The Board of AAA is pleased to announce that the Company has today exercised the first tranche (the 'Initial Exercise') of the option agreement with AAQUA B.V. ('AAQUA') ('the Option'), announced on 18 December 2020, and has acquired 6,000 new AAQUA shares. Under the terms of the Option, AAA can, subject to certain conditions, subscribe for up to 125,000 new AAQUA ordinary shares ('Option Shares') at €1,000 per share, being a total cost of €125 million if fully exercised. Further details of the Option and of AAA's ability to exercise additional Option Shares are contained in AAA's 18 December 2020 announcement. AAA paid a 1 million fee for the grant of the Option (the 'Grant Fee') to AAQUA in December 2020. The Grant Fee is offset against the initial exercise cost payable by AAA; and so AAA's incremental cost of this Initial Exercise is €5 million.