UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Form
6-K
REPORT
OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16
UNDER
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the month of March 2009
Commission
file number 001-14540
Deutsche
Telekom AG
(Translation
of Registrant’s Name into English)
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee
140,
53113
Bonn,
Germany
(Address
of Principal Executive Offices)
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under
cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form
20-F x Form
40-F o
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in
this form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant
to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934.
Yes o No x
This
report is deemed submitted and not filed pursuant to the rules and
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Deutsche
Telekom AG
Bonn
- ISIN
no. DE0005557508 -
-
Securities identification code 555 750 -
Invitation
to
the shareholders’ meeting
We hereby
invite our shareholders to attend the
shareholders’
meeting
on
Thursday, April 30, 2009, at 10:00 a.m.
to be
held at the
LANXESS
arena, Willy-Brandt-Platz 1, 50679 Cologne (Germany).
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
Agenda
1. Submissions
to the shareholders' meeting pursuant to § 176 (1) sentence 1 of the AktG
(Aktiengesetz - German Stock Corporation Act).
The Board
of Management submits the following draft resolutions pursuant to § 176 (1)
sentence 1 of the AktG to the shareholders' meeting:
●
The
approved annual financial statements of Deutsche Telekom AG as of December 31,
2008
●
The management report
●
The approved consolidated financial statements as of December 31,
2008
●
The Group management report
●
The Supervisory Board’s report
●
The proposal by the Board of Management on the appropriation of net income
●
The explanatory report containing the information required in accordance with
§ 289 (4), § 315 (4) of the German Commercial Code (HGB)
These
documents are available for inspection in the business offices of Deutsche
Telekom AG at the Company’s registered office, Friedrich-Ebert-Allee
140,
53113
Bonn, Germany, and on the Internet at
http://www.telekom.com
They will
also be available for inspection during the shareholders’ meeting.
2. Resolution
on the appropriation of net income.
The Board
of Management and the Supervisory Board propose the adoption of the following
resolutions:
The net
income of EUR 5,297,162,661.31 posted in the 2008 financial year shall be
used as follows:
Payment
of a dividend of EUR 0.78
per no
par value share carrying dividend
rights = EUR
3,385,735,941.12
and carry
forward the remaining balance
to
unappropriated net
income
= EUR 1,911,426,720.19.
The above
total dividend and the above remaining balance to be carried forward to
unappropriated net income are based on the dividend-bearing capital stock of
EUR 11,112,158,986.24 on February 9, 2009, on the day of the annual
financial statements, divided up into 4,340,687,104 no par value
shares.
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
The
number of shares carrying dividend rights may change up to the date on which the
vote on the resolution regarding the appropriation of net income is taken. In
this case, a suitably amended motion for resolution regarding the appropriation
of net income shall be submitted to the shareholders' meeting if the payment of
EUR 0.78 per no par value share carrying dividend rights remains unchanged.
The adjustment shall be made as follows:
If the number of shares carrying dividend rights and thus the total dividend
decreases, the amount to be carried forward to unappropriated net income
increases accordingly. If the number of shares carrying dividend rights and thus
the total dividend increases, the amount to be carried forward to unappropriated
net income decreases accordingly.
The
dividend shall be paid out promptly following the shareholders' meeting and, in
all likelihood, as of May 4, 2009.
3. Resolution
on the approval of the actions of the members of the Board of Management for the
2008 financial year.
The Board
of Management and the Supervisory Board propose the adoption of the following
resolution:
The actions of the
Board of Management members holding office in the 2008 financial year shall be
approved for this period.
4. Postponement
of the resolution on the approval of the actions of Dr.
Klaus Zumwinkel, who resigned from the Supervisory Board, for the 2008 financial
year.
The Board
of Management and the Supervisory Board propose the adoption of the following
resolution on account of the allegations of data misuse:
The
resolution on the approval of the actions of Dr. Klaus Zumwinkel, who resigned
from the Supervisory Board as of midnight on February 27, 2008, for the
2008 financial year shall be postponed until the shareholders' meeting that
resolves on the 2009 financial year.
5. Resolution
on the approval of the actions of the members of the Supervisory Board for the
2008 financial year.
The Board
of Management and the Supervisory Board propose the adoption of the following
resolution:
The
actions of the Supervisory Board members holding office in the 2008 financial
year with the exception of Dr. Klaus Zumwinkel shall be approved for this
period.
6. Resolution
on the appointment of the independent auditor and the Group auditor for the 2009
financial year as well as the independent auditor to review the condensed
financial statements and the interim management report pursuant to § 37w (5) and
§ 37y no. 2 of the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG).
The
Supervisory Board proposes the adoption of the following
resolutions:
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
a)
PricewaterhouseCoopers Aktiengesellschaft Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft,
Frankfurt am Main, and Ernst & Young AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft
Steuerberatungsgesellschaft, Stuttgart, shall be jointly appointed as
independent
auditor and Group auditor for the 2009 financial year, subject to the proviso
that each auditor is solely responsible for the tasks of the independent auditor
and Group auditor if the other auditor should drop out for a reason for which
the Company is not responsible.
b) PricewaterhouseCoopers
Aktiengesellschaft Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, Frankfurt am Main, and Ernst
& Young AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft Steuerberatungsgesellschaft,
Stuttgart, shall also be jointly appointed as independent auditor to review the
condensed financial statements and the interim management report pursuant to
§ 37w (5) and § 37y no. 2 of the WpHG in the 2009 financial year,
subject to the proviso that each auditor is solely responsible for the tasks of
the auditor associated with the review if the other auditor should drop out for
a reason for which the Company is not responsible.
7. Resolution
on the authorization to acquire treasury shares and use them with possible
exclusion of subscription rights and any right to purchase as well as of the
option to redeem treasury shares, reducing the capital stock.
The Board
of Management and the Supervisory Board propose the adoption of the following
resolutions:
a) The
Board of Management shall be authorized to purchase a total of up to 436,131,999
no par value shares of the Company by October 29, 2010, with the amount of
capital stock accounted for by these shares totaling up to
EUR 1,116,497,917.44, which is 10% of the capital stock, subject to the
proviso that the shares to be purchased on the basis of this authorization in
conjunction with the other shares of the Company which the Company has already
purchased and still possesses or are to be assigned to it under § 71d and
§ 71e of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG) do not at any time account
for more than 10% of the Company's capital stock.
This
authorization may be exercised in full or in part. The purchase can be carried
out in partial tranches spread over various purchase dates within the
authorization period until the maximum purchase volume is reached.
The
shares may also be purchased by dependent Group companies of Deutsche Telekom AG
within the meaning of § 17 AktG or by third parties for the account of Deutsche
Telekom AG or for the account of the dependent Group companies of Deutsche
Telekom AG pursuant to § 17 AktG.
b) The
purchase shall take place without prejudice to the principle of equal treatment
(§ 53a AktG) through the stock exchange or using a public purchase offer
addressed to all shareholders.
(1) If
the shares are purchased through the stock exchange, the equivalent value per
share paid by the Company (excluding transaction costs) may not be more than 5%
above or below the market price of the shares determined by the opening auction
on the trading day in the Xetra trading system (or a subsequent system) of
Deutsche Börse AG.
(2) If
the shares are purchased through a public purchase offer presented to all
shareholders, the purchase price offered or the limits of the purchase price
range offered per share (excluding transaction costs) may not be more than 10%
above or below the average market price of the share between the 9th and
5th
trading day, established on the basis of the arithmetical average of the closing
auction prices of the shares in the Xetra trading system (or a subsequent
system) of Deutsche Börse AG, on the 9th, 8th, 7th, 6th and
5th
trading day before the date of the publication of the offer. The volume of the
offer may be limited. If the total number of offered shares exceeds this volume,
the shares can be purchased in accordance with the ratio of offered shares;
furthermore, provision can be made for the preferential acceptance of small
quantities of up to 100 shares offered per shareholder as well as for rounding
off in accordance with prudent commercial practice in order to avoid arithmetic
fractional shares. Any further right to purchase for shareholders is excluded to
this extent.
