Amendment to shareholders agreement
29 November 2007
This agreement is entered into on 19 November 2007
BY AND BETWEEN
TELEFÓNICA, S.A., a Spanish company with registered office at 28013, Madrid, Gran
Via n. 28, Spain (“TE”);
ASSICURAZIONI GENERALI S.p.A., an Italian company with registered office at
Piazza Duca degli Abruzzi n. 2, Trieste, Italy;
ALLEANZA ASSICURAZIONI S.p.A., an Italian company with registered office at
Milano, viale Luigi Sturzo n. 35;
INA ASSITALIA S.p.A., an Italian company with registered office at Roma, Corso
d'Italia n. 33;
VOLKSFÜRSORGE DEUTSCHE LEBENVERSICHERUNG A.G., a German company
with registered office at Hamburg (Germany), an der Alster n. 57-63;
GENERALI VIE S.A., a French Company with registered office at Paris , Boulevard
Hausmann n. 11; (ASSICURAZIONI GENERALI S.p.A., and its four exclusively
controlled subsidiaries, ALLEANZA ASSICURAZIONI, S.p.A., INA ASSITALIA
S.p.A., VOLKSFÜRSORGE DEUTSCHE LEBENVERSICHERUNG A.G., and
GENERALI VIE S.A., hereinafter collectively “AG”);
SINTONIA S.A., a Luxembourg company with registered office at 1, Place d’Armes, L.
1136 Luxembourg (“SI”);
INTESA SANPAOLO S.p.A, an Italian company with registered office at Piazza San
Carlo n. 156, Torino, Italy (“IS”);
MEDIOBANCA S.p.A., an Italian company with registered office at Piazzetta Cuccia n.
1, Milano, Italy (“MB”);
(collectively the “Parties” and each, individually, a “Party”)
WHEREAS
With an agreement dated April 28, 2007 (the “Co-investment Agreement”), basically
the Parties established the terms and conditions for
(i) their participation in Centrotrenta
4/6 S.r.l, an Italian company with registered office at Galleria del Corso 2, Milan, Italy,
fiscal code n. 05277610969, to be subsequently transformed and renamed as Telco S.p.A.
(“Telco” or “Newco”),
(ii) the presentation by the Parties also on behalf of Newco of an
offer (the “Offer”) for the acquisition by Newco from Pirelli&Co. S.p.A and Sintonia
S.p.A. and Sintonia S.A. (the “Acquisition”) of 100% of the share capital of a holding
company named Olimpia S.p.A (“O”), which in turn holds a stake of 17,99% of the
ordinary share capital of Telecom Italia S.p.A. (“TI”); and
(iii) the capitalization and
funding of Newco in connection with the Acquisition.
The Parties entered into a Shareholders Agreement on April 28, 2007, by means of which
basically they established the principles relating inter alia to
(i) the corporate governance
of Newco,
(ii) the governance of O,
(iii) the appointment of directors in TI,
(iv) the
transfer of the Newco’s shares and the O and TI’s shares directly or indirectly owned by
Newco and
(v) the autonomous and independent management of the TI and TE groups,
including limitations on the participation of TE or its representatives in any decisionmaking
processes relating to policies, management, and operations of companies directly
or indirectly controlled by TI in countries where restrictions apply (the “Shareholders
Agreement”).
After having obtained the necessary previous regulatory authorities approvals, including
the decision announced by the Brazilian telecommunications regulator - ANATEL on 23
October 2007 and subsequently published on November 5th, 2007 as ANATEL’s Ato nº
68.276, of October 31, 2007 (the 'ANATEL Approval'), the Parties have proceeded
with Closing of the Acquisition and performed the capitalization and funding of Newco
in connection with the Acquisition.
On 25 October 2007, the Parties entered into an Amendment to the Co-investment and
Shareholders' Agreement (a copy of which is attached hereto) in which, inter alia, the
Parties acknowledge the content of the ANATEL Approval and each of the Parties have
undertaken, for so long as it lies within their respective powers, to implement the content
thereof through appropriate legal measures and actions.
