SAVA – Through Euroshareholders’ EuroVote System, the VZMD is Collecting Proxy Forms of 14,369 Shareholders for the Important, Up-coming Shareholders’ Meeting

Ljubljana, May 14, 2012

This year again as in the past two years, Sava, d.d. has contracted the VZMD for the proxy collection of the 18^th Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, which will take place on May 24, 2012.  Through the collection and the EuroVote project, which is supported by the European Commission and Euroshareholders – the Organization of European Shareholders’ Associations, shareholders that cannot physically participate at the meeting are given the chance to partake via a competent, knowledgeable proxy, who will respect their voting requests.  These two methods guarantee that all shareholders have the possibility, either physically or via proxy, to exercise their voting rights, whether they are shareholders from Slovenia or from afar.    

VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS on how to fill out the proxy form:

Letter to the Shareholders of Sava, d.d. and Proxy Form:

VIDEO REPORT from last year's, 17th Meeting of Sava, d.d.:

Other Notable International Activities:

VIDEO REPORT - Kapital 2012 - Active Participation of the VZMD, investo.si, invest-to.net (Ljubljana, April 2012)

VIDEO REPORT - Prominent Participants of Two Key International Conferences in Bled, India and Slovenia as Business Partners and CloudForum, Show Interest in the Investors’ Week in September in Slovenia (Bled, March 2012)

VIDEO REPORT - International Conference at the Brussels Stock Exchange Stimulated Investors' Representatives and Institutions to Participate at the Investors' Week 2012 in September in Slovenia (Brussels, March 2012)

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS from the Euroshareholders & VZMD Award Ceremony, Holiday Party, and Announcement of the World's Largest Meeting of Investors' Representatives in 2012 in Slovenia (Ljubljana, December 2011)

VIDEO REPORT - The Arrival of the President of the WFIC - World Federation of Investors Corporation, Who Will Announce the Largest Meeting of Investors' Representatives, Which the VZMD Will Organize Next Year in Slovenia, and the Recipients of the "Most Shareholder Friendly" and "Courageous Market Steps" Awards, Which Will Be Presented to the CEOs of Mercator and Nova KBM at the VZMD Reception Ceremony (Ljubljana, December 2011)

Very Successful Visit of the AEMEC Conference and at the Headquarters of Santander Bank in Madrid (Madrid, November 2011)

EUROSHAREHOLDERS General Assembly - Slovenia voted as Member of the Board; Russia and EFES Accepted as Associate Members; General Secretary, President, and Vice-Presidents Elected to Another Term; Next Assembly to Be Held in Slovenia (The Hague, October 2011)

The World Federation of Investors' Corporation (WFIC) General Meeting in Warsaw - Next Year the WFIC GM Will Be in Ljubljana; The Newly Established Affiliate of investo.si - Invest to Slovenia, investo.me - Invest to Montenegro, Was Elected as a New Association Member (Warsaw, October 2011)

"Slovenian Day at the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE)" Exceptional Interest of Funds, Investors, and the Financial Media for Slovenian Companies and Its Investment Environment - The Introduction of investo.si - Invest to Slovenia's Newly Founded Affiliate, investo.me - Invest to Montenegro (Warsaw, October 2011)

Jofre Farres of ADICAE (Spain) is selected as a member of the European Commission’s Financial Services User Group (FSUG)

May 15, 2012

The FSUG’s task is to advise the Commission in the preparation of legislation or policy initiatives which affect the users of financial services. FSUG has 20 members, who are individuals appointed to represent the interests of consumers, retail investors or micro-enterprises, and individual experts with expertise in financial services from the perspective of the financial services user.

EuroFinuse has five members represented  in the EC FSUG: Christiane Hölz (DSW, Germany), Jofre Farres (Adicae, Spain), Libor Dupal (CCA, Czech Republic) Guillaume Prache (EuroFinuse, vice chairman of FSUG), and Jan Sebo (ITC, Slovakia).

