account of the Company in respect of each Class A common share; and

 

(d)                                  each Affected Class B common share that is repurchased by the Company will be cancelled by the Company and not available for reissuance.

 

14.6                         In furtherance (but not in limitation) of the provisions of this Article 14, the Chairman for the time being (or some other person appointed by the Company for this purpose) shall be deemed to have been appointed attorney of each of the Relevant Shareholders with full power to execute, complete and deliver, in the name and on behalf of each Relevant Shareholder any closing documents and deliverables as the Board may reasonably require so as to implement a Conversion.

 

14.7                         The Board shall be authorised to appoint, in its absolute discretion, a representative, to appear before a public notary in Luxembourg for the purpose of amending the Articles to reflect the changes resulting from the cancellation of any Class B common shares repurchased, and the corresponding issue of any Class A common shares issued, in accordance with the terms of this Article 14.

 

14.8                         The Company may, from time to time, establish such additional policies and procedures (not in violation of the Act or applicable laws or regulations, including these Articles) relating to the conversion of Class B common shares as the Board may determine necessary or advisable in connection therewith.

 

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15.                                Compulsory Transfer of Shares

 

15.1                         If, at any time, a person is or becomes, directly or indirectly, the owner of seventy-five per cent (75%) or more of the number of issued shares of the Company, such person (the “Acquiror”) may require the holders (the “Remaining Holders”) of the remaining issued shares of the Company (the “Remaining Shares”) to sell their shares to him.  The Acquiror shall exercise his right to acquire such shares by giving notice to the Company (an “Article 15 Notice”) that specifies: (a) the identity and contact details of the Acquiror, (b) the price that the Acquiror will pay for the Remaining Shares (being the fair market value thereof as determined in accordance with this Article 15) or, if not yet determined, the identity of the independent investment banking firm of international reputation that will be engaged by the Acquiror (the “Acquiror Expert”) to determine the fair market value of the Remaining Shares; (c) the Acquiror’s sources of payment of the purchase price for the Remaining Shares (which payment must be in the form of cash), and evidence that the Acquiror has secured funds sufficient to make such payment; and (d) subject to this Article 15, any other conditions governing the purchase of the shares.

 

15.2                         Promptly (but, in any event, within fourteen (14) days) following receipt by the Company of an Article 15 Notice, the Company shall (a) serve notice in writing on all the Remaining Holders (the “Compulsory Acquisition Notice”), indicating that the Acquiror has served an Article 15 Notice and outlining the consequences of such service pursuant to this Article 15, (b) the name of the Acquiror Expert retained by the Acquiror to determine the fair market value of the Remaining Shares, and (c) if the Acquiror has so notified the Company, the price determined by the Acquiror Expert as the fair market value of the Remaining Shares (the “Acquiror Purchase Price”).  If the Acquiror Purchase Price has not been determined by the Acquiror Expert on the date of the delivery by the Acquiror of the Article 15 Notice, the Acquiror shall cause the Acquiror Expert to determine the Acquiror Purchase Price within 21 days of such date, and shall promptly (but in any event within three days)) following such determination, give notice to the Company thereof.  The Company shall promptly thereafter serve notice in writing on all the Remaining Holders indicating the Acquiror Purchase Price.

 

15.3                         If Remaining Holders holding at least 10% of the Remaining Shares object to the Acquiror Purchase Price, such Remaining Holders may provide written notice of such objection to the Acquiror (the “Notice of Objection”), with a copy to the Company, no later than 10 days after the date on which the Company notified the Remaining Holders of the Acquiror Purchase Price.  If no Notice of Objection is provided to the Acquiror within such time period, the Acquiror Purchase Price shall

 

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be final and binding on the Acquiror and all the Remaining Holders and shall be the “Purchase Price” for purposes of this Article 15.  The Acquiror and the objecting Remaining Holders may attempt to agree on the fair market value of the Remaining Shares, and any fair market value agreed by the Acquiror and Remaining Holders holding a majority of the Remaining Shares held by all objecting Remaining Holders shall be final and binding on the Acquiror and all the Remaining Holders and shall the “Purchase Price” for purposes of this Article 15.  Failing agreement on such fair market value within 15 days of the date of the Notice of Objection, the objecting Remaining Holders may engage, at the expense of the Company, an investment banking firm of international reputation (the “Remaining Holder Expert”) to determine the fair market value of the Remaining Shares.  The Remaining Holder Expert shall determine such fair market value within 35 days of the date of the Notice of Objection.  If the difference between the fair market value determined by the Remaining Holder Expert and the Acquiror Purchase Price is not more than 10% of the higher valuation, the purchase price for the Remaining Shares shall be the average of the Acquiror Purchase Price and the fair market value determined by the Remaining Holder Expert.  If the difference between the fair market value determined by the Remaining Holder Expert and the Acquiror Purchase Price is greater than 10% of the higher valuation, the Acquiror Expert and the Remaining Holder Expert shall select and engage, at the expense of the Company, a third investment banking firm of international reputation to determine the fair market value of the Remaining Shares within 65 days of the date of the Notice of Objection.  The fair market value of the Remaining Shares shall be the average of the fair market value of the two closest valuations of the three investment banking firms, and such valuation shall be final and binding on the Acquiror and all the Remaining Holders (the fair market value as determined by the Acquiror Expert, as agreed by the Acquiror and the objecting Remaining Holders in accordance with the second sentence of this Article 15.3 or as determined by the investment banking firms in accordance with this Article 15.3, the “ Purchase Price ”).  Subject to execution by the Acquiror Expert, the Remaining Holder Expert and the third investment banking firm of customary confidentiality agreements, the Company shall provide each of them with such financial and other information as they reasonably request to enable them to make their determinations under this Article 15; provided that all three investment banking firms shall receive the same financial and other information.  Promptly following the determination of the Purchase Price, the Company shall serve notice in writing on all the Remaining Holders indicating the Purchase Price.

 

15.4                         Upon the service of the Compulsory Acquisition Notice, or, if later, the date on which the Remaining Holders are notified by the Company of the Purchase Price, subject to Article 15.5, each of the Remaining Holders shall be required to sell all of the

 

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Remaining Shares held by them to the Acquiror, and, subject to Article 15.4, Article 15.5 and the conditions set forth in the Article 15 Notice, the Acquiror shall be bound to acquire all of such shares, for the Purchase Price, and, in furtherance thereof, pay to the Company at the closing of the sale and purchase of the Remaining Shares, for remittance to the Remaining Holders, the consideration to be paid by the Acquiror for all the Remaining Shares.

 

15.5                         In selling his Remaining Shares to the Acquiror and accepting the Purchase Price therefor, each Remaining Holder shall represent (or be deemed by virtue of Article 15.7 to represent) to the Acquiror that (i) he has full right, title and interest to such shares, (ii) has all necessary power and authority, and has taken all necessary actions to sell such shares to the Acquiror, and (iii) such shares are free and clear of all liens or encumbrances except those imposed by applicable law or these Articles.  Other than the foregoing representations, no Remaining Holder shall be required to make any representations to the Acquiror in connection with the sale of his Remaining Shares under this Article 15.  If any Remaining Holder does not (or cannot) make any such representations, or the Acquiror determines before or after its acquisition of the Remaining Shares held by such Remaining Holder that such representations are incorrect, then the Acquiror may, at his option, determine not to acquire such Remaining Holder’s Remaining Shares or, if he has already acquired such shares, pursue any remedies he has against such Remaining Holder for breach of such representations, as applicable.

 

15.6                         The closing of such sale and purchase shall occur as promptly as practicable after the service of the Compulsory Acquisition Notice or the determination of the Purchase Price (whichever is later), provided that no Remaining Holder shall be required to sell, and the Acquiror shall not be required to purchase, any Remaining Shares if such purchase or sale would violate any applicable law, regulation or order.

 

15.7                         Upon the service of the Compulsory Acquisition Notice, the Company shall be required to take all such actions as may reasonably be requested by the Acquiror to enable it to implement the acquisition by it, and registration in the Register of Shareholders in its name (and/or those of its designee(s)), of all of the Remaining Shares on the terms and conditions set forth in this Article 15.

 

15.8                         In furtherance (but not in limitation) of the provisions of this Article 15, the Chairman for the time being (or some other person appointed by the Company for this purpose) shall be deemed to have been appointed attorney of each of the Remaining Holders with full power (and obligation, if so requested by the Acquiror)

 

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to execute, complete and deliver, in the name and on behalf of each Remaining Holder (a) a transfer in favor of the Acquiror and/or its designee(s) of all of the shares held by such Remaining Holder against delivery to the Company of the Purchase Price for such Remaining Holder’s remaining Shares and (b) subject to Article 15.4, such other closing documents and deliverables as the Acquiror may reasonably require so as to vest all rights and entitlements in or in respect of the shares held by such Remaining Holder in the Acquiror and/or its designee(s) (including a power of attorney in favor of the Acquiror and/or its designee(s) to vote and exercise all rights in respect of such shares pending the registration in the Register of Shareholders of the Acquiror and/or its designee(s) as the holder(s) of such shares).

 

15.9                         The Acquiror, on delivery to the Company of the consideration to which the Remaining Holders are entitled in accordance with this Article 15, shall be deemed to have obtained a good discharge for such consideration and, on delivery of such consideration and execution and delivery of the closing documents required to be executed by the Acquiror to effect its purchase of the Remaining Shares, the Acquiror shall be entitled to require the Company to register its name (or that of its designee) in the Register of Shareholders as the holder by transfer of each of the Remaining Shares.

 

15.10                  The Company shall, as soon as practicable after its receipt of the consideration for the Remaining Shares and the other closing documents and deliverables required to effect the transfer of such shares, deliver to each Remaining Holder the consideration to which such Remaining Holder is entitled in accordance with this Article 15 or, if in the opinion of the Board it is not reasonably practical to do so at such time, pay the same into a separate bank account, in the name of the Company and shall hold such consideration in trust for the applicable Remaining Holder until such time as the Board considers it appropriate to release such consideration.

 

15.11                  If, at the end of the 180th day after delivery by the Acquiror of the Article 15 Notice, the sale of all of the Remaining Shares has not been completed because of the failure of the Acquiror to take any action required to effect such sale within such time period, the Article 15 Notice shall be deemed null and void, the Acquiror shall no longer have the right (or obligation) to purchase the Remaining Shares under this Article 15, and each Remaining Holder and the Company shall be released from their obligations under this Article 15 in respect of the sale of the Remaining Shares.

 

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ALTERATION OF SHARE CAPITAL

 

16.                                Power to Alter Capital

 

16.1                         The Company may from time to time by Special Resolution and subject to Articles 8 and 54.3 and to any greater quorum or majority requirements as may be provided for in the Act, increase, divide, consolidate, subdivide, change the currency denomination of, diminish or otherwise alter or reduce its share capital in any manner permitted by the Act or these Articles, provided that nothing herein shall affect or diminish the authority granted to the Board under Article 7, Article 9 or Article 14.

 

16.2                         If, following any alteration or reduction of share capital, a Shareholder would receive a fraction of a share, the Board may, subject to the Act, address such issue in such manner as it thinks fit, including by disregarding such fractional entitlement.

 

DIVIDENDS, OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS AND LEGAL RESERVE

 

17.                                Dividends and Other Distributions

 

17.1                         Subject to the provisions of the Act, the general meeting may declare dividends by Ordinary Resolution, but no dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by the Board.

 

17.2                         No dividend or other distribution may be declared or paid in respect of Class B common shares unless a dividend or distribution in the same amount per share is declared or paid at the same time in respect of the Class A common shares, and vice versa, without regard to the par value of the shares.  With respect to share dividends (also known as bonus issues), holders of Class B common shares shall receive a relevant number of Class B common shares corresponding to the amount of the dividend and holders of Class A common shares shall receive a relevant number of Class A common shares corresponding to the amount of the dividend.

 

17.3                         The Board may, subject to these Articles and in accordance with the Act, declare an interim dividend ( acompte sur dividendes ) if it determines that it is appropriate to pay such an interim dividend based on the amount of distributable reserves of the Company.  Any such interim dividend will be paid to the Shareholders, in proportion to the number of shares held by them, in accordance with Article 17.2, and such dividend may be paid in cash or wholly or partly in specie in which case the Board

 

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may fix the value for distribution in specie of any assets.  Any interim dividends declared by the Board and paid during a financial year will be put to the Shareholders at the following general meeting to be declared as final.  The Company shall not be required to pay interest with respect to any dividend or distribution declared by the Company, regardless of when or if paid.

 

17.4                         Subject to applicable laws and regulations, in order for the Company to determine which Shareholders shall be entitled to receipt of any dividend, the Board may fix a record date, which record date will be the close of business (or such other time as the Board may determine) on the date determined by the Board.  In the absence of a record date being fixed, the record date for determining Shareholders entitled to receipt of any dividend shall the close of business in Luxembourg on the day the dividend is declared.

 

17.5                         The Board may propose to the general meeting such other distributions (in cash or in specie ) to the Shareholders as may be lawfully made out of the assets of the Company.

 

17.6                         Any dividend or other payment to any particular Shareholder or Shareholders may be paid in such currency or currencies as may from time to time be determined by the Board and any such payment shall be made in accordance with such rules and regulations (including in relation to the conversion rate or rates) as may be determined by the Board in relation thereto.

 

17.7                         Any dividend or other payment which has remained unclaimed for five (5) years from the date the dividend or other payment became due for payment shall, if the Board so resolves, be forfeited and cease to remain owing by the Company.  The payment by the Board of any unclaimed dividend or other moneys payable in respect of a share into a separate account shall not constitute the Company a trustee in respect thereof.

 

18.                                Legal Reserve

 

The Company shall be required to allocate a sum of at least five per cent (5%) of its annual net profit to a legal reserve, until such time as the legal reserve amounts to ten per cent (10%) of the Share Capital in Issue.  If and to the extent that this legal reserve falls below such ten per cent (10%) amount, the Company shall allocate a sum of at least five per cent (5%) of its annual net profit to restore the legal reserve to the minimum amount required by law.

 

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MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS

 

19.                                General Meetings

 

19.1                         An annual general meeting shall be held in each year within six (6) months following the end of the financial year at the Company’s registered office or at such other place in Luxembourg as may be specified in the convening notice.

 

19.2                         For at least eight (8) days prior to the annual general meeting, each Shareholder may obtain a copy of the annual accounts of the Company for the preceding financial year at the registered office of the Company and inspect all documents of the Company required by the Act to be made available by the Company for their inspection.

