The German Corporate Governance Code includes key recommendations for the management and supervision of companies listed on a German stock exchange with the aim of making the rules for managing and supervising companies in Germany more transparent for investors. The Code is also intended to enhance the trust of the public as well as that of employees and customers in the management and supervision of listed stock corporations.

Fresenius Medical Care endorses the principles set forth in the German Corporate Governance Code. The majority of the principles, recommendations and suggestions in the Code have been an integral and active part of our day-to-day operations since the founding of the Company.

Declaration by the Management Board and the Supervisory Board of Fresenius Medical Care AG on the recommendations of the German Corporate Governance Code pursuant to Section 161 of the German Stock Corporation Act (Aktiengesetz)

The Management Board and the Supervisory Board of Fresenius Medical Care AG (hereinafter also referred to as: Company) declare that since issuance of the declaration of compliance in December 2023 the recommendations of the “German Corporate Governance Code Government Commission” in the version of April 28, 2022 published in the official section of the Federal Gazette by the Federal Ministry of Justice (hereinafter: GCGC) have been complied with and will be complied with in the future. Only the following recommendations of the GCGC have not been or will not be complied with: 

GCGC recommendation C.5:

Pursuant to the GCGC recommendation C.5, a member of the Management Board of a listed company shall not chair the Supervisory Board in a listed company outside the group.

A deviation from this recommendation is declared: Mr. Michael Sen is Chairman of the Management Board of Fresenius Management SE, the general partner of the listed Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA (together with its subsidiaries hereinafter: Fresenius Group), and at the same time Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Company. The Company ceased to be part of the Fresenius Group when the Company’s change of legal form from a partnership limited by shares (Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA) to a stock corporation (Fresenius Medical Care AG) became effective on November 30, 2023.

Mr. Sen has plausibly explained that he has sufficient time available for the performance of his duties as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Company and that he can perform his mandate with due care. This is in line with the fact that Mr. Sen was Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the former general partner of the Company before the Company’s change of legal form became effective, and that, in this function, he was also able to readily balance both positions (i.e., the Chair at the Management Board of Fresenius Management SE and the Chair at the Supervisory Board). Due to this former role at the Company’s former general partner, Mr. Sen was and is also very familiar with the Fresenius Medical Care Group and its circumstances.

GCGC recommendation C.10:

Pursuant to the GCGC recommendation C.10, the Chairperson of the Supervisory Board shall be independent of the Company and the Management Board.

As a precautionary measure, a deviation from this recommendation is declared insofar as the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Company, Mr. Michael Sen, is at the same time the Chairman of the Management Board of Fresenius Management SE, the general partner of Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, and Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA will continue to have a business relationship with the Company after the Company’s change of legal form has become effective and the Company has left the Fresenius Group.

The aforementioned circumstances did not or do not constitute a conflict of interest, nor did they or do they impair the performance of the duties of the Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

In all other respects, the GCGC recommendation C.10 has been complied with and will be complied with. In particular, the Chairperson of the Audit Committee of the Supervisory Board of the Company was and is independent within the meaning of this recommendation.

Bad Homburg v.d. Höhe, December 2024

The Management Board and the Supervisory Board