71 ANNUAL REPORT 2010   OUR GOVERNANCE  CORPORATE GOVERNANCE ❏ CORPORATE GOVERNANCE General Meeting of Shareholders Record date  Stichting Communicatiekanaal  Agenda  Voting at the General Meeting  Executive Board Attendance  AEGON’s Executive Board currently has two members:  Alexander R. Wynaendts, who is Chairman of the  Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer, and Jan  J. Nooitgedagt, who is AEGON’s Chief Financial Officer.  Every shareholder is entitled to attend the General  Meeting, to speak and vote, either in person or by proxy  granted in writing. This includes electronically submitted  proxies. All shareholders wishing to take part must  Those shareholders who alone or jointly represent at  least 1% of AEGON’s issued capital or block of shares  worth at least EUR 50 million$^{ 2}$ may request items be  added to the agenda of these meetings. In according  with AEGON’s Articles of Association, such requests  will be granted, providing they are received in writing  at least 60 days before the meeting and unless  important interests of the company dictate otherwise.  At the General Meeting, each share carries one vote.  However, under certain circumstances, AEGON’s largest  shareholder, Vereniging AEGON, may cast 25/12 votes  per preferred share$^{ 3}$. All resolutions are adopted by an  absolute majority of votes cast, unless Dutch law or  AEGON’s Articles of Association stipulate otherwise.  AEGON is a member of the Stichting Communicatiekanaal  Aandeelhouders, a Dutch foundation dedicated to  improving communication between listed companies in  the Netherlands and their shareholders and to  encouraging greater shareholder participation at  general meetings. Shareholders may use the services of  this foundation to vote by proxy. AEGON also solicits  proxies from New York registry shareholders in line with  common practice in the United States.  A General Meeting of Shareholders is held at least  once a year. Its main function is to decide matters such  as the adoption of annual accounts, the approval of  dividend payments and appointments to AEGON’s  Supervisory and Executive Boards. Meetings are  convened by public notice. When deemed necessary, the  Supervisory or Executive Board has the authority to  convene an extraordinary General Meeting of  Shareholders.  AEGON’s common shares are listed in Amsterdam,  New York and London. AEGON has institutional and  retail shareholders around the world. Around 80% is  located in North America, the Netherlands and the  United Kingdom, the company’s three main markets.  AEGON’s largest shareholder is Vereniging AEGON, an  association established to protect the broader interests  of the company and its stakeholders.  AEGON is a public company under Dutch law. It is governed by three  corporate bodies: the General Meeting of Shareholders, which meets  at least once every year, the Executive Board and the Supervisory  Board. As a company based and registered in the Netherlands,  AEGON is subject to the Dutch Corporate Governance Code$^{ 1}$.  provide proof of their identity and shareholding, and  must notify the company ahead of time of their intention  to attend the meeting.  The record date is used to determine shareholders’  entitlements with regard to their participation and  voting rights. In accordance with the Dutch law, the  record date will be set 28 days before the day of the  General Meeting of Shareholders. SHARPENING OUR FOCUS 1 For further details on how AEGON’s corporate governance practices differ from those required of US companies under New York Stock  Exchange standards, please refer to the NYSE Listing standards in the Governance section of AEGON’s website at www.aegon.com. 2 The Dutch law currently provides for a threshold of EUR 50 million. It is expected that the law will be amended and that the threshold  will be increased to EUR 100 million. The Articles of Association of AEGON N.V. already provide for a threshold of EUR 100 million.  During the General Meeting of Shareholders in 2010 it was confirmed that the threshold of EUR 100 million in market value will not be  effective until the Dutch law has been amended. 3 For further information, please see pages 244 to 245. 