On 31 July 2009, the Extraordinary General Meetings of Banque Fédérale des Banques Populaires (BFBP), Caisse Nationale des Caisses d'Epargne (CNCE) and BPCE approved the final stage in the process of creating Groupe BPCE, France's second-largest banking group.

The central body, BPCE, received assets transferred from CNCE and BFBP. As anticipated, the French state subscribed for €3 billion of preference shares issued by BPCE, in a transaction that completes its capital contribution to the new Group. The members of the corporate governance bodies were appointed.

BPCE is fully operational since 3 August 2009.

More information at www.bpce.fr.