Directive 2003/71/EC on the prospectus to be published when securities are offered to the public or admitted to trading (“the Prospectus Directive”) came into force on 31st December 2003, and was required to be implemented by Member States by 1st July 2005 at the latest. The Prospectus Directive is supplemented by Regulation (EC) No. 809/2004 of 29 April 2004 which became effective also on 1st July 2005.