Bekaert NV

Major Shareholding Notification • Dec 17, 2014

Regulated information

17 December 2014

Press Katelijn Bohez T +32 56 23 05 71

Investor Relations Jérôme Lebecque T +32 56 23 05 72

www.bekaert.com

Disclosure in accordance with the provisions of the Act of 2 May 2007

Transparency Law

Notifications of participations

On 17 December 2014 NV Bekaert SA ("Bekaert") has been notified of the following regularizing declarations in accordance with the Act of 2 May 2007:

1. Stichting Administratiekantoor Bekaert (Chasséveld 1, 4811 DH Breda, The Netherlands), as controlling entity of Bekaert (Bekaertstraat 2, 8550 Zwevegem, Belgium), has declared, on its own behalf and on that of Bekaert, that on 2 April 2013 they held the following participations in Bekaert, resulting in the crossing of the 40% threshold (denominator: 60 000 942):

	Stichting Administratiekantoor Bekaert:	22 441 381 shares, i.e. 37.40%
	Bekaert:	1 561 267 shares, i.e. 2.60%
	i.e. in the aggregate:	24 002 648 shares, i.e. 40.00%

The declaration has been made in connection with the acquisition by Bekaert, over the past one year and a half, of treasury shares pursuant to share buy-back programs. Due to such share buyback transactions Stichting Administratiekantoor Bekaert, as controlling entity of Bekaert, must be considered as having indirectly crossed the 40% transparency threshold on 2 April 2013. Bekaert had timely complied with all disclosure requirements in respect of such share buy-back transactions in accordance with Article 207 of the Royal Decree of 30 January 2001 implementing the Companies Code (available on www.bekaert.com), but no transparency declaration in accordance with the Act of 2 May 2007 had been filed yet. The declaration aims at regularizing the situation.

1. As a result of the above-mentioned share buy-back transactions Bekaert had further crossed the 3% and 5% thresholds on 13 June 2014 and 20 August 2014, respectively. According to the regularizing declarations from Bekaert, the situation as at such dates was as follows:

-		13 June 2014 (denominator: 60 063 871):
		Stichting Administratiekantoor Bekaert:	22 370 001 shares, i.e. 37.24%
		Bekaert:	1 805 766 shares, i.e. 3.01%
-		20 August 2014 (denominator: 60 090 125) Stichting Administratiekantoor Bekaert:	22 370 001 shares, i.e. 37.23%

• 1. Concurrently with the declarations referred to under nos. 1 and 2 above, Stichting Administratiekantoor Bekaert, Velge International NV (Potvlietlaan 7, 2600 Berchem, Belgium), Berfin SA (Square Vergote 19, 1200 Brussels, Belgium), Gedecor SA (Malaise 10, 5500 Dinant, Belgium), Millenium 3 SA (Avenue Nestor Plissart 8, 1040 Brussels, Belgium) and Zweve (société de droit commun) (Guimardstraat 19, 1040 Brussels, Belgium), in their capacity as persons acting in concert who have concluded an agreement (a) aimed either at acquiring control, at frustrating the successful outcome of a bid or at maintaining control, and (b) to adopt, by concerted exercise of the voting rights they hold, a lasting common policy, have declared the following changes to their concerted action which, upon their occurrence, did not result in any threshold crossing: (i) Gedecor SA acceded to the concerted action on 29 December 2008; (ii) on 20 January 2010 Velge & Co NV transferred, within the framework of its liquidation, its Bekaert shares to Velge International NV; (iii) Velge International NV acceded to the concerted action with the shares so received from Velge & Co NV on the date of the declaration; and (iv) on 6 November 2013, Subeco SA was replaced in the concerted action by Zweve (société de droit commun). According to the transparency declaration received, the parties acting in concert hold, on the date hereof, the following participations in Bekaert (denominator: 60 094 825):
• Stichting Administratiekantoor Bekaert: 22 370 001 shares, i.e. 37.22% Velge International NV: 57 000 shares, i.e. 0.09% Berfin SA: 108 470 shares, i.e. 0.18% Gedecor SA: 75 000 shares, i.e. 0.12% Millenium 3 SA: 130 200 shares, i.e. 0.22% Zweve (société de droit commun): 220 000 shares, i.e. 0.37% Subeco SA : 0 share Velge & Co NV (liquidated): 0 share i.e. in the aggregate: 22 960 671 shares, i.e. 38.21%

Stichting Administratiekantoor Bekaert is not controlled. Velge International NV is controlled by an individual, through Noral SA and its fully owned subsidiary Triplex SA. Berfin SA is controlled by an individual. Gedecor SA is jointly controlled by two individuals. Millenium 3 SA is controlled by an individual, through Charisa SA. Zweve (société de droit commun) is jointly owned by seven individuals.

Profile

Bekaert (www.bekaert.com) is a world market and technology leader in steel wire transformation and coatings. Bekaert (Euronext Brussels: BEKB) is a global company with headquarters in Belgium, employing 27 000 people worldwide. Serving customers in 120 countries, Bekaert pursues sustainable profitable growth in all its activities and generated combined sales of € 4.1 billion in 2013.