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Introduction
Under International Accounting Standards, the presentation of related party information is governed by IAS 24
“Related party disclosures”. Two versions of this standard currently exist with a revised version having been issued in
November 2009 the application of which is mandatory for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2011
although earlier application is permitted. This revision simplifies the definition of a related party, clarifying its intended
meaning and eliminating inconsistencies as well as establishing a partial exemption from the disclosure requirements
for government related entities. It does not, however, alter the fundamentals of related party disclosure requirements.
The overall objective remains that an entity's financial statements contain the disclosures necessary to draw attention
to the possibility that its financial position and profit and loss may have been effected by the existence of related
parties and by transactions and outstanding balances with such parties. Under IAS 24 an individual is a related party
of an entity in one of three main circumstances: (i) if they have control or joint control; (ii) if they can exert significant
influence; and (iii) if they are a member of its key management personnel. Another entity is a related party if: (i) both it
and the reporting entity are members of the same group; (ii) one entity is an associate or joint venture of the other; (iii)
if the same third party can exert joint control or significant influence over both entities; (iv) the entity is a post-
employment benefit plan for the benefit of the employees of the reporting entity; and (v) an individual qualifying as a
related party controls, jointly controls or exerts significant influence over both entities (para 9).
Focusing on a sample of 30 large listed European companies that report under IFRS, supplemented by Company
Reporting data and comment, this report analyses the types of related parties identified and the form that company
disclosures take.
Key observations include the following. Key management compensation is widely disclosed with a number of
companies going beyond what is required by IAS24. Related party information given by Italian companies goes
beyond that of others due to national legislation. Financial institutions are most likely to identify governments as a
related party. Financial institutions are more likely than other companies to identify a post-employment benefit plan as
a related party.
Companies under examination
Our sample consists of 30 listed European company accounts, which feature in the Standard & Poor’s Europe 350
dataset with period ends of 31 December 2010 which have published recently their annual reports. The sample
contains a spread of companies from different countries and industry classes. The companies of which the accounts
have been analysed are as follows:
Company Period end Auditors Country Industry class
Accor 31 December 2010 Deloitte and Ernst & Young France Hotels
Aegon 31 December 2010 Ernst & Young The Netherlands Life Insurance
Anglo American 31 December 2010 Deloitte UK General Mining
ASML 31 December 2010 Deloitte & Touche The Netherlands Semiconductors
Assa Abloy 31 December 2010 PricewaterhouseCoopers Sweden Building Materials &
Fixtures
Astra Zeneca 31 December 2010 KPMG UK Pharmaceuticals
BAE Systems 31 December 2010 KPMG UK Defence
BASF 31 December 2010 KPMG Germany Commodity Chemicals
BBVA 31 December 2010 Deloitte Spain Banking
Belgacom 31 December 2010 Deloitte Belgium Fixed Line
Telecommunications
BG 31 December 2010 PricewaterhouseCoopers UK Integrated Oil & Gas
BMW 31 December 2010 KPMG Germany Auto-mobiles
BNP Parabis 31 December 2010 Mazers and PricewaterhouseCoopers France Banking
Commerzbank 31 December 2010 PricewaterhouseCoopers Germany Banking
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Drax 31 December 2010 Deloitte UK Conventional Electricity
Eni 31 December 2010 Ernst & Young Italy Integrated Oil & Gas
E.on 31 December 2010 PricewaterhouseCoopers Germany Multi-utilities
Fiat 31 December 2010 Deloitte & Touche Italy Auto-mobiles
Groupe Danone 31 December 2010 PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & France Food Products
Young
Iberdrola Renovables 31 December 2010 Ernst & Young Spain Alternative Electricity
ITV 31 December 2010 KPMG UK Broadcasting and
Entertainment
L'air Liquide 31 December 2010 Ernst & Young and Mazars France Commodity Chemicals
Lloyd’s Banking Group 31 December 2010 PricewaterhouseCoopers UK Banking
Logica 31 December 2010 PricewaterhouseCoopers UK Computer Services
Nestle 31 December 2010 KPMG Switzerland Food Products
Novozymes 31 December 2010 PricewaterhouseCoopers Denmark Biotechnology
Royal DSM 31 December 2010 Ernst & Young The Netherlands Speciality chemicals
Smith & Nephew 31 December 2010 Ernst & Young UK Medical Equipment
TeliaSonera 31 December 2010 PricewaterhouseCoopers Sweden Fixed Line
Telecommunications
UBS 31 December 2010 Ernst & Young Switzerland Banking
Analysis
Early Adoption
Of the companies in our sample only two have chosen to early adopt the revised version of IAS 24. These are
TeliaSonera and UBS. TeliaSonera continues to identify as related parties both the Swedish and Finnish governments
which respectively hold 37.3% and 13.7% of the company's shares. Despite the revised version of IAS 24 offering a
partial disclosure exemption in relation to government related entities there is no change to related party disclosures in
comparison to last year. TeliaSonera further notes that commitments are added to the list of examples of related party
transactions but again there is no change to the disclosures in comparison to last year. UBS states that it adopted the
revised standard in its 2009 financial statements thus resulting in a CHF668 million reduction in loans to related
parties and a CHF11 million reduction in fees receivable in relation to its 2008 financial year. Early adoption has not
impacted the types of related parties reported by either company with both continuing to report a broad range.
