def14a
SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Filed by the Registrant þ
Filed by a Party other than the
Registrant o
Check the appropriate box:
o Preliminary Proxy
Statement
o Confidential, for Use
of the Commission Only (as permitted by
Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
þ Definitive Proxy
Statement
o Definitive Additional
Materials
o Soliciting Material
Pursuant to
§240.14a-12
ING Clarion Real Estate Income
Fund
ING Clarion Global Real Estate
Income Fund
(Name of Registrant as Specified In
Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy
Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
þ No fee required.
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Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act
Rules 14a-6(i)(1)
and 0-11.
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(1)
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Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
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(2)
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Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
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(3)
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Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed
pursuant to Exchange Act
Rule 0-11
(set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated
and state how it was determined):
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(4)
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Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
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o Fee paid previously
with preliminary materials.
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Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by
Exchange Act
Rule 0-11(a)(2)
and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid
previously. Identify the previous filing by registration
statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its
filing.
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(1)
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Amount Previously Paid:
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(2)
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Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ING
CLARION REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
ING CLARION GLOBAL REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
259 North Radnor Chester Road,
Second Floor
Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087
NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON MAY 7, 2007
Notice is hereby given that an Annual Meeting of Shareholders of
ING Clarion Real Estate Income Fund (the Real Estate
Income Fund) and ING Clarion Global Real Estate Income
Fund (the Global Real Estate Income Fund)
(collectively, the Trusts) will be held at the
offices of ING Clarion Real Estate Securities, L.P., 259 North
Radnor Chester Road, Second Floor, Radnor, Pennsylvania 19087 on
May 7, 2007 at 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time (the
Annual Meeting). The Annual Meeting is being held
for the purpose of considering the proposal set forth below and
to transact such other business as may properly be brought
before the Annual Meeting.
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1.
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To elect three Trustees for the Real Estate Income Fund and two
Trustees for the Global Real Estate Fund, each to hold office
for the term indicated in the attached Proxy Statement and until
their successors shall have been elected and qualified.
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2.
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To transact such other business as may properly come before the
Annual Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof.
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The Boards of Trustees of each Trust (collectively, the
Board), including the independent trustees,
unanimously recommend that you vote FOR the proposal.
We encourage you to contact the Trusts toll free at
1-800-433-8191
from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time if you have
any questions. The Board has fixed the close of business on
March 30, 2007 as the record date for the determination of
shareholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual
Meeting. We urge you to complete, sign, date, and return the
enclosed proxy in the postage-paid envelope provided so your
shares will be represented at the Annual Meeting.
ING Clarion Real Estate Income Fund
By Order of the Board of Trustees
ING Clarion Global Real Estate Income Fund
By Order of the Board of Trustees
Vincent P. McDevitt, Secretary
April 17, 2007
It is important that your shares be represented at the Annual
Meeting in person or by proxy. Whether or not you plan to attend
the Annual Meeting, please complete, sign, date and return the
enclosed proxy card in the accompanying postage-paid envelope.
If you attend the Annual Meeting and wish to vote in person, you
will be able to do so and your vote at the Annual Meeting will
revoke any proxy you may have previously submitted. Your vote is
extremely important. No matter how many or how few shares you
own, please send in your proxy card today. You may revoke your
proxy at any time prior to the Annual Meeting.
ING
CLARION REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
ING CLARION GLOBAL REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
PROXY STATEMENT
ANNUAL MEETING OF
SHAREHOLDERS
TO BE HELD ON MAY 7,
2007
This joint proxy statement (Proxy Statement) is
furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the
Boards of Trustees (collectively, the Board) of the
ING Clarion Real Estate Income Fund (the Real Estate
Income Fund) and ING Clarion Global Real Estate Income
Fund (the Global Real Estate Income Fund)
(collectively, the Trusts) to be voted at the annual
meeting of shareholders of the Trusts to be held on May 7,
2007, and any adjournments or postponements thereof (the
Annual Meeting). The Annual Meeting will be held at
the offices of ING Clarion Real Estate Securities L.P.
(ING Clarion RES or the Advisor), 259
North Radnor Chester Road, Second Floor, Radnor, Pennsylvania
19087. This Joint Proxy Statement and the enclosed proxy card
are first being sent to shareholders on or about April 17,
2007.
A joint proxy statement is being used in light of the similar
matters being considered and voted on by shareholders. This
Proxy Statement will give you the information you need to vote
on the proposal listed on the accompanying Notice of Annual
Meeting of Shareholders (Notice of Annual Meeting).
Much of the information in this Proxy Statement is required by
the rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC); some of it is technical. If there is anything
you do not understand, please contact us at our toll-free number
at
1-800-433-8191.
The cost of soliciting proxies will be borne by the Trusts. In
addition, certain officers, directors and employees of the
Trust, the Advisor and the Trusts administrator (none of
whom will receive additional compensation therefor) may solicit
proxies by telephone or mail.
Upon request, the Trusts will furnish to shareholders, without
charge, a copy of their respective annual report(s) or more
recent semi-annual report succeeding the annual report. The
annual or semi-annual report for each Trust may be obtained by
calling
1-800-433-8191.
Each Trust is registered as a closed-end management investment
company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
(the 1940 Act), and each Trusts shares are
registered under the Securities Act of 1933.
GENERAL
INFORMATION
Why is a
shareholder meeting being held?
Because the common shares of each Trust are listed on the
American Stock Exchange (AMEX), which requires the
Trust to hold an annual meeting of shareholders.
What
proposal will be voted on?
As described in more detail in this Proxy Statement,
shareholders of the Real Estate Income Fund are being asked to
elect three Class I Trustees and shareholders of the Global
Real Estate Income Fund are being asked to elect two
Class III Trustees (collectively, the Proposal).
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Will my
vote make a difference?
Yes! Your vote is important and will make a difference in the
governance of each Trust, no matter how many shares you own.
Who is
asking for my vote?
The enclosed proxy is being solicited by the Board for use at
the Annual Meeting to be held on May 7, 2007, and, if the
Annual Meeting is adjourned or postponed, at any later meetings,
for the purposes stated in the attached Notice of Annual Meeting.
How do I
vote?
If you do not expect to be present at the Annual Meeting and
wish to vote your shares, please vote your proxy in accordance
with the instructions included on the enclosed proxy card. If
your proxy is properly returned, shares represented by it will
be voted at the Annual Meeting in accordance with your
instructions. However, if no instructions are specified on the
proxy, the proxy will be voted FOR the Proposal and in
accordance with the judgment of the persons appointed as proxies
upon any other matter that may properly come before the Annual
Meeting. Shareholders may revoke their proxy at any time prior
to the time they are voted by delivering a subsequently dated
proxy.
If you wish to vote your shares or revoke a previous proxy at
the Annual Meeting, and you own your shares through a bank,
broker-dealer or other third party intermediary who holds your
shares of record, you must request a legal proxy from the bank,
broker-dealer or other third party intermediary. Any previously
executed proxy will be revoked, and your vote will not be
counted unless you appear at the Annual Meeting and vote in
person or legally appoint another proxy to vote on your behalf.
How does
the Board recommend that shareholders vote on the
Proposal?
The Board unanimously recommends that you vote for
the Proposal.
Who is
eligible to vote?
Shareholders of record of each Trust at the close of business on
March 30, 2007 (the Record Date) are entitled
to be present and to vote at the Annual Meeting or any
adjournment or postponement thereof. Each share is entitled to
one vote. Shares represented by duly executed proxies will be
voted in accordance with your instructions. If you sign the
proxy, but do not fill in a vote, your shares will be voted in
accordance with the Boards recommendation. If any other
business is brought before the Annual Meeting, your shares will
be voted at the discretion of the persons named as proxies
unless you specify otherwise in your proxy.
How many
shares of each Trust were outstanding as of the record
date?
As of the Record Date, the Real Estate Income Fund had
14,953,570 common shares outstanding and 4,800 preferred
shares outstanding. As of the Record Date the Global Real Estate
Income Fund had 102,676,778 common shares outstanding and 36,400
preferred shares outstanding.
