Crédit Agricole S.A. (Belgique) today announces that it has reached an agreement with Dutch financial group Achmea to acquire Belgian bank Europabank.

In July 2003, Crédit Agricole's Nord de France and Nord-Est Regional Banks, together with Crédit Agricole S.A., acquired 50% of Crédit Agricole S.A. (Belgique)'s capital and voting rights, and a 66.7% economic interest in the unit.

The acquisition of Europabank strengthens these entities' presence in Belgium and will help them pursue their development in this country. [...]