The consequences of the financial crisis on savings and on the sale of financial products

On 11 May 2012, Guilluame Prache, Managing Director of EuroFinuse was invited as the only user representative by the French financial regulator AMF to speak at AMF’s annual “academic conference” about “the role of Regulation in the allocation of households savings and  the sale of financial products”.

To read more click here (in French).

Towards better regulation of the Shadow Banking system

On 27 April 2012 the European Commission held a conference on the Shadow Banking which main aim was to discuss the issue of credit intermediation that takes place outside the regular banking system. On this occasion, among other recognized authorities, Guillaume Prache, Managing Director of EuroFinuse and Secretary General of Euroshareholders was the only speaker representing financial services users, and participated to the panel on “Investment Funds, ETFs and shadow banking issues”.

To read more click here.

The role of civil society in financial regulatory process

On 20 April 2012 the Montesquieu Institute of Maastricht University organized an “International Symposium on The Accountability of Financial Regulators: Lessons from the Financial Crisis”. The symposium gathered leading scholars and practitioners from the European Union and United States. Guillaume Prache, Managing Director of EuroFinuse, was invited to give a speech which particularly considered “The role of civil society in EU’s financial regulatory processes”.

To read more click here.

Other Notable International Activities:

VIDEO REPORT - Kapital 2012 - Active Participation of the VZMD, investo.si, invest-to.net (Ljubljana, April 2012)

VIDEO REPORT - Prominent Participants of Two Key International Conferences in Bled, India and Slovenia as Business Partners and CloudForum, Show Interest in the Investors’ Week in September in Slovenia (Bled, March 2012)

VIDEO REPORT - International Conference at the Brussels Stock Exchange Stimulated Investors' Representatives and Institutions to Participate at the Investors' Week 2012 in September in Slovenia (Brussels, March 2012)

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS from the Euroshareholders & VZMD Award Ceremony, Holiday Party, and Announcement of the World's Largest Meeting of Investors' Representatives in 2012 in Slovenia (Ljubljana, December 2011)

VIDEO REPORT - The Arrival of the President of the WFIC - World Federation of Investors Corporation, Who Will Announce the Largest Meeting of Investors' Representatives, Which the VZMD Will Organize Next Year in Slovenia, and the Recipients of the "Most Shareholder Friendly" and "Courageous Market Steps" Awards, Which Will Be Presented to the CEOs of Mercator and Nova KBM at the VZMD Reception Ceremony (Ljubljana, December 2011)

Very Successful Visit of the AEMEC Conference and at the Headquarters of Santander Bank in Madrid (Madrid, November 2011)

EUROSHAREHOLDERS General Assembly - Slovenia voted as Member of the Board; Russia and EFES Accepted as Associate Members; General Secretary, President, and Vice-Presidents Elected to Another Term; Next Assembly to Be Held in Slovenia (The Hague, October 2011)

The World Federation of Investors' Corporation (WFIC) General Meeting in Warsaw - Next Year the WFIC GM Will Be in Ljubljana; The Newly Established Affiliate of investo.si - Invest to Slovenia, investo.me - Invest to Montenegro, Was Elected as a New Association Member (Warsaw, October 2011)

"Slovenian Day at the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE)" Exceptional Interest of Funds, Investors, and the Financial Media for Slovenian Companies and Its Investment Environment - The Introduction of investo.si - Invest to Slovenia's Newly Founded Affiliate, investo.me - Invest to Montenegro (Warsaw, October 2011)

VIDEO REPORT - investo.si and VZMD Actively Participate at the Ljubljana Stock Exchange's Slovene Capital Market Day 2012 For the Third Year

The VZMD, Pan-Slovenian Shareholders’ Association, again, as it had in the previous two years, actively participated at the Slovene Capital Market Day 2012, which was held on April the 24th at the Austria Trend Hotel in Ljubljana.  This year the VZMD highlighted the vast range of its national and international activities with emphasis on the “investo Expo,” on the 20th and the 21st and “Investors’ Week,” from the 19th to the 23rd of  September, which will be held in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

One of the main objectives of the two-day investo Expo will be to represent the Slovenian capital market and to invite foreign capital into the Republic of Slovenia and the Central Eastern European region.  Investors will be provided with up-to-date, relevant information about the economy, logistics, tourism, reputable companies, the activities of shareholders, and affiliated international associations, as are EuroFinuse, the European Federation of Financial Services Users, Euroshareholders, the Organization of European Shareholders Associations, and the WFI,  World Federation of Investors. 

