New GVH decision approving the acquisition of Invitel Tavkozlesi Zrt. by DIGI Tavkozlesi es Szolgaltato Kft

(PRESS RELEASE) BUCHAREST, Romania, 19-Mar-2020 — /EPR FINANCIAL NEWS/ — The Company informs its shareholders and investors that the Hungarian Competition Authority (Gazdasagi Versenyhivatal, hereinafter “GVH”) has issued on 18 March 2020 a new decision approving the acquisition by our Hungarian subsidiary, DIGI Tavkozlesi es Szolgaltato Kft. (“Digi HU”) of shares representing in total 99.998395% of the share capital and voting rights of Invitel Tavkozlesi Zrt. (“Invitel”) (the “Transaction”)

As disclosed in the Company’s current report on 15 November 2018, GVH withdrew on 14 November 2018 its initial decision approving the Transaction, issued in May 2018 (the “Withdrawal Decision”) and opened a new merger control procedure with the purpose of reassessing certain limited aspects in connection with market overlaps between Invitel and i-TV Digitalis Tavkozlesi Zrt. (“i-TV”, Digi HU’s Hungarian subsidiary) (the “New Procedure”) and imposed a fine of approximately EUR 280,000 (HUF 90,000,000). For more details, please refer to the current report dated 15 November 2018, which can be found at http://www.bvb.ro/FinancialInstruments/SelectedData/NewsItem/DIGI-Actualizare-cu-privire-la-tranzactia-Invitel/309C6 or at https://www.digi-communications.ro/en/investor-relations/shares/current-reports/digi-current-report-update-regarding-the-invitel-transaction.

We would like to remind our shareholders and investors that the Withdrawal Decision has been appealed by Digi HU, with the decision issued by the competent Hungarian court in first instance reducing the amount of the fine in half. In addition, although the competent court has maintained the Withdrawal Decision in relation to Digi HU’s alleged failure to proactively act in a required manner, it also established that GVH had failed to properly gather the necessary information at the time of its initial approval in order to clarify the matter. Both GVH and Digi have filed appeals against the court’s decision. The appeal hearing was initially scheduled for March 25, 2020, but as consequence to the measures implemented by the Hungarian government in response to the COVID – 19 epidemics, the hearing has been postponed.

Although we firmly continue to believe that the Withdrawal Decision was incorrect, in the context of the New Procedure and in order to address the authority’s concerns formulated at the time of it issuing the Withdrawal Decision, in consultation with GVH, Digi HU proposed a remedy package. One of the main elements of this package is the sale by Invitel to a third party of its operations in 14 Hungarian settlements and parts of its network in the Szeged settlement that overlapped with DIGI Hungary’s own network there, the sale and purchase agreement having been executed on 9 January 2020. In response to the competition concerns identified by GVH in connection with 67 settlements where Invitel has overlapping services with i-TV, Digi HU proposed to ensure that i-TV’s rental agreements with the relevant local network operators will not be terminated until December 31, 2023 (but will be discontinued from 1 January 2024). Following its analysis of the proposal of this remedial package aimed at addressing competition concerns in connection with the Transaction, GVH authorised again DIGI Hungary’s acquisition of Invitel. Digi HU has to fulfil the remedial measures within three months as of the official communication of the new approval to it.

For details regarding the reports, please access the official website designated of Digi: www.digi-communications.ro (Investor Relations Section/Current Reports).

SOURCE: EuropaWire

Digi Communications N.V. 2020 AGM will be held on 30 April 2020 in Amsterdam

BUCHAREST, Romania, 19-Mar-2020 — /EPR FINANCIAL NEWS/ — The Company would like to inform the market and its investors that today, 19 March 2020, the Board of Directors of the Company convenes the general shareholders meeting (the “GSM”) of the Company (Digi Communications N.V.), to be held on Thursday, 30 April 2020 at 12:00 p.m. CEST, at the offices of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (Amsterdam office), Strawinskylaan 10, 1077 XZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The main topics for the GSM are the following:

  • discussion and approval items on the Annual Report 2019 (including the annual report, the financial statements (consolidated and stand-alone) and the auditor report)
  • approval for the distribution of a gross dividend of 0.65 RON per share; ex-date – 15 May 2020, reference date – 16 May 2020, and the payment date on our around – 29 May 2020;
  • release from liability of the members of the Board of Directors;
  • remuneration report for 2019, advisory, non-binding vote;
  • approval of the new remuneration policy of the members of the Board of Directors;
  • appointment of the statutory auditor for the year ending 31 December 2020;
  • designation of the Board of Directors as the competent body to repurchase own Class B Shares;
  • reappointment of the members of the Board of Directors;
  • approval of award of stock options to executive directors.

