The Better Finance meeting was marked by the 10th anniversary of the organization (VIDEO) and the elections to the Executive Board. At its inaugural session, the Board elected a new president, Mr. Axel Kleinlein, from the German association Bund der Versicherten (BdV). The current president, Mrs. Jella Benner-Heinacher, from the German association Deutsche Schutzvereinigung für Wertpapierbesitz (DSW) and the former president, Mr. Jean Barthon, from the French association FAIDER were elected Vice-Presidents. At the meetings, Mr. Verbič, who was elected to the Executive Board for the fourth time, pointed out the outrageous position of the ECB (European Central Bank) regarding the Slovene Government's proposal on the judicial relief granted to former holders of qualified bank credit (ZPSVNIKOB) and the prohibition of access to the contested appraisals (from six years ago!), as grounds for scandalous expropriations and wipe-outs (VIDEO). He also pointed out the questionable stipulation of the new Financial Instruments Market Act (ZTFI-1), which savagely attacked the organizing options of the minority shareholders, their interconnecting and the free choice of professional assistance. In both cases Better Finance supports the views and efforts of the VZMD, and will shortly start additional proceedings and activities at the EU level.

The abovementioned burning issues also prominently featured at the Better Finance international conference "A New Deal for European and Romanian Financial Services Users", which followed the Executive Board and the General Assembly meetings. As an invited speaker, the VZMD President discussed the shareholder activism as well as the future, development and challenges of the capital markets with distinguished regional experts, such as Mr. Lucian-Claudiu Anghel, BVB President, Mr. Leonardo Badea, President of the Romanian Financial Supervisory Authority, and Mrs. Felicia Stanescu, of the European Commission. The conference concluded with an address by the President of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), Mr. Steven Maijoor, and was followed by a celebratory feast on the Better Finance's 10th anniversary.

After the Better Finance meeting, Mr. Verbič and the Better Finance Managing Director, Mr. Guillaume Prache, attended the "EUROFI High Level Seminar 2019", where Mr. Prache, who was an invited speaker, talked about encouraging individual long-term savings of the EU population through capital markets or securities and among other expressed Better Finance concerns that Slovenia may be destroying its precious individual shareholder base. On this occasion, he also mentioned that Slovenia has recently closed down the fee-free national registrar, and now it is trying to prevent the establishment of low fee omnibus registry accounts for all shareholders (e.g. "Share SUPPORT" at the VZMD - VIDEO), in favor of high fee segregated accounts promoted by commercial financial institutions (often with completely unique costs).

The eminent EUROFI seminar is a meeting of over 800 invited participants and includes lectures by over 200 highest representatives of public authorities and the financial industry, including the largest international banks, 10 representatives of the European Commission, 5 finance ministers or European countries, 16 governors and vice-governors of European central banks, numerous representatives of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), regulatory agencies, the ECB, the European Banking Authority (EBA), the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), the ESMA etc. At the organizers' invitation, Mr, Verbič already attended this seminar last year in Sofia, Bulgaria, on the occasion of Bulgaria's presidency of the EU Council.

Other Related International Activities:

GOVERNOR, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY – outraged at Mr. Vasle’s ignorance of the irregularities in the contestable bank recapitalization, the VZMD warns: the National Bureau of Investigation has already established reasonable grounds for suspected illegal activity

GOVERNOR, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY – outraged at Mr. Vasle’s ignorance of the irregularities in the contestable bank recapitalization, the VZMD warns: the National Bureau of Investigation has already established reasonable grounds for suspected illegal activity

BANK OF SLOVENIA - candidates for Governor receive four straightforward questions posed by the VZMD with regard to terminating inadmissible managerial practices and their view of current burning issues

ECB - VZMD indignation over recent EU pressures forcing Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution to withdraw from investigation of criminal acts committed during excessive capitalization of Slovenian banks, and ex-Governor

ECB / EC - The VZMD supports the proposed bringing of the legal action against the European Commission and the European Central Bank for their role in expropriations in Slovenian banks in 2013

