Bekaert: General Meetings of Shareholders

General Meetings of Shareholders

-           Approval of a gross dividend of € 1.80
-           Approval of the proposed reappointments

On Wednesday 8 May 2024, Bekaert’s Annual General Meeting of Shareholders took place chaired by Jürgen Tinggren, Chairman of the Board of Directors. The following main subjects were considered.

The meeting approved the balance sheet and the income statement per 31 December 2023, as submitted by the Board of Directors, including the distribution of a gross dividend of € 1.80 per share.The dividend ex-date is 10 May 2024. The dividend will be payable on 14 May 2024 by the following banks: ING Belgium, Bank Degroof Petercam, BNP Paribas Fortis, KBC Bank and Belfius Bank in Belgium, Société Générale in France, ABN AMRO Bank in the Netherlands and UBS in Switzerland.

The meeting acknowledged the 2023 annual report of the Board of Directors and approved the remuneration report for the year 2023. The meeting discharged the Directors and the Statutory Auditor for the performance of their duties during the financial year 2023. and approved the remuneration of the Directors.

The meeting accepted the recommendations:

• to reappoint Christophe Jacobs van Merlen as Director for a term of four years, until the Annual General Meeting to be held in 2028;
• to reappoint Yves Kerstens as Director for a term of four years, until the Annual General Meeting to be held in 2028;
• to reappoint Emilie van de Walle de Ghelcke as Director for a term of four years, until the Annual General Meeting to be held in 2028;
• to reappoint Henri Jean Velge as Director for a term of four years, until the Annual General Meeting to be held in 2028.

The meeting reappointed EY Bedrijfsrevisoren as the Statutory Auditor and entrusted them with the assurance of the consolidated sustainability reporting, for a term of three years, up to and including the Annual General Meeting to be held in 2027 and approved the remuneration.

The meeting approved a number of change of control provisions.

Just before the Annual General Meeting, an Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders took place as well. The meeting amended the Articles of Association, thereby removing the obligation for the General Meeting to decide on the number of Directors. Further, the meeting extended a number of authorizations to the Board of Directors (including the authority to acquire, accept in pledge and transfer own securities). Though the meeting did not reach the qualified majority required to extend the authorization granted to the Board to increase the capital, the present authorization remains valid till June 2025.

Attachment

• p240508E - General Meeting