Special statutory rights

DSM Preference Shares Foundation

The DSM Preference Shares Foundation was established in 1989.

By virtue of DSM’s Articles of Association, 375,000,000 cumulative preference shares B can be issued. The listing prospectus of 1989 stated that if, without the approval of the Managing Board and Supervisory Board, either a bid is made for the ordinary shares or a significant participation in ordinary shares is built up, or such an event is likely to occur, then these preference shares B may be issued, which shall have the same voting rights as the ordinary shares.

Under an agreement entered into in 1999, and subsequently amended, between the DSM Preference Shares Foundation and DSM, the Foundation has the right to acquire such preference shares (call option) to a maximum corresponding to 100% of the capital issued in any form other than preference shares B, less one.

The objective of the Foundation is to promote the interest of DSM, and the enterprise maintained by DSM and all parties connected therewith, whereby influences that would threaten the continuity, independence or identity, contrary to the aforementioned interests, are resisted to the maximum extent possible.

The purpose of the agreement with the Foundation is, among other things, for the Foundation to allow DSM the opportunity to determine its position, for example with regard to a possible bidder for DSM shares or a party or parties tempting to obtain (de facto) control, to examine any plans in detail and, to the extent applicable, to look for (better) alternatives. Preference shares B will not be outstanding longer than necessary. As soon as there are no longer any reasons for the preference shares B to remain outstanding, the Managing Board will convene a General Meeting of Shareholders and recommend the cancellation of the preference shares B that are still outstanding.

The Foundation acquired no preference shares B in 2020.

The DSM Preference Shares Foundation is an independent legal entity within the meaning of article 5:71, first paragraph, under c of the Dutch Act on Financial Supervision (Wet op het financieel toezicht).

On 31 December 2020, the Board of the Foundation was composed as follows:

Gerard Kleisterlee, Chair
Cees Maas, Deputy Chair
Bas Kortmann