The Board of Directors has the option to accept voting forms and proxies that reach the Company after the deadline provided for by applicable regulations.
It also has the option to decide that shareholders may participate and vote in any meeting by video-conference or other means of telecommunication under the conditions established by applicable regulations; the electronic signature that may result from any reliable identification process shall guarantee its connection with the instrument related thereto.
ARTICLE 18 - HOLDING SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETINGS - DECISIONS
The Shareholders’ Meeting is chaired by the Chairman of the Board of Directors or, failing that, by a Vice Chairman or, in his or her absence, by a Director designated by the Board.
Shareholders’ Meetings, whether ordinary, extraordinary or combined, make their decisions pursuant to the quorum and majority conditions applicable to the provisions governing the type of meeting and they may exercise the powers attributed to them by law.
There is secret voting when such voting is demanded by several shareholders representing at least one quarter of the share capital.
Subject to the following provisions, each member of the Meeting is entitled to as many votes as he or she possesses or the number of shares for which he or she holds proxies.
However, a double voting right is granted, in the light of the share of the share capital they represent, to all registered shares paid up in full that have been entered in the name of the same shareholder for at least two years, as well as, in case of a capital increase by incorporation of reserves, profits or premiums on shares, to the registered shares that are allocated without charge to a shareholder in connection with previously existing shares for which he or she benefits from the said right. Any merger of the company would have no effect on the double voting right, which may be exercised within the absorbing company, if the latter’s Articles of Association have created a similar right.
The double voting right shall terminate automatically in respect of shares that are converted to bearer form or are transferred. Nevertheless any transfer from registered share to registered share, due to inheritance ab intestat or testamentary inheritance, division of community property between spouses, or donation inter vivos to the benefit of the spouse or of relatives eligible to inherit shall not interrupt the period set above or shall retain the acquired right.
At Shareholders’ Meetings, no shareholder may cast, personally or via a proxy, in connection with the simple voting rights attached to the shares he or she holds directly or indirectly and in connection with the powers of attorney granted to him or her, more than 10% of the total number of voting rights attached to the Company’s shares. However, if he or she also holds double voting rights, on an individual basis and/or by proxy, the above limit may be exceeded, solely taking account of the additional voting rights resulting therefrom, without all of the voting rights that he or she exercises being able to exceed 20% of the total number of voting rights attached to the Company’s shares.
For application of the above provisions:
| • | | the total number of voting rights attached to the Company’s shares taken into account is calculated on the date of the Shareholders’ Meeting and is brought to the shareholders’ attention at the opening of said Meeting, |
| • | | the number of voting rights held directly and indirectly is to be understood to include those that are attached to the shares held by a natural person on his or her own behalf, either on a personal basis or in connection with joint ownership, or held by a company, grouping, association or foundation, and including those that are attached to the shares held by a controlled company within the meaning of Article L. 233-3 of the French Commercial Code, by another company or by a natural person, association, grouping or foundation, |
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