Registration Statement No. 333-                

 

 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

 

 

 

Belgium   None

(State or Other Jurisdiction of

Incorporation or Organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification Number)

Brouwerijplein 1,

3000 Leuven, Belgium

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

 

 

Five-Year Performance Restricted Stock Units Plan

Ten-Year Performance Restricted Stock Units Plan

(Full Title of Plans)

 

 

John Blood

c/o Anheuser-Busch InBev Services, LLC

250 Park Avenue

New York, New York 10017

Tel. No.: (212) 573-8800

(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Agent for Service)

Copies to:

John Horsfield-Bradbury

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

1 New Fetter Lane

London EC4A 1AN

United Kingdom

Tel. No.: +44-20-7959-8900

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and an “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large accelerated filer        Accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer        Smaller reporting company  
       Emerging growth company  


If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☐

 

 

 

2


CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

 

Title of Each Class of Securities

To Be Registered (1)

 

    Amount To Be

    Registered (2)

 

Proposed Maximum

Offering Price Per

Share (3)

 

Proposed Maximum

Aggregate Offering

Price

 

  Amount of

  Registration

  Fee (2)

Ordinary shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV without nominal value (“ Ordinary Shares ”) (granted pursuant to the Five-Year Performance Restricted Stock Units Plan)   150,000   $90.32   $13,548,000.00   $1,686.73
Ordinary Shares (granted pursuant to the Ten-Year Performance Restricted Stock Units Plan)   400,000   $90.32   $36,128,000.00   $4,497.94

 

Total

         

 

$49,676,000.00

 

 

$6,184.67

 

(1)

Ordinary Shares may be represented by American Depositary Shares (“ ADSs ”), each of which represents one Ordinary Share and may be evidenced by American Depository Receipts (“ ADRs ”). A separate registration statement on Form F-6 (File No. 333-214027) was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ Commission ”) 7 October 2016, as amended by Post-Effective Amendment No. 1, filed on 16 March 2018, in respect of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, a public limited liability company ( société anonyme/naamloze vennootschap ) incorporated in Belgium (“ AB InBev ” or the “ Registrant ”), for the registration of ADSs evidenced by ADRs issuable upon deposit of Ordinary Shares.

 

(2)

Pursuant to Rule 416 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), the amount being registered also includes an indeterminate number of Ordinary Shares, which may be issuable under the plans as a result of variations in share capital, share splits, share dividends or similar transactions.

 

(3)

Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h) of the Securities Act and based on the high and low prices of Ordinary Shares as reported on Euronext Brussels on 11 September 2018, and converted at the cross rate of €1.00 = $1.1606, as reported by Bloomberg at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on 11 September 2018.

 

 

 

3


PART I

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

The document(s) containing the information specified in Part I of Form S-8 will be sent or given to participants in the plans covered by this registration statement as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Such documents need not be filed with the Commission either as part of this registration statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424. These documents and the documents incorporated herein by reference pursuant to Item 3 of Part II of this registration statement, taken together, constitute a prospectus that meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

 

Item 3.

Incorporation of Documents by Reference

The following documents that AB InBev has filed with the Commission are incorporated in this registration statement by reference and made a part hereof:

 

   

AB InBev’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2017 filed with the Commission on 19 March 2018 (“Annual Report”);

 

   

AB InBev’s Form F-4 (File No. 333-213328) filed with the Commission on 26 August 2016 (the “Form F-4”) solely with respect to any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating the descriptions of Ordinary Shares and ADSs contained under the headings “Description of Newbelco Ordinary Shares and Newbelco ADSs—Description of the Rights and Benefits Attached to Newbelco Ordinary Shares” and “Description of Newbelco Ordinary Shares and Newbelco ADSs—Description of the Rights and Benefits Attached to Newbelco ADSs” in the Form F-4; and

 

   

Current Reports on Form 6-K filed with the Commission on each of the following dates:

 

  o

26 July 2018, regarding organizational changes; and

 

  o

27 July 2018, regarding AB InBev’s unaudited interim report for the six-month period ended 30 June 2018.

Each document incorporated by reference is current only as of the date of such document, and the incorporation by reference of such document shall not create any implication that there has been no change in the affairs of AB InBev since its date or that the information contained in it is current as of any time subsequent to its date.

All documents filed by AB InBev pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the date hereof and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment that indicates that all securities offered have been sold or that deregisters all securities then remaining unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Reports on Form 6-K that AB InBev furnishes to the Commission subsequent to the date hereof will only be deemed incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement if such Report on Form 6-K expressly states that it is incorporated by reference herein.

Any statement contained in such a document shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for the purpose of this Registration Statement to the extent that a subsequent statement contained herein or in a subsequently filed or furnished document incorporated by reference herein, modifies or supersedes that statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement. In addition, any statement contained in any such document shall be deemed to be superseded for the purpose of this Registration Statement to the extent that a discussion contained herein covering the same subject matter omits such statement. Any such statement omitted shall not be deemed to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

 

4


Item 4.

Description of Securities

Please refer to “Description of Newbelco Ordinary Shares and Newbelco ADSs—Description of the Rights and Benefits Attached to Newbelco Ordinary Shares” in the Form F-4 for a description of Ordinary Shares.

Please refer to “Description of Newbelco Ordinary Shares and Newbelco ADSs—Description of the Rights and Benefits Attached to Newbelco ADSs” in the Form F-4 for a description of American Depositary Shares.

 

Item 5.

Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

None. Because no original issuance Ordinary Shares are to be registered hereunder, no opinion of counsel regarding the legality of the Ordinary Shares being registered hereunder is required.

 

Item 6.

Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Group Coverage and Policy

As the parent company of the Anheuser-Busch InBev Group, AB InBev has undertaken to indemnify its directors, officers and employees against any and all expenses (including, without limitation, attorneys’ fees and any expenses of establishing a right to indemnification by AB InBev), judgments, fines, penalties, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred by any such director, officer and employee in connection with the defense or settlement of any proceeding brought (i) by a third party or (ii) by AB InBev or by shareholders or other third parties in the right of AB InBev. Such indemnification applies if, with respect to the acts or omissions of such director, officer and employee, he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in the best interests of AB InBev and, in the case of a criminal action or proceeding, he or she had no reason to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful. For these purposes, “proceeding” refers to any threatened, pending or completed action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative to which a director, officer or employee is a party or is threatened to be made a party by reason of the fact that he or she was a director or an agent of AB InBev or of one of its subsidiaries or by reason of anything done or not done by him or her in such capacity.

No determination in any proceeding by judgment, order, settlement or conviction or otherwise shall, of itself, create a presumption that such director, officer or employee did not act in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in the best interests of AB InBev and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, he or she had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.

In addition, AB InBev has a liability insurance policy that covers all past, present and future directors and officers of AB InBev and its subsidiaries, which are those entities in which it holds more than 50% of the voting rights, or of which it can individually, or under a written shareholders’ agreement, appoint the majority of the board of directors. The insurance covers defense costs and financial damages such directors or officers are legally obliged to pay as a result of any claim against them. A “claim” for these purposes includes all requests against the directors and officers, including (i) a civil proceeding, (ii) a criminal proceeding, (iii) a formal administrative or regulatory proceeding and (iv) a written request by a third party.

 

Item 7.

Exemption from Registration Claimed

Not applicable.

 

Item 8.

Exhibits

Exhibit
No.
  

Description

4.1*    Articles of Association of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (English-language translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 to the Form 6-K filed with the Commission on 11 October 2016 at 5:07 p.m. EDT ).
4.2    Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement, by and among AB InBev and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Depositary and Owners and Holders of American Depositary Shares, dated as of 23 March 2018.
4.3    Terms and Conditions of the Five-Year Performance Restricted Stock Units Plan.
4.4    Terms and Conditions of the Ten-Year Performance Restricted Stock Units Plan.

 

5


Exhibit
No.
  

Description

23.1    Consent of Deloitte Bedrijfsrevisoren / Reviseurs d’Entreprises /BV o.v.v.e. CVBA/ SC s.f.d. SCRL (Zaventem), relating to the financial statements of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV for the financial years ended 31 December 2017 and 2016.
23.2    Consent of PwC Bedrijfsrevisoren BCVBA relating to the financial statements of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV for the financial year ended 31 December 2015.
23.3    Consent of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Auditores Independentes (São Paulo, Brazil), relating to the financial statements of Ambev S.A. for the year ended 31 December 2015.
24.1    Powers of Attorney of Certain Directors and Officers of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV.
24.2    Power of Attorney of Authorized Representative in the United States.

 

  

 

*    Previously filed.

 

Item 9.

Undertakings

 

(a)

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

  (1)

To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

  (i)

to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

 

  (ii)

to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;

 

  (iii)

to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

provided however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the registration statement is on Form S-8, and the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference into the registration statement.

 

  (2)

That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment 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; and

 

  (3)

To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

(b)

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement 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.

 

(c)

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions or otherwise, the registrant has been advised

 

6


 

that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 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 against the registrant 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 of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

(d)

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that:

 

  (1)

For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, 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 of 1933, 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.

 

7


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit
No.
  

Description

4.1*    Articles of Association of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (English-language translation) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 to the Form 6-K filed with the Commission on 11 October 2016 at 5:07 p.m. EDT ).
4.2    Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement, by and among AB InBev and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Depositary and Owners and Holders of American Depositary Shares, dated as of 23 March 2018.
4.3    Terms and Conditions of the Five-Year Performance Restricted Stock Units Plan.
4.4    Terms and Conditions of the Ten-Year Performance Restricted Stock Units Plan.
23.1    Consent of Deloitte Bedrijfsrevisoren / Reviseurs d’Entreprises /BV o.v.v.e. CVBA/ SC s.f.d. SCRL (Zaventem), relating to the financial statements of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV for the financial years ended 31 December 2017 and 2016.
23.2    Consent of PwC Bedrijfsrevisoren BCVBA relating to the financial statements of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV for the financial year ended 31 December 2015.
23.3    Consent of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Auditores Independentes (São Paulo, Brazil), relating to the financial statements of Ambev S.A. for the year ended 31 December 2015.
24.1    Powers of Attorney of Certain Directors and Officers of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV.
24.2    Power of Attorney of Authorized Representative in the United States.

 

  

 

*    Previously filed.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Leuven, Belgium, on 14 September 2018.

 

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV
By:  

/s/ Jan Vandermeersch

Name:   Jan Vandermeersch
Title:   Global Legal Director Corporate

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated below on 14 September 2018.

 

Signature

     

Title

*

Carlos Brito

   

Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

*

Felipe Dutra

   

Chief Financial and Solutions Officer

(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

*

Oliver Goudet

    Chairman of the Board of Directors

*

María Asuncion Aramburuzabala

    Member of the Board of Directors

 

Alexandre Behring

    Member of the Board of Directors

 

M. Michele Burns

    Member of the Board of Directors

*

Paul Cornet de Ways Ruart

    Member of the Board of Directors

*

Stéfan Descheemaeker

    Member of the Board of Directors

*

Paulo Alberto Lemann

    Member of the Board of Directors

*

Elio Leoni Sceti

    Member of the Board of Directors

 

Carlos Alberto Sicupira

    Member of the Board of Directors

*

Grégoire de Spoelberch

    Member of the Board of Directors


*

Marcel Herrmann Telles

    Member of the Board of Directors

*

Alexandre Van Damme

    Member of the Board of Directors

 

William F. Gifford, Jr.

    Member of the Board of Directors

*

Martin J. Barrington

    Member of the Board of Directors

*

Alejandro Santo Domingo Dávila

    Member of the Board of Directors

*

Bryan Warner

    Authorized Representative in the United States

 

*By:  

/s/ Jan Vandermeersch

Name:     Jan Vandermeersch
Title:   Attorney-in-Fact

 

Exhibit 4.2

[Execution Copy]

===================================================================================================

ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV SA/NV

AND

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON

As Depositary                                    

AND

OWNERS AND HOLDERS OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES

Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement

Dated as of March 23, 2018

===================================================================================================


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ARTICLE 1.   DEFINITIONS

        3  
 

SECTION 1.01

  

American Depositary Shares

        3  
 

SECTION 1.02

  

Commission

        3  
 

SECTION 1.03

  

Company

        3  
 

SECTION 1.04

  

Custodian

        3  
 

SECTION 1.05

  

Deliver; Surrender

        4  
 

SECTION 1.06

  

Deposit Agreement

        4  
 

SECTION 1.07

  

Depositary; Corporate Trust Office

        4  
 

SECTION 1.08

  

Deposited Securities

        4  
 

SECTION 1.09

  

Disseminate

        5  
 

SECTION 1.10

  

Dollars

        5  
 

SECTION 1.11

  

DTC

        5  
 

SECTION 1.12

  

Foreign Registrar

        5  
 

SECTION 1.13

  

Holder

        5  
 

SECTION 1.14

  

Owner

        5  
 

SECTION 1.15

  

Receipts

        6  
 

SECTION 1.16

  

Registrar

        6  
 

SECTION 1.17

  

Restricted Securities

        6  
 

SECTION 1.18

  

Securities Act of 1933

        6  
 

SECTION 1.19

  

Shares

        6  
 

SECTION 1.20

  

SWIFT

        7  

ARTICLE 2.       FORM OF RECEIPTS, DEPOSIT OF SHARES, DELIVERY, TRANSFER             AND SURRENDER OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES

        7  
 

SECTION 2.01         Form of Receipts; Registration and Transferability of American       Depositary Shares

        7  
 

SECTION 2.02

  

Deposit of Shares

        8  
 

SECTION 2.03

  

Delivery of American Depositary Shares

        9  
 

SECTION 2.04       Registration of Transfer of American Depositary Shares;       Combination and Split-up of Receipts; Interchange of Certificated and       Uncertificated American Depositary Shares

        10  
 

SECTION 2.05       Surrender of American Depositary Shares and Withdrawal of       Deposited Securities

        11  
 

SECTION 2.06       Limitations on Delivery, Transfer and Surrender of American       Depositary Shares

        12  
 

SECTION 2.07

  

Lost Receipts, etc.

        13  
 

SECTION 2.08

  

Cancellation and Destruction of Surrendered Receipts

        13  
 

SECTION 2.09

  

Pre-Release of American Depositary Shares

        13  

 

- ii -


 

SECTION 2.10

  

DTC Direct Registration System and Profile Modification System

     

14

ARTICLE 3.       CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS OF OWNERS AND HOLDERS OF AMERICAN             DEPOSITARY SHARES

     

14

 

SECTION 3.01

  

Filing Proofs, Certificates and Other Information

     

14

 

SECTION 3.02

  

Liability of Owner for Taxes

     

15

 

SECTION 3.03

  

Warranties on Deposit of Shares

     

15

ARTICLE 4.   THE DEPOSITED SECURITIES

     

16

 

SECTION 4.01

  

Cash Distributions

     

16

 

SECTION 4.02

  

Distributions Other Than Cash, Shares or Rights

     

16

 

SECTION 4.03

  

Distributions in Shares

     

17

 

SECTION 4.04

  

Rights

     

18

 

SECTION 4.05

  

Conversion of Foreign Currency

     

19

 

SECTION 4.06

  

Fixing of Record Date

     

20

 

SECTION 4.07

  

Voting of Deposited Securities

     

21

 

SECTION 4.08

  

Changes Affecting Deposited Securities

     

22

 

SECTION 4.09

  

Reports

     

22

 

SECTION 4.10

  

Lists of Owners

     

23

 

SECTION 4.11

  

Withholding

     

23

ARTICLE 5.   THE DEPOSITARY, THE CUSTODIANS AND THE COMPANY

     

24

 

SECTION 5.01

  

Maintenance of Office and Transfer Books by the Depositary

     

24

 

SECTION 5.02       Prevention or Delay in Performance by the Depositary or the       Company

     

24

 

SECTION 5.03

  

Obligations of the Depositary, the Custodian and the Company

     

25

 

SECTION 5.04

  

Resignation and Removal of the Depositary

     

26

 

SECTION 5.05

  

The Custodians

     

27

 

SECTION 5.06

  

Notices and Reports

     

28

 

SECTION 5.07

  

Distribution of Additional Shares, Rights, etc.

     

28

 

SECTION 5.08

  

Indemnification

     

29

 

SECTION 5.09

  

Charges of Depositary

     

29

 

SECTION 5.10

  

Retention of Depositary Documents

     

31

 

SECTION 5.11

  

Exclusivity

     

31

 

SECTION 5.12

  

List of Restricted Securities Owners

     

31

 

SECTION 5.13

  

Information for Regulatory Compliance

     

31

 

- iii -


ARTICLE 6.   AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION

     

31

 

SECTION 6.01

  

Amendment

     

31

 

SECTION 6.02

  

Termination

     

32

ARTICLE 7.   MISCELLANEOUS

     

33

 

SECTION 7.01

  

Counterparts

     

33

 

SECTION 7.02

  

No Third Party Beneficiaries

     

33

 

SECTION 7.03

  

Severability

     

33

 

SECTION 7.04

  

Owners and Holders as Parties; Binding Effect

     

33

 

SECTION 7.05

  

Notices

     

34

 

SECTION 7.06       Submission to Jurisdiction; Appointment of Agent for Service of       Process; Jury Trial Waiver

     

34

 

SECTION 7.07

  

Waiver of Immunities

     

35

 

SECTION 7.08

  

Governing Law

     

36

 

- iv -


AMENDED AND RESTATED DEPOSIT AGREEMENT

AMENDED AND RESTATED DEPOSIT AGREEMENT dated as of March 23, 2018, among ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV SA/NV, incorporated under the laws of Belgium (herein called the Company), THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, a New York banking corporation (herein called the Depositary), and all Owners and Holders from time to time of American Depositary Shares issued hereunder.

W I T N E S S E T H:

WHEREAS, the Company and the Depositary entered into a deposit agreement dated as of June 30, 2009 for the purposes stated in that agreement and subsequently amended and restated that agreement as of September 15, 2009 to reflect that the Company had become a reporting company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (that agreement, as so amended and restated, the “Prior Deposit Agreement”);

WHEREAS, the Company and the Depositary now wish to amend and restate the Prior Deposit Agreement pursuant to Section 6.01 of the Prior Deposit Agreement in the form of this Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement to update the Prior Deposit Agreement in various respects;

WHEREAS, the Company desires to provide, as hereinafter set forth in this Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement, for the deposit of Shares (as hereinafter defined) of the Company from time to time with the Depositary or with the Custodian (as hereinafter defined) as agent of the Depositary for the purposes set forth in this Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement, for the creation of American Depositary Shares representing the Shares so deposited and for the execution and delivery of American Depositary Receipts evidencing the American Depositary Shares;

WHEREAS, the Company and the Depositary do not intend to provide for the deposit of any Verminderde Voorheffing Précompte Réduit or “VVPR” strips accompanying any deposited Shares, and the American Depositary Shares shall not represent any VVPR strips; and

WHEREAS, the American Depositary Receipts are to be substantially in the form of Exhibit A annexed hereto, with appropriate insertions, modifications and omissions, as hereinafter provided in this Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises, it is agreed by and between the parties hereto that the Prior Deposit Agreement is hereby amended and restated as follows:

 

- 2 -


ARTICLE 1.     DEFINITIONS

The following definitions shall for all purposes, unless otherwise clearly indicated, apply to the respective terms used in this Deposit Agreement:

SECTION 1.01     American Depositary Shares.

The term “American Depositary Shares” shall mean the securities created under this Deposit Agreement representing rights with respect to the Deposited Securities. American Depositary Shares may be certificated securities evidenced by Receipts or uncertificated securities. The form of Receipt annexed as Exhibit A to this Deposit Agreement shall be the prospectus required under the Securities Act of 1933 for sales of both certificated and uncertificated American Depositary Shares. Except for those provisions of this Deposit Agreement that refer specifically to Receipts, all the provisions of this Deposit Agreement shall apply to both certificated and uncertificated American Depositary Shares. Each American Depositary Share shall represent the number of Shares specified in Exhibit A to this Deposit Agreement, until there shall occur a distribution upon Deposited Securities covered by Section 4.03 or a change in Deposited Securities covered by Section 4.08 with respect to which additional American Depositary Shares are not delivered, and thereafter American Depositary Shares shall represent the amount of Shares or Deposited Securities specified in such Sections. For the avoidance of doubt, the American Depositary Shares shall not qualify as “certificats / certificaten” under Article 503 ff. of the Belgian Companies Code.

SECTION 1.02     Commission.

The term “Commission” shall mean the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States or any successor governmental agency in the United States.

SECTION 1.03     Company.

The term “Company” shall mean Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, incorporated under the laws of Belgium, and its successors.

SECTION 1.04     Custodian.

The term “Custodian” shall mean the principal Brussels office of ING Belgium SA/NV, as agent of the Depositary for the purposes of this Deposit Agreement, and any other firm or corporation which may hereafter be appointed by the Depositary pursuant to the terms of Section 5.05, as substitute or additional custodian or custodians hereunder, as the context shall require and shall also mean all of them collectively.

 

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SECTION 1.05     Deliver; Surrender.

(a)        The term “deliver”, or its noun form, when used with respect to Shares or other Deposited Securities, shall mean (i) book-entry transfer of those Shares or other Deposited Securities to an account maintained by an institution authorized under applicable law to effect transfers of such securities designated by the person entitled to that delivery or (ii) physical transfer of certificates evidencing those Shares or other Deposited Securities registered in the name of, or duly endorsed or accompanied by proper instruments of transfer to, the person entitled to that delivery.

(b)        The term “deliver”, or its noun form, when used with respect to American Depositary Shares, shall mean (i) book-entry transfer of American Depositary Shares to an account at DTC designated by the person entitled to such delivery, evidencing American Depositary Shares registered in the name requested by that person, (ii) registration of American Depositary Shares not evidenced by a Receipt on the books of the Depositary in the name requested by the person entitled to such delivery and mailing to that person of a statement confirming that registration or (iii) if requested by the person entitled to such delivery, delivery at the Corporate Trust Office of the Depositary to the person entitled to such delivery of one or more Receipts.

(c)        The term “surrender”, when used with respect to American Depositary Shares, shall mean (i) one or more book-entry transfers of American Depositary Shares to the DTC account of the Depositary, (ii) delivery to the Depositary at its Corporate Trust Office of an instruction to surrender American Depositary Shares not evidenced by a Receipt or (iii) surrender to the Depositary at its Corporate Trust Office of one or more Receipts evidencing American Depositary Shares.

SECTION 1.06     Deposit Agreement.

The term “Deposit Agreement” shall mean this Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement, as the same may be amended from time to time in accordance with the provisions hereof.

SECTION 1.07     Depositary; Corporate Trust Office.

The term “Depositary” shall mean The Bank of New York Mellon, a New York banking corporation, and any successor as depositary hereunder. The term “Corporate Trust Office”, when used with respect to the Depositary, shall mean the office of the Depositary which at the date of this Deposit Agreement is 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286.

SECTION 1.08     Deposited Securities.

The term “Deposited Securities” as of any time shall mean Shares at such time deposited or deemed to be deposited under this Deposit Agreement, including

 

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without limitation Shares that have not been successfully delivered upon surrender of American Depositary Shares, and any and all other securities, property and cash received by the Depositary or the Custodian in respect thereof and at such time held under this Deposit Agreement, subject as to cash to the provisions of Section 4.05.

SECTION 1.09     Disseminate.

The term “Disseminate,” when referring to a notice or other information to be sent by the Depositary to Owners, shall mean (i) sending that information to Owners in paper form by mail or another means or (ii) with the consent of Owners, another procedure that has the effect of making the information available to Owners, which may include (A) sending the information by electronic mail or electronic messaging or (B) sending in paper form or by electronic mail or messaging a statement that the information is available and may be accessed by the Owner on an Internet website and that it will be sent in paper form upon request by the Owner, when that information is so available and is sent in paper form as promptly as practicable upon request.

SECTION 1.10     Dollars.

The term “Dollars” shall mean United States dollars.

SECTION 1.11     DTC.

The term “DTC” shall mean The Depository Trust Company or its successor.

SECTION 1.12     Foreign Registrar.

