Bond Heineken Holding 2.25% ( XS2147977636 ) in EUR

Issuer Heineken Holding
Market price 100 %  ▼ 
Country  Netherlands
ISIN code  XS2147977636 ( in EUR )
Interest rate 2.25% per year ( payment 1 time a year)
Maturity 30/03/2030 - Bond has expired



Prospectus brochure of the bond Heineken NV XS2147977636 in EUR 2.25%, expired


Minimal amount 100 000 EUR
Total amount 800 000 000 EUR
Detailed description Heineken NV is a Dutch multinational brewing company, headquartered in Amsterdam, known for its namesake Heineken Lager Beer and a portfolio of other international beer brands.

The Heineken NV bond, identified by ISIN code XS2147977636, a fixed-income instrument originally issued from the Netherlands, has officially reached its maturity date of March 30, 2030, and has been fully repaid at its 100% par value, underscoring the consistent financial management of Heineken NV, a globally prominent brewing conglomerate headquartered in the Netherlands, which initially launched this significant EUR 800,000,000 offering with an annual interest rate of 2.25% and a minimum investment lot of EUR 100,000, ensuring the successful fulfillment of its obligations to bondholders.







BASE PROSPECTUS

HEINEKEN N.V.
(incorporated with limited liability in the Netherlands)
20,000,000,000
Euro Medium Term Note Programme
Under this 20,000,000,000 Euro Medium Term Note Programme (the "Programme"), Heineken N.V. (the "Issuer" or "Heineken") may
from time to time issue notes (the "Notes") denominated in any currency agreed between the Issuer and the relevant Dealer(s) (as defined
below).
The Notes may be issued on a continuing basis to one or more of the Dealers specified under "Overview of the Programme" and any
additional Dealer appointed under the Programme from time to time by the Issuer (each a "Dealer" and together the "Dealers"), which
appointment may be for a specific issue or on an ongoing basis. References in this Base Prospectus to the "relevant Dealer" shall, in the
case of an issue of Notes being (or intended to be) subscribed by more than one Dealer, be to all Dealers agreeing to subscribe such
Notes.
This Base Prospectus has been approved by the Luxembourg Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (the "CSSF") as a base
prospectus issued in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the "Prospectus Regulation") for the purpose of giving information with
regard to the issue of Notes under the Programme during the period of twelve months from the date hereof. The CSSF is the Luxembourg
competent authority for the purposes of the Prospectus Regulation and the Luxembourg Law dated 16 July 2019 relating to prospectuses
for securities, as amended (the "Prospectus Law"). By approving this Base Prospectus, the CSSF gives no undertaking as to the
economic or financial opportuneness of any transaction or the quality and solvency of the Issuer.
The CSSF has only approved the Base Prospectus as meeting the standards of completeness, comprehensibility and
consistency imposed by the Prospectus Regulation. Such approval should not be considered as an endorsement of the Issuer or
the quality of the Notes that are the subject of this Base Prospectus. Investors should make their own assessment as to the
suitability of investing in such Notes.
Application has been made for Notes issued under the Programme to be admitted during the period of twelve months from the date hereof
to listing on the Official List of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and to trading on the regulated market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.
The Luxembourg Stock Exchange's regulated market is a regulated market for the purposes of Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in
financial instruments (as amended, "MiFID II").
Pursuant to Articles 12(1) and 21(8) of the Prospectus Regulation, this Base Prospectus will remain valid until the expiry of 12 (twelve)
months from the date on which the CSSF's approval is obtained. Consequently, the obligation to supplement this Base Prospectus in the
event of significant new factors, material mistakes or material inaccuracies will not apply once this Base Prospectus is no longer valid.
The Programme also permits Notes to be issued that will not be admitted to listing, trading and/or quotation by any competent authority,
stock exchange and/or quotation system or that may be admitted to listing, trading and/or quotation by such other or further competent
authorities, stock exchanges and/or quotation systems as may be agreed between the Issuer and the relevant Dealer(s).
The Notes have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (as amended) (the "Securities Act") or
with any securities regulatory authority of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States. The Notes will be issued in bearer form and
are subject to U.S. tax law requirements. The Notes may not be offered, sold or delivered within the United States or to, or for the account
or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act ("Regulation S")) except pursuant to an exemption from, or
in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
Investing in Notes issued under the Programme involves certain risks. The principal risk factors that may affect the ability of the
Issuer to fulfil its obligations under the Notes are discussed in the section "Risk Factors" below.
Notes issued under the Programme may be rated or unrated. Where a Tranche (as defined herein) of Notes is rated, its rating will be
specified in the applicable Final Terms along with confirmation of whether or not such rating will be issued by a credit rating agency
established in the European Union and registered under Regulation (EC) No 1060/2009 (as amended) (the "CRA Regulation"). The list of
registered and certified rating agencies published by the European Securities and Markets Authority ("ESMA") will appear on its website
(www.esma.europa.eu/page/List-registered-and-certified-CRAs) in accordance with the CRA Regulation. A security rating is not a
recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to suspension, reduction or withdrawal at any time by the assigning
credit rating agency.