THE
PROPOSAL: TO ELECT TRUSTEES
Who are
the nominees for Trustee of the Real Estate Income
Fund?
The Trustees of the Real Estate Income Fund are classified into
three classes, as set forth in the table below. Trustees with an
asterisk (*) are designated as Trustees representing the Real
Estate Income Funds preferred shareholders.
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ING
CLARION REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
Class I
Trustees
Mr. T. Ritson Ferguson, Mr. Frederick Hammer and
Mr. John Bartholdson are the Class I Trustees.
Mr. Ferguson and Mr. Hammer are standing for
re-election and Mr. Bartholdson is standing for election at
the Annual Meeting.
Class II
Trustees
Mr. Jarrett B. Kling* and Mr. Asuka Nakahara are the
Class II Trustees. It is currently anticipated that each
will stand for re-election at the Trusts 2008 annual
meeting of shareholders.
Class III
Trustees
Mr. Richard L. Sutton* is the Class III Trustee. It is
currently anticipated that he will stand for re-election at the
Trusts 2009 annual meeting of shareholders.
What are
the different voting rights for the Real Estate Income
Fund Class I Nominees representing the preferred
shares?
Shareholders of the Real Estate Income Fund are being asked to
elect Mr. T. Ritson Ferguson,
Mr. Frederick Hammer and Mr. John Bartholdson,
the Class I Trustees, at the Annual Meeting. None of the
Class I Trustees are designated as a Nominee representing
the Funds preferred shareholders. Holders of outstanding
preferred shares, voting separately as a class, are entitled to
elect two of the Trusts Trustees. The remaining Trustees
are elected by holders of common shares and preferred shares,
voting together as a single class. At the Annual Meeting,
Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Hammer and Mr. Bartholdson will
be subject to the vote of the common shares and the preferred
shares, voting together as a single class.
Who are
the nominees for Trustee of the Global Real Estate Income
Fund?
The Trustees of the Global Real Estate Income Fund are
classified into three classes, as set forth in the table below.
Trustees with an asterisk (*) are designated as Trustees
representing the Global Real Estate Income Funds preferred
shareholders.
ING
CLARION GLOBAL REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
Class I
Trustees
Mr. T. Ritson Ferguson and Mr. Frederick Hammer are
the Class I Trustees. It is currently anticipated that each
will stand for re-election at the Trusts 2008 annual
meeting of shareholders.
Class II
Trustees
Mr. Jarrett B. Kling* and Mr. Asuka Nakahara are the
Class II Trustees. It is currently anticipated that each
will stand for re-election at the Trusts 2009 annual
meeting of shareholders.
Class III
Trustees
Mr. Richard L. Sutton* and Mr. John Bartholdson are
the Class III Trustees. Mr. Sutton is standing for
re-election and Mr. Bartholdson is standing for election at
the Annual Meeting.
What are
the different voting rights for the Global Real Estate Income
Fund Class III Nominees representing the preferred
shares?
Shareholders of the Global Real Estate Income Fund are being
asked to elect only Mr. Richard L. Sutton and Mr. John
Bartholdson, the Class III Trustees, at the Annual Meeting.
Mr. Sutton is designated as a Nominee
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representing the Funds preferred shareholders. Holders of
outstanding preferred shares, voting as a class, are entitled to
elect two of the Trusts Trustees. The remaining Trustees
are elected by holders of common shares and preferred shares,
voting together as a single class. At the Annual Meeting,
Mr. Sutton will be subject to the vote of the preferred
shares, as a class. Mr. Bartholdson will be subject to the
vote of the common shares and the preferred shares, voting
together as a single class.
The Class I Trustees of the Real Estate Income Fund and the
Class III Trustees of the Global Real Estate Income Fund
(collectively, the Nominees) will hold office for
three years or until his successors shall have been elected and
qualified. The other Trustees of each Trust will continue to
serve under their current terms and will be elected at
subsequent annual meetings of shareholders as indicated above.
Each Nominee is currently a Trustee of each Trust. Unless
authority is withheld, it is the intention of the persons named
in the proxy to vote the proxy FOR the election of
the Nominees. Each Nominee has indicated that he has consented
to serve as a Trustee if elected at the Annual Meeting. If a
Nominee declines or otherwise becomes unavailable for election,
however, the proxy confers discretionary power on the persons
named therein to vote in favor of a substitute nominee or
nominees.
Certain information concerning the Trustees, including the
Nominees, is set forth in the table below. Except as indicated
in the charts below, each individual has held the office shown
or other offices in the same company for the last five years.
The interested Trustees (as defined in
Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act) are indicated by an
asterisk (*). Independent Trustees are those who are not
interested persons of the Trusts or ING Clarion RES and comply
with the definition of independent (as defined in
Rule 10A-3
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
Exchange Act)) (the Independent
Trustees). Each Trustee oversees the Real Estate Income
Fund and Global Real Estate Income Fund within the investment
company complex, as such term is defined in
Form N-2.
Each Trustee, except Mr. Bartholdson, has served in such
capacity since the Real Estate Income Fund and the Global Real
Estate Income Fund commenced operations on September 16,
2003 and February 18, 2004, respectively.
Mr. Bartholdson was appointed to the Board of each Trust on
August 23, 2004. After a Trustees initial term, each
Trustee is expected to serve a three year term concurrent with
the class of Trustees for which he serves. The business address
of each Trustee is 259 North Radnor Chester Road, Second Floor,
Radnor, PA 19087.
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Name (Age)
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Positions Held
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Principal Occupation(s)
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Interested Trustees
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with the Trusts
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During the Past 5 Years
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Other Directorships Held
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* T. Ritson Ferguson
(47)
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Trustee, President
and Chief
Executive Officer
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Managing Director and Chief
Investment Officer of ING Clarion Real Estate Securities, L.P.
since 1995.
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Board Member of the Community
Coalition of Chester County since 2005; Board Member of ING
Business Select Ltd.(UK) since 2007.
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* Jarrett B. Kling
(63)
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Trustee
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Managing Director of ING Clarion
Real Estate Securities, L.P., member of the Investment Advisory
Committee of the TDH Group of venture funds.
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Trustee of The Hirtle Callaghan
Trust since 1995; National Trustee of the Boys and Girls Clubs
of America since 1997; Board of Old Mutual Advisor Funds since
2005.
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Interested person of the Trusts as defined in the
1940 Act. Messrs. Ferguson and Kling are interested persons
due to their employment with the Advisor. |
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Name (Age)
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Position
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Principal Occupation(s)
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Independent Trustees
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with the Trusts
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During the Past 5 Years
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Other Directorships Held
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Asuka Nakahara
(51)
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Trustee
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Associate Director of the
Zell-Lurie Real Estate Center at the Wharton School, University
of Pennsylvania, since July 1999; Lecturer of Real Estate at the
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; Chief Financial
Officer of Trammell Crow Company from 1996- 1998; Chief
Knowledge Officer of Trammell Crow Company (1998-1999).
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Advisory Board Member of the HBS
Club of Philadelphia since 2000; Board Member of The
Philadelphia Foundation since 2004; Board Member of the
Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia since 2006; Trustee of
Ardmore Presbyterian Church (2002-2004).
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Frederick S. Hammer
(70)
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Trustee
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Co-Chairman of Inter-Atlantic
Group since 1994 and a member of its investment committee;
Co-Chairman of Guggenheim Securities Holdings, LLC from 2002 to
2003; non- executive.
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Serves on the Boards of
E-Duction,
Inc. since 2005, Avalon Insurance Holdings, Inc. since 2006 and
Homeowners Insurance Corp. since 2006; Chairman of the Board of
Annuity and Life Re (Holdings), Ltd. since 1998; Director on the
Boards of Tri-Arc Financial Services, Inc. (1989-2004) and
Magellan Insurance Company Ltd. (1995-2004); Director of
Medallion Financial Corporation (1999-2002), IKON Office
Solutions, Inc. (1986-1999) and VISA International (1978-1989);
Trustee of the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club (1978 - 2006).