The Parties now wish, in furtherance of that undertaking, to amend the Shareholders
Agreement and the By-laws of Newco, so as to implement the clauses contemplated in
the ANATEL Approval.
Now, therefore, in consideration of the foregoing premises the Parties hereby
AGREE AND CONVENANT
as follows:
1. The Parties hereby agree to amend the Shareholders Agreement by adding the
following provisions thereto, as its Paragraph 5 bis:
“5 bis. Specific provisions relating to TI and TE’s telecommunication
services providers in Brazil Specifically with respect to TI’s Brazilian telecommunication operations, the
Parties have agreed as follows:
(A) While applicable regulatory restrictions and limitations exist:
(i) TE shall neither directly or indirectly participate in, nor vote or veto at
shareholders’ meetings held by Newco, O and TI or by any other company directly
or indirectly controlled by TI, at which and when there will be discussed or
proposed resolutions relating to any matters concerning the activities of any such
companies directly or indirectly controlled by TI in the rendering of their
telecommunication services in the Brazilian market;
TE shall cause that the persons designated by TE as members to the Boards of
Directors, as members to Boards of Officers, as Officers or as members of other
corporate bodies having equivalent duties of Newco, O, and TI shall neither
participate in, nor vote or veto at meetings held by any such corporate bodies or at
meetings of corporate bodies of any other company directly or indirectly controlled
by TI, at which and when there will be discussed or proposed resolutions relating to
any matters concerning the activities of any such companies in the rendering of
their telecommunication services in the Brazilian market;
(ii) TE shall not designate any member to the Board of Directors, Board of
Officers, or any Officer or member of any other corporate bodies having equivalent
duties, of companies located in Brazil directly or indirectly controlled by TI and
that provide telecommunication services in the Brazilian market, as well as to the
Board of Directors, Board of Officers, or any Officer or member of any other
corporate bodies having equivalent duties, of companies located in Brazil directly
or indirectly controlling any such telecommunication services providers;
(iii) TE shall prohibit the companies directly or indirectly controlled by TE
which render telecommunication services in the Brazilian market from participating
in any of the following relationships with companies directly or indirectly
controlled by TI which render telecommunication services in the Brazilian market,
when the terms and conditions thereof differ from those contemplated in the
Brazilian rules applicable to telecommunication services:
(a) significant financing
transactions of any kind whatsoever, either as lenders or borrowers;
(b) the granting
of guaranties or collaterals of any kind whatsoever;
(c) the transfer of assets under
terms or conditions or at prices different from market conditions and prices;
(d) the
transfer of strategic technological know-how;
(e) the provision of
telecommunication services or related services under more favorable or privileged
conditions;
(f) operational agreements stipulating more favorable or privileged
conditions;
(g) the common use of resources, whether material, human or
technological;
(h) the joint contracting of goods or services;
(i) the execution of
legal instruments designed to permit the transfer or the assignment of shares or
stocks among such telecommunication services providers, or the assignment of
rights of first refusal with regard to the reciprocal transfer of shares or stocks;
(j) the
adoption of a common trademark or marketing and advertising strategy;
(iv) The Parties shall renew and/or continue to observe the restrictions and
limitations contained in this paragraph 5 bis upon expiration of the term or
termination of the Shareholders Agreement for any other reason, as well as in the
event of any merger or consolidation between O and Newco, in case Newco is not
the surviving entity, such instruments shall be submitted to the Brazilian
telecommunications regulator for its prior approval.