 

19.3                         Other general meetings may be held at such place and time as may be specified in the respective convening notices of the meeting whenever such a meeting is necessary.

 

20.                                R ecord Date For S hareholder Notice; Voting.

 

20.1                         In order for the Company to determine which Shareholders are entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of Shareholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board may fix, in advance, a record date, which shall not be more than sixty (60) days before the date of such meeting.  If the Board does not fix a record date, the record date for determining Shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Shareholders shall be at the close of business in Luxembourg on the day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or Luxembourg public holiday next preceding the day on which notice is given.

 

20.2                         A determination of Shareholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of Shareholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board may, acting in its sole discretion, fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.

 

21.                                Convening of General Meetings

 

21.1                         The Board may convene a general meeting whenever in its judgment such a meeting is necessary.  The Board may delegate its authority to call the general meeting to the Chairman or any committee of the Board or to one or more board

 

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members by resolution.  The convening notice for every general meeting shall contain the agenda, be communicated to Shareholders in accordance with the provisions of the Act on at least eight (8) clear days’ notice, unless otherwise provided in the Act, and specify the time and place of the meeting and the general nature of the business to be transacted.  The convening notice need not bear the signature of any Director or Officer of the Company.

 

21.2                         The Board shall convene a general meeting within a period of one month upon notice to the Company from Shareholders representing at least ten per cent (10%) of the Share Capital in Issue on the date of such notice.  In addition, one or more Shareholders who together hold at least ten per cent (10%) of the Share Capital in Issue on the date of the notice to the Company may require that the Company include on the agenda of such general meeting one or more additional items.  Such notice to the Company shall be sent at least five (5) clear days prior to the holding of such general meeting.  The rights of Shareholders under this Article 21.2 to require that a general meeting be convened or an item be included on the agenda for a general meeting shall be subject to compliance by such Shareholders with Article 21.3.

 

21.3                         To be in proper form for purposes of the actions to be taken pursuant to Article 21.2, the notice to the Company given pursuant to Article 21.2 must set forth as to each Shareholder(s) requesting the general meeting or the addition of an item to the agenda for a general meeting: (i) a brief description of, as applicable, the purpose of the general meeting or the business desired to be brought before the general meeting, the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration and, in the event that such business includes a proposal to amend these Articles, the language of the proposed amendment) and the reasons for conducting such business at the general meeting; (ii) the name and record address of such Shareholder(s) and the name and address of the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the business is being proposed, and (iii) the class or series and number of shares of the Company which are registered in the name of or beneficially owned by such Shareholder(s) or beneficial owner (including any shares as to which such Shareholder(s) or beneficial owner has a right to acquire ownership at any time in the future); (iv) a description of all derivatives, swaps or other transactions or series of transactions engaged in, directly or indirectly, by such Shareholder(s) or beneficial owner, the purpose or effect of which is to give such Shareholder(s) or beneficial owner economic risk similar to ownership of shares of the Company; and (v) a description of all agreements, arrangements, understandings or relationships between such Shareholder(s) or beneficial owner and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the

 

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proposal of such business by such Shareholder(s) and any material interest of such Shareholder(s) or beneficial owner in such business.

 

21.4                         No business may be transacted at a general meeting, other than business that is properly brought before the general meeting by or at the direction of the Board, including upon the request of any Shareholder or Shareholders in accordance with the Act or these Articles.  Except as otherwise provided by law, the chairman of the general meeting at which the business proposed by a Shareholder is to be transacted shall have the power and duty to determine whether such Shareholder has complied with this Article 21 in proposing such business, and if any such proposal was not made in accordance with this Article 21, to declare that such proposed business shall not be transacted.

 

22.                                Participation by telephone or video conference

 

The Board may organise participation of the Shareholders in general meetings by telephone or video conference and participation in such a meeting shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.  The participation in a meeting by these means is deemed equivalent to a participation in person at the general meeting.

 

23.                                Quorum at General Meetings

 

23.1                         At any ordinary general meeting (including the annual general meeting) the holders of in excess of one-third (1/3 rd ) of the Share Capital in Issue present in person or by proxy shall form a quorum for the transaction of business.

 

23.2                         At any extraordinary general meeting the holders of in excess of one half (1/2) of the Share Capital in Issue present in person or by proxy shall form a quorum for the transaction of business.

 

24.                                Voting on Ordinary and Special Resolutions

 

24.1                         Subject to the Act, any question proposed for the consideration of the Shareholders at any ordinary general meeting shall be decided by the affirmative votes of a simple majority of the votes validly cast on such resolution by Shareholders entitled to vote in accordance with these Articles and in the case of an equality of votes the resolution shall fail.

 

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24.2                         Subject to the Act, any question proposed for the consideration of the Shareholders at any extraordinary general meeting shall be decided by the affirmative votes of at least two-thirds (2/3 rd ) of the votes validly cast on such resolution by Shareholders entitled to vote in accordance with these Articles.

 

25.                                Instrument of Proxy

 

25.1                         A Shareholder may appoint a proxy by an instrument in writing in such form as the Board may approve from time to time and make available to Shareholders to represent such Shareholder at the general meetings of Shareholders.

 

25.2                         The Shareholders may vote in writing (by way of a voting form provided by the Company) on resolutions submitted to the general meeting, provided that the voting form includes (a) the name, first name, address and the signature of the relevant Shareholder, (b) the indication of the shares for which the Shareholder will exercise such right, (c) the agenda as set forth in the convening notice and (d) the voting instructions (approval, refusal, abstention) for each point of the agenda.

 

25.3                         The appointment of a proxy or submission of a completed voting form must be received by the Company no later than forty-eight (48) hours prior to the scheduled meeting date (or such other time as may be determined by the Company and notified in writing to the Shareholders) at the registered office or at such other place or in such manner as is specified in the notice convening the meeting or in any instrument of proxy or voting form sent out by the Company in relation to the meeting at which the person named in the appointment proposes to vote, and appointment of a proxy or the submission of a voting form which is not received in the manner so permitted shall be invalid.

 

25.4                         A Shareholder who is the holder of two or more shares may appoint more than one proxy to represent such Shareholder and vote on his behalf in respect of different shares.

 

25.5                         The decision of the chairman of any general meeting as to the validity of any appointment of a proxy or any voting form shall be final.

 

26.                                Adjournment of General Meeting

 

26.1                         The chairman of a general meeting is entitled, at the request or with the authorisation of the Board, to adjourn a general meeting, while in session, for four

 

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weeks.  The chairman shall so adjourn the meeting at the request of one or more Shareholders representing at least one tenth (1/10 th ) of the Share Capital in Issue.  No general meeting may be adjourned more than once.  Any adjournment of a general meeting shall cancel any resolution passed at such meeting prior to such adjournment.

 

26.2                         Unless the meeting is adjourned to a specific date, place and time announced at the meeting being adjourned, which date, place and time will be publicly announced by the Company, fresh notice of the date, place and time for the resumption of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each Shareholder entitled to attend and vote at the meeting in accordance with these Articles. No business shall be transacted at any adjourned meeting other than business which might properly have been transacted at the meeting had the adjournment not taken place.

 

DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

 

27.                                Number of Directors

 

The Board shall consist of no fewer than three (3) Directors and no more than fifteen (15) Directors, with the number of Directors within that range being determined by the Board from time to time.  The Board consists of [ ·· ] Directors as of [date of the instrument of restatement of the Articles ].

 

28.                                Election of Directors

 

28.1                         The Board or one or more Shareholders who together hold at least ten per cent (10%) of the Share Capital in Issue on the date of the notice to the Company may nominate any person for election as a Director.  Where any person, other than a person proposed for re-election or election as a Director by the Board, is to be nominated for election as a Director, notice to the Company, complying with the requirements of this Article 28.1, must be given of the intention to nominate such person.  Where a person is nominated for election as a Director other than by the Board:

 

(a)                                  such notice to the Company must set forth: (i) in respect of each person whom the Shareholder proposes to nominate for election as a Director, (A) the name, age, business address and residence address of the person, (B) the principal occupation or employment of the person, (C) the class or series and number of shares of the Company owned beneficially or of record by the person and (D)

 

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any other information relating to the person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filings required to be made in connection with solicitations of proxies for election of Directors pursuant to applicable laws or regulations or that the Company may reasonably request in order to determine the eligibility of such person to serve as a Director of the Company; (ii) the name and record address of each Shareholder giving the notice and the name and address of the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the person is being nominated; and (iii) the class or series and number of shares of the Company which are registered in the name of or beneficially owned by such Shareholder or beneficial owner (including any shares as to which any such Shareholder or beneficial owner has a right to acquire ownership at any time in the future); (iv) a description of all derivatives, swaps or other transactions or series of transactions engaged in, directly or indirectly, by such Shareholder or beneficial owner, the purpose or effect of which is to give such Shareholder or beneficial owner economic risk similar to ownership of shares of the Company; and (v) a description of all agreements, arrangements, understandings or relationships between such Shareholder or beneficial owner and any other person or persons (including their names) in connection with the proposed nomination by such Shareholder and any material relationship between such Shareholder or beneficial owner and the person proposed to be nominated for election]; and

 

(b)                                  such notice must be accompanied by a written consent of each person whom the Shareholder proposes to nominate for election as a Director to being named as a nominee and to serve as a Director if elected.

 

28.2                         Except as otherwise provided by law, the chairman of the general meeting at which Directors are to be elected shall have the power and duty to determine whether a proposal to elect Directors made by a Shareholder was made in accordance with this Article 28, and if any such proposal was not made in accordance with this Article 28, to declare that such proposal shall be disregarded.

 

28.3                         Except in the case of a vacancy in the office of Director filled by the Board, as provided for in Article 32, the Company may elect Directors by Ordinary Resolution.  In a contested election where the number of persons validly proposed for election or re-election to the Board exceeds the number of seats to be filled on the Board at the applicable general meeting, Directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes cast by Shareholders present in person or by proxy at such meeting, such that the persons receiving the most affirmative votes (up to the number of Directors to be elected) shall be elected as Directors at such general meeting, and the affirmative

 

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vote of a simple majority of the votes cast by Shareholders present in person or by proxy at such meeting shall not be required to elect Directors in such circumstance. Shareholders shall not be entitled to cumulate their votes in such circumstance, but may only cast a for or against vote for each candidate for each share they own.

 

29.                                Classes of Directors

 

The Directors shall be divided into three classes designated Class I, Class II and Class III.  The Board shall designate the Directors who will initially serve in each of Class I, Class II and Class III. Each class of Directors shall consist, as nearly as possible, of one third (1/3 rd ) of the total number of Directors constituting the entire Board.

 

30.                                Term of Office of Directors

 

At the first general meeting which is held after the date of adoption of these Articles for the purpose of electing Directors, the Class I Directors shall be elected for a three year term of office, the Class II Directors shall be elected for a two year term of office and the Class III Directors shall be elected for a one year term of office.  At each succeeding annual general meeting, successors to the class of Directors whose term expires at that annual general meeting shall be elected for a three year term of office.  If the number of Directors is changed, any increase or decrease shall be apportioned by the Board among the classes so as to maintain the number of Directors in each class as near to equal as possible, and any Director of any class elected to fill a vacancy shall hold office for a term that shall coincide with the remaining term of the other Directors of that class, but in no case shall a decrease in the number of Directors shorten the term of any Director then in office.  A Director shall hold office until the annual general meeting for the year in which his term expires, subject to his office being vacated pursuant to Article 32.

 

31.                                Removal of Directors

 

31.1                         The mandate of any Director may be terminated, at any time and with or without cause, by the general meeting of Shareholders by means of an Ordinary Resolution in favour of such termination.

 

31.2                         If a Director is removed from the Board under Article 31.1, the Shareholders may by means of an Ordinary Resolution fill the vacancy at the meeting at which such Director is removed, provided that any nominee for the vacancy who is proposed by Shareholders shall be proposed in accordance with Article 28.1.

 

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32.                                Vacancy in the Office of Director

 

32.1                         The office of Director shall be vacated if the Director:

 

(a)                                  is removed from office pursuant to these Articles or is prohibited from being a Director by law;

 

(b)                                  is or becomes bankrupt, or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors generally;

 

(c)                                   is or becomes of unsound mind or dies; or

 

(d)                                  resigns his office by notice to the Company.

 

32.2                         The Board shall have the power to appoint any person as a Director to fill a vacancy on the Board occurring for any reason other than where the appointment of a Director to fill a vacancy has been made by the Shareholders in accordance with Article 31.2.  A Director so appointed shall be appointed to the class of Directors that the Director he is replacing belonged to, provided that such Director shall hold office only until ratification by the Shareholders of his appointment at the next following general meeting and, if such general meeting does not ratify the appointment, such Director shall vacate his office at the conclusion thereof.

 

33.                                Remuneration of Directors

 

The remuneration (if any) of the Directors shall be determined by the Board subject to ratification by Shareholders at a general meeting of Shareholders.  Such remuneration shall be deemed to accrue from day to day.  Any Director who holds an executive office (including for this purpose the office of Chairman) or who serves on any Board committee, or who otherwise performs services that in the opinion of the Board are outside the scope of the ordinary duties of a director, may be paid such additional remuneration for such additional services as the Board may determine.  The Directors may also be paid all travel, hotel and other expenses properly incurred by them in attending and returning from Board meetings or general meetings, or in connection with the business of the Company or their duties as Directors generally.

 

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34.                                Directors to Manage Business

 

The business of the Company shall be managed and conducted by or under the direction of the Board.  In managing the business of the Company, the Board may exercise all such powers of the Company as are not, by the Act or by these Articles, required to be exercised by the Company in general meeting.

