15 – Other provisions
Development January to September 2015 (million €) |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Jan. 1, 2015 |
Additions |
Unwinding of discount |
Utilization |
Reversals |
Other changes |
Sep. 30, 2015 |
Restoration obligations |
|
1,428 |
55 |
36 |
(52) |
– |
(452) |
1,015 |
Environmental protection and remediation costs |
|
621 |
122 |
5 |
(136) |
(6) |
15 |
621 |
Employee obligations |
|
1,744 |
1,179 |
3 |
(1,263) |
(44) |
(32) |
1,587 |
Sales and purchase risks |
|
715 |
807 |
– |
(248) |
(33) |
(19) |
1,222 |
Restructuring measures |
|
156 |
53 |
– |
(47) |
(10) |
6 |
158 |
Litigation, damage claims, guarantees and similar obligations |
|
112 |
31 |
– |
(20) |
(15) |
(20) |
88 |
Other |
|
1,570 |
314 |
1 |
(251) |
(47) |
(5) |
1,582 |
Total |
|
6,346 |
2,561 |
45 |
(2,017) |
(155) |
(507) |
6,273 |
On September 30, 2015, other provisions were €73 million below the level of year-end 2014. Provisions for restoration obligations decreased by €468 million as a result of the asset swap with Gazprom, the reclassification of Wintershall Noordzee B.V. to the equity method, and the transfer to the disposal group for the transaction agreed upon with Tellus Petroleum AS, based in Oslo, Norway.
Provisions for employee obligations decreased. In the first three quarters of 2015, utilization for paying out variable compensation for the past business year more than offset the corresponding additions to provisions for the current business year.
There was a seasonal increase in provisions for sales and purchase risks. By the end of the third quarter of 2015, additions to short-term provisions for rebates in the Agricultural Solutions segment considerably exceeded the utilization of prior-year provisions.