The Ljubljana Stock Exchange in cooperation with KDD – Central Securities Clearing Corporation and other partners organized the 7^th Slovene Capital Market Day, where beside many investors, the most prestigious Slovenian companies were presented and answered questions to the public.  The event was commenced with the opening speech given by the CEO of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange, Andrej Šketa.  After followed general presentations aimed for all investors, where company histories and company information was give, companies included: Mercator (Melita Kolbezen, Member of the Management Board), Pozavarovalnica Sava (Zvonko Ivanušič, CEO), Gorenje (Peter Groznik, Member of the Management Board), Intereuropa (Ernest Gortan, CEO), Krka (Jože Colarič, CEO), Petrol (Tomaž Berločnik, CEO), Luka Koper (Marko Rems, Member of the Management Board), Nova KBM (Andrej Plos, CEO), Zavarovalnica Triglav (Igor Stebernak, Member of the Management Board), Telekom Slovenije (Zoran Janko, Member of the Management Board).

Other Notable International Activities:

VIDEO REPORT - Kapital 2012 - Active Participation of the VZMD, investo.si, invest-to.net (Ljubljana, April 2012)

VIDEO REPORT - Prominent Participants of Two Key International Conferences in Bled, India and Slovenia as Business Partners and CloudForum, Show Interest in the Investors’ Week in September in Slovenia (Bled, March 2012)

VIDEO REPORT - International Conference at the Brussels Stock Exchange Stimulated Investors' Representatives and Institutions to Participate at the Investors' Week 2012 in September in Slovenia (Brussels, March 2012)

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS from the Euroshareholders & VZMD Award Ceremony, Holiday Party, and Announcement of the World's Largest Meeting of Investors' Representatives in 2012 in Slovenia (Ljubljana, December 2011)

VIDEO REPORT - The Arrival of the President of the WFIC - World Federation of Investors Corporation, Who Will Announce the Largest Meeting of Investors' Representatives, Which the VZMD Will Organize Next Year in Slovenia, and the Recipients of the "Most Shareholder Friendly" and "Courageous Market Steps" Awards, Which Will Be Presented to the CEOs of Mercator and Nova KBM at the VZMD Reception Ceremony (Ljubljana, December 2011)

Very Successful Visit of the AEMEC Conference and at the Headquarters of Santander Bank in Madrid (Madrid, November 2011)

EUROSHAREHOLDERS General Assembly - Slovenia voted as Member of the Board; Russia and EFES Accepted as Associate Members; General Secretary, President, and Vice-Presidents Elected to Another Term; Next Assembly to Be Held in Slovenia (The Hague, October 2011)

The World Federation of Investors' Corporation (WFIC) General Meeting in Warsaw - Next Year the WFIC GM Will Be in Ljubljana; The Newly Established Affiliate of investo.si - Invest to Slovenia, investo.me - Invest to Montenegro, Was Elected as a New Association Member (Warsaw, October 2011)

"Slovenian Day at the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE)" Exceptional Interest of Funds, Investors, and the Financial Media for Slovenian Companies and Its Investment Environment - The Introduction of investo.si - Invest to Slovenia's Newly Founded Affiliate, investo.me - Invest to Montenegro (Warsaw, October 2011)

Chairman of the WFI Appointed to the Investor Advisory Committee

Washington, D.C., April 9, 2012 –The USA Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Roger H. Ganser, Chairman of the World Federation of Investors and NAIC/Better Investing (USA) and an advisor to the New York Stock Exchange was appointed to the new Investor Advisory Committee required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Section 911 of the Dodd-Frank Act established the new committee to advise the Commission on regulatory priorities, the regulation of securities products, trading strategies, fee structures, the effectiveness of disclosure, and on initiatives to protect investor interests and to promote investor confidence and the integrity of the securities marketplace. The Dodd-Frank Act authorizes the committee to submit findings and recommendations for review and consideration by the Commission.