 

35.                                Powers of the Board of Directors

 

Without limiting the powers of the Board as described in Article 34, the Board shall represent and bind the Company vis-à-vis third parties and may:

 

(a)                                  appoint, suspend, or remove any manager, secretary, clerk, agent or employee of the Company and may fix their remuneration and determine their duties;

 

(b)                                  exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow money and to mortgage or charge or otherwise grant a security interest in its undertaking, property and uncalled capital, or any part thereof, and may authorise the issuance by the Company of debentures, debenture stock and other securities whether outright or as security for any debt, liability or obligation of the Company or any third party;

 

(c)                                   appoint one or more persons to the office of chief executive officer of the Company, who shall, subject to the control of the Board, supervise and administer all of the general business and affairs of the Company;

 

(d)                                  appoint a person to act as manager of the Company’s day-to-day business ( délégué à la gestion journalière ) and may entrust to and confer upon such manager such powers and duties as it deems appropriate for the management and conduct of such daily management and affairs of the Company;

 

(e)                                   by power of attorney, appoint any one or more persons, whether nominated directly or indirectly by the Board, to be an attorney of the Company for such purposes and with such powers, authorities and discretions (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Board) and for such period and subject to such conditions as it may think fit and any such power of attorney may contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of persons dealing with any such attorney as the Board may think fit and may also authorise any such attorney to sub-delegate all or any of the powers, authorities and discretions so vested in the attorney;

 

36



 

(f)                                    delegate any of its powers (including the power to sub-delegate) to one or more committees of one or more persons appointed by the Board which may consist partly of non-Directors, provided that every such committee shall consist of a majority of Directors and shall conform to such directions as the Board shall impose on them, and the meetings and proceedings of any such committee shall be governed by the provisions of these Articles regulating the meetings and proceedings of the Board, so far as the same are applicable and are not superseded by directions imposed by the Board;

 

(g)                                   delegate any of its powers (including the power to sub-delegate) to any person on such terms and in such manner as the Board may see fit (not exceeding those vested in or exercisable by the Board);

 

(h)                                  present any petition and make any application in connection with the liquidation or reorganisation of the Company, take any action, both as plaintiff and as defendant before any court, obtain any judgments, decrees, decisions, awards and proceed therewith to execution, acquiesce in settlement, compound and compromise any claim in any manner determined by the Board to be in the interest of the Company;

 

(i)                                      in connection with the issue of any share, pay such commission and brokerage as may be permitted by law;

 

(j)                                     subject to the provisions of Article 33, provide benefits, whether by way of pensions, gratuities or otherwise, for any Director, former Director or other officer or former officer of the Company or to any person who holds or has held any employment with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or associated companies or any predecessor of the Company or of any such Subsidiary or associated company and to any member of his family or any person who is or was dependent on him, and may set up, establish, support, alter, maintain and continue any scheme for providing all or any such benefits, and for such purposes any Director may be, become or remain a member of, or rejoin, any scheme and receive or retain for his own benefit all benefits to which such Director may be or become entitled thereunder, and the Board may authorise the payment out of the funds of the Company of any premiums, contributions or sums payable by the Company under the provisions of any such scheme in respect of any of the persons described in this Article 35(j); and

 

37



 

(k)                                  authorise any person or persons to act on behalf of the Company for any specific purpose and in connection therewith to execute any deed, agreement, document or instrument on behalf of the Company.

 

36.                                Appointment of Chairman and Secretary

 

36.1                         A Chairman may be appointed by the Board from among its members from time to time for such term as the Board deems fit.  Unless otherwise determined by the Board, the Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Board and the Shareholders.  In the absence of the Chairman from any meeting of the Board or the Shareholders, the Board shall designate an alternative person to serve as the chairman of such meeting.

 

36.2                         A Secretary may be appointed by the Board from time to time for such term as the Board deems fit.  The Secretary need not be a Director and shall be responsible for (i) sending convening notices of general meetings as per the instruction of the Board, (ii) calling Board meetings as per the instruction of the Chairman, (iii) keeping the minutes of the meetings of the Board and of the Shareholders and (iv) any other duties entrusted from time to time to the Secretary by the Board.

 

37.                                Appointment, Duties and Remuneration of Officers

 

37.1                         The Board may appoint such Officers (who may or may not be Directors) as the Board may determine for such terms as the Board deems fit.

 

37.2                         The Officers shall have such powers and perform such duties in the management, business and affairs of the Company as may be designated by resolution of the Board from time to time.

 

37.3                         The Officers shall receive such remuneration as the Board may determine.

 

38.                                Indemnification of Directors and Officers

 

38.1                         The Directors, Chairman, Secretary and other Officers (such term to include any person appointed to any committee by the Board) acting in their capacities as such or, at the request of the Company, as a director, officer, employee or agent of another person, including any Subsidiary of the Company, or as the liquidator or trustee (if any) for the Company or any Subsidiary thereof, and every one of them (whether for the time being or formerly), and their heirs, executors and

 

38



 

administrators (each, an “indemnified party”), shall, to the extent possible under applicable law, be indemnified and held harmless by the Company from and against all actions, costs, charges, losses, damages and expenses which any of them incur or sustain by or by reason of any act performed or omitted to be performed by any Director, Chairman, Secretary or Officer in their capacities as such or in the other capacities described above, and, to the extent possible under applicable law, no Director, Chairman, Secretary or Officer shall be liable for the actions, omissions or defaults of any other indemnified party, or for the actions of any advisors to the Company or any other persons, including financial institutions, with whom any moneys or assets belonging to the Company are lodged or deposited for safe custody, or for insufficiency or deficiency of any security received by the Company in respect of any of its moneys or assets, or for any other loss, misfortune or damage which may happen in the course of their serving as a Director, Chairman, Secretary or Officer of the Company or, at the request of the Company, as a director, officer, employee or agent of another person, including any Subsidiary of the Company, or as the liquidator or trustee (if any) for the Company or any Subsidiary thereof, or in connection therewith, provided that these indemnity and exculpation provisions shall not extend to any matter in respect of any fraud or dishonesty, gross negligence, wilful misconduct or action giving rise to criminal liability in relation to the Company which may attach to any of the indemnified parties.  Each Shareholder agrees to waive any claim or right of action such Shareholder might have, whether individually or by or in the right of the Company, against any Director, Chairman, Secretary or Officer on account of any action taken by such person, or the failure of such person to take any action in the performance of his duties with or for the Company or, at the request of the Company, any other person, provided that such waiver shall not extend to any matter in respect of any fraud or dishonesty, gross negligence, wilful misconduct or action giving rise to criminal liability in relation to the Company which may attach to such person.

 

38.2                         The Company may, to the extent possible under applicable law, purchase and maintain insurance for the benefit of any Director or Officer against any liability (to the extent permitted by law) incurred by him under the Act in his capacity as a Director or Officer or indemnifying such Director or Officer in respect of any loss arising or liability attaching to him by virtue of any rule of law in respect of any negligence, default, breach of duty or breach of trust of which the Director or Officer may be guilty in relation to the Company or any Subsidiary thereof.

 

38.3                         The Company may, to the extent possible under applicable law, advance moneys to an indemnified party for the costs, charges and expenses incurred by such indemnified party in defending any civil or criminal proceedings against such person,

 

39



 

on condition that such indemnified party shall repay the advance if any allegation of fraud or dishonesty in relation to the Company is proved against such person.

 

38.4                         The rights conferred on indemnified parties under this Article 38 are contract rights, and any right to indemnification or advancement of expenses under this Article 38 shall not be eliminated or impaired by an amendment to these Articles after the occurrence of the act or omission with respect to which indemnification or advancement of expenses is sought.

 

38.5                         The Company is authorised to enter into agreements with any indemnified party providing indemnification or advance of expenses rights to any such person, to the extent possible under applicable law.

 

39.                                Binding Signatures

 

39.1                         Towards third parties, the Company is in all circumstances committed either by the joint signatures of any two Directors or by the sole signature of the delegate of the Board acting within the limits of his powers.

 

MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

40.                                Board Meetings

 

40.1                         The Board may meet for the transaction of business, adjourn and otherwise regulate its meetings as it sees fit.  Each Director shall have one vote, and a resolution put to the vote at a Board meeting shall be carried by the affirmative votes of a majority of the votes cast and in the case of an equality of votes, the resolution shall fail and the Chairman of the meeting shall not have a casting vote.

 

40.2                         Each Director present at a meeting of the Board shall, in addition to his or her own vote, be entitled to one vote in respect of each other Director not present at the meeting who shall have authorised such Director in respect of such meeting to vote for such other Director in the absence of such other Director.

 

40.3                         Any such authority may relate generally to all meetings of the Board or to any specified meeting or meetings and must be in writing and may be sent by mail, facsimile or electronic mail (with customary proof of confirmation that such notice has been transmitted) or any other means of communication approved by the Board and may bear a printed or facsimile signature of the Director giving such authority.

 

40



 

The authority must be delivered to the Company for filing prior to or must be produced at the meeting at which a vote is to be cast pursuant thereto.

 

41.                                Notice of Board Meetings

 

A Director may, and the Secretary on the requisition of a Director shall, at any time convene a Board meeting.  Notice of a Board meeting shall be deemed to be duly given to a Director if it is given to such Director verbally (including in person or by telephone) or otherwise communicated or sent to such Director by mail or facsimile or electronic mail (with customary proof of confirmation that such notice has been transmitted) at such Director’s last known address or in accordance with any other instructions given by such Director to the Company for this purpose.

 

42.                                Participation by telephone or video conference

 

Directors may participate in any meeting by video conference or by such telephonic or other communication facilities or means as permit all persons participating in the meeting to communicate with each other simultaneously, and participation in such a meeting shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

 

43.                                Quorum at Board Meetings

 

The quorum necessary for the transaction of business at a Board meeting shall be two Directors present in person.

 

44.                                Board to Continue in the Event of Vacancy

 

The Board may act notwithstanding any vacancy in its number, provided that, if the number of Directors is less than the number fixed by the Act as the minimum number of directors, the continuing Director(s) shall, on behalf of the Board, summon a general meeting for the purpose of appointing new Directors to fill the vacancies or for the purpose of adopting any measures within the competence of the general meeting.

 

45.                                Written Resolutions

 

A resolution signed by all the Directors, which may be in counterparts, shall be as valid as if it had been passed at a Board meeting duly called and constituted, such resolution to be effective on the date on which the resolution is signed by the last Director.

 

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46.                                Validity of Acts of Directors

 

All actions taken at any meeting of the Board or by any Director, notwithstanding that it is subsequently discovered that there was a defect in the appointment of a Director or that a Director was disqualified from holding office or had vacated office, shall be as valid as if such Director had been duly appointed, was qualified or had continued to be a Director and had been entitled to take any such action.

 

CORPORATE RECORDS

 

47.                                Minutes of the Meetings of the Shareholders

 

47.1                         The minutes of general meetings of Shareholders shall be drawn up and shall be signed by the Chairman of the general meeting.

 

47.2                         Copies of or extracts from the minutes of the general meeting of Shareholders may be certified by the Chairman or the Secretary.

 

48.                                Minutes of the Meetings of the Board

 

The minutes of any meeting of the Board, or extracts thereof, shall be signed by the Chairman or the member of the Board who presided at such meeting.

 

49.                                Place Where Corporate Records Kept

 

Minutes prepared in accordance with the Act and these Articles shall be kept by the Secretary at the registered office of the Company.

 

50.                                Service of Notices

 

50.1                         A notice (including a notice convening a general meeting) or any other document to be served or delivered by the Company to Shareholders pursuant to these Articles may be served on or delivered to any Shareholder by the Company:

 

(a)  by hand delivery to such Shareholder or his authorised agent (and in the case of a notice convening a general meeting, only if such Shareholder has individually agreed to receive notice in such manner);

 

42



 

(b)  by mailing such notice or document to such Shareholder at his address as recorded in the Register of Shareholders (and in the case of a notice convening a general meeting, only if such Shareholder has individually agreed to receive notice in such manner);

 

(c)  by facsimile telecommunication, when directed to a number at which such Shareholder has individually consented in writing to receive notices or documents from the Company (including a notice convening a general meeting);

 

(d) by electronic mail, when directed to an electronic mail address at which such Shareholder has individually consented in writing to receive notice or documents from the Company (including a notice convening a general meeting); or

 

(e) by registered letter to such Shareholder at his address as recorded in the Register of Shareholders in respect of a notice convening a general meeting in circumstances where a Shareholder has not individually consented to receiving notice by other means of communication.

 

50.2.                      Where a notice or document is served or delivered pursuant to Article 50.1(a), the service or delivery thereof shall be deemed to have been effected at the time such notice or document was delivered to the Shareholder or his authorised agent.

 

50.3.                      Where a notice or document is served or delivered pursuant to Article 50.1(b), service or delivery thereof shall be deemed to have been effected at the expiration of forty- eight hours after such notice or document was mailed. In proving service or delivery it shall be sufficient to prove that the envelope containing such notice or document was properly addressed, stamped and mailed.

 

50.4.                      Where a notice or document is served or delivered pursuant to Article 50.1(c) or Article 50.1(d), service or delivery thereof shall be deemed to be effected at the time the facsimile or electronic mail was sent, as evidenced by the records of the Company generated at such time and available to the recipient of such electronically transmitted notice or document upon his request.

 

50.5                         Without prejudice to the provisions of Articles 50.1(b) and 50.3, if at any time by reason of the suspension or curtailment of postal services within Luxembourg, the Company is unable to convene a general meeting by notices sent through the mail, a general meeting may be convened by a notice advertised in at least one leading national daily newspaper in Luxembourg, filed with the register of commerce and companies and published on the Recueil Electronique des Sociétés et Associations at least fifteen

 

43



 

days before the affected general meeting.  In such case, such notice shall be deemed to have been duly served on all Shareholders entitled thereto at noon on the day on which such advertisement shall appear.  In any such case the Company shall send, from Luxembourg or elsewhere (as the Board in its opinion considers practical), confirmatory copies of the notice convening the general meeting at least eight days before the meeting by mail (or by facsimile or electronic mail in the case of Shareholders who have consented in writing to receive notices by facsimile or electronic mail as described in Article 50.1(c) and Article 50.1(d)) to those Shareholders whose registered addresses are outside Luxembourg or are in areas of Luxembourg unaffected by such suspension or curtailment of postal services.  If at least eight days prior to the time appointed for the holding of the general meeting, the mailing of notices to Shareholders in Luxembourg, or any part thereof that was previously affected, has again (in the opinion of the Board) become practical, to the extent such Shareholders have not received notices convening such meeting by facsimile or electronic mail, the Company shall send confirmatory copies of the notice by mail to such Shareholders. The accidental omission to give any such confirmatory copy of a notice of a general meeting to, or the non-receipt of any such confirmatory copy by, any Shareholder (whether by mail or, if applicable, facsimile or electronic mail) shall not invalidate the proceedings at such general meeting, and no proof need be given that this formality has been complied with.

 

50.6.                      Notwithstanding anything contained in this Article 50, the Company shall not be obliged to take account of or make any investigations as to the existence of any suspension or curtailment of postal services within or in relation to all or any part of any jurisdiction or other area other than Luxembourg.

