Unilever bereikt overeenstemming met AEGON over voorwaarden terugkopen preferente aandelen

UNILEVER N.V. AGREES TERMS WITH AEGON FOR THE RE-PURCHASE OF PREFERENCE SHARES

Unilever today announced that it has agreed terms with AEGON for the re-purchase of all their 6% and 7% cumulative preference shares in Unilever N.V. in a transaction valued at €28.5m. This follows the cancellation of the 4% cumulative preference shares in 2010.

This agreement promotes good corporate governance by strengthening the link between economic interest and voting rights for Unilever N.V. shareholders and by moving Unilever N.V. closer to the principle of one share, one vote.

It is now Unilever’s intention, subject to the approval of Unilever N.V. shareholders, to launch a public offer to allow all holders of the cumulative 6% and 7% preference shares to access the same terms as have been agreed with AEGON.

The offer will be to repurchase the 6% cumulative preference shares at a price of €806 per share, and the 7% cumulative preference shares at a price of €940 per share. If all the cumulative preference shares outstanding were to be tendered the maximum cash outlay would be €157m. Unilever N.V. will also pay the accrued dividend.

These proposals do not relate to Unilever PLC, and remain subject to approval by Unilever N.V. shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting. The date, venue and agenda for this meeting will be announced in due course.

About Unilever

Unilever works to create a better future every day.  We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others.

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong operations in over 100 countries and sales in more than 180. Consumers buy 170bn Unilever packs around the world every year, and our products are used over two billion times a day.

Our portfolio includes some of the world’s best known and most loved brands including twelve €1 billion brands, and global leadership in most categories in which we operate.  The portfolio features iconic brands such as: Knorr, Dove, Lipton, Becel/Flora, Blue Band/Rama/Country Crock, Wall’s/OLA/Langnese, Hellmann’s, Calvé, Unox, Pond’s, Lux, Axe/Lynx, Sunsilk, Vaseline, Rexona/Sure, Omo, Surf, Cif, Signal and Glorix/Domestos.

We have around 167,000 employees, and generated annual sales of €44.3 billion in 2010.  For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visit www.unilever.com

In November 2010 Unilever launched the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan aiming to halve its overall environmental footprint. Unilever is Food Industry Leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes for the 12th year running. We are included in the FTSE4Good Index Series and attained a top environmental score of 5, leading to inclusion in the FTSE4Good Environmental Leaders Europe 40 Index. We are also ranked 7th in the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, a list compiled by Corporate Knights Magazine.  We achieved Platinum Plus standard in the UK’s Business in the Community Corporate Responsibility Index 2009, and were named Company of the Year in 2010.

Safe Harbour

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, including ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘intends’, ‘believes’ or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance or results, and their negatives, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Group. They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, competitive pricing and activities, economic slowdown, industry consolidation, access to credit markets, recruitment levels, reputational risks, commodity prices, continued availability of raw materials, prioritisation of projects, consumption levels, costs, the ability to maintain and manage key customer relationships and supply chain sources, consumer demands, currency values, interest rates, the ability to integrate acquisitions and complete planned divestitures, the ability to complete planned restructuring activities, physical risks, environmental risks, the ability to manage regulatory, tax and legal matters and resolve pending matters within current estimates, legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments, political, economic and social conditions in the geographic markets where the Group operates and new or changed priorities of the Boards. Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Group are described in the Group’s filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Group’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2010. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Group’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.