Source: https://www.annualreport.telekom.com/site0218/management-report/other-disclosures/legal-structure-of-the-deutsche-telekom-group.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 10:27:02+00:00

Document:
Deutsche Telekom AG, Bonn, is the parent of the Deutsche Telekom Group. Its shares are traded on the Frankfurt/Main Stock Exchange as well as on other stock exchanges. For information on the composition of capital stock in accordance with § 289a (1) HGB and § 315a HGB of direct and indirect equity investments, please refer to Note 15 “Shareholders’ equity” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements and to the notes to the annual financial statements of Deutsche Telekom AG as of December 31, 2017.
These voting rights are restricted, however, in relation to treasury shares (at December 31, 2017: around 19 million in total).
The resolution on the dividend of EUR 0.60 per share for the 2016 financial year gave shareholders the choice between payment in cash or having their dividend entitlement converted into Deutsche Telekom AG shares. Dividend entitlements of Deutsche Telekom AG shareholders amounting to EUR 1.4 billion for shares from authorized capital (2013 authorized capital) were contributed in June 2017 and thus did not have an impact on cash flows. Deutsche Telekom AG carried out an increase in issued capital of EUR 0.2 billion against contribution of dividend entitlements for this purpose in June 2017. This increased capital reserves by EUR 1,143 million, and under IFRS, by EUR 1,175 million. The number of shares rose by 84,556,563.
The shareholders’ meeting resolved on May 25, 2016 to authorize the Board of Management to purchase shares in the Company by May 24, 2021, with the amount of share capital accounted for by these shares totaling up to EUR 1,179,302,878.72, provided the shares to be purchased on the basis of this authorization in conjunction with the other shares of the Company that the Company has already purchased and still possesses or are to be assigned to it under § 71d and § 71e AktG do not at any time account for more than 10 percent of the Company’s share capital. Moreover, the requirements under § 71 (2) sentences 2 and 3 AktG must be complied with. Shares shall not be purchased for the purpose of trading in treasury shares. This authorization may be exercised in full or in part. The purchase can be carried out in partial tranches spread over various purchase dates within the authorization period until the maximum purchase volume is reached. Dependent Group companies of Deutsche Telekom AG within the meaning of § 17 AktG or third parties acting for the account of Deutsche Telekom AG or for the account of dependent Group companies of Deutsche Telekom AG within the meaning of § 17 AktG are also entitled to purchase the shares. The shares are purchased through the stock exchange in adherence to the principle of equal treatment (§ 53a AktG). Shares can instead also be purchased by means of a public purchase or share exchange offer addressed to all shareholders, which, subject to a subsequently approved exclusion of the right to offer shares, must also comply with the principle of equal treatment.
For information on the treasury shares in accordance with § 160 (1) No. 2 AktG, please refer to the notes to the annual financial statements of Deutsche Telekom AG as of December 31, 2017.
On the basis of the authorization by the shareholders’ meeting on May 25, 2016 described above and corresponding authorizations by the shareholders’ meeting on May 12, 2011 and May 24, 2012, 110 thousand shares were acquired in June 2011, 206 thousand shares in September 2011, and 268 thousand shares in January 2013. The total volumes amounted to EUR 2,762 thousand in the 2011 financial year, and EUR 2,394 thousand in the 2013 financial year (excluding transaction costs). This increased the number of treasury shares by 316 thousand and 268 thousand, respectively. Further, 90 thousand shares and 860 thousand shares were acquired in September and October 2015, respectively, for an aggregate amount of EUR 14,787 thousand (excluding transaction costs); these acquisitions increased the number of treasury shares by 950 thousand.
As part of the Share Matching Plan, a total of 2 thousand treasury shares were transferred free of charge to the custody accounts of eligible participants in 2012 and 2013 respectively. A further 90 thousand treasury shares were transferred free of charge in the 2014 financial year. An additional 140 thousand treasury shares were transferred in 2015. In the 2016 financial year, 232 thousand treasury shares were transferred. Transfers of treasury shares to the custody accounts of employees of Deutsche Telekom AG are free of charge. In cases where treasury shares are transferred to the custody accounts of employees of other Group companies, the costs have been transferred at fair value to the respective Group company since the 2016 financial year.
A total of 300 thousand treasury shares were reallocated in January, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, and December 2017 and transferred to the custody accounts of eligible participants of the Share Matching Plan. As of December 31, 2017, disposals of treasury shares resulting from the transfers in the reporting period accounted for less than 0.01 percent, or EUR 769 thousand, of share capital. Gains on disposal arising from transfers of treasury shares amounted to EUR 2,986 thousand. In the reporting year, 107 thousand treasury shares with a fair value of EUR 1,763 thousand were billed to other Group companies. Transfers of treasury shares increased retained earnings by EUR 511 thousand and capital reserves by EUR 310 thousand.
As part of the acquisition of VoiceStream Wireless Corp., Bellevue, and Powertel, Inc., Bellevue, in 2001, Deutsche Telekom AG issued new shares from authorized capital to a trustee, for the benefit of holders of warrants, options, and conversion rights, among others. These options or conversion rights expired in full in the 2013 financial year. As a result, the trustee no longer had any obligation to fulfill any claims in accordance with the purpose of the deposit. The trust relationship was terminated at the start of 2016 and the deposited shares were transferred free of charge to a custody account of Deutsche Telekom AG. The 18,517 thousand previously deposited shares are accounted for in the same way as treasury shares in accordance with § 272 (1a) HGB. This equates to 0.4 percent, or EUR 48 million, of Deutsche Telekom’s capital stock. On the basis of authorization by the shareholders’ meeting on May 25, 2016, the treasury shares acquired free of charge may be used for the same purposes as the treasury shares acquired for a consideration.