We kindly invite the market to visit the Company’s website at
http://www.digi-communications.ro/en/general-share-holders (for English readers) and at http://www.digi-communications.ro/ro/aga (for Romanian readers) to review the documentation package for the GSM.

The above-mentioned section from the Company’s website also contain the English and Romanian complete versions of the 2019 Annual Report, the 2019 Consolidated and Stand-alone Financial Statements of the Company, as well as the Independent Auditor’s Report.

The document named ‘Agenda and explanatory notes’ contains detailed descriptions regarding the items for the GSM.

Any shareholder interested in attending or voting at the GSM needs to follow the procedures set out in the articles of association of the Company (available at http://www.digi-communications.ro/en/corporate-governance) and on the ‘Convocation Notice’ available at http://www.digi-communications.ro/en/general-share-holders).

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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF DIGI COMMUNICATIONS N.V. (THE COMPANY) TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY 30 APRIL 2020 AT 12:00 PM CEST AT THE OFFICES OF FRESHFIELDS BRUCKHAUS DERINGER LLP (AMSTERDAM OFFICE), STRAWINSKYLAAN 10, 1077 XZ AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

AGENDA

1. Opening

2. Annual Report 2019

a. Board report 2019 (discussion item)
b. Dividend and Reservations Policy (discussion item)
c. Adoption of the 2019 Annual Accounts (voting item)
d. Distribution of dividend (voting item)
e. Release from liability of the members of Board of Directors (voting item)

3. Application of the Remuneration Policy and Remuneration Report for 2019

a. Remuneration Report for 2019 (advisory, non-binding vote)
b. Approval of the new Remuneration Policy (voting item)

4. Appointment of Statutory Auditor

Proposal to appoint Ernst & Young Accountants, LLP, Netherlands as the statutory auditor of the Company for the financial year 2020 (voting item)

5. Designation of the Board of Directors as the competent body to repurchase own Class B Shares

Designation of the Board of Directors as the competent body to repurchase Class B Shares (voting item)

6. Re-appointment of the members of the Board of Directors

a. Re-appointment of Serghei Bulgac as executive-director of the Board of Directors (voting item)
b. Re-appointment of Valentin Popoviciu as executive-director of the Board of Directors (voting item)
c. Re-appointment of Zoltan Teszari as non-executive-director and president of the Board of Directors (voting item)
d. Re-appointment of Marius Catalin Varzaru as non-executive-director and vice-president of the Board of Directors (voting item)
e. Re-appointment of Bogdan Ciobotaru as non-executive-director of the Board of Directors (voting item)
f. Re-appointment of Piotr Rymaszewski as non-executive-director of the Board of Directors (voting item)
g. Re-appointment of Emil Jugaru as non-executive-director of the Board of Directors (voting item)

7. Approval of award of stock options to executive directors

Authorize the Board of Directors to decide upon the award of stock options to executive directors of the Company (voting item)

8. Close of Meeting

Agenda

The agenda for the AGM and the explanatory notes thereto together with the Annual Report 2019 is available on the website of the Company (www.digi-communications.ro) from 19 March 2020 onwards and is, with effect from the same date, available for inspection and obtainable free of charge at the offices of the Company (tel. +40314006505 and address: Dr. N. Staicovici 75, fourth floor, Bucharest, Romania).

Record Date

Shareholders (which for the purposes of this notice includes holders of rights of usufruct and pledgees with voting rights) are entitled to attend and vote at the AGM (either in person or by proxy) if they (i) are registered in one of the (sub)registers as described below on the 28th day prior to the AGM and therefore on Thursday, 2 April 2020 (the Record Date) after all debit and credit entries have been handled and (ii) in addition have notified the Company of their intended attendance at the AGM in the manner mentioned below. The designated (sub)registers are the administration records of the Romanian Central Depository (Depozitarul Central S.A.), and the shareholders’ register of the Company.