The term “Foreign Registrar” shall mean the entity that presently carries out the duties of registrar for the Shares or any successor as registrar for the Shares and any other agent of the Company for the transfer and registration of Shares, including without limitation any securities depository for the Shares.

SECTION 1.13     Holder.

The term “Holder” shall mean any person holding a Receipt or a security entitlement or other interest in American Depositary Shares, whether for its own account or for the account of another person, but that is not the Owner of that Receipt or those American Depositary Shares.

SECTION 1.14     Owner.

The term “Owner” shall mean the person in whose name American Depositary Shares are registered on the books of the Depositary maintained for such purpose.

 

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SECTION 1.15     Receipts.

The term “Receipts” shall mean the American Depositary Receipts issued hereunder evidencing certificated American Depositary Shares, as the same may be amended from time to time in accordance with the provisions hereof.

SECTION 1.16     Registrar.

The term “Registrar” shall mean any bank or trust company having an office in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, that is appointed by the Depositary to register American Depositary Shares and transfers of American Depositary Shares as herein provided.

SECTION 1.17     Restricted Securities.

The term “Restricted Securities” shall mean Shares, or American Depositary Shares representing Shares, that are acquired directly or indirectly from the Company or its affiliates (as defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933) in a transaction or chain of transactions not involving any public offering, or that are subject to resale limitations under Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933 or both, or which are held by an officer, director (or persons performing similar functions) or other affiliate of the Company, or that would require registration under the Securities Act of 1933 in connection with the offer and sale thereof in the United States, or that are subject to other restrictions on sale or deposit under the laws of the United States or Belgium, or under a shareholder agreement or the articles of association or similar document of the Company.

SECTION 1.18     Securities Act of 1933.

The term “Securities Act of 1933” shall mean the United States Securities Act of 1933, as from time to time amended.

SECTION 1.19     Shares.

The term “Shares” shall mean ordinary shares of the Company that are validly issued and outstanding and fully paid, nonassessable and that were not issued in violation of any pre-emptive or similar rights of the holders of outstanding securities of the Company; provided , however , that, if there shall occur any change in par value (or in any nominal value), a split-up or consolidation or any other reclassification or, upon the occurrence of an event described in Section 4.08, an exchange or conversion in respect of the Shares of the Company, the term “Shares” shall thereafter also mean the successor securities resulting from such change in par value (or in any nominal value), split-up or consolidation or such other reclassification or such exchange or conversion. The outstanding Shares of the Company currently exist in bearer form, registered form or dematerialized (i.e., securities account-entry) form.

 

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SECTION 1.20     SWIFT.

The term “SWIFT” shall mean the financial messaging network operated by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, or its successor.

 

ARTICLE 2.

FORM OF RECEIPTS, DEPOSIT OF SHARES, DELIVERY, TRANSFER AND SURRENDER OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES

SECTION 2.01     Form of Receipts; Registration and Transferability of American Depositary Shares.

Definitive Receipts shall be substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit A annexed to this Deposit Agreement, with appropriate insertions, modifications and omissions, as hereinafter provided. No Receipt shall be entitled to any benefits under this Deposit Agreement or be valid or obligatory for any purpose, unless such Receipt shall have been (i) executed by the Depositary by the manual signature of a duly authorized officer of the Depositary or (ii) executed by the facsimile signature of a duly authorized officer of the Depositary and countersigned by the manual signature of a duly authorized signatory of the Depositary or a Registrar. The Depositary shall maintain books on which (x) each Receipt so executed and delivered as hereinafter provided and the transfer of each such Receipt shall be registered and (y) all American Depositary Shares delivered as hereinafter provided and all registrations of transfer of American Depositary Shares shall be registered. A Receipt bearing the facsimile signature of a person that was at any time a proper officer of the Depositary shall, subject to the other provisions of this paragraph, bind the Depositary, notwithstanding that such person was not a proper officer of the Depositary on the date of issuance of that Receipt.

The Receipts and statements confirming registration of American Depositary Shares may be endorsed with or have incorporated in the text thereof such legends or recitals or modifications not inconsistent with the provisions of this Deposit Agreement as may reasonably be required by the Depositary or required to comply with any applicable law or regulations thereunder or with the rules and regulations of any securities exchange upon which American Depositary Shares may be listed or to conform with any usage with respect thereto, or to indicate any special limitations or restrictions to which any particular Receipts and American Depositary Shares are subject by reason of the date of issuance of the underlying Deposited Securities or otherwise.

American Depositary Shares evidenced by a Receipt, when the Receipt is properly endorsed or accompanied by proper instruments of transfer, shall be transferable as certificated registered securities under the laws of the State of New York. American Depositary Shares not evidenced by Receipts shall be transferable as uncertificated registered securities under the laws of the State of New York. The Depositary, notwithstanding any notice to the contrary, may treat the Owner of American Depositary Shares as the absolute owner thereof for the purpose of determining the person entitled to

 

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distribution of dividends or other distributions or to any notice provided for in this Deposit Agreement and for all other purposes, and neither the Depositary nor the Company shall have any obligation or be subject to any liability under this Deposit Agreement to any Holder of American Depositary Shares (but instead only to the Owner of those American Depositary Shares).

SECTION 2.02     Deposit of Shares.

Subject to the terms and conditions of this Deposit Agreement, Shares or evidence of rights to receive Shares may be deposited by delivery thereof to any Custodian hereunder, accompanied by any appropriate instruments or instructions for transfer, or endorsement, in form satisfactory to the Custodian, together with all such certifications as may be required by the Depositary or the Custodian in accordance with the provisions of this Deposit Agreement, and, if the Depositary requires, together with a written order directing the Depositary to deliver to, or upon the written order of, the person or persons stated in such order, the number of American Depositary Shares representing such deposit.

No Share shall be accepted for deposit unless accompanied by evidence satisfactory to the Depositary that any necessary approval has been granted by any governmental body in Belgium that is then performing the function of the regulation of currency exchange. If required by the Depositary, Shares presented for deposit at any time, whether or not the transfer books of the Company or the Foreign Registrar, if applicable, are closed, shall also be accompanied by an agreement or assignment, or other instrument satisfactory to the Depositary, which will provide for the prompt transfer to the Custodian of any dividend, or right to subscribe for additional Shares or to receive other property which any person in whose name the Shares are or have been recorded may thereafter receive upon or in respect of such deposited Shares, or in lieu thereof, such agreement of indemnity or other agreement as shall be satisfactory to the Depositary.

At the risk and expense of any person proposing to deposit Shares, and for the account of such person, the Depositary may receive certificates for Shares in bearer or registered form to be deposited, together with the other instruments herein specified, for the purpose of forwarding such Share certificates to the Custodian for deposit hereunder in accordance with the provisions of the following paragraph.

The Depositary shall instruct each Custodian that, upon each delivery to a Custodian of a certificate or certificates for Shares to be deposited hereunder, together with the other documents specified above, such Custodian shall, as soon as transfer and recordation can be accomplished, present such certificate or certificates to the Company or the Foreign Registrar, if applicable, for exchange of such Shares in bearer or registered form for Shares in dematerialized form and the subsequent transfer and recordation of the resulting Shares in dematerialized form in the name of the Depositary or its nominee or such Custodian or its nominee.

 

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Deposited Securities shall be held by the Depositary or by a Custodian for the account and to the order of the Depositary or at such other place or places as the Depositary shall determine.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Deposit Agreement to the contrary, in no event shall the Depositary or a Custodian accept a deposit of Shares to the extent that, after giving effect to that deposit, the number of Shares on deposit would exceed (i) 30 percent of the total number of Shares outstanding (as indicated by the Company and provided to the Depositary) or (ii) a number of Shares (as indicated by the Company and provided to the Depositary) that would, under applicable Belgian legal rules, obligate the holder thereof or any person acting in concert with such holder to launch a mandatory bid for all Shares or other Company securities giving access to voting rights. The Company shall notify the Depositary of the applicable number of Shares described in clauses (i) and (ii) of the preceding sentence as of the date of this Deposit Agreement and, as promptly as practicable, of any subsequent change in those numbers.

SECTION 2.03     Delivery of American Depositary Shares.

The Depositary shall instruct each Custodian that, upon receipt by any Custodian of any deposit pursuant to Section 2.02 hereunder, together with the other documents required as specified under that Section, such Custodian shall notify the Depositary of such deposit and the person or persons to whom or upon whose written order American Depositary Shares are deliverable in respect thereof and the number of American Depositary Shares to be so delivered. Such notification shall be made by letter or, at the request, risk and expense of the person making the deposit, by cable, telex or facsimile transmission (and in addition, if the transfer books of the Company or the Foreign Registrar, if applicable, are open, the Depositary may in its sole discretion require a proper acknowledgment or other evidence from the Company or the Foreign Registrar that any Deposited Securities have been recorded upon the books of the Company or the Foreign Registrar, if applicable, in the name of the Depositary or its nominee or such Custodian or its nominee). Upon receiving such notice from such Custodian, or upon the receipt of Shares or evidence of the right to receive Shares by the Depositary, the Depositary, subject to the terms and conditions of this Deposit Agreement, shall deliver, as promptly as practicable, to or upon the order of the person or persons entitled thereto, the number of American Depositary Shares issuable in respect of that deposit, but only upon payment to the Depositary of the fees and expenses of the Depositary for the delivery of such American Depositary Shares as provided in Section 5.09, and of all taxes and governmental charges and fees payable in connection with such deposit and the transfer of the Deposited Securities.

 

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SECTION 2.04     Registration of Transfer of American Depositary Shares; Combination and Split-up of Receipts; Interchange of Certificated and Uncertificated American Depositary Shares.

The Depositary, subject to the terms and conditions of this Deposit Agreement, shall register transfers of American Depositary Shares on its transfer books from time to time without unreasonable delay, upon (i) in the case of certificated American Depositary Shares, surrender of the Receipt evidencing those American Depositary Shares, by the Owner in person or by a duly authorized attorney, properly endorsed or accompanied by proper instruments of transfer or (ii) in the case of uncertificated American Depositary Shares, receipt from the Owner of a proper instruction (including, for the avoidance of doubt, instructions through DRS and Profile as provided in Section 2.10), and, in either case, duly stamped as may be required by the laws of the State of New York and of the United States of America. Thereupon the Depositary shall deliver those American Depositary Shares to or upon the order of the person entitled thereto.

The Depositary, subject to the terms and conditions of this Deposit Agreement, shall, without unreasonable delay, upon surrender of a Receipt or Receipts for the purpose of effecting a split-up or combination of such Receipt or Receipts, execute and deliver a new Receipt or Receipts for any authorized number of American Depositary Shares requested, evidencing the same aggregate number of American Depositary Shares as the Receipt or Receipts surrendered.

The Depositary, upon surrender of certificated American Depositary Shares for the purpose of exchanging for uncertificated American Depositary Shares, shall cancel the Receipt evidencing those certificated American Depositary Shares and send the Owner a statement confirming that the Owner is the owner of the same number of uncertificated American Depositary Shares. The Depositary, upon receipt of a proper instruction (including, for the avoidance of doubt, instructions through DRS and Profile as provided in Section 2.10) from the Owner of uncertificated American Depositary Shares for the purpose of exchanging for certificated American Depositary Shares, shall cancel those uncertificated American Depositary Shares and, without unreasonable delay, shall register and deliver to the Owner a Receipt evidencing the same number of certificated American Depositary Shares.

The Depositary may appoint one or more co-transfer agents for the purpose of effecting registration of transfers of American Depositary Shares and combinations and split-ups of Receipts at designated transfer offices on behalf of the Depositary. In carrying out its functions, a co-transfer agent may require evidence of authority and compliance with applicable laws and other requirements by Owners or persons entitled to American Depositary Shares and will be entitled to protection and indemnity to the same extent as the Depositary.

 

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SECTION 2.05     Surrender of American Depositary Shares and Withdrawal of Deposited Securities.

Upon surrender at the Corporate Trust Office of the Depositary of American Depositary Shares for the purpose of withdrawal of the Deposited Securities represented thereby, and upon payment of the fee of the Depositary for the surrender of American Depositary Shares as provided in Section 5.09 and payment of all taxes and governmental charges payable in connection with such surrender and withdrawal of the Deposited Securities, and subject to the terms and conditions of this Deposit Agreement, the Owner of those American Depositary Shares shall be entitled to delivery, to him or as instructed, of the amount of Deposited Securities at the time represented by those American Depositary Shares. Such delivery shall be made, as hereinafter provided, without unreasonable delay.

A Receipt surrendered for such purposes may be required by the Depositary to be properly endorsed in blank or accompanied by proper instruments of transfer in blank. The Depositary may require the surrendering Owner to execute and deliver to the Depositary a written order directing the Depositary to cause the Deposited Securities being withdrawn to be delivered to or upon the written order of a person or persons designated in such order. Thereupon the Depositary shall direct the Custodian to deliver at the office of such Custodian, without unreasonable delay and subject to Sections 2.06, 3.01 and 3.02 and to the other terms and conditions of this Deposit Agreement, to or upon the written order of the person or persons designated in the order delivered to the Depositary as above provided, the amount of Deposited Securities represented by the surrendered American Depositary Shares, and the Depositary may charge the surrendering Owner a fee and its expenses for giving that direction by cable (including SWIFT) or facsimile transmission, except that the Depositary may make delivery to such person or persons at the Corporate Trust Office of the Depositary of any dividends or distributions with respect to the Deposited Securities represented by those American Depositary Shares, or of any proceeds of sale of any dividends, distributions or rights, which may at the time be held by the Depositary.

At the request, risk and expense of any Owner so surrendering American Depositary Shares, and for the account of such Owner, the Depositary shall direct the Custodian to forward any cash or other property (other than rights) comprising, and forward a certificate or certificates, if applicable and subject to the last sentence of this paragraph, and other proper documents of title for, the Deposited Securities represented by the surrendered American Depositary Shares to the Depositary for delivery at the Corporate Trust Office of the Depositary. Such direction shall be given by letter or, at the request, risk and expense of such Owner, by cable, telex or facsimile transmission. For the avoidance of doubt, any Shares to be delivered to the order of Owners upon the surrender of American Depositary Shares shall be delivered exclusively in dematerialized form.

 

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SECTION 2.06     Limitations on Delivery, Transfer and Surrender of American Depositary Shares.

As a condition precedent to the delivery, registration of transfer or surrender of any American Depositary Shares or split-up or combination of any Receipt or withdrawal of any Deposited Securities, the Depositary, Custodian or Registrar may require payment from the depositor of Shares or the presenter of the Receipt or instruction for registration of transfer or surrender of American Depositary Shares not evidenced by a Receipt of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any tax or other governmental charge and any stock transfer or registration fee with respect thereto (including any such tax or charge and fee with respect to Shares being deposited or withdrawn) and payment of any applicable fees as herein provided, may require the production of proof satisfactory to it as to the identity and genuineness of any signature and may also require compliance with any regulations the Depositary may establish consistent with the provisions of this Deposit Agreement, including, without limitation, this Section 2.06.

Except as otherwise agreed between the Depositary and the Company and subject to the provisions of the following sentence, the delivery of American Depositary Shares against deposit of Shares generally or against deposit of particular Shares may be suspended, or the transfer of American Depositary Shares in particular instances may be refused, or the registration of transfer of outstanding American Depositary Shares generally may be suspended, during any period when the transfer books of the Depositary are closed, or if any such action is deemed necessary or advisable by the Depositary or the Company at any time or from time to time because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body or commission, or under any provision of this Deposit Agreement, or for any other reason, and the acceptance of surrenders of American Depositary Shares for the purpose of withdrawal of Deposited Securities may be suspended during specified periods before meetings of holders of Shares and in connection with dividend payments or as otherwise reasonably necessary to comply with applicable laws and regulations. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Deposit Agreement, the surrender of outstanding American Depositary Shares and withdrawal of Deposited Securities may not be suspended subject only to (i) temporary delays caused by closing the transfer books of the Depositary or the Company or the Foreign Registrar, if applicable, or the deposit of Shares in connection with voting at a shareholders’ meeting, or the payment of dividends, (ii) the payment of fees, taxes and similar charges, and (iii) compliance with any U.S. or foreign laws or governmental regulations relating to the American Depositary Shares or to the withdrawal of the Deposited Securities. Without limitation of the foregoing, the Depositary shall not knowingly accept for deposit under this Deposit Agreement any Shares that would be required to be registered under the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933 for public offer and sale in the United States unless a registration statement is in effect as to those Shares for such offer and sale.

 

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SECTION 2.07     Lost Receipts, etc.

In case any Receipt shall be mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen, the Depositary shall deliver to the Owner the American Depositary Shares evidenced by that Receipt in uncertificated form or, if requested by the Owner, execute and deliver a new Receipt of like tenor in exchange and substitution for such mutilated Receipt, upon cancellation thereof, or in lieu of and in substitution for such destroyed, lost or stolen Receipt. Before the Depositary shall deliver American Depositary Shares in uncertificated form or execute and deliver a new Receipt, in substitution for a destroyed, lost or stolen Receipt, the Owner thereof shall have (a) filed with the Depositary (i) a request for such execution and delivery before the Depositary has notice that the Receipt has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser and (ii) a sufficient indemnity bond and (b) satisfied any other reasonable requirements imposed by the Depositary.

SECTION 2.08     Cancellation and Destruction of Surrendered Receipts.

All Receipts surrendered to the Depositary shall be cancelled by the Depositary. The Depositary is authorized to destroy Receipts so cancelled.

SECTION 2.09     Pre-Release of American Depositary Shares.

Notwithstanding Section 2.03 hereof, the Depositary may deliver American Depositary Shares prior to the receipt of Shares pursuant to Section 2.02 (a “Pre-Release”). The Depositary may, pursuant to Section 2.05, deliver Shares upon the surrender of American Depositary Shares that have been Pre-Released, whether or not such surrender is prior to the termination of such Pre-Release or the Depositary knows that such American Depositary Shares have been Pre-Released. The Depositary may receive American Depositary Shares in lieu of Shares in satisfaction of a Pre-Release. Each Pre-Release will be (a) preceded or accompanied by a written representation from the person to whom American Depositary Shares or Shares are to be delivered, that such person, or its customer, owns the Shares or American Depositary Shares to be remitted, as the case may be, (b) at all times fully collateralized with cash or such other collateral as the Depositary deems appropriate, (c) terminable by the Depositary on not more than five (5) business days notice, and (d) subject to such further indemnities and credit regulations as the Depositary deems appropriate. Except as otherwise agreed between the Company and the Depositary, the number of Shares represented by American Depositary Shares which are outstanding at any time as a result of Pre-Release will not normally exceed thirty percent (30%) of the Shares deposited hereunder. Except as otherwise agreed between the Company and the Depositary, the Depositary reserves the right to change or disregard such limit from time to time as it deems appropriate.

The Depositary may retain for its own account any compensation received by it in connection with the foregoing.

 

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SECTION 2.10     DTC Direct Registration System and Profile Modification System.

(a)        Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.04, the parties acknowledge that the Direct Registration System (“DRS”) and Profile Modification System (“Profile”) shall apply to uncertificated American Depositary Shares upon acceptance thereof to DRS by DTC. DRS is the system administered by DTC pursuant to which the Depositary may register the ownership of uncertificated American Depositary Shares, which ownership shall be evidenced by periodic statements issued by the Depositary to the Owners entitled thereto. Profile is a required feature of DRS which allows a DTC participant, claiming to act on behalf of an Owner of American Depositary Shares, to direct the Depositary to register a transfer of those American Depositary Shares to DTC or its nominee and to deliver those American Depositary Shares to the DTC account of that DTC participant without receipt by the Depositary of prior authorization from the Owner to register such transfer.

(b)        In connection with and in accordance with the arrangements and procedures relating to DRS/Profile, the parties understand that the Depositary will not verify, determine or otherwise ascertain that the DTC participant which is claiming to be acting on behalf of an Owner in requesting a registration of transfer and delivery as described in subsection (a) has the actual authority to act on behalf of the Owner (notwithstanding any requirements under the Uniform Commercial Code). For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of Sections 5.03 and 5.08 shall apply to the matters arising from the use of the DRS/Profile. The parties agree that the Depositary’s reliance on and compliance with instructions received by the Depositary through DRS/Profile and in accordance with this Deposit Agreement shall not constitute negligence or bad faith on the part of the Depositary.

 

ARTICLE 3.

CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS OF OWNERS AND HOLDERS OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES

SECTION 3.01     Filing Proofs, Certificates and Other Information.

Any person presenting Shares for deposit or any Owner or Holder may be required from time to time to file with the Depositary or the Custodian such proof of citizenship or residence, exchange control approval, or such information relating to the registration on the books of the Company or the Foreign Registrar, if applicable, to execute such certificates and to make such representations and warranties, as the Depositary may reasonably deem necessary or proper or as the Company may reasonably require by written request to the Depositary. The Depositary may withhold the delivery or registration of transfer of American Depositary Shares or the distribution of any dividend or sale or distribution of rights or of the proceeds thereof or the delivery of any Deposited Securities until such proof or other information is filed or such certificates are executed or such representations and warranties made.

 

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Owners and Holders may be subject to Belgian law notification and mandatory tender offer requirements regarding their holdings of American Depositary Shares and Shares and should acquaint themselves with applicable Belgian law regarding such requirements (including certain notification requirements set forth in the Company’s articles of association).

SECTION 3.02     Liability of Owner for Taxes.

If any tax or other governmental charge shall become payable by the Custodian or the Depositary with respect to any American Depositary Shares or any Deposited Securities represented by any American Depositary Shares, such tax or other governmental charge shall be payable by the Owner of such American Depositary Shares to the Depositary. The Depositary may refuse to register any transfer of those American Depositary Shares or any withdrawal of Deposited Securities represented by those American Depositary Shares until such payment is made, and may withhold any dividends or other distributions, or may sell for the account of the Owner thereof any part or all of the Deposited Securities represented by those American Depositary Shares, and may apply such dividends or other distributions or the proceeds of any such sale in payment of such tax or other governmental charge and the Owner of such American Depositary Shares shall remain liable for any deficiency. The Depositary shall distribute any net proceeds of a sale made under this Section that are not used to pay taxes or governmental charges to the Owners entitled to them in accordance with Section 4.01. If the number of Shares represented by each American Depositary Share decreases as a result of a sale of Deposited Securities under this Section, the Depositary may and shall, if the Company so requests in writing, call for surrender of the American Depositary Shares to be exchanged on a mandatory basis for a lesser number of American Depositary Shares and may sell American Depositary Shares to the extent necessary to avoid distributing fractions of American Depositary Shares in that exchange and distribute the net proceeds of that sale to the Owners entitled to them.

SECTION 3.03     Warranties on Deposit of Shares.

Every person depositing Shares under this Deposit Agreement shall be deemed thereby to represent and warrant that such Shares and each certificate therefor, if applicable, are validly issued, fully paid, nonassessable and free of any preemptive rights of the holders of outstanding Shares and that the person making such deposit is duly authorized so to do. Every such person shall also be deemed to represent that the deposit of such Shares and the sale of American Depositary Shares representing such Shares by that person are not restricted under the Securities Act of 1933. Such representations and warranties shall survive the deposit of Shares and delivery of American Depositary Shares.

 

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ARTICLE 4.

THE DEPOSITED SECURITIES

SECTION 4.01     Cash Distributions.

Whenever the Depositary shall receive any cash dividend or other cash distribution on any Deposited Securities, the Depositary shall, as promptly as practicable and subject to the provisions of Section 4.05, convert such dividend or distribution into Dollars and distribute the amount thus received (net of the fees and expenses of the Depositary as provided in Section 5.09) to the Owners entitled thereto, in proportion to the number of American Depositary Shares representing such Deposited Securities held by them respectively; provided , however , that in the event that the Custodian or the Depositary shall be required to withhold and does withhold from such cash dividend or such other cash distribution an amount on account of taxes or other governmental charges, the amount distributed to the Owner of the American Depositary Shares representing such Deposited Securities shall be reduced accordingly. The Depositary shall distribute only such amount, however, as can be distributed without attributing to any Owner a fraction of one cent. Any such fractional amounts shall be rounded to the nearest whole cent and so distributed to Owners entitled thereto. The Company or its agent will remit to the appropriate governmental agency in Belgium all amounts withheld and owing to such agency. The Depositary will forward to the Company or its agent such information from its records as the Company may reasonably request to enable the Company or its agent to file necessary reports with governmental agencies. Services may be available under which Owners and Holders may obtain reduced rates of tax withholding at source or reclaim excess tax withheld. However , services of that kind, and the fees and costs associated with using them, are not provided under, and are outside the scope of, this Deposit Agreement.

