To the shareholders of Bouwinvest Dutch Institutional Retail Fund N.V.
Our conclusion
We have reviewed the sustainability information in the accompanying annual report for the year 2019 of Bouwinvest Dutch Institutional Retail Fund N.V. at Amsterdam. A review is aimed at obtaining a limited level of assurance.
Based on our procedures performed nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the sustainability information does not present, in all material respects, a reliable and adequate view of:
the policy and business operations with regard to corporate social responsibility; and
the thereto related events and achievements for the year 2019 in accordance with the reporting criteria as included in the section ‘reporting on performance indicators’.
The sustainability information consists of performance information in the section ‘Highlights sustainability performance 2019’ in the chapter ‘Sustainability performance’ on page 28 of the 2019 Annual Report.
Basis for our conclusion
We performed our examination of the sustainability information in accordance with Dutch law, including Dutch Standard 3000A ’Assurance-opdrachten anders dan opdrachten tot controle of beoordeling van historische financiële informatie (assurance engagements other than audits or reviews of historical financial information). This engagement is aimed to obtain limited assurance. Our responsibilities in this regard are further described in the ‘Our responsibilities for the examination of the sustainability information’ section of our report.
We are independent of Bouwinvest Dutch Institutional Retail Fund N.V. in accordance with the ‘Verordening inzake de onafhankelijkheid van accountants bij assurance-opdrachten’ (ViO, Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, a regulation with respect to independence) and other relevant independence requirements in The Netherlands. Furthermore we have complied with the ‘Verordening gedrags- en beroepsregels accountants’ (VGBA, Dutch Code of Ethics).
We believe that the assurance evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our conclusion.
Emphasis of the impact of the coronavirus
The coronavirus also impacts Bouwinvest Dutch Institutional Retail Fund N.V. Management indicates that it is currently not possible for them to properly estimate the impact of the coronavirus on the ESG performance of Bouwinvest Dutch Institutional Retail Fund N.V. Our opinion is not modified in respect of this matter.
Reporting criteria
The sustainability information needs to be read and understood together with the reporting criteria. Bouwinvest Dutch Institutional Retail Fund N.V. is solely responsible for selecting and applying these reporting criteria, taking into account applicable law and regulations related to reporting. The reporting criteria used for the preparation of the sustainability information are the reporting criteria as disclosed in the Bouwinvest annual report in the section 'ESG prestatie-indicatoren'.
Responsibilities of the management board for the sustainability information
The management board is responsible for the preparation of the sustainability information in accordance with reporting criteria as included in the section ‘reporting of performance indicators’ and the applied supplemental reporting criteria as disclosed on page 106 of the annual report, including the identification of stakeholders and the definition of material matters. The choices made by the management board regarding the scope of the sustainability information and the reporting policy are summarised in the section ‘reporting of performance indicators’ on page 106-107.
The management board is also responsible for such internal control as the management board determines is necessary to enable the preparation of the sustainability information that is free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
Our responsibilities for the review of the sustainability information
Our responsibility is to plan and perform the review in a manner that allows us to obtain sufficient and appropriate assurance evidence for our conclusion.
Procedures performed to obtain a limited level of assurance are aimed to determine the plausibility of information and vary in nature and timing from, and are less in extent, than for a reasonable assurance engagement. The level of assurance obtained in review is therefore substantially less than the assurance obtained in an audit.
Misstatements can arise from fraud or errors and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the decisions of users taken on the basis of the sustainability information. The materiality affects the nature, timing and extent of our review procedures and the evaluation of the effect of identified misstatements on our conclusion.
We apply the ‘Nadere voorschriften kwaliteitssystemen’ (NVKS, Regulations for Quality management systems) and accordingly maintain a comprehensive system of quality control including documented policies and procedures regarding compliance with ethical requirements, professional standards and applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
We have exercised professional judgement and have maintained professional scepticism throughout the review, in accordance with the Dutch Standard 3000A, ethical requirements and independence requirements.
Our review included amongst others:
Performing an analysis of the external environment and obtaining an understanding of relevant social themes and issues, and the characteristics of the company;
Evaluating the appropriateness of the reporting criteria used, their consistent application and related disclosures in the sustainability information. This includes the evaluation of the results of the stakeholders’ dialogue and the reasonableness of estimates made by the management board.
Obtaining an understanding of the reporting processes for the sustainability information, including obtaining a general understanding of internal control relevant to our review;
Identifying areas of the sustainability information with a higher risk of misleading or unbalanced information or material misstatements, whether due to fraud or error. Designing and performing further assurance procedures aimed at determining the plausibility of the sustainability information responsive to this risk analysis. These procedures consisted amongst others of:
Interviewing management (and/or relevant staff) at corporate (and business/division/cluster/local) level responsible for the sustainability strategy, policy and results;
Interviewing relevant staff responsible for providing the information for, carrying out internal control procedures on, and consolidating the data in the sustainability information;
Obtaining assurance information that the sustainability information reconciles with underlying records of the company;
Reviewing, on a limited test basis, relevant internal and external documentation;
Performing an analytical review of the data and trends
Evaluating the presentation, structure and content of the sustainability information;
To consider whether the sustainability information as a whole, including the disclosures, reflects the purpose of the reporting criteria used.
We communicate with the management board regarding, among other matters, the planned scope, timing and outcome of the review.
Amsterdam, March 23, 2020
Deloitte Accountants B.V.
Signed on the original: J. Holland