The record date is the date relevant to the exercise of voting rights in the general meeting of a listed company. Investors who can prove they held shares at a set date prior to the date designated for the general meeting, i.e. the record date, can exercise their voting rights. This mechanism prevents any limitation to the transferability of shares in the run-up to the general meeting, as any transfer occurring after the record date, but prior to the date of the general meeting, are not relevant to the exercise of voting rights.