Conflicts of interest

Mr. Hans Dieter Pötsch was a member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG until October 2015. His move to the Supervisory Board had already been planned irrespective of the diesel issue. In order to avoid conceivable conflicts of interest, Mr. Pötsch always left the meeting room prior to discussions and resolutions adopted by the Supervisory Board that might relate to his conduct in connection with the diesel issue.

Starting in autumn 2016, the public prosecutor’s office in Braunschweig launched criminal investigations against a number of individuals based on the provisions of the Betriebsverfassungsgesetz (BetrVG – German Works Constitution Act) relating to possibly excessive remuneration granted to the Chairman of the General and Group Works Councils of Volkswagen AG, Mr. Bernd Osterloh, and other works council members. In order to avoid conceivable conflicts of interest, Mr. Osterloh always left the meeting room prior to discussions and resolutions adopted by the Supervisory Board that relate to possibly excessive remuneration granted to him, based on the provisions of the German Works Constitution Act.

No other conflicts of interest were reported or were discernible in the reporting period.