INSTANT DISMISSAL OF GOVERNOR! - reaffirmation of VZMD's shocking analyses and statements in regard to the billion-euro "Plunder of the century" during the bank "restructuring" and direct responsibility of the National bank of Slovenia executives for enormous damages to the citizens and the Republic of Slovenia

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT from the meeting of the Committee of the Slovenian National Council which unanimously took VZMD’s side after facing off with the Securities Market Agency (ATVP) and the Ministry of Finance regarding the disputable Article 25 of the amending act to the Financial Instruments Act

EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK - official letter by the Slovenian MEP about serious issues regarding the unjustified calculations on which the expropriations and nationalization of all Slovenian systemic banks were based - again no actual answer!

vzmd.newswire.com – Do the Slovenian authorities really only react to referendum initiatives?! - Due to complete disregard by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, the VZMD is forced to continue the internationalization of the unique(!) bail-in restructuring of Slovenian banks together with mass expropriation and enormous damage to all taxpayers

THE SUPREME COURT - the highest ordinary court of law in Slovenia also bolstered the position of the VZMD: the law with which the self-proclaimed "domestic troika" nationalized as many as six of our banks is unconstitutional!

CALL FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION due to alarming advertising by financial intermediaries and detrimental effects of abolishing registry accounts which could lead to disappearance of 200,000 small investors and bring about catastrophic consequences for the issuers (public limited companies) and the entire capital market

vzmd.newswire.com – in view of the disregard of the Government and financial authorities in the Republic of Slovenia, the VZMD is compelled to point out to the burning issues of the bail-in restructuring of Slovenian banks along with the expropriation of shareholders and bondholders through international media

LUXEMBOURG - The reasoned opinion published today by the Advocate-General of the European Court of Justice reaffirm the arguments made by VZMD and the expropriated investors

EU Commission & Slovenian Government - European warnings due to detrimental consequences of expropriation and a call to resolve the untenable situation as soon as possible

BANKIA – a success of Spanish minority shareholders encourages also the expropriated share and bond owners in Slovenia – invitation to obtain compensation

PARIS – the highest representatives of European investors' associations were very interested in hearing the in-depth presentation by Mr. Kotnik and Mr. Verbič regarding the 'bail-in' procedures in the EU, and were extremely surprised by the unique and radical, downright disastrous violations and expropriations in the Republic of Slovenia

PARIS – in the General meeting of the European Federation of Investors, Mr. Kotnik and Mr. Verbič acquainted prominent international participants with the scandalous expropriation of shareholders and bondholders of Slovenian banks, activities and endeavors of the VZMD - PanSlovenian Investors' & Shareholders' Association

LUXEMBOURG – on Tuesday it was the first time for Slovenia to stand before the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Justice due to the expropriation of shareholders and bondholders of Slovenian banks

Slovenian EUR 264 million to pay off investors in shares and bonds of Greek banks as well – Slovenian authorities continue to thumb their nose at expropriated investors in Slovenian banks and their own taxpayers - BUT FOR HOW LONG!?!

EU COURT - prior to the pending public hearing in Luxembourg, new shocking facts have come out in regard to the background of the (dual) plunder of holders of shares and bonds of Slovenian banks and at the same time the plunder of all Slovenian taxpayers which rampantly keeps going on!

Slovenian EUR 264 million to pay off investors in shares and bonds of Greek banks as well – Slovenian authorities continue to thumb their nose at expropriated investors in Slovenian banks and their own taxpayers - BUT FOR HOW LONG!?!

