355 ■ The effect of the European Union’s Solvency II requirements and other regulations in other jurisdictions affecting the capital Aegon  is required to maintain. ■ Litigation or regulatory action that could require Aegon to pay significant damages or change the way Aegon does business. ■ As Aegon’s operations support complex transactions and are highly dependent on the proper functioning of information technology,  a computer system failure or security breach may disrupt Aegon’s business, damage its reputation and adversely affect its results of  operations, financial condition and cash flows. ■ Customer responsiveness to both new products and distribution channels. ■ Competitive, legal, regulatory, or tax changes that affect profitability, the distribution cost of or demand for Aegon’s products. ■ Changes in accounting regulations and policies or a change by Aegon in applying such regulations and policies, voluntary or  otherwise may affect Aegon’s reported results and shareholders’ equity. ■ The impact of acquisitions and divestitures, restructurings, product withdrawals and other unusual items, including Aegon’s ability  to integrate acquisitions and to obtain the anticipated results and synergies from acquisitions.  ■ Catastrophic events, either manmade or by nature, could result in material losses and significantly interrupt Aegon’s business.  ■ Aegon’s failure to achieve anticipated levels of earnings or operational efficiencies as well as other cost saving, excess capital and  leverage ratio management initiatives.  Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting Aegon are described in its filings with the Netherlands Authority for the  Financial Markets and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Annual Report. These forward-looking statements  speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, Aegon 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 Aegon’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement  is based.