(v) TE shall not exercise direct or indirect control of any company directly or
indirectly controlled by TI in Brazil, as per the definition of control under the
Brazilian telecommunications regulations in force, even if TE exercises the right to
acquire shares of Newco, in the case of a unilateral withdrawal provoked by another
shareholder of Newco;
(vi) The Parties shall instruct the members of the Boards of Directors of
Newco and O appointed by each of them, as well as the members of the Board of
Directors of TI appointed by Newco and/or O to take such actions and make such
deliberations as shall be necessary (a) to direct the preparers of the agendas for
meetings of the Boards of Directors and/or the Chairmen of the respective Boards
of Directors, as the case may be, of Telco, O, TI, and Telecom Italia International
N.V. (“TII”) or any other company located outside Brazil directly or indirectly
controlled by TI with investments in the Brazilian telecommunications sector, to
divide the topics into separate agendas as follows:
(i) one agenda for the meeting in
which TE’s participation, through the Board members that it designated in the
respective company, is allowed, and
(ii) another agenda for the meeting in which
the participation of Board members designated by TE in such company is not
allowed and in which the topics dealt with shall necessarily pertain to matters that
deal with subjects related to the activities of the companies directly or indirectly
controlled by TI in rendering telecommunication services in the Brazilian market
and to directly related topics, these latter being, necessarily, connected to the main
topics as regards competition strategy, such as budgets for marketing campaigns
and investment plans in product development, assets (lato sensu), instruments, all
that, in sum, is directed towards the development of activities related to the
activities of the companies directly or indirectly controlled by TI in the rendering of
telecommunication services in the Brazilian market; and
(b) to cause to be
delivered, under appropriate terms of confidentiality, to designated officers of TIM
Celular S.A. and TIM Nordeste S.A., within thirty (30) days counted from the
holding of the meetings of the Boards of Directors of Telco, O, TI, TII or any other
company located outside Brazil directly or indirectly controlled by TI with
investments in the Brazilian telecommunications sector, a copy of the Agendas and
of the Minutes of the meetings referred to in item
(a)(ii), above (with a translation
into Portuguese), for delivery by them to the Brazilian telecommunications
regulator within such term of thirty (30) days and under a requirement of
confidentiality as to which they are entitled pursuant to the sole paragraph of article
39 of the Brazil’s General Telecommunications Law (Law nº 9.472/97), article 64
of Brazil’s Decree nº 2.338/97 and article 36 (VI) of Resolution nº 270/01 of the
Brazilian telecommunications regulator.
(B) TE acknowledges and agrees that the restrictions and limitations imposed
on TE, as contemplated in this Paragraph 5 bis (A) (i), (ii) and (iv) through (vi)
above, shall survive and the prohibitions of (iii), above, be maintained in the event
of a De-merger of Newco as provided in Articles 1.2 and 11 hereof, as long as
applicable regulatory restrictions and limitations exist at the time of such Demerger;
2. The Parties further agree to amend the Bylaws of Newco to add the following
provisions (to be numbered as Paragraph 5.1.1 and Paragraph 16.3, respectively):
“ 5.1.1. While and as long as applicable regulatory restrictions and limitations
exist in Brazil, the holder(s) of Class B shares will not be entitled to voting rights
with respect to any matters concerning the activities of companies directly or
indirectly controlled by Telecom Italia S.p.A. rendering telecommunication services
in Brazil, and, accordingly, the participation of such Class B shareholder(s) shall be
prohibited at the shareholders meeting when any such resolution is discussed and
taken.”;
“16.3 As long as applicable regulatory limitations and restrictions exist in Brazil,
in accordance with the principles underlying article 2391 of the Civil Code, no
director chosen from the list submitted by the Class B shareholders shall be entitled
to participate to the discussion and consequently to the vote on any item of the
agenda of the meetings of the board of directors – or of any internal committee –
regarding activities carried out or to be carried out in the Brazilian
telecommunications market by companies directly or indirectly controlled by
Telecom Italia S.p.A..”
3. Except as provided in Sections 1 and 2 above, all the other provisions, terms and
conditions set forth in the Shareholders Agreement and in the By-Laws attached thereto
(as Annex 9) shall remain unchanged and are hereby expressly ratified and confirmed by
the Parties.
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