Members of the newly formed committee were nominated by all five sitting Commissioners and represent a wide variety of interests, including senior citizens and other individual investors, mutual funds, pension funds, and state securities regulators.

"The SEC’s new Investor Advisory Committee is made up of individuals with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences," said SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro. "I look forward to their insight and recommendations as to how we can further the SEC’s critical investor protection mission."

Other Notable WFI - World Federation of Investors Activities:

VIDEO REPORT - International Conference at the Brussels Stock Exchange Stimulated Investors' Representatives and Institutions to Participate at the Investors' Week 2012 in September in Slovenia (Brussels, March 2012)

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS from the Euroshareholders & VZMD Award Ceremony, Holiday Party, and Announcement of the World's Largest Meeting of Investors' Representatives in 2012 in Slovenia (Ljubljana, December 2011)

VIDEO REPORT - The Arrival of the President of the WFIC - World Federation of Investors Corporation, Who Will Announce the Largest Meeting of Investors' Representatives, Which the VZMD Will Organize Next Year in Slovenia, and the Recipients of the "Most Shareholder Friendly" and "Courageous Market Steps" Awards, Which Will Be Presented to the CEOs of Mercator and Nova KBM at the VZMD Reception Ceremony (Ljubljana, December 2011)

The World Federation of Investors' Corporation (WFIC) General Meeting in Warsaw - Next Year the WFIC GM Will Be in Ljubljana; The Newly Established Affiliate of investo.si - Invest to Slovenia, investo.me - Invest to Montenegro, Was Elected as a New Association Member (Warsaw, October 2011)

Prominent Participants of Two Key International Conferences in Bled, India and Slovenia as Business Partners and CloudForum, Show Interest in the Investors’ Week in September in Slovenia

On Wednesday, March 28^th, 2012, Kristjan Verbič, the President of the VZMD – PanSlovenian Shareholders’ Association, and Sarah Kavšek, the Secretary General, along with over 70 other business professionals, actively participated at the “India and Slovenia as Business Partners” Roundtable, which was organized by the Embassy of India to Slovenia, the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce, and the IEDC School of Management in Bled, where the event was also held (click on the picture to the left to view the VIDEO REPORT).  The welcome speech and introductions were given by Danica Purg, the President of the IEDC, H.E. Jayakar Jerome, the Ambassador of India to Slovenia, Marjan Hribar, the General Director of the Slovenian Directorate for Tourism and Internationalization, and Samo Hribar Milič, the President and General Manager of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia.  The keynote speech, which was addressed by Dilip Chaudhary, the Secretary of the Department of Public Enterprises for the Government of India, discussed the opportunities that India possesses and the advantages that Slovenian companies have by entering this market.   The very interesting and invigorating panel delved into the numerous various Slovenian businesses that have penetrated the Indian market and their overall experiences.

After the discussion on the Indian and Slovenian business potential, the VZMD representatives joined the first-ever CloudForum, which organized by BledForum, the Center for e-Governance Development, and Consalta.  It emphasized the necessity and potential of Information technology, which is one of the driving forces behind a successful and lucrative business.  The keynote speech given by Jose Cordeiro, the Director of the Venezuela Node of the Millennium Project, spotlighted the future of technology and technology of the future from the IT standpoint.  Other prominent speakers also included Blaž Golob, the Director of the Center for e-Governance Development in Southeast Europe, Biljana Weber, the General Director of Microsoft Slovenia, and others.

The numerous participants of both events in Bled were very enthusiastic about the upcoming Investors’ Week 2012, which will be hosted by the VZMD through its investo.si – Invest to Slovenia program, and will be taking place from the 19^th to the 23^rd of September in Ljubljana.  It will comprise of over 100 representatives and over 50 national associations of investors and shareholders, including members of EuroFinuse – European Federation of Financial Services Users, Euroshareholders – European Organization of Shareholders Associations, and the WFIC – World Federation of Investors Corporation, which together just in Europe embody over 4 million individual investors and shareholders.