SECTION 4.02     Distributions Other Than Cash, Shares or Rights.

Subject to the provisions of Sections 4.11 and 5.09, whenever the Depositary shall receive any distribution other than a distribution described in Section 4.01, 4.03 or 4.04, the Depositary shall cause the securities or property received by it to be distributed to the Owners entitled thereto, after deduction or upon payment of any fees and expenses of the Depositary or any taxes or other governmental charges, in proportion to the number of American Depositary Shares representing such Deposited Securities held by them respectively, in any manner that the Depositary may reasonably deem equitable and practicable for accomplishing such distribution; provided, however, that if in the opinion of the Depositary, after consultation with the Company, such distribution cannot be made proportionately among the Owners entitled thereto, or if for any other reason (including, but not limited to, any requirement that the Company or the Depositary withhold an amount on account of taxes or other governmental charges or that such securities must be registered under the Securities Act of 1933 in order to be distributed to Owners or Holders) the Depositary deems such distribution not to be feasible, the

 

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Depositary may, after consultation with the Company, adopt such method as it may deem equitable and practicable for the purpose of effecting such distribution, including, but not limited to, the public or private sale of the securities or property thus received, or any part thereof, and the net proceeds of any such sale (net of the fees and expenses of the Depositary as provided in Section 5.09) shall be distributed without unreasonable delay by the Depositary to the Owners entitled thereto, all in the manner and subject to the conditions described in Section 4.01. The Depositary may withhold any distribution of securities under this Section 4.02 if it has not received satisfactory assurances from the Company that the distribution does not require registration under the Securities Act of 1933. The Depositary may sell, by public or private sale, an amount of securities or other property it would otherwise distribute under this Section 4.02 that is sufficient to pay its fees and expenses in respect of that distribution.

SECTION 4.03     Distributions in Shares.

If any distribution upon any Deposited Securities consists of a dividend in, or free distribution of, Shares, the Depositary may, and shall, if the Company shall so request in writing, deliver to the Owners entitled thereto, in proportion to the number of American Depositary Shares representing such Deposited Securities held by them respectively, an aggregate number of American Depositary Shares representing the amount of Shares received as such dividend or free distribution, subject to the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement with respect to the deposit of Shares and after deduction or upon issuance of American Depositary Shares, including the withholding of any tax or other governmental charge as provided in Section 4.11 and the payment of the fees and expenses of the Depositary as provided in Section 5.09 (and the Depositary may sell, by public or private sale, an amount of the Shares received sufficient to pay its fees and expenses in respect of that distribution). The Depositary may withhold any such delivery of American Depositary Shares if it has not received satisfactory assurances from the Company that such distribution does not require registration under the Securities Act of 1933. In lieu of delivering fractional American Depositary Shares in any such case, the Depositary shall sell the amount of Shares represented by the aggregate of such fractions and distribute the net proceeds without unreasonable delay, all in the manner and subject to the conditions described in Section 4.01. If additional American Depositary Shares are not so delivered, each American Depositary Share shall thenceforth also represent the additional Shares distributed upon the Deposited Securities represented thereby.

If the Company declares a distribution in which holders of Deposited Securities have a right to elect whether to receive cash, Shares or other securities or a combination of those things, or a right to elect to have a distribution sold on their behalf, the Depositary shall endeavor to consult with the Company and, if the Company so requests in writing, to make that right of election available for exercise by Owners in any manner the Depositary reasonably considers to be lawful and practical. As a condition of making a distribution election right available to Owners, the Depositary may require

 

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satisfactory assurances from the Company that doing so does not require registration of any securities under the Securities Act of 1933.

SECTION 4.04     Rights.

In the event that the Company shall offer or cause to be offered to the holders of any Deposited Securities any rights to subscribe for additional Shares or any rights of any other nature, the Depositary, after consultation with the Company, shall have discretion as to the procedure to be followed in making such rights available to any Owners or in disposing of such rights on behalf of any Owners and making the net proceeds available to such Owners or, if by the terms of such rights offering or for any other reason, the Depositary may not either make such rights available to any Owners or dispose of such rights and make the net proceeds available to such Owners, then the Depositary shall allow the rights to lapse. If at the time of the offering of any rights the Depositary determines in its discretion, after consultation with and with the agreement of the Company, that it is lawful and feasible to make such rights available to all or certain Owners but not to other Owners, the Depositary may distribute to any Owner to whom it determines, after consultation with and with the agreement of the Company, the distribution to be lawful and feasible, in proportion to the number of American Depositary Shares held by such Owner, warrants or other instruments therefor in such form as it deems appropriate.

In circumstances in which rights would otherwise not be distributed, if an Owner requests the distribution of warrants or other instruments in order to exercise the rights allocable to the American Depositary Shares of such Owner hereunder, the Depositary will make such rights available to such Owner upon written notice from the Company to the Depositary that (a) the Company has elected in its sole discretion to permit such rights to be exercised and (b) such Owner has executed such documents as the Company has determined in its sole discretion are reasonably required under applicable law.

If the Depositary has distributed warrants or other instruments for rights to all or certain Owners, then upon instruction from such an Owner pursuant to such warrants or other instruments to the Depositary from such Owner to exercise such rights, upon payment by such Owner to the Depositary for the account of such Owner of an amount equal to the purchase price of the Shares to be received upon the exercise of the rights, and upon payment of the fees and expenses of the Depositary and any other charges as set forth in such warrants or other instruments, the Depositary shall, on behalf of such Owner, exercise the rights and purchase the Shares, and the Company shall cause the Shares so purchased to be delivered to the Depositary on behalf of such Owner. As agent for such Owner, the Depositary will cause the Shares so purchased to be deposited pursuant to Section 2.02 of this Deposit Agreement, and shall, pursuant to Section 2.03 of this Deposit Agreement, deliver American Depositary Shares to such Owner. In the case of a distribution pursuant to the second paragraph of this Section, such deposit shall be

 

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made, and depositary shares shall be delivered, under depositary arrangements which provide for issuance of depositary shares subject to the appropriate restrictions on sale, deposit, cancellation, and transfer under applicable United States laws.

If the Depositary determines in its discretion, after consultation with the Company, that it is not lawful and feasible to make such rights available to all or certain Owners, it may sell the rights, warrants or other instruments in proportion to the number of American Depositary Shares held by the Owners to whom it has determined it may not lawfully or feasibly make such rights available, and allocate the net proceeds of such sales (net of the fees and expenses of the Depositary as provided in Section 5.09 and all taxes and governmental charges payable in connection with such rights and subject to the terms and conditions of this Deposit Agreement) for the account of such Owners otherwise entitled to such rights, warrants or other instruments, upon an averaged or other practical basis without regard to any distinctions among such Owners because of exchange restrictions or the date of delivery of any American Depositary Shares or otherwise.

The Depositary will not offer rights to Owners unless both the rights and the securities to which such rights relate are either exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to a distribution to all Owners or are registered under the provisions of such Act; provided , that nothing in this Deposit Agreement shall create any obligation on the part of the Company to file a registration statement with respect to such rights or underlying securities or to endeavor to have such a registration statement declared effective. If an Owner requests the distribution of warrants or other instruments, notwithstanding that there has been no such registration under the Securities Act of 1933, the Depositary shall not effect such distribution unless it has received an opinion from recognized counsel in the United States for the Company upon which the Depositary may rely that such distribution to such Owner is exempt from such registration.

The Depositary shall not be responsible for any failure to determine that it may be lawful or feasible to make such rights available to Owners in general or any Owner in particular.

SECTION 4.05     Conversion of Foreign Currency.

Whenever the Depositary or the Custodian receives foreign currency, by way of dividends or other distributions or the net proceeds from the sale of securities, property or rights, and if at the time of the receipt thereof the foreign currency so received can in the judgment of the Depositary be converted on a reasonable basis into Dollars and the resulting Dollars transferred to the United States, the Depositary shall convert or cause to be converted by sale or in any other manner that it may determine that foreign currency into Dollars, and those Dollars shall be distributed as promptly as practicable to the Owners entitled thereto. A cash distribution may be made upon an averaged or other practicable basis without regard to any distinctions among Owners based on exchange restrictions, the date of delivery of any American Depositary Shares

 

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or otherwise and shall be net of any expenses of conversion into Dollars incurred by the Depositary as provided in Section 5.09.

If a conversion of foreign currency or the repatriation or distribution of Dollars can be effected only with the approval or license of any government or agency thereof, the Depositary may, but will not be required to, file an application for that approval or license.

If the Depositary determines that in its reasonable judgment any foreign currency received by the Depositary or the Custodian is not convertible on a reasonable basis into Dollars transferable to the United States, or if any approval or license of any government or agency thereof that is required for such conversion is not filed or sought by the Depositary or is not obtained within a reasonable period as determined by the Depositary, the Depositary may distribute the foreign currency received by the Depositary to, or in its discretion may hold such foreign currency uninvested and without liability for interest thereon for the respective accounts of, the Owners entitled to receive the same.

If any conversion of foreign currency, in whole or in part, cannot be effected for distribution to some of the Owners entitled thereto, the Depositary may in its discretion make that conversion and distribution in Dollars to the extent practicable and permissible to the Owners entitled thereto and may distribute the balance of the foreign currency received by the Depositary to, or hold that balance uninvested and without liability for interest thereon for the account of, the Owners entitled thereto.

The Depositary may convert currency itself or through any of its affiliates and, in those cases, acts as principal for its own account and not as agent, advisor, broker or fiduciary on behalf of any other person and earns revenue, including, without limitation, transaction spreads, that it will retain for its own account. The revenue is based on, among other things, the difference between the exchange rate assigned to the currency conversion made under this Deposit Agreement and the rate that the Depositary or its affiliate receives when buying or selling foreign currency for its own account. The Depositary makes no representation that the exchange rate used or obtained in any currency conversion under this Deposit Agreement will be the most favorable rate that could be obtained at the time or that the method by which that rate will be determined will be the most favorable to Owners, subject to the Depositary’s obligations under Section 5.03. The methodology used to determine exchange rates used in currency conversions is available upon request.

SECTION 4.06     Fixing of Record Date.

Whenever any cash dividend or other cash distribution shall become payable or any distribution other than cash shall be made, or whenever rights shall be issued with respect to the Deposited Securities, or whenever the Depositary shall receive notice of any meeting of holders of Shares or other Deposited Securities, or whenever for

 

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any reason the Depositary causes a change in the number of Shares that are represented by each American Depositary Share, or whenever the Depositary shall find it necessary or convenient, the Depositary shall, after consultation with the Company to the extent practicable, fix a record date, which shall be the same as, or as near as practicable to, any corresponding record date set by the Company with respect to Shares (a) for the determination of the Owners who shall be (i) entitled to receive such dividend, distribution or rights or the net proceeds of the sale thereof, (ii) entitled to give instructions for the exercise of voting rights at any such meeting, (iii) responsible for any fee or charge assessed by the Depositary pursuant to this Deposit Agreement or (iv) entitled or obligated for any other purpose for which the record date was set, or (b) on or after which each American Depositary Share will represent the changed number of Shares. Subject to the provisions of Sections 4.01 through 4.05 and to the other terms and conditions of this Deposit Agreement, the Owners on such record date shall be entitled, as the case may be, to receive the amount distributable by the Depositary with respect to such dividend or other distribution or such rights or the net proceeds of sale thereof in proportion to the number of American Depositary Shares held by them respectively and to give voting instructions and to act in respect of any other such matter or be responsible for that fee or charge, as the case may be.

SECTION 4.07     Voting of Deposited Securities.

Upon receipt of notice of any meeting of holders of Shares or other Deposited Securities, if requested in writing by the Company, the Depositary shall, after consultation with the Company and as soon as practicable thereafter, Disseminate to the Owners a notice, the form of which notice shall be in the sole discretion of the Depositary, which shall contain (a) such information as is contained in such notice of meeting received by the Depositary from the Company, (b) a statement that the Owners as of the close of business on a specified record date will be entitled, subject to any applicable provision of Belgian law and of the articles of association or similar documents of the Company, to instruct the Depositary as to the exercise of the voting rights, if any, pertaining to the amount of Shares or other Deposited Securities represented by their respective American Depositary Shares, (c) a statement as to the manner in which such instructions may be given and (d) the last day on which the Depositary will accept instructions (the “Instruction Cutoff Date”).

Upon the written request of an Owner of American Depositary Shares, as of the date of the request or, if a record date was specified by the Depositary, as of that record date, received on or before any Instruction Cutoff Date established by the Depositary, the Depositary shall endeavor, in so far as practicable, to vote or cause to be voted the amount of Shares or other Deposited Securities represented by those American Depositary Shares in accordance with the instructions set forth in such request. The Depositary shall not vote or attempt to exercise the right to vote that attaches to the Shares or other Deposited Securities, other than in accordance with such instructions or as provided in the next paragraph.

 

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If (a) the Company made a request to the Depositary as contemplated by this Section 4.07 and gave the Depositary notice of the meeting, details concerning the matters to be voted upon and copies of materials to be made available to holders of Shares in connection with the meeting at least 30 days prior to the meeting date and (b) no instructions are received by the Depositary from an Owner with respect to an amount of Deposited Securities represented by American Depositary Shares of that Owner and a matter on or before the Instruction Cutoff Date, the Depositary shall deem that Owner to have instructed the Depositary to give, and the Depositary shall give, a discretionary proxy to a person designated by the Company with respect to that amount of Deposited Securities to vote that amount of Deposited Securities as to that matter in accordance with any recommendation of the Company (including any recommendation by the Company to vote Deposited Securities on that matter in accordance with the majority shareholders’ vote on that matter) as determined by the appointed proxy, except that such instruction shall not be deemed to have been given and the Depositary shall not give a discretionary proxy with respect to any matter as to which the Company informs the Depositary (and the Company agrees to provide that information as promptly as practicable in writing, if applicable) that (i) the Company does not wish to receive a discretionary proxy, (ii) substantial opposition exists or (iii) the matter materially and adversely affects the rights of holders of Shares.

There can be no assurance that Owners generally or any Owner in particular will receive the notice described in this Section 4.07 in time to enable Owners to give instructions to the Depositary prior to the Instruction Cutoff Date.

SECTION 4.08     Changes Affecting Deposited Securities.

Upon any change in par value (or in any nominal value), split-up, consolidation or any other reclassification of Deposited Securities, or upon any recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation or sale of assets affecting the Company or to which it is a party, or upon the redemption or cancellation by the Company of the Deposited Securities, any securities, cash or property which shall be received by the Depositary or a Custodian in exchange for, in conversion of, in lieu of or in respect of Deposited Securities, shall be treated as new Deposited Securities under this Deposit Agreement, and American Depositary Shares shall thenceforth represent, in addition to the existing Deposited Securities, the right to receive the new Deposited Securities so received, unless additional American Depositary Shares are delivered pursuant to the following sentence. In any such case the Depositary may, and shall, if the Company so requests in writing, deliver additional American Depositary Shares as in the case of a dividend in Shares, or call for the surrender of outstanding Receipts to be exchanged for new Receipts specifically describing such new Deposited Securities.

SECTION 4.09     Reports.

The Depositary shall make available for inspection by Owners at its Corporate Trust Office any reports and communications, including any proxy solicitation

 

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material, received from the Company which are both (a) received by the Depositary as the holder of the Deposited Securities and (b) made generally available to the holders of such Deposited Securities by the Company. The Depositary shall also, upon written request by the Company, send to the Owners copies of such reports when furnished by the Company pursuant to Section 5.06. Any such reports and communications, including any such proxy soliciting material, furnished to the Depositary by the Company shall be furnished in English, to the extent such materials are required to be translated into English pursuant to any regulations of the Commission.

SECTION 4.10     Lists of Owners.

Promptly upon request by the Company, the Depositary shall furnish to it a list, as of a recent date, of the names, addresses and holdings of American Depositary Shares by all persons in whose names American Depositary Shares are registered on the books of the Depositary.

SECTION 4.11     Withholding.

In the event that the Depositary determines that any distribution in property (including Shares and rights to subscribe therefor) is subject to any tax or other governmental charge which the Depositary is obligated to withhold, the Depositary may by public or private sale dispose of all or a portion of such property (including Shares and rights to subscribe therefor) in such amounts and in such manner as the Depositary deems necessary and practicable to pay such taxes or charges and the Depositary shall distribute as promptly as practicable the net proceeds of any such sale after deduction of such taxes or charges to the Owners entitled thereto in proportion to the number of American Depositary Shares held by them respectively.

Services may be available under which Owners and Holders may obtain reduced rates of tax withholding at source or reclaim excess tax withheld. However , services of that kind, and the fees and costs associated with using them, are not provided under, and are outside the scope of, this Deposit Agreement.

Each Owner and Holder agrees to indemnify the Company, the Depositary, the Custodian and their respective directors, employees, agents and affiliates for, and hold each of them harmless against, any claim by any governmental authority with respect to taxes, additions to tax, penalties or interest arising out of any refund of taxes, reduced withholding at source or other tax benefit received by it.

 

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ARTICLE 5.

THE DEPOSITARY, THE CUSTODIANS AND THE COMPANY

SECTION 5.01     Maintenance of Office and Transfer Books by the Depositary.

Until termination of this Deposit Agreement in accordance with its terms, the Depositary shall maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, facilities for the execution and delivery, registration, registration of transfers and surrender of American Depositary Shares in accordance with the provisions of this Deposit Agreement.

The Depositary shall keep books, at its Corporate Trust Office, for the registration of American Depositary Shares and transfers of American Depositary Shares which at all reasonable times shall be open for inspection by the Owners, provided that such inspection shall not be for the purpose of communicating with Owners in the interest of a business or object other than the business of the Company or a matter related to this Deposit Agreement or the American Depositary Shares.

The Depositary may close the transfer books, at any time or from time to time, when deemed expedient by it in connection with the performance of its duties hereunder.

If any American Depositary Shares are listed on one or more stock exchanges in the United States, the Depositary shall act as Registrar or appoint a Registrar or one or more co-registrars for registry of such American Depositary Shares in accordance with any requirements of such exchange or exchanges. Each reference in this agreement to “Registrar” shall be deemed to include any such co-registrar as applicable.

SECTION 5.02     Prevention or Delay in Performance by the Depositary or the Company.

Neither the Depositary nor the Company nor any of their respective directors, employees, agents or affiliates shall incur any liability to any Owner or Holder:

(i) if by reason of (A) any provision of any present or future law or regulation or other act of the government of the United States, any State of the United States or any other state or jurisdiction, or of any governmental or regulatory authority or stock exchange; (B) (in the case of the Depositary only) any provision, present or future, of the articles of association or similar document of the Company, or by reason of any provision of any securities issued or distributed by the Company, or any offering or distribution thereof; or (C) any event or circumstance, whether natural or caused by a person or persons, that is beyond the ability of the Depositary, its agents or the Company, as the case may be, to prevent or counteract by reasonable care or effort (including, but not limited to earthquakes, floods, severe storms, fires, explosions, war, terrorism, civil unrest, labor disputes or criminal acts; interruptions or malfunctions of utility services,

 

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Internet or other communications lines or systems; unauthorized access to or attacks on computer systems or websites; or other failures or malfunctions of computer hardware or software or other systems or equipment), the Depositary or the Company is, directly or indirectly, prevented from, forbidden to or delayed in, or could be subject to any civil or criminal penalty on account of doing or performing and therefore does not do or perform, any act or thing that, by the terms of this Deposit Agreement or the Deposited Securities, it is provided shall be done or performed;

(ii) for any exercise of, or failure to exercise, any discretion provided for in this Deposit Agreement (including any determination by the Depositary to take, or not take, any action that this Deposit Agreement provides the Depositary may take);

(iii) for the inability of any Owner or Holder to benefit from any distribution, offering, right or other benefit that is made available to holders of Deposited Securities but is not, under the terms of this Deposit Agreement, made available to Owners or Holders; or

(iv) for any special, consequential or punitive damages for any breach of the terms of this Deposit Agreement.

Where, by the terms of a distribution pursuant to Section 4.01, 4.02 or 4.03, or an offering or distribution pursuant to Section 4.04, or for any other reason, such distribution or offering may not be made available to Owners, and the Depositary may not dispose of such distribution or offering on behalf of such Owners and make the net proceeds available to such Owners, then the Depositary shall not make such distribution or offering, and shall allow any rights, if applicable, to lapse.

SECTION 5.03     Obligations of the Depositary, the Custodian and the Company.

The Company assumes no obligation nor shall it be subject to any liability under this Deposit Agreement to any Owner or Holder, except that the Company agrees to perform its obligations specifically set forth in this Deposit Agreement without negligence or bad faith.

The Depositary assumes no obligation nor shall it be subject to any liability under this Deposit Agreement to any Owner or Holder (including, without limitation, liability with respect to the validity or worth of the Deposited Securities), except that the Depositary agrees to perform its obligations specifically set forth in this Deposit Agreement without negligence or bad faith, and the Depositary shall not be a fiduciary or have any fiduciary duty to Owners or Holders.

Neither the Depositary nor the Company shall be under any obligation to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit or other proceeding in respect of any

 

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Deposited Securities or in respect of the American Depositary Shares on behalf of any Owner or Holder or any other person.

Each of the Depositary and the Company may rely, and shall be protected in relying upon, any written notice, request, direction or other document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties.

Neither the Depositary nor the Company shall be liable for any action or nonaction by it in reliance upon the advice of or information from legal counsel, accountants, any person presenting Shares for deposit, any Owner or any other person believed by it in good faith to be competent to give such advice or information.

The Depositary shall not be liable for any acts or omissions made by a successor depositary whether in connection with a previous act or omission of the Depositary or in connection with any matter arising wholly after the removal or resignation of the Depositary, provided that in connection with the issue out of which such potential liability arises the Depositary performed its obligations without negligence or bad faith while it acted as Depositary.

The Depositary shall not be liable for the acts or omissions of any securities depository, clearing agency or settlement system in connection with or arising out of book-entry settlement of Deposited Securities or otherwise.

The Depositary shall not be responsible for any failure to carry out any instructions to vote any of the Deposited Securities, or for the manner in which any such vote is cast or the effect of any such vote, provided that any such action or nonaction is in good faith.

The Depositary shall not be liable for the inability or failure of an Owner or Holder to obtain the benefit of a foreign tax credit, reduced rate of withholding or refund of amounts withheld in respect of tax or any other tax benefit.

No disclaimer of liability under the Securities Act of 1933 is intended by any provision of this Deposit Agreement.

SECTION 5.04     Resignation and Removal of the Depositary.

The Depositary may at any time resign as Depositary hereunder by written notice of its election so to do delivered to the Company, such resignation to take effect upon the appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of such appointment as hereinafter provided. The effect of resignation if a successor depositary is not appointed is provided for in Section 6.02.

The Depositary may at any time be removed by the Company by 120 days prior written notice of such removal, to become effective upon the later of (i) the 120th

 

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day after delivery of the notice to the Depositary and (ii) the appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of such appointment as hereinafter provided.

In case at any time the Depositary acting hereunder shall resign or be removed, the Company shall use its best efforts to appoint a successor depositary, which shall be a bank or trust company having an office in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York. Every successor depositary shall execute and deliver to its predecessor and to the Company an instrument in writing accepting its appointment hereunder, and thereupon such successor depositary, without any further act or deed, shall become fully vested with all the rights, powers, duties and obligations of its predecessor; but such predecessor, nevertheless, upon payment of all sums due it and on the written request of the Company shall execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor all rights and powers of such predecessor hereunder, shall duly assign, transfer and deliver all right, title and interest in the Deposited Securities to such successor and shall deliver to such successor a list of the Owners of all outstanding Receipts. Any such successor depositary shall promptly mail notice of its appointment to the Owners.

