Xtrackers (IE) plc
Investment Company with Variable Capital
Registered Office: 78 Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland
Registration number: 393802
(“the Company”)
Important Notice to Shareholders of:
Xtrackers USD Corporate Bond Short Duration SRI PAB UCITS ETF
(ISIN: IE00BF8J5974)
Xtrackers USD Corporate Bond SRI PAB UCITS ETF
(ISIN: IE00BL58LJ19)
Xtrackers World Net Zero Pathway Paris Aligned UCITS ETF
(ISIN: IE000UZCJS58)
Xtrackers EMU Net Zero Pathway Paris Aligned UCITS ETF
(ISIN: IE000Y6L6LE6)
Xtrackers Emerging Markets Net Zero Pathway Paris Aligned UCITS ETF
(ISIN: IE000TZT8TI0)
Xtrackers Europe Net Zero Pathway Paris Aligned UCITS ETF
(ISIN: IE0001JH5CB4)
Xtrackers USA Net Zero Pathway Paris Aligned UCITS ETF
(ISIN: IE0002ZM3JI1)
Xtrackers Japan Net Zero Pathway Paris Aligned UCITS ETF
(ISIN: IE00074JLU02)
(each a “Fund” and together the “Funds”)
_________________________________________________________________________________
2 December 2022
Capitalised terms used in this notice shall have the same meaning ascribed to them in the latest version of the prospectus of the Company (the “Prospectus”) or the supplement of the relevant Fund (the “Supplement”) unless the context otherwise requires.
As part of a review of the latest market and regulatory environment, and in light of the below factors, DWS Investment S.A., the management company of the Company (the “Management Company”), has determined that each Fund should disclose pursuant to Article 8 of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (“SFDR”). The Funds currently disclose pursuant to Article 9 of SFDR. Consequently, the board of directors of the Company (the “Board of Directors”) has decided to amend the relevant supplement of each Fund to reflect this change with effect from 16 December 2022 (the “Effective Date”). For the avoidance of doubt, the Funds’ names, Reference Indices, investment objectives, investment policies, risk profiles and fees remain unchanged.
By way of background, the Board of Directors refers shareholders of the Funds (“Shareholders”) to bullet point 19. of the Clarifications on the European Supervisory Authorities’ draft Regulatory Technical Standards under the SFDR dated 2 June 2022, which states “for the avoidance of doubt, as stated by the European Commission in its SFDR Q&A from July 2021, financial products that have sustainable investment as an objective should only make sustainable investments”.
Consequently, the European Supervisory Authorities’ recently submitted a list of additional queries, dated 9 September 2022, to the European Commission, requiring the interpretation of Union law with reference to Regulation (EU) 2019/2088 (SFDR) and in particular Question 5 in relation to “whether financial products with a passive investment strategy which designate as a reference benchmark a Paris Aligned Benchmark can automatically be deemed to fulfil the conditions of Article 9(3) SFDR in conjunction with Article 2(17) of the SFDR”.
Until the European Commission provides clarity on Question 5 and/or bullet point 19 (i.e., as to what the “only make sustainable investments” text from the 2 June 2022 Clarifications means in the context of an Article 9(3) SFDR product), the Management Company has determined that each Fund should disclose pursuant to Article 8(1) of SFDR with effect from the Effective Date.
General Information
The Changes will be reflected in an updated Supplement to be issued on or around the Effective Date, subject to noting by the Central Bank of Ireland.
Copies of the revised Supplement of the Funds reflecting the changes will be made available on the website of the Company (www.Xtrackers.com) on or around the Effective Date, and copies thereof may be obtained on request free of charge at the registered office of the Company or at the offices of foreign representatives, once available.
Shareholders who have any queries or to whom any of the above is not clear should seek advice from their stockbroker, bank manager, legal advisor, accountant or other independent financial advisor. Shareholders should also consult their own professional advisors as to the specific tax implications under the laws of the countries of their nationality, residence, domicile or incorporation.
Further information in relation to the changes may be obtained from the legal entities mentioned under Contact information below, the offices of foreign representatives or by sending an email to Xtrackers@dws.com.
Neither the contents of the Company’s website nor the contents of any other website accessible from hyperlinks on the Company’s website is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.
Yours faithfully,
______________________________
Director
For and on behalf of
Xtrackers (IE) plc
Contact information
Xtrackers (IE) plc
78 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland
DWS Investment S.A.
2, boulevard Konrad Adenauer, L-1115 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
Registered in Dublin, Ireland as an open-ended variable capital umbrella investment company with limited liability and as an umbrella fund with segregated liability between funds.
Registration Number 393802. Registered Office as above.
Directors: Tom Murray (Irish), Michael Whelan (Irish), Gerry Grimes (Irish), Julien Boulliat (French), Philippe Ah-Sun (British) and Michael Mohr (German)
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