Interest and/or other amounts payable under the Notes may be calculated by reference to LIBOR, EURIBOR, SIBOR, SOR-VWAP or
TIBOR (each as defined in the Terms and Conditions of the Notes), as specified in the applicable Final Terms, which are provided by ICE
Benchmark Administration Limited ("IBA") (in the case of LIBOR), the European Money Markets Institute ("EMMI") (in the case of
EURIBOR), ABS Benchmarks Administration Co Pte. Ltd. ("ABS Co") (in the case of SIBOR and SOR-VWAP) and Ippan Shadan Hojin
JBA TIBOR Administration ("JBATA") (in the case of TIBOR). As at the date of this Base Prospectus, the IBA (as administrator of LIBOR)
and EMMI (as the administrator of EURIBOR) are included on the register of administrators and benchmarks established and maintained
by ESMA pursuant to Article 36 of the Benchmark Regulation. As at the date of this Base Prospectus, neither ABS Co nor JBATA appear
on the register of administrators and benchmarks established and maintained by ESMA pursuant to Article 36 of the Benchmark
Regulation. As far as the Issuer is aware, the transitional provisions in Article 51 of the Benchmark Regulation apply, such that neither ABS
Co nor JBATA are currently required to obtain authorisation or registration (or, if located outside the European Union, recognition,
endorsement or equivalence). Not every reference rate will fall within the scope of the Benchmarks Regulation. Furthermore transitional
provisions in the Benchmarks Regulation may have the result that the administrator of a particular benchmark is not required to appear in
the register of administrators and benchmarks at the date of the relevant Final Terms. The registration status of any administrator under the
Benchmarks Regulation is a matter of public record and, save where required by applicable law, the Issuer does not intend to update any
Final Terms to reflect any change in the registration status of the administrator.







Arranger


Credit Suisse


Dealers

ABN AMRO

Barclays
BNP PARIBAS

Citigroup
Credit Suisse

HSBC
ING

J.P. Morgan
12 March 2020

2




TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
IMPORTANT NOTICES .................................................................................................................................4
RISK FACTORS ............................................................................................................................................7
OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAMME ......................................................................................................... 20
SUITABILITY OF INVESTMENT ................................................................................................................ 25
INFORMATION INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE ............................................................................... 26
FORM OF THE NOTES .............................................................................................................................. 28
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE NOTES ........................................................................................... 31
USE OF PROCEEDS ................................................................................................................................. 66
FORM OF FINAL TERMS .......................................................................................................................... 67
HEINEKEN N.V. ......................................................................................................................................... 79
TAXATION .................................................................................................................................................. 91
SUBSCRIPTION AND SALE ...................................................................................................................... 96
GENERAL INFORMATION ...................................................................................................................... 100
GLOSSARY .............................................................................................................................................. 102
INDEX OF DEFINED TERMS .................................................................................................................. 104