EU COURT in Luxembourg should hold oral proceedings in the process of preparing responses for the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia - the motion of expropriated holders of subordinated bonds and shares of Slovenian Banks represented by VZMD put forward

BRUSSELS – European Federation of Investors (BETTER FINANCE) presented the only(!) objective Report on the real return of pension savings funds – the PanSlovenian Investors' & Shareholders' Association (VZMD) also actively espousing reforms of the pension savings and funds systems in the EU

EUROPEAN COMMISSION officially bolstered the position of VZMD stating that its »Banking Communication« is not a legally binding act - the Bank of Slovenia and Slovenian financial authorities insist on the exact opposite and in fighting against their own citizens they disgrace themselves by trying to apologize for scandalous measures and fallacies

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY unanimously responded to the VZMD's rationale and appeal - significant cost reduction for all minority shareholders and investors (approximately 400,000 citizens) with the new amendment to the amending act of the Book Entry Securities Act

THE COALITION'S AMENDMENT to a large extent follows the VZMD proposals to alleviate the catastrophic impact of the amending act of ZNVP-1, however yesterday VZMD sent a constructive opinion and another appeal to the National Assembly to make slight additional efforts in reaching an optimal solution

ANOTHER 260,000 EXPROPRIATED – VZMD has attempted to alleviate the abolishment of registry accounts by amending the Book Entry Securities Act through the COMPROMISE AMENDMENT AND APPEAL to the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia

The District Court and the Higher Court officially acknowledge VZMD arguments concerning the unconstitutionality of expropriations, however the proceedings have been suspended until the final decision has been reached by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia, which contacted the EU Court in Luxembourg - VZMD has provided written standpoints thereto after a world-class EU law expert joined the team

ATTENTION - unveiling evidence against the unlawfulness of Slovenian banks valuations and the overblown "bank gap" as a foundation for billion euro damage to the state and its citizens, based on unlawful actions by Bank of Slovenia and its Emergency measures decisions

Is the European Commission attempting to obstruct the investigation and protect the responsible persons?! The unprecedented provocation opens plethora of grave issues about processes, structure and perspectives of the EU -

»PLUNDER OF THE CENTURY« - VIDEO CONFRONTATION & disclosure of misleading statements of the Bank of Slovenia, the previous Slovenian government and other protagonists of the highly questionable 2013 bank restructuring, involving mass expropriation of citizens

EU PARLIAMENT & COUNCIL – VZMD contended with the progress & results of harmonization of the Proposed directive for encouraging long-term shareholder engagement, but warns of completely different practices as well as catastrophic repercussions of the Slovenian proposed amendment to the Book Entries Securities Act which is linked to the same Directive

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT - VZMD also lodged a proposal for the temporary decree for PROHIBITING THE SALE OF Nova KBM bank - to prevent direct damage to the Republic of Slovenia and its citizens

BANK OF SLOVENIA – »a year later« with a new secret resolution continues the destructive policy, on the basis of an already stipulated »calculation« of negative capital - the deletion of all subordinated bonds and stocks, also in Slovenia's sixth bank

STRESS TESTS – new and obvious proof of the extremely unequal adjudication of Slovenian banks – are they guilty in Brussels or Ljubljana, and what are their motives? The PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association (VZMD) has called on the Bank of Slovenia (BA) and the European Central Bank (ECB) to explain, why only in Slovenia are we left to use »static« and extremely pessimistic assumptions, while in other countries and banks of the EU fresh data and »dynamic« valuations are used and even allow for

WARSAW - the evening award ceremony, the second day of the »Warsaw Capital Market Summit 2014« international conference and beginning of the conference organized by International Monetary Fund and National Bank of Poland with active participation of VZMD through investo.si and investo.international programs (Warsaw, October 2014)

BANK OF SLOVENIA / NLB - unprecedented deceit of renowned international financial companies and investors - VZMD informed them of concealed facts, in its endeavor of protecting investors, and called for inacting supervision, proper sanctions of those responsible, alleviation of consequences, and thus preservation of the remaining reputation of the Republic of Slovenia (Ljubljana, September 2014)

