Wiesbaden, March 12, 2008. The Board of Management and the Supervisory Board of SGL Carbon AG will submit a proposal to its shareholders at the upcoming Annual General Meeting on April 25, 2008 on converting the SGL Carbon Aktiengesellschaft into a European Company (Societas Europaea, SE) named SGL CARBON SE. The intended conversion into a European Company follows SGL Group’s international orientation, and acknowledges the importance of the domestic European market.

Currently, only approximately 15% of SGL Group’s sales are generated in Germany and around 35% of its production. Over 70 % of SGL Group’s workforce is employed in the European Union, of which nearly one half in Germany and the remainder in other EU countries. The conversion of the holding company into an SE allows the representation and involvement of the SGL employees from all sites in EU member states.  

Robert J. Koehler, CEO of the SGL Group, states: "The legal form of a European Company is in accordance with our international corporate culture and can be regarded as a sign of commitment to our European home market. The conversion of the German Stock Corporation (Aktiengesellschaft) into the modern legal structure of an SE is a logical step in our company development, supporting the growth path on which we have embarked. We are now planning to bring the legal structure of our Group into a form, which matches the reality of our internal structures and daily business."

About SGL Group – The Carbon Company
The SGL Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of carbon-based products. It has a  comprehensive portfolio ranging from carbon and graphite products to carbon fibers and composites. SGL Group’s core competencies are its expertise in high-temperature technology as well as its applications and engineering know-how gained over many years. These competencies enable  the Company to make full use of its broad material base. SGL Group’s carbon-based materials combine several unique properties such as electrical and thermal conductivity, heat and corrosion resistance as well as high mechanical strength combined with low weight. Due to the paradigm shift in the use of materials as a result of the worldwide shortage of energy and raw materials, there is a growing demand for SGL Group’s high-performance materials and products from an increasing number of industries. Carbon and graphite products are  used whenever other materials such as steel, aluminum, copper, plastics, wood etc. fail due to their limited properties. Products from the SGL Group are used predominantly in the steel, aluminum, automotive, chemical and glass/ceramics industries. However, manufacturers in the semiconductor, battery, solar/wind energy, environmental protection, aerospace and defense industries as well as in the nuclear energy industry also figure among the Company’s customers.
With 38 production sites in Europe, North America and Asia as well as a service network covering more than 100 countries, the SGL Group is a company with a global presence. In 2007, the Company’s  workforce of around 5,900 generated  sales of € 1.4 billion. The Company’s head office is located in Wiesbaden/Germany.

Important note:
This press release contains statements on future developments that are based on currently available information and that involve risks and uncertainties that could lead to actual results deviating from these forward-looking statements. The statements on future developments are not to be understood as guarantees. The future developments and events are dependent on a number of factors, they include various risks and unanticipated circumstances and are based on assumptions that may not be correct. These risks and uncertainties include, for example, unforeseeable changes in political, economic and business conditions, particularly in the area of electrosteel production, the competitive situation, interest rate and currency developments, technological developments and other risks and unanticipated circumstances. We see other risks in price developments, unexpected developments relating to acquired and consolidated companies and in the ongoing cost optimization programs. SGL Group does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.