Declaration of Compliance March 2011
Declaration of Compliance by the Executive Board and Supervisory Board of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG in accordance with Sec. 161 of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG) regarding the recommendations of the Government Commission on the German Corporate Governance Code
Declaration of Compliance March 2011
The Executive Board and Supervisory Board of ProSiebenSat.1
Media AG declare that the recommendations of the Government
Commission on the German Corporate Governance Code in the version
of June 18, 2009, and, as of its date of validity, since it became
applicable the version of May 26, 2010, as published in the
official part of the electronic version of the Federal Gazette on
July 2, 2010, are complied with in principle and were complied with
in the past. Only the following recommendations in the Code were
not and shall not be applied:
• The Executive Board of the Company has not appointed a proxy to
exercise shareholder voting rights at the Annual General Meeting in
accordance with instructions (Item 2.3.3 of the Corporate
Governance Code). There is no need for such a proxy at present
because of the current shareholder structure and the limited number
of shareholders entitled to vote at the Annual General
Meeting.
• The D&O insurance policies the Company has taken out for the
Executive Board and the Supervisory Board have provided for a
deductible for insured members of the Executive Board within the
bounds laid down both by law (Section 93 (2) Sentence 3 of the
German Stock Corporation Act in conjunction with Section 23 (1) of
the Introductory Act to the German Stock Corporation Act) and by
the pertinent employment contracts since July 1, 2010. However,
neither the Executive Board nor the Supervisory Board regards a
deductible as an effective way of enhancing board members'
motivation or sense of responsibility. Contrary to the
recommendation in item 3.8 of the German Corporate Governance Code,
no deductible is agreed in D&O insurance policies for
Supervisory Board members.
• The stock option plan (Long-term Incentive Plan) first approved
at the Annual General Meeting in May 2005, as part of the
authorization to acquire treasury stock, and most recently renewed
by resolution of the Annual General Meeting of June 2010, provides
only for incentive targets relating to the trading price of the
Company's stock. Additional comparison parameters relating to
corporate key figures (Item 4.2.3 of the Corporate Governance Code)
were not included, since due to the particular conditions of the
German TV advertising market, no comparable German or foreign
companies can be identified. The members of the Executive Board do
not participate in the Long Term Incentive Plan 2010 and thus have
not received any further stock options in addition to the options
already granted.
• The contracts of the Company's Executive Board already existing
at the time when the act on Appropriateness of Management Board
Compensation (VorstAG) became applicable on August 5, 2009, do not
include a "severance pay cap" (Item 4.2.3 of the Corporate
Governance Code), as the Company did not consider this as advisable
at that time. Insofar as the Company will sign new Executive Board
contracts, or amend existing Executive Board contracts in the
future, the Company will take care to ensure that payments made to
an Executive Board member on premature termination of that member's
employment without serious cause, including fringe benefits, do not
exceed the value of two years' compensation (severance pay cap) and
provide compensation for no more than the remaining term of the
contract.
• The Supervisory Board of the Company has abstained from complying
with the recommendations of item 5.4.1 para. 2 and 3 of the
Corporate Governance Code. Pursuant to item 5.4.1 para. 2 and 3 of
the Corporate Governance Code the Supervisory Board shall specify
concrete objectives regarding its composition which, whilst
considering the specifics of the enterprise, take into account the
international activities of the enterprise, potential conflicts of
interest, an age limit to be specified for members of the
Supervisory Board and diversity. These concrete objectives shall,
in particular, stipulate an appropriate degree of female
representation. Recommendations by the Supervisory Board to the
competent election bodies shall take these objectives into account.
The concrete objectives of the Supervisory Board and the status of
the implementation shall be published in the Corporate Governance
Report.
The Supervisory Board is of the opinion that such formalized
procedure regarding the objectives of its composition is not
required, in particular, to ensure that these criteria set out by
the German Corporate Governance Code are reflected with a view to
the composition of the Supervisory Board. The Supervisory Board is
rather of the opinion that without such formalized procedure, the
composition of the Supervisory Board will be implemented in a way
that is in the best interest of the Company as well.
• The members of the Supervisory Board receive only a fixed
component of compensation. No additional results-based variable
component (Item 5.4.6 of the German Corporate Governance Code) is
provided. The Company believes a fair fixed compensation is better
suited to the function of the Supervisory Board, which is to
provide oversight irrespective of profit to the Company.
Subject to the exceptions stated above, ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG
intends in the future to continue complying with the
recommendations of the Government Commission on the German
Corporate Governance Code in the version of May 26, 2010, as
published in the official part of the electronic version of the
Federal Gazette on July 2, 2010.
March 2011
The Executive Board and Supervisory Board of ProSiebenSat.1 Media
AG