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IMPORTANT NOTICES
This Base Prospectus constitutes a base prospectus for the purposes of Article 8 of the Prospectus
Regulation.
The Issuer accepts responsibility for the information contained in this Base Prospectus and the Final Terms
for each Tranche of Notes issued under the Programme and declares that, having taken all reasonable care
to ensure that such is the case, the information contained in this Base Prospectus is, to the best of its
knowledge, in accordance with the facts and the Base Prospectus makes no omission likely to affect the
import of such information.
Each Tranche of Notes will be issued on the terms set out herein under "Terms and Conditions of the Notes"
(the "Conditions") as completed by a document specific to such Tranche called final terms (the "Final
Terms"). This Base Prospectus must be read and construed together with any supplements hereto and with
any information incorporated by reference herein (see "Information Incorporated by Reference") and, in
relation to any Tranche of Notes, must be read and construed together with the relevant Final Terms.
No person is or has been authorised to give any information or to make any representation not contained in
or not consistent with this Base Prospectus or any other document entered into in relation to the Programme
or any information supplied by the Issuer in connection with the Programme or any Notes and, if given or
made, such information or representation should not be relied upon as having been authorised by the Issuer,
the Trustee or any Dealer.
Neither the Dealers nor any of their respective affiliates have authorised the whole or any part of this Base
Prospectus and none of them makes any representation or warranty or accepts any responsibility as to the
accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this Base Prospectus. Neither the delivery of this
Base Prospectus or any Final Terms nor the offering, sale or delivery of any Note shall, in any
circumstances, create any implication that the information contained in this Base Prospectus is true
subsequent to the date hereof or the date upon which this Base Prospectus has been most recently
supplemented or that there has been no adverse change, or any event reasonably likely to involve any
adverse change, in the prospects or financial or trading position of the Issuer since the date thereof or, if
later, the date upon which this Base Prospectus has been most recently supplemented or that any other
information supplied in connection with the Programme is correct at any time subsequent to the date on
which it is supplied or, if different, the date indicated in the document containing the same.
The distribution of this Base Prospectus and any Final Terms and the offering, sale and delivery of the Notes
in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this Base Prospectus or any
Final Terms comes are required by the Issuer and the Dealers to inform themselves about and to observe
any such restrictions. For a description of certain restrictions on offers, sales and deliveries of Notes and on
the distribution of this Base Prospectus or any Final Terms and other offering material relating to any Notes,
see "Subscription and Sale". In particular, the Notes have not been and will not be registered under the
Securities Act or with any securities regulatory authority of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States.
The Notes will be issued in bearer form and are subject to U.S. tax law requirements. The Notes may not be
offered, sold or delivered within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as
defined in Regulation S and by the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") and by
U.S. Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder) except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a
transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
Neither this Base Prospectus nor any Final Terms constitutes an offer or an invitation to subscribe for or
purchase any Notes and should not be considered as a recommendation by the Issuer, the Trustee, the
Dealers or any of them that any recipient of this Base Prospectus or any Final Terms should subscribe for or
purchase any Notes. Each recipient of this Base Prospectus or any Final Terms shall be taken to have made
its own investigation and appraisal of the condition (financial or otherwise) of the Issuer.
The maximum aggregate nominal amount of Notes outstanding at any one time under the Programme will
not exceed 20,000,000,000 (and, for this purpose, any Notes denominated in another currency shall be
translated into euro at the date of the agreement to issue such Notes (calculated in accordance with the
provisions of the Dealer Agreement (as defined under "Subscription and Sale"))). The maximum aggregate
nominal amount of Notes which may be outstanding at any one time under the Programme may be
increased from time to time, subject to compliance with the relevant provisions of the Dealer Agreement.