Any corporation into or with which the Depositary may be merged or consolidated shall be the successor of the Depositary without the execution or filing of any document or any further act.

SECTION 5.05     The Custodians.

The Custodian shall be subject at all times and in all respects to the directions of the Depositary and shall be responsible solely to it. Any Custodian may resign and be discharged from its duties hereunder by notice of such resignation delivered to the Depositary at least 30 days prior to the date on which such resignation is to become effective. If upon such resignation there shall be no Custodian acting hereunder, the Depositary shall, promptly after receiving such notice, appoint a substitute custodian or custodians, each of which shall thereafter be a Custodian hereunder. The Depositary in its discretion may appoint a substitute or additional custodian or custodians, each of which shall thereafter be one of the Custodians hereunder. Upon demand of the Depositary any Custodian shall deliver such of the Deposited Securities held by it as are requested of it to any other Custodian or such substitute or additional custodian or custodians. Each such substitute or additional custodian shall deliver to the Depositary, forthwith upon its appointment, an acceptance of such appointment satisfactory in form and substance to the Depositary.

Upon the appointment of any successor depositary hereunder, each Custodian then acting hereunder shall forthwith become, without any further act or writing, the agent hereunder of such successor depositary and the appointment of such successor depositary shall in no way impair the authority of each Custodian hereunder; but the successor depositary so appointed shall, nevertheless, on the written request of any Custodian, execute and deliver to such Custodian all such instruments as may be

 

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proper to give to such Custodian full and complete power and authority as agent hereunder of such successor depositary.

SECTION 5.06     Notices and Reports.

If the Company takes or decides to take any corporate action of a kind that is addressed in Sections 4.01 to 4.04, or 4.06 to 4.08, or that effects or will effect a change of the name or legal structure of the Company, or that effects or will effect a change to the Shares, the Company shall notify the Depositary and the Custodian of that action or decision as soon as it is lawful and reasonably practical to give that notice. The notice shall be in English and shall include all details that the Company is required to include in any notice to any governmental or regulatory authority or securities exchange or is required to make available generally to holders of Shares by publication or otherwise.

The Company will arrange for the translation into English, if not already in English, to the extent required pursuant to any regulations of the Commission, and the prompt transmittal by the Company to the Depositary and the Custodian of such notices and any other reports and communications which are made generally available by the Company to holders of its Shares. If requested in writing by the Company, the Depositary will Disseminate, at the Company’s expense (except as otherwise agreed between the Company and the Depositary), of copies of such notices, reports and communications to all Owners or otherwise make them available to Owners in a manner that the Company specifies as substantially equivalent to the manner in which those communications are made available to holders of Shares and compliant with the requirements of any securities exchange on which the American Depositary Shares are listed. The Company will timely provide the Depositary with the quantity of such notices, reports, and communications, as requested by the Depositary from time to time, in order for the Depositary to effect that Dissemination. The Depositary will Disseminate to any Owner upon its request a copy of the Company’s most recent annual report, to the extent the Company has supplied copies of that report to the Depositary for that purpose.

SECTION 5.07     Distribution of Additional Shares, Rights, etc.

If the Company or any affiliate of the Company determines to make any issuance or distribution of (1) additional Shares, (2) rights to subscribe for Shares, (3) securities convertible into Shares, or (4) rights to subscribe for such securities (each a “Distribution”), the Company shall notify the Depositary in writing in English as promptly as practicable and in any event before the Distribution starts and, if requested in writing by the Depositary, the Company shall promptly furnish to the Depositary either (i) evidence satisfactory to the Depositary that the Distribution is registered under the Securities Act of 1933 or (ii) a written opinion from U.S. counsel for the Company that is reasonably satisfactory to the Depositary, stating that the Distribution does not require, or, if made in the United States, would not require, registration under the Securities Act of 1933.

 

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The Company agrees with the Depositary that neither the Company nor any company controlled by, controlling or under common control with the Company will at any time deposit any Shares, either originally issued or previously issued and reacquired by the Company or any such affiliate, unless a Registration Statement is in effect as to such Shares under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Company delivers to the Depositary an opinion of United States counsel, satisfactory to the Depositary, to the effect that, upon deposit, those Shares will be eligible for public resale in the United States free of all restrictions and conditions without further registration under the Securities Act of 1933.

SECTION 5.08     Indemnification.

The Company agrees to indemnify the Depositary, its directors, employees, agents and affiliates and any Custodian against, and hold each of them harmless from, any liability or expense (including, but not limited to any fees and expenses incurred in seeking, enforcing or collecting such indemnity and the fees and expenses of counsel) which may arise out of or in connection with (a) any registration with the Commission of American Depositary Shares or Deposited Securities or the offer or sale thereof in the United States or (b) acts performed or omitted, pursuant to the provisions of or in connection with this Deposit Agreement and of the Receipts, as the same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, (i) by either the Depositary or a Custodian or their respective directors, employees, agents and affiliates, except for any liability or expense arising out of the negligence or bad faith of either of them, or (ii) by the Company or any of its directors, employees, agents and affiliates.

The Depositary agrees to indemnify the Company, its directors, employees, agents and affiliates and hold them harmless from any liability or expense which may arise out of acts performed or omitted by the Depositary or its Custodian or their respective directors, employees, agents and affiliates due to their negligence or bad faith.

SECTION 5.09     Charges of Depositary.

The Company agrees to pay the fees and out-of-pocket expenses of the Depositary and those of any Registrar only in accordance with agreement in writing entered into between the Depositary and the Company from time to time. However , unless otherwise agreed in writing between the Company and the Depositary, the Company shall be responsible for the fees and charges of the Depositary set forth in the following paragraph to the extent the Company is an Owner or a depositor of Shares.

The following charges shall be incurred by any party depositing or withdrawing Shares or by any party surrendering American Depositary Shares or to whom American Depositary Shares are issued (including, without limitation, issuance pursuant to a stock dividend or stock split declared by the Company or an exchange of stock regarding the American Depositary Shares or Deposited Securities or a delivery of

 

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American Depositary Shares pursuant to Section 4.03), or by Owners, as applicable: (1) taxes and other governmental charges, (2) such registration fees as may from time to time be in effect for the registration of transfers of Shares generally on the Share register of the Company or Foreign Registrar and applicable to transfers of Shares to or from the name of the Depositary or its nominee or the Custodian or its nominee on the making of deposits or withdrawals hereunder, (3) such cable (including SWIFT) and facsimile transmission fees and expenses as are expressly provided in this Deposit Agreement, (4) such expenses as are incurred by the Depositary in the conversion of foreign currency pursuant to Section 4.05, (5) a fee of no more than $5.00 per 100 American Depositary Shares (or portion thereof) for the delivery of American Depositary Shares pursuant to Section 2.03, 4.03 or 4.04 and the surrender of American Depositary Shares pursuant to Section 2.05 or 6.02, (6) a fee no more than the greater of (i) $0.02 per American Depositary Share and (ii) 10% of the amount per American Depositary Share of any dividend or other cash distribution for any cash distribution made pursuant to this Deposit Agreement, including, but not limited to Sections 4.01 through 4.04 and Section 4.08, (7) a fee for the distribution of securities pursuant to Section 4.02 or of rights pursuant to Section 4.04 (where the Depositary will not exercise or sell those rights on behalf of Owners), such fee being in an amount equal to the fee for the execution and delivery of American Depositary Shares referred to above which would have been charged as a result of the deposit of such securities under this Deposit Agreement (for purposes of this item 7 treating all such securities as if they were Shares) but which securities are instead distributed by the Depositary to Owners and (8) any other charges payable by the Depositary or the Custodian, any of the Depositary’s or Custodian’s agents or the agents of the Depositary’s or Custodian’s agents, in connection with the servicing of Shares or other Deposited Securities (which charges shall be assessed against Owners as of the date or dates set by the Depositary in accordance with Section 4.06 and shall be payable at the sole discretion of the Depositary by billing those Owners for those charges or by deducting those charges from one or more cash dividends or other cash distributions). The amount of the cash distribution fee provided by item 6 of the preceding sentence shall be set at the sole discretion of the Company from time to time, provided however , the amount shall not be reduced below $0.02 per American Depositary Share without the consent of the Depositary. No variation of fees and charges within the limits established by this Section 5.09 will constitute an amendment to this Deposit Agreement.

The Depositary may collect any of its fees by deduction from any cash distribution payable, or by selling a portion of any securities to be distributed, to Owners that are obligated to pay those fees.

In performing its duties under this Deposit Agreement, the Depositary may use brokers, dealers, foreign currency dealers or other service providers that are owned by or affiliated with the Depositary and that may earn or share fees, spreads or commissions.

 

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The Depositary, subject to Section 2.09, may own and deal in any class of securities of the Company and its affiliates and in American Depositary Shares.

SECTION 5.10     Retention of Depositary Documents.

The Depositary is authorized to destroy those documents, records, bills and other data compiled during the term of this Deposit Agreement at the times permitted by the laws or regulations governing the Depositary unless the Company requests that such papers be retained for a longer period or turned over to the Company or to a successor depositary.

SECTION 5.11     Exclusivity.

Without prejudice to the Company’s rights under Section 5.04, the Company agrees not to appoint any other depositary for issuance of American or global depositary shares or receipts so long as The Bank of New York Mellon is acting as Depositary hereunder.

SECTION 5.12     List of Restricted Securities Owners.

From time to time, the Company shall provide to the Depositary a list setting forth, to the actual knowledge of the Company, those persons or entities who beneficially own Restricted Securities and the Company shall update that list on a regular basis. The Depositary may rely on such a list or update but shall not be liable for any action or omission made in reliance thereon.

SECTION 5.13     Information for Regulatory Compliance.

Each of the Company and the Depositary shall provide to the other, as promptly as practicable, information from its records or otherwise available to it that is reasonably requested by the other to permit the other to comply with applicable law or requirements of governmental or regulatory authorities.

 

ARTICLE  6.

AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION

SECTION 6.01     Amendment.

The form of the Receipts and any provisions of this Deposit Agreement may at any time and from time to time be amended by agreement between the Company and the Depositary without the consent of Owners or Holders in any respect which they may deem necessary or desirable. Any amendment which shall impose or increase any fees or charges (other than taxes and other governmental charges, registration fees, telex or facsimile transmission costs, delivery costs or other such expenses), or which shall

 

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otherwise prejudice any substantial existing right of Owners, shall, however, not become effective as to outstanding American Depositary Shares until the expiration of 30 days after notice of such amendment shall have been Disseminated to the Owners of outstanding American Depositary Shares. Every Owner and Holder, at the time any amendment so becomes effective, shall be deemed, by continuing to hold such American Depositary Shares or any interest therein, to consent and agree to such amendment and to be bound by the Deposit Agreement as amended thereby. In no event shall any amendment impair the right of the Owner to surrender American Depositary Shares and receive therefor the Deposited Securities represented thereby, except in order to comply with mandatory provisions of applicable law.

SECTION 6.02     Termination.

The Company may at any time terminate this Deposit Agreement by instructing the Depositary to mail a notice of termination to the Owners of all American Depositary Shares then outstanding at least 30 days prior to the termination date included in such notice. The Depositary may likewise terminate this Deposit Agreement if at any time 90 days shall have expired after the Depositary delivered to the Company a written resignation notice and if a successor depositary shall not have been appointed and accepted its appointment as provided in Section 5.04; in such case the Depositary shall Disseminate a notice of termination to the Owners of all American Depositary Shares then outstanding at least 30 days prior to the termination date. On and after the date of termination, the Owner of American Depositary Shares will, upon (a) surrender of such American Depositary Shares, (b) payment of the fee of the Depositary for the surrender of American Depositary Shares referred to in Section 2.05, and (c) payment of any applicable taxes or governmental charges, be entitled to delivery, to him or upon his order, of the amount of Deposited Securities represented by those American Depositary Shares. If any American Depositary Shares shall remain outstanding after the date of termination, the Depositary thereafter shall discontinue the registration of transfers of American Depositary Shares, shall suspend the distribution of dividends to the Owners thereof, and shall not give any further notices or perform any further acts under this Deposit Agreement, except that the Depositary shall continue to collect dividends and other distributions pertaining to Deposited Securities, shall sell rights and other property as provided in this Deposit Agreement, and shall continue to deliver Deposited Securities, together with any dividends or other distributions received with respect thereto and the net proceeds of the sale of any rights or other property, upon surrender of American Depositary Shares (after deducting, in each case, the fee of the Depositary for the surrender of American Depositary Shares, any expenses for the account of the Owner of such American Depositary Shares in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Deposit Agreement, and any applicable taxes or governmental charges).

At any time after the expiration of four months from the date of termination, the Depositary may sell the Deposited Securities then held under this Deposit Agreement and may thereafter hold uninvested the net proceeds of any such sale,

 

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together with any other cash then held by it hereunder, unsegregated and without liability for interest, for the pro rata benefit of the Owners of American Depositary Shares that have not theretofore been surrendered, such Owners thereupon becoming general creditors of the Depositary with respect to such net proceeds and that other cash. After making such sale, the Depositary shall be discharged from all obligations under this Deposit Agreement, except to account for such net proceeds and other cash (after deducting, in each case, the fee of the Depositary for the surrender of American Depositary Shares, any expenses for the account of the Owner of such American Depositary Shares in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Deposit Agreement, and any applicable taxes or governmental charges). Upon the termination of this Deposit Agreement, the Company shall be discharged from all obligations under this Deposit Agreement except for its obligations to the Depositary under Sections 5.08 and 5.09.

 

ARTICLE 7.

MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 7.01     Counterparts.

This Deposit Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original and all of such counterparts shall constitute one and the same instrument. Copies of this Deposit Agreement shall be filed with the Depositary and the Custodians and shall be open to inspection by any Owner or Holder during business hours.

SECTION 7.02     No Third Party Beneficiaries.

This Deposit Agreement is for the exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and shall not be deemed to give any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim whatsoever to any other person.

SECTION 7.03     Severability.

In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Deposit Agreement or in the Receipts should be or become invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein or therein shall in no way be affected, prejudiced or disturbed thereby.

SECTION 7.04     Owners and Holders as Parties; Binding Effect.

The Owners and Holders from time to time shall be parties to this Deposit Agreement and shall be bound by all of the terms and conditions hereof and of the Receipts by acceptance of American Depositary Shares or any interest therein.

 

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SECTION 7.05     Notices.

Any and all notices to be given to the Company shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if personally delivered or sent by domestic first class or international air mail or air courier or sent by facsimile transmission or email attaching a pdf or similar bit-mapped image of a signed writing, provided that receipt of the facsimile transmission or email has been confirmed by the recipient, addressed to Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, Brouwerijplein 1, 3000 Leuven, Belgium, Attention: Corporate Governance, email: Corporategovernance@ab-inbev.com, or any other place to which the Company may have transferred its principal office with notice to the Depositary.

Any and all notices to be given to the Depositary shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if in English and personally delivered or sent by domestic first class or international air mail or air courier or sent by facsimile transmission or email attaching a pdf or similar bit-mapped image of a signed writing, provided that receipt of the facsimile transmission or email has been confirmed by the recipient, addressed to The Bank of New York Mellon, 101 Barclay Street, New York, New York 10286, Attention: American Depositary Receipt Administration, or any other place to which the Depositary may have transferred its Corporate Trust Office with notice to the Company.

Delivery of a notice to the Company or Depositary by mail or air courier shall be deemed effected when on the third day following deposit, postage prepaid, in a post-office letter box or received by an air courier service. Delivery of a notice to the Company or Depositary sent by facsimile transmission or email shall be deemed effected when the recipient acknowledges receipt of that notice.

Any and all notices to be given to any Owner shall be deemed to have been duly given when Disseminated to that Owner. Dissemination in paper form will be effective when personally delivered or sent by first class domestic or international air mail or air courier, addressed to that Owner at the address of that Owner as it appears on the transfer books for American Depositary Shares of the Depositary, or, if that Owner has filed with the Depositary a written request that notices intended for that Owner be mailed to some other address, at the address designated in that request. Dissemination in electronic form will be effective when sent in the manner consented to by the Owner to the electronic address most recently provided by the Owner for that purpose.

SECTION 7.06     Submission to Jurisdiction; Appointment of Agent for Service of Process; Jury Trial Waiver.

The Company hereby (i) irrevocably designates and appoints AB InBev Services LLC, 250 Park Avenue, 2 nd Floor, New York, New York 10017, in the State of New York, as the Company’s authorized agent upon which process may be served in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Shares or Deposited Securities, the

 

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American Depositary Shares, the Receipts or this Agreement, (ii) consents and submits to the jurisdiction of any state or federal court in the State of New York in which any such suit or proceeding may be instituted, and (iii) agrees that service of process upon said authorized agent shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company in any such suit or proceeding. The Company agrees to deliver, upon the execution and delivery of this Deposit Agreement, a written acceptance by such agent of its appointment as such agent. The Company further agrees to take any and all action, including the filing of any and all such documents and instruments, as may be necessary to continue such designation and appointment in full force and effect for so long as any American Depositary Shares or Receipts remain outstanding or this Agreement remains in force. In the event the Company fails to continue such designation and appointment in full force and effect, the Company hereby waives personal service of process upon it and consents that any such service of process may be made by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, directed to the Company at its address last specified for notices hereunder, and service so made shall be deemed completed five (5) days after the same shall have been so mailed.

EACH PARTY TO THIS DEPOSIT AGREEMENT (INCLUDING, FOR AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, EACH OWNER AND HOLDER) HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING AGAINST THE COMPANY AND/OR THE DEPOSITARY DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SHARES OR OTHER DEPOSITED SECURITIES, THE AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES OR THE RECEIPTS, THIS DEPOSIT AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREIN OR THEREIN, OR THE BREACH HEREOF OR THEREOF, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY QUESTION REGARDING EXISTENCE, VALIDITY OR TERMINATION (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY).

SECTION 7.07     Waiver of Immunities.

To the extent that the Company or any of its properties, assets or revenues may have or may hereafter become entitled to, or have attributed to it, any right of immunity, on the grounds of sovereignty or otherwise, from any legal action, suit or proceeding, from the giving of any relief in any respect thereof, from setoff or counterclaim, from the jurisdiction of any court, from service of process, from attachment upon or prior to judgment, from attachment in aid of execution or judgment, or from execution of judgment, or other legal process or proceeding for the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of any judgment, in any jurisdiction in which proceedings may at any time be commenced, with respect to its obligations, liabilities or any other matter under or arising out of or in connection with the Shares or Deposited Securities, the American Depositary Shares, the Receipts or this Agreement, the Company, to the fullest extent

 

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permitted by law, hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, and agrees not to plead or claim, any such immunity and consents to such relief and enforcement.

SECTION 7.08     Governing Law.

This Deposit Agreement and the Receipts shall be interpreted and all rights hereunder and thereunder and provisions hereof and thereof shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York, except with respect to its authorization and execution by the Company, which shall be governed by the laws of Belgium.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV SA/NV and THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON have duly executed this Deposit Agreement as of the day and year first set forth above and all Owners and Holders shall become parties hereto upon acceptance by them of American Depositary Shares or any interest therein.

 

ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV SA/NV
By: /s/ Jan Vandermeersch
  Name: Jan Vandermeersch
  Title:   Authorized Signatory
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON,   as Depositary
By: /s/ Lance Miller
  Name: Lance Miller
  Title:   Vice President

 

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EXHIBIT A

AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES

(Each American Depositary Share represents

one deposited Share)

THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON

AMERICAN DEPOSITARY RECEIPT

FOR ORDINARY SHARES

OF

ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV SA/NV

(INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF BELGIUM)

The Bank of New York Mellon, as depositary (hereinafter called the “Depositary”), hereby certifies that________________________________________, or registered assigns IS THE OWNER OF _____________________________

AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES

representing deposited ordinary shares (herein called “Shares”) of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, incorporated under the laws of Belgium (herein called the “Company”). At the date hereof, each American Depositary Share represents one Share deposited or subject to deposit under the Deposit Agreement (as such term is hereinafter defined) at the principal Brussels office of ING Belgium SA/NV (herein called the “Custodian”). The Depositary’s Corporate Trust Office is located at a different address than its principal executive office. Its Corporate Trust Office is located at 101 Barclay Street, New York, N.Y. 10286, and its principal executive office is located at 225 Liberty Street, New York, N.Y. 10286.

THE DEPOSITARY’S CORPORATE TRUST OFFICE ADDRESS IS

101 BARCLAY STREET, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10286


1.

THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT .

This American Depositary Receipt is one of an issue (herein called “Receipts”), all issued and to be issued upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement, dated as of March 23, 2018 (herein called the “Deposit Agreement”), by and among Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, the Depositary, and all Owners and Holders from time to time of American Depositary Shares issued thereunder, each of whom by accepting American Depositary Shares agrees to become a party thereto and become bound by all the terms and conditions thereof. The Deposit Agreement sets forth the rights of Owners and Holders and the rights and duties of the Depositary in respect of the Shares deposited thereunder and any and all other securities, property and cash from time to time received in respect of such Shares and held thereunder (such Shares, securities, property, and cash are herein called “Deposited Securities”). Copies of the Deposit Agreement are on file at the Depositary’s Corporate Trust Office in New York City and at the office of the Custodian.

The statements made on the face and reverse of this Receipt are summaries of certain provisions of the Deposit Agreement and are qualified by and subject to the detailed provisions of the Deposit Agreement, to which reference is hereby made. Capitalized terms defined in the Deposit Agreement and not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Deposit Agreement.

2.       SURRENDER OF AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES AND WITHDRAWAL OF DEPOSITED SECURITIES .

Upon surrender at the Corporate Trust Office of the Depositary of American Depositary Shares, and upon payment of the fee of the Depositary provided in this Receipt, and subject to the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement, the Owner of those American Depositary Shares is entitled to delivery, to him or as instructed, of the amount of Deposited Securities at the time represented by those American Depositary Shares and the Depositary may charge the surrendering Owner a fee and its expenses for giving that direction by cable (including SWIFT) or facsimile transmission. Such delivery will be made at the option of the Owner hereof, either at the office of the Custodian or at the Corporate Trust Office of the Depositary, provided that the forwarding of certificates for Shares or other Deposited Securities for such delivery at the Corporate Trust Office of the Depositary shall be at the risk and expense of the Owner hereof. Any Shares to be delivered upon the surrender of American Depositary Shares shall be delivered exclusively in dematerialized (i.e., securities account-entry) form.

 

3.

TRANSFERS, SPLIT-UPS, AND COMBINATIONS OF RECEIPTS .

Transfers of American Depositary Shares may be registered on the books of the Depositary by the Owner in person or by a duly authorized attorney, upon surrender of those American Depositary Shares properly endorsed for transfer or accompanied by proper instruments of transfer, in the case of a Receipt, or pursuant to a proper instruction

 

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(including, for the avoidance of doubt, instructions through DRS and Profile as provided in Section 2.10 of the Deposit Agreement), in the case of uncertificated American Depositary Shares, and funds sufficient to pay any applicable transfer taxes and the expenses of the Depositary and upon compliance with such regulations, if any, as the Depositary may establish for such purpose. This Receipt may be split into other such Receipts, or may be combined with other such Receipts into one Receipt, evidencing the same aggregate number of American Depositary Shares as the Receipt or Receipts surrendered. The Depositary, upon surrender of certificated American Depositary Shares for the purpose of exchanging for uncertificated American Depositary Shares, shall cancel the Receipt evidencing those certificated American Depositary Shares and send the Owner a statement confirming that the Owner is the Owner of uncertificated American Depositary Shares. The Depositary, upon receipt of a proper instruction (including, for the avoidance of doubt, instructions through DRS and Profile as provided in Section 2.10 of the Deposit Agreement) from the Owner of uncertificated American Depositary Shares for the purpose of exchanging for certificated American Depositary Shares, shall cancel those uncertificated American Depositary Shares and, without unreasonable delay, shall register and deliver to the Owner a Receipt evidencing the same number of certificated American Depositary Shares. As a condition precedent to the delivery, registration of transfer, or surrender of any American Depositary Shares or split-up or combination of any Receipt or withdrawal of any Deposited Securities, the Depositary, the Custodian, or Registrar may require payment from the depositor of the Shares or the presenter of the Receipt or instruction for registration of transfer or surrender of American Depositary Shares not evidenced by a Receipt of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any tax or other governmental charge and any stock transfer or registration fee with respect thereto (including any such tax or charge and fee with respect to Shares being deposited or withdrawn) and payment of any applicable fees as provided in the Deposit Agreement, may require the production of proof satisfactory to it as to the identity and genuineness of any signature and may also require compliance with any regulations the Depositary may establish consistent with the provisions of the Deposit Agreement.

