QIAGEN N.V. Annual Report 2001

Report of the Supervisory Board
QIAGEN Supervisory Board with QIAGEN Managing Board
Dr. Metin Colpan Peer M. Schatz Prof. Dr. Detlev H. Riesner Dr. Heinrich Hornef Prof. Dr. jur. Carsten P. Claussen
(Chief Executive (Chief Financial (Chairman) (Vice Chairman) (Special Advisor and
Officer) Officer) Honorary Chairman)
2
Dear Fellow Shareholders,
The Supervisory Board exercised supervision over the Managing Board’s policies and business conduct
throughout the financial year. Acting in the best interests of the Company and its business and consistent
with past practice, the Supervisory Board monitored the Company’s activities, including its strategic,
economic, and market developments, R&D investments, acquisitions and alliances, and human resources
management. Information on the Company’s activities was communicated by the Managing Board to the
Supervisory Board through regular meetings and business reports. It was again an exciting year for
QIAGEN N.V. and the Supervisory Board thanks QIAGEN's Managing Board and employees for their
contributions to QIAGEN's success in 2001.
QIAGEN N.V. is a company organized under the laws of the Netherlands and has an international network
of subsidiaries. The Supervisory Board follows the principle of increasing shareholder value to further the
interests of all shareholders, and has endeavored since 1997 to comply with the 40 recommendations made
in the report of the Netherlands Committee on Corporate Governance. It is Company policy to follow the
guidelines for Good Practice of Corporate Governance as described in this report although some minor
deviations may result from effects such as legal requirements. In addition, in February 2002, QIAGEN’s
Supervisory Board decided to adopt the recommendations of the new German Corporate Governance
Code, and intends to comply with its recommendations or explain in the QIAGEN 2002 Annual Report
deviations such as might be required by Dutch law, Dutch practice, incurred or intended for instance on the
basis of decisions previously made by QIAGEN shareholders.
QIAGEN N.V. is a limited liability company incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands. All Company
operations are carried out in accordance with Dutch Corporate Law, U.S. Federal Securities Law and
Regulations, and the laws of the German capital market, in particular the Börsengesetz and the
Wertpapierhandelsgesetz. The common shares of the Company are registered and traded in the United
States of America on the Nasdaq National Market and in Germany on the Neuer Markt division of the
Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The majority of the Company’s shares are believed to be held by shareholders
in the United States and in Europe, particularly Germany.