 

FINANCIAL YEAR

 

51.                                Financial Year

 

The financial year of the Company shall begin on 1 January and shall end on 31 December in each year.

 

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AUDITOR

 

52.                                Appointment of Auditor

 

52.1                         The operations of the Company shall be supervised by one or several approved statutory auditors ( réviseur(s) d’entreprises agréé ) as applicable.

 

52.2                         Subject to the Act, the Shareholders shall appoint the auditor(s) selected by the audit committee of the Company to hold office for such term as the Shareholders deem fit but not exceeding six (6) years or until a successor is appointed.  The auditor shall be eligible for re-appointment.

 

52.3                         The Auditor may be a Shareholder but no Director, Officer or employee of the Company shall, during his continuance in office, be eligible to act as an Auditor of the Company.

 

VOLUNTARY WINDING-UP AND DISSOLUTION

 

53.                                Winding-Up

 

53.1                         The Company may be dissolved at any time by the Shareholders by means of a Special Resolution.  In the event of dissolution of the Company, liquidation shall be carried out by one or more liquidators, who may be natural or legal persons, appointed by the general meeting, which shall determine the powers and remuneration of such liquidators.

 

53.2                         If the Company shall be dissolved and the assets available for distribution among the Shareholders shall be insufficient to repay the total paid up share capital of the Class A common shares and one-tenth ( 1 /10) of the paid up share capital of the Class B common shares, such assets shall be distributed to the Shareholders in proportion to the number of shares held by them, without regard to the par value of their shares.  If in a dissolution the assets available for distribution among the Shareholders shall be more than sufficient to repay the total paid up share capital of the Class A common shares and one-tenth ( 1 /10) of the paid up share capital of the Class B common shares at the commencement of the dissolution, the excess shall be distributed among the Shareholders in proportion to the number of shares held by them at the commencement of the dissolution, without regard to the par value of their shares.

 

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53.3                         The liquidator may, with the sanction of the Shareholders by means of an Ordinary Resolution, divide amongst the Shareholders in specie or in kind the whole or any part of the assets of the Company (whether they shall consist of property of the same kind or not) and may, for such purpose, set such value as the liquidator deems fair upon any property to be divided as aforesaid and, subject to these Articles and the rights attaching to each share, may determine how such division shall be carried out as between the Shareholders or different classes of Shareholders. The determinations of the liquidator in respect of the distributions described in Article 53.2 and this Article 53.3 shall be final.

 

CHANGES TO CONSTITUTION

 

54.                                Changes to Articles

 

54.1                         No Article may be rescinded, altered or amended and no new Article may be made save in accordance with the Act and until it has been approved by the Shareholders by means of a Special Resolution or approved by the Board in accordance with these Articles.

 

54.2                         The following provisions of these Articles may not be rescinded, altered or amended until such rescission, alteration or amendment has been approved by the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes validly cast by holders of Class A common shares voting as a class at an ordinary general meeting at which the holders of in excess of one-third (1/3) of the Class A common shares are present in person or by proxy and subject to any applicable greater quorum or majority requirements as may be provided for in the Act: Articles 6.4 and 6.5, Article 7.3(b), Article 10.1, Article 13, Article 14, Article 15, Article 17.2 and this Article 54, including in each case any related definitions, except to the extent any such rescission, alteration or amendment is intended to correct a manifest error or otherwise would not adversely affect the holders of Class A common shares.

 

54.3                         Notwithstanding Article 7.1, except as provided in clauses (i) and (ii) of Article 7.3(b), Shareholders shall not, whether by granting authorisation to the Board to do so from authorised share capital or resolving upon such issuance at a general meeting, approve the issuance by the Company of Class B common shares unless such authorisation or issuance has been approved by the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes validly cast by holders of Class A common shares voting as a class at an ordinary general meeting at which the holders of in excess of one-third (1/3) of the Class A common shares are present in person or by proxy, subject

 

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to any applicable greater quorum or majority requirements as may be provided for in the Act.

 

55.                                Governing Law

 

55.1                         All matters not governed by these Articles shall be determined in accordance with the laws of Luxembourg.

 

55.2                         Notwithstanding anything contained in these Articles, the provisions of these Articles are subject to any applicable law and legislation, including the Act, except where these Articles contain provisions which are stricter than those required pursuant to any applicable law and legislation, including the Act.

 

55.3                         Should any clause of these Articles be declared null and void, this shall not affect the validity of the other clauses of these Articles.

 

55.4                         In the case of any divergences between the English and the French text, the English text will prevail.

 

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Exhibit 10.2

 

 

SHAREHOLDER AGREEMENT

 

BY AND BETWEEN

 

ARD HOLDINGS S.A.

 

AND

 

ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

 

Dated                , 2017

 



 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS

1

Section 1.01

Certain Defined Terms

1

Section 1.02

Interpretation and Rules of Construction

4

 

 

ARTICLE II RELEVANT CONTRACTS

5

Section 2.01

Relevant Contracts

5

 

 

ARTICLE III MUTUAL RELEASES; INDEMNIFICATION

6

Section 3.01

Release of Pre-IPO Claims

6

Section 3.02

Indemnification by Listco

8

Section 3.03

Indemnification Obligations Net of Insurance Proceeds

8

Section 3.04

Notice of Loss; Third Party Claims

9

Section 3.05

Additional Matters

10

 

 

ARTICLE IV LEGAL MATTERS

10

Section 4.01

Privileged Matters

10

 

 

ARTICLE V MISCELLANEOUS

12

Section 5.01

Limitation of Liability

12

Section 5.02

Post-Closing Cooperation

12

Section 5.03

ARD Holdings Reorganisation

12

Section 5.04

Allocation of Costs and Expenses for Luxembourg Offices

12

Section 5.05

Dividends and Dividend Restrictions

13

Section 5.06

Counterparts

13

Section 5.07

Notices

13

Section 5.08

Severability

14

Section 5.09

Entire Agreement

14

Section 5.10

Assignment

14

Section 5.11

Amendments

14

Section 5.12

Waiver

14

Section 5.13

No Third Party Beneficiaries

14

Section 5.14

Governing Law; Jurisdiction

14

Section 5.15

Waiver of Jury Trial

14

 

SCHEDULES

 

Schedule I

Relevant Contracts

 



 

SHAREHOLDER AGREEMENT

 

SHAREHOLDER AGREEMENT (this “ Agreement ”), dated             , 2017, by and between ARD HOLDINGS S.A., a société anonyme organized under the laws of Luxembourg (together with any successor thereof, “ ARD Holdings ”), and ARDAGH GROUP S.A., a société anonyme organized under the laws of Luxembourg (“ Listco ”).

 

WHEREAS, on the date of this Agreement, ARD Holdings owns, directly or indirectly, substantially all of the equity interests in Listco and, prior to the date hereof, has, in its capacity as the parent company of the companies operating the Business (as defined herein), overseen the operation of the Business and entered into various contracts, commitments and other arrangements in connection therewith;

 

WHEREAS, Listco intends to effect an initial public offering in the United States (the “ IPO ”) of its Class A common shares;

 

WHEREAS, following the closing of the IPO, ARD Holdings will remain a significant shareholder of Listco, and Listco will operate the Business as the parent company of the Listco Group; and

 

WHEREAS, the Parties have agreed to enter into this Agreement to define certain arrangements between them.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing premises and the covenants and agreements contained in this Agreement, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.01                        Certain Defined Terms .  For purposes of this Agreement:

 

Action ” means any claim, action, demand, suit, arbitration, inquiry, proceeding or investigation by or before any Governmental Authority.

 

Affiliate ” means, with respect to any specified Person, any other Person that, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such specified Person.

 

AFSA ” means ARD Finance S.A., a société anonyme organized under the laws of Luxembourg, a member of the ARD Holdings Group.

 

Agreement ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

ARD Holdings ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 



 

ARD Holdings Group ” means ARD Holdings and its Subsidiaries (other than Listco and its Subsidiaries).

 

Business ” means the business conducted by ARD Holdings and its subsidiaries prior to the date hereof and to be conducted by the Listco Group following the IPO.

 

Closing Date ” means 12:00 a.m., New York time, on the date on which the closing of the IPO occurs.

 

Common Shares ” means the Class A common shares, par value EUR 0.01 per share, and Class B common shares, par value EUR 0.10 per share, of Listco.

 

Contract ” means any contract, agreement, lease, license, sales order, purchase order, instrument or other commitment, whether written or unwritten, that is binding on any Person or any part of its property under applicable Law.

 

control ” (including the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), with respect to the relationship between or among two or more Persons, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the affairs or management of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, as trustee, personal representative or executor, by contract, credit arrangement or otherwise.

 

Governmental Authority ” means any federal, national, supranational, state, provincial, local or other government, governmental, regulatory or administrative authority, agency or commission or any court, tribunal or judicial or arbitral body of competent jurisdiction.

 

Governmental Order ” means any order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree, stipulation, determination or award entered by or with any Governmental Authority.

 

Group ” means the ARD Holdings Group or the Listco Group, as the context requires.

 

Indemnified Party ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.03(a) .

 

Indemnity Payment ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.03(a) .

 

Insurance Proceeds ” means those monies:

 

(a)                                  received by an insured from an insurance carrier; or

 

(b)                                  paid by an insurance carrier on behalf of the insured, in any such case net of any applicable premium adjustments (including reserves and retrospectively rated premium adjustments) and net of any costs or expenses incurred in the collection thereof.

 

IPO ” has the meaning set forth in the recitals hereto.

 

2



 

Law ” means any non-U.S. or U.S. federal, national, supranational, state, provincial, local or similar statute, law, ordinance, regulation, rule, code, order, requirement or rule of law (including common law).

 

Liabilities ” means any and all debts, liabilities and obligations, whether accrued or fixed, absolute or contingent, matured or unmatured or determined or determinable, including those arising under any Law, Action or Governmental Order and those arising under any contract, agreement, arrangement, commitment or undertaking.

 

Listco ” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Listco Group ” means Listco and each of its Subsidiaries, and each Person that becomes a Subsidiary of Listco after the date hereof.

 

Listco Releasees ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.01(b) .

 

Listco Releasors ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.01(a) .

 

Loss ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.02 .

 

Luxembourg Offices ” means the offices located at 56, rue Charles Martel L-2134 Luxembourg, Luxembourg, occupied and used by both ARD Holdings and Listco as of the date hereof.

 

Party ” means ARD Holdings or Listco.

 

Person ” means any individual, partnership, firm, corporation, limited liability company, association, trust, unincorporated organization or other entity, as well as any syndicate or group that would be deemed to be a person under Section 13(d)(3) of the U.S. Exchange Act.

 

Relevant Contracts means all Contracts to which any member of the ARD Holdings Group is a party or is bound, as of the date hereof, that relate to the Business, including the Contracts identified on Schedule I .

 

Reorganisation Event ” means an event in which the shareholders of ARD Holdings and/or other Subsidiaries of ARD Holdings (or any successors thereto) will receive proportionate direct ownership in Common Shares, whether by dividend, distribution, exchange offer or other means, substantially the same as or fewer than (adjusting for fractional shares) the number of the Class B common shares owned by ARD Holdings and any Subsidiaries of ARD Holdings (or any successors thereto) immediately prior to the date of such event.

 

SEC ” means the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Securities Act ” means the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

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Subsidiary ” of any Person means any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other organization, whether incorporated or unincorporated, more than 50% of the equity interests of which are owned, directly or indirectly, by such first Person.

 

Tax ” or “ Taxes ” means all income, capital gains, gross receipts, windfall profits, severance, property, production, license, excise, net worth, franchise, capital, employment, withholding, social security contributions and other taxes, duties, fees, charges or imposts, however denominated, together with any interest, additions or penalties in respect thereof, imposed by any Taxing Authority.

 

Taxing Authority ” means any Governmental Authority that is responsible for the administration or imposition of any Tax, including any federal, national, international, supranational, state, provincial, local or other government, governmental, regulatory or administrative authority, agency or commission and any court, tribunal or judicial or arbitral body empowered to issue binding decisions.

 

Third Party Claim ” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.04(b) .

 

Toggle Notes ” means the 7.125%/7.875% Senior Secured Toggle Notes due 2023 and the 6.625%/7.375% Senior Secured Toggle Notes due 2023, issued by AFSA on September 16, 2016, or any replacement, refunding or refinancing thereof.

 

Section 1.02                        Interpretation and Rules of Construction .  In this Agreement, except to the extent otherwise provided or that the context otherwise requires:

 

(a)          when a reference is made in this Agreement to an Article, Section or Schedule, such reference is to an Article or Section of, or a Schedule to, this Agreement;

 

(b)          the table of contents and headings for this Agreement are for reference purposes only and do not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement;

 

(c)           whenever the words “include,” “includes” or “including” are used in this Agreement, they are deemed to be followed by the words “without limitation”;

 

(d)          the words “hereof,” “herein” and “hereunder” and words of similar import, when used in this Agreement, refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement;

 

(e)           all terms defined in this Agreement have the defined meanings when used in any certificate or other document delivered or made available pursuant hereto, unless otherwise defined therein;

 

(f)            the definitions contained in this Agreement are applicable to the singular as well as the plural forms of such terms;

 

(g)           references to a Person are also to its successors and permitted assigns; and

 

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(h)          the use of “or” is not intended to be exclusive unless expressly indicated otherwise.

 

ARTICLE II

 

RELEVANT CONTRACTS

 

Section 2.01                        Relevant Contracts .

 

(a)          With respect to each Relevant Contract that can be assigned by ARD Holdings or another member of the ARD Holdings Group to a member of the Listco Group (as designated by Listco) without the prior consent of, or notice to, any unrelated Person, ARD Holdings will, or will cause the applicable member of the ARD Holdings Group to, assign such Relevant Contract to such member of the Listco Group, and such member will accept such Relevant Contract and assume all of the rights and obligations of the assigning Person thereunder; provided that no member of the Listco Group or the ARD Holdings Group shall be obligated to pay any consideration in respect of such assignment to any member of the other Group.

