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Daimler Board of Management at virtual general meeting in July 2020
Photo: Daimler AG / dpa
According to the state ministers of justice, virtual general meetings should become an equal alternative to face-to-face meetings over the long term. "The pandemic has made it clear that general meetings can also be held virtually effectively," said the chairman of the conference, North Rhine-Westphalia Justice Minister Peter Biesenbach (CDU), after he and his colleagues had attended an online meeting themselves. It should be left to companies whether they want to use this means or not.
The basis for the new option is a change in the German Stock Corporation Act.
According to this, companies should also be able to hold a virtual general meeting in the period after December 31, 2021, according to a resolution of the Conference of Justice Ministers.
The Federal Ministry of Justice is asked to promptly submit a draft law that creates the necessary permanent legal framework for digital meetings and resolutions from the 2022 general meeting season.
The rights of shareholders in the virtual general meeting should - taking into account the special nature of electronic communication - be equivalent to those of shareholders in a face-to-face event.
ssu / dpa-AFX