This will mark the first time that all three prominent organizations and its members will meet simultaneously.  Numerous investors’ representatives from many national organizations will visit Ljubljana including the Chairman of the WFIC, Roger H. Ganser (USA), the President of the WFIC, Jean-Pierre Paelinck (Belgium), the Vice President of the WFIC, Frank Fumio Kaneko (Japan), Robert Dannenberg (Brazil), Aldo Sicurani (France), the Vice President of the Russian Federation of Investors, Aleksey Smirnov, the President of Euroshareholders and EuroFinuse, Jella Benner-Heinacher (Germany), the Secretary General of Euroshareholders, Guillaume Prache (Belgium), the Vice Presidents of Euroshareholders, Günther Mårder (Sweden) and Jan Maarten Slagter (the Netherlands), along with many other representatives.  The VZMD, through its investo.si program and along with other partners, will organize the first-ever “Investors’ Week,” which will be a two-day investors’ convention where a wide range of Slovenian and international industries and products will be represented and promoted with the hope of establishing new relations and capital for the participating guests. Furthermore, at the Investors’ Week, conference sessions, discussion groups, educational workshops, and an Expo will be offered for visitors and guests, providing a proactive approach to gain knowledge from experts.

We cordially invite all companies, institutions, and the Slovenian as well as international community in general to partake and participate at the event. We also warmly welcome your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas to truly make this a memorable experience for all participants who will be attending this event of the year, where the investors’ world will meet in Ljubljana.

Other Notable International Activities:

VIDEO REPORT - International Conference at the Brussels Stock Exchange Stimulated Investors' Representatives and Institutions to Participate at the Investors' Week 2012 in September in Slovenia (Brussels, March 2012)

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS from the Euroshareholders & VZMD Award Ceremony, Holiday Party, and Announcement of the World's Largest Meeting of Investors' Representatives in 2012 in Slovenia (Ljubljana, December 2011)

VIDEO REPORT - The Arrival of the President of the WFIC - World Federation of Investors Corporation, Who Will Announce the Largest Meeting of Investors' Representatives, Which the VZMD Will Organize Next Year in Slovenia, and the Recipients of the "Most Shareholder Friendly" and "Courageous Market Steps" Awards, Which Will Be Presented to the CEOs of Mercator and Nova KBM at the VZMD Reception Ceremony (Ljubljana, December 2011)

Very Successful Visit of the AEMEC Conference and at the Headquarters of Santander Bank in Madrid (Madrid, November 2011)

EUROSHAREHOLDERS General Assembly - Slovenia voted as Member of the Board; Russia and EFES Accepted as Associate Members; General Secretary, President, and Vice-Presidents Elected to Another Term; Next Assembly to Be Held in Slovenia (The Hague, October 2011)

The World Federation of Investors' Corporation (WFIC) General Meeting in Warsaw - Next Year the WFIC GM Will Be in Ljubljana; The Newly Established Affiliate of investo.si - Invest to Slovenia, investo.me - Invest to Montenegro, Was Elected as a New Association Member (Warsaw, October 2011)

"Slovenian Day at the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE)" Exceptional Interest of Funds, Investors, and the Financial Media for Slovenian Companies and Its Investment Environment - The Introduction of investo.si - Invest to Slovenia's Newly Founded Affiliate, investo.me - Invest to Montenegro (Warsaw, October 2011)

The Fragmented 18th Shareholder's Meeting of Mercator

VIDEO REPORT - International Conference at the Brussels Stock Exchange Stimulated Investors' Representatives and Institutions to Participate at the Investors' Week 2012 in September in Ljubljana

On Friday, March 16^th, 2012, Mr. Kristjan Verbič, the President of the VZMD – PanSlovenian Shareholders’ Association, and Ms. Sarah Kavšek, the Secretary General, along with the VZMD.TV and investo.tv film crew, actively participated at the opening ceremony of the Brussels Stock Exchange, the EuroFinuse and Euroshareholders’ International Conference on Financial Services Users’ Protection, and the Press Conference discussing the call for further EU actions in 2012.  

