COVID19 - UK AGM Rules to be Relaxed?

30 March 2020

Sarah Wilson

EU regulation

As the COVID19 lock-down continues, the UK's Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy has announced its intention to publish new regulations enabling companies to hold alternative AGMs for 2020.

Speaking on Saturday, 28 March 2020, Secretary of State Alok Sharma, said that BEIS intends to introduce measures which will allow companies to hold AGMs "flexibly and in a manner which is compatible with the best public health guidance." Although full details are not yet available, possible options include, postponing meetings, holding meetings online, or by telephone using only proxy voting.

The impact of COVID 19 on proxy season is already being felt with many companies now postponing their meetings to the end of June - or in some cases with no new meeting date specified.

To help investors track meeting delays and cancelled resolutions Minerva will this week publish a new COVID19 resource page. For further details please contact hello@minerva.info

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