Except as otherwise agreed between the Depositary and the Company and subject to the provisions of the following sentence, the delivery of American Depositary Shares against deposit of Shares generally or against deposit of particular Shares may be suspended, or the transfer of American Depositary Shares in particular instances may be refused, or the registration of transfer of outstanding American Depositary Shares generally may be suspended, during any period when the transfer books of the Depositary are closed, or if any such action is deemed necessary or advisable by the Depositary or the Company at any time or from time to time because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body or commission, or under any provision of the Deposit Agreement, or for any other reason, and the acceptance of surrenders of American Depositary Shares for the purpose of withdrawal of Deposited Securities may be suspended during specified periods before meetings of holders of Shares and in connection with dividend payments or as otherwise reasonably necessary to comply with

 

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applicable laws and regulations. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Deposit Agreement or this Receipt, the surrender of outstanding American Depositary Shares and withdrawal of Deposited Securities may not be suspended subject only to (i) temporary delays caused by closing the transfer books of the Depositary or the Company or the Foreign Registrar, if applicable, or the deposit of Shares in connection with voting at a shareholders’ meeting, or the payment of dividends, (ii) the payment of fees, taxes and similar charges, and (iii) compliance with any U.S. or foreign laws or governmental regulations relating to the American Depositary Shares or to the withdrawal of the Deposited Securities. Without limitation of the foregoing, the Depositary shall not knowingly accept for deposit under the Deposit Agreement any Shares which would be required to be registered under the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, unless a registration statement is in effect as to such Shares for such offer and sale.

 

4.

LIABILITY OF OWNER FOR TAXES .

If any tax or other governmental charge shall become payable with respect to any American Depositary Shares or any Deposited Securities represented by any American Depositary Shares, such tax or other governmental charge shall be payable by the Owner to the Depositary. The Depositary may refuse to register any transfer of those American Depositary Shares or any withdrawal of Deposited Securities represented by those American Depositary Shares until such payment is made, and may withhold any dividends or other distributions, or may sell for the account of the Owner any part or all of the Deposited Securities represented by those American Depositary Shares, and may apply such dividends or other distributions or the proceeds of any such sale in payment of such tax or other governmental charge and the Owner shall remain liable for any deficiency. The Depositary shall distribute any net proceeds of a sale made under Section 3.02 of the Deposit Agreement that are not used to pay taxes or governmental charges to the Owners entitled to them in accordance with Section 4.01 of the Deposit Agreement. If the number of Shares represented by each American Depositary Share decreases as a result of a sale of Deposited Securities under Section 3.02 of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary may, and shall if the Company so requests in writing, call for surrender of the American Depositary Shares to be exchanged on a mandatory basis for a lesser number of American Depositary Shares and may sell American Depositary Shares to the extent necessary to avoid distributing fractions of American Depositary Shares in that exchange and distribute the net proceeds of that sale to the Owners entitled to them.

 

5.

WARRANTIES ON DEPOSIT OF SHARES .

Every person depositing Shares under the Deposit Agreement shall be deemed thereby to represent and warrant, that such Shares and each certificate therefor, if applicable, are validly issued, fully paid, nonassessable and free of any preemptive rights of the holders of outstanding Shares and that the person making such deposit is duly authorized so to do. Every such person shall also be deemed to represent that the deposit of such Shares and the sale of American Depositary Shares representing such Shares by

 

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that person are not restricted under the Securities Act of 1933. Such representations and warranties shall survive the deposit of Shares and delivery of American Depositary Shares.

 

6.

FILING PROOFS, CERTIFICATES, AND OTHER INFORMATION .

Any person presenting Shares for deposit or any Owner or Holder may be required from time to time to file with the Depositary or the Custodian such proof of citizenship or residence, exchange control approval, or such information relating to the registration on the books of the Company or the Foreign Registrar, if applicable, to execute such certificates and to make such representations and warranties, as the Depositary may reasonably deem necessary or proper or as the Company may reasonably require by written request to the Depositary. The Depositary may withhold the delivery or registration of transfer of any American Depositary Shares or the distribution of any dividend or sale or distribution of rights or of the proceeds thereof or the delivery of any Deposited Securities until such proof or other information is filed or such certificates are executed or such representations and warranties made. No Share shall be accepted for deposit unless accompanied by evidence satisfactory to the Depositary that any necessary approval has been granted by any governmental body in Belgium that is then performing the function of the regulation of currency exchange. Owners and Holders may be subject to Belgian law notification and mandatory tender offer requirements regarding their holdings of American Depositary Shares and Shares and should acquaint themselves with applicable Belgian law regarding such requirements (including certain notification requirements set forth in the Company’s articles of association).

 

7.

CHARGES OF DEPOSITARY .

The Company agrees to pay the fees and out-of-pocket expenses of the Depositary and those of any Registrar only in accordance with agreement in writing entered into between the Depositary and the Company from time to time. However , unless otherwise agreed in writing between the Company and the Depositary, the Company shall be responsible for the fees and charges of the Depositary set forth in the following paragraph to the extent the Company is an Owner or a depositor of Shares.

The following charges shall be incurred by any party depositing or withdrawing Shares or by any party surrendering American Depositary Shares or to whom American Depositary Shares are issued (including, without limitation, issuance pursuant to a stock dividend or stock split declared by the Company or an exchange of stock regarding the American Depositary Shares or Deposited Securities or a delivery of American Depositary Shares pursuant to Section 4.03 of the Deposit Agreement), or by Owners, as applicable: (1) taxes and other governmental charges, (2) such registration fees as may from time to time be in effect for the registration of transfers of Shares generally on the Share register of the Company or Foreign Registrar and applicable to transfers of Shares to or from the name of the Depositary or its nominee or the Custodian or its nominee on the making of deposits or withdrawals hereunder, (3) such cable (including SWIFT) and

 

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facsimile transmission fees and expenses as are expressly provided in the Deposit Agreement, (4) such expenses as are incurred by the Depositary in the conversion of foreign currency pursuant to Section 4.05 of the Deposit Agreement, (5) a fee of no more than $5.00 per 100 American Depositary Shares (or portion thereof) for the delivery of American Depositary Shares pursuant to Section 2.03, 4.03 or 4.04 of the Deposit Agreement and the surrender of American Depositary Shares pursuant to Section 2.05 or 6.02 of the Deposit Agreement, (6) a fee no more than the greater of (i) $0.02 per American Depositary Share and (ii) 10% of the amount per American Depositary Share of any dividend or other cash distribution for any cash distribution made pursuant to the Deposit Agreement, including, but not limited to Sections 4.01 through 4.04 of that Agreement and Section 4.08 of that Agreement, (7) a fee for the distribution of securities pursuant to Section 4.02 of the Deposit Agreement or of rights pursuant to Section 4.04 of that Agreement (where the Depositary will not exercise or sell those rights on behalf of Owners), such fee being in an amount equal to the fee for the execution and delivery of American Depositary Shares referred to above which would have been charged as a result of the deposit of such securities under the Deposit Agreement (for purposes of this item 7 treating all such securities as if they were Shares) but which securities are instead distributed by the Depositary to Owners and (8) any other charges payable by the Depositary or the Custodian, any of the Depositary’s or Custodian’s agents or the agents of the Depositary’s or Custodian’s agents, in connection with the servicing of Shares or other Deposited Securities (which charges shall be assessed against Owners as of the date or dates set by the Depositary in accordance with Section 4.06 of the Deposit Agreement and shall be payable at the sole discretion of the Depositary by billing those Owners for those charges or by deducting those charges from one or more cash dividends or other cash distributions). The amount of the cash distribution fee provided by item 6 of the preceding sentence shall be set at the sole discretion of the Company from time to time, provided however , the amount shall not be reduced below $0.02 per American Depositary Share without the consent of the Depositary. No variation of fees and charges within the limits established by this Section 5.09 will constitute an amendment to the Deposit Agreement.

The Depositary may collect any of its fees by deduction from any cash distribution payable, or by selling a portion of any securities to be distributed, to Owners that are obligated to pay those fees.

The Depositary, subject to Article 8 hereof, may own and deal in any class of securities of the Company and its affiliates and in American Depositary Shares.

From time to time, the Depositary may make payments to the Company to reimburse the Company for costs and expenses generally arising out of establishment and maintenance of the American Depositary Shares program, waive fees and expenses for services provided by the Depositary or share revenue from the fees collected from Owners or Holders. In performing its duties under the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary may use brokers, dealers, foreign currency dealers or other service providers

 

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that are owned by or affiliated with the Depositary and that may earn or share fees, spreads or commissions.

 

8.

PRE-RELEASE OF RECEIPTS .

Notwithstanding Section 2.03 of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary may deliver American Depositary Shares prior to the receipt of Shares pursuant to Section 2.02 of the Deposit Agreement (a “Pre-Release”). The Depositary may, pursuant to Section 2.05 of the Deposit Agreement, deliver Shares upon the surrender of American Depositary Shares that have been Pre-Released, whether or not such surrender is prior to the termination of such Pre-Release or the Depositary knows that such American Depositary Shares have been Pre-Released. The Depositary may receive American Depositary Shares in lieu of Shares in satisfaction of a Pre-Release. Each Pre-Release will be (a) preceded or accompanied by a written representation from the person to whom American Depositary Shares or Shares are to be delivered, that such person, or its customer, owns the Shares or American Depositary Shares to be remitted, as the case may be, (b) at all times fully collateralized with cash or such other collateral as the Depositary deems appropriate, (c) terminable by the Depositary on not more than five (5) business days notice, and (d) subject to such further indemnities and credit regulations as the Depositary deems appropriate. Except as otherwise agreed between the Company and the Depositary, the number of American Depositary Shares which are outstanding at any time as a result of Pre-Release will not exceed thirty percent (30%) of the Shares deposited under the Deposit Agreement. Except as otherwise agreed between the Company and the Depositary, the Depositary reserves the right to change or disregard such limit from time to time as it deems appropriate.

The Depositary may retain for its own account any compensation received by it in connection with the foregoing.

 

9.

TITLE TO RECEIPTS .

It is a condition of this Receipt and every successive Owner and Holder of this Receipt by accepting or holding the same consents and agrees that when properly endorsed or accompanied by proper instruments of transfer, shall be transferable as certificated registered securities under the laws of the State of New York. American Depositary Shares not evidenced by Receipts shall be transferable as uncertificated registered securities under the laws of the State of New York. The Depositary, notwithstanding any notice to the contrary, may treat the Owner of American Depositary Shares as the absolute owner thereof for the purpose of determining the person entitled to distribution of dividends or other distributions or to any notice provided for in the Deposit Agreement and for all other purposes, and neither the Depositary nor the Company shall have any obligation or be subject to any liability under the Deposit Agreement to any Holder of American Depositary Shares unless that Holder is the Owner of those American Depositary Shares.

 

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10.

VALIDITY OF RECEIPT .

This Receipt shall not be entitled to any benefits under the Deposit Agreement or be valid or obligatory for any purpose, unless this Receipt shall have been executed by the Depositary by the manual signature of a duly authorized signatory of the Depositary; provided , however that such signature may be a facsimile if a Registrar for the Receipts shall have been appointed and such Receipts are countersigned by the manual signature of a duly authorized officer of the Registrar.

 

11.

REPORTS; INSPECTION OF TRANSFER BOOKS .

The Company, as a foreign private issuer, is subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and, accordingly, files reports with the Commission. Those reports will be available for inspection and copying through the Commission’s EDGAR on the Internet at www.sec.gov or at public reference facilities maintained by the Commission located at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549.

The Depositary will make available for inspection by Owners at its Corporate Trust Office any reports, notices and other communications, including any proxy soliciting material, received from the Company which are both (a) received by the Depositary as the holder of the Deposited Securities and (b) made generally available to the holders of such Deposited Securities by the Company. The Depositary will also, upon written request by the Company, Disseminate to Owners copies of such reports when furnished by the Company pursuant to the Deposit Agreement. Any such reports and communications, including any such proxy soliciting material, furnished to the Depositary by the Company shall be furnished in English to the extent such materials are required to be translated into English pursuant to any regulations of the Commission. The Depositary will Disseminate to any Owner upon its request a copy of the Company’s most recent annual report, to the extent the Company has supplied copies of that report to the Depositary for that purpose.

The Depositary will keep books, at its Corporate Trust Office, for the registration of American Depositary Shares and transfers of American Depositary Shares which at all reasonable times shall be open for inspection by the Owners, provided that such inspection shall not be for the purpose of communicating with Owners in the interest of a business or object other than the business of the Company or a matter related to the Deposit Agreement or the American Depositary Shares.

 

12.

DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS .

Whenever the Depositary receives any cash dividend or other cash distribution on any Deposited Securities, the Depositary will, if at the time of receipt thereof any amounts received in a foreign currency can in the judgment of the Depositary be converted on a reasonable basis into United States dollars transferable to the United States, as promptly as practicable and subject to the Deposit Agreement, convert such

 

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dividend or distribution into dollars and, distribute the amount thus received (net of the fees and expenses of the Depositary as provided in Article 7 hereof and Section 5.09 of the Deposit Agreement) to the Owners entitled thereto; provided , however , that in the event that the Custodian or the Depositary is required to withhold and does withhold from any cash dividend or other cash distribution in respect of any Deposited Securities an amount on account of taxes or other governmental charges, the amount distributed to the Owners of the American Depositary Shares representing such Deposited Securities shall be reduced accordingly.

Subject to the provisions of Section 4.11 and 5.09 of the Deposit Agreement, whenever the Depositary receives any distribution other than a distribution described in Section 4.01, 4.03 or 4.04 of the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary will cause the securities or property received by it to be distributed to the Owners entitled thereto, in any manner that the Depositary may reasonably deem equitable and practicable for accomplishing such distribution; provided , however , that if in the opinion of the Depositary, after consultation with the Company, such distribution cannot be made proportionately among the Owners of Receipts entitled thereto, or if for any other reason the Depositary deems such distribution not to be feasible, the Depositary may, after consultation with the Company, adopt such method as it may deem equitable and practicable for the purpose of effecting such distribution, including, but not limited to, the public or private sale of the securities or property thus received, or any part thereof, and the net proceeds of any such sale (net of the fees and expenses of the Depositary as provided in Article 7 hereof and Section 5.09 of the Deposit Agreement) will be distributed without unreasonable delay by the Depositary to the Owners of Receipts entitled thereto all in the manner and subject to the conditions described in Section 4.01 of the Deposit Agreement. The Depositary may withhold any distribution of securities under Section 4.02 of the Deposit Agreement if it has not received satisfactory assurances from the Company that the distribution does not require registration under the Securities Act of 1933. The Depositary may sell, by public or private sale, an amount of securities or other property it would otherwise distribute under this Article that is sufficient to pay its fees and expenses in respect of that distribution.

If any distribution consists of a dividend in, or free distribution of, Shares, the Depositary may, and shall, if the Company shall so request in writing, deliver to the Owners entitled thereto, an aggregate number of American Depositary Shares representing the amount of Shares received as such dividend or free distribution, subject to the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement with respect to the deposit of Shares and after deduction or upon issuance of American Depositary Shares, including the withholding of any tax or other governmental charge as provided in Section 4.11 of the Deposit Agreement and the payment of the fees and expenses of the Depositary as provided in Article 7 hereof and Section 5.09 of the Deposit Agreement (and the Depositary may sell, by public or private sale, an amount of Shares received sufficient to pay its fees and expenses in respect of that distribution). The Depositary may withhold any such delivery of American Depositary Shares if it has not received satisfactory

 

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assurances from the Company that such distribution does not require registration under the Securities Act of 1933. In lieu of delivering fractional American Depositary Shares in any such case, the Depositary will sell the amount of Shares represented by the aggregate of such fractions and distribute the net proceeds without unreasonable delay, all in the manner and subject to the conditions described in Section 4.01 of the Deposit Agreement. If additional American Depositary Shares are not so delivered, each American Depositary Share shall thenceforth also represent the additional Shares distributed upon the Deposited Securities represented thereby.

If the Company declares a distribution in which holders of Deposited Securities have a right to elect whether to receive cash, Shares or other securities or a combination of those things, or a right to elect to have a distribution sold on their behalf, the Depositary shall endeavor to consult with the Company and, if the Company so requests in writing, to make that right of election available for exercise by Owners in any manner the Depositary reasonably considers to be lawful and practical. As a condition of making a distribution election right available to Owners, the Depositary may require satisfactory assurances from the Company that doing so does not require registration of any securities under the Securities Act of 1933.

In the event that the Depositary determines that any distribution in property (including Shares and rights to subscribe therefor) is subject to any tax or other governmental charge which the Depositary is obligated to withhold, the Depositary may by public or private sale dispose of all or a portion of such property (including Shares and rights to subscribe therefor) in such amounts and in such manner as the Depositary deems necessary and practicable to pay any such taxes or charges, and the Depositary shall distribute the net proceeds of any such sale after deduction of such taxes or charges to the Owners of Receipts entitled thereto.

Services may be available under which Owners and Holders may obtain reduced rates of tax withholding at source or reclaim excess tax withheld. However, services of that kind, and the fees and costs associated with using them, are not provided under, and are outside the scope of, this Deposit Agreement.

Each Owner and Holder agrees to indemnify the Company, the Depositary, the Custodian and their respective directors, employees, agents and affiliates for, and hold each of them harmless against, any claim by any governmental authority with respect to taxes, additions to tax, penalties or interest arising out of any refund of taxes, reduced withholding at source or other tax benefit received by it.

 

13.

RIGHTS .

In the event that the Company shall offer or cause to be offered to the holders of any Deposited Securities any rights to subscribe for additional Shares or any rights of any other nature, the Depositary, after consultation with the Company, shall have discretion as to the procedure to be followed in making such rights available to any Owners or in

 

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disposing of such rights on behalf of any Owners and making the net proceeds available to such Owners or, if by the terms of such rights offering or for any other reason, the Depositary may not either make such rights available to any Owners or dispose of such rights and make the net proceeds available to such Owners, then the Depositary shall allow the rights to lapse. If at the time of the offering of any rights the Depositary determines in its discretion, after consultation with and with the agreement of the Company, that it is lawful and feasible to make such rights available to all or certain Owners but not to other Owners, the Depositary may distribute to any Owner to whom it determines, after consultation with and with the agreement of the Company, the distribution to be lawful and feasible, in proportion to the number of American Depositary Shares held by such Owner, warrants or other instruments therefor in such form as it deems appropriate.

In circumstances in which rights would otherwise not be distributed, if an Owner requests the distribution of warrants or other instruments in order to exercise the rights allocable to the American Depositary Shares of such Owner under the Deposit Agreement, the Depositary will make such rights available to such Owner upon written notice from the Company to the Depositary that (a) the Company has elected in its sole discretion to permit such rights to be exercised and (b) such Owner has executed such documents as the Company has determined in its sole discretion are reasonably required under applicable law.

If the Depositary has distributed warrants or other instruments for rights to all or certain Owners, then upon instruction from such an Owner pursuant to such warrants or other instruments to the Depositary from such Owner to exercise such rights, upon payment by such Owner to the Depositary for the account of such Owner of an amount equal to the purchase price of the Shares to be received upon the exercise of the rights, and upon payment of the fees and expenses of the Depositary and any other charges as set forth in such warrants or other instruments, the Depositary shall, on behalf of such Owner, exercise the rights and purchase the Shares, and the Company shall cause the Shares so purchased to be delivered to the Depositary on behalf of such Owner. As agent for such Owner, the Depositary will cause the Shares so purchased to be deposited pursuant to Section 2.02 of the Deposit Agreement, and shall, pursuant to Section 2.03 of the Deposit Agreement, deliver American Depositary Shares to such Owner. In the case of a distribution pursuant to the second paragraph of this Article 13, such deposit shall be made, and depositary shares shall be delivered, under depositary arrangements which provide for issuance of depositary shares subject to the appropriate restrictions on sale, deposit, cancellation, and transfer under applicable United States laws.

If the Depositary determines in its discretion, after consultation with the Company, that it is not lawful and feasible to make such rights available to all or certain Owners, it may sell the rights, warrants or other instruments in proportion to the number of American Depositary Shares held by the Owners to whom it has determined it may not lawfully or feasibly make such rights available, and allocate the net proceeds of such

 

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sales (net of the fees and expenses of the Depositary as provided in Section 5.09 of the Deposit Agreement and all taxes and governmental charges payable in connection with such rights and subject to the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement) for the account of such Owners otherwise entitled to such rights, warrants or other instruments, upon an averaged or other practical basis without regard to any distinctions among such Owners because of exchange restrictions or the date of delivery of any American Depositary Shares or otherwise.

The Depositary will not offer rights to Owners unless both the rights and the securities to which such rights relate are either exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to a distribution to all Owners or are registered under the provisions of such Act; provided, that nothing in the Deposit Agreement shall create any obligation on the part of the Company to file a registration statement with respect to such rights or underlying securities or to endeavor to have such a registration statement declared effective. If an Owner requests the distribution of warrants or other instruments, notwithstanding that there has been no such registration under the Securities Act of 1933, the Depositary shall not effect such distribution unless it has received an opinion from recognized counsel in the United States for the Company upon which the Depositary may rely that such distribution to such Owner is exempt from such registration.

The Depositary shall not be responsible for any failure to determine that it may be lawful or feasible to make such rights available to Owners in general or any Owner in particular.

 

14.

CONVERSION OF FOREIGN CURRENCY .

Whenever the Depositary or the Custodian receives foreign currency, by way of dividends or other distributions or the net proceeds from the sale of securities, property or rights, and if at the time of the receipt thereof the foreign currency so received can in the judgment of the Depositary be converted on a reasonable basis into Dollars and the resulting Dollars transferred to the United States, the Depositary shall convert or cause to be converted by sale or in any other manner that it may determine that foreign currency into Dollars, and those Dollars shall be distributed as promptly as practicable to the Owners entitled thereto. A cash distribution may be made upon an averaged or other practicable basis without regard to any distinctions among Owners based on exchange restrictions, the date of delivery of any American Depositary Shares or otherwise and shall be net of any expenses of conversion into Dollars incurred by the Depositary as provided in Section 5.09 of the Deposit Agreement.

If a conversion of foreign currency or the repatriation or distribution of Dollars can be effected only with the approval or license of any government or agency thereof, the Depositary may, but will not be required to, file an application for that approval or license.

 

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If the Depositary determines that in its reasonable judgment any foreign currency received by the Depositary or the Custodian is not convertible on a reasonable basis into Dollars transferable to the United States, or if any approval or license of any government or agency thereof that is required for such conversion is not filed or sought by the Depositary or is not obtained within a reasonable period as determined by the Depositary, the Depositary may distribute the foreign currency received by the Depositary to, or in its discretion may hold such foreign currency uninvested and without liability for interest thereon for the respective accounts of, the Owners entitled to receive the same.

If any conversion of foreign currency, in whole or in part, cannot be effected for distribution to some of the Owners entitled thereto, the Depositary may in its discretion make that conversion and distribution in Dollars to the extent practicable and permissible to the Owners entitled thereto and may distribute the balance of the foreign currency received by the Depositary to, or hold that balance uninvested and without liability for interest thereon for the account of, the Owners entitled thereto.

