JANUS HENDERSON FUND MANAGEMENT UK LIMITED

THE EUROPEAN SMALLER COMPANIES TRUST PLC

LEGAL ENTITY IDENTIFIER: 213800N1B1HCQG2W4V90

2 February 2026

THE EUROPEAN SMALLER COMPANIES TRUST PLC

(the 'Company')

Market purchase by the Company of its own shares

Notification is given that, pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 24 November 2025 to make market purchases of the Company's own ordinary shares up to a maximum of 14.99%, a market purchase of 200,320 ordinary shares in the capital of the Company was made today at a price of 225.1491 pence per share. These shares will be held in treasury.

Following the above purchase, the Company's issued ordinary share capital will continue to be 410,375,045 ordinary shares of 1.5625p each, of which 59,763,924 (14.56% of issued share capital) are held in treasury and have no voting rights.

Holders of the Company's ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for every share held. As treasury shares have no voting rights, the total number of voting rights in the Company is now 350,611,121. Shareholders should use this figure for notifications in keeping with the provisions of DTR 5.

For further information, please call:

Janus Henderson Secretarial Services UK Limited

Corporate Secretary

Telephone: 020 7818 1818

Harriet Hall

PR Director, Investment Trusts

Janus Henderson Investors

Telephone: 020 7818 2919