Provision in the Articles of Association Governing the Appropriation of Results
The company shall have a policy on reserves and dividends which shall be determined and may be amended by the board of directors. The adoption and thereafter each material change of the policy on reserves and dividends shall be discussed at the general meeting under a separate agenda item.
From the profits, shown in the annual accounts, as adopted, the board of directors shall determine which part shall be reserved. Any profits remaining thereafter shall be at the disposal of the general meeting. The board of directors shall make a proposal for that purpose. A proposal to pay a dividend shall be dealt with as a separate agenda item at the general meeting.
Distribution of dividends on the shares shall be made in proportion to the nominal value of each share.
Distributions may be made only insofar as the company’s equity exceeds the amount of the paid in and called up part of the issued capital, increased by the reserves which must be kept by virtue of the law.
If a loss was suffered during any one year, the board of directors may resolve to offset such loss by writing it off against a reserve which the company is not required to keep by virtue of the law.
The distribution of profits shall be made after the adoption of the annual accounts, from which it appears that the same is permitted.
The board of directors may, subject to due observance of the policy of the company on reserves and dividends, resolve to make an interim distribution, provided the requirement of paragraph 4 of this article has been complied with, as shown by interim accounts. Such interim accounts shall show the financial position of the company not earlier than on the first day of the third month before the month in which the resolution to make the interim distribution is announced. Such interim accounts shall be signed by all members of the board of directors. If the signature of one or more of them is missing, this shall be stated and reasons for this omission shall be given. The interim accounts shall be deposited in the offices of the trade register within eight days after the day on which the resolution to make the interim distribution has been announced.
At the proposal of the board of directors, the general meeting may resolve to make a distribution on shares wholly or partly not in cash but in shares.
The board of directors may, subject to due observance of the policy of the company on reserves and dividends, resolve that distributions to holders of shares shall be made out of one or more reserves.
A claim of a shareholder for payment of a distribution shall be barred after five years have elapsed.
