Rome , 29 April 2011 – Today’s Annual General Meeting of shareholders (AGM), meeting in first call, has approved the separate financial statements and presented the consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2010.

The AGM also voted in favour of payment of a dividend totalling 95,834,205 euros (equal to 0.45 euros per share), as follows:

- 31,944,735 euros (equal to a dividend of 0.15 euros per share), before the withholding tax required by law, from net profit for the year ended 31 December 2010;

- 63,889,470 euros (equal to a dividend of 0.30 euros per share) from the demerger reserve.

The ex dividend date is 23 May, with the dividend to be paid on 26 May.

The Group reports a net profit for 2010 of 136.2 million euros, before non-controlling interests and the fair value loss on discontinued operations (referring to the unwinding of the joint venture with GdF Suez Energia Italia), and of 92.1 million euros after these components. 

This reflects a positive operating performance in a year marked by particularly challenging macroeconomic and business environments.

Key performance indicators saw double-digit growth, with EBITDA rising 18.8% to 666.5

million euros and EBIT up 71.7% to 317.9 million euros. All areas of the business contributed to the improvement, as did the steps taken by management during the year to boost operating and financial efficiency.

The Group’s investment in 2010 amounts to 473.2 million euros, compared with 518.1 million euros in 2009.