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Name (Age)
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Position
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Principal Occupation(s)
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Independent Trustees
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with the Trusts
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During the Past 5 Years
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Other Directorships Held
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Richard L. Sutton
(71)
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Trustee
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Of Counsel, Morris, Nichols,
Arsht & Tunnell, 2000 to present; Partner, Morris,
Nichols, Arsht & Tunnel, 1966-2000.
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Trustee of the Unidel Foundation,
Inc. since 2000; Board of Directors of ING Global Real Estate
Securities Ltd. since 2006, Wilmington Country Club (1999-2004),
Grand Opera House, Inc., (1976-1992), University of Delaware
Library Associates, Inc. (1981-1999), Wilmington Club
(1987-2003), and American Judicature Society (1995-1999).
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John Bartholdson
(62)
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Trustee/Audit
Committee
Financial Expert
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Senior Vice President, CFO and
Treasurer, and a Director of Triumph Group, Inc., since 1993.
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Philadelphia/Washington Advisory
Board of FM Global since 2004; Board Member of Old Mutual
Advisor Funds, Old Mutual Advisor Funds, II and Old Mutual
Insurance Series Fund since 2004.
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No Nominee is a party adverse to the Trusts, or any of their
affiliates, in any material pending legal proceeding, nor does
any Nominee have an interest materially adverse to the Trusts.
Who are
the Officers of the Trusts?
Information about the Trusts principal executive officers
(the Officers) is set forth below. Mr. Ferguson
has served in such capacity since each Trust commenced
operations. Mr. Blome was appointed Chief Financial Officer
on February 16, 2006. Mr. McDevitt was appointed
Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer on August 30, 2006.
Each of the Trusts officers also serve as officers of the
Advisor. The business address of each Officer is 259 North
Radnor Chester Road, Second Floor, Radnor, PA 19087.
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Principal Occupation(s)
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Name (Age)
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Position
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During the Past 5 Years
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T. Ritson Ferguson (47)
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President and Chief Executive
Officer
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Managing Director and Chief
Investment Officer of ING Clarion Real Estate Securities, L.P.
since 1995.
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Jonathan Blome (29)
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Chief Financial Officer
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Senior Vice President of ING
Clarion RES since 2005; Supervising Senior Auditor of
Ernst & Young LLP (2000- 2005).
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Vincent McDevitt (40)
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Secretary and Chief Compliance
Officer
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Vice President and Chief
Compliance Officer of ING Clarion RES since 2006; Senior
Compliance Officer of Turner Investment Partners (2004-2006);
Compliance Administrator of The Vanguard Group (1989-2004).
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What are
the Committees of the Board?
The Trustees have determined that the efficient conduct of the
Trusts affairs makes it desirable to delegate
responsibility for certain specific matters to committees of the
Board. The committees meet as often as necessary, either in
conjunction with regular meetings of the Board or otherwise.
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Audit Committee. Each Trust has an audit
committee, established in accordance with
Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act, composed of
Independent Trustees who are independent as that
term is defined in the AMEXs listing standards pertaining
to closed-end funds and as defined in the 1940 Act. The Audit
Committee is charged with (i) oversight of the Trusts
financial statements and the independent audit thereof; and
(ii) selecting and evaluating a firm of independent
accountants for each Trust and reviewing accounting matters with
the accountants. The Audit Committee is governed by a written
charter, which is attached to this Proxy Statement as
Appendix A.
The Audit Committee presents the following report:
The Audit Committee has performed the following functions:
(i) the Audit Committee reviewed and discussed the audited
financial statements of each Trust with management of each
Trust, (ii) the Audit Committee discussed with the
independent accountants the matters required to be discussed by
the Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, (iii) the
Audit Committee received the written disclosures and the letter
from the independent auditors required by ISB Standard
No. 1 and has discussed with the accountants the
accountants independence and (iv) the Audit Committee
recommended to the Board of Trustees of each Trust that the
financial statements be included in each Trusts Annual
Report for the past fiscal year.
Nominating Committee. Each Trust has a
Nominating Committee, which performs the functions set forth in
the Trusts Nominating Committee Charter. The Nominating
Committee is composed of all of the Trusts Independent
Trustees. The Nominating Committee Charter is not available on
the Trusts website, but is attached hereto to this Proxy
Statement as Appendix B.
As part of its duties, the Nominating Committee nominates
individuals for Independent Trustee membership on the Board. The
Nominating Committee will consider trustee candidates
recommended by shareholders. In considering candidates submitted
by shareholders, the Nominating Committee will take into
consideration the needs of the Board and the qualifications of
the candidate. The Nominating Committee may also take into
consideration the number of shares held by the recommending
shareholder and the length of time that such shares have been
held. To have a candidate considered by the Nominating
Committee, a shareholder must submit the recommendation in
writing, which must include the following information:
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The name of the shareholder and evidence of the persons
ownership of shares of the Trust for which the shareholder is
recommending the nominee for the Board, including the number of
shares owned and the length of time of ownership; and
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The name of the candidate, the candidates resume or a
listing of his or her qualifications to be a Trustee of the
Trust and the nominees consent to be named as a Trustee if
selected by the Nominating Committee and nominated by the Board.
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The shareholder recommendation and related information described
above must be sent to the Trusts Secretary, c/o the
Advisor at 259 North Radnor Chester Road, Second Floor, Radnor,
Pennsylvania 19087 and must be received by the Secretary no less
than 120 days prior to the anniversary date of the
Trusts most recent annual meeting of shareholders. The
Nominating Committee believes that the minimum qualifications
for serving as a Trustee of the Trust are that a candidate
demonstrate, by significant accomplishment in his or her field,
an ability to make a meaningful contribution to the respective
Boards oversight of the business and affairs of the Trust
and have an impeccable record and reputation for honest and
ethical conduct in both his or her professional and personal
activities. In addition, the Nominating Committee examines a
candidates specific experiences and skills, time
availability in light of other commitments, potential conflicts
of interest and independence from management and the Trusts. The
Nominating Committee also seeks to have the Boards represent a
diversity of backgrounds and experience. The Trust does not pay
any third party a fee to assist in the process of identifying
and evaluating candidates.
Does the
Trust have a policy with respect to the attendance of Trustees
at the Annual Meeting?
It is each Trusts policy to encourage Trustees that are
standing for election at an annual meeting to attend such annual
meeting. Mr. Ferguson attended the annual meeting of the
Real Estate Income Fund and the Global Real Estate Income Fund
held on May 26, 2006.
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How can
shareholders send communications to the Board?
Shareholders and other interested parties may contact the Board
or any member of the Board by mail. To communicate with the
Board or any member of the Board, correspondence should be
addressed to the Board or the Board members with whom you wish
to communicate by either name or title. All such correspondence
should be sent c/o Secretary of the Trusts at 259 North
Radnor Road Chester Road, Second Floor, Radnor, Pennsylvania
19087.
Do the
Trustees own shares of the Funds?
The following table shows the dollar range of equity securities
beneficially owned by each Interested Trustee and each
Independent Trustee as of as of March 31, 2007 or a more
recent date. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are set forth as
established by the SEC. Beneficial ownership is
determined in accordance with
Rule 16a-1(a)(2)
under the Exchange Act.