 

(b)          With respect to each Relevant Contract that cannot be assigned by ARD Holdings or another member of the ARD Holdings Group to a member of the Listco Group without the prior consent of, or notice to, any unrelated Person, ARD Holdings and Listco will cooperate with each other to put in place such arrangements as are necessary to (i) provide the applicable member of the Listco Group (as designated by Listco), to the fullest extent practicable, with the claims, rights and benefits enjoyed by the applicable member of the ARD Holdings Group under such Relevant Contract, and (ii) to cause such member of the Listco Group to assume all Liabilities arising under such Relevant Contract from and after the Closing Date, in each case, as if each Relevant Contract had been assigned to such member of the Listco Group as of such date.  No member of the Listco Group or the ARD Holdings Group shall be obligated to pay any consideration in respect of the arrangements described in this Section 2.01(b)   or Section 2.01(c)  to any member of the other Group.

 

(c)           In furtherance of the foregoing, (i) the applicable member of the Listco Group shall be treated as the owner of each Relevant Contract described in Section 2.01(b)  for Tax purposes as of the Closing Date, (ii) ARD Holdings shall accept (or cause the applicable member of the ARD Holdings Group to accept) such reasonable direction as the applicable member of the Listco Group requests with respect to each such Relevant Contract, including to enforce at such member’s request, or allow such member to enforce, in a commercially reasonable manner, any rights of the applicable member of the ARD Holdings Group under each such Relevant Contract against the other party or parties thereto; provided that the costs and expenses incurred by any member of the ARD Holdings Group at such member’s request shall be borne solely by Listco or the applicable member of the Listco Group, (iii) ARD Holdings shall, and shall cause each member of the ARD Holdings Group to, without further consideration therefor, pay and remit to the applicable member of the Listco Group promptly all monies, rights and other consideration received by any of them under each such Relevant Contract from and after the Closing Date, and (iv) Listco shall cause the applicable member of the Listco Group to pay, perform and discharge fully promptly when due, all of the obligations of ARD Holdings or the applicable member of

 

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the ARD Holdings Group under each such Relevant Contract required to be performed from and after the Closing Date, and such member of the Listco Group shall be responsible for all Liabilities related thereto arising or required to be performed and discharged from and after the Closing Date.

 

(d)          Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 2.01 , no member of the Listco Group or the ARD Holdings Group shall be required to take any action that would, in the good faith judgment of Listco or ARD Holdings, respectively, reasonably be expected to (i) result in a violation of any obligation that any member of its Group has to any third party or (ii) violate applicable Law.

 

ARTICLE III

 

MUTUAL RELEASES; INDEMNIFICATION

 

Section 3.01                        Release of Pre-IPO Claims .

 

(a)          Except as provided in Section 3.01(c) , effective as of the Closing Date, Listco does hereby, on behalf of itself and each other member of the Listco Group, their respective Affiliates (other than any member of the ARD Holdings Group), successors and assigns, and all Persons who at any time prior to the Closing Date have been stockholders (other than any member of the ARD Holdings Group), directors, officers, agents or employees of any member of the Listco Group (in each case, in their respective capacities as such) (the “ Listco Releasors ”), unequivocally, unconditionally and irrevocably release and discharge each member of the ARD Holdings Group, their respective Affiliates (other than any member of the Listco Group), successors and assigns, and all Persons who at any time prior to the Closing Date have been stockholders, directors, officers, agents or employees of any member of the ARD Holdings Group (in each case, in their respective capacities as such), and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns (the “ ARD Holdings Releasees ”), from any and all Actions and Liabilities, of any nature whatsoever, in law, at equity or otherwise, whether direct, indirect, derivative or otherwise, which have been asserted against an ARD Holdings Releasee by a Listco Releasor or which, whether currently known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, fixed or contingent, and whether or not concealed or hidden, any of the Listco Releasors ever could have asserted or ever could assert, in any capacity, either for itself or as an assignee, heir, executor, trustee or otherwise for or on behalf of any other Person, against the ARD Holdings Releasees, relating to any transactions or occurrences whatsoever, up to and including the Closing Date.

 

(b)          Except as provided in Section 3.01(c) , effective as of the Closing Date, ARD Holdings does hereby, on behalf of itself and each other member of the ARD Holdings Group, their respective Affiliates (other than any member of the Listco Group), successors and assigns, and all Persons who at any time prior to the Closing Date have been stockholders, directors, officers, agents or employees of any member of the ARD Holdings Group (in each case, in their respective capacities as such) (the “ ARD Holdings Releasors ”), unequivocally, unconditionally and irrevocably release and discharge each member of the Listco Group, their respective Affiliates (other than any member of the ARD Holdings Group), successors and assigns, and all Persons who at any time prior to the Closing Date have been stockholders (other than any

 

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member of the ARD Holdings Group), directors, officers, agents or employees of any member of the Listco Group (in each case, in their respective capacities as such), and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns (the “ Listco Releasees ”), from any and all Actions and Liabilities, of any nature whatsoever, in law, at equity or otherwise, whether direct, derivative or otherwise, which have been asserted against a Listco Releasee by an ARD Holdings Releasor or which, whether currently known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, fixed or contingent, and whether or not concealed or hidden, the ARD Holdings Releasors ever could have asserted or ever could assert, in any capacity, whether as partner, employer, agent or otherwise, either for itself or as an assignee, heir, executor, trustee or otherwise for or on behalf of any other Person, against the Listco Releasees, relating to any transactions or occurrences whatsoever, up to and including the Closing Date.

 

(c)           Nothing contained in Section 3.01(a)  or Section 3.01(b)  shall impair any right of either Party to enforce this Agreement in accordance with its terms.  Nothing contained in Section 3.01(a)  or Section 3.01(b)  shall release any Person from:

 

(i)                                      any Liability provided in or resulting from any Contract entered into after the Closing Date between a member of one Group, on the one hand, and a member of the other Group, on the other hand; or

 

(ii)                                   any Liability the release of which would result in the release of any Person other than a Person released pursuant to this Section 3.01 .

 

In addition, nothing contained in Section 3.01(a)  or Section 3.01(b)  shall release any member of one Group from complying with its existing obligations to indemnify any director, officer or employee of a member of the other Group who was a director, officer or employee of a member of such first Group on or prior to the Closing Date, to the extent such director, officer or employee becomes a named defendant in any litigation involving a member of such first Group and was entitled to such indemnification pursuant to the contractual obligations existing on or prior to the Closing Date.

 

(d)          Listco shall not make, and shall not permit any member of the Listco Group to make, any claim or demand, or commence any Action asserting any claim or demand, including any claim of contribution or any indemnification, against any ARD Holdings Releasee released pursuant to Section 3.01(a)  with respect to, subject to Section 3.01(c) , any Liabilities released pursuant to Section 3.01(a) .  ARD Holdings shall not make, and shall not permit any member of the ARD Holdings Group to make, any claim or demand, or commence any Action asserting any claim or demand, including any claim of contribution or any indemnification, against any Listco Releasee released pursuant to Section 3.01(b)  with respect to, subject to Section 3.01(c) , any Liabilities released pursuant to Section 3.01(b) .

 

(e)           It is the intent of the Parties by virtue of the provisions of this Section 3.01 to provide for a full and complete release and discharge of all Liabilities existing or arising from all acts and events occurring or failing to occur or alleged to have occurred or to have failed to occur and all conditions existing or alleged to have existed on or before the Closing Date, between or among any member of the Listco Group, on the one hand, and any member of the ARD Holdings Group, on the other hand (including any contractual agreements or arrangements existing or

 

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alleged to exist between or among any such members on or before the Closing Date), except as expressly set forth in Section 3.01(c) .  At any time, at the request of any other Party, each Party shall cause each member of its Group to execute and deliver releases reflecting the provisions of this Section 3.01 .

 

Section 3.02                        Indemnification by Listco .  Except as expressly provided in any provision of this Agreement, following the Closing Date, each member of the ARD Holdings Group and their stockholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, successors and assigns shall be indemnified and held harmless by Listco from and against all losses, damages, claims, costs and expenses, interest, awards, judgments and penalties (including reasonable attorneys’ and consultants’ fees and expenses) actually suffered or incurred by them (hereinafter a “ Loss ”), to the extent arising out of or resulting from all actions (or omissions to act) of any member of the Listco Group under each Relevant Contract described in Section 2.01(b)  and all actions of any member of the ARD Holdings Group in respect of each Relevant Contract that are taken (or not taken) at the direction of any member of the Listco Group (except to the extent resulting from any action by a member of the ARD Holdings Group with respect to a Relevant Contract that is not taken at the direction of a member of the Listco Group and that constitutes a breach by such member of the ARD Holdings Group of such Relevant Contract).

 

Section 3.03                        Indemnification Obligations Net of Insurance Proceeds .

 

(a)          The Parties intend that any Liability subject to indemnification pursuant to Section 3.02 will be net of Insurance Proceeds that actually reduce the amount of the Liability.  Accordingly, the amount that Listco is required to pay to any Person entitled to indemnification under Section 3.02 (an “ Indemnified Party ”) will be reduced by any Insurance Proceeds actually recovered by or on behalf of such Indemnified Party in respect of the related Liability.  If an Indemnified Party receives a payment (an “ Indemnity Payment ”) required by this Agreement from Listco in respect of any Liability and subsequently receives Insurance Proceeds, then such Indemnified Party shall promptly reimburse Listco for any payment made in connection with providing such indemnification up to the amount received by the Indemnified Party, net of any costs and expenses incurred by such Indemnified Party in collecting such amount.

 

(b)          An insurer who would otherwise be obligated to pay any claim shall not be relieved of the responsibility with respect thereto or, solely by virtue of the indemnification provisions hereof, have any subrogation rights with respect thereto, it being expressly understood and agreed that no insurer or other third party shall be entitled to a “wind-fall” ( i.e. , a benefit they would not be entitled to receive in the absence of the indemnification provisions) by virtue of the indemnification provisions hereof.  Nothing contained in this Agreement shall obligate any member of the ARD Holdings Group to seek to collect or recover any Insurance Proceeds.

 

(c)           All Indemnity Payments under this Agreement shall be (i) increased to take account of any net Tax cost actually incurred by the Indemnified Party arising from the receipt of Indemnity Payments hereunder (grossed up for such increase) and (ii) reduced to take account of any net Tax benefit actually realized by the Indemnified Party arising from the incurrence or payment of any indemnifiable Loss.  In computing the amount of any such Tax cost or Tax benefit, the Indemnified Party shall be deemed to recognize all other items of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit before recognizing any item arising from the receipt of any Indemnity

 

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Payment hereunder or the incurrence or payment of any indemnifiable Loss.  For purposes of this Agreement, an Indemnified Party shall be deemed to have “actually realized” a net Tax cost or a net Tax benefit to the extent that, and at such time as, the amount of Taxes payable (including Taxes payable on an estimated basis) by such Indemnified Party is increased above or reduced below, as the case may be, the amount of Taxes that such Indemnified Party would be required to pay but for the receipt or accrual of the indemnity payment or the incurrence or payment of such amount indemnified against as the case may be.  The Parties shall make any adjusting payment between each other as is required under this Section 3.03(c)  within ten (10) days of the date an Indemnified Party is deemed to have actually realized each net Tax benefit or net Tax cost.  The amount of any increase or reduction hereunder shall be adjusted to reflect any final determination with respect to the Indemnified Party’s liability for Taxes and any payments necessary to reflect such adjustment shall be made within ten (10) days of such determination.

 

Section 3.04        Notice of Loss; Third Party Claims .

 

(a)  An Indemnified Party shall give Listco notice of any matter that an Indemnified Party has determined has given or could reasonably give rise to a right of indemnification under this Agreement, within sixty (60) days of such determination, stating the amount of the Loss, if known, and method of computation thereof, and containing a reference to the provisions of this Agreement in respect of which such right of indemnification is claimed or arises; provided that the failure to provide such notice shall not release Listco from its obligations under Section 3.02 , except to the extent that it is actually prejudiced by such failure to provide notice.

 

(b)  If an Indemnified Party receives notice of any Action (a “ Third Party Claim ”) against it that may give rise to a claim for a Loss under Section 3.02 , within thirty (30) days of the receipt of such notice, the Indemnified Party shall give Listco notice of such Third Party Claim; provided that the failure to provide such notice shall not release Listco from any of its obligations under Section 3.02 , except to the extent that it is actually prejudiced by such failure to provide notice.  Listco shall be entitled to assume and control the defense of such Third Party Claim at its expense and through counsel of its choice, if it gives notice of its intention to do so to the Indemnified Party within fifteen (15) days of the receipt of such notice from the Indemnified Party.  If Listco elects to undertake any such defense against a Third Party Claim, the Indemnified Party shall be entitled to participate in (but not control) such defense with its own counsel, and at its own expense.  In the event that both the Indemnified Party and Listco (or any other member of either Group) are named defendants in such Third Party Claim, Listco may employ one counsel of its choice to act in joint defense of such Third Party Claim, so long as representation by one counsel in such joint defense is permitted under the applicable rules of professional conduct or ethics.  The Indemnified Party shall cooperate with Listco in such defense and make available to Listco, at Listco’s expense, all witnesses, pertinent records, materials and information in the Indemnified Party’s possession or under the Indemnified Party’s control relating thereto as is reasonably required by Listco.  If Listco elects to direct the defense of any such claim or proceeding, the Indemnified Party shall not pay, or permit to be paid, any part of such Third Party Claim unless Listco consents in writing to such payment or unless a final judgment from which no appeal may be taken by or on behalf of Listco is entered against the Indemnified Party for such Third Party Claim.  If the Indemnified Party assumes the defense of any such claims or proceeding pursuant to this Section 3.04 and proposes to settle such claims

 

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or proceeding prior to a final judgment thereon or to forgo any appeal with respect thereto, then the Indemnified Party shall give Listco prompt written notice thereof and Listco shall have the right to participate in the settlement or assume or reassume the defense of such claims or proceeding.  Listco shall have the right to settle any Third Party Claim for which it obtains a full release of the Indemnified Party in respect of such Third Party Claim or to which settlement the Indemnified Party consents in writing, such consent not to be unreasonably conditioned, withheld or delayed.

 

Section 3.05        Additional Matters .

 

(a)   In the event of payment by or on behalf of Listco to any Indemnified Party in connection with any Third Party Claim, Listco shall be subrogated to and shall stand in the place of such Indemnified Party as to any events or circumstances in respect of which such Indemnified Party may have any right, defense or claim relating to such Third Party Claim against any claimant or plaintiff asserting such Third Party Claim or against any other Person.  Such Indemnified Party shall cooperate with Listco in a reasonable manner, and at the cost and expense of Listco, in prosecuting any subrogated right, defense or claim.