At the opening ceremony, Ms. Jella Benner-Heinacher, the President of Euroshareholders, the European federation of shareholders’ organizations, and of EuroFinuse, the European organization of Financial Services Users, known before as EuroInvestors, was joined by Mr. Frédéric de Lamine de Bex, the director of Institutional Relations at the NYSE Euronext, Mr. Guillaume Prache, the Managing Director of EuroFinuse and the Secretary General of Euroshareholders, and Mr. Jan Maarten Slagter, the Vice-President of Euroshareholders.  With the ringing of the ceremonial bell, she commenced trading on the Brussels, Amsterdam, Lisbon, and Paris Stock Exchanges.

Following the bell ceremony, the representatives of the VZMD partook at the EuroFinuse and Euroshareholders’ International Conference on Financial Services Users’ Protection and a Press Conference discussing the call for further EU actions in 2012.  One of the main objectives and topics for discussion of the International Conference in Brussels was to how restore trust in the capital markets, since in light of the global financial crisis, is presently a heavily debated and deliberated theme.  The key note speech addressed by Mr. Jonathan Faull, the general director of Internal Market and Services of the European Commission, also highlighted this issue and many others, including current issues regarding retail investors’ protection, the point of view of the European Commission, and the steps that the European Commission has taken and will take in the following years to protect individual investors. 

Other prominent speakers included Mr. Vincent J. Derudder, the Chairman of FECIF – European Federation of Financial Advisers and Financial Intermediaries, Mr. Jarkko Syyrila, the Deputy Director General of EFAMA – the European Fund and Asset Management Association, and other renowned contemporaries from financial themes.  

In addition, the preceding Press Conference on the call for further EU actions in 2012 tackled five major points, which included: EU sovereign bonds, financial transaction tax, investment advice regarding MiFID, PRIPS, and IMD directives, shadow banking, and the collective redress scheme.

Above all, the numerous investors, journalists, and experts in these fields were very enthusiastic about the upcoming Investors’ Week 2012, which will be hosted by the VZMD through its investo.si – Invest to Slovenia program, and will be taking place from the 19^th to the 23^rd of September in Ljubljana.  This will be the world’s largest meeting of investors’ representatives and the first time that Euroshareholders, EuroFinuse, and the WFIC-World Federation of Investors’ Corporations will simultaneously convene at the investors’ summit and convention.  In Brussels, many of the prestigious and esteemed guests have already confirmed their participation at the conference in Slovenia.

GREETINGS & VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS from Euroshareholders & VZMD Award Ceremony, Holiday Party and Announcement of the World's Largest Meeting of Investors' Representatives in 2012 in Slovenia

Arrival of the WFIC President, Dr. Jean-Pierre Paelinck in Slovenia

VIDEO REPORT - The Arrival of the President of the WFIC - World Federation of Investors Corporation, Who Will Announce the Largest Meeting of Investors' Representatives, Which the VZMD Will Organize Next Year in Slovenia, and the Recipients of the "Most Shareholder Friendly" and "Courageous Market Steps" Awards, Which Will Be Presented to the CEOs of Mercator and Nova KBM at the VZMD Reception Ceremony

On the 17th of December, by invitation of the VZMD - Panslovenian Shareholders' Association, Dr. Jean-Pierre Paelinck, President of the WFIC - World Federation of Investors Corporation and the long-term Honorary Secretary General of Euroshareholders, the organization of European shareholders associations, arrived in Slovenia.  At the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport, Dr. Paelinck and his wife were awaited by the President of the VZMD, Mr. Kristjan Verbič, M.Sc., and the VZMD Secretary General, Ms. Sarah Kavšek.  After their arrival, Dr. Paelinck and his wife toured the center of Ljubljana, including the always exciting and jovial Plečnik's open market, and left for an excursion to the Primorska and Karst regions of Slovenia.