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
c) The
Board of Management shall be authorized to sell shares of Deutsche Telekom AG
that are purchased based on the above purchase authorization without prejudice
to the principle of equal treatment (§ 53a AktG) again through the stock
exchange.
d) The
Board of Management shall be authorized to offer the shares of Deutsche Telekom
AG, which are purchased on the strength of the purchase authorization above, to
shareholders for subscription on the basis of an offer sent to all the
shareholders without prejudice to their subscription rights and without
prejudice to the principle of equal treatment of shareholders (§ 53a
AktG).
e) The
Board of Management shall be authorized, with the approval of the Supervisory
Board, to sell the shares purchased on the basis of the above purchase
authorization other than through the stock exchange or by offering them to all
shareholders, if the shares purchased are sold for cash payment at a price that
is not significantly lower than the market price of Company shares of equal
ranking on the date of sale. This authorization is limited to a maximum of 10%
of Deutsche Telekom AG’s capital stock on the date of the resolution on this
authorization adopted by the shareholders’ meeting, i.e., to a maximum of
EUR 1,116,497,917.44 in total, or – if this value is lower – 10% of the
capital stock on the date of sale of the shares. The authorized volume decreases
by the proportion of capital stock that is accounted for by the shares or that
relates to conversion and/or option rights and obligations from bonds issued or
sold since this authorization was granted, with subscription rights being
excluded, directly pursuant to, in accordance with or analogous to § 186
(3) sentence 4 AktG.
f) The
Board of Management shall be authorized, with the approval of the Supervisory
Board, to use shares of Deutsche Telekom AG acquired on the basis of the above
purchase authorization for the purpose of listing Company shares on foreign
stock exchanges where they are not quoted.
g) The
Board of Management shall be authorized, with the approval of the Supervisory
Board, to offer and/or grant shares of Deutsche Telekom AG acquired on the basis
of the above purchase authorization to third parties in the context of mergers
or acquisitions of companies, business units, or interests in companies,
including increasing existing investment holdings, or other assets eligible for
contribution for such acquisitions, including receivables from the
Company.
h) The
Board of Management shall be authorized to use shares of Deutsche Telekom AG
acquired on the basis of the above purchase authorization to fulfill conversion
and/or option rights and obligations from convertible bonds and/or bonds with
warrants issued, either directly or through a company in which the Company has a
(direct or indirect) majority holding, by the Company on the basis of the
authorization adopted by the shareholders’ meeting under item 9 on the agenda on
April 26, 2005.
i) The
Board of Management shall be authorized to offer and/or grant shares of Deutsche
Telekom AG acquired on the basis of the above purchase authorization to
employees of Deutsche Telekom AG and of lower-tier affiliated companies
(employee shares). Shares acquired on the basis of the above purchase
authorization can also be issued to a bank, or to some other company meeting the
requirements of § 186 (5) sentence 1 AktG, that, along with the
shares, assumes the obligation to use the shares exclusively for the purpose of
granting employee shares. The Board of Management may also acquire shares that
are to be granted as employee shares via securities loans from a bank, or from
some other company meeting the requirements of § 186 (5) sentence 1
AktG, and then use shares of Deutsche Telekom AG acquired on the basis of the
above purchase authorization to repay such securities loans.
j) The
Board of Management shall be authorized to redeem shares of Deutsche Telekom AG
purchased on the basis of the above purchase authorization, without such
redemption or its implementation requiring a further resolution of the
shareholders’ meeting. The redemption shall lead to a capital reduction. The
Board of Management may determine otherwise, i.e., that the capital stock
remains unchanged upon redemption and instead that the proportion of the
remaining shares in the capital stock is increased through redemption pursuant
to § 8 (3) AktG. In such a case, the Board of Management is authorized to adjust
the statement on the number of shares in the Articles of
Incorporation.
k) The
subscription rights of the shareholders are excluded if the Board of Management
uses shares of Deutsche Telekom AG in compliance with the authorizations above
under c), e), f), g), h) and i). Furthermore, the Board of Management may, with
the approval of the Supervisory Board, exclude the subscription rights of
shareholders for fractional amounts if shares in Deutsche Telekom AG are sold to
the Company's shareholders by offering them for sale in accordance with
d).
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
l) The
above authorizations can be used once or several times, individually or jointly,
in whole or related to partial volumes of the shares purchased. The price at
which shares of Deutsche Telekom AG are listed on such stock exchanges in
accordance with the authorization in f) or at which they are provided to third
parties in accordance with the authorizations in c) and e) may not be less than
a price of 5% below the market price established by the opening auction in the
Xetra trading system (or a subsequent system) of Deutsche Börse AG on the day of
the initial public offering or of the binding agreement with the third party. If
on the day concerned no such market price is determined or is not determined by
the time of the initial public offering or the binding agreement with the third
party,
then the last closing price of the Deutsche Telekom AG share determined in the
Xetra trading system (or a subsequent system) of Deutsche Börse AG shall be
decisive instead.
m) The
authorization to purchase treasury shares granted to the Board of Management by
the shareholders’ meeting of Deutsche Telekom AG on May 15, 2008 under item 6 of
the agenda shall end when this new authorization takes effect; the
authorizations granted by the shareholders’ meeting resolution of May 15, 2008,
on the use of purchased treasury shares shall not be affected.
8. Election
of a Supervisory Board member.
By order
of Bonn District Court on June 27, 2008, Jörg Asmussen was appointed to the
Company's Supervisory Board with effect from July 1, 2008 for a limited
term up to the end of the shareholders' meeting on April 30, 2009. Mr.
Asmussen replaces Dr. Thomas Mirow, who resigned from office with effect from
June 30, 2008. The shareholders' meeting shall now elect Jörg Asmussen as a
Supervisory Board member.
The
Supervisory Board proposes
that Jörg
Asmussen, residing in Berlin, State Secretary in the German Federal Ministry of
Finance, be elected to the Supervisory Board as a shareholder representative for
the period up to the end of the shareholders’ meeting that passes a resolution
on the approval of the Supervisory Board’s actions for the 2013 financial
year.
Details
on item 8 in accordance with § 125 (1) sentence 3 AktG:
Jörg
Asmussen is a member of the Supervisory Board, that must be formed by law, of
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GTZ), Frankfurt am
Main. He is currently not a member of any other Supervisory Boards that must be
formed by law or of comparable domestic or foreign supervisory bodies of
commercial enterprises.
9. Election
of a Supervisory Board member.
By order
of Bonn District Court on September 17, 2008, Dr. Ulrich Schröder was
appointed to the Company's Supervisory Board with effect from October 1,
2008 for a limited term up to the end of the shareholders' meeting on
April 30, 2009. Dr.
Ulrich Schröder replaces Ingrid Matthäus-Maier, who resigned from office with
effect from September 30, 2008. The shareholders' meeting shall now
elect
Dr.
Ulrich Schröder as a Supervisory Board member.
The
Supervisory Board proposes
that Dr.
Ulrich Schröder, residing in Düsseldorf, Chairman of the Management Board of
Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, (KfW) be elected to the Supervisory Board as a
shareholder representative for the period up to the end of the shareholders’
meeting which passes a resolution on the approval of the Supervisory Board’s
actions for the 2013 financial year.
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
Details
on item 9 in accordance with § 125 (1) sentence 3 AktG:
Dr.
Ulrich Schröder is a member of the following Supervisory Boards that must be
formed by law: Deutsche Post AG, Bonn, and ProHealth AG, Munich. He is currently
not a member of any other Supervisory Boards that must be formed by law or of
comparable domestic or foreign supervisory bodies of commercial
enterprises.
Details
on agenda items 8 and 9 in accordance with § 124 (2) sentence
1 AktG:
Pursuant
to § 96 (1) and § 101 (1) of the AktG (Aktiengesetz – German Stock
Corporation Act) in conjunction with § 7 (1) sentence 1 no. 3 of the
Codetermination Act (Mitbestimmungsgesetz) of 1976, the Supervisory Board of
Deutsche Telekom AG is composed of ten members representing shareholders and ten
members representing employees. The shareholders’ meeting is not bound by the
nomination proposals for the election of Supervisory Board members representing
shareholders.
10. Resolution
on the approval of the control and profit and loss transfer agreement with
Interactive Media CCSP GmbH.
On
February 26, 2009, Deutsche Telekom AG concluded a control and profit and loss
transfer agreement with Interactive Media CCSP GmbH, Darmstadt (hereinafter
referred to as the subsidiary).
In
essence, the control and profit and loss transfer agreement between Deutsche
Telekom AG and the subsidiary contains the following:
● The
subsidiary shall submit the management of its enterprise to Deutsche Telekom
AG.
● Deutsche
Telekom AG shall be entitled to give instructions to the management of the
subsidiary with regard to how the subsidiary should be managed. The authority to
give instructions notwithstanding, the subsidiary’s senior management shall
continue to be responsible for managing the business and representing the
subsidiary. The authority to give instructions shall not apply to the amendment,
maintenance or termination of the actual control and profit and loss transfer
agreement.
● The
subsidiary is obliged to transfer its entire profits to Deutsche Telekom AG
during the term of the agreement. In corresponding application of § 301 AktG,
the profit is deemed to be the net income, reduced by any loss carried forward
from the previous year, that would have occurred under the relevant commercial
law without the profit transfer.
● The subsidiary may,
with Deutsche Telekom AG’s approval, allocate amounts from net income to
retained earnings (§ 272 (3) of the German Commercial Code (HGB)), except
for any statutory reserves, to the extent that this is permissible under
commercial law and economically justifiable based on a reasonable commercial
assessment. The right to transfer profits arises at the end of the financial
year. It falls due with the value date at this time.
● If amounts
were allocated to other retained earnings during the term of the agreement,
these amounts can be taken from other retained earnings and transferred as
profit.