 

(b)   In the event of an Action in which Listco is not a named defendant, if Listco shall so request, the Parties shall endeavor to add Listco as a named defendant or substitute Listco for the named defendant.  If such addition or substitution cannot be achieved for any reason or is not requested, the named defendant shall allow Listco to manage the Action as set forth in this Article III .

 

ARTICLE IV

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

Section 4.01        Privileged Matters .  (a)  The Parties recognize that certain legal and other professional services (both internal and external) have been and will be provided prior to and after the Closing Date and have been and will be rendered for the collective benefit of the members of each Group, and that each member of each Group should be deemed to be the client with respect to such services for the purposes of asserting all privileges that may be asserted under applicable Law; provided that with respect to such services the Parties agree as follows:

 

(i)            the Parties shall not be entitled to assert privilege with respect to such legal and other professional services provided prior to the Closing Date against any member of any other Group;

 

(ii)           ARD Holdings shall be entitled, on behalf of itself or any member of the ARD Holdings Group, in perpetuity, to control the assertion or waiver of all privileges in connection with privileged information to the extent relating to the business of any member of the ARD Holdings Group, whether or not the privileged information is in the possession of or under the control of ARD Holdings or Listco (or any members of their respective Groups);

 

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(iii)          Listco shall be entitled, on behalf of itself or any member of the Listco Group, in perpetuity, to control the assertion or waiver of all privileges in connection with privileged information to the extent relating to the business of any member of the Listco Group, whether or not the privileged information is in the possession of or under the control of ARD Holdings or Listco (or any members of their respective Groups); and

 

(iv)          the Parties shall have a shared privilege, with equal right to assert or waive, subject to the restrictions in this Section 4.01 , with respect to all privileges not allocated pursuant to the terms of Section 4.01(a)(ii)  and (iii) .  All privileges relating to any Actions or other matters in which both Listco and ARD Holdings retain any responsibility or Liability under this Agreement shall be subject to a shared privilege between them.

 

(b)   Neither Party (itself or on behalf of any member of its Group) may waive any privilege that could be asserted under any applicable Law, and in which the other Party (or any member of its Group) has a shared privilege, without the consent of the other Party, which shall not be unreasonably conditioned, withheld or delayed or as provided in Section 4.01(c)  or (d)  below.  Consent shall be deemed to be granted unless written objection is made within fifteen (15) days after written notice to the Party requesting such consent.  Each Party agrees to maintain, preserve and assert all privileges, including all privileges arising under or relating to the attorney-client relationship (which shall include the attorney-client and the work product doctrine).

 

(c)   In the event of any litigation or dispute between the Parties or any members of their respective Groups, either Party may waive a privilege in which the other Party or a member of the other Party’s Group has a shared privilege, without obtaining the consent of the other Party; provided that such waiver of a shared privilege shall be effective only as to the use of information with respect to the litigation or dispute between the Parties or the applicable members of its Group, and shall not operate as a waiver of the shared privilege with respect to third parties.

 

(d)   If a dispute arises between or among the Parties or any members of either Group regarding whether a privilege should be waived to protect or advance the interest of a Party, each Party agrees that it shall negotiate in good faith, shall endeavor to minimize any prejudice to the rights of the other Party, and shall not unreasonably condition, withhold or delay consent to any request for waiver by the other Party.  Each Party agrees that it will not condition, withhold or delay consent to waiver for any purpose except to protect its own legitimate interests.

 

(e)   Upon receipt by a Party or by any member of its Group of any subpoena, discovery, court order or other request that arguably calls for the production or disclosure of information subject to a shared privilege or as to which the other Party has the sole right hereunder to assert a privilege, or if a Party obtains knowledge that any of its or any member of its Group’s current or former directors, officers, agents or employees have received any subpoena, discovery or other requests that arguably call for the production or disclosure of such privileged information, such Party shall promptly notify the other Party of the existence of the request and shall provide the other Party a reasonable opportunity to review the information

 

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requested or required to be produced or disclosed and to assert any rights it or they may have under this Section 4.01 or otherwise to prevent the production or disclosure of such privileged information.

 

ARTICLE V

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 5.01        Limitation of Liability .  IN NO EVENT SHALL EITHER PARTY OR ANY OTHER MEMBER OF ITS GROUP BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER PARTY OR ANY OTHER MEMBER OF ITS GROUP FOR PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR INDIRECT DAMAGES, HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

 

Section 5.02        Post-Closing Cooperation .  On and after the Closing Date, each of the Parties shall, and shall cause each member of its Group to, execute and deliver such documents and instruments, provide such materials and information and take such other actions as may be necessary, proper or advisable to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement.  In addition, at the cost and expense of Listco, Listco shall, and shall cause each member of the Listco Group to, (i) provide such information or access (including copies of documents and staff assistance), and (ii) take such other actions, as any member of the ARD Holdings Group may reasonably request, consistent with the terms of this Agreement and applicable Law, to facilitate ARD Holdings’ ability to manage its investment in Listco and comply with any obligations imposed on any member of the ARD Holdings Group by any Governmental Authority or under any Contract, including reporting obligations under the Toggle Notes, the defense of litigation, the preparation of any Tax returns, financial statements or documents required to be filed with the SEC or any regulatory authority (including any stock exchange), or the management of any Tax audits.

 

Section 5.03        ARD Holdings Reorganisation .  Listco and ARD Holdings acknowledge that they currently plan to implement a Reorganisation Event following the Closing Date, as a result of which ARD Holdings Group will become wholly owned subsidiaries of Listco.  Listco hereby undertakes that, upon the request of ARD Holdings and at the cost and expense of Listco, Listco shall take such actions as are necessary to implement the Reorganisation Event in accordance with applicable Law and the articles of association of Listco (the “ Listco Articles ”).

 

Section 5.04        Allocation of Costs and Expenses for Luxembourg Offices .  Each Party shall pay (or, to the extent incurred by and paid for by any member of the other Group, shall promptly reimburse such member of the other Group for any and all amounts so paid), in proportion to their relative usage, all fees, costs and expenses incurred by it or any other member of its Group on or after the Closing Date in connection with their use of the Luxembourg Offices, including fees, costs and expenses of employees and in respect of services related thereto.

 

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Section 5.05        Dividends and Dividend Restrictions .  Following the Closing Date, Listco intends to pay dividends to all shareholders in amounts that will, at a minimum, be sufficient to enable AFSA to satisfy the cash interest payment obligations under the Toggle Notes.  ARD Holdings acknowledges that Listco’s ability to pay such dividends is subject to compliance with applicable Law, any obligations imposed by applicable Contracts and the Listco Articles, including the requirement that any dividends be approved by Listco’s shareholders.  In order to preserve its ability to pay such dividends, Listco agrees that so long as the Toggle Notes are outstanding, Listco shall not, and shall not permit any member of the Listco Group to, agree to restrictions on the payment of dividends that are materially more restrictive than the restrictions in place under any Contract existing on the Closing Date.

 

Section 5.06        Counterparts .  This Agreement may be executed and delivered (including by facsimile or other means of electronic transmission, such as by electronic mail in “.pdf” form) in one or more counterparts, and by the different Parties in separate counterparts, each of which when executed shall be deemed to be an original, but both of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

 

Section 5.07        Notices .  All notices, requests, claims, demands and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given (a) when delivered in person, (b) upon confirmation of receipt after transmittal by facsimile (to such number specified below or another number or numbers as such Person may subsequently specify by proper notice under this Agreement), (c) upon confirmation of receipt after transmittal by email (to such email address specified below or another email address or addresses as such Person may subsequently specify by proper notice under this Agreement) or (d) on the next business day when sent by internationally recognized overnight courier (providing proof of delivery) in each case to the respective Party at the following coordinates (or at such other coordinates for a Party as shall be specified in a notice given in accordance with this Section 5.07 ):

 

if to ARD Holdings:

 

ARD Holdings S.A.

 

Attention:

Facsimile No.:

E-mail:

 

if to Listco:

 

Ardagh Group S.A.

56, rue Charles Martel

L-2134 Luxembourg

 

Attention:

Facsimile No.:

E-mail:

 

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Section 5.08                        Severability .  If any term or other provision of this Agreement is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced by any Law or public policy, all other terms and provisions of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect for so long as the economic or legal substance of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement is not affected in any manner materially adverse to any Party.  Upon such determination that any term or other provision is invalid, illegal or incapable of being enforced, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith to modify this Agreement so as to effect the original intent of the Parties as closely as possible in a mutually acceptable manner in order that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement are consummated as originally contemplated to the greatest extent possible.

 

Section 5.09                        Entire Agreement .  This Agreement (including all exhibits and schedules hereto) constitutes the entire agreement of the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersedes all prior agreements and undertakings, both written and oral, among the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof.

 

Section 5.10                        Assignment .  This Agreement may not be assigned by either Party by operation of Law or otherwise without the express written consent of the other Party (which consent may be granted or withheld in the sole discretion of such other Party), and any attempted assignment without such consent shall be null and void.

 

Section 5.11                        Amendments .  This Agreement may not be amended or modified except (a) by an instrument in writing signed by, or on behalf of, the Parties; or (b) by a waiver in accordance with Section 5.12.

 

Section 5.12                        Waiver .  Either Party may (a) extend the time for the performance of any of the obligations or other acts of the other Party or (b) waive compliance with any of the agreements of the other Party contained herein.  Any such extension or waiver shall be valid only if set forth in an instrument in writing signed by the Party to be bound thereby.  Any waiver of any term or condition shall not be construed as a waiver of any subsequent breach or a subsequent waiver of the same term or condition, or a waiver of any other term or condition of this Agreement.  The failure of a Party to assert any of its rights hereunder shall not constitute a waiver of any of such rights.

 

Section 5.13                        No Third Party Beneficiaries .  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns and nothing herein, express or implied (including the provisions of Article III relating to indemnified parties), is intended to or shall confer upon any other Person any legal or equitable right, benefit or remedy of any nature whatsoever.

 

Section 5.14                        Governing Law; Jurisdiction .  This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of Luxembourg.  Any Action arising in connection with this Agreement shall be submitted to the jurisdiction of the courts of Luxembourg-City.

 

Section 5.15                        Waiver of Jury Trial .  EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVES TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW ANY RIGHT

 

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IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY WITH RESPECT TO ANY ACTION OR LIABILITY DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT.  EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE OF THE OTHER PARTY HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF ANY SUCH ACTION OR LIABILITY, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER; AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION 5.15 .

 

[ Signature page follows ]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, ARD Holdings and Listco have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the date first written above by their respective representatives thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

ARD HOLDINGS S.A.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 




Exhibit 10.3

 

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

 

This Indemnification Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is made effective as of                , 2017 (the “ Effective Date ”) by and between (i) Ardagh Group S.A., a limited liability company incorporated under the laws of Luxembourg (the “ Company ”), and (ii)                             , a director, officer or key employee of the Company or one of the Company’s subsidiaries or other service provider who satisfies the definition of Indemnifiable Person set forth below (“ Indemnitee ”).

 

RECITALS

 

A.                                     The Company is aware that competent and experienced persons are increasingly reluctant to serve as representatives of corporations unless they are protected by comprehensive liability insurance and indemnification, due to increased exposure to litigation costs and risks resulting from their service to such corporations, and due to the fact that the exposure frequently bears no relationship to the compensation of such representatives;

 

B.                                     The members of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “ Board ”) have concluded that to retain and attract talented and experienced individuals to serve as representatives of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliates (each as defined below) and to encourage such individuals to take the business risks necessary for the success of the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliates, it is necessary for the Company to contractually indemnify certain of its representatives and the representatives of its Subsidiaries and Affiliates, and to assume for itself maximum liability for Expenses and Other Liabilities (each as defined below) in connection with claims against such representatives in connection with their service to the Company and its Subsidiaries and Affiliates;

 

C.                                     The articles of association (the “Articles”) of the Company and Luxembourg law, by their non-exclusive nature, permit contracts between the Company and its directors, officers, employees, controlling persons, agents or fiduciaries with respect to indemnification of such directors, officers, employees, controlling persons, agents or fiduciaries; and

 

D.                                     The Company desires and has requested Indemnitee to serve or continue to serve as a representative of the Company and/or the Subsidiaries or Affiliates of the Company free from undue concern about inappropriate claims for damages arising out of or related to such service to the Company and/or the Subsidiaries or Affiliates of the Company.

 

AGREEMENT

 

Now, therefore, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 

Section 1.                                            Definitions.

 

(a)                                  Affiliate ” means any corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other enterprise in respect of which Indemnitee is, was or will be serving as a director, officer, trustee, manager, member, partner, employee, agent, attorney, consultant, member of the entity’s governing body (whether constituted as a board of directors, board of managers, general partner or otherwise), fiduciary, or in any other similar capacity at the request,

 



 

election or direction of the Company, and including, but not limited to, any employee benefit plan of the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company.

 

(b)                                  Change in Control ” means (i) any “person” (as such term is used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended), other than a Subsidiary or a trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Company or Subsidiary, becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under said Act), directly or indirectly, of securities of the Company representing 20% or more of the total voting power represented by the Company’s then outstanding capital stock; (ii) during any period of two (2) consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constitute the Board and any new director whose election by the Board or nomination for election by the Company’s stockholders was approved by a vote of at least two-thirds ( 2 / 3 ) of the directors then still in office who either were directors at the beginning of the period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved, cease for any reason to constitute a majority thereof; or (iii) the stockholders of the Company approve a merger or consolidation of the Company with any other corporation, other than a merger or consolidation that would result in the outstanding capital stock of the Company outstanding immediately prior thereto continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into capital stock of the surviving entity) at least 80% of the total voting power represented by the capital stock of the Company or such surviving entity outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation, or the stockholders of the Company approve a plan of complete liquidation of the Company or an agreement for the sale or disposition by the Company (in one transaction or a series of transactions) of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets.

 

(c)                                   Determination ” means a determination that either (i) there is a reasonable basis for the conclusion that indemnification of Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee met a particular standard of conduct (a “ Favorable Determination ”) or (ii) there is no reasonable basis for the conclusion that indemnification of Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances because Indemnitee met a particular standard of conduct (an “ Adverse Determination ”).  An Adverse Determination shall include the decision that a Determination was required in connection with indemnification and the decision as to the applicable standard of conduct.