4





In this Base Prospectus, references to websites or uniform resource locators (URLs) are inactive textual
references and are included for information purposes only. The contents of any such website or URL shall
not form part of, or be deemed to be incorporated by reference into, this Base Prospectus.
This Base Prospectus contains information sourced from third parties, where indicated with references to
third party sources herein. The Issuer confirms that such information has been accurately reproduced and
that, so far as it is aware, and is able to ascertain from information published by such sources, no facts have
been omitted which would render the reproduced information inaccurate or misleading.
IMPORTANT ­ EEA AND UK RETAIL INVESTORS
If the Final Terms in respect of any Tranche of Notes includes a legend entitled "Prohibition of Sales to EEA
and UK Retail Investors", the Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and
should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area
(the "EEA") or in the United Kingdom (the "UK"). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is
one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; (ii) a customer within the
meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97 (the "Insurance Distribution Directive"), where that customer would not
qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified
investor as defined in the Prospectus Regulation. Consequently, no key information document required by
Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (the "PRIIPs Regulation") for offering or selling the Notes or otherwise
making them available to retail investors in the EEA or in the UK has been prepared and therefore offering or
selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA or in the UK may be
unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation.
MiFID II PRODUCT GOVERNANCE / TARGET MARKET
The Final Terms in respect of any Tranche of Notes may include a legend entitled "MiFID II Product
Governance" which will outline the target market assessment in respect of the Notes and which channels for
distribution of the Notes are appropriate. Any person subsequently offering, selling or recommending the
Notes (a "distributor") should take into consideration the target market assessment; however, a distributor
subject to MiFID II is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the Notes
(by either adopting or refining the target market assessment) and determining appropriate distribution
channels.
A determination will be made at the time of each issue whether, for the purposes of the MiFID II Product
Governance rules under Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 (the "MiFID II Product
Governance Rules"), any Dealer subscribing for any Notes is a manufacturer in respect of such Notes, but
otherwise neither the Arranger nor the Dealers nor any of their respective affiliates will be a manufacturer for
the purpose of the MiFID II Product Governance Rules. For the avoidance of doubt, the Issuer is not subject
to the MiFID II Product Governance Rules and will not make or be responsible for any target market
assessment.
PRODUCT CLASSIFICATION PURSUANT TO SECTION 309B OF THE SECURITIES AND FUTURES
ACT (CHAPTER 289 OF SINGAPORE)
The applicable Final Terms in respect of any Notes may include a legend entitled "Notification under section
309B(1) of the Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289) of Singapore" which will state the product
classification of the Notes pursuant to section 309B(1) of the Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289 of
Singapore) (the "SFA"). The Issuer will make a determination in relation to each issue about the
classification of the Notes being offered for purposes of section 309B(1)(a). Any such legend included on
the applicable Final Terms will constitute notice to "relevant persons" for purposes of section 309B(1)(c) of
the SFA.
CERTAIN DEFINED TERMS
In this Base Prospectus, unless otherwise specified, references to a "Member State" are references to a
Member State of the EEA; references to "", "EUR" and "euro" are to the single currency introduced at the
start of the third stage of European economic and monetary union pursuant to the Treaty on the Functioning
of the European Union, as amended; references to "U.S. dollars", "U.S.$ " and "USD" are to the lawful
currency of the United States of America; references to "£" and "Pounds sterling" are to the lawful currency
of the UK; references to "CHF" and "Swiss Francs" are to the lawful currency of Switzerland; references to




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"SGD" and "Singapore dollars" are to the lawful currency of Singapore; and references to "JPY" and
"Japanese Yen" are to the lawful currency of Japan.
ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE MEASURES
Certain alternative performance measures (as defined in the ESMA Guidelines on Alternative Performance
Measures) ("Alternative Performance Measures" or "APMs") are included in this Base Prospectus. See
"Glossary" below for more information.
STABILISATION
In connection with the issue of any Tranche of Notes, the Dealer or Dealers (if any) named as the
Stabilising Manager(s) (or persons acting on behalf of any Stabilising Manager(s)) in the applicable
Final Terms may over-allot Notes or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of
the Notes at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, stabilisation may not
necessarily occur. Any stabilisation action may begin on or after the date on which adequate public
disclosure of the terms of the offer of the relevant Tranche of Notes is made and, if begun, may cease
at any time, but it must end no later than the earlier of 30 days after the issue date of the relevant
Tranche of Notes and 60 days after the date of the allotment of the relevant Tranche of Notes. Any
stabilisation action or over-allotment must be conducted by the Stabilising Manager(s) (or persons
acting on behalf of the Stabilising Manager(s)) in accordance with all applicable laws and rules.






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RISK FACTORS

The Issuer believes that the following risk factors may affect its ability to fulfil its obligations under the Notes.
All of these risk factors are contingencies which may or may not occur and the Issuer is not in a position to
express a view on the likelihood of any such contingency occurring.

Although the most material risk factors have been presented first within each category, the order in which the
remaining risks are presented is not necessarily an indication of the likelihood of the risks actually
materialising, of the potential significance of the risks or of the scope of any potential negative impact to the
Issuer's business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

The Issuer may face a number of these risks described below simultaneously and some risks described
below may be interdependent. While the risk factors below have been divided into categories, some risk
factors could belong in more than one category and prospective investors should carefully consider all of the
risk factors set out in this section.

The Issuer believes that all the factors described below represent the material risks inherent in investing in
the Notes, but the inability of the Issuer to pay interest, principal or other amounts on or in connection with
the Notes may occur for other reasons not known to the Issuer or not deemed to be material enough.