● Pursuant
to § 302 (1) AktG, Deutsche Telekom AG shall be obliged vis-à-vis the subsidiary
to compensate any net loss for the year otherwise arising during the term of
the agreement unless this was offset through amounts being taken from other
retained earnings to which such amounts were appropriated during the term of the
agreement. The loss compensation claim arises at the end of the financial year.
It falls due with the value date at this time. In all other respects, § 302
AktG, as amended, applies analogously.
● The
control and profit and loss transfer agreement shall enter into force upon entry
in the commercial register at the subsidiary’s registered office in relation to
the provisions governing the subordination of the management and authority to
give instructions, and shall apply retroactively from January 1, 2009 in all
other respects.
● The
control and profit and loss transfer agreement may be terminated for the first
time by giving one month's notice with effect from the end of the year, at the
end of which the fiscal unit for German corporate income tax purposes
established in this agreement shall have existed for the minimum period required
for taxation purposes (as the legal situation now stands for a period of time of
five years, § 14 (1) no. 3 in conjunction with § 17 of the German
Corporate Income Tax Law.) If it is not terminated, it shall be automatically
extended for one further year with the same notice period.
● Furthermore,
the parties shall be able to terminate the control and profit and loss transfer
agreement for good cause. Good cause is especially the sale or contribution of
the subsidiary by Deutsche Telekom AG or the merger, split-up or liquidation of
one of the two parties.
● If
individual provisions of the control and profit and loss transfer agreement are
or become invalid or unenforceable, this shall not affect the validity of the
remaining provisions. Any invalid or unenforceable agreement is to be replaced
by one that most closely approximates the economic effect of the invalid or
unenforceable clause in a permissible way.
At the
time of the conclusion of the control and profit and loss transfer agreement and
also at the time of the shareholders’ meeting, Deutsche Telekom AG was and
continues to be the sole shareholder of the subsidiary. For this reason,
Deutsche Telekom AG will not be granting any compensation or other settlement
payments to external shareholders.
The
partners’ meeting of the subsidiary has already approved the control and profit
and loss transfer agreement.
The
control and profit and loss transfer agreement shall only come into effect
subject to the approval of the shareholders’ meeting of Deutsche Telekom AG and
not until its existence has been entered in the commercial register at the
subsidiary’s registered office.
The Board
of Management and the Supervisory Board propose the adoption of the following
resolution:
The
control and profit and loss transfer agreement between Deutsche Telekom AG and
Interactive Media CCSP GmbH, Darmstadt, dated February 26, 2009 shall be
approved.
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
Notes
on item 10 on the agenda:
The
following documents are available for inspection by shareholders in the business
offices of Deutsche Telekom AG at the Company's registered office at
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 140, 53113 Bonn, as well as during the shareholders’
meeting: They are also available on Deutsche Telekom AG’s Web site
at
http://www.telekom.com
● The
control and profit and loss transfer agreement with Interactive Media CCSP GmbH
(hereinafter referred to as the subsidiary)
● The
annual financial statements and consolidated financial statements of Deutsche
Telekom AG for the 2006, 2007 and 2008 financial years, and the management
reports of Deutsche Telekom AG and Group management reports for the 2006, 2007
and 2008 financial years,
● The subsidiary's
annual financial statements for the 2006, 2007, and 2008 financial years and the
subsidiary's management reports for the 2006, 2007, and 2008 financial
years
● The joint report of
the Board of Management of Deutsche Telekom AG and the subsidiary's senior
management compiled in accordance with § 293a AktG
11. Resolution
on the cancellation of authorized capital 2004 and the creation of authorized
capital 2009/I against non-cash contributions, with the authorization to exclude
subscription rights, as well as the relevant amendment to the Articles of
Incorporation.
The Board
of Management and the Supervisory Board propose the adoption of the following
resolutions:
a)
Authorized capital 2004 in § 5 (2) of the Articles of Incorporation, to the
extent that it still exists, shall be cancelled with effect from the date of
entry of authorized capital 2009/I set out below in the commercial
register.
b) The
Board of Management shall be authorized to increase the capital stock with the
approval of the Supervisory Board by up to EUR 2,176,000,000 by issuing up
to 850,000,000 registered no par value shares for non-cash contributions in the
period up to April 29, 2014. The authorization may be exercised as a whole
or on one or more occasions in partial amounts.
The Board
of Management shall be authorized, subject to the approval of the Supervisory
Board, to exclude shareholders' subscription rights when issuing new shares for
mergers or acquisitions of companies, parts thereof or interests in companies,
including increasing existing investment holdings, or other assets eligible for
contribution for such acquisitions, including receivables from the
Corporation.
The Board
of Management shall also be authorized, subject to the approval of the
Supervisory Board, to determine the further content of share rights and the
conditions under which shares are issued (authorized capital
2009/I).
c) The
following new subparagraph (2) shall be inserted in place of (2) in § 5 of the
Articles of Incorporation:
"The
Board of Management is authorized to increase the capital stock with
the approval of the Supervisory Board by up to EUR 2,176,000,000 by issuing
up to 850,000,000 registered no par value shares for non-cash contributions in
the period up to April 29, 2014. The authorization may be exercised as a
whole or on one or more occasions in partial amounts. The Board of Management is
authorized, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, to exclude
shareholders' subscription right when issuing new shares for mergers or
acquisitions of companies, parts thereof or interests in companies, including
increasing existing investment holdings, or other assets eligible for
contribution for such acquisitions, including receivables from the Corporation.
The Board of Management is also authorized, subject to the approval of the
Supervisory Board, to determine the further content of share rights and the
conditions under which shares are issued (authorized capital
2009/I)."
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
12. Resolution
on the cancellation of authorized capital 2006 and the creation of authorized
capital 2009/II against cash and/or non-cash contributions, with exclusion of
subscription rights, for granting shares to employees, as well as the relevant
amendment to the Articles of Incorporation.
The Board
of Management and the Supervisory Board propose the adoption of the following
resolutions:
a)
Authorized capital 2006 in § 5 (3) of the Articles of Incorporation shall be
cancelled with effect from the date of entry of authorized capital 2009/II set
out below in the commercial register.
b) The
Board of Management shall be authorized to increase the capital stock with the
approval of the Supervisory Board by up to EUR 38,400,000 by issuing up to
15,000,000 registered no par value shares for cash and/or non-cash contributions
in the period up to April 29, 2014. The authorization may be exercised as a
whole or on one or more occasions in partial amounts. The subscription rights of
shareholders shall be precluded.
The new
shares may only be issued to grant shares to employees of Deutsche Telekom AG
and of lower-tier affiliated companies (employee shares). The new shares can
also be issued to a bank or some other company meeting the requirements of
§ 186 (5) sentence 1 AktG that assumes the obligation to use these
shares exclusively for the purpose of granting employee shares. Where permitted
by law, the employee shares may also be issued in such a way that the
contribution to be paid in return is taken from the part of the net income that
the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board may transfer to other retained
earnings in accordance with § 58 (2) AktG. The shares to be issued as employee
shares can also be acquired in the form of a securities loan from a bank or some
other company meeting the requirements of § 186 (5) sentence 1 AktG
and the new shares used to repay this securities loan.
The Board
of Management shall be authorized, subject to the approval of the Supervisory
Board, to determine the further content of share rights and the conditions under
which shares are issued (authorized capital 2009/II).
c) The
following new subparagraph (3) shall be inserted in place of (3) in § 5 of
theArticles of Incorporation:
"The
Board of Management is authorized to increase the capital stock with the
approval of the Supervisory Board by up to EUR 38,400,000 by issuing up to
15,000,000 registered no par value shares for cash and/or non-cash contributions
in the period up to April 29, 2014. The authorization may be exercised as a
whole or on one or more occasions in partial amounts. The subscription rights of
shareholders shall be precluded. The new shares may only be issued to grant
shares to employees of Deutsche Telekom AG and of lower-tier affiliated
companies (employee shares). The new shares can also be issued to a bank or some
other company meeting the requirements of § 186 (5) sentence 1 AktG
that assumes the obligation to use these shares exclusively for the purpose of
granting employee shares. Where permitted by law, the employee shares may also
be issued in such a way that the contribution to be paid in return is taken from
the part of the net income that the Board of Management and the Supervisory
Board may transfer to other retained earnings in accordance with § 58 (2)
AktG. The shares to be issued as employee shares can also be acquired in the
form of a securities loan from a bank or some other company meeting the
requirements of § 186 (5) sentence 1 AktG and the new shares used to
repay this securities loan. The Board of Management is authorized, subject to
the approval of the Supervisory Board, to determine the further content of share
rights and the conditions under which shares are issued (authorized capital
2009/II)."
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
13. Resolution
on the amendment to § 15 (2) of the Articles of Incorporation.