The Depositary may convert currency itself or through any of its affiliates and, in those cases, acts as principal for its own account and not as agent, advisor, broker or fiduciary on behalf of any other person and earns revenue, including, without limitation, transaction spreads, that it will retain for its own account. The revenue is based on, among other things, the difference between the exchange rate assigned to the currency conversion made under the Deposit Agreement and the rate that the Depositary or its affiliate receives when buying or selling foreign currency for its own account. The Depositary makes no representation that the exchange rate used or obtained in any currency conversion under the Deposit Agreement will be the most favorable rate that could be obtained at the time or that the method by which that rate will be determined will be the most favorable to Owners, subject to the Depositary’s obligations under Section 5.03 of that Agreement. The methodology used to determine exchange rates used in currency conversions is available upon request.

 

15.

RECORD DATES .

Whenever any cash dividend or other cash distribution shall become payable or any distribution other than cash shall be made, or whenever rights shall be issued with respect to the Deposited Securities, or whenever the Depositary shall receive notice of any meeting of holders of Shares or other Deposited Securities, or whenever for any reason the Depositary causes a change in the number of Shares that are represented by each American Depositary Share, or whenever the Depositary shall find it necessary or convenient, the Depositary shall, after consultation with the Company to the extent practicable, fix a record date, which shall be the same as, or as near as practicable to, any corresponding record date set by the Company with respect to Shares (a) for the determination of the Owners who shall be (i) entitled to receive such dividend, distribution or rights or the net proceeds of the sale thereof, (ii) entitled to give instructions for the exercise of voting rights at any such meeting, (iii) responsible for any

 

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fee assessed by the Depositary pursuant to the Deposit Agreement or (iv) entitled or ogligated for any other purpose for which the record date was set, or (b) on or after which each American Depositary Share will represent the changed number of Shares. Subject to the provisions of Sections 4.01 through 4.05 of the Deposit Agreement and to the other terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement, the Owners on a record date fixed by the Depositary shall be entitled to receive the amount distributable by the Depositary with respect to that dividend or other distribution or those rights or the net proceeds of sale thereof in proportion to the number of American Depositary Shares held by them respectively, to give voting instructions or to act in respect of the other matter for which that record date was fixed, or be responsible for that fee or charge, as the case may be.

 

16.

VOTING OF DEPOSITED SECURITIES .

Upon receipt of notice of any meeting of holders of Shares or other Deposited Securities, if requested in writing by the Company, the Depositary shall, after consultation with the Company and as soon as practicable thereafter, Disseminate to the Owners of Receipts a notice, the form of which notice shall be in the sole discretion of the Depositary, which shall contain (a) such information as is contained in such notice of meeting received by the Depositary from the Company, (b) a statement that the Owners as of the close of business on a specified record date will be entitled, subject to any applicable provision of law and of the articles of association or similar documents of the Company, to instruct the Depositary as to the exercise of the voting rights, if any, pertaining to the amount of Shares or other Deposited Securities represented by their respective American Depositary Shares, (c) a statement as to the manner in which such instructions may be given and (d) the last day on which the Depositary will accept instructions (the “Instruction Cutoff Date”).

Upon the written request of an Owner of American Depositary Shares as of the date of the request or, if a record date was specified by the Depositary, as of that record date, received on or before any Instruction Cutoff Date established by the Depositary, the Depositary shall endeavor insofar as practicable to vote or cause to be voted the amount of Shares or other Deposited Securities represented by those American Depositary Shares in accordance with the instructions set forth in such request. The Depositary shall not vote or attempt to exercise the right to vote that attaches to the Shares or other Deposited Securities, other than in accordance with such instructions or as provided in the next paragraph.

If (a) the Company made a request to the Depositary as contemplated by this Article 16 and gave the Depositary notice of the meeting, details concerning the matters to be voted upon and copies of materials to be made available to holders of Shares in connection with the meeting at least 30 days prior to the meeting date and (b) no instructions are received by the Depositary from an Owner with respect to an amount of Deposited Securities represented by American Depositary Shares of that Owner and a matter on or before the Instruction Cutoff Date, the Depositary shall deem that Owner to

 

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have instructed the Depositary to give, and the Depositary shall give, a discretionary proxy to a person designated by the Company with respect to that amount of Deposited Securities to vote that amount of Deposited Securities as to that matter in accordance with any recommendations of the Company (including any recommendation by the Company to vote Deposited Securities on any issue in accordance with the majority shareholders’ vote on that issue) as determined by the appointed proxy, except that such instruction shall not be deemed to have been given and the Depositary shall not give a discretionary proxy with respect to any matter as to which the Company informs the Depositary (and the Company agrees to provide that information as promptly as practicable in writing, if applicable) that (i) the Company does not wish to receive a discretionary proxy, (ii) substantial opposition exists or (iii) the matter materially and adversely affects the rights of holders of Shares.

There can be no assurance that Owners generally or any Owner in particular will receive the notice described in this Article 16 in time to enable Owners to give instructions to the Depositary prior to the Instruction Cutoff Date.

 

17.

CHANGES AFFECTING DEPOSITED SECURITIES .

Upon any change in par value (or in any nominal value), split-up, consolidation, or any other reclassification of Deposited Securities, or upon any recapitalization, reorganization, merger or consolidation, or sale of assets affecting the Company or to which it is a party, or upon the redemption or cancellation by the Company of the Deposited Securities, any securities, cash or property which shall be received by the Depositary or a Custodian in exchange for, in conversion of, in lieu of or in respect of Deposited Securities shall be treated as new Deposited Securities under the Deposit Agreement, and American Depositary Shares shall thenceforth represent, in addition to the existing Deposited Securities, the right to receive the new Deposited Securities so received, unless additional Receipts are delivered pursuant to the following sentence. In any such case the Depositary may, and shall, if the Company so requests in writing, deliver additional American Depositary Shares as in the case of a dividend in Shares, or call for the surrender of outstanding Receipts to be exchanged for new Receipts specifically describing such new Deposited Securities.

 

18.

LIABILITY OF THE COMPANY AND DEPOSITARY .

Neither the Depositary nor the Company nor any of their respective directors, employees, agents or affiliates shall incur any liability to any Owner or Holder:

(i) if by reason of (A) any provision of any present or future law or regulation or other act of the government of the United States, any State of the United States or any other state or jurisdiction, or of any governmental or regulatory authority or stock exchange; (B) (in the case of the Depositary only) any provision, present or future, of the articles of association or similar document of the Company, or by reason of any provision of any securities issued or distributed by the Company, or any offering or distribution

 

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thereof; or (C) any event or circumstance, whether natural or caused by a person or persons, that is beyond the ability of the Depositary, its agents or the Company, as the case may be, to prevent or counteract by reasonable care or effort (including, but not limited to earthquakes, floods, severe storms, fires, explosions, war, terrorism, civil unrest, labor disputes or criminal acts; interruptions or malfunctions of utility services, Internet or other communications lines or systems; unauthorized access to or attacks on computer systems or websites; or other failures or malfunctions of computer hardware or software or other systems or equipment), the Depositary or the Company is, directly or indirectly, prevented from, forbidden to or delayed in, or could be subject to any civil or criminal penalty on account of doing or performing and therefore does not do or perform, any act or thing that, by the terms of the Deposit Agreement or the Deposited Securities, it is provided shall be done or performed;

(ii) for any exercise of, or failure to exercise, any discretion provided for in the Deposit Agreement (including any determination by the Depositary to take, or not take, any action that the Deposit Agreement provides the Depositary may take);

(iii) for the inability of any Owner or Holder to benefit from any distribution, offering, right or other benefit that is made available to holders of Deposited Securities but is not, under the terms of the Deposit Agreement, made available to Owners or Holders; or

(iv) for any special, consequential or punitive damages for any breach of the terms of the Deposit Agreement.

Where, by the terms of a distribution pursuant to Section 4.01, 4.02 or 4.03 of the Deposit Agreement, or an offering or distribution pursuant to Section 4.04 of the Deposit Agreement, or for any other reason, such distribution or offering may not be made available to Owners of Receipts, and the Depositary may not dispose of such distribution or offering on behalf of such Owners and make the net proceeds available to such Owners, then the Depositary shall not make such distribution or offering, and shall allow any rights, if applicable, to lapse. Neither the Company nor the Depositary assumes any obligation or shall be subject to any liability under the Deposit Agreement to Owners or Holders, except that they agree to perform their obligations specifically set forth in the Deposit Agreement without negligence or bad faith. The Depositary shall not be a fiduciary or have any fiduciary duty to Owners or Holders. The Depositary shall not be subject to any liability with respect to the validity or worth of the Deposited Securities. Neither the Depositary nor the Company shall be under any obligation to appear in, prosecute or defend any action, suit, or other proceeding in respect of any Deposited Securities or in respect of the American Depositary Shares, on behalf of any Owner or Holder or other person. Neither the Depositary nor the Company shall be liable for any action or nonaction by it in reliance upon the advice of or information from legal counsel, accountants, any person presenting Shares for deposit, any Owner or Holder, or any other person believed by it in good faith to be competent to give such advice or information.

 

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Each of the Depositary and the Company may rely, and shall be protected in relying upon, any written notice, request, direction or other document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties. The Depositary shall not be liable for any acts or omissions made by a successor depositary whether in connection with a previous act or omission of the Depositary or in connection with a matter arising wholly after the removal or resignation of the Depositary, provided that in connection with the issue out of which such potential liability arises, the Depositary performed its obligations without negligence or bad faith while it acted as Depositary. The Depositary shall not be liable for the acts or omissions of any securities depository, clearing agency or settlement system in connection with or arising out of book-entry settlement of Deposited Securities or otherwise. The Depositary shall not be responsible for any failure to carry out any instructions to vote any of the Deposited Securities or for the manner in which any such vote is cast or the effect of any such vote, provided that any such action or nonaction is in good faith. The Depositary shall not be liable for the inability or failure of an Owner or Holder to obtain the benefit of a foreign tax credit, reduced rate of withholding or refund of amounts withheld in respect of tax or any other tax benefit.

No disclaimer of liability under the Securities Act of 1933 is intended by any provision of the Deposit Agreement.

 

19.

RESIGNATION AND REMOVAL OF THE DEPOSITARY; APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR CUSTODIAN .

The Depositary may at any time resign as Depositary under the Deposit Agreement by written notice of its election so to do delivered to the Company, such resignation to take effect upon the appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of such appointment as provided in the Deposit Agreement. The Depositary may at any time be removed by the Company by 120 days prior written notice of such removal, to become effective upon the later of (i) the 120th day after delivery of the notice to the Depositary and (ii) the appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of such appointment as provided in the Deposit Agreement. The Depositary in its discretion may appoint a substitute or additional custodian or custodians.

 

20.

AMENDMENT .

The form of the Receipts and any provisions of the Deposit Agreement may at any time and from time to time be amended by agreement between the Company and the Depositary without the consent of Owners or Holders in any respect which they may deem necessary or desirable. Any amendment which shall impose or increase any fees or charges (other than taxes and other governmental charges, registration fees, telex or facsimile transmission costs, delivery costs or other such expenses), or which shall otherwise prejudice any substantial existing right of Owners, shall, however, not become effective as to outstanding American Depositary Shares until the expiration of 30 days after notice of such amendment shall have been Disseminated to the Owners of

 

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outstanding American Depositary Shares. Every Owner and Holder of American Depositary Shares, at the time any amendment so becomes effective, shall be deemed, by continuing to hold such American Depositary Shares or any interest therein, to consent and agree to such amendment and to be bound by the Deposit Agreement as amended thereby. In no event shall any amendment impair the right of the Owner to surrender American Depositary Shares and receive therefor the Deposited Securities represented thereby, except in order to comply with mandatory provisions of applicable law.

 

21.

TERMINATION OF DEPOSIT AGREEMENT .

The Company may terminate the Deposit Agreement by instructing the Depositary to mail notice of termination to the Owners of all American Depositary Shares then outstanding at least 30 days prior to the termination date included in such notice. The Depositary may likewise terminate the Deposit Agreement, if at any time 90 days shall have expired after the Depositary delivered to the Company a written resignation notice and if a successor depositary shall not have been appointed and accepted its appointment as provided in the Deposit Agreement; in such case the Depositary shall Disseminate a notice of termination to the Owners of all American Depositary Shares then outstanding at least 30 days prior to the termination date. On and after the date of termination, the Owner of American Depositary Shares will, upon (a) surrender of such American Depositary Shares, (b) payment of the fee of the Depositary for the surrender of American Depositary Shares referred to in Section 2.05, and (c) payment of any applicable taxes or governmental charges, be entitled to delivery, to him or upon his order, of the amount of Deposited Securities represented by those American Depositary Shares. If any American Depositary Shares shall remain outstanding after the date of termination, the Depositary thereafter shall discontinue the registration of transfers of American Depositary Shares, shall suspend the distribution of dividends to the Owners thereof, and shall not give any further notices or perform any further acts under the Deposit Agreement, except that the Depositary shall continue to collect dividends and other distributions pertaining to Deposited Securities, shall sell rights and other property as provided in the Deposit Agreement, and shall continue to deliver Deposited Securities, together with any dividends or other distributions received with respect thereto and the net proceeds of the sale of any rights or other property, upon surrender of American Depositary Shares (after deducting, in each case, the fee of the Depositary for the surrender of American Depositary Shares, any expenses for the account of the Owner of such American Depositary Shares in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement, and any applicable taxes or governmental charges). At any time after the expiration of four months from the date of termination, the Depositary may sell the Deposited Securities then held under the Deposit Agreement and may thereafter hold uninvested the net proceeds of any such sale, together with any other cash then held by it thereunder, unsegregated and without liability for interest, for the pro rata benefit of the Owners of American Depositary Shares that have not theretofore been surrendered, such Owners thereupon becoming general creditors of the Depositary with respect to such net proceeds and that other cash. After making such sale,

 

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the Depositary shall be discharged from all obligations under the Deposit Agreement, except to account for such net proceeds and other cash (after deducting, in each case, the fee of the Depositary for the surrender of American Depositary Shares, any expenses for the account of the Owner of such American Depositary Shares in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Deposit Agreement, and any applicable taxes or governmental charges). Upon the termination of the Deposit Agreement, the Company shall be discharged from all obligations under the Deposit Agreement except for its obligations to the Depositary with respect to indemnification, charges, and expenses.

 

22.

DTC DIRECT REGISTRATION SYSTEM AND PROFILE MODIFICATION SYSTEM .

(a)        Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.04 of the Deposit Agreement, the parties acknowledge that the Direct Registration System (“DRS”) and Profile Modification System (“Profile”) shall apply to uncertificated American Depositary Shares upon acceptance thereof to DRS by DTC. DRS is the system administered by DTC pursuant to which the Depositary may register the ownership of uncertificated American Depositary Shares, which ownership shall be evidenced by periodic statements issued by the Depositary to the Owners entitled thereto. Profile is a required feature of DRS which allows a DTC participant, claiming to act on behalf of an Owner, to direct the Depositary to register a transfer of those American Depositary Shares to DTC or its nominee and to deliver those American Depositary Shares to the DTC account of that DTC participant without receipt by the Depositary of prior authorization from the Owner to register such transfer.

(b)        In connection with and in accordance with the arrangements and procedures relating to DRS/Profile, the parties understand that the Depositary will not verify, determine or otherwise ascertain that the DTC participant which is claiming to be acting on behalf of an Owner in requesting registration of transfer and delivery described in subsection (a) has the actual authority to act on behalf of the Owner (notwithstanding any requirements under the Uniform Commercial Code). For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions of Sections 5.03 and 5.08 of the Deposit Agreement shall apply to the matters arising from the use of the DRS/Profile. The parties agree that the Depositary’s reliance on and compliance with instructions received by the Depositary through DRS/Profile and in accordance with the Deposit Agreement, shall not constitute negligence or bad faith on the part of the Depositary.

 

23.

SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION; JURY TRIAL WAIVER; WAIVER OF IMMUNITIES .

In the Deposit Agreement, the Company has (i) appointed AB InBev Services LLC, 250 Park Avenue, 2 nd Floor, New York, New York 10017, in the State of New York, as the Company’s authorized agent upon which process may be served in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Shares or Deposited Securities, the American Depositary Shares, the Receipts or this Agreement, (ii) consented and

 

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submitted to the jurisdiction of any state or federal court in the State of New York in which any such suit or proceeding may be instituted, and (iii) agreed that service of process upon said authorized agent shall be deemed in every respect effective service of process upon the Company in any such suit or proceeding.

EACH PARTY TO THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT (INCLUDING, FOR AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, EACH OWNER AND HOLDER) THEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING AGAINST THE COMPANY AND/OR THE DEPOSITARY DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SHARES OR OTHER DEPOSITED SECURITIES, THE AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES OR THE RECEIPTS, THE DEPOSIT AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREIN OR THEREIN, OR THE BREACH HEREOF OR THEREOF, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY QUESTION REGARDING EXISTENCE, VALIDITY OR TERMINATION (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY).

To the extent that the Company or any of its properties, assets or revenues may have or hereafter become entitled to, or have attributed to it, any right of immunity, on the grounds of sovereignty or otherwise, from any legal action, suit or proceeding, from the giving of any relief in any respect thereof, from setoff or counterclaim, from the jurisdiction of any court, from service of process, from attachment upon or prior to judgment, from attachment in aid of execution or judgment, or other legal process or proceeding for the giving of any relief or for the enforcement of any judgment, in any jurisdiction in which proceedings may at any time be commenced, with respect to its obligations, liabilities or any other matter under or arising out of or in connection with the Shares or Deposited Securities, the American Depositary Shares, the Receipts or the Deposit Agreement, the Company, to the fullest extent permitted by law, hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, and agrees not to plead or claim, any such immunity and consents to such relief and enforcement.

 

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Exhibit 4.3

 

LOGO

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Five-Year Performance Restricted Stock Units Plan

Participants’ Guide

 

2018


Terms and conditions relating to the Performance Restricted Stock Units

 

1

Definitions

When used in this document, the following terms shall have the meaning ascribed to them as indicated below, unless expressly indicated otherwise:

 

AB InBev

  

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV/SA with its registered office at Grand Place 1, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium;

Acceptance Form

  

the form whereby an Eligible Employee confirms, among other things, his/her acceptance of the Offer of AB InBev and the Performance Restricted Stock Units;

ADS

  

an American Depositary Share issued under the deposit agreement with the Bank of New York Mellon (or any successor thereof) traded on the New York Stock Exchange (ISIN: US03524A1088) and representing one Share or the right to receive one Share of AB InBev;

Board of Directors

  

the board of directors of AB InBev;

Committee

  

the Remuneration Committee of AB InBev;

Data Controller

  

AB InBev;

Data Processor

  

any third party designated by the Data Controller to process Personal Data on behalf of the Data Controller in accordance with Clause 19 for the implementation, administration and management of the Plan and the Share register and Performance Restricted Stock Unit register in electronic form;

Data Protection Law

  

the GDPR;

Dismissal

  

termination of employment by AB InBev or its subsidiaries (i) for serious cause (as determined by the Chief People Officer of AB InBev (or other designee of the Chief People Officer of AB InBev) or, if applicable, as defined in relevant local law) or (ii) other than for serious cause;

Divestiture

  

a situation whereby the Participant’s employer is no longer a subsidiary of AB InBev following a divestiture through the sale of shares in the said AB InBev subsidiary or otherwise;

Eligible Employee

  

an employee of AB InBev or its subsidiaries who received an Offer Letter;

 

 

1


GDPR

  

Regulation 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 27, 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation);

LTI Website

  

the internet website referred to in the Offer Letter (and any successor thereof) through which a Participant can monitor his/her portfolio of Performance Restricted Stock Units;

Observation Date

  

has the meaning given to it in the Offer Letter;

Offer

  

the offer of Performance Restricted Stock Units by AB InBev to the Eligible Employee as set out in the Offer Letter;

Offer Date

  

has the meaning given to it in the Offer Letter;

Offer Letter

  

the letter whereby AB InBev communicates the details of the Offer of Performance Restricted Stock Units made to an Eligible Employee under the Plan, together with the Acceptance Form;

Offer Period

  

the period during which an Eligible Employee must return the duly completed and executed Acceptance Form to AB InBev, as indicated in the Offer Letter;

Outsourcing

  

a situation whereby (i) a Participant is dismissed by AB InBev or a subsidiary of AB InBev in the framework of a collective dismissal (in the meaning of the Belgian Law of 13 February 1998 or its equivalent in the jurisdiction of the Participant) and is re-employed, together with the other persons who have been likewise dismissed, by a third-party company which is not an affiliate of AB InBev and which provides services to AB InBev; or (ii) a Participant is transferred by AB InBev or a subsidiary of AB InBev in the framework of the Belgian Collective Bargaining Agreement No 32 bis of 7 June 1985 (or its equivalent in the jurisdiction of the Participant) to a third-party company which is not an affiliate of AB InBev and which provides services to AB InBev;

Participant

  

an Eligible Employee who has duly completed, executed and returned an Acceptance Form and who has accepted all the Performance Restricted Stock Units, or any Successor to whom Performance Restricted Stock Units have been transferred in accordance with these terms and conditions;

Performance Restricted

Stock Unit

  

the right to receive from AB InBev one existing Share in accordance with these terms and conditions;

 

 

2


Performance Test

  

the EBITDA Compounded Annual Growth Rate target as set out in the Offer Letter;

Personal Data

  

each item of information relating to a Participant including (i) his/her identification data (e.g. name, private or professional contact details), (ii) electronic identification data, (iii) personal characteristics (e.g. date of birth, gender, nationality), (iv) employer’s entity, (v) preferred language, (vi) financial data (e.g. details regarding bank account), (vii) details of all Performance Restricted Stock Units and all other entitlement to Shares awarded, cancelled, purchased, vested, unvested or outstanding;

Plan

  

this five-year Performance Restricted Stock Units Plan;

Resignation

  

the termination by a Participant of employment with AB InBev or its subsidiaries;

Settlement Date

  

means the first business day following the announcement of the full year results following the Observation Date on which the Performance Test has been achieved;

Share

  

an ordinary share of AB InBev (ISIN: BE0974293251);

Successor

  

the successor of a Participant as determined under the applicable law of succession and/or the persons designated by a Participant, in accordance with the applicable law of succession, to inherit the rights of the Participant under the Plan after the death of the Participant;

Vesting Date

  

has the meaning given to it in the Offer Letter;

Vesting Period

  

the period running from the Offer Date to the Vesting Date.

 

2

Persons Eligible for Performance Restricted Stock Units

Performance Restricted Stock Units under the Plan may be offered to such Eligible Employees as the Board of Directors or the Committee shall select in its sole discretion.

 

3

Acceptance of the Performance Restricted Stock Units

 

3.1

A Participant who fails to return a duly completed and executed Acceptance Form before the expiry of the Offer Period will be deemed to have refused the Offer and the Performance Restricted Stock Units.

 

3.2

Partial acceptance of the Performance Restricted Stock Units is not permitted and shall be deemed to constitute a refusal of the Offer and all the Performance Restricted Stock Units.

 

 

3


4

Approval of the Plan documentation

The Plan forms part of an agreement between the Participant and AB InBev. By returning their duly completed and executed Acceptance Form, Participants unconditionally agree to be bound by the contents of this document, the Offer Letter and the Acceptance Form.

 

5

Nature and characteristics of the Performance Restricted Stock Units

 

5.1

Dividend protection

Performance Restricted Stock Units entitle their holder to a dividend equivalent during the period running from the Offer Date to the Settlement Date, which represents an amount equal to the gross dividend paid by AB InBev on the Shares underlying the Performance Restricted Stock Units. This dividend equivalent will be granted to the Participants shortly after the payment of the dividend, in the form of additional Performance Restricted Stock Units with the same vesting conditions and governed by the same terms and conditions as the original Performance Restricted Stock Units.

The number of additional Performance Restricted Stock Units to which a Participant is entitled upon payment of a dividend on the Shares underlying the Performance Restricted Stock Units will be calculated by AB InBev. The number will be equal to the amount of the gross dividend divided by the closing share price on Euronext Brussels of the AB InBev share on the dividend payment date and multiplied by the number of Performance Restricted Stock Units that the Participants holds. The result of this calculation will be rounded down to the closest unit.

