The Fortis Consolidated Financial Statements, including the 2006 and 2005 comparative figures, are prepared in accordance with IFRSs – including International Accounting Standards (‘IAS’) and Interpretations – at 31 December 2007 and as adopted by the European Union. For IAS 39, Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement, the exclusion regarding hedge accounting (the so-called ‘carve-out’) decreed by the European Union on 19 November 2004 is taken into account.

Where accounting policies are not specifically mentioned below, reference should be made to the IFRSs as adopted by the European Union.