 

(d)                                  Expenses ” means all reasonable direct and indirect costs, expenses, fees and charges of any type or nature whatsoever (including, without limitation, all attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, and related disbursements, and other out-of-pocket costs), paid or incurred by Indemnitee in connection with (i) the investigation, defense or appeal of, or being a witness in a Proceeding (as defined below), including, without limitation, the premium, security for, and other costs relating to any costs bond, supersedes bond, or other appeal bond or its equivalent; (ii) establishing or enforcing a right to indemnification under this Agreement, Luxembourg law or otherwise; (iii) any U.S. or non-U.S. federal, national, state, provincial, local or similar taxes imposed on Indemnitee as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement (on a grossed up basis); or (iv) any interest, assessment or other charges in respect of the foregoing; provided, however, that Expenses shall not include any judgments, fines, ERISA or other benefit plan

 

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related excise taxes or penalties or amounts paid in settlement (other than those approved in accordance with Section 8(d) herein) of a Proceeding.

 

(e)                                   Indemnifiable Event ” means any event or occurrence related to (i) the fact that Indemnitee is or was an Indemnifiable Person, whether or not serving in such capacity at the time any Expense or Other Liability is incurred, or (ii) any actual or alleged action on Indemnitee’s part while acting in the service for the Company, any Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company, or another person at the request of the Company as an Indemnifiable Person (as defined below), or by reason of anything done or not done, or any act or omission, by Indemnitee in any such capacity.

 

(f)                                    Indemnifiable Person ” means any person who is or was a director, officer, trustee, manager, member, partner, employee, attorney, consultant, member of an entity’s governing body (whether constituted as a board of directors, board of managers, general partner or otherwise) or other agent or fiduciary of the Company, a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company, or another person at the request of the Company.

 

(g)                                   Independent Counsel ” means legal counsel that has not performed services for the Company or Indemnitee in the five years preceding the time in question and that would not, under applicable standards of professional conduct, have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or Indemnitee.

 

(h)                                  Independent Director ” means a member of the Board who was not party to the Proceeding (as defined below) for which a claim is made under this Agreement.

 

(i)                                      Other Liabilities ” means any and all liabilities, damages, losses and other amounts incurred by Indemnitee of any type whatsoever (including, but not limited to, judgments, orders, fines, penalties (to the extent permitted by law), liabilities for contribution, ERISA (or other benefit plan related) excise taxes or penalties, and amounts paid in whole or partial settlement and all interest, taxes, assessments and other charges paid or payable in connection with or in respect of any such judgments, orders, fines, penalties (to the extent permitted by law), ERISA (or other benefit plan related) excise taxes or penalties, or amounts paid in whole or partial settlement).

 

(j)                                     Proceeding ” means any threatened, pending or completed action, claim, suit, inquiry or investigation, litigation, administrative hearing or any other actual, threatened or completed judicial, administrative, arbitration or other proceeding (including, without limitation, any such proceeding under the Securities Act of 1933), whether civil, criminal, administrative, investigative, legislative or any other type whatsoever, preliminary, informal or formal, including any arbitration or other alternative dispute resolution and including any appeal of any of the foregoing.

 

(k)                                  Subsidiary ” means any corporation of which more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities is owned directly or indirectly by the Company.

 

Section 2.                                            Agreement to Serve.   The Indemnitee agrees to serve and/or continue to serve as an Indemnifiable Person in the capacity or capacities in which Indemnitee currently serves the Company as an Indemnifiable Person, and any additional capacity in which

 

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Indemnitee may agree to serve, until such time as Indemnitee’s service in a particular capacity shall end according to the terms of an agreement, the Company’s Articles, governing law, or otherwise.  Nothing contained in this Agreement is intended to create any right to continued employment or other form of service for the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company by Indemnitee.

 

Section 3.                                            Mandatory Indemnification .  In the event Indemnitee is a person who was or is a party to or witness in or is threatened to be made a party to or witness or otherwise involved in any Proceeding by reason of an Indemnifiable Event, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee from and against any and all Expenses and Other Liabilities incurred by Indemnitee in connection with (including in preparation for) such Proceeding to the fullest extent not prohibited by Luxembourg law.

 

Section 4.                                            Partial Indemnification.   If Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of any Expenses or Other Liabilities but not entitled, however, to indemnification for the total amount of such Expenses or Other Liabilities, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify Indemnitee for such total amount except as to the portion thereof to which indemnification is prohibited by Luxembourg law.  In any review or Proceeding to determine the extent of indemnification, the Company shall bear the burden to establish, by clear and convincing evidence, the lack of a successful resolution of a particular claim, issue or matter and which amounts sought in indemnity are allocable to claims, issues or matters which were not successfully resolved.

 

Section 5.                                            Exculpation .  The Indemnitee shall not be liable to the Company or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as an Indemnifiable Person to the fullest extent permitted by Luxembourg law.  The foregoing shall not eliminate or limit any liability that may exist with respect to (i) a breach of the Indemnitee’s duty of loyalty to the Company or its stockholders, (ii) acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve fraud, intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) criminal liability or (iv) a transaction from which the Indemnitee derived an improper personal benefit.

 

Section 6.                                            Liability Insurance.   So long as Indemnitee shall continue to serve the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company as an Indemnifiable Person and thereafter so long as Indemnitee shall be subject to any possible claim or threatened, pending or completed Proceeding as a result of an Indemnifiable Event, the Company shall maintain in full force and effect for the benefit of Indemnitee as an insured (i) liability insurance issued by one or more reputable insurers and having the policy amount and deductible deemed appropriate by the Board and providing in all respects coverage at least comparable to and in the same amount as that being provided to the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer of the Company when such insurance is purchased, and (ii) any replacement or substitute policies issued by one or more reputable insurers providing in all respects coverage at least comparable to and in the same amount as that being provided to the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer of the Company when such replacement or substitute policies are purchased.  The purchase, establishment and maintenance of any such insurance or other arrangements shall not in any way limit or affect the rights and obligations of the Company or of Indemnitee under this Agreement, and the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Company and Indemnitee shall not in any way limit or affect the rights and

 

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obligations of the Company or the other party or parties thereto under any such insurance or other arrangement.

 

Section 7.                                            Mandatory Advancement of Expenses.   If requested by Indemnitee, the Company shall advance prior to the final disposition of the Proceeding all Expenses actually incurred by Indemnitee in connection with (including in preparation for) a Proceeding related to an Indemnifiable Event without regard to whether an Adverse Determination has been made.  Indemnitee hereby undertakes to repay such amounts advanced if, and only if and to the extent that, it shall ultimately be determined by a court or arbitral body of competent jurisdiction in a final and nonappealable decision that Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company under the provisions of this Agreement or Luxembourg law.  The advances to be made hereunder shall be paid by the Company to Indemnitee or directly to a third party designated by Indemnitee within ten (10) days following delivery of a written request therefor by Indemnitee to the Company.  Indemnitee’s undertaking to repay any Expenses advanced to Indemnitee hereunder shall be unsecured and shall not be subject to the accrual or payment of any interest thereon.

 

Section 8.                                            Notice and Other Indemnification Procedures.

 

(a)                                  Notification/Cooperation by Indemnitee .  Promptly following the time that Indemnitee has received written notice of the commencement of or the threat of commencement of any Proceeding, Indemnitee shall, if Indemnitee believes that indemnification or advancement of Expenses with respect thereto may be sought from the Company under this Agreement, notify the Company of the commencement or threat of commencement thereof.  However, a failure so to notify the Company promptly following Indemnitee’s receipt of such notice shall not relieve the Company from any liability that it may have to Indemnitee except to the extent that the Company is materially prejudiced in its defense of such Proceeding as a result of such failure, and shall not constitute a waiver by Indemnitee of any rights under this Agreement.  In addition, Indemnitee shall cooperate with, and provide information to, the Company as it may reasonably require and as shall be within Indemnitee’s power.

 

(b)                                  Insurance and Other Matters .  If, at the time of the receipt of a notice of the commencement of a Proceeding pursuant to Section 8(a) above, the Company has director and officer liability insurance in effect, the Company shall give prompt notice of the commencement of such Proceeding to the issuers in accordance with the procedures set forth in the respective policies.  The Company shall thereafter take all reasonable action to cause such insurers to pay, on behalf of Indemnitee, all amounts payable as a result of such Proceeding in accordance with the terms of such insurance policies.

 

(c)                                   Assumption of Defense .  In the event the Company shall be obligated to advance the Expenses for any Proceeding against Indemnitee, the Company, if deemed appropriate by the Indemnitee in writing, shall assume the defense of such Proceeding as provided herein within ten (10) days of the Company’s receipt of such written notice from Indemnitee.  Such defense by the Company may include the representation of two or more parties by one attorney or law firm as permitted under the ethical rules and legal requirements related to joint representations.  Following delivery of written notice to Indemnitee of the Company’s confirmation to assume the defense of such Proceeding, the approval by Indemnitee

 

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(which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld) of counsel designated by the Company and the retention of such counsel by the Company, the Company will not be liable to Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees and expenses of counsel subsequently incurred by Indemnitee with respect to the same Proceeding.  If (i) the employment of counsel by Indemnitee has been previously authorized by the Company, (ii) the Company fails to employ counsel to assume and diligently conduct the defense of such Proceeding, or (iii) in the reasonable opinion of legal counsel to Indemnitee, there is a conflict of interest between Indemnitee and the Company (or any other party or parties being jointly represented) or there are legal defenses available to Indemnitee that are not available to the Company (or any other party or parties being jointly represented), the fees and expenses of Indemnitee’s counsel shall be subject to indemnification and/or advancement pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.  Nothing herein shall prevent Indemnitee from employing counsel for any such Proceeding at Indemnitee’s expense or providing the Company with information indicating that there may be a conflict of interest in the conduct of any such defense between (A) the Company and Indemnitee or (B) Indemnitee and any other party or parties being jointly represented.  The party having responsibility for defense of a Proceeding shall provide the other party and its legal counsel with all copies of pleadings and material correspondence relating to the Proceeding.  Indemnitee and the Company shall reasonably cooperate in the defense of any Proceeding with respect to which indemnification is sought hereunder, regardless of whether the Company or Indemnitee assumes the defense thereof.

 

(d)                                  Settlement .  The Company shall not be liable to indemnify Indemnitee under this Agreement for any amounts paid in settlement of any Proceeding effected without the Company’s written consent, provided, however, that if a Change in Control has occurred, the Company shall be liable for indemnification of Indemnitee for amounts paid in settlement if the Independent Counsel has approved the settlement.  Neither the Company nor any Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company shall enter into a settlement of any Proceeding that might result in the imposition of any Expense, Other Liability, limitation or detriment on Indemnitee, whether indemnifiable under this Agreement or otherwise, without Indemnitee’s written consent.  Neither the Company nor Indemnitee shall unreasonably withhold consent from any settlement of any Proceeding.

 

Section 9.                                            Determination of Right to Indemnification.

 

(a)                                  Success on the Merits or Otherwise .  To the extent that Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any Proceeding referred to in Section 3 above or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter described therein, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against Expenses and Other Liabilities actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith.

 

(b)                                  Indemnification in Other Situations .  In the event that Section 9(a) is inapplicable, the Company shall also indemnify Indemnitee if he or she has not failed to meet the applicable standard of conduct for indemnification.

 

(c)                                   Determination .  The Company intends that Indemnitee shall be indemnified to the fullest extent permitted by law as provided in Section 3 and that no Determination shall be required in connection with such indemnification.  In no event shall a

 

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Determination be required in connection with advancement of Expenses pursuant to Section 7 or in connection with indemnification for Expenses incurred as a witness or incurred in connection with any Proceeding or portion thereof with respect to which Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise (including, without limitation, settlement of Proceeding with or without payment of money or other consideration or the termination of any issue or matter in such Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice).  Any decision that a Determination is required by law in connection with any other indemnification of Indemnitee, and any such Determination, shall be made in accordance with Section 9(d) and Section 9(e).

 

(d)                                  Forum .  Indemnitee shall be entitled to select the forum in which determination of whether or not Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct shall be decided, and such election will be made from among the following:

 

(1)                                  those members of the Board who are Independent Directors even though less than a quorum;

 

(2)                                  by a committee of Independent Directors designated by a majority vote of Independent Directors, even though less than a quorum; or

 

(3)                                  Independent Counsel selected by Indemnitee and approved by the Board, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, which Independent Counsel shall make such determination in a written opinion.

 

If Indemnitee is an officer or a director of the Company at the time that Indemnitee is selecting the forum, then Indemnitee shall not select Independent Counsel as such forum unless there are no Independent Directors or unless the Independent Directors agree to the selection of Independent Counsel as the forum.  The selected forum shall be referred to herein as the “ Reviewing Party .”  Notwithstanding the foregoing, following any Change in Control, the Reviewing Party shall be Independent Counsel selected in the manner provided in clause (3) above.

 

(e)                                   As soon as practicable, and in no event later than ten (10) days after receipt by the Company of written notice of Indemnitee’s choice of forum pursuant to Section 9(d) above, the Company and Indemnitee shall each submit to the Reviewing Party such information as they believe is appropriate for the Reviewing Party to consider.  The Reviewing Party shall arrive at its decision within a reasonable period of time following the receipt of all such information from the Company and Indemnitee, but in no event later than thirty (30) days following the receipt of all such information, provided that the time by which the Reviewing Party must reach a decision may be extended by mutual agreement of the Company and Indemnitee.  All Expenses associated with the process set forth in this Section 9(e), including but not limited to the Expenses of the Reviewing Party, shall be paid by the Company.

 

(f)                                    Consequences of Determination; Remedies of Indemnitee .  The Company shall be bound by and shall have no right to challenge a Favorable Determination.  If an Adverse Determination is made, or if for any other reason the Company does not make timely indemnification payments or advances of Expenses or Other Liabilities, Indemnitee shall have the right to commence a Proceeding before a court or arbitral body of competent jurisdiction to

 

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challenge such Adverse Determination and/or to require the Company to make such payments or advances.  Indemnitee shall be entitled to be indemnified for all Expenses or Other Liabilities incurred in connection with such a Proceeding in accordance with Section 3 and to have such Expenses and Other Liabilities advanced by the Company in accordance with Section 7.  If Indemnitee fails to timely challenge an Adverse Determination, or if Indemnitee challenges an Adverse Determination and such Adverse Determination has been upheld by a court of competent jurisdiction, in a final and non-appealable decision then, to the extent and only to the extent required by such final decision, the Company shall not be obligated to indemnify or advance Expenses to Indemnitee under this Agreement.