TeliaSonera's related party disclosures include information relating to: key management personnel compensation; joint
ventures; associates; governments; and pensions. The information given by UBS relates to key management
personnel compensation; associates; pension plans; entities in which key management have an interest; and loans to
board members.
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Key Management Personnel Transactions
In addition to receiving compensation from the organisations within which they work key management personnel and
directors impact the related party disclosures of a number of sample companies in other ways. There are two main
instances where this is the case. These are either where an individual has transacted with the company in their own
right or where another party over which the individual may have influence has transacted with the company.
Each of the banks in our sample identifies key management personnel as related parties by virtue of the fact that
loans have been made to such individuals. There are, however, differences between companies in relation to the
format that disclosures take. Lloyd’s Banking Group, Commerzbank and UBS all disclose this information in a tabular
format giving information in relation to movements during the year. Lloyd’s Banking Group and UBS both disclose
additions and repayments separately whereas Commerzbank gives only a percentage change figure which combines
both. In addition both Lloyd’s Banking Group and Commerzbank disclose the interest rates relevant to these loans.
Within its related parties note to the accounts Commerzbank further analyses loans into those relating to its
supervisory board and board of management. In contrast, UBS presents no such breakdown in a note, but does so in
a separate corporate governance report within which it identifies amounts paid to separate individuals. BNP Parabis
and BBVA instead disclose amounts outstanding in a narrative format with the latter identifying board of directors and
management committee amounts separately. Lloyd’s Banking Group stands out from the others as it is the only
company to also present deposit information again in common with loans identifying the relevant interest rates.
Of the sample companies six, across a range of different industries, identify as related parties entities within which
members of key management personnel have an interest. The sample companies in question are Accor, UBS, Fiat,
Eni, Drax and BMW. Of these, Fiat, Drax and BMW fully explain why a related party relationship exists by identifying
the actual member of management concerned and their position within the related party. The other companies only
state that a related party relationship exists by virtue of an interest held by an unnamed member of key management
personnel. In each case, however, the entities transacted with, and the nature of the transactions undertaken, are
identified. In addition, with the exception of BMW which states that amounts are not material all companies quantify
transaction amounts including those outstanding at the year end.
payable amounts. These aggregate totals are identified within the trade payables and receivables notes rather than
the related parties note. Once again, however, the stand out company in relation to the disclosure of associate and
joint venture related party transactions is Eni with individual sales, purchases, receivables and payables disclosed for
each investment (Extract 6). In addition, Eni presents a narrative description of the most significant transactions. Eni
goes further, however, by presenting a related parties income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement
impact analysis as well as including separate related party columns on the face of its primary financial statements
(Extract 7).
Fellow Italian company Fiat discloses equally as detailed related party information but instead of including related
party columns on the face of the primary financial statements publishes separate supplementary statements so as not
to compromise an overall reading of the statutory statements (Extract 8). In addition Fiat presents in a note to the
accounts an analysis of related party amounts as they relate to discontinued operations. The detailed related party
information presented by both Italian companies is in respect of Italian legislation introduced in 2006. While the detail
given by other companies is not so high there is variety in relation to the information disclosed. BAE Systems for
example publishes a table which shows amounts in respect of individual equity accounted investments separately
including sales, purchases, receivables, payables, lease amounts and management recharges (Extract 9). In addition
to disclosing the figures involved ITV also explains the nature of related party transactions undertaken with associates
and joint ventures. In contrast, Smith & Nephew and BASF while disclosing associate and joint venture related party
information separately do not give amounts for individual joint ventures and associates.
Summary - Conclusion
Our principal conclusions are that:
Key management compensation is widely disclosed with a number of companies going beyond what is
required by IAS 24.
The most detailed related party information is given by Italian companies as a result of national legislation.
Financial institutions are the companies which are most likely to identify governments as related parties.
Financial institutions are more likely than other companies to identify a post-employment benefit plan as a
related party.
CR Common Practices
Related Party Disclosures
Illustrative Extracts
Fiat: Key management personnel compensation (Extract 1)
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Logica: Key management personnel compensation tabular format (Extract 2)
CR Common Practices
Related Party Disclosures
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BNP Parabis: Balance sheet analysis of associate and joint venture related party amounts (Extract 4)
CR Common Practices
Related Party Disclosures
BG: Joint venture and associated undertakings related party amounts aggregated (Extract 5)
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Eni: Joint venture and associate related party amounts by company (Extract 6)
CR Common Practices
Related Party Disclosures
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Fiat: Related party transactions supplementary balance sheet (Extract 8)
CR Common Practices
Related Party Disclosures
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Commerzbank: Government related party transactions (Extract 10)
UBS: Post employment benefit plan related party disclosures (Extract 12)
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© Company Reporting, 11 John’s Place, Edinburgh EH6 7EL Scotland, UK
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