NEW YORK – VZMD President invited to be a guest-speaker at the Annual Conference of the International Financial Litigation Network (IFLN) yesterday – shortly after a successful business delegation in Iran, he also participated in a discussion in the world's financial centre with some distinguished international lawyers and representatives from key law offices regarding the scandalous expropriation of the owners of shares and bonds at Slovenian banks - an alarming case indicating problems in the (New York, May 2014)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION – a reminder to the EU Commission President J.M. Barroso about the unequal treatment of Slovenia, and about the endangered financial, economic and social stability accompanying scandalous expropriation of share and bond owners at Slovenian Banks – a letter of the Civil Society Initiative and NKBM Section at VZMD to the EU Commission President is soon to be presented in the European Parliament as well (Brussels, March 2014)

EXPROPRIATION – VZMD has filed three more lawsuits, this time against the banks, because the entry of subordinated bonds and shares termination in the register has been established as null – further use of all legal remedies to protect the expropriated owners, the signatories to the VZMD Agreement, and granting authority to the law office (Ljubljana, February 2013)

Slovenian Constitutional Court acknowledges the legal interest of 293 initiators united by VZMD who demanded a constitutional review of the Banking Act (Ljubljana, January 2013)

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT acknowledged the legal interest of 290 initiators, united by VZMD who demanded constitutional review of the Banking Act; the Court has given priority to the two VZMD initiatives but suspension of the Act was rejected, due to misleading statements by the Government and the Bank of Slovenia - shares and subordinated bonds of 100.000 owners had been erased in the three biggest Slovenian banks! (Ljubljana, December 2013)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT about the week of the MOSCOW-VIENNA-CAPETOWN conferences involving the following: active participation of the international business-investment VZMD programmes, signing a memorandum with the Russian Federation of Investors, and protection of rights of the Slovene and European shareholders at the Viennese conference »The Financial Repression of Savers and Investors« (Moscow, Vienna, Cape Town, October 2013)

NKBM = BANKIA – mass protests take place in front of The Central Bank of Spain (CBS) because of national fraud against 350,000 shareholders who are represented by the law firm that is attending, along with VZMD (Pan−Slovenian Shareholders’ Association), the international initiative at CBS. (Madrid, September 2013)

WORLD BANK – President of VZMD and EuroFinUse Board Member speaker of the first panel at the international conference about audit reform and the importance of audit committees (Bucharest, June 2013)

VIDEO REPORT – exclusively from the European Parliament: the EuroFinUse international conference and the Election Assembly, the announcement of the new President and Board of directors of this influential European association, into which a representative of Slovenia is also re-elected (Brussels, March 2013)

BRUSSELS – Slovenia with VZMD once more elected to the top of the European Federation of Financial Services Users – intensive international activities today continue with a conference in the European Parliament (Brussels, March 2013)

TOKYO – conclusion of the visit of Slovene economic and political delegation with Slovenian-Japanese Business & Investment Forum and the reception at Japanese investors’ association – the active role of VZMD with its international investors’ programs investo.si and investo.international(Tokyo, March 2013)

INDIA – visit of Slovenian government and business delegation – on the basis of Memorandum between ICPE and VZMD international investors' programs investo.si and investo.international also present (New Delhi, February 2013)

Memorandum of cooperation signed between the International Center for Promotion of Enterprises (ICPE) and VZMD, with additional expansion of activities within the framework of international investment programs investo.si and investo.international (Ljubljana, January, 2013)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT of “International Conference on Benefits and Challenges of Public Private Partnerships for improving Energy Efficiency” – key statements of prominent participants (Ljubljana, October, 2012)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT from EuropeanIssuers International Conference on »The future of European Equity Markets« at the Milan Stock Exchange – programs investo.si in investo.international also at the upcoming International Investors´ Conference in Wiesbaden (Milano, November 2012)

VIDEO REPORT - International Conference at the Brussels Stock Exchange Stimulated Investors' Representatives and Institutions to Participate at the Investors' Week 2012 in September in Slovenia(Brussels, March 2012)

www.vzmd.si – More on the VZMD – PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association

www.vzmd.tv and www.investo.tv – Over 300 videos from VZMD.TV and investo.tv

www.investo.si – More on the investo.si – Invest to Slovenia Program

www.invest-to.net – More on the network of 65 national organizations of shareholders and investors – invest-to.net