29. Retirement benefit plans

Defined contribution plans

We operate defined contribution systems for