 

(g)           Expenses .  The Company shall indemnify Indemnitee against all Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any hearing or Proceeding under this Section 9 involving Indemnitee and against all Expenses and Other Liabilities incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any other Proceeding between the Company and Indemnitee involving the interpretation or enforcement of the rights of Indemnitee under this Agreement unless a court of competent jurisdiction finds that each of the material claims of Indemnitee in any such Proceeding was frivolous or made in bad faith.

 

(h)           Determination of “Good Faith.”   For purposes of any determination of whether Indemnitee acted in “ good faith ,” Indemnitee shall be deemed to have acted in good faith if in taking or failing to take the action in question Indemnitee relied on the records or books of account of the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company, including financial statements, or on information, opinions, reports or statements provided to Indemnitee by the officers or other employees of the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company in the course of their duties, or on the advice of legal counsel for the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company, or on information or records given or reports made to the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company by an independent certified public accountant or by an appraiser or other expert selected by the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company, or by any other person (including legal counsel, accountants and financial advisors) as to matters Indemnitee reasonably believes are within such other person’s professional or expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Company.  In connection with any determination as to whether Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified hereunder, or to advancement of Expenses, the Reviewing Party or the court shall presume that Indemnitee has satisfied the applicable standard of conduct and is entitled to indemnification or advancement of Expenses, as the case may be, and the burden of proof shall be on the Company to establish, by clear and convincing evidence, that Indemnitee is not so entitled.  The provisions of this Section 9(h) shall not be deemed to be exclusive or to limit in any way the other circumstances in which Indemnitee may be deemed to have met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in this Agreement.  In addition, the knowledge and/or actions, or failures to act, of any other person serving the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company as an Indemnifiable Person shall not be imputed to Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification hereunder.

 

Section 10.            Exceptions.   Any other provision herein to the contrary notwithstanding:

 

(a)           Claims Initiated by Indemnitee.   The Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement to indemnify or advance Expenses to Indemnitee with

 

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respect to Proceedings or claims initiated or brought voluntarily by Indemnitee and not by way of defense, except (i) with respect to Proceedings brought to establish or enforce a right to indemnification under this Agreement, any other statute or law, as permitted under Luxembourg law, or otherwise, (ii) where the Board has consented to the initiation of such Proceeding, or (iii) with respect to Proceedings brought to discharge Indemnitee’s fiduciary responsibilities, whether under ERISA or otherwise, but such indemnification or advancement of Expenses may be provided by the Company in specific cases if the Board finds it to be appropriate.

 

(b)           Unlawful Indemnification .  The Company shall not be obligated pursuant to the terms of this Agreement to indemnify Indemnitee for Expenses and Other Liabilities if such indemnification is prohibited by law.

 

Section 11.            Non-exclusivity.   The provisions for indemnification and advancement of Expenses set forth in this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights which Indemnitee may have under any provision of law, the Company’s Articles, the vote of the Company’s stockholders or disinterested directors, other agreements, or otherwise, both as to acts or omissions in his or her official capacity and to acts or omissions in another capacity while serving the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company as an Indemnifiable Person and Indemnitee’s rights hereunder shall continue after Indemnitee has ceased serving the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company as an Indemnifiable Person and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of Indemnitee; provided that to the extent that Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified by the Company under this Agreement and by any stockholder of the Company or any Affiliate of any such stockholder (other than the Company) under any other agreement or instrument, or by any insurer under a policy maintained by any such stockholder or Affiliate, the obligations of the Company hereunder shall be primary, and the obligations of such stockholder, Affiliate or insurer secondary.  Any such stockholder or Affiliate shall be entitled to enforce the Company’s obligation to provide indemnification in accordance with the priorities set forth in this Section 11 directly against the Company, and each such stockholder or Affiliate shall constitute an express intended third party beneficiary under this Agreement for such purpose (a “ Third Party Beneficiary ”).  In the event that any such stockholder or Affiliate makes indemnification payments or advances to Indemnitee in respect of any Expenses or Other Liabilities for which the Company would also be obligated pursuant to this Agreement, the Company shall reimburse such stockholder or affiliate in full on demand.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, the Company shall not be entitled to contribution or indemnification from or subrogation against any stockholder of the Company, any Affiliate of any such stockholder or any insurer under a policy maintained by any such stockholder or Affiliate.

 

Section 12.            Non-Circumvention .  The Company shall not seek or agree to any order of any court or other governmental authority that would prohibit or otherwise interfere, and shall not take or fail to take any other action if such action or failure would reasonably be expected to have the effect of prohibiting or otherwise interfering, with the performance of the Company’s indemnification, advancement or other obligations under this Agreement.

 

Section 13.            Binding Effect; Severability.   The Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be precluded from asserting in any Proceeding that the procedures and presumptions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in any

 

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such court or before any such arbitrator that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement. If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever, (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of the Agreement (including, without limitation, all portions of any paragraphs of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that are not themselves invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby, and (b) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, all portions of any paragraphs of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that are not themselves invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable.

 

Section 14.            Modification and Waiver.   No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by both of the parties hereto.  No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provision hereof (whether or not similar) and except as expressly provided herein, no such waiver shall constitute a continuing waiver.

 

Section 15.            Successors and Assigns.   The terms of this Agreement shall bind, and shall inure to the benefit of, the successors and assigns of the parties hereto; provided, however, that neither party shall assign this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other.

 

Section 16.            No Third Party Beneficiaries.   Except as set forth in Section 11, nothing in this Agreement is intended to confer on any person other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and assigns, any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

Section 17.            Notices.   All notices and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing, shall be effective when given, and shall in any event be deemed to be given (a) five calendar days after deposit with the postal service, if delivered by first class mail, postage prepaid, (b) upon delivery, if delivered by hand, (c) one business day after the business day of deposit with Federal Express or similar overnight courier, freight prepaid, or (d) one day after the business day of delivery by facsimile transmission, if deliverable by facsimile transmission, with copy by first class mail, postage prepaid, and shall be addressed if to Indemnitee, at Indemnitee’s address as set forth beneath Indemnitee’s signature to this Agreement and if to the Company at the address of its principal corporate offices (attention: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer) or at such other address as such party may designate by ten calendar days’ advance written notice to the other party hereto.

 

Section 18.            Presumptions; Burden and Effect of Certain Proceedings .

 

(a)           It shall be a presumption that a Determination is not required.

 

(b)           It shall be a presumption that Indemnitee has met the applicable standard of conduct and that indemnification of Indemnitee is proper in the circumstances. A finding, admission or stipulation that Indemnitee has acted with gross negligence or recklessness shall

 

10



 

not, of itself, create a presumption that such Indemnitee has failed to meet the standard or conduct required for indemnification hereunder.

 

(c)           The burden of proof shall be on the Company to overcome the presumptions set forth in the preceding clauses (a) and (b), and each such presumption shall only be overcome if the Company establishes that there is no reasonable basis to support it.

 

(d)           If a Determination (to the extent legally required) shall not have been made within thirty (30) days (as may be extended pursuant to Section 9(e)) after receipt by the Company of the Indemnitee’s request, a favorable Determination of entitlement to indemnification shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be deemed to have been made and Indemnitee shall be entitled to such indemnification, absent a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law.

 

(e)           The termination of any Proceeding, by judgment, order, settlement (whether with or without court approval) or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that Indemnitee did not meet any particular standard of conduct or have any particular belief or that a court has determined that indemnification is not permitted by applicable law or otherwise.

 

(f)            Neither the failure of the Company or a Reviewing Party to have made a determination as to whether Indemnitee has met any particular standard of conduct or had any particular belief, nor an actual determination by the Company or a Reviewing Party that Indemnitee has not met such standard of conduct or did not have such belief, prior to the commencement of Proceedings by Indemnitee to secure a judicial or arbitral determination by exercising Indemnitee’s rights under Section 9(f) of this Agreement shall be a defense to Indemnitee’s claim or create a presumption that Indemnitee has failed to meet any particular standard of conduct or did not have any particular belief or is not entitled to indemnification under applicable law or otherwise.  Any such Proceeding shall be conducted in all respects as a de novo trial, or arbitration, on the merits and the Company shall have the burden of proving Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification or advancement of Expenses and Other Liabilities, as the case may be.

 

(g)           To the fullest extent permitted by law, termination of any Proceeding by judgment, order, finding or settlement (whether with or without court approval) without any finding of responsibility, wrongdoing or guilt on the part of Indemnitee with respect to claims asserted by such Proceeding shall constitute a conclusive determination that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification hereunder.

 

(h)           If a Determination shall have been made pursuant to this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to Section 25, absent (i) a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission by Indemnitee of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification, or (ii) a prohibition of such indemnification under applicable law.

 

11



 

Section 19.            Survival of Rights.   The rights conferred on Indemnitee by this Agreement shall continue after Indemnitee has ceased to serve the Company or a Subsidiary or Affiliate of the Company as an Indemnifiable Person and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee’s heirs, executors and administrators.

 

Section 20.            Subrogation.   Except as set forth in Section 11, in the event of payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all documents required and shall do all acts that may be necessary to secure such rights and to enable the Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.

 

Section 21.            Specific Performance, Etc.   The parties recognize that if any provision of this Agreement is violated by the Company, Indemnitee may be without an adequate remedy at law.  Accordingly, in the event of any such violation, Indemnitee or a Third Party Beneficiary shall be entitled, if Indemnitee so elects, to institute Proceedings, either in law or at equity, to obtain damages, to enforce specific performance, to enjoin such violation, or to obtain any relief or any combination of the foregoing as Indemnitee or such Third Party Beneficiary may elect to pursue.

 

Section 22.            Counterparts.   This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.  Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.

 

Section 23.            Headings.   The headings of the sections and paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction or interpretation thereof.

 

Section 24.            Governing Law.   This Agreement shall be governed by and its provisions construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of Luxembourg, as applied to contracts between Luxembourg residents, entered into and to be performed entirely within the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, without regard to the conflict of laws principles thereof.

 

Section 25.            Consent to Jurisdiction.   The Company and Indemnitee each hereby irrevocably consent to the jurisdiction of the courts of Luxembourg for all purposes in connection with any action or proceeding which arises out of or relates to this Agreement and agree that any action instituted under this Agreement shall be commenced, prosecuted and continued only in the Luxembourg courts, which shall be the exclusive and only proper forum for adjudicating such a claim.

 

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

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The parties hereto have entered into this Indemnification Agreement effective as of the Effective Date.

 

 

 

Ardagh Group S.A.

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

Name:

 

 

Title:

 

 

 

 

 

 

INDEMNITEE

 

 

 

 

 

Name: 

 

Title:

 

 

[Signature Page to Indemnification Agreement]

 

13




Exhibit 21.1

 

SUBSIDIARIES OF ARDAGH GROUP S.A.

 

Subsidiary Name

 

Jurisdiction of Incorporation

Ardagh Metal Beverage Manufacturing Austria GmbH

 

Austria

Ardagh Metal Beverage Trading Austria GmbH

 

Austria

Latas Indústria de Embalagens de Alumínio do Brasil Ltda

 

Brazil

Ardagh Metal Packaging Czech Republic s.r.o.

 

Czech Republic

Ardagh Glass Holmegaard A/S

 

Denmark

Ardagh Aluminium Packaging France SAS

 

France

Ardagh MP West France SAS

 

France

Ardagh Metal Packaging France SAS

 

France

Ardagh Metal Beverage Trading France SAS

 

France

Ardagh Metal Beverage France SAS

 

France

Ardagh Glass GmbH

 

Germany

Heye International GmbH

 

Germany

Ardagh Metal Packaging Germany GmbH

 

Germany

Ardagh Germany MP GmbH

 

Germany

Ardagh Metal Beverage Trading Germany GmbH

 

Germany

Ardagh Metal Beverage Germany GmbH

 

Germany

Ardagh Glass Sales Limited

 

Ireland

Ardagh Packaging Holdings Limited

 

Ireland

Ardagh Group Italy S.r.l.

 

Italy

Ardagh Aluminium Packaging Netherlands B.V.

 

Netherlands

Ardagh Glass Dongen B.V.

 

Netherlands

Ardagh Glass Moerdijk B.V.

 

Netherlands

Ardagh Metal Packaging Netherlands B.V.

 

Netherlands

Ardagh Metal Beverage Trading Netherlands B.V.

 

Netherlands

Ardagh Metal Beverage Netherlands B.V.

 

Netherlands

Ardagh Glass S.A.

 

Poland

Ardagh Metal Packaging Poland Sp. z o.o.

 

Poland

Ardagh Metal Beverage Trading Poland Sp. z o.o.

 

Poland

Ardagh Metal Beverage Poland Sp. z o.o.

 

Poland

Ardagh Metal Beverage Trading Spain SL

 

Spain

Ardagh Metal Beverage Spain SL

 

Spain

Ardagh Metal Packaging Iberica S.A.

 

Spain

Ardagh Glass Limmared AB

 

Sweden

Ardagh Metal Beverage Europe GmbH

 

Switzerland

Ardagh Glass Limited

 

United Kingdom

Ardagh Metal Beverage Trading UK Limited

 

United Kingdom

Ardagh Metal Beverage UK Limited

 

United Kingdom

Ardagh Metal Packaging UK Limited

 

United Kingdom

Ardagh Metal Packaging USA Inc.

 

United States

Ardagh Glass Inc.

 

United States

Ardagh Metal Beverage USA Inc.

 

United States

 




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Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

        We hereby consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form F-1/A of Ardagh Group S.A. of our report dated February 23, 2017 relating to the financial statements, which appears in such Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading "Experts" in such Registration Statement.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers
Dublin, Ireland
February 23, 2017




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CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

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Exhibit 23.2

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

        We hereby consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form F-1/A of Ardagh Group S.A. of our report dated March 31, 2016 relating to the combined financial statements of certain metal beverage packaging operations of Ball Corporation, which appears in such Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading "Experts" in such Registration Statement.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Denver, Colorado
February 23, 2017




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CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

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Exhibit 23.3

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS

        We hereby consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form F-1/A of Ardagh Group S.A. of our report dated March 31, 2016 relating to the combined carve out financial statements of certain beverage can operations of Rexam PLC, which appears in such Registration Statement. We also consent to the reference to us under the heading "Experts" in such Registration Statement.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
London, United Kingdom
February 23, 2017




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CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS