The Dutch Corporate Governance Code (`the Code`) only applies to companies whose shares are listed on a regulated market. Even though Triodos Bank's depository receipts are not listed on any regulated market it chooses to endorse and comply with the principles and best practices of the Code. The full comply-or-explain statement as required under the Code can be downloaded below.
Although Triodos Bank generally complies with the principles and best practices of the Code, it has opted to consciously differ from it in several specific instances.
The first deviation relates to voting rights on shares and appointments. To secure the continuity of Triodos Bank's mission and objectives, Depository Receipt Holders cannot exercise voting rights on the underlying shares. Instead these rights are exercised by SAAT. For the same reason, Depository Receipt Holders cannot make recommendations for appointments of members of the Board of SAAT and former Executive Board or Supervisory Board members of the bank can be appointed as members of the Board of SAAT.
The second instance relates to the term of office of Executive Board members. This term is not limited to a period of four years because Triodos Bank feels that this would not serve the long term development of the organisation.
Triodos Bank also differs from the best practice in the Code that states that a person may be appointed to the Supervisory Board for a maximum of three, four-year terms. Its articles of association allow the General Meeting to re-appoint a member of the Supervisory Board, in exceptional circumstances, after his or her maximum number of terms has been completed. This creates extra time and space for the Supervisory Board to fill vacancies with high quality people.
The fourth instance relates to the fact that Aart de Geus deviates from one of the independence criteria (best practice 2.1.8) of the Dutch Corporate Governance Code because a family member is a Triodos Bank Group co-worker.
Triodos Bank also differs from the Code's best practice when submitting all proposals to the General Meeting for material amendments to the Articles of Association as separate agenda items. For practical reasons Triodos Bank wants to retain the possibility, at the discretion of the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board, to submit a proposal for multiple amendments to the Articles of Association as one single agenda item when there is a strong degree of interrelatedness between these proposed amendments.
Finally, as it does not have any share plans or option schemes in place, several Code provisions regarding executive remuneration do not apply to Triodos Bank. The total costs for executive remuneration, which primarily consist of wages and pension elements, are published in the annual report.
We elaborate on how Triodos Bank applies the principles and best practices of the Code in a full Comply-or-Explain Matrix and we link to the Corporate Governance Code Statement below.
Corporate Governance Code Statement Triodos Bank N.V.