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Aggregate Dollar Range of
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Equity Securities in All Funds
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Dollar Range of
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Overseen or to Be Overseen by
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Equity Securities
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Nominee in Family of
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Name of Trustee
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Name of Fund
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in the Funds
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Investment Companies*
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Interested
Trustees
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T. Ritson Ferguson
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Real Estate Income Fund
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Over $100,000
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Over $100,000
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Global Real Estate Income Fund
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Over $100,000
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Jarrett B. Kling
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Real Estate Income Fund
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None
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Over $100,000
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Global Real Estate Income Fund
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Over $100,000
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Independent
Trustees
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Asuka Nakahara
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Real Estate Income Fund
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$50,001-$100,000
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Over $100,000
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|
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|
Global Real Estate Income Fund
|
|
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|
$50,001-$100,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frederick S. Hammer
|
|
|
Real Estate Income Fund
|
|
|
|
$10,001-$50,000
|
|
|
|
$50,001-$100,000
|
|
|
|
|
Global Real Estate Income Fund
|
|
|
|
$10,001-$50,000
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|
|
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Richard L. Sutton
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|
Real Estate Income Fund
|
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Over $100,000
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Over $100,000
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Global Real Estate Income Fund
|
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Over $100,000
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|
|
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|
John Bartholdson
|
|
|
Real Estate Income Fund
|
|
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$10,001-$50,000
|
|
|
|
$50,001-$100,000
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|
|
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|
Global Real Estate Income Fund
|
|
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$10,001-$50,000
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(*) |
|
The family of registered investment companies
includes the Real Estate Income Fund and Global Real Estate
Income Fund. |
As of March 31, 2007, each Trustee and the Trustees and
officers of the Trust as a group owned less than 1% of the
outstanding shares of each Trust.
As of March 31, 2007, or a more recent date, none of the
Independent Trustees, or their immediate family members, owned
beneficially or of record any securities of ING Clarion RES or
any person controlling, controlled by or under common control
with the Advisor or the Funds distributor.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance
with
Rule 16a-1(a)(2)
under the 1934 Act.
How often
do the Trustees meet?
The Board of Trustees of the Real Estate Income Fund held 4
meetings during the calendar year ended December 31, 2006.
The Board of Trustees of the Global Real Estate Income Fund held
4 meetings during the calendar year ended December 31,
2006. Two meetings of the Audit Committee of each Trust were
held during the calendar year ended December 31, 2006. No
meetings of the Nominating Committee of either Trust were held
during the calendar year ended December 31, 2006. Each
Trustee attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board (and
any committee thereof on which he serves) held during the
calendar year ended December 31, 2006.
8
What are
the Trustees paid for their services?
The table below sets forth the total compensation paid to each
Interested Trustee for the calendar year ended December 31,
2006.
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Aggregate
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
Aggregate
|
|
Compensation
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|
Pension or
|
|
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|
Total
|
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|
Compensation
|
|
from the
|
|
Retirement Benefits
|
|
Estimated Annual
|
|
Compensation
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from the
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|
Global Real
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|
Accrued as Part of
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|
Benefits upon
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|
from the Funds
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Name of Interested Trustee
|
|
Real Estate Fund
|
|
Estate Fund
|
|
Company Expenses
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|
Retirement
|
|
and Fund Complex
|
|
T. Ritson Ferguson
|
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$
|
0
|
|
|
$
|
0
|
|
|
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Not Applicable
|
|
|
|
Not Applicable
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|
$
|
0
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|
Jarrett B. Kling
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$
|
0
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$
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0
|
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Not Applicable
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Not Applicable
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$
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0
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|
The table below sets forth the total compensation paid to each
Independent Trustee for the calendar year ended
December 31, 2006.
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Aggregate
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Aggregate
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Compensation
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Pension or
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Total
|
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Compensation
|
|
from the
|
|
Retirement Benefits
|
|
Estimated Annual
|
|
Compensation
|
Name of Independent
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|
from the
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|
Global Real
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|
Accrued as Part of
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|
Benefits upon
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|
from the Funds
|
Trustee
|
|
Real Estate Fund
|
|
Estate Fund
|
|
Company Expenses
|
|
Retirement
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and Fund Complex
|
|
Asuka Nakahara
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$
|
10,000
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|
|
$
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30,000
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Not Applicable
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|
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Not Applicable
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$
|
40,000
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|
Frederick S. Hammer
|
|
$
|
10,000
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|
|
$
|
30,000
|
|
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|
Not Applicable
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|
|
|
Not Applicable
|
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|
$
|
40,000
|
|
Richard L. Sutton
|
|
$
|
10,000
|
|
|
$
|
30,000
|
|
|
|
Not Applicable
|
|
|
|
Not Applicable
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|
|
$
|
40,000
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|
John Bartholdson
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|
$
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11,000
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|
|
$
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32,000
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|
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Not Applicable
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|
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Not Applicable
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|
$
|
43,000
|
|
What is
the vote required for the Proposal?
Real
Estate Income Fund
The holders of the Trusts common shares and the holders of
the Trusts preferred shares will have equal voting rights
(i.e., one vote per share), and will vote together as a
single class with respect to the election of Mr. Ferguson,
Mr. Hammer and Mr. Bartholdson. The affirmative vote
of a plurality of the shares of the Trust present at the Annual
Meeting at which a quorum is present is necessary to approval
the Proposal.
Global
Real Estate Income Fund
The holders of the Trusts outstanding preferred shares
will vote separately as a class, with respect to the election of
Mr. Sutton. The holders of the Trusts common shares
and the holders of the Trusts preferred shares will have
equal voting rights (i.e., one vote per share), and will
vote together as a single class with respect to the election of
Mr. Bartholdson. The affirmative vote of a plurality of the
shares of the Trust present at the Annual Meeting at which a
quorum is present is necessary to approval the Proposal.
THE
BOARD, INCLUDING THE INDEPENDENT TRUSTEES, UNANIMOUSLY
RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR THE PROPOSAL.
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
Investment
Advisor and
Sub-Advisor
ING Clarion RES acts as each Trusts investment advisor.
ING Clarion RES is responsible for the
day-to-day
management of the Global Real Estate Income Funds assets.
ING Clarion RES is also responsible for the allocation of the
Real Estate Income Funds portfolio assets between equity
and fixed-income investments and for the selection and
monitoring of the Real Estate Income Funds
sub-advisor,
ING Clarion Capital, LLC (Clarion Capital or the
Sub-Advisor),
which will select the Trusts real estate fixed income
securities. ING Clarion RES is located at 259 North Radnor
Chester Road, Second Floor, Radnor, PA, 19087 and Clarion
Capital is located at 230 Park Avenue, New York, New York
10169.
9
As of December 31, 2006, ING Clarion RES had approximately
$19.7 billion in assets under management. The Real Estate
Income Funds
sub-advisor,
Clarion Capital, is a real estate fixed income manager with
approximately $2.9 billion in assets under management as of
December 31, 2006. An affiliate of the Advisor and
Sub-Advisor,
ING Clarion Partners, manages over $23.0 billion of
private market real estate with nearly 600 employees operating
from 60 offices nationwide as of December 31, 2006. All
three entities share a common real estate research platform and
manage collectively over $45 billion in diverse real estate
securities and real estate assets. ING Clarion RES, ING Clarion
Partners and Clarion Capital are subsidiaries of the ING Groep
N.V. (ING Group), a global financial services
organization based in The Netherlands and operating in 51
countries with over 120,000 employees and $792 billion in
assets under management as of December 31, 2006. ING Group
conducts business across all financial markets and asset classes
with a significant presence in banking, insurance and investment
management. ING Groups Real Estate Division (ING
Real Estate) is the third largest global real estate
manager and investor with $120 billion in real estate
assets under management as of December 31, 2006. ING Real
Estate is a global organization with offices in The Netherlands,
Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Italy, the
Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Singapore, China, the United
States and Australia.
Administrator
The Bank of New York, located at One Wall Street, New York, New
York 10286, serves as each Trusts administrator.
Independent
Auditors
Ernst & Young LLP (E&Y) has been
selected as the independent auditor by the Audit Committee of
each Trust and ratified by a majority of each Trusts
Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees by vote
cast in person, to audit the accounts of the Trust for and
during each Trusts fiscal year ending in 2007. The Trusts
do not know of any direct or indirect financial interest of
E&Y in the Trust.
Representatives of E&Y will attend the Annual Meeting, will
have the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so
and will be available to answer questions.
Audit
Fees
Real
Estate Income Fund
The aggregate fees billed by E&Y to the Real Estate Income
Fund for professional services rendered for the audit of the
Trusts annual financial statements for the fiscal years
ended December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005 were
$46,700 and $35,000, respectively.