In
November 2008, the federal government presented the draft bill on the
implementation of the Shareholder Rights Directive (Entwurf eines Gesetzes zur
Umsetzung der Aktionärsrechterichtlinie – ARUG). The ARUG is expected to enter
into force prior to the 2010 shareholders' meeting. Among other things, the
draft bill provides for a change in the legal provisions concerning the
audiovisual broadcast of the shareholders' meeting. In anticipation of this
planned change, an amendment to § 15 (2) of the Articles of Incorporation
is to be resolved shortly so that the Company may provide an audiovisual
broadcast of the 2010 shareholders' meeting on the basis of the law then in
force. However, the amendment of the Articles of Incorporation will not be
entered in the commercial register and shall not take effect until the ARUG with
its envisaged content actually enters into force.
The Board
of Management and the Supervisory Board propose the adoption of the following
resolutions:
§ 15 (2)
of the Articles of Incorporation shall be amended as follows:
“(2) The
shareholders' meeting may be broadcast in its full length in sound and vision if
the Board of Management so decides."
The Board
of Management shall be instructed to apply to enter the above resolution on the
amendment to § 15 (2) of the Articles of Incorporation in the commercial
register as soon as the Act on the Implementation of the Shareholder Rights
Directive regarding the amendment of the current § 118 (3) AktG enters into
force, aside from any changes to the wording, its content corresponding to the
draft bill from November 2008.
14. Resolution
on the amendment to § 16 (1) and (2) of the Articles of
Incorporation.
The draft
bill on the implementation of the Shareholder Rights Directive presented by the
federal government in November 2008 provides for, among other things, an
amendment of the legal requirements governing registration for the shareholders'
meeting and the form of the voting proxy in addition to the amendment discussed
under agenda item 13 above. In anticipation of these planned changes, an
amendment of § 16 (1) and (2) of the Articles of Incorporation is to be
resolved to enable the Company to continue the process of registration and
granting of proxies via the Internet Dialog provided by the Company also for the
2010 shareholders' meeting, on the basis of the law then in force.
The Board
of Management and the Supervisory Board propose the adoption of the following
resolutions:
§ 16 (1)
of the Articles of Incorporation shall be amended as follows:
“(1) Eligible
to participate in and exercise their voting rights at the shareholders’ meeting
shall be those shareholders who are included in the share register and who have
registered with the Corporation on time. Shareholders may also register by fax
or by using a password-protected Internet Dialog that the Corporation provides
for this purpose. The Corporation must receive the registration at the address
stipulated for this purpose when the shareholders' meeting is called no later
than six days in advance of the meeting, not counting the date of the meeting
and the date of receipt of the registration."
§ 16 (2)
of the Articles of Incorporation shall be amended as follows:
“(2) Voting
rights may be exercised by a proxy. If the granting of the proxy is not subject
to the scope of § 135 AktG, the granting of the proxy, its revocation and
evidence of the authorization may also be sent to the Corporation by fax using
the fax number provided in the convocation or by using a password-protected
Internet Dialog that the Corporation provides for this purpose. This does not
place a restriction on any forms that have already been directly provided for by
law on the granting of the proxy, its revocation and the sending of evidence of
the authorization to the Corporation."
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
Board of
Management’s
report to the shareholders’
meeting
Board
of Management’s report on item 7 on the agenda: Report on the exclusion of
subscription rights in the event of sale of treasury shares pursuant to § 71 (1)
no. 8 and § 186 (4) sentence 2 AktG, as well as on exclusion of any right to
purchase.
Item 7 on
the agenda contains the proposal to authorize the Company to acquire up to
436,131,999 of its own no par value shares, with the amount of capital stock
accounted for by these shares totaling up to EUR 1,116,497,917.44 – which
is 10% of the capital stock – by October 29, 2010, pursuant to § 71 (1) no. 8
AktG. The existing authorization to purchase treasury shares, which was granted
by the shareholders’ meeting on May 15, 2008, is due to expire on November 14,
2009 and therefore is to be replaced. The authorization granted to the Board of
Management by the shareholders’ meeting on May 15, 2008 to purchase treasury
shares shall expire when this new authorization takes effect; the authorizations
granted by the shareholders’ meeting resolution of May 15, 2008 on the use of
purchased treasury shares shall remain unaffected.
On the
basis of the new authorization proposed in item 7 on the agenda, the Company can
purchase treasury shares either on the stock exchange or by means of a public
offer to purchase shares that is sent to all shareholders.
Under the
proposed authorization, if the Company purchases treasury shares by means of a
public offer sent to all shareholders, the shares can be purchased on the basis
of the ratio of shares offered (offer quotas), providing the total number of
shares offered exceeds a volume specified by the Board of Management. Only if
the purchase is essentially made based on offer quotas rather than shareholding
quotas will the purchase process be economically viable. Furthermore, the
possibility is to be provided for preferential acceptance of small quantities of
up to 100 shares offered per shareholder. This option is designed on the one
hand to avoid having a small remainder of shares, which tends to be
uneconomical, as well as potentially discriminating against small shareholders.
It also helps simplify the technical aspects of the purchase process. Finally,
provision can be made in all instances to round off in accordance with proven
commercial practice to avoid arithmetic fractional shares. In this respect, the
purchase quota and/or the number of shares to be purchased by the individual
shareholder using the offer can be rounded off, in accordance with commercial
practice, as necessary to represent the purchase of whole shares in the
processing system. In the aforementioned cases, it is necessary to exclude any
further right to purchase, and the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board
are convinced that such exclusion is justified, and reasonable vis-à-vis
shareholders, for the reasons specified above.
The
treasury shares can be purchased in accordance with the proposed authorization
of Deutsche Telekom AG directly or indirectly through dependent Group companies
of Deutsche Telekom AG within the meaning of § 17 AktG or by third parties for
the account of Deutsche Telekom AG or for the account of the dependent Group
companies of Deutsche Telekom AG pursuant to § 17 AktG.
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
The
authorization in item 7 on the agenda provides for the possibility of resale of
acquired treasury shares, either through the stock exchange (in (c) of the
authorization) or via an offer sent to all shareholders (in (d) of the
authorization). At the same time, Deutsche Telekom AG is also to have the
possibility of selling treasury shares by means other than through the stock
exchange or through an offer to all shareholders, and to sell shares for cash
payment at a price which is not significantly lower than the market price ((e)
of the authorization). In addition, Deutsche Telekom AG is to be able to use
repurchased treasury shares to list shares on foreign stock markets on which the
Company's shares have not yet been listed ((f) of the
authorization). Furthermore, the Company is to have the option of purchasing
treasury shares so that it can offer and/or grant these to third parties in the
context of mergers or acquisitions of companies, business units, or interests in
companies, including increasing existing investment holdings, or other assets
eligible for contribution for such acquisitions, including receivables from the
Company ((g) of the authorization). In addition, the Company will have the
option of using treasury shares to fulfill conversion and/or option rights and
obligations from bonds issued by the Company, either directly or by a company in
which the Company has a (direct or indirect) majority holding, on the basis of
the authorization granted by the shareholders’ meeting under item 9 on the
agenda on April 26, 2005 ((h) of the authorization). Furthermore, the
authorization provides for the possibility of offering and/or granting acquired
shares, as employee shares, to employees of Deutsche Telekom AG, and of
lower-tier affiliated companies ((i) of the authorization). Finally, Deutsche
Telekom AG is to be able to redeem treasury shares without a renewed resolution
of the shareholders’ meeting ((j) of the authorization).
The cases
in which subscription rights can be excluded are listed in (k) of the proposed
authorization. Accordingly, subscription rights of shareholders are excluded if
the Board of Management uses shares of Deutsche Telekom AG in compliance with
the authorizations under c), e), f), g), h) and i) above. Regarding specific
aspects of the mentioned cases of exclusion of subscription rights:
Re. (c) of the
authorization:
If the
Board of Management sells treasury shares on the stock exchange, shareholders do
not have any subscription rights. Under § 71 (1) no. 8 sentence 4 AktG, the
disposal of the Company's treasury shares through the stock exchange – as well
as the acquisition of these shares through the stock exchange – is sufficient
for the purposes of complying with the principle of equal treatment pursuant to
§ 53a AktG.
Re. (e) of the
authorization:
Pursuant
to § 71 (1) no. 8 sentence 5 AktG in conjunction with § 186 (3) sentence 4
AktG, the Board of Management is to be authorized, with the approval of the
Supervisory Board, to sell the repurchased shares of Deutsche Telekom AG,
excluding the subscription rights of the shareholders, with this part of the
capital stock representing no more than 10% of the capital stock if the Board of
Management sells the repurchased shares of Deutsche Telekom AG other than
through the stock exchange or an offer to all shareholders for a cash payment at
a price that is not significantly lower than the market price of Company shares
of equal ranking on the date of sale. The price at which repurchased treasury
shares are sold to third parties must not be less than a price 5% below the
market price determined by the opening auction in the Xetra trading system (or a
subsequent system) of Deutsche Börse AG on the day of the binding agreement with
the third party. That is a consequence of (l) of the authorization. If on the
day concerned no such market price is determined or is not determined by the
time of the binding agreement with the third party, then the last closing price
of the Deutsche Telekom AG share determined in the Xetra trading system (or a
subsequent system) of Deutsche Börse AG shall be decisive instead. The final
price at which Company shares are sold is set just before they are
sold.
