1.1 – General information

BASF SE is a publicly listed corporation headquartered in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany. Its official address is Carl-Bosch-Str. 38, 67056 Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany.

The Consolidated Financial Statements of BASF SE as of December 31, 2015, have been prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and Section 315a (1) of the German Commercial Code (HGB). IFRSs are generally only applied after they have been endorsed by the European Union. For the 2015 fiscal year, all of the binding IFRSs and pronouncements of the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) were applied.

The Consolidated Financial Statements are presented in euros. All amounts, including the figures for previous years, are given in million euros unless otherwise indicated.

The individual financial statements of the consolidated companies are prepared as of the balance sheet date of the Consolidated Financial Statements. The accounting policies that have been applied are largely the same as those in 2014, with the exception of any changes arising from the application of new or revised standards.

In its meeting on February 22, 2016, the Board of Executive Directors prepared the Consolidated Financial Statements, submitted them to the Supervisory Board for approval, and released them for publication.