Global
Real Estate Income Fund
The aggregate fees billed by E&Y to the Global Real Estate
Income Fund for professional services rendered for the audit of
the Trusts annual financial statements for the fiscal
years ended December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005
were $77,800 and $37,000, respectively.
Audit-Related
Fees
Real
Estate Income Fund
The aggregate fees billed by E&Y to the Real Estate Income
Fund for assurance and related services reasonably related to
the performance of the audit of the Trusts annual
financial statements for the calendar years ended
December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005 were $0 and
$0, respectively.
Global
Real Estate Income Fund
The aggregate fees billed by E&Y to the Global Real Estate
Income Fund for assurance and related services reasonably
related to the performance of the audit of the Funds
annual financial statements for the calendar years ended
December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005 were $0 and
$0, respectively.
10
Tax
Fees
Real
Estate Income Fund
The aggregate fees billed by E&Y to the Real Estate Income
Fund for professional services rendered for tax compliance, tax
advice, and tax planning for the calendar years ended
December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005 were $11,000
and $10,5000, respectively.
Global
Real Estate Income Fund
The aggregate fees billed by E&Y to the Global Real Estate
Income Fund for professional services rendered for tax
compliance, tax advice, and tax planning for the calendar years
ended December 31, 2006 and December 31, 2005 were
$11,000 and $21,500, respectively.
All Other
Fees
Real
Estate Income Fund
The aggregate fees billed by E&Y to the Real Estate Income
Fund for services other than those described above for the
calendar years ended December 31, 2006 and
December 31, 2005 were $0 and $0, respectively.
Global
Real Estate Income Fund
The aggregate fees billed by E&Y to the Global Real Estate
Income Fund for services other than those described above for
the calendar years ended December 31, 2006 and
December 31, 2005 were $0 and $0, respectively.
Aggregate
Non-Audit Fees
Real
Estate Income Fund
The aggregate non-audit fees billed by E&Y to the Trust, the
Advisor or any entity controlling, controlled by, or under
common control with the Advisor that provides ongoing services
to the Trust (except for any
sub-advisor
whose role is primarily portfolio management and is
subcontracted with or overseen by another investment advisor)
for the calendar years ended December 31, 2006 and
December 31, 2005 were $117,315 and $37,190, respectively.
Global
Real Estate Income Fund
The aggregate non-audit fees billed by E&Y to the Trust, the
Advisor or any entity controlling, controlled by, or under
common control with the Advisor that provides ongoing services
to the Trust (except for any
sub-advisor
whose role is primarily portfolio management and is
subcontracted with or overseen by another investment advisor)
for the calendar year ended December 31, 2006 and
December 31, 2005 were $117,315 and $37,190, respectively.
Audit
Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Audit Committee of each Trust adopted Pre-Approval Policies
and Procedures, which are contained in the Audit Committee
Charter which appears in Appendix A hereto. The Audit
Committee has pre-approved all audit and non-audit services
provided by E&Y for each Trust, and all non-audit services
provided by E&Y to the Advisor, or any entity controlling,
controlled by, or under common control with the Advisor that
provides ongoing services to the Trusts, which are related to
the operations of the Trust. None of the hours expended on the
principal accountants engagement to audit the Trusts
financial statements for the periods set forth above were
attributable to work performed by persons other than the
principal accountants full-time, permanent employees.
Principal
Shareholders
As of the Record Date, to the knowledge of each Trust, no person
beneficially owned more than 5% of the voting securities of any
class of securities of either Trust.
11
Section 16(a)
Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act and Section 30(h) of
the 1940 Act require each Trusts officers and Trustees,
certain officers of the Trusts investment advisor,
affiliated persons of the investment advisor, and persons who
beneficially own more than ten percent of the Trusts
shares to file certain reports of ownership
(Section 16 filings) with the SEC and the AMEX.
Based upon the Real Estate Income Funds review of the
copies of such forms effecting the Section 16 filings
received by it, the Real Estate Income Fund believes that for
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006, all filings
applicable to such persons were completed and filed. Based upon
the Global Real Estate Income Funds review of the copies
of such forms effecting the Section 16 filings received by
it, the Global Real Estate Income Fund believes that for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2006, all filings applicable
to such persons were completed and filed.
Deadline
for Shareholder Proposals
Shareholder proposals intended for inclusion in the Trusts
proxy statement in connection with the 2008 annual meeting of
shareholders pursuant to
Rule 14a-8
under the Exchange Act must be received at the Trusts
principal executive offices by December 21, 2007. In order
for proposals made outside of
Rule 14a-8
under the Exchange Act to be considered timely
within the meaning of
Rule 14a-4(c)
under the Exchange Act, such proposals must be received by the
Trusts at the Trusts principal executive offices not later
than March 6, 2008.
Privacy
Principles of the Trust
Each Trust is committed to maintaining the privacy of
shareholders and to safeguarding their non-public personal
information. The following information is provided to help you
understand what personal information each Trust collects, how
each Trust protects that information and why, in certain cases,
the Trusts may share information with select other parties.
Generally, the Trusts do not receive any non-public personal
information relating to their shareholders, although certain
non-public personal information of their shareholders may become
available to the Trusts. The Trusts do not disclose any
non-public personal information about their shareholders or
former shareholders to anyone, except as permitted by law or as
is necessary in order to service shareholder accounts (for
example, to a transfer agent or third party administrator).
Each Trust restricts access to non-public personal information
about the shareholders to employees of the Advisor with a
legitimate business need for the information. The Trusts
maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards designed
to protect the non-public personal information of their
shareholders.
Voting
The Board has fixed the close of business on March 30, 2007
as the record date for the determination of shareholders of each
Trust entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting.
Shareholders of each Trust on that date will be entitled to one
vote on each matter to be voted on by that Trust for each share
held and a fractional vote with respect to fractional shares
with no cumulative voting rights. For each Trust, the presence
in person or by proxy of shareholders owning a majority of the
shares entitled to vote on any matter is necessary to constitute
a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting.
In the event that a quorum of shareholders is not represented at
the Annual Meeting, the meeting may be adjourned by a majority
of the shareholders present in person or by proxy until a quorum
exists. If there are insufficient votes to approve any Proposal,
the persons named as proxies may propose one or more
adjournments of the Annual Meeting to permit additional time for
the solicitation of proxies, in accordance with applicable law.
Adjourned meetings must be held within a reasonable time after
the date originally set for the meeting (but not more than six
months beyond the originally scheduled meeting date).
Solicitation of votes may continue to be made without any
obligation to provide any additional notice of the adjournment.
The persons named as proxies will vote in favor of such
adjournment(s) in their discretion.
For purposes of determining the presence of a quorum for
transacting business at the Annual Meeting, executed proxies
marked as abstentions and broker non-votes (that is,
proxies from brokers or nominees
12
indicating that such persons have not received instructions from
the beneficial owner or other persons entitled to vote shares on
a particular matter with respect to which the brokers or
nominees do not have discretionary power) will be treated as
shares that are present for quorum purposes but which have not
been voted. Accordingly, abstentions and broker non-votes will
effectively be a vote against the Proposals.
Other
Matters
No business other than the matter described above is expected to
come before the Annual Meeting, but should any matter incident
to the conduct of the Annual Meeting or any question as to an
adjournment of the Annual Meeting arise, the persons named in
the enclosed proxy will vote thereon according to their best
judgment in the interest of each Trust.
A list of shareholders entitled to be present and to vote at the
Annual Meeting will be available at the offices of the Advisor,
259 North Radnor Chester Road, Second Floor, Radnor,
Pennsylvania, 19807, for inspection by any shareholder during
regular business hours beginning ten days prior to the date of
the Annual Meeting.