The
option of selling repurchased treasury shares to the exclusion of subscription
rights for cash payment serves the interests of the Company to attain the best
possible price when selling treasury shares. The option of excluding
subscription rights in accordance with § 186 (3) sentence 4 AktG
enables the Company to take advantage of opportunities arising from any given
situation on the stock market to place shares quickly, flexibly and
cost-effectively. The amount realized by setting a price close to market levels
generally results in a considerably higher inflow of cash per share than would
be the case if the stock placement included shareholders' subscription rights,
and therefore brings about the largest possible addition
of capital resources. By dispensing with the processing of subscription rights,
which is a time-consuming, expensive process, the equity required can also be
furnished in a timely manner through market opportunities that arise at short
notice.
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
Although
§ 186 (2) sentence 2 AktG permits the announcement of the subscription price no
later than three days before the expiry of the subscription period, this also
entails a risk given the volatility of the stock markets, i.e. a risk of a price
change over several days, which can lead to safety margins being deducted when
fixing the sales price and thus to conditions which are not in line with those
of the market. In addition, the Company, when granting subscription rights, is
unable to respond quickly to favorable market conditions due to the length of
the subscription period.
The
option of selling treasury shares under the best possible conditions and without
a significant subscription rights markdown is especially important for the
Company because it must be able to swiftly and flexibly exploit market
opportunities that change rapidly and arise in new markets. In view of this, it
can be necessary, or at least useful, to raise shareholders' equity at short
notice.
The
proposed authorization is limited to a maximum of up to 10% of the Company's
capital stock. In principle, the Company's capital stock on the date the
resolution is adopted at the shareholders’ meeting on April 30, 2009 is
decisive. Should the capital stock be reduced, for example through the
redemption of repurchased treasury shares, the amount of capital stock on the
date of the sale of the shares is decisive. The authorized volume should be
decreased by the proportion of capital stock that is accounted for by the shares
or that relates to conversion and/or option rights and obligations from bonds
issued or sold since the shareholders’ meeting on April 30, 2008 adopted
the resolution directly pursuant to, in accordance with or analogous to
§ 186 (3) sentence 4 AktG. This should ensure that the 10% limit provided
for in § 186 (3) sentence 4 AktG is observed taking into account all
authorizations with the option of excluding subscription rights in accordance
with § 186 (3) sentence 4 AktG. Due to the fact that the authorization is
limited to this level and the sales price for the Company's shares to be granted
has to be oriented to the market price, shareholders’ financial interests and
voting rights are suitably safeguarded when treasury shares are sold to third
parties and shareholders’ subscription rights excluded on the basis of the
provision in § 71 (1) no. 8 sentence 5 in conjunction with § 186 (3)
sentence 4 AktG. As things currently stand, shareholders who wish to receive
their relative interest and relative share of voting rights have the opportunity
to purchase the number of shares required for this through the stock exchange.
Around 68% of the shares of Deutsche Telekom AG are in free float. The total
trading volume in the 2008 calendar year corresponded to over 191% of the
Company's capital stock.
Re. (f) of the
authorization:
The
subscription rights of the shareholders are also to be excluded if the Board of
Management uses the repurchased shares of Deutsche Telekom AG, with the approval
of the Supervisory Board, to list the Company's shares on foreign stock
exchanges on which the shares have not yet been listed. Deutsche Telekom AG is
engaged in fierce competition on the international capital markets. For its
future business development, it is of crucial importance that the Company be
appropriately endowed with equity capital and have the opportunity to obtain
equity capital on the market at all times and under appropriate conditions. For
this reason, Deutsche Telekom AG is endeavoring to broaden its base of
shareholders in other countries as well and to make investment in the Company's
shares an attractive proposition. Deutsche Telekom AG needs to be able to tap
into the world’s major capital markets. The price at which the repurchased
treasury shares are listed on foreign stock exchanges may not be more than 5%
below the market price established by the opening auction in the Xetra trading
system (or a subsequent system) of Deutsche Börse AG on the first day of
listing. That is a consequence of (l) of the authorization. If on the day
concerned
no such market price is determined, or is not determined by the time of the
initial public offering, then the last closing price of the Deutsche Telekom AG
share determined in the Xetra trading system (or a subsequent system) of
Deutsche Börse AG shall be decisive instead.
Re. (g) of the
authorization:
The
subscription rights of shareholders should also be excluded if the Board of
Management, with the approval of the Supervisory Board, offers and/or grants the
repurchased Deutsche Telekom AG shares to third parties in the context of
mergers or acquisitions of companies, business units, or interests in companies,
including increases of existing investment holdings, or other assets eligible
for contribution for such acquisitions, including receivables from the
Company.
Deutsche
Telekom AG is engaged in national and global competition. It must therefore
always be in a position to act swiftly and flexibly on national and
international markets. This includes the opportunity to improve its competitive
position through mergers with other companies or the acquisition of companies,
business units, and interests in companies. This also includes increasing
investments in Group companies.
The
optimal use of this opportunity in the interest of shareholders and the Company
involves, in individual cases, carrying out the merger or the acquisition of
companies, business units, or interests in companies by offering the shares of
the acquiring company. It has been seen in practice both on international and
national markets that the acquirer's shares are often requested as the
consideration for attractive acquisitions. For this reason, Deutsche Telekom AG
must be given the opportunity to offer and/or grant shares as consideration for
mergers or acquisitions of companies, business units, or interests in
companies.
In
addition, the motion for resolution makes express provisions for the exclusion
of shareholders' subscription rights in order to offer and/or grant repurchased
shares to acquire assets eligible for contribution in connection with the
acquisition of companies, business units, or interests in
companies.
In the
case of an acquisition, it can make economic sense to acquire other assets in
addition to the actual object acquired, for example those which serve the
economic purposes of the acquired object. This applies in particular if a
company that is being acquired does not own the industrial or intangible
property rights relating to its operations. In such and comparable cases,
Deutsche Telekom AG must be in a position to acquire assets related to the
acquisition plan and to offer shares as a consideration for this – because the
seller requests it, for example. A prerequisite for this is that the assets in
question be eligible for contribution in the event of a non-cash capital
increase.
The Board
of Management will, in particular, also be entitled to exclude shareholders'
subscription rights in order to grant the owners of receivables from Deutsche
Telekom AG – whether securitized or unsecuritized – arising in connection with
the sale of companies, business units, or interests in companies to Deutsche
Telekom AG shares in Deutsche Telekom AG wholly or partially in lieu of the cash
payments. In cases where, for example, the Company has initially agreed to pay
in cash for the acquisition of a company or an interest in a company, this may
give the Company the added flexibility of subsequently offering shares in lieu
of cash, thus protecting its liquidity. In individual cases, this procedure may
be more beneficial than financing the purchase price through prior disposal of
any repurchased shares over the stock exchange, where negative price effects are
conceivable.
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
The
granting of shares in the context of mergers or acquisitions of companies,
business units, or interests in companies, including increasing existing
investment holdings, or other assets eligible for contribution for such
acquisitions, including receivables from the Company, also
serves the purpose of authorized capital 2004 pursuant to § 5 (2) of
Deutsche Telekom AG's Articles of Incorporation, which is nevertheless limited
up to May 17, 2009, and the new authorized capital requested under item 11
on the agenda, authorized capital 2009/I, which will replace authorized capital
2004. However, it should also be possible to use repurchased treasury shares as
an acquisition currency. The proposed authorization is designed to give Deutsche
Telekom AG the leeway it requires to flexibly exploit opportunities for mergers
or the acquisition of companies, business units, or interests in companies or
other assets eligible for contribution for such acquisitions and in doing so to
also provide shares as a consideration without increasing capital – something
which is more time-consuming given the need for entry in the commercial register
– where this is appropriate.
To be
able to carry out such transactions swiftly and with the necessary flexibility,
the Board of Management needs to be authorized to grant treasury shares
excluding shareholders' subscription rights. Such a decision will be contingent
on the Supervisory Board's approval, however. When subscription rights are being
granted, mergers and the acquisition of companies, business units, or interests
in companies or other assets eligible for contribution for such acquisitions in
exchange for the granting of repurchased shares are not possible, and the
Company and its shareholders cannot benefit from the associated
advantages.
There are
currently no concrete plans to make use of this authorization. When specific
opportunities arise for mergers or acquisition of companies, business units, or
interests in companies, or there is an opportunity to acquire other assets
eligible for contribution for such acquisitions, the Board of Management shall
examine each case to decide whether to use treasury shares for this, excluding
shareholders' subscription rights. The Board of Management shall only use the
authorization if it is convinced that issuing Deutsche Telekom AG shares for a
merger or acquisition is in the best interests of the Company. In such cases,
the Board of Management will also carefully review and ascertain that the value
of the non-cash contribution is commensurate with the value of the
shares.
