Muttenz, 15 February 2012 - Clariant will propose the repeal of the restriction on voting rights for shareholders with a participation of more than 10% of the share capital to the 17th Annual General Meeting on 27 March 2012. In doing so, the Board of Directors is taking up an identical proposal submitted to the company by shareholder zCapital AG (Zug, Switzerland) on 2 February 2012

In accordance with Article 12 of Clariant's current Articles of Association, each share has the right to one vote. However, a shareholder can only vote for his own shares and for represented shares up to a combined maximum of 10% of total share capital. By removing the voting restriction, the Board of Directors is following the trend for the "one share, one vote" principle.

- END -

Clariant is an internationally active specialty chemical company, based in Muttenz near Basel. The group owns over 100 companies worldwide and employed 22 149 employees on December 31, 2011. In the financial year 2011, Clariant produced a turnover of CHF 7.4 billion. Clariant is divided into eleven business units: Additives; Catalysis & Energy; Emulsions, Detergents & Intermediates; Functional Materials; Industrial & Consumer Specialties; Leather Services; Masterbatches; Oil & Mining Services; Paper Specialties; Pigments; Textile Chemicals.

Clariant focuses on creating value by investing in future profitable and sustainable growth, which is based on four strategic pillars: Improving profitability, innovation as well as research and development, dynamic growth in emerging markets, and optimizing the portfolio through complementary acquisitions or divestments