ING Clarion Real Estate Income Fund
By Order of the Board of Trustees
ING Clarion Global Real Estate Income Fund
By Order of the Board of Trustees
T. Ritson Ferguson
Chairman and President
Dated: April 17, 2007
13
APPENDIX A
FORM OF
AMENDED AND RESTATED
AUDIT COMMITTEE
CHARTER1
FOR
ING CLARION GLOBAL REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
ING CLARION REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
I. PURPOSE
OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The purpose of the Audit Committee (the Audit
Committee) of the respective Boards of Trustees
(hereinafter, the Board) of ING Clarion Real Estate
Income Fund and ING Clarion Global Real Estate Income Fund
(hereinafter, the Trust) is to oversee the
accounting and financial reporting processes of the Trust and
oversee the audits of the Trusts financial statements. In
particular, and as more fully set forth in Sections IV, V
and IX of this Audit Committee Charter (Charter),
the Audit Committee will:
(a) assist in the Boards oversight of:
(i) the integrity of the Trusts financial statements
and internal control processes as they relate to financial
reporting,
(ii) the Trusts internal audit functions as they
relate to financial reporting; and
(iii) the performance of the Trusts independent
auditor (the Independent Auditor);
(b) review and approve any statement or report prepared
with respect to the Audit Committee in accordance with the rules
of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for
inclusion in the Trusts annual proxy statement.
(c) be directly responsible for the approval, compensation,
retention and oversight of the work of the Independent Auditor
and ensuring that the Independent Auditor reports directly to
the Audit Committee. The Board and the Trusts shareholders
shall have such rights to approve, ratify and replace the
Independent Auditor as required by applicable law.
(d) assist the Board with respect to its obligation to
ensure that the Audit Committee functions in a manner consistent
with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
(Sarbanes-Oxley), the rules and regulations
promulgated by the SEC pursuant to that Act and the listing
standards promulgated by the American Stock Exchange (AMEX
Company Guide).
II. COMPOSITION
OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Audit Committee shall be comprised of three or more trustees
as determined from time to time by resolution of the
Trusts Board of Trustees. Each member of the Audit
Committee shall be:
(a) a trustee (Independent Trustee) who is not
an interested person of the Trust as defined in
Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the
1940 Act); and
(b) a trustee whom the Board has affirmatively determined
does not have a material relationship with the Trust that would
interfere with the exercise of independent judgment.
Service by a trustee on the board of directors/trustees of any
other public company (or companies), or any audit or other
committee of such other public company (or companies) shall not
be an impediment to the qualification of such trustee to serve
on the Audit Committee unless the Board determines that such
service will impair the ability of such trustee to serve
effectively on the Audit Committee, or unless such service would
otherwise render such trustee unable to meet the qualification
standards set forth in this charter.
1 This
Amended and Restated Audit Committee Charter was first ratified
and approved by the Audit Committee of the Board of Trustees of
each of the named Trusts on August 30, 2006.
A-1
Each member of the Audit Committee must be able to read and
understand fundamental financial statements, including the
Trusts balance sheet, income statement and cash flow
statement. Further, at least one member of the Audit Committee
must be determined to be an audit committee financial
expert (as such term is defined in the rules and
regulations promulgated by the SEC pursuant to the Act) by the
Board.
The chairperson of the Audit Committee shall be designated by
the Board of Trustees by a majority vote.
Any vacancy on the Audit Committee shall be filled by the
affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Board at
the next meeting of the Audit Committee following the occurrence
of the vacancy. No member of the Audit Committee shall be
removed except by the affirmative vote of a majority of the
members of the Board of Trustees.
III. MEETINGS
OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Audit Committee shall fix its own rules of procedure, which
shall be consistent with the Declaration of Trust of the Trust
(or other charter document of the Trust), the By-Laws of the
Trust and this Audit Committee Charter. The Audit Committee
shall meet on a regular basis and special meetings shall be
called, as circumstances require and at the discretion of the
Audit Committee chair or by majority vote of the members of the
Audit Committee. The Audit Committee, in its discretion, may ask
members of management or others to attend its meetings (or
portions thereof) and to provide pertinent information as
necessary.
The Audit Committee shall meet separately with the Independent
Auditor at least annually. The Audit Committee shall, at the
discretion of the Audit Committee and in accordance with its
authority under this Charter, meet with (a) the chief
financial officer of the Trust and those officers (collectively,
Financial Officers) of the Trust
and/or the
Trusts investment adviser who are responsible for the
Trusts internal audit function
and/or for
assisting with the preparation of the Trusts financial
statements. Such meetings may also, at the discretion of the
Audit Committee, be conducted separately and outside the
presence of any or all other representatives of management and
will be conducted separately in the event that the Independent
Auditor, CFO or Financial Officer(s) desire to discuss any
matter privately with the Audit Committee.
A majority of the members of the Audit Committee present in
person or by means of a conference telephone or other
communication equipment by means of which all persons
participating in the meeting can communicate with each other
shall constitute a quorum. The Audit Committee may also take
action by the written consent of a majority of its members,
except to the extent an in-person meeting is required by the
1940 Act.
The Audit Committee shall cause to be maintained minutes of all
meetings and records relating to those meetings and provide
copies of such minutes to the Board and the Trust.
IV. AUTHORITY
The Audit Committee shall have the authority to carry out its
duties and responsibilities, as set forth in this Audit
Committee Charter, to institute investigations of suspected
improprieties and to retain independent counsel or seek
assistance from such experts and consultants as the Audit
Committee may deem appropriate. Such authority includes, without
limitation, the authority to cause the Trust to provide the
necessary funding, as determined by the Audit Committee
(i) to compensate the Independent Auditor and any advisers,
experts or consultants employed by or at the direction of the
Audit Committee and (ii) to pay such other administrative
expenses of the Audit Committee that are necessary or
appropriate, in the judgment of the Audit Committee, to carry
out the duties and responsibilities of the Audit Committee.
A-2
V. DUTIES
AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
In carrying out its duties and responsibilities, the Audit
Committees policies and procedures will remain flexible,
so that it may be in a position to best react or respond to
changing circumstances or conditions. The following are the
duties and responsibilities of the Audit Committee:
|
|
(a)
|
Oversight
of the Auditors Engagement/Independence
|
(i) Approve the selection and retention (subject to
ratification by a majority of the Independent Trustees),
termination and compensation of the Independent Auditor to audit
the books and accounts of the Trust and its subsidiaries, if
any, for each fiscal year;
(ii) Review and, in its sole discretion, approve the
Independent Auditors annual engagement letter(s) as
related to any audit or permitted non-audit services, including
the proposed fees contained therein, prior to the commencement
of the audit or delivery of non-audit services;
(iii) Pre-approve
A. all engagements for audit services to be provided by the
Independent Auditor to the Trust; and
B. all engagements (Covered Non-Audit
Engagements) for non-audit services to be provided by the
Independent Auditor
(i) to the Trust; and/or
(ii) to the Trusts investment adviser or any
entity (Related Entity) controlling,
controlled by or under common control with an investment adviser
provided
1. that such pre-approval shall be required only with
respect to non-audit services (i) related directly to the
operations and financial reporting of the Trust and
(ii) provided to a Related Entity that furnishes ongoing
services to the Trust;
2. that such pre-approval shall not apply to non-audit
services provided to any
sub-adviser
whose role is primarily portfolio management and is
subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser;
3. that pre-approval by the Audit Committee of such
non-audit services shall be effected pursuant to the
pre-approval procedures described in Section VI; and
4. this Charter shall not be violated if pre-approval of
any such non-audit service is not obtained in circumstances in
which the pre-approval requirement is waived under applicable
rules promulgated by the SEC or the AMEX, in accordance with the
Sarbanes Oxley Act.
(iv) Ensure receipt of a formal written statement
delineating all relationships between the Independent Auditor
and the Trust, as consistent with applicable standards adopted
by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCOAB
Standards);
(v) RESERVED
(vi) In connection with the pre-approval of audit services
to be provided to the Trust by the Independent Auditor, review
the qualifications, performance and independence of the
Independent Auditor with a view to forming a basis for decisions
regarding the retention, replacement or termination of the
Independent Auditor when circumstances warrant;
(vii) Oversee the independence of the Independent Auditor
by, among other things:
(A) actively engaging in a dialogue with the Independent
Auditor with respect to any disclosed relationships or services
that may impact the objectivity and independence of the
Independent Auditor, and taking appropriate action to satisfy
itself of the auditors independence;
(B) monitoring compliance by the Independent Auditor with
the audit partner rotation requirements contained in the Act and
the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder;
A-3
(C) monitoring compliance by the Trust, its investment
adviser and the Independent Auditor with the employee conflict
of interest requirements contained in the Act and the rules and
regulations promulgated by the SEC thereunder; and
(D) considering whether there should be a regular rotation
of the Independent Auditor; and
(viii) Instruct the Independent Auditor that the
Independent Auditor is ultimately accountable to the Audit
Committee, and that the Audit Committee is responsible for the
retention, compensation, and termination of the Independent
Auditor.