Re. (h) of the
authorization:
In
addition, the Company will have the option of using treasury shares to fulfill
conversion and/or option rights and obligations from bonds issued by the
Company, either directly or by a company in which the Company has a (direct or
indirect) majority holding, on the basis of the authorization granted by the
shareholders’ meeting under item 9 on the agenda on April 26, 2005 ((h) of
the authorization). Instead of increasing capital, it may be appropriate at
times to use the Company's shares entirely or partially to fulfill subscription
rights to treasury shares arising from such bonds, since such action is a
suitable way of counteracting the dilution of capital stock, and of the voting
rights of shareholders, that can occur to some extent if such rights are
fulfilled by creating new shares. The authorization therefore provides for
treasury shares to be used in such a way. In such cases, shareholders'
subscription rights shall also be excluded.
The
authorization granted under item 9 on the agenda by resolution of the
shareholders’ meeting on April 26, 2005 is available for inspection at the
commercial register in Bonn as part of the notarized minutes of this
shareholders’ meeting. The resolution can also be found in the invitation to the
shareholders’ meeting on April 26, 2005, which was published in the electronic
Federal Gazette dated March 15, 2005. The wording of the authorization
resolution has been available for inspection by shareholders in the business
offices of Deutsche Telekom AG at the Company's registered office,
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 140, 53113 Bonn, Germany, ever since this year’s
shareholders’ meeting was called and will be available during the shareholders’
meeting. It may also be viewed on Deutsche Telekom AG’s website:
http://www.telekom.com
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
Re. (i) of the
authorization:
The Board
of Management shall also be authorized to offer and/or grant repurchased shares
to employees of Deutsche Telekom AG and of lower-tier affiliated companies
(employee shares). Repurchased shares can also be issued to a bank, or to some
other company meeting the requirements of § 186 (5) sentence 1 AktG,
that assumes the obligation to use the shares exclusively for the purpose of
granting employee shares. The Board of Management may also acquire shares that
are to be granted as employee shares via a securities loan from a bank, or from
some other company meeting the requirements of § 186 (5) sentence 1
AktG, and then use repurchased shares to repay this securities loan. In such
cases, shareholders' subscription rights shall be excluded.
Deutsche
Telekom AG is to be put in a position to promote employee ownership of company
stock by granting employee shares. Granting employee shares serves the purpose
of integrating employees, increasing their willingness to help shoulder
responsibility and enhancing their loyalty to the company. Granting employee
shares is thus in the interest of the Company and its shareholders. It is in
keeping with the intent of the law, and it is facilitated by law in many ways.
When treasury shares are being issued as employee shares, special terms and
conditions may be conceded that are in line with the provisions on the granting
of tax privileges set out in the Employee Share Ownership Act (Mitarbeiterkapitalbeteiligungsgesetz)
passed by the Bundestag. The proposed authorization may not be used for the
granting of treasury shares to executives on grounds of membership of a
management or supervisory body at Deutsche Telekom AG or one of its lower-tier
affiliated companies.
In
addition to granting shares directly to employees, it will also be possible for
shares to be taken over by a bank, or by some other company meeting the
requirements of § 186 (5) sentence 1 AktG with the obligation to use
the shares exclusively for the purpose of granting employee shares. Shares will
then be granted to employees through the company that has taken over the shares
and is acting as an intermediary. With this possibility, therefore, offering
employee shares can be facilitated, for example, by having a bank largely
carrying out the procedure.
In
addition, employee shares may be acquired via a securities loan from a bank, or
some other company meeting the requirements of § 186 (5) sentence 1
AktG, and repurchased shares may be used to repay this securities loan. Using a
securities loan to acquire shares to be granted to employees also facilitates
the process of offering employee shares. In particular, it makes it possible to
reacquire precisely the volume of shares needed for granting employee shares at
a given time. The shares acquired in the context of the proposed purchase
authorization will thus not only be used for granting shares to the employees
themselves, but can also be used to meet lenders’ claims to repayment of loans.
In terms of the economic effect, the new shares would also be used to grant them
to employees.
Authorized
capital 2006 pursuant to § 5 (3) of the Articles of Incorporation of
Deutsche Telekom AG and the new authorized capital requested in item 12 of the
agenda, authorized capital 2009/II, which is due to replace authorized capital
2006, will be used for the granting of shares to employees of Deutsche Telekom
AG and the lower-tier affiliated companies as well as for the repayment of
corresponding securities loans. In the interest of maximum flexibility and
cost-effectiveness, however, it will also be possible to repurchase shares on
the basis of § 71 (1) no. 8 AktG and to offer and/or grant such
repurchased shares to employees. In cases in which only small numbers of shares
are required, or additionally required, for an employee stock program, such a
procedure may be more cost-effective than a capital increase, which involves
certain expenditure for implementation, and the admission of shares from
authorized capital 2009/II to trading.
Apart
from the authorization pursuant to (i), it is possible, without the approval of
the shareholders' meeting, to repurchase shares on the basis of § 71 (1)
no. 2 AktG and to offer the repurchased shares to employees. Reacquisition
on the basis of § 71 (1) no. 2 AktG does not fall within the category
of "safe harbor" privileges, however, in which insider dealing and market
manipulation are prohibited by law pursuant to provisions of Commission
Regulation (EC) no. 2273/2003 of 22 December 2003 implementing Directive
2003/6/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards exemptions
for buy-back programs and stabilization of financial instruments (OJ L 336 p.
33). For this reason, a pertinent authorization of the shareholders' meeting
would be required if safe-harbor privileges were to be claimed for acquisition
and granting of shares to be admitted as employee shares.
Regarding exclusion of
subscription rights for fractional amounts pursuant to (k) of the
authorization:
Finally,
the Board of Management is to be entitled to exclude shareholder subscription
rights for fractional amounts with the approval of the Supervisory Board when
offering treasury shares for sale to the Company's shareholders. The possibility
of excluding subscription rights for fractional amounts serves the purpose of
practically implementing the subscription ratio. The treasury shares excluded
from shareholders’ subscription rights as free fractional shares are realized by
selling them on the stock exchange or in some other way at the best price
available for the Company. Due to the limitation to fractional amounts the
potential dilution effect is low.
Considering
all the above-mentioned facts and circumstances, the Board of Management and the
Supervisory Board regard the exclusion of subscription rights in the
aforementioned cases, also making allowance for the dilution effect arising from
the exercise of the authorizations in question to the disadvantage of the
shareholders, as justified and reasonable vis-à-vis shareholders for the reasons
given. The Board of Management shall report to the shareholders’ meeting on the
details of any plans to make use of the authorization to buy back treasury
shares.
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
Report
on item 11 on the agenda: Report on the authorization regarding the exclusion of
subscription rights in the case of authorized capital 2009/I pursuant to
§ 186 (4) sentence 2 and § 203 (2) sentence 2 AktG.
Authorized
capital 2004 in § 5 (2) of the Articles of Incorporation is due to expire
on
May 17,
2009. For this reason it will – to the extent that it still exists – be
cancelled and new authorized capital, authorized capital 2009/I, will be created
with which new shares can be issued against non-cash contributions. The Company
will thus continue to have the flexibility it needs for mergers and
acquisitions.
The
Articles of Incorporation currently include two authorized capitals: As already
mentioned, § 5 (2) of the Articles of Incorporation includes authorized capital
2004, which provides the authorization to increase the share capital against
non-cash contributions with the possibility of excluding subscription rights to
use the new shares for certain merger or acquisition purposes. The Board of
Management exercised this authority from authorized capital 2004 originally
amounting to EUR 2,560,000,000 with the approval of the Supervisory Board
in August 2005 and resolved to increase the capital stock in the amount of
EUR 160,589,265.92 for the purpose of the merger of T-Online International
AG into Deutsche Telekom AG. The implementation of this capital increase was
entered in the commercial register on September 12, 2005; it took effect
together with the entry of the merger in the commercial register on June 6,
2006. Authorized capital 2004 currently still extends up to
EUR 2,399,410,734.08. In addition, § 5 (3) of the Articles of Incorporation
contains authorized capital 2006, which provides the authority to issue employee
shares
against
cash and/or non-cash contributions with the exclusion of shareholders'
subscription rights. Authorized capital 2006 currently extends up to
EUR 38,400,000.00 and runs until May 2, 2011. Under item 12 on the
agenda the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board propose to replace
authorized capital 2006 with a new authorized capital to be used for the
granting of employee shares, authorized capital 2009/II.