Other risks, events, facts or circumstances not included in this Base Prospectus, not presently known to the
Issuer, or that the Issuer currently deems to be immaterial could, individually or cumulatively, prove to be
important and may have a significant negative impact on the Issuer's group business, financial condition,
results of operations and prospects. Prospective investors should carefully read and review the entire Base
Prospectus and should form their own views before making an investment decision with respect to the Notes
in light of the prospective investor's personal circumstances. Prospective investors should also read the
detailed information set out elsewhere in this Base Prospectus and reach their own views prior to making
any investment decision.

Before making an investment decision with respect to any Notes, prospective investors should consult their
own stockbroker, bank manager, lawyer, accountant or other financial, legal and tax advisers and carefully
review the risks entailed by an investment in the Notes.

RISK RELATING TO THE ISSUER'S ABILITY TO FULFIL ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE NOTES
ISSUED UNDER THE PROGRAMME.

A. RISKS RELATED TO THE ISSUER'S BUSINESS ACTIVITIES AND INDUSTRY

Disruption in Heineken's product supply and supply chains could impact its sales and financial
performance in its export markets
Disruption in the supply chain of products for the group of companies comprising the Issuer and its
subsidiaries (the "Heineken Group" or the "Group") could lead to inability to deliver products to key
customers, revenue loss, brand damage and loss of market share.
The loss or temporary discontinuity of supply chains from any of its suppliers without sufficient time to
develop an alternative source could result in delays in shipments, expose Heineken to increased costs,
damage to its brands and place it at a relative disadvantage to its competitors. Disruption of supply and/or
discontinuity of supply chains could result from increased competition, industry consolidation, the termination
of (or material change to) arrangements with suppliers, disagreements with suppliers as to payment or other
terms or the failure of a supplier to meet Heineken's contractual obligations or otherwise deliver materials
consistent with current usage. Factors that are hard to predict or beyond its control, like adverse weather
conditions, natural disasters, earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, fire, power loss, loss of water supply,
terrorist attacks, telecommunications and IT system failures, political instability, civil strife, military conflict,
the consequences of any military action and associated political instability in any of the countries where
Heineken operates, generalised labour unrest or health pandemics, could also damage or disrupt Heineken's
supply and supply chains. In particular, the supply of beer products from the Netherlands to export markets
such as the United States of America is important to Heineken's business. Discontinuity of supply from the
Netherlands could adversely impact its sales and financial performance in its various export markets. Such




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discontinuity in Heineken's product supply and supply chains could have an adverse effect on its business,
financial condition and/or results of operations.
Decrease in beer consumption in favour of other beverage categories could have an adverse effect
on Heineken's business, financial condition and/or results of operations
Consumers' preferences and behaviours are evolving, shaping an increasingly complex and fragmented
beer category. Heineken is exposed to mature markets where the attractiveness of the beer category is
being challenged by down-trading and by alternative beverage categories which could result in a lower
demand for beer as a result of consumption trends shifting in favour of other beverages. This requires
Heineken to constantly adapt its product offering, innovate and invest to maintain the relevance and strength
of its products.
Furthermore, Heineken competes against alternative beverages on the basis of factors over which Heineken
has little or no control and that may result in fluctuations in demand for Heineken's products.
Such factors include variation and perceptions in health consciousness, changes in prevailing economic
conditions, changes in local regulations in relation to smoking bans, changes in the demographic make-up of
target consumers, changing social trends and attitudes regarding alcoholic beverages and changes in
consumer preferences for beverages. In these markets, the on-trade channel (i.e. restaurants, hotels, bars
and cafeterias) is also under pressure, which may exert negative pricing pressure on Heineken's products.
Failure to adapt to these evolving consumer preferences and behaviours as well as the other factors listed
above would, in the longer term, affect Heineken's revenues, market share and possibly Heineken's brand
equity. Any decrease in the demand for Heineken's beer in favour of alternative beverages or decreases in
Heineken's product pricing margins on the basis of factors over which Heineken has little or no control could
have an adverse effect on Heineken's business, financial condition and/or results of operations.
Heineken is reliant on the reputation of its brands and the protection of its intellectual property rights
As "Heineken" is both the name of the Group and its most valuable brand, reputation management is of
utmost importance to Heineken. Heineken enjoys a positive corporate reputation and its operating
companies are well respected in their countries and regions of operation. Constant management attention is
directed towards enhancing Heineken's social, environmental and financial reputation. The Heineken brand,
and also its other international brands (Amstel, Birra Moretti, Desperados, Sol, Strongbow and Tiger) and
craft brands (Affligem, Lagunitas and Mort Subite) are, along with its people, its most valuable assets and
one of the key elements in Heineken's growth strategy. Anything that adversely affects consumer and
stakeholder confidence in its brands and, in particular the Heineken brand, could have an adverse effect on
its business, financial condition and/or results of operations. Also, if Heineken fails to ensure the relevance
and attractiveness of its brands, in particular the Heineken brand, and the enhancement of brand marketing,
this could also have an adverse effect on its business, financial condition and/or results of operations.
Heineken has invested considerable effort in protecting its brands, including the registration of trademarks
and domain names. If Heineken is unable to protect its intellectual property, any infringement or
misappropriation could have an adverse effect on its business, financial condition and/or results of
operations and/or its ability to develop its business.
Heineken may be impacted by changes in the availability or price of raw materials, water and other
input costs
The supply and price of raw materials used to produce Heineken's products can be affected by a number of
factors beyond its control, including the level of crop production around the world, export demand,
government regulations and legislation affecting agriculture, adverse weather conditions, currency
fluctuations, economic factors affecting growth decisions, various plant diseases and pests. Water availability
is also of utmost concern as Heineken requires access to significant water resources to continue its
operations. As such, Heineken cannot predict the future availability or prices of the products and materials
required for its products or guarantee that its water supply will not be subject to stoppages, scarcity or other
interruptions. The markets in the relevant commodities may continue to experience price increases or suffer
from disruptions in supply. Heineken uses, amongst other inputs, barley, grain, hops, glass and aluminium
for producing and packaging its products. As a result, significant changes in the availability or price of raw
materials, commodities, energy and water may result in a shortage of those resources or increased costs.
Heineken's financial condition is exposed to fluctuations in the prices and the availability of these raw and