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(b)
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Oversight
of the Audit
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(i) Review the annual audit plan of the Independent
Auditor, including the scope of audit activities, monitor such
plans progress, changes thereto and results, periodically
during the year and review the results of the year-end audit of
the Trust, including any comments or recommendations of the
Independent Auditor;
(ii) Obtain, at least annually, from the Independent
Auditor and review a report describing:
(A) all critical accounting policies and practices used for
the Trust;
(B) all alternative treatments within United States
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for policies and
practices related to material items that have been discussed
with management of the Trust, including (1) ramifications
of the use of such alternative disclosures and treatments, and
(2) the treatment preferred by the Independent
Auditor; and
(C) other material written communications between the
Independent Auditor and management of the Trust, such as any
management letter or schedule of unadjusted differences;
(iii) Review, as the Audit Committee may deem appropriate
to carry out its oversight functions, with the Independent
Auditor, the chief financial officer of the Trust and such other
officers of the Trust or its investment adviser as may be
responsible for the Trusts internal audit function and for
assisting with the preparation of the Trusts financial
statements:
(A) the Trusts annual audited financial statements
and interim financial statements, and any major issues related
thereto;
(B) critical accounting policies and such other accounting
policies of the Trust as are deemed appropriate for review by
the Audit Committee prior to any interim or year-end filings
with the SEC or other regulatory body, including any financial
reporting issues which could have a material impact on the
Trusts financial statements;
(C) the effect of regulatory, accounting and financial
reporting initiatives on the financial statements of the Trust;
and
(iv) Review on a regular basis with the Independent Auditor
any problems or difficulties encountered by the Independent
Auditor in the course of any audit work, including
managements response with respect thereto, any
restrictions on the scope of the Independent Auditors
activities or on access to requested information, and any
significant disagreements with management. In connection
therewith, the Audit Committee will review with the Independent
Auditor the following:
(A) any accounting adjustments that were noted or proposed
by the Independent Auditor but were rejected by management (as
immaterial or otherwise);
(B) any communications between the audit team and the
Independent Auditors national office respecting auditing
or accounting issues presented by the engagement; and
(C) any management or internal
control letter issued, or proposed to be issued, by the
Independent Auditor to the Trust;
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(v) Attempt to resolve all disagreements between the
Independent Auditor and management regarding financial
reporting; and
(vi) Review information obtained from the Independent
Auditor pursuant to Section 10A of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934.
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(c)
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Oversight
of Internal Audit Function and Controls and
Procedures
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(i) To the extent, and at such times, as deemed appropriate
by the Audit Committee in light of its oversight functions,
review periodically with the Trusts chief executive
officer, chief financial officer and Independent Auditor the
following:
(A) all significant deficiencies in the design or operation
of internal controls relating to financial reporting of the
Trust and any Related Entity, or, to the knowledge of such
persons, other service providers, which could adversely affect
the Trusts ability to record, process, summarize, and
report financial data, including any material weaknesses in
internal controls identified by the Independent Auditor;
(B) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
management or other employees of the Trust, Related Entities,
or, to the knowledge of such persons, other service providers to
the Trust who have a significant role in the Trusts
internal controls; and
(C) any significant changes in internal controls relating
to financial reporting or in other factors that could
significantly affect such internal controls over financial
reporting, including any corrective actions with regard to
significant deficiencies and material weaknesses related to the
Trust, the Related Entities, or, to the knowledge of such
persons, other service providers to the Trust.
(i) Establish and maintain free and open means of
communication between and among the Board, the Audit Committee,
the Independent Auditor and the Trusts management
(including the chief financial officer, management of the
Trusts investment adviser and management of other relevant
service providers of the Trust) and ensure that such procedures
afford such parties with appropriate opportunities to meet
separately and privately with the Audit Committee on a periodic
basis and as the Audit Committee may deem necessary or
appropriate;
(ii) Establish procedures for
(A) the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints
received by the Trust regarding accounting, internal accounting
controls or auditing matters, and
(B) the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of
the Trusts investment adviser and other service providers
responsible for such services, or other persons, of concerns
regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters; and
(iii) Consistent with the Audit Committees authority
as set forth in Section IV of this Charter, secure
independent expert advice to the extent the Audit Committee
determines it to be appropriate, including retaining, with or
without further approval of the Board, independent counsel,
accountants, consultants or others, to assist the Audit
Committee in fulfilling its duties and responsibilities, the
cost of such independent expert advisors to be borne by the
Trust.
(i) Report regularly to the Board on its activities, as
appropriate; and
(ii) Perform such additional activities, and consider such
other matters, within the scope of its duties and
responsibilities, as the Audit Committee or the Board deems
necessary or appropriate.
A-5
VI. PRE-APPROVAL
POLICY/PROCEDURES
All audit and non-audit services shall be specifically
pre-approved by the Audit Committee to be provided to the Trust
or, to the extent set forth in Section V of this charter,
to its investment adviser
and/or any
Related Entity.
Requests for pre-approval of Covered Non-Audit Engagements
should be submitted to the Audit Committee by the Independent
Auditor and by the chief financial officer of the Related Entity
for which the non-audit services are to be performed. Such
requests should include a statement as to whether, in the view
of the Independent Auditor and such officer, (a) the
request is consistent with the SECs rules on auditor
independence and (b) the requested service is or is not a
non-audit service prohibited by the SEC. A request submitted
between scheduled meetings of the Audit Committee should state
the reason that approval is being sought prior to the next
regularly scheduled meeting of the Audit Committee.
Between regularly scheduled meetings of the Audit Committee, the
Committee Chairman or Audit Committee Financial Expert shall
have the authority to pre-approve Covered Non-Audit Engagements,
provided that fees associated with such engagement do not exceed
$10,000 and the services to be provided do not involve provision
of any of the following services by the Independent Auditor:
(i) bookkeeping or other services related to the accounting
records or financial statements of the audit client;
(ii) financial information systems design and
implementation; (iii) appraisal or valuation services,
fairness opinions, or
contribution-in-kind
reports; (iv) actuarial services; (v) internal audit
outsourcing services; (vi) management functions;
(vii) human resources; (vii) broker dealer, investment
advisor or investment banking services; (ix) legal
services; or (x) expert services unrelated to the audit.
VII. REPORTING
The Audit Committee shall report its activities to the Board on
a regular basis, so that the Board is kept informed of its
activities on a current basis. In connection therewith, the
Audit Committee will review with the Board any issues that arise
with respect to the quality or integrity of the Trusts
financial statements, the Trusts compliance with related
legal or regulatory requirements, the performance and
independence of the Independent Auditor, or the performance of
the Trusts internal audit function. In particular, the
Audit Committee will also report to the Board its conclusions
with respect to matters the Audit Committee considers to be of
interest or the Board requests. Reports to the Board may take
the form of an oral report by the chairperson of the Audit
Committee or any other member of the Audit Committee designed by
the Audit Committee to make this report.
The Audit Committee shall approve the Audit Committee
Statement required by the rules of the SEC to be included
in the Trusts annual proxy statement and determine to its
satisfaction that the Audit Committee has: (a) reviewed and
discussed the audited financial statements with management of
the Trust; (b) discussed with the Independent Auditor the
matters required to be discussed under applicable PCOAB
Standards; (c) received the written disclosures and the
letter from the Independent Auditor required under applicable
PCOAB Standards and have discussed with the Independent Auditor
the auditors independence; and (d) made a
recommendation to the Board as to whether the financial
statements should be included in the Trusts annual report
for the past fiscal year, as filed with the SEC.
