8 – Other operating expenses

Expenses for restructuring measures were primarily related to severance payments amounting to €69 million in 2015 and €40 million in 2014. Further expenses for restructuring measures amounting to €15 million concerned one site in the United States in the Petrochemicals division. In the Dispersions & Pigments division, expenses arose in the amount of €16 million in 2015 and €12 million in 2014; these concerned several sites worldwide. Furthermore, expenses of €15 million were incurred for a regional restructuring project in South America as well as the outsourcing of the computer centers. In 2014, expenses of €9 million had arisen from measures at several sites in the Care Chemicals division.

Expenses arose from environmental protection and safety measures, demolition and removal, and planning expenses related to capital expenditures that are not subject to mandatory capitalization according to IFRS. Expenses for demolition, removal and project planning totaled €376 million in 2015 and €286 million in 2014. These especially pertained to the Ludwigshafen site in both years. Further expenses of €37 million in 2015 and €19 million in 2014 were due to additional environmental provisions. In both years, these primarily concerned several discontinued sites in North America and Switzerland.

Amortization, depreciation and impairments of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment arose from impairments in the Oil & Gas segment in the amount of €500 million in 2015 and €230 million in 2014. Further impairments of €57 million concerned the Functional Materials & Solutions segment in 2015 (2014: €42 million). Impairments of €53 million were recognized the Performance Products segment in 2015. Impairments in the Chemicals segment amounted to €18 million in 2015 and €33 million in 2014.

Costs from miscellaneous revenue-generating activities concerned the respective item presented in other operating income.

Expenses from foreign-currency and hedging transactions as well as from the measurement of LTI options were related to foreign currency translations of receivables and payables as well as changes in the fair value of currency derivatives and other hedging transactions. Compared with the previous year, higher expenses particularly arose from the appreciation of the U.S. dollar against various currencies. In 2015, there was also an expense for the long-term incentive (LTI) program of €53 million. In 2014, an expense of €25 million was recognized for newly issued LTI options at the end of the year.

Losses from the disposal of fixed assets and divestitures in 2015 mainly stemmed from the sale of the global paper hydrous kaolin business to Imerys Kaolin, Inc., Roswell, Georgia. Losses in 2014 arose predominantly from losses of €9 million in connection with the disposal of the Brattvåg site in Norway in the Nutrition & Health division.

Other expenses included expenses of €121 million for BASF’s 150th anniversary.

The previous year had included strike-related expenses in connection with the construction of the acrylic acid and superabsorbent production complex in Camaçari, Brazil, in the amount of €16 million. Furthermore, in both years, expenses arose from the implementation of further projects, REACH, and the provision of services.