8





packaging materials as well as continuity in its water supply. Other input costs, including transportation and
energy, have also fluctuated heavily in recent years and remain very volatile. In addition, changes in
packaging mixes continue to pressure input costs. Although Heineken generally addresses this risk by
making use of flexible contracts and active hedging, volatility in input costs may have an adverse effect on its
operating costs and its net profit if Heineken cannot pass on these price increases to its customers or
sufficiently protect itself through its hedging strategies.
In addition, there is a trend of consolidation among suppliers, in particular suppliers of glass bottles and
cans. As a result, Heineken is dependent on fewer suppliers for its supplies and as such is exposed to the
risk that these suppliers cannot meet Heineken's supply needs and/or may increase the price of available
supplies. Any shortage of, change in price of, or supply disruptions to, any of the raw and/or packaging
materials or discontinuity to Heineken's water supply may have an adverse effect on its business, financial
condition and/or results of operations.
Heineken operates in highly competitive markets and industry consolidation in the beer and
distribution sectors as well as among its customers could place Heineken at a competitive
disadvantage
Consolidation in the alcoholic beverage industry may affect existing market dynamics due to competitive
disadvantage with suppliers and increased competition on commercial spend and customer acquisition
strategies.
Globally, brewers compete mainly on the basis of brand image, price, customer service, distribution networks
and quality. While globally the beer industry is not highly concentrated, in many of the countries in which
Heineken has operations, two or three brewers account for a very large proportion of the market and smaller
local brewers make up the balance. Consolidation has significantly increased the capital base and
geographic reach of Heineken's competitors in some of the markets in which they operate, as well as the
cost of competition, and competition is expected to increase further as the trend towards consolidation
among companies in the beer industry continues.
Further consolidation in the beer sector, emergence of buying alliances and rise of e-commerce distribution
channels may result in a competitive disadvantage for Heineken if Heineken is unable or unwilling to respond
appropriately to such industry changes. If Heineken's competitors become larger resulting from mergers
and/or acquisition activity, they may be able to obtain a better negotiation position with retailers, distributors
and suppliers.
In order to maintain position and profitability, Heineken's customers are consolidating, either through
acquisitons or through buying alliances.
Next to this, digital disruption is creating new routes to consumers and increasing the value and power of
owning customer and consumer data. In the long run, digital disruption could lead to increased competition
and a reduction in Heineken's operating margin as Heineken could have less control over the way in which it
distributes its products to market.
Finally, consolidation among Heineken's customers leading to increased buying power in fewer hands may
affect its ability to obtain pricing and favourable trade terms and negatively impact its operating margin. This
can put pressure on Heineken's existing distribution and supply chain channels. Larger companies can also
generate cost advantages with respect to advertising costs as economies of scale can be realised. These
competitive disadvantages could lead to Heineken experiencing higher costs relative to the costs of its
competitors and thus to relatively higher prices, which could reduce demand for its products, which, in turn,
could have an adverse effect on its business, financial condition and/or results of operations.
Heineken faces risks resulting from its joint ventures, other strategic partnerships and independent
distributorships and it may be unable to influence such joint ventures and strategic partnerships
In certain markets, Heineken has undertaken business activities with other market parties in the form of joint
ventures and strategic partnerships and with independent distributors. Where Heineken does not have
effective control, decisions taken by these entities may not be fully harmonised with Heineken's strategic
objectives. Moreover, Heineken may not be able to identify and manage risks to the same extent as in the
rest of the Heineken Group. Decisions made and actions taken within these relationships may not be optimal
for Heineken's business, or may not promote its business and strategic objectives, and may therefore result




