Erste Bank press release: Today, Erste Group Bank AG transferred interest in the amount of EUR 98 million to the Republic of Austria. This is the interest due for the year 2012 on the participation capital (EUR 1.22bn) the Republic of Austria subscribed in 2009. Erste Group has paid interest in this amount every year ever since.

Private investors that subscribed to participation capital at the same time as the Republic of Ausrtria also received interest payments today (total EUR 43 million).