 

5.2

Transferability

Except for transfers as a result of death (see Clause 10.2 below), Performance Restricted Stock Units may not be transferred or encumbered with any security, pledge or other right, or otherwise pass to any third party.

 

6

Nature and characteristics of the underlying Shares

 

6.1

General

The Shares to be delivered to the holders of Performance Restricted Stock Units on or shortly after the Settlement Date are existing ordinary shares of AB InBev with all rights and benefits generally attached to such Shares. AB InBev will, at its discretion, deliver Shares in dematerialised (electronic or book-entry) form or in registered form.

 

6.2

Dividends

The Shares delivered on or shortly after the Settlement Date give the right to the dividends paid on such Shares decided by AB InBev after such date.

 

6.3

Transferability

Unless agreed otherwise between the Participant and AB InBev, the Shares delivered on or shortly after the Settlement Date are not subject to any transfer restrictions under the rules of the Plan.

 

 

4


7

Expenses and taxes

All costs related to the attribution of the Performance Restricted Stock Units, the attribution of the additional Performance Restricted Stock Units referred to in Clause 5.1 above and the delivery of the underlying Shares will be borne by AB InBev, except taxes on stock exchange transactions and income and social security taxes on the income received by the Participants in connection with the delivery or the ownership of the Performance Restricted Stock Units and with the delivery of the underlying Shares or ADSs. AB InBev may withhold from any payment or delivery of Shares or ADSs any income or social security taxes that are required to be withheld under any applicable law, rule or regulation.

 

8

Vesting of the Performance Restricted Stock Units

The Performance Restricted Stock Units are subject to the following vesting conditions:

 

 

(i)

the expiry of the Vesting Period;

 

 

(ii)

the achievement of the Performance Test on any one of the Observation Dates (see Clause 9); and

 

 

(iii)

the rules on termination of service (see Clause 10).

 

9

Performance Test

 

9.1

General

The Shares will only be delivered to the Participants on or shortly after the Settlement Date under the conditions set out in this Clause 9.1 if the criteria of the Performance Test have been met on one of the Observation Dates.

If the criteria of the Performance Test have been met on one of the Observation Dates, all Performance Restricted Stock Units held by the Participants on the Settlement Date shall be converted into Shares (subject to the application of the rules set out in Clause 10, as the case may be).

If AB InBev determines that the criteria of the Performance Test have not been met on any of the Observation Dates, the Performance Restricted Stock Units shall automatically become null and void.

 

9.2

Procedure

AB InBev will carry out the Performance Test in the course of the month of February following each Observation Date unless the criteria of the Performance Test have already been met at a previous Observation Date.

AB InBev shall communicate the outcome of the Performance Test to the Participants upon publication of its full year results relating to the financial year ending on the Observation Date preceding such publication.

An explanation of the Performance Test may be obtained by the Participants from their respective local People Officer.

 

 

5


10

Situation upon termination of employment

 

10.1

Resignation or Dismissal

 

 

10.1.1

In the case of Resignation or Dismissal by/of a Participant, the Performance Restricted Stock Units of the Participant will be subject to the following rules:

 

 

(i)

if employment of a Participant ends by Resignation or Dismissal before the Vesting Date, all the Performance Restricted Stock Units of such Participant will automatically become null and void.

 

 

(ii)

if employment of a Participant ends by Resignation or Dismissal on or after the Vesting Date, all the Performance Restricted Stock Units will be subject to the following rules:

 

 

(a)

if the Performance Test has been achieved on one of the Observation Dates, the Shares underlying the Performance Restricted Stock Units of such Participant will be delivered to the Participant on or shortly after the Settlement Date;

 

 

(b)

however, if the Performance Test has not been achieved on one of the Observation Dates, all the Performance Restricted Stock Units of such Participant will nevertheless automatically become null and void.

 

 

10.1.2

The above rules also apply in case the termination of employment results from an Outsourcing or a Divestiture.

 

 

10.1.3

The above rules apply notwithstanding any recourse which might be introduced by a dismissed Participant against the termination of employment.

 

10.2

Death or termination of employment following permanent disability

 

 

10.2.1

In the case of death of a Participant or termination of employment following permanent disability, all Performance Restricted Stock Units will remain subject to Clause 9, provided that, in the case of permanent disability and if so requested by AB InBev, the Participant enters into a non-competition agreement. The modalities of any non-competition agreement will be agreed upon after employment has ended.

 

 

10.2.2

The Shares to be delivered on or shortly after the Settlement Date will be delivered to the relevant Participant’s Successors, in case of death of a Participant, or to the Participant, in case of termination of the Participant’s employment following permanent disability.

 

 

10.2.3

Except as provided in Clause 10.2.4, the notion of “permanent disability” is to be defined by reference to the law governing the employment in the relevant jurisdiction of the Participant.

 

 

10.2.4

Notwithstanding Clause 10.2.3, for Participants subject to taxation in the United States, “permanent disability” shall mean at least one of the following:

 

 

(i)

the Participant is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months;

 

 

6


 

(ii)

the Participant is, by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months, receiving income replacement benefits for a period of not less than three (3) months under an accident and health plan covering employees of the Participant’s AB InBev employer; or

 

 

(iii)

the Participant is determined to be totally disabled by the Social Security Administration.

 

 

10.2.1

This Clause 10.2 shall not apply in case the death or permanent disability follows a Resignation or Dismissal in which case, the rules set out in Clause 10.1 will apply and the Shares to be delivered on or shortly after the Settlement Date will be delivered to the relevant Participant’s Successors, in case of death of a Participant, or to the Participant, in case of termination of the Participant’s employment following permanent disability.

 

11

Settlement

 

11.1

On or shortly after the Settlement Date, AB InBev will deliver one Share per Restricted Stock Unit held by the Participant, subject to the provisions of these terms and conditions (including all vesting conditions). Unless explicitly set forth otherwise in these terms and conditions, Performance Restricted Stock Units do not confer any shareholder’s rights.

 

11.2

At the request of the Participant, AB InBev may deliver ADSs listed on the New York Stock Exchange in lieu of Shares on or shortly after the Settlement Date. To this end, Participants will need to indicate in writing to guy.ernotte-dumont@ab-inbev.com before the Settlement Date that they want to be delivered ADSs in lieu of Shares. If a Participant requests to receive ADSs, all applicable references to Shares in the Plan, the Offer Letter and the Acceptance Form, shall mean ADSs with respect to such Participant.

 

12

Administration of the Plan

 

12.1

Delegation to the Committee

 

 

12.1.1

The Board of Directors may delegate part or all powers under the Plan to the Committee. In the case of a delegation of powers, the Committee shall: (i) be responsible for the general administration of the Plan in accordance with the provisions thereof, under the supervision of the Board of Directors; and (ii) be authorised to establish rules for the administration, interpretation and application of the Plan and, if necessary, to interpret, amend and cancel these rules, in compliance with these terms and conditions.

 

 

12.1.2

In the case of a delegation of powers, the Board of Directors will retain full authority to exercise all the rights and obligations of the Committee under the Plan at any time whatsoever, or to delegate them to another committee constituted by the Board of Directors.

 

12.2

(Sub-)delegation to any third party

 

 

12.2.1

The Board of Directors and the Committee may (sub-)delegate certain well-specified powers to any third party they deem appropriate.

 

 

7


 

12.2.2

In the case of a (sub-)delegation of powers, the Board of Directors and the Committee will retain full authority to exercise all the rights and obligations so delegated.

 

12.3

Limitation of liability

Neither AB InBev nor any member of the Board of Directors or the Committee shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan.

 

13

Amendment to the capital structure and anti-dilution measures

AB InBev expressly reserves the right to proceed with corporate changes that have an impact on its capital, such as capital increases, including by incorporation of reserves in the capital, capital decreases, issuance of convertible bonds, subscription rights or options, stock splits or reverse stock splits, combinations or reclassifications of the Shares, mergers, (partial) demergers, as well as the right to amend the clauses in the articles of association governing the allocation of profits or liquidation boni.

In the event that such corporate changes would have an unfavourable effect on the Performance Restricted Stock Units, the number of Performance Restricted Stock Units and/or the number of Shares to which the Performance Restricted Stock Units give rights will be adjusted for the purpose of safeguarding the interests of the holders of Performance Restricted Stock Units, in the manner determined at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors, subject to any required action by the Shareholders’ Meeting of AB InBev. The terms of such adjustment will be communicated to the Participants in due time.

In the event that AB InBev would be merged into another company, the rights and obligations of AB InBev under the Plan will automatically be transferred to the absorbing company and the Performance Restricted Stock Units will no longer give the Participants the right to Shares but instead the right to shares of the absorbing company, subject to applicable law and to any applicable corporate approval. The number of shares of the absorbing company to which each Performance Restricted Stock Units will give right will be determined at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors and/or the board of directors of the absorbing company and will be communicated to the Participants in due time.

 

14

Electronic register, electronic evidence and electronic delivery

 

14.1

Electronic Share and Performance Restricted Stock Unit register

The Shares and Performance Restricted Stock Units will be recorded in a register, which may be in electronic form and the maintenance of which may be delegated by AB InBev to a third party.

 

14.2

Electronic evidence

Electronic approvals, instructions, orders, statements and communications between a Participant, AB InBev, AB InBev affiliates and any third party to which powers have been sub-delegated by AB InBev for the administration of the Plan will have the same legal status as written approvals, instructions, orders, statements and communications. The written recording or the written reproduction of electronic approvals, instructions, orders, statements and communications received by AB InBev, AB InBev affiliates and any third party to which powers have been sub-delegated by AB InBev for the administration of the Plan, will constitute conclusive evidence between the Participant, AB InBev, AB InBev

 

 

8


affiliates and any third party to which powers have been sub-delegated by AB InBev for the administration of the Plan, unless evidence to the contrary is provided by the Participant.

 

14.3

Consent to electronic delivery

As a condition to receiving the Performance Restricted Stock Units, each Participant consents to delivery of all subsequent information relating to the Performance Restricted Stock Units by electronic means, including e-mails to the Participants and postings on AB InBev’s website or intranet. Such information may include, amongst others, financial information concerning AB InBev. In order to access such information, Participants will be required to access AB InBev’s e-mail system, website and/or intranet. By returning the Acceptance Form, Participants are deemed to acknowledge that they have such access to the e-mail system of AB InBev, to AB InBev’s website and intranet and ordinarily use them in the ordinary course of their employment. Participants may obtain paper copies of any such information by submitting a request to receive paper copies to their respective People Department.

 

15

Matrimonial regime

In the event that the matrimonial regimes of Participants confer ownership or other rights on their spouses with respect to the Performance Restricted Stock Units, those Participants undertake that their spouses shall appoint them as their sole representatives for all matters arising in relation to the Performance Restricted Stock Units.

 

16

Death

In the event of a Participant’s death, any Successor acquiring the Performance Restricted Stock Units shall inform AB InBev of the Participant’s death as soon as possible and at the latest one month from the date of death.

 

17

Modification of the terms and conditions

The Board of Directors may unilaterally modify at any time the practical and/or accessory modalities of the terms and conditions. It may also unilaterally modify the terms and conditions when such modifications are required to comply with any change in legislation.

 

18

Nature of the Plan

Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary included in the terms and conditions, the Offer Letter, the Acceptance Form or any other document relating to the Plan:

 

 

(i)

the grant of Performance Restricted Stock Units to the Participant in the framework of the Plan is unrelated to his/her occupational pension rights or pension claims, so that this grant cannot affect these occupational pension rights and claims;

 

 

(ii)

the Plan, the terms and conditions, the Offer Letter, the Acceptance Form or any other document relating to the Plan do not confer upon the Participant any right to continued employment for any period of specific duration or interfere with or otherwise restrict in any way the rights of AB InBev or its subsidiaries to terminate the Participant’s employment according to the applicable regulations in respect of termination thereof;

 

 

9


 

(iii)

the grant of Performance Restricted Stock Units cannot be considered as a right acquired for the future.

 

19

Privacy and processing of Personal Data

To enable the proper set-up and management of the Plan, the Performance Restricted Stock Unit register and the Share register, Personal Data about each Participant will need to be collected and used. This Clause 19 sets out the obligations of AB InBev and the rights of Participants regarding any such collection and use and provides the legally required information in this respect.

 

19.1

Identity of the person responsible for your Personal Data

AB InBev is the so-called Data Controller ”, which is responsible for the collection and processing of Personal Data as is necessary for the setting-up and management of the Plan, the Performance Restricted Stock Unit register and the Share register of AB InBev in electronic form.

 

19.2

Why and how Personal Data is collected and used

The Personal Data will either be collected via the LTI Website or extracted from AB InBev’s SAP system (or successor thereof) 1 . It will be used exclusively for the purposes of the administration of the Plan and the maintenance of the Performance Restricted Stock Unit register and Share register of AB InBev in electronic form.

The Data Controller and any Data Processor will collect and process the Participants’ Personal Data in accordance with the Data Protection Law.

 

19.3

Nature of the Personal Data

The following Personal Data relating to the Participants will be collected and used:

 

 

(i)

their contact details (e.g. names*, private/professional* (email) addresses/phone numbers);

 

 

(ii)

electronic identification data;

 

 

(iii)

personal characteristics (i.e. date of birth*);

 

 

(iv)

financial data (e.g. details regarding bank account);

 

 

(v)

details of all rights and other entitlements to Performance Restricted Stock Units awarded, cancelled, vested, unvested or outstanding.

 

19.4

Other persons having access to the Personal Data and purpose thereof

The Data Controller can transfer the Personal Data to the following categories of recipients:

 

 

(i)

the provider of the LTI Website acting as Data Processor;

 

 

(ii)

the employer of the Participant for the above purposes;

 

 

(iii)

payroll operators acting as Data Processors;

 

1  

In this case, the Personal Data which are not directly collected from you are identified with an asterisk (*) below.

 

 

10


 

(iv)

regulatory authorities for the purposes of complying with legal obligations in connection with the Plan; and

 

 

(v)

any member of the AB InBev group.

Such recipients may be located in jurisdictions outside the European Economic Area that may not provide an adequate level of personal data protection. The Data Controller relies either upon the consent of the Participant (such consent being requested through the LTI Website) or upon a contractual arrangement with the data importer to transfer the data to such jurisdictions.

 

19.5

Legal basis allowing AB InBev to collect and use Personal Data

Upon acceptance of the Plan via the LTI Website, the Participant will also be asked to give his/her specific consent to the collection, processing and transfer of his/her Personal Data as described in this Clause 19. This consent will be relied upon by the Data Controller as the justification for collecting and using Personal Data.

 

19.6

Rights of the Participants

The Participant can exercise his/her right to request access to and rectification or erasure of his/her Personal Data or restriction of processing concerning the Participant or to object to processing as well as the right to data portability by sending a written request to globalcompliance@ab-inbev.com.

The Participants may withdraw their consent for the processing of their Personal Data in the context of the Plan at any time, but should be aware that such processing is a prerequisite for further participation to the Plan. Even in the case such participation has ended because of the withdrawal of consent, the Data Controller may still need to process Personal Data after such withdrawal of consent to comply with its legal obligations. Such withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

Finally, if Participants are not satisfied with how AB InBev processes their Personal Data, they may contact the AB InBev Compliance Team through globalcompliance@ab-inbev.com. They also have the right to make a complaint to the Belgian Data Protection Authority.

 

20

Severability

If any provision in this document is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, under any applicable law, that provision will be deemed not to form part of this document, and the legality, validity or enforceability of the remainder of this document will not be affected.

 

21

Applicable law

The Performance Restricted Stock Units and these terms and conditions are governed by Belgian law.

 

 

11

Exhibit 4.4

 

LOGO

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Ten-Year Performance Restricted Stock Units Plan

Participants’ Guide

 

2018


Terms and conditions relating to the Performance Restricted Stock Units

 

1

Definitions

When used in this document, the following terms shall have the meaning ascribed to them as indicated below, unless expressly indicated otherwise:

 

AB InBev

  

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV/SA with its registered office at Grand Place 1, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium;

Acceptance Form

  

the form whereby an Eligible Employee confirms, among other things, his/her acceptance of the Offer of AB InBev and the Performance Restricted Stock Units;

ADS

  

an American Depositary Share issued under the deposit agreement with the Bank of New York Mellon (or any successor thereof) traded on the New York Stock Exchange (ISIN: US03524A1088) and representing one Share or the right to receive one Share of AB InBev;

Board of Directors

  

the board of directors of AB InBev;

Committee

  

the Remuneration Committee of AB InBev;

Data Controller

  

AB InBev;

Data Processor

  

any third party designated by the Data Controller to process Personal Data on behalf of the Data Controller in accordance with Clause 19 for the implementation, administration and management of the Plan and the Share register and Performance Restricted Stock Unit register in electronic form;

Data Protection Law

  

the GDPR;

Dismissal

  

termination of employment by AB InBev or its subsidiaries;

Dismissal for Serious Cause

  

termination of employment for serious cause (as determined by the Chief People Officer of AB InBev (or other designee of the Chief People Officer of AB InBev) or, if applicable, as defined in relevant local law) by AB InBev or its subsidiaries;

Divestiture

  

a situation whereby the Participant’s employer is no longer a subsidiary of AB InBev following a divestiture through the sale of shares in the said AB InBev subsidiary or otherwise;

Eligible Employee

  

an employee of AB InBev or its subsidiaries who received an Offer Letter;

 

 

1


GDPR

  

Regulation 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 27, 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation);

LTI Website

  

the internet website referred to in the Offer Letter (and any successor thereof) through which a Participant can monitor his/her portfolio of Performance Restricted Stock Units;

Observation Date

  

has the meaning given to it in the Offer Letter;

Offer

  

the offer of Performance Restricted Stock Units by AB InBev to the Eligible Employee as set out in the Offer Letter;

Offer Date

  

has the meaning given to it in the Offer Letter;

Offer Letter

  

the letter whereby AB InBev communicates the details of the Offer of Performance Restricted Stock Units made to an Eligible Employee under the Plan, together with the Acceptance Form;

Offer Period

  

the period during which an Eligible Employee must return the duly completed and executed Acceptance Form to AB InBev, as indicated in the Offer Letter;

Outsourcing

  

a situation whereby (i) a Participant is dismissed by AB InBev or a subsidiary of AB InBev in the framework of a collective dismissal (in the meaning of the Belgian Law of 13 February 1998 or its equivalent in the jurisdiction of the Participant) and is re-employed, together with the other persons who have been likewise dismissed, by a third-party company which is not an affiliate of AB InBev and which provides services to AB InBev; or (ii) a Participant is transferred by AB InBev or a subsidiary of AB InBev in the framework of the Belgian Collective Bargaining Agreement No 32 bis of 7 June 1985 (or its equivalent in the jurisdiction of the Participant) to a third-party company which is not an affiliate of AB InBev and which provides services to AB InBev;

Participant

  

an Eligible Employee who has duly completed, executed and returned an Acceptance Form and who has accepted all the Performance Restricted Stock Units, or any Successor to whom Performance Restricted Stock Units have been transferred in accordance with these terms and conditions;

Performance Restricted

Stock Unit

  

the right to receive from AB InBev one existing Share in accordance with these terms and conditions;

 

 

2


Performance Test

  

the EBITDA Compounded Annual Growth Rate target as set out in the Offer Letter;

Personal Data

  

each item of information relating to a Participant including (i) his/her identification data (e.g. name, private or professional contact details), (ii) electronic identification data, (iii) personal characteristics (e.g. date of birth, gender, nationality), (iv) employer’s entity, (v) preferred language, (vi) financial data (e.g. details regarding bank account), (vii) details of all Performance Restricted Stock Units and all other entitlement to Shares awarded, cancelled, purchased, vested, unvested or outstanding;

Plan

  

this ten-year Performance Restricted Stock Units Plan;

Pro-Rata Formula

  

PRP = (HP x M) / 120

 

where:

 

PRP   represents the gross number of Prorated Performance Restricted Stock Units

 

HP   means the number of Performance Restricted Stock Units held by the Participant immediately prior to the termination of employment

 

M    means the number of full calendar months of employment of the Participant within the AB InBev group during the period from the Offer Date until the date of termination of employment;

Prorated Performance

Restricted Stock Units

  

the number of unvested Performance Restricted Stock Units (rounded to the closest whole number) that may remain in full force and effect following the termination of employment of a Participant in the circumstances and under the conditions specified in these Terms and Conditions, such number being obtained by applying the Pro-Rata Formula;

Resignation

  

the termination by a Participant of employment with AB InBev or its subsidiaries;

Share

  

an ordinary share of AB InBev (ISIN: BE0974293251);

Successor

  

the successor of a Participant as determined under the applicable law of succession and/or the persons designated by a Participant, in accordance with the applicable law of succession, to inherit the rights of the Participant under the Plan after the death of the Participant;

Vesting Date

  

has the meaning given to it in the Offer Letter;

 

 

3


Vesting Period

  

the period running from the Offer Date to the Vesting Date.

 

2

Persons Eligible for Performance Restricted Stock Units

Performance Restricted Stock Units under the Plan may be offered to such Eligible Employees as the Board of Directors or the Committee shall select in its sole discretion.

 

3

Acceptance of the Performance Restricted Stock Units

 

3.1

A Participant who fails to return a duly completed and executed Acceptance Form before the expiry of the Offer Period will be deemed to have refused the Offer and the Performance Restricted Stock Units.

 

3.2

Partial acceptance of the Performance Restricted Stock Units is not permitted and shall be deemed to constitute a refusal of the Offer and all the Performance Restricted Stock Units.

 

4

Approval of the Plan documentation

The Plan forms part of an agreement between the Participant and AB InBev. By returning their duly completed and executed Acceptance Form, Participants unconditionally agree to be bound by the contents of this document, the Offer Letter and the Acceptance Form.

 

5

Nature and characteristics of the Performance Restricted Stock Units

 

5.1

Dividend protection

Performance Restricted Stock Units entitle their holder to a dividend equivalent during the Vesting Period, which represents an amount equal to the gross dividend paid by AB InBev on the Shares underlying the Performance Restricted Stock Units. This dividend equivalent will be granted to the Participants shortly after the payment of the dividend, in the form of additional Performance Restricted Stock Units with the same vesting conditions and governed by the same terms and conditions as the original Performance Restricted Stock Units.

The number of additional Performance Restricted Stock Units to which a Participant is entitled upon payment of a dividend on the Shares underlying the Performance Restricted Stock Units will be calculated by AB InBev. The number will be equal to the amount of the gross dividend divided by the closing share price on Euronext Brussels of the AB InBev share on the dividend payment date and multiplied by the number of Performance Restricted Stock Units that the Participants holds. The result of this calculation will be rounded down to the closest unit.

 

5.2

Transferability

Except for transfers as a result of death (see Clause 10.3 below), Performance Restricted Stock Units may not be transferred or encumbered with any security, pledge or other right, or otherwise pass to any third party.

 

 

4


6

Nature and characteristics of the underlying Shares

 

6.1

General

The Shares to be delivered to the holders of Performance Restricted Stock Units on or shortly after the Vesting Date are existing ordinary shares of AB InBev with all rights and benefits generally attached to such Shares. AB InBev will, at its discretion, deliver Shares in dematerialised (electronic or book-entry) form or in registered form.

 

6.2

Dividends

The Shares delivered on or shortly after the Vesting Date give the right to the dividends paid on such Shares decided by AB InBev after such date.

 

6.3

Transferability

Unless agreed otherwise between the Participant and AB InBev, the Shares delivered on or shortly after the Vesting Date are not subject to any transfer restrictions under the rules of the Plan.

 

7

Expenses and taxes

All costs related to the attribution of the Performance Restricted Stock Units, the attribution of the additional Performance Restricted Stock Units referred to in Clause 5.1 above and the delivery of the underlying Shares will be borne by AB InBev, except taxes on stock exchange transactions and income and social security taxes on the income received by the Participants in connection with the delivery or the ownership of the Performance Restricted Stock Units and with the delivery of the underlying Shares or ADSs. AB InBev may withhold from any payment or delivery of Shares or ADSs any income or social security taxes that are required to be withheld under any applicable law, rule or regulation.