The honored guest, during his four day stay in Slovenia, will have a hefty schedule including Monday's Award Ceremony, where Mr. Jean-Pierre Paelinck will present the recipients of the Euroshareholders' and VZMD's Award for the "Most Shareholder Friendly" company and for the company that took the "Most Courageous Capital Market Steps" and meet with many distinguished businessmen, diplomats, and journalists.  At the VZMD annual celebration, Dr. Paelinck will also announce next year's meeting of the WFIC, Euroshareholders, and the EFI - European Federation of Investors, which the VZMD and its investo.si - Invest to Slovenia program will organize in September in Ljubljana.  This will be the first time that all three organizations, which comprise of over 100 representatives and over 50 national associations and embody over 4 million individual investors just in Europe alone, will have their meetings simultaneously.  Through the investo.si program, an investors' convention will also be organized, where a wide range of Slovenian, Southeastern European, and international industries and products will be represented and promoted with the hope of establishing new relations and capital for the participating guests.  Furthermore, at the investo.si Investors' Convention, conference sessions, discussion groups, and educational workshops will be offered for visitors and guests, providing a proactive approach to gain knowledge from experts. 

We cordially invite companies, institutions, organizations, and businesses to partake and participate at the event and also warmly welcome your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas to truly make this a memorable experience for all participants.

Very Successful Visit of the AEMEC Conference and at the Headquarters of Santander Bank in Madrid

Implementation and Supplementation of the Strategy and the Requirements of Euroshareholders and EuroInvestors for a New EU Financial and Investment Regulation; Intensive Preparation for the Largest International Meeting of Investors' Representatives in Slovenia

Madrid, November 14, 2011 

On November 14, 2011, the President of the PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association (VZMD), Mr. Kristjan Verbič, returned from his very successful, work-intensive visit in Madrid, where he, as a guest of the Spanish Association of Shareholders (Asociación Española de Accionistas Minoritarios de Empresas Cotizadas - AEMEC), partook at their 4^th Annual Congress entitled "The Hour of the Minority Shareholder in Europe and Spain" (see program below).  The aforementioned congress was visited by numerous, prominent representatives of Spanish issuers of stocks, financial institutions, market regulators, representatives of the EU, and the well-distinguished representatives of the Organization of European Associations of Shareholders (Euroshareholders) and the European Federation of Investors (EFI - EuroInvestors).

Following the congress, the Euroshareholders/AEMEC "Most Shareholder - Friendly" Award was given to Don Emilio Botín (see picture, right), President of Banco Santander, one of the largest banking groups in the world and the largest in the Eurozone, at the bank's headquarters.  There Mr. Verbič met with the renowned owner and his closest co-workers and exchanged the views and perspectives, as well as some ideas, of the possibility of the bank's participation at next year's investors' meeting and convention, which the VZMD is organizing in Slovenia through its investo.si - Invest to Slovenia program.  

The VZMD President, during his trip, was also actively engaged in numerous bilateral and multilateral discussions aimed at relaying the Euroshareholders' and EuroInvestors' strategy regarding the changes and supplements to the EU Directive and Regulation on the financial and capital markets concerning the protection of minority shareholders and individual investors.  A brief summary of the activities, perspectives, and current status of these activities was presented at the congress by the Secretary General of Euroshareholders, Mr. Guillaume Prache (please click on the document, left). 

Mr. Verbič, at this extraordinary event and opportunity, also highlighted the meeting of over 100 global representatives of the investors, which through their national associations will participate at the Annual Meetings of the World Federation of Investors Corporation (WFIC), Eurosharesholders, and EuroInvestors next year in Ljubljana, Slovenia.  This will be the first time that all three notable organizations, which embody over 4 million individual investors, will have their meetings at the same time and at the same place.  Through the investo.si program, an investors' convention will also be organized, where a wide range of Slovenian, Southeastern European, and international institutions, industries, and products will be represented and promoted with the hope of establishing new relations and capital.