The notes contains disclosures pursuant to § 160 (1) no. 2 AktG.
Report in accordance with § 315a (1) HGB
The following information has been provided by the Company in response to the requirements of § 315a (1) sentence 1 nos. 1 to 9 HGB:
- As at 30 June 2019, the share capital of Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA amounts to EUR 92,000,000.00 and is divided into 92,000,000 no-par value ordinary bearer shares. All of the shares have been admitted to trading on the Regulated Market (Prime Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and to the over-the-counter markets (Open Market) in Berlin, Bremen, Stuttgart, Munich, Hamburg and Düsseldorf. Each no-par value share entitles the holder to one vote at the Annual General Meeting. The Company has only one class of shares, and all shares carry the same rights and obligations. All other rights and responsibilities attaching to the Company's shares are determined in accordance with the German Stock Corporation Act (Aktiengesetz, "AktG").
- Restrictions affecting the voting rights or transfer of the shares, and
- Interests in the share capital of Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA exceeding 10% of the voting rights as at 30 June 2019:
- Evonik Industries AG, Essen, Germany: 14.78% of the voting rights
- Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany: 14.86% of the voting rights (of which 5.53% held directly and 9.33% held indirectly by including the voting rights of Bernd Geske, Germany, pursuant to § 22 (2) and henceforth § 34 (2) WpHG)
- Bernd Geske, Meerbusch, Germany: 14.86% of the voting rights (of which 9.33% held directly and 5.53% held indirectly by including the voting rights of Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany, pursuant to § 22 (2) and henceforth § 34 (2) WpHG)
According to the information available, the inclusion of the voting rights in either case is based on a shareholders' agreement concluded between Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund and Bernd Geske currently for a term until 30 June 2022 (after the original agreement ending on 30 June 2017 was extended). The material subject matter of said agreement is the stipulation binding the parties to exercise their voting rights in favour of Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund with regard to Bernd Geske's shares in Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA, and that Bernd Geske and Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund mutually agree to inform one another and vote on any changes to their respective shareholdings in Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA, especially pertaining to the transfer of shares. - There are no shares with special rights conferring powers of control.
- There is no control of voting rights in cases in which employees are shareholders.
- Because of its legal form as a partnership limited by shares, Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA does not have a management board. Instead, management and representation of the Company is the responsibility of the general partner. The provisions of Article 6 No. 1 of the Articles of Association stipulate that Borussia Dortmund Geschäftsführungs-GmbH, with registered offices in Dortmund, is to act as such an executive body on a permanent basis and not for a limited period of time by virtue of its status as a shareholder. The appointment and removal of managing directors of Borussia Dortmund Geschäftsführungs-GmbH is governed by § 8 no. 6 of its shareholders' agreement and is the responsibility of the Executive Committee of its Advisory Board, and therefore not of the Supervisory Board of Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA.
In principle, changes may be made to the Articles of Association of Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA only by a resolution of its Annual General Meeting, which, in accordance with § 133 (1) of the AktG, must be passed by a simple majority of votes and also, in accordance with Article 15 No. 3 of the Articles of Association of the Company in conjunction with § 179 (1) and (2) of the AktG, by a simple majority of the capital represented on the date of the resolution, except to the extent that mandatory statutory provisions or the Articles of Association stipulate otherwise. A mandatory provision of statute requires that a resolution of the Annual General Meeting be passed by a majority of three-quarters of the share capital represented on the date of the resolution in the event of changes to the Articles of Association relating to the object of the Company (§ 179 (2) sentence 2 AktG), the issuance of non-voting preferred shares (§ 182 (1) sentence 2 AktG), capital increases involving the disapplication of pre-emptive subscription rights (§ 186 (3) AktG), the creation of conditional capital (§ 193 (1) AktG), the creation of authorised capital (§ 202 (2) AktG) – where appropriate with authorisation to disapply pre-emptive subscription rights (§ 203 (2) sentence 2 in conjunction with § 186 (3) AktG) –, the ordinary or simplified reduction of share capital (§ 222 (1) sentence 2 and § 229 (3) AktG) or a change of legal form (§ 233 (2) and § 240 (1) of the German Reorganisation and Transformation Act [Umwandlungsgesetz, "UmwG"]). In addition, capital increases, other changes to the Articles of Association and other decisions of a fundamental nature may only be resolved with the approval of the general partner in accordance with § 285 (2) sentence 1 of the AktG. The Supervisory Board is authorised in accordance with Article 12 No. 5 of the Articles of Association to resolve changes to the Articles of Association which relate only to the wording thereof, in particular in connection with the amount of capital increases from authorised and conditional capital. - The general partner is authorised until 23 November 2019, with the approval of the Supervisory Board, to increase the share capital by a maximum of EUR 23,000,000.00 in total by issuing new no-par value ordinary bearer shares against cash and/or in-kind contributions on one or more occasions (Authorised Capital 2014). The limited liability shareholders have a statutory pre-emptive right over new shares issued by the Company. Such new shares may also be subscribed by a bank or a company in accordance with § 53 (1) sentence 1 or § 53b (1) sentence 1 or (7) of the German Banking Act (Kreditwesengesetz, "KWG") if it agrees to offer them to the limited liability shareholders for subscription. However, the general partner is authorised, with the approval of the Supervisory Board, to decide to disapply the statutory pre-emptive subscription rights of the limited liability shareholders. Pre-emptive subscription rights may be disapplied
a) with respect to fractional amounts arising as a consequence of subscription ratios;
b) in the event of capital increases against cash contributions up to a total amount of 10% of the share capital existing on the date of registration of the Authorised Capital 2014 or, if lower, 10% of the share capital existing on the date of exercise of the authorisation (in each case taking into account any other authorisations made use of during the effective period of this authorisation for the disapplication of pre-emptive subscription rights pursuant to or through the corresponding application of § 186 (3) sentence 4 of the AktG), provided the issue amount of the new shares does not fall significantly below the market price;
c) in the event of capital increases against in-kind contributions, particularly for the purpose of acquiring companies, equity investments, real estate, rights and claims against the Company.
The general partner is authorised, with the approval of the Supervisory Board, to determine the further details of the capital increase and the terms and conditions of the share issue.
In the event of a takeover bid for shares issued by the Company and admitted to trading on a regulated market, the general statutory responsibilities and powers apply to the general partner in other respects. For example, if a takeover bid were to be received, the general partner and the Supervisory Board would be required to issue and publish a response to the bid, giving their reasons, in accordance with § 27 of the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act (Wertpapiererwerbs- und Übernahmegesetz, "WpÜG") to enable the limited liability shareholders to make a decision on the bid on an informed basis. Moreover, in accordance with § 33 WpÜG, once a takeover bid has been announced, the general partner may not take any actions outside the ordinary course of business that could frustrate the success of the bid, unless those actions have been authorised by the Annual General Meeting, or the Supervisory Board has given its approval of the actions or the actions relate to obtaining a competing bid. In making their decisions, the general partner and the Supervisory Board are bound to have regard to the interests of the Company, its employees and its shareholders. At the end of the reporting period, the Articles of Association did not contain any provisions within the meaning of §§ 33a – 33c WpÜG (European prohibition on frustrating action, European breakthrough rule, reservation of reciprocity). - The Company is not a party to any material agreements which are conditional on a change of control following a takeover bid for the issued shares of Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA.
- The Company is not a party to any compensation agreements that would apply in the event of a takeover bid.