9





in lower revenue and lower profit margins from such joint ventures, strategic partnerships and independent
distributorships which, in turn, could have an adverse effect on Heineken's business, financial condition
and/or results of operations.
While its joint ventures, strategic partnerships and independent distributorships are generally of a long-term
nature, such alliances can usually be terminated early under certain circumstances. Termination of, or any
material change to, Heineken's relationship with these third parties could adversely affect growth
opportunities and have an adverse effect on its business, financial condition and/or results of operations.
B. RISKS RELATED TO THE ISSUER'S FINANCIAL SITUATION

Heineken is exposed to fluctuations in exchange rates, interest rates, commodity prices
The risk of changes in market prices, such as foreign exchange rates, interest rates, commodity prices and
equity prices, could adversely affect Heineken's income or the value of its financial instruments. Heineken
operates internationally and its reporting currency is the Euro. As a result of its international operations,
fluctuations in exchange rates of foreign currencies relative to the Euro could have an adverse effect on its
business, financial condition and/or results of operations. Additionally, exchange rates between the Euro and
other currencies may be significantly more volatile than they have been in the past. Heineken is particularly
exposed to currency fluctuations in the US Dollar, Mexican Peso, Nigerian Naira, Polish Zloty and British
Pound as well as certain Asian currencies (in particular, the Vietnamese Dong). Fluctuations in these
currencies relative to the Euro could have an adverse effect on Heineken's business, financial condition
and/or results of operations.

There is a risk of a loss when a customer and/or counterparty defaults on its payment obligations to
Heineken, like trade receivables, loans to customers and advances to customers. Such a default could
cause a significant loss and such a loss could potentially adversely affect Heineken's income.

Heineken faces defined benefit pension obligations in some of the countries in which it operates
In some of the countries in which Heineken operates (mainly in the UK), Heineken will over time be obliged
to make deficit contributions to defined benefit plans that provide pension benefits for employees upon
retirement. The contractual and regulatory arrangements with these pension funds are such that in case of
shortfalls, no one-off payments are required but annual cash contributions would increase going forward,
thereby increasing the potential cash outflow obligation over a longer period of time which could have an
adverse effect on Heineken's business, financial condition and/or results of operations. The accounting
impact of pensions under IFRS on Heineken's financial results may differ materially from the cash impact.
Heineken's future capital needs may require that it seeks debt financing, refinancing or additional
equity funding, which may not be available or may be materially more expensive
From time to time, Heineken may be required to raise additional funds for its future capital needs or to
refinance its current funding through public or private financing, strategic relationships or other
arrangements. There can be no assurance that the funding, if needed, will be available on attractive terms,
or at all. Furthermore, any additional financing arrangements may be dilutive to shareholders, and debt
financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants. In addition, debt financing, refinancing or additional
equity funding may be materially more expensive due to the lack of liquidity in the market and the general
lack of confidence in the equity markets. Heineken's failure to raise capital when needed could have an
adverse effect on its business, financial condition and/or results of operations.
Although the Groups works to appropriately manage its cash position by diversifying its fundraising
measures and expanding its fundraising sources, there are times it may be difficult for the Group to secure
the funds required or the Group may be forced to procure funds when interest rates are significantly higher
than ordinary rates in normal circumstances due to turmoil in financial markets or changes in the market
environment. As a result, Heineken Group could experience difficulties in meeting payment obligations
associated with its financial liabilities, like payment of financial debt or trade payables when they fall due.
C. ESG: ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL and GOVERNANCE





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