Article 24

1

Where the laws of a Member State permit a company to acquire its own shares, either itself or through a person acting in his own name but on the company's behalf, they shall make the holding of those shares at all times subject to at least the following conditions:

a

among the rights attaching to the shares, the right to vote attaching to the company's own shares shall in any event be suspended;

b

if the shares are included among the assets shown in the balance sheet, a reserve of the same amount, unavailable for distribution, shall be included among the liabilities.

2

Where the laws of a Member State permit a company to acquire its own shares, either itself or through a person acting in his own name but on the company's behalf, they shall require the annual report to state at least:

a

the reasons for acquisitions made during the financial year;

b

the number and nominal value or, in the absence of a nominal value, the accountable par of the shares acquired and disposed of during the financial year and the proportion of the subscribed capital which they represent;

c

in the case of acquisition or disposal for a value, the consideration for the shares;

d

the number and nominal value or, in the absence of a nominal value, the accountable par of all the shares acquired and held by the company and the proportion of the subscribed capital which they represent.