VIII. RESOURCES
The Board shall ensure that the Audit Committee has adequate
resources, as determined by the Audit Committee, with which to
discharge its responsibilities, including for the payment of
(a) compensation (i) to any firm of Independent
Auditor engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing an audit
report or performing other audit, review or attest services for
the Trust, and (ii) to any advisors employed by the Audit
Committee, including independent counsel, consultants or other
advisors, as the Audit Committee determines necessary to carry
out its duties, and (b) ordinary administrative expenses of
the Audit Committee that are necessary or appropriate in
carrying out its duties.
A-6
IX. LIMITS
ON ROLE OF AUDIT COMMITTEE
The function of the Committee is oversight; it is
managements responsibility to maintain appropriate systems
for accounting and internal control over financial reporting,
and the Independent Auditors responsibility to plan and
carry out a proper audit. Specifically, management is
responsible for: (1) the preparation, presentation and
integrity of the Trusts financial statements; (2) the
maintenance of appropriate accounting and financial reporting
principles and policies; and (3) the maintenance of
internal controls over financial reporting and other procedures
designed to assure compliance with accounting standards and
related laws and regulations. The Independent Auditor is
responsible for planning and carrying out an audit consistent
with applicable legal and professional standards and the terms
of its engagement letter. Nothing in this Charter shall be
construed to reduce the responsibilities or liabilities of the
Trusts service providers, including the Independent
Auditor.
The review of the Trusts financial statements by the
Committee is not an audit, nor does the Committees review
substitute for the responsibilities of management for preparing,
or the Independent Auditor for auditing, the financial
statements. Members of the Committee are not full-time employees
of the Trust and, in serving on the Committee, are not, and do
not hold themselves out to be, acting as accountants or
auditors. As such, it is not the duty or responsibility of the
Committee or its members to conduct field work or
other types of auditing or accounting reviews or procedures.
In discharging their duties, the members of the Committee are
entitled to rely on information, opinions, reports or
statements, including financial statements and other financial
data, if prepared or presented by: (1) one or more officers
of the Trust whom the Committee members reasonably believe to be
reliable and competent in the matters presented; (2) legal
counsel, public accountants or other persons as to matters the
Committee member reasonably believes are within the
persons professional or expert competence; or (3) a
Board committee of which the Committee member is not a member.
A-7
APPENDIX B
ING
CLARION GLOBAL REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND AND
ING CLARION GLOBAL REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
FORM OF
NOMINATING COMMITTEE CHARTER
There shall be a nominating committee of the Board of Trustees
which shall be composed of all of the Trustees (the
Independent Trustees) who are not interested persons
of the investment advisor to the investment companies named
above (the Funds).
The function of the nominating committee is to search for
appropriate candidates for nomination to the Board of Trustees
when vacancies occur or the Board is seeking to increase the
size of the Board, to review the qualifications of individuals
recommended as potential nominees and to develop procedures and
policies regarding minimum qualifications of Trustees, sources
of recommendations and processes for considering recommendations.
The nominating committee may, if it so chooses, also review
periodically the functioning of the Board and Trustees subject
to re-election.
The nominating committee shall act by majority of its members
present at a meeting at which at least half of its members are
present or by written consent of a majority of its members.
The nominating committee is authorized to consult independent
counsel and other service providers and to subscribe for or
otherwise obtain information it considers useful in performing
is responsibilities.
The committee shall review and reassess the adequacy of this
charter on an annual basis and propose any changes for approval
by the Independent Trustees.
B-1
ING CLARION REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
PROXY SOLICITED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The undersigned holder of the above-referenced Fund, a Delaware statutory trust (the Fund),
hereby appoints T. Ritson Ferguson, Jonathan A. Blome and Vincent P. McDevitt, attorneys and
proxies for the undersigned, with full powers of substitution and revocation to represent the
undersigned and to vote on behalf of the undersigned all shares that the undersigned is entitled to
vote at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Fund (the Meeting) to be held at the offices of
ING Clarion Real Estate Securities, L.P., 259 North Radnor Chester Road, Second Floor, Radnor,
Pennsylvania 19087 on May 7, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern time), and any adjournments thereof. The
undersigned hereby acknowledges receipt of the Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement and
hereby instructs said attorneys and proxies to vote said shares as indicated hereon. In their
discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote upon such other business as may properly come before
the Meeting. A majority of the proxies present and acting at the Meeting in person or by substitute
(or, if only one shall be so present, then that one) shall have and may exercise all of the power
and authority of said proxies hereunder. The undersigned hereby revokes any proxy previously given.
THIS CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED.
This proxy, if properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed by the undersigned
shareholder. If NO DIRECTION IS MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED FOR THE ELECTION OF THE NOMINEES AS
TRUSTEES. Please refer to the Proxy Statement for a discussion of the Proposal.
Please fill in box(es) as shown using black or blue ink or number 2 pencil.
PLEASE DO NOT USE FINE POINT PENS.
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WITHHOLD |
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PROPOSAL |
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FOR ALL |
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EXCEPT* |
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To elect Trustees: |
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Real Estate Income Fund Class I Trustees |
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(01) T. Ritson Ferguson
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(02) Frederick Hammer |
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(03) John Bartholdson |
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*Instruction: To withhold authority to vote for any Nominee, mark FOR ALL EXCEPT and write
the number(s) of the Nominee(s) on the line above.
Your signature(s) on this proxy should be exactly as your name or names appear on this proxy. If
signing is by attorney, executor, administrator, trustee or guardian, please print your full title
below your signature.
Dated: , 2007
PLEASE DATE, SIGN AND RETURN PROMPTLY USING THE ENCLOSED, POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE.
ING CLARION GLOBAL REAL ESTATE INCOME FUND
PROXY SOLICITED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The undersigned holder of the above-referenced Fund, a Delaware statutory trust (the Fund),
hereby appoints T. Ritson Ferguson, Jonathan A. Blome and Vincent P. McDevitt, attorneys and
proxies for the undersigned, with full powers of substitution and revocation to represent the
undersigned and to vote on behalf of the undersigned shares that the undersigned is entitled to
vote at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Fund (the Meeting) to be held at the offices of
ING Clarion Real Estate Securities, L.P., 259 North Radnor Chester Road, Second Floor, Radnor,
Pennsylvania 19087 on May 7, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern time), and any adjournments thereof. The
undersigned hereby acknowledges receipt of the Notice of Annual Meeting and Proxy Statement and
hereby instructs said attorneys and proxies to vote said shares as indicated hereon. In their
discretion, the proxies are authorized to vote upon such other business as may properly come before
the Meeting. A majority of the proxies present and acting at the Meeting in person or by substitute
(or, if only one shall be so present, then that one) shall have and may exercise all of the power
and authority of said proxies hereunder. The undersigned hereby revokes any proxy previously given.
THIS CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED.
This proxy, if properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed by the undersigned
shareholder. If NO DIRECTION IS MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED FOR THE ELECTION OF THE NOMINEES AS
TRUSTEES. Please refer to the Proxy Statement for a discussion of the Proposal.
Please fill in box(es) as shown using black or blue ink or number 2 pencil.
PLEASE DO NOT USE FINE POINT PENS.
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WITHHOLD |
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PROPOSAL |
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EXCEPT* |
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To elect Trustees: |
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Global Real Estate Income Fund Class III Trustees |
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(01) Richard L. Sutton preferred shareholders only
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(02) John Bartholdson |
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*Instruction: To withhold authority to vote for any Nominee, mark FOR ALL EXCEPT and write the
number(s) of the Nominee(s) on the line above.
Your signature(s) on this proxy should be exactly as your name or names appear on this proxy. If
signing is by attorney, executor, administrator, trustee or guardian, please print your full title
below your signature.
Dated: , 2007
PLEASE DATE, SIGN AND RETURN PROMPTLY USING THE ENCLOSED, POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE.