2007 Annual Report
2007 Annual Report
2007 Annual Report
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� Action brought by the German Bundesanstalt für vereinigungsbedingte<br />
Sonderaufgaben (BVS) in Switzerland for repayment of credit<br />
balances held, and disposed of, by the Communist Party of Austria<br />
(KPÖ) at the former banking subsidiary in Zurich.<br />
� Action brought by Valauret S.A. in Paris on the grounds of alleged<br />
involvement of Creditanstalt AG (now merged with Bank Austria<br />
Creditanstalt AG) in wilful deception in connection with a French joint<br />
stock company as a result of which the plaintiffs incurred losses<br />
through a loss in value of shares acquired by it in the joint stock<br />
company.<br />
� An appeal with suspension of collection was lodged against the<br />
official notices on liability (capital yields tax) issued in connection with<br />
individual securities transactions for the periods 2005, 2006 and<br />
January to September <strong>2007</strong>.<br />
(60) Legal actions brought<br />
and legal proceedings<br />
Legal actions for rescission and declaration of nullity<br />
Three legal actions for rescission and declaration of nullity were<br />
brought against the resolutions adopted at the <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting<br />
on 3 May <strong>2007</strong> concerning<br />
� approval of the acts of the members of the Management Board of<br />
BA-CA<br />
� approval of the acts of the members of the Supervisory Board of<br />
BA-CA<br />
� transfer to UniCredit of the bearer shares held by minority shareholders<br />
of BA-CA against cash compensation in accordance with the<br />
provisions of the Austrian Squeeze-out Act<br />
and against the rejection of a special audit to ascertain if the issue<br />
price set in December 2006 by the Management Board with the<br />
consent of the Supervisory Board for the capital increase against<br />
contribution in kind was adequate.<br />
By decision of the Commercial Court of Vienna dated 7 February<br />
2008, these proceedings were linked for joint hearing and decision<br />
pursuant to Section 197 (3) of the Austrian Joint Stock Companies<br />
Act.<br />
In the pending proceedings, the court examines if the contested<br />
resolutions are to be declared null and void or are lawful resolutions.<br />
In these proceedings, the court will not make a decision on<br />
the adequacy of the cash compensation offered by UniCredit to<br />
minority shareholders of BA-CA for their bearer shares. A review of<br />
the adequacy of the cash compensation can only be applied for after<br />
registration of the shareholders’ resolution in the Austrian Register of<br />
Firms. Such a review procedure would not relate to BA-CA AG but to<br />
the shareholders’ sphere.<br />
Proceedings before the Austrian Takeover Commission<br />
Following an application by one shareholder in BA-CA AG, the Austrian<br />
Takeover Commission, by its decision dated 16 April <strong>2007</strong>,<br />
initiated proceedings against UniCredit and BA-CA AG. As far as<br />
BA-CA AG is concerned, the object of these proceedings is to ascertain<br />
if the statement made by the Management Board of BA-CA AG<br />
in September 2005 was in compliance with the legal requirements or<br />
if material parts of the statement, especially with regard to Bank BPH<br />
remaining within the BA-CA Group in the future, were incomplete,<br />
misleading or incorrect. Since initiating the proceedings, the Austrian<br />
Takeover Commission has not taken any further steps.<br />
(61) Information on the squeeze-out<br />
pursuant to the Austrian Federal Act<br />
on the Squeeze-out of Minority Shareholders<br />
(Gesellschafterausschluss-<br />
gesetz) of the holders of bearer shares<br />
in Bank Austria Creditanstalt AG<br />
On 26 March <strong>2007</strong>, the fair cash compensation for the squeeze-out<br />
was set at € 129.40 per bearer share. The cash compensation was<br />
determined on the basis of a report by “Deloitte Valuation Services<br />
GmbH”. The Commercial Court of Vienna appointed the audit firm<br />
“TPA Horwath Wirtschaftsprüfung GmbH” as auditor. In its report<br />
dated 27 March <strong>2007</strong>, the auditor confirmed the correctness of the<br />
Joint <strong>Report</strong> of UniCredit and of the Management Board of Bank Austria<br />
Creditanstalt AG as well as the adequacy of the cash compensation<br />
offered by UniCredit. The cash compensation applies to about<br />
3.65% of the share capital or 7.4 million bearer shares (7,374,016)<br />
in free float.<br />
The <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting of Bank Austria Creditanstalt AG on<br />
3 May <strong>2007</strong> adopted a resolution concerning the planned squeeze-out.<br />
(62) Financial derivatives<br />
Derivatives are classified as interest rate contracts, foreign exchange<br />
contracts, securities-related contracts, credit derivatives and other<br />
derivatives (commodities), according to the underlying financial in-<br />
Bank Austria · <strong>2007</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> 201