Corporate governance statement

Akzo Nobel N.V. is a public limited liability company (“Naamloze Vennootschap”) established under the laws of the Netherlands. Its common shares are listed on NYSE Euronext Amsterdam. The company’s management and supervision structure is organized in a so-called two-tier system, comprising a Board of Management, solely composed of executive directors, and a Supervisory Board, solely composed of non-executive directors. The two Boards are independent of each other and are accountable to the Annual General Meeting of shareholders for the performance of their functions.

Our corporate governance structure is based on the requirements of the Dutch Civil Code, the company’s Articles of Association and the rules and regulations applicable to companies listed on the NYSE Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange, complemented by several internal procedures. These procedures include a risk management and control system, as well as a system of assurance of compliance with laws and regulations.

Over the last decade, we have been consistently enhancing and improving our corporate governance standards in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Most notable were the Dutch Corporate Governance Code adopted in 2003 and amended in 2008 (the “Code”) and the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and its implementation rules. Although we have delisted from NASDAQ and deregistered from the SEC, we continue to build on the improvements we have been making to our corporate governance.

The Code contains principles and best practices for Dutch companies with listed shares. We agree with both the general approach and the vast majority of its principles and best practice provisions. Corporate governance at AkzoNobel was placed on the agenda at our Annual General Meeting of shareholders in 2004 and 2005 as a separate item for discussion. This specifically included a number of aspects where our corporate governance deviates from the Code, as explained in our 2004 Annual Report. The Board of Management and the Supervisory Board have taken these discussions into account in formulating a position on AkzoNobel’s corporate governance. One of the outcomes was an amendment to the Articles of Association, which was approved by the Annual General Meeting of shareholders in 2005. The company agrees with all amendments introduced in the revised Code of 2008. To the extent necessary, all changes to the Code have been implemented through an amendment to the Rules of Procedure of the Board of Management and Supervisory Board respectively, as well as through additions to the text of the Annual Report, and the introduction of a claw back provision in the remuneration policy in 2010. This chapter describes AkzoNobel’s corporate governance. Any deviations from the Code are explained, in accordance with the Code’s “apply or explain” principle.

The Board of Management and the Supervisory Board are of the opinion that the company’s corporate governance structure, as described in this chapter and which includes the introduction of an Executive Committee as of January 1, 2011, is the most appropriate for AkzoNobel at this point in time. With the exception of those aspects of our governance structure which can only be amended with the approval of the Annual General Meeting of shareholders, the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board may make adjustments to the way the Code is applied as described below, if this is considered to be in the interest of the company. If adjustments are made, they will be published and reported in the annual report for the relevant year.