The meeting approved the balance sheet and the income statement as at 31 December 2019, as submitted by the Board of Directors, including the distribution of a gross dividend of € 0.35 per share.

The dividend ex-date is 14 May 2020. The dividend will be payable on 20 November 2020 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 2019 annual report of the Board of Directors, and approved the remuneration report for the year 2019. The meeting discharged the Directors and the Statutory Auditor for the performance of their duties during the financial year 2019 and approved the remuneration of the Directors.

The meeting accepted the recommendations:
– to confirm the mandate of Mr Oswald Schmid as Director for a term of two years, until the Annual General Meeting to be held in 2022;
– to appoint Ms Henriette Fenger Ellekrog as independent Director for a term of one year, until the Annual General Meeting to be held in 2021;
– to appoint Ms Eriikka Söderström as independent Director for a term of one year, until the Annual General Meeting to be held in 2021;
– to re-appoint Mr Christophe Jacobs van Merlen as Director for a term of four years, until the Annual General Meeting to be held in 2024;
– to re-appoint Ms Emilie van de Walle de Ghelcke as Director for a term of four years, until the Annual General Meeting to be held in 2024;
– to re-appoint Mr Henri Jean Velge as Director for a term of four years, until the Annual General Meeting to be held in 2024.

Related press release: 12 March 2020: Bekaert announces leadership changes and nomination of new directors

The meeting approved a number of change of control provisions.

Today an Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders took place as well. The meeting aligned the articles of association of the Company with the new Code on Companies and Associations, expanded the Company’s object and granted a number of authorizations to the Board of Directors (among other things to acquire, accept in pledge and transfer own securities and to increase the capital).

The General Meetings were held behind closed doors in accordance with the Royal Decree n° 4 of 9 April 2020 on various provisions regarding legislation on co-ownership and companies and associations, in the framework of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.