Notification of Attendance

Class A shares: holders of registered class A shares (which for the purposes of this notice includes holders of rights of usufruct and pledgees with voting rights in respect of these shares) who wish to attend the AGM (either in person or by proxy) must notify the Company of their intended attendance, which notice, accompanied where applicable by written power of attorney (see below), must have been received by Mrs. Andra Gunescu, the Company secretary (address: Dr. N. Staicovici 75, fourth floor, Bucharest, Romania and e-mail digi.gsm@digi-communications.ro) no later than by Thursday 23 April 2020 at 5.00 pm EEST. Duly registered shareholders will receive a receipt confirmation supplied by the Company which together with a valid identification document will also serve as admission ticket for the AGM.

Class B shares: holders of class B shares (which for the purpose of this notice includes holders of rights of usufruct and pledgees with voting rights in respect of these shares) who wish to attend the AGM (either in person or by proxy) must notify the Company by registering via the Evo-platform of ING Bank N.V. (www.ing.evo-platform.com/digi) no later than by Thursday 23 April 2020 at 5.00 pm EEST. Duly registered shareholders will receive a receipt confirmation supplied by ING Bank N.V. which together with a valid identification document will also serve as admission ticket for the AGM.

Representation by Proxy

Shareholders (which for the purpose of this notice includes holders of rights of usufruct and pledgees with voting rights) who choose to be represented at the AGM may grant a proxy to a person to vote at the AGM on their behalf as follows:

Class A shares: holders of registered class A shares (which for the purpose of this notice includes holders of rights of usufruct and pledgees with voting rights in respect of those shares) may grant a proxy to (i) a third person or (ii) to Mrs. Andra Gunescu, the Company secretary, and to Mrs. Madalina Elena-Lungu, legal counsel of the Company (address: Dr. N. Staicovici 75, fourth floor, Bucharest, Romania), any of whom to individually and alternatively (and not collectively) execute the given proxy in which case such proxy must include unequivocal voting instruction(s). The holder of shares A will notify the Company of an electronic copy of the proxy at the following email address: digi.gsm@digi-communications.ro no later than by Thursday 23 April 2020 at 5.00 pm EEST.

Class B shares: The holders of class B shares may grant a proxy, where applicable with voting instructions, to a third person via www.ing.evo-platform.com/digi when registering for the AGM. The duly completed and executed power of attorney must be received by the Company for the attention of Mrs. Andra Gunescu, Dr. N. Staicovici 75, fourth floor, Bucharest, Romania, or by e-mail: digi.gsm@digi-communications.ro, no later than by Thursday 23 April 2020 at 5.00 pm EEST.

E-voting Class B Shares

Only holders of class B shares (which for the purpose of this notice includes holders of rights of usufruct and pledgees with voting rights in respect of those shares) may also give voting instructions via www.ing.evo-platform.com/digi no later than by Thursday 23 April 2020 at 5.00 pm EEST.

Identification

Persons entitled to attend the AGM (which includes persons granted with a proxy in the manner as described above) will be requested to identify themselves at the Registration Desk prior to admission to the AGM and are therefore requested to bring a valid identity document.

Issued capital and voting rights of the Company

At the day of this convocation, the Company has an issued share capital of EUR 6,810,042.52 consisting of 64,556,028 Class A Shares, each having a nominal value of EUR 0.10 and 35,443,972 Class B Shares, each share having a nominal value of EUR 0.01. 4,409,361 Class A Shares and 1,353,391 Class B Shares are held by the Company in its own share capital (in treasury). No votes may be cast for shares held by the Company in its own share capital. Therefore, the total number of voting rights at the day of this convocation amounts to 635,557,257.

COVID-19

Depending on the evolution of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Company may decide to limit social gatherings surrounding the meeting. Shareholders are advised to regularly check our website for any further updates.

For details regarding the reports, please access the official website designated of Digi: www.digi-communications.ro (Investor Relations Section/Current Reports).

SOURCE: EuropaWire