UniCredit Group was the outcome of the 1998 merger of several Italian banks. In 1999, UniCredito Italiano began its expansion in Eastern Europe with the acquisition of Polish Bank Pekao. In 2005, UniCredit merged with the German group HVB, itself formed in 1998 by the combination of Bayerische Vereinsbank and Bayerische Hypotheken-und-Wechsel-Bank. Integration with the HVB Group, reinforced by the merger with Bank Austria Creditanstalt in 2000 enabled further growth for UniCredit Group. In 2007 they merged with Capitalia Group, the third-largest Europan banking group, and also acquired two more banks, ATF Bank and Ukrsotsbank. In 2010 and 2011 there were talks of merging with Monte dei Paschi di Siena, but it has been confirmed that this will not happen.