 

8

Vesting of the Performance Restricted Stock Units

The Performance Restricted Stock Units are subject to the following vesting conditions:

 

 

(i)

the expiry of the Vesting Period;

 

 

(ii)

the achievement of the Performance Test on any one of the Observation Dates (see Clause 9); and

 

 

(iii)

the rules on termination of service (see Clause 10).

 

9

Performance Test

 

9.1

General

The Shares will only be delivered to the Participants on or shortly after the Vesting Date under the conditions set out in this Clause 9.1 if the criteria of the Performance Test have been met on one of the Observation Dates.

If the criteria of the Performance Test have been met on one of the Observation Dates, all Performance Restricted Stock Units held by the Participants on the Vesting Date shall be converted into Shares (subject to the application of the rules set out in Clause 10, as the case may be).

 

 

5


If AB InBev determines that the criteria of the Performance Test have not been met on any of the Observation Dates, the Performance Restricted Stock Units shall automatically become null and void.

 

9.2

Procedure

AB InBev will carry out the Performance Test in the course of the month of February following each Observation Date unless the criteria of the Performance Test have already been met at a previous Observation Date.

AB InBev shall communicate the outcome of the Performance Test to the Participants upon publication of its full year results relating to the financial year ending on the Observation Date preceding such publication.

An explanation of the Performance Test may be obtained by the Participants from their respective local People Officer.

 

10

Situation upon termination of employment

 

10.1

Resignation or Dismissal for Serious Cause

 

 

10.1.1

In the case of Resignation or Dismissal for Serious Cause by/of a Participant, all Performance Restricted Stock Units held by the Participant on the date of the end of employment will automatically expire and become null and void.

 

 

10.1.2

The above rule applies notwithstanding any recourse which might be introduced by a dismissed Participant against such Dismissal.

 

10.2

Dismissal other than for Serious Cause

 

 

10.2.1

In the case of Dismissal other than for Serious Cause of a Participant, the Performance Restricted Stock Units of the Participant will be subject to the following rules:

 

 

(i)

if employment of a Participant ends by Dismissal other than for Serious Cause before the fifth (5 th ) anniversary of the Offer Date, all the Performance Restricted Stock Units of such Participant will automatically become null and void;

 

 

(ii)

if employment of a Participant ends by Dismissal other than for Serious Cause on or after the fifth (5 th ) anniversary of the Offer Date, all the Performance Restricted Stock Units of such Participant will be subject to the following rules:

 

 

(a)

a portion of the Performance Restricted Stock Units held by such Participant will remain in full force and effect, being the Prorated Performance Restricted Stock Units. AB InBev shall calculate the number of Prorated Performance Restricted Stock Units of such Participant, provided that AB InBev may require the Participant to enter into a non-competition agreement in order to be entitled to benefit from the Prorated Performance Restricted Stock Units; the modalities of any non-competition agreement will be agreed upon after the employment has ended;

 

 

6


 

(b)

if the Performance Test has been met, underlying Shares of the Prorated Performance Restricted Stock Units will be delivered on or shortly after the Vesting Date;

 

 

(c)

Performance Restricted Stock Units that are not Prorated Performance Restricted Stock Units or Prorated Performance Restricted Stock Units for which the Performance Test has not been met will automatically become null and void;

 

 

10.2.2

The above rules also apply in case the termination of employment results from an Outsourcing or a Divestiture.

 

 

10.2.3

The above rules apply notwithstanding any recourse which might be introduced by a dismissed Participant against the termination of employment.

 

10.3

Death or termination of employment following permanent disability

 

 

10.3.1

In the case of death of a Participant or termination of employment following permanent disability, all Performance Restricted Stock Units will remain subject to Clause 9, provided that, in the case of permanent disability and if so requested by AB InBev, the Participant enters into a non-competition agreement. The modalities of any non-competition agreement will be agreed upon after employment has ended.

 

 

10.3.2

The Shares to be delivered on or shortly after the Vesting Date will be delivered to the relevant Participant’s Successors, in case of death of a Participant, or to the Participant, in case of termination of the Participant’s employment following permanent disability.

 

 

10.3.3

Except as provided in Clause 10.3.4 the notion of “permanent disability” is to be defined by reference to the law governing the employment in the relevant jurisdiction of the Participant

 

 

10.3.4

Notwithstanding Clause 10.3.3, for Participants subject to taxation in the United States, “permanent disability” shall mean at least one of the following:

 

 

(i)

the Participant is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months;

 

 

(ii)

the Participant is, by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve (12) months, receiving income replacement benefits for a period of not less than three (3) months under an accident and health plan covering employees of the Participant’s AB InBev employer; or

 

 

(iii)

the Participant is determined to be totally disabled by the Social Security Administration.

 

 

10.3.5

This Clause 10.3 shall not apply in case the death or permanent disability follows a Resignation or Dismissal in which case, the rules set out in Clauses 10.1 and 10.2 will apply and the Shares to be delivered on or shortly after the Vesting Date will be delivered to the relevant Participant’s Successors, in case of death of a Participant,

 

 

7


  or to the Participant, in case of termination of the Participant’s employment following permanent disability.

 

11

Settlement

 

11.1

On or shortly after the Vesting Date, AB InBev will deliver one Share per Restricted Stock Unit held by the Participant, subject to the provisions of these terms and conditions (including all vesting conditions). Unless explicitly set forth otherwise in these terms and conditions, Performance Restricted Stock Units do not confer any shareholder’s rights.

 

11.2

At the request of the Participant, AB InBev may deliver ADSs listed on the New York Stock Exchange in lieu of Shares on or shortly after the Vesting Date. To this end, Participants will need to indicate in writing to guy.ernotte-dumont@ab-inbev.com before the Vesting Date that they want to be delivered ADSs in lieu of Shares. If a Participant requests to receive ADSs, all applicable references to Shares in the Plan, the Offer Letter and the Acceptance Form, shall mean ADSs with respect to such Participant.

 

12

Administration of the Plan

 

12.1

Delegation to the Committee

 

 

12.1.1

The Board of Directors may delegate part or all powers under the Plan to the Committee. In the case of a delegation of powers, the Committee shall: (i) be responsible for the general administration of the Plan in accordance with the provisions thereof, under the supervision of the Board of Directors; and (ii) be authorised to establish rules for the administration, interpretation and application of the Plan and, if necessary, to interpret, amend and cancel these rules, in compliance with these terms and conditions.

 

 

12.1.2

In the case of a delegation of powers, the Board of Directors will retain full authority to exercise all the rights and obligations of the Committee under the Plan at any time whatsoever, or to delegate them to another committee constituted by the Board of Directors.

 

12.2

(Sub-)delegation to any third party

 

 

12.2.1

The Board of Directors and the Committee may (sub-)delegate certain well-specified powers to any third party they deem appropriate.

 

 

12.2.2

In the case of a (sub-)delegation of powers, the Board of Directors and the Committee will retain full authority to exercise all the rights and obligations so delegated.

 

12.3

Limitation of liability

Neither AB InBev nor any member of the Board of Directors or the Committee shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan.

 

13

Amendment to the capital structure and anti-dilution measures

AB InBev expressly reserves the right to proceed with corporate changes that have an impact on its capital, such as capital increases, including by incorporation of reserves in the capital, capital decreases, issuance of convertible bonds, subscription rights or options, stock splits or reverse stock splits, combinations or reclassifications of the Shares,

 

 

8


mergers, (partial) demergers, as well as the right to amend the clauses in the articles of association governing the allocation of profits or liquidation boni .

In the event that such corporate changes would have an unfavourable effect on the Performance Restricted Stock Units, the number of Performance Restricted Stock Units and/or the number of Shares to which the Performance Restricted Stock Units give rights will be adjusted for the purpose of safeguarding the interests of the holders of Performance Restricted Stock Units, in the manner determined at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors, subject to any required action by the Shareholders’ Meeting of AB InBev. The terms of such adjustment will be communicated to the Participants in due time.

In the event that AB InBev would be merged into another company, the rights and obligations of AB InBev under the Plan will automatically be transferred to the absorbing company and the Performance Restricted Stock Units will no longer give the Participants the right to Shares but instead the right to shares of the absorbing company, subject to applicable law and to any applicable corporate approval. The number of shares of the absorbing company to which each Performance Restricted Stock Units will give right will be determined at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors and/or the board of directors of the absorbing company and will be communicated to the Participants in due time.

 

14

Electronic register, electronic evidence and electronic delivery

 

14.1

Electronic Share and Performance Restricted Stock Unit register

The Shares and Performance Restricted Stock Units will be recorded in a register, which may be in electronic form and the maintenance of which may be delegated by AB InBev to a third party.

 

14.2

Electronic evidence

Electronic approvals, instructions, orders, statements and communications between a Participant, AB InBev, AB InBev affiliates and any third party to which powers have been sub-delegated by AB InBev for the administration of the Plan will have the same legal status as written approvals, instructions, orders, statements and communications. The written recording or the written reproduction of electronic approvals, instructions, orders, statements and communications received by AB InBev, AB InBev affiliates and any third party to which powers have been sub-delegated by AB InBev for the administration of the Plan, will constitute conclusive evidence between the Participant, AB InBev, AB InBev affiliates and any third party to which powers have been sub-delegated by AB InBev for the administration of the Plan, unless evidence to the contrary is provided by the Participant.

 

14.3

Consent to electronic delivery

As a condition to receiving the Performance Restricted Stock Units, each Participant consents to delivery of all subsequent information relating to the Performance Restricted Stock Units by electronic means, including e-mails to the Participants and postings on AB InBev’s website or intranet. Such information may include, amongst others, financial information concerning AB InBev. In order to access such information, Participants will be required to access AB InBev’s e-mail system, website and/or intranet. By returning the Acceptance Form, Participants are deemed to acknowledge that they have such access to the e-mail system of AB InBev, to AB InBev’s website and intranet and ordinarily use them in the ordinary course of their employment. Participants may obtain paper copies of any

 

 

9


such information by submitting a request to receive paper copies to their respective People Department.

 

15

Matrimonial regime

In the event that the matrimonial regimes of Participants confer ownership or other rights on their spouses with respect to the Performance Restricted Stock Units, those Participants undertake that their spouses shall appoint them as their sole representatives for all matters arising in relation to the Performance Restricted Stock Units.

 

16

Death

In the event of a Participant’s death, any Successor acquiring the Performance Restricted Stock Units shall inform AB InBev of the Participant’s death as soon as possible and at the latest one month from the date of death.

 

17

Modification of the terms and conditions

The Board of Directors may unilaterally modify at any time the practical and/or accessory modalities of the terms and conditions. It may also unilaterally modify the terms and conditions when such modifications are required to comply with any change in legislation.

 

18

Nature of the Plan

Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary included in the terms and conditions, the Offer Letter, the Acceptance Form or any other document relating to the Plan:

 

 

(i)

the grant of Performance Restricted Stock Units to the Participant in the framework of the Plan is unrelated to his/her occupational pension rights or pension claims, so that this grant cannot affect these occupational pension rights and claims;

 

 

(ii)

the Plan, the terms and conditions, the Offer Letter, the Acceptance Form or any other document relating to the Plan do not confer upon the Participant any right to continued employment for any period of specific duration or interfere with or otherwise restrict in any way the rights of AB InBev or its subsidiaries to terminate the Participant’s employment according to the applicable regulations in respect of termination thereof;

 

 

(iii)

the grant of Performance Restricted Stock Units cannot be considered as a right acquired for the future.

 

19

Privacy and processing of Personal Data

To enable the proper set-up and management of the Plan, the Performance Restricted Stock Unit register and the Share register, Personal Data about each Participant will need to be collected and used. This Clause 19 sets out the obligations of AB InBev and the rights of Participants regarding any such collection and use and provides the legally required information in this respect.

 

19.1

Identity of the person responsible for your Personal Data

AB InBev is the so-called Data Controller ”, which is responsible for the collection and processing of Personal Data as is necessary for the setting-up and management of the

 

 

10


Plan, the Performance Restricted Stock Unit register and the Share register of AB InBev in electronic form.

 

19.2

Why and how Personal Data is collected and used

The Personal Data will either be collected via the LTI Website or extracted from AB InBev’s SAP system (or successor thereof) 1 . It will be used exclusively for the purposes of the administration of the Plan and the maintenance of the Performance Restricted Stock Unit register and Share register of AB InBev in electronic form.

The Data Controller and any Data Processor will collect and process the Participants’ Personal Data in accordance with the Data Protection Law.

 

19.3

Nature of the Personal Data

The following Personal Data relating to the Participants will be collected and used:

 

 

(i)

their contact details (e.g. names*, private/professional* (email) addresses/phone numbers);

 

 

(ii)

electronic identification data;

 

 

(iii)

personal characteristics (i.e. date of birth*);

 

 

(iv)

financial data (e.g. details regarding bank account);

 

 

(v)

details of all rights and other entitlements to Performance Restricted Stock Units awarded, cancelled, vested, unvested or outstanding.

 

19.4

Other persons having access to the Personal Data and purpose thereof

The Data Controller can transfer the Personal Data to the following categories of recipients:

 

 

(i)

the provider of the LTI Website acting as Data Processor;

 

 

(ii)

the employer of the Participant for the above purposes;

 

 

(iii)

payroll operators acting as Data Processors;

 

 

(iv)

regulatory authorities for the purposes of complying with legal obligations in connection with the Plan; and

 

 

(v)

any member of the AB InBev group.

Such recipients may be located in jurisdictions outside the European Economic Area that may not provide an adequate level of personal data protection. The Data Controller relies either upon the consent of the Participant (such consent being requested through the LTI Website) or upon a contractual arrangement with the data importer to transfer the data to such jurisdictions.

 

19.5

Legal basis allowing AB InBev to collect and use Personal Data

Upon acceptance of the Plan via the LTI Website, the Participant will also be asked to give his/her specific consent to the collection, processing and transfer of his/her Personal Data as described in this Clause 19. This consent will be relied upon by the Data Controller as the justification for collecting and using Personal Data.

 

1  

In this case, the Personal Data which are not directly collected from you are identified with an asterisk (*) below.

 

 

11


19.6

Rights of the Participants

The Participant can exercise his/her right to request access to and rectification or erasure of his/her Personal Data or restriction of processing concerning the Participant or to object to processing as well as the right to data portability by sending a written request to globalcompliance@ab-inbev.com.

The Participants may withdraw their consent for the processing of their Personal Data in the context of the Plan at any time, but should be aware that such processing is a prerequisite for further participation to the Plan. Even in the case such participation has ended because of the withdrawal of consent, the Data Controller may still need to process Personal Data after such withdrawal of consent to comply with its legal obligations. Such withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

Finally, if Participants are not satisfied with how AB InBev processes their Personal Data, they may contact the AB InBev Compliance Team through globalcompliance@ab-inbev.com. They also have the right to make a complaint to the Belgian Data Protection Authority.

 

20

Severability

If any provision in this document is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, under any applicable law, that provision will be deemed not to form part of this document, and the legality, validity or enforceability of the remainder of this document will not be affected.

 

21

Applicable law

The Performance Restricted Stock Units and these terms and conditions are governed by Belgian law.

 

 

12

Exhibit 23.1

 

LOGO     

Deloitte Bedrijfsrevisoren /

Réviseurs d’Entreprises

Gateway Building

Luchthaven Nationaal 1 J

1930 Zaventem

Belgium

 

Tel.    + 32 2 800 20 00

Fax    + 32 2 800 20 01

www.deloitte.com

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our reports dated 15 March 2018, relating to the 2017 and 2016 consolidated financial statements and the retrospective adjustments to the 2015 financial statement disclosures of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (which report expresses an unqualified opinion and includes an explanatory paragraph regarding retrospective adjustments to the 2015 consolidated financial statement disclosures on segment information), and the effectiveness of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV’s internal control over financial reporting as of 31 December 2017, appearing in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2017.

Zaventem, 14 September 2018

 

/s/ Joël Brehmen                                                                             
DELOITTE Bedrijfsrevisoren / Réviseurs d’Entreprises
BV o.v.v.e. CVBA / SC s.f.d. SCRL
Represented by Joël Brehmen

 

Deloitte Bedrijfsrevisoren / Réviseurs d’Entreprises

Burgerlijke vennootschap onder de vorm van een coöperatieve vennootschap met beperkte aansprakelijkheid /

Société civile sous forme d’une société coopérative à responsabilité limitée

Registered Office: Gateway Building, Luchthaven Nationaal 1 J, B-1930 Zaventem

VAT BE 0429.053.863 - RPR Brussel/RPM Bruxelles - IBAN BE 17 2300 0465 6121 - BIC GEBABEBB

Member of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited

Exhibit 23.2

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated 14 March 2016 (which includes an explanatory paragraph regarding retrospective adjustments to the 2015 consolidated financial statement disclosures on segment information) relating to the financial statements, which appears in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2017.

PwC Bedrijfsrevisoren BCVBA

Represented by

/s/ Koen Hens

Koen Hens

Bedrijfsrevisor

Sint-Stevens-Woluwe, Belgium

14 September 2018

Exhibit 23.3

 

LOGO   

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu

Dr. Chucri Zaidan Avenue, nº 1.240

4 th to 12 th floors - Golden Tower

04711-130 - São Paulo - SP

Brazil

 

Tel.: + 55 (11) 5186-1000

Fax: + 55 (11) 5181-2911

www.deloitte.com.br

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our report dated March 14, 2016, relating to the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2015, of Ambev S.A. and subsidiaries (the “Company”), which appears in the Annual Report on Form 20-F of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV for the year ended December 31, 2017. The consolidated financial statements of the Company are not separately presented in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV’s Annual Report on Form 20-F.

São Paulo, Brazil

September 14, 2018

/s/ DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU

DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU

Auditores Independentes

 

2018-SPO-2154-1 VF docx

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a more detailed description of DTTL and its member firms.

Deloitte provides audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management, tax and relates services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries. Deloitte serves four out of five Fortune Global 500® companies through a globally connected network of member firms in more than 150 countries bringing world-class capabilities, insights, and high-quality service to address clients’ most complex business challenges. To learn more about how Deloitte’s approximately 225,000 professionals make an impact that matters, please connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.

© 2018 Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. All rights reserved.

Exhibit 24.1

POWER OF ATTORNEY

Reference is hereby made to the proposed registration by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (“ ABI ”) under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), of ordinary shares of ABI, without nominal value, and American Depositary Shares, evidenced by American Depositary Receipts, each representing one ordinary share without nominal value, in each case to be offered and sold by ABI (the “ Securities ”) pursuant to certain current and future employee share plans, if any, established for the benefit of employees of ABI and its subsidiaries. Such Securities have or will be registered on one or more registration statements on Form S-8 (each such registration statement, a “ Registration Statement ”) filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”).

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints any Vice President of ABI, the Corporate Secretary of ABI, any Assistant Corporate Secretary of ABI, the Secretary of Anheuser-Busch InBev Services, LLC, any Assistant Secretary of Anheuser-Busch InBev Services, LLC, Mr. Carlos Brito, Mr. Felipe Dutra, Mr. John Blood, Mr. Lucas Lira, Mr. Thomas Larson, Mr. Bryan Warner, Ms. Margot Miller, Mr. Guy Ernotte Dumont, Ms. Ann Randon, Ms. Christine Delhaye, Mr. Gert Boulangé, Mr. Kevin Douws, Mr. Scott Gray, Mr. Gabriel Ventura, Ms. Suma Prasad, Mr. Jan Vandermeersch, Ms. Anneleen Straetemans, Mr. Fabio Riva, Mr. Rodrigo Cunha, Mr. Aleksey Legostaev and Mr. Guillaume Delle Vigne, and each of them, with full power to act alone, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Registration Statements, any and all amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments) and any subsequent registration statement in respect of the Securities that is to be effective upon filing by ABI pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

This Power of Attorney may be executed in multiple counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but which taken together, shall constitute one instrument.

[ Remainder of this page left intentionally blank .]


Date: 14 September 2018   

By: /s/ Carlos Brito

 

Carlos Brito

Chief Executive Officer

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Date: 14 September 2018   

By: /s/ Felipe Dutra

 

Felipe Dutra

Chief Financial and Solutions Officer

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Date: 14 September 2018   

By: /s/ Olivier Goudet

 

Olivier Goudet

Chairman of the Board of Directors

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Date: 14 September 2018   

By: /s/ Paul Cornet de Ways Ruart

 

Paul Cornet de Ways Ruart

Member of the Board of Directors

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Date: 14 September 2018   

By: /s/ Stéfan Descheemaeker

 

Stéfan Descheemaeker

Member of the Board of Directors

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Date:   

By: ________________

 

M. Michele Burns

Member of the Board of Directors

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV


Date: 14 September 2018   

By: /s/ Paulo Alberto Lemann

 

Paulo Alberto Lemann

Member of the Board of Directors

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Date: 14 September 2018   

By: /s/ Grégoire de Spoelberch

 

Grégoire de Spoelberch

Member of the Board of Directors

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Date: 14 September 2018   

By: /s/ Marcel Herrmann Telles

 

Marcel Herrmann Telles

Member of the Board of Directors

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Date: 14 September 2018   

By: /s/ Alexandre Van Damme

 

Alexandre Van Damme

Member of the Board of Directors

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Date:   

By: ________________

 

Carlos Alberto Sicupira

Member of the Board of Directors

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Date:   

By: ________________

 

Alexandre Behring

Member of the Board of Directors

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Date: 14 September 2018   

By: /s/ Elio Leoni Sceti

 

Elio Leoni Sceti

Member of the Board of Directors

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV


Date: 14 September 2018   

By: /s/ Maria Asuncion Aramburuzabala

 

Maria Asuncion Aramburuzabala

Member of the Board of Directors

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Date: 14 September 2018   

By: /s/ Martin J. Barrington

 

Martin J. Barrington

Member of the Board of Directors

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Date:   

By: ________________

 

William F. Gifford, Jr.

Member of the Board of Directors

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Date: 14 September 2018   

By: /s/ Alejandro Santo Domingo Dávila

 

Alejandro Santo Domingo Dávila

Member of the Board of Directors

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

Exhibit 24.2

POWER OF ATTORNEY

Reference is hereby made to the proposed registration by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (“ ABI ”) under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “ Securities Act ”), of ordinary shares of ABI, without nominal value, and American Depositary Shares, evidenced by American Depositary Receipts, each representing one ordinary share without nominal value, in each case to be offered and sold by ABI (the “ Securities ”) pursuant to certain current and future employee share plans, if any, established for the benefit of employees of ABI and its subsidiaries. Such Securities have or will be registered on one or more registration statements on Form S-8 (each such registration statement, a “ Registration Statement ”) filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”).

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints any Vice President of ABI, the Corporate Secretary of ABI, any Assistant Corporate Secretary of ABI, the Secretary of Anheuser-Busch InBev Services, LLC, any Assistant Secretary of Anheuser-Busch InBev Services, LLC, Mr. Carlos Brito, Mr. Felipe Dutra, Mr. John Blood, Mr. Lucas Lira, Mr. Thomas Larson, Mr. Bryan Warner, Ms. Margot Miller, Mr. Guy Ernotte Dumont, Ms. Ann Randon, Ms. Christine Delhaye, Mr. Gert Boulangé, Mr. Kevin Douws, Mr. Scott Gray, Mr. Gabriel Ventura, Ms. Suma Prasad, Mr. Jan Vandermeersch, Ms. Anneleen Straetemans, Mr. Fabio Riva, Mr. Rodrigo Cunha, Mr. Aleksey Legostaev and Mr. Guillaume Delle Vigne, and each of them, with full power to act alone, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign the Registration Statements, any and all amendments thereto (including post-effective amendments) and any subsequent registration statement in respect of the Securities that is to be effective upon filing by ABI pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the SEC, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

[ Remainder of this page left intentionally blank .]


Date: 14 September 2018

      By: /s/ Bryan Warner                                                                 
     

Name: Bryan Warner

Title: Authorized Representative in the United States

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV

[ Authorized Representative – Power of Attorney ]