The shareholders’ meeting on May 16, 2013 authorized the Board of Management to increase the share capital with the approval of the Supervisory Board by up to EUR 2,176,000,000 by issuing up to 850,000,000 no par value registered shares against cash and/or non-cash contributions in the period ending May 15, 2018. The Board of Management was permitted to exercise the authorization in full or on one or more occasions in partial amounts. The Board of Management was authorized, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, to exclude residual amounts from shareholders’ subscription rights. Furthermore, the Board of Management was authorized, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, to disapply shareholders’ subscription rights in the event of capital increases against non-cash contributions when issuing new shares for business combinations or for acquisitions of companies, parts thereof, or interests in companies, including increasing existing investment holdings, or other assets eligible for contribution for such acquisitions, including receivables from the Company. Further, the Board of Management was authorized, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, to determine the further content of share rights and the conditions under which shares are issued (2013 authorized capital). The shareholders’ meeting resolved on May 31, 2017 to cancel the 2013 authorized capital to the extent that it still existed, effective the date of entry of the 2017 authorized capital described below. Following the increase in issued capital against contribution of dividend entitlements, 2013 authorized capital amounted to EUR 1,381,674,257.92. The cancellation of the remaining 2013 authorized capital was entered in the commercial register on July 11, 2017.
The shareholders’ meeting on May 31, 2017 authorized the Board of Management to increase the share capital with the approval of the Supervisory Board by up to EUR 3,600,000,000 by issuing up to 1,406,250,000 no par value registered shares against cash and/or non-cash contributions in the period ending May 30, 2022. This authorization may be exercised in full or on one or more occasions in partial amounts. The Board of Management is authorized, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, to exclude residual amounts from shareholders’ subscription rights. Furthermore, the Board of Management is authorized, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, to disapply shareholders’ subscription rights in the event of capital increases against non-cash contributions when issuing new shares for business combinations or acquisitions of companies, parts thereof, or interests in companies, including increasing existing investment holdings, or other assets eligible for contribution for such acquisitions, including receivables from the Company. However, the value of the new shares for which shareholders’ subscription rights have been disapplied on the basis of this authorization – together with the value of the shares or conversion and/or option rights or obligations under bonds issued or sold since May 31, 2017 subject to the disapplication of subscription rights – must not exceed 20 percent of the total share capital; the latter is defined as the amount existing as of May 31, 2017, upon entry of the authorization, or upon the issue of the new shares, whichever amount is lowest. If the issue or sale is carried out in analogous or mutatis mutandis application of § 186 (3) sentence 4 AktG, this shall also constitute the disapplication of subscription rights. Further, the Board of Management is authorized, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board, to determine the further content of share rights and the conditions under which shares are issued (2017 authorized capital). The shareholders’ meeting on May 31, 2017 instructed the Board of Management to enter the 2017 authorized capital described above in the commercial register only when (i) the existing 2013 authorized capital (in the necessary partial amount) has been utilized to grant the shareholders the possibility described under item 2 of the agenda of the shareholders’ meeting on May 31, 2017 to opt for shares (dividend in kind) instead of a cash dividend payment and the related capital increase has been entered, or (ii) the dividend has been paid out in full in cash. 2017 authorized capital was entered in the commercial register on July 11, 2017 after the condition specified under (i) had been met.
and other forms of fulfillment are not used. The new shares shall participate in profits starting at the beginning of the financial year in which they are issued as the result of the exercise of any option or conversion rights or the fulfillment of any option or conversion obligations. The Supervisory Board is authorized to amend § 5 (3) of the Articles of Incorporation in accordance with the particular usage of the contingent capital and after the expiry of all the option or conversion periods.
The main agreements entered into by Deutsche Telekom AG, which include a clause in the event of a change of control, principally relate to bilateral credit lines and several loan agreements. In the event of a change of control, the individual lenders have the right to terminate the credit line and, if necessary, serve notice or demand repayment of the loans. A change of control is assumed when a third party, which can also be a group acting jointly, acquires control over Deutsche Telekom AG.
In addition, the other members of the Toll Collect consortium (Daimler Financial Services AG and Cofiroute S.A.) have a call option in the event that the ownership structure of Deutsche Telekom AG changes such that over 50 percent of its share capital or voting rights are held by a new shareholder and this change was not approved by the other members of the consortium.
On November 2, 2016, Deutsche Telekom AG signed a change agreement to the shareholder agreement with the Greek government from May 14, 2008 on Hellenic Telecommunications Organization S.A., Athens, Greece (OTE); the change agreement concerned the accession of the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) as a party to the contract. Under this agreement, the Greek government, together with HRADF, is, under certain circumstances, entitled to acquire all shares in OTE from Deutsche Telekom AG as soon as one (or more) person(s), with the exception of the Federal Republic of Germany, either directly or indirectly acquire(s) 35 percent of the voting rights of Deutsche Telekom AG.
In the master agreement establishing the procurement joint venture BuyIn in Belgium, Deutsche Telekom AG and Orange S.A. (formerly France Télécom S.A. )/Atlas Services Belgium S.A. (a subsidiary of Orange S.A.) agreed that if Deutsche Telekom or Orange comes under the controlling influence of a third party or if a third party that is not wholly owned by the Orange group of companies acquires shares in Atlas Services Belgium S.A., the respective other party (Orange and Atlas Services Belgium S.A. only jointly) may terminate the master agreement with immediate effect.
Deutsche Telekom did not affect any material business combinations in the 2017 financial year.

References: § 289
 § 315
 § 71
 § 71
 § 71
 § 17
 § 17
 § 160
 § 272
 § 186
 § 5