The Austrian Corporate Governance Code provides Austrian stock corporations with a framework for managing and monitoring their company. The Code aims to establish a system of management and control of companies and Groups that is accountable and geared to creating sustainable, long-term value. It is designed to increase the degree of transparency for all stakeholders of a company.
The Code is based on the provisions of Austrian stock corporation, stock exchange, and capital market law, the EU recommendations regarding the responsibilities of members of Supervisory Boards and the compensation of company directors as well as the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance. Since 2002, the Code has undergone a number of revisions.
- The present Corporate Governance Report is based on the most recent amendment of the Code, which was adopted in January 2015. The Code can be accessed by the public at www.corporate-governance.at
The Code achieves validity when companies voluntarily undertake to adhere to it. The Management Board and the Supervisory Board of voestalpine AG recognized the Corporate Governance Code in 2003 and have also accepted and implemented the amendments introduced since that date. voestalpine AG has thus committed itself to comply with the most recent version, as amended, of the Austrian Corporate Governance Code.
In addition to the mandatory “L rules,” the Company also complies with all of the “C rules” and “R rules” of the Code.
All Supervisory Board positions held by shareholders’ representatives terminate as of the close of the Annual General Meeting of voestalpine AG, which adopts resolutions relative to the business year 2018/19. None of the members of the Supervisory Board missed more than one meeting of the Supervisory Board meetings during the last business year.
External evaluation of compliance with the Corporate Governance Code
The Corporate Governance Code provides for a regular external evaluation of compliance with the Code. This evaluation was carried out by the Group’s auditor during the audit of the 2015/16 financial statements. The review of compliance with the C rules of the Code regarding the audit (Rules 77 to 83) was conducted by the law firm WOLF THEISS Rechtsanwälte GmbH & Co KG. As a result of this evaluation, the auditors have determined that the declaration given by voestalpine AG with regard to compliance with the January 2015 version of the Corporate Governance Code conforms to the actual conditions and/or facts.
The external review report may be viewed on the website www.voestalpine.com.
Linz, May 18, 2016
The Management Board
Wolfgang Eder
Herbert Eibensteiner
Franz Kainersdorfer
Robert Ottel
Franz Rotter
Peter Schwab
This report is a translation of the original report in German, which is solely valid.
1 The Corporate Governance Code contains the following rules: “L rules” (= Legal) are measures prescribed by law; “C rules” (= Comply or Explain) must be justified in the event of non-compliance; “R rules” (= Recommendations) are recommendations.
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