The new
authorized capital 2009/I requested amounting to EUR 2,176,000,000
constitutes approx. 19.49% of the capital stock currently amounting to
EUR 11,164,979,182.08. Authorized capital 2009/I will give the Board of
Management the authority to increase the capital stock, with the approval of the
Supervisory Board, by up to EUR 2,176,000,000 by issuing up to 850,000,000
registered no par value shares against non-cash contributions in the period up
to April 29, 2014. The authorization will be exercised as a whole or on one
or more occasions in partial amounts.
In the
event of capital increases against non-cash contributions, the Board of
Management will be authorized, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board,
to exclude shareholders' subscription rights when issuing new shares for mergers
or acquisitions of companies, business units, or interests in companies,
including increasing existing investment holdings, or other assets eligible for
contribution for such acquisitions, including receivables from the
Company.
Deutsche
Telekom AG is engaged in national and global competition. It must therefore
always be in a position to act swiftly and flexibly on national and
international markets. This includes the opportunity to improve its competitive
position through mergers with other companies or the acquisition of companies,
business units, and interests in companies. This also includes increasing
investments in Group companies.
The
optimal use of this opportunity in the interest of shareholders and the Company
involves, in individual cases, carrying out the merger or the acquisition of
companies, business units, or interests in companies by offering the shares of
the acquiring company. It can be seen that, in the case of mergers and
acquisitions of companies, business units, or interests in such companies, large
units are often involved, requiring the provision of substantial considerations
in many cases. Often these considerations cannot or should not be paid in cash.
In fact, to ensure that the liquidity of the Company is not endangered, it may
be more beneficial if the consideration that the Company is required to provide
for a merger or the acquisition of a company, a business unit or an interest in
another company can be provided wholly or partially in new shares of the
acquirer. It has been seen in practice both on international and national
markets that the acquirer's shares are often requested as the consideration for
attractive acquisitions. For this reason, Deutsche Telekom AG must be given the
opportunity to be able to offer new shares as consideration for mergers or
acquisitions of companies, business units, or interests in companies. To this
extent, non-cash contributions include companies, business units, or interests
in companies.
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
The
motion for resolution makes express provisions for the exclusion of
shareholders' subscription rights in order to issue new shares to acquire assets
eligible for contribution in connection with the acquisition of companies,
business units, or interests in companies.
In the
case of an acquisition, it can make economic sense to acquire other assets in
addition to the actual object acquired, for example those which serve the
economic purposes of the acquired object. This applies in particular if a
company that is being acquired does not own the industrial or intangible
property rights relating to its operations. In such and comparable cases,
Deutsche Telekom AG must be in a position to acquire assets related to the
acquisition plan, and – whether as liquidity protection or if required by the
seller – to offer shares as a consideration for this, assuming the relevant
assets are eligible for contribution. Deutsche Telekom AG should therefore also
have the option of increasing its capital stock against
non-cash contributions while excluding shareholders' subscription rights. In
such cases, non-cash contributions involve the asset related to the acquisition
plan.
The Board
of Management will, in particular, also be entitled when using authorized
capital 2009/I to exclude shareholders' subscription rights in order to grant
the owners of receivables from Deutsche Telekom AG – whether securitized or
unsecuritized – arising in connection with the sale of companies, business
units, or interests in companies to Deutsche
Telekom AG shares in Deutsche Telekom AG wholly or partially in lieu of the cash
payments. In cases where, for example, the Company has initially agreed to pay
in cash for the acquisition of a company or an interest in a company, this may
give the Company the added flexibility of subsequently offering shares in lieu
of cash, thus protecting its liquidity. Non-cash contributions are considered in
such cases to be receivables against Deutsche Telekom AG when using authorized
capital 2009/I.
While the
granting of shares in the context of mergers or acquisitions of companies,
business units, or interests in companies, including increasing existing
investment holdings, or other assets eligible for contribution for such
acquisitions, including receivables from the Company, serves the authorization
for use provided in g) of the resolution proposed in item 7 of the agenda for
the shareholders' meeting on April 30, 2009, the use of treasury shares as
acquisition currency ultimately precludes the possibility of purchasing them
beforehand. The use of treasury shares as acquisition currency may therefore
prove disadvantageous for the use of authorized capital in some circumstances,
mainly because of the liquidity needed to buy back the shares. The purchase
authorization is also limited to 10% of the capital stock. Deutsche Telekom AG
shares can be offered as consideration using authorized capital, independently
of a repurchase of treasury shares. The proposed authorization is designed to
give Deutsche Telekom AG the leeway it requires to flexibly exploit
opportunities for mergers or the acquisition of companies, business units, or
interests in companies or to acquire other assets eligible for contribution for
such acquisitions. The authorization will enable Deutsche
Telekom AG to use the authorized capital to grant new shares as consideration in
the context of mergers and acquisitions of companies, business units, and
interests in companies, or to acquire other assets eligible for contribution for
such acquisitions, where this is appropriate.
In order
to perform such transactions swiftly and with the necessary flexibility,
Deutsche Telekom AG must have the option of increasing its capital stock against
non-cash contributions while excluding shareholders' subscription rights. This
is why it is imperative that the Board of Management be authorized to exclude
shareholders' subscription rights when issuing new shares. Such a decision will
be contingent on the Supervisory Board's approval, however. When subscription
rights are being granted, mergers and the acquisition of companies, business
units, or interests in companies or other assets eligible for contribution for
such acquisitions in exchange for the issue of new shares are not possible and
the Company and its shareholders cannot benefit from the associated
advantages.
Authorized
capital 2009/I serves to ensure that authorized capital providing the
opportunity for a non-cash capital increase, including the option of excluding
shareholders' subscription rights in the process, is still available. Authorized
capital 2004 will no longer be used.
At
present, the Company does not have any concrete merger or acquisition plans
using authorized capital 2009/I and the opportunity of a non-cash capital
increase with the exclusion of shareholders' subscription rights that such
capital entails. When specific opportunities arise for mergers or acquisition of
companies, business units, or interests in companies, or there is an opportunity
to acquire other assets eligible for contribution for such acquisitions, the
Board of Management will examine each case to decide whether to use the option
of increasing capital against non-cash contributions while excluding
subscription rights. The Board of Management shall only use the authorization if
it is convinced that issuing
Deutsche Telekom AG shares to make an acquisition is in the best interests of
the Company. In such cases, the Board of Management will also carefully review
and ascertain that the value of the non-cash contribution is commensurate with
the value of the shares.
Considering
all the above-mentioned facts and circumstances, the Board of Management and the
Supervisory Board regard the authorization to exclude subscription rights, also
making allowance for the dilution effect arising from the exercise of the
authorizations in question to the disadvantage of the shareholders, as justified
and reasonable for the reasons given. The Board of Management shall report to
the shareholders’ meeting on each use of authorized capital 2009/I.
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
Report
on item 12 on the agenda: Report on the exclusion of subscription rights in the
case of authorized capital 2009/II pursuant to § 186 (4) sentence 2 and
§ 203 (1) sentence 1 AktG.
Authorized
capital 2006, which is used for the granting of shares to employees of Deutsche
Telekom AG and its lower-tier affiliated companies (employee shares), runs until
May 2,
2011. Against the backdrop of the Employee Share Ownership Act presented by the
federal government in October 2008 and passed by the Bundestag and to give the
Board of Management longer-term planning reliability for the creation of
employee stock programs, the existing authorized capital 2006 will be cancelled
prematurely and replaced with a new authorized capital, authorized capital
2009/II, which also exclusively serves the purpose of granting employee
shares.
The new
authorized capital 2009/II requested amounting to EUR 38,400,000
constitutes approx. 0.34% of the capital stock. The new authorized capital
2009/II will give the Board of Management the authority to increase the capital
stock, with the approval of the Supervisory Board, by up to EUR 38,400,000
by issuing up to 15,000,000 registered no par value shares against cash and/or
non-cash contributions in the period up to April 29, 2014. The new shares will
be issued exclusively for the purpose of granting shares to employees of
Deutsche Telekom AG and lower-tier affiliated companies (employee shares). The
issue of new shares on grounds of membership in a management or supervisory body
at Deutsche Telekom AG or one of its lower-tier affiliated companies must and
can be excluded on this basis. The authorization will be exercised as a whole or
on one or more occasions in partial amounts. Shareholders' subscription rights
will be excluded.
Deutsche
Telekom AG is to be put in a position to promote employee ownership of company
stock by granting employee shares. Granting employee shares serves the purpose
of integrating employees, increasing their willingness to help shoulder
responsibility and enhancing their loyalty to the company. Issuing employee
shares is thus in the interest of the Company and its shareholders. It is in
keeping with the intent of the law, and it is facilitated by law in many ways.
When new shares are being issued as employee shares, special terms and
conditions may be conceded that are in line with the provisions on the granting
of tax privileges set out in the Employee Share Ownership Act (Mitarbeiterkapitalbeteiligungsgesetz)
passed by the Bundestag. The volume of the proposed authorized capital 2009/I is
commensurate with the number of employees at Deutsche Telekom AG and its
lower-tier affiliated companies. When being determined, the expected
subscription results were taken into account along with the number of employees.
With an assumed participation of 110,000 employees per year, for example, the
proposed scope allows, over three years, an average of approximately 45 employee
shares to be transferred to each participating employee.
It will
also be possible to issue the employee shares in such a way that the
contribution to be paid for them is taken from part of the net income that the
Board of Management and the Supervisory Board can transfer to other retained
earnings in accordance with § 58 (2) AktG. This option and the requirements
to be complied with are set out in § 204 (3) AktG.
In
addition to issuing new shares directly to employees, it will be possible for
the new shares to be taken over by a bank or some other company that meets the
requirements of § 186 (5) sentence 1 AktG with the obligation to use these
shares exclusively for the purpose of granting employee shares. Shares will then
be issued to employees through the company that has taken over the shares and is
acting as an intermediary. This procedure can facilitate the process of offering
employee shares.
In
addition, employee shares may be acquired via a securities loan from a bank, or
some other company that meets the requirements of § 186 (5) sentence 1
AktG, and repurchased shares may be used to repay this securities loan. Using a
securities loan to acquire shares to be offered to employees also facilitates
the process of offering employee shares. The new shares created with the
authorized capital can thus not only be issued directly or indirectly to the
employees themselves, but can also be used to meet lenders’ claims to repayment
of loans. In this event, new shares are likewise issued against non-cash
contributions. In terms of the economic effect, the new shares would also be
used to grant them to employees.
Depending
on the extent and details of the specific employee stock ownership plan and the
reduction in price granted, personnel costs will be incurred at Deutsche
Telekom. For example, if 5,000,000 employee shares were granted from authorized
capital 2009/II and assuming that 110,000 employees participate with a reduction
in price up to the maximum annual tax-exempt amount possible pursuant to the
Employee Share Ownership Act passed by the Bundestag of EUR 360 per participant,
costs under IFRS or US GAAP of approximately EUR 39.6 million would be
incurred.
The
Company already has the opportunity to buy back shares on the basis of § 71
(1) no. 2
AktG and offer them to employees for subscription. It will also be authorized in
accordance with i) of the proposed resolution on item 7 of the agenda for the
shareholders' meeting on April 30, 2009 to offer and/or grant treasury
shares as employee shares and to use them to repay securities loans used to
acquire employee shares. The use of treasury
shares for these purposes, however, ultimately precludes the possibility of
purchasing them beforehand. In this respect, the use of treasury shares may
therefore prove disadvantageous for the use of authorized capital in some
circumstances, mainly because of the liquidity needed to buy back the shares.
Using authorized capital, shares of Deutsche Telekom AG can be granted as
employee shares independently of the repurchase of treasury shares. They can
also be used to repay securities loans used to acquire employee
shares.
To be
able to issue new shares as employee shares, it is necessary to exclude
shareholders' subscription rights. If subscription rights were granted, it would
not be possible to issue new shares as employee shares or repay securities loans
used to acquire employee shares, and the associated advantages for the Company
and its shareholders could not be obtained.
Authorized
capital 2009/II may not be used for a purpose other than granting employee
shares and repaying securities loans used to acquire employee
shares.
Considering
all the above-mentioned facts and circumstances, the Board of Management and the
Supervisory Board regard the exclusion of subscription rights, also making
allowance for the dilution effect arising from the exercise of the authorization
to the disadvantage of the shareholders, as justified and reasonable for the
reasons given. The Board of Management shall report to the shareholders’ meeting
on each use of authorized capital 2009/II.
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
Right to
Participate and Voting Right
The total
number of issued shares, each of which has one voting right, amounts to
4.361.319.993 on the date the shareholders’ meeting was convened (in accordance
with § 30b (1) sentence 1 no. 1 alt. 2 of the Securities Trading Act
(Wertpapierhandelsgesetz - WpHG); this total number also includes treasury
shares from which no entitlement to rights arises for the Company pursuant to
§ 71b AktG).
Shareholders
are eligible to attend the shareholders’ meeting and to exercise the right to
vote at the shareholders’ meeting under § 16 (1) of the Articles of
Incorporation if they are entered in the shareholders’ register, and if they
have registered with the Company on time, i.e.
by
midnight on Thursday, April 23, 2009 at the latest,
in
writing, by fax or electronically via the Internet. Deadline compliance shall be
determined on the basis of when the registration is received.
It is
possible to register with the Company in the following ways:
either in
writing, at the following address:
DTAG
Hauptversammlung 2009
c/o
ADEUS Aktienregister-Service-GmbH
20683
Hamburg, Germany
or by
fax at the fax number
+49-228-
181-78879
or
electronically via the Internet in accordance with the stipulated procedure on
the website
http://www.agm-telekom.com
Details
on the procedure to follow when registering via the Internet can be found at the
above Web site. The procedure stipulated for registering via the Internet
requires the shareholder to have been entered in the shareholders’ register no
later than two weeks before the date of the shareholders' meeting.
Pursuant
to § 67 (2) sentence 1 AktG, only those persons who are entered in the
shareholders’ register are considered to be shareholders of the Company.
Consequently, they only have the right to participate and the voting right
provided they are entered as shareholders in the shareholders’ register on the
day of the shareholders’ meeting. The number of voting rights to which a person
eligible to participate in the shareholders’ meeting is entitled to depends on
the share portfolio entered in the shareholders’ register on the day of the
shareholders’ meeting. For processing reasons, however, no changes will be
recorded in the shareholders’ register during the period from Friday, April 24,
2009 (inclusive) to the day of the shareholders’ meeting, i.e., Thursday, April
30, 2009 (inclusive).
Banks and
shareholders' associations (as well as persons or associations with the same
status as these in accordance with § 135 (9) or § 135 (12) in
conjunction with § 125 (5) AktG) may only exercise voting rights on
registered shares that do not belong to them but as the bearer of which they are
entered in the shareholders' register if authorized to do so.
Voting
rights may be exercised by a proxy – for example, by a bank, a shareholders’
association or the proxies appointed by the Company.
If
neither a bank nor a shareholders' association (or a person or association with
the same status as these in accordance with § 135 (9) or § 135 (12) in
conjunction with § 125 (5) AktG) is granted authorization, the proxy must
be granted either in writing or, in accordance with the procedure envisaged for
this, over the Internet via the Web address provided above
(http://www.agm-telekom.com). The procedure stipulated for granting a proxy via
the Internet requires the shareholder to have been entered in the shareholders’
register no later than two weeks before the date of the shareholders' meeting.
The written form shall also be deemed adhered to if the Company receives the
signed proxy document by midnight on Thursday, April 23, 2009, by fax at
+49-228-181-78879. If the proxies appointed by the Company are granted
authorization, they shall exercise their voting rights only in keeping with
explicit voting instructions they have received.
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
We will
send our shareholders further information regarding voting by proxy and issuing
instructions, along with the relevant forms, together with the invitations to
the shareholders' meeting.
Counter-motions
within the meaning of § 126 AktG, and nominations for election within the
meaning of § 127 AktG, are to be sent to:
Gegenanträge
zur
Hauptversammlung DTAG 2009
Postfach
19 29
53009
Bonn, Germany
Fax:
+49-228-181-88259
E-mail:
counter-motions.bonn@telekom.de
Counter-motions
and nominations for elections from shareholders that have been received
by
midnight
on Thursday, April 16, 2009
and that
fulfill additional requirements pertaining to the Company's publicity
obligations pursuant to § 126 and § 127 AktG shall be published, along
with the name of the shareholder, the reason and any response provided by the
administration, on the Web site
http://www.telekom.com/countermotions
To ensure
that all shareholders have the opportunity to thoroughly consider
counter-motions and nominations for election before the registration deadline
ends, we recommend that any counter-motions and nominations for election be
submitted as early as possible. It is not necessary to provide reasons for
nominations pursuant to § 127 sentence 2 AktG.
Owners of
American Depositary Shares (ADS) who intend to take part in the shareholders’
meeting can register via Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, USA. Shareholders
who hold their shares in Japan through Japan Securities Depository Center and
who wish to exercise their right to vote should contact The Sumitomo Trust &
Banking Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.
Every
shareholder will, upon request, be sent a copy of the documents, which will also
be available for inspection at the shareholders’ meeting, without delay and free
of charge.
These
documents are also available on the Web site at
http://www.telekom.com
According
to the resolution adopted by the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board,
the shareholders’ meeting will be broadcast live in full length on the Internet,
pursuant to § 15 (2) of the Articles of Incorporation, at
http://www.telekom.com/agm-live
Bonn,
March 2009
Deutsche
Telekom AG
Board
of Management
This
translation is for courtesy purposes only. The German original
prevails.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has
duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized.
|
|
DEUTSCHE
TELEKOM AG
|
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Guido
Kerkhoff
|
Name:
|
Guido
Kerkhoff
|
Title:
|
Member
of the Management Board for South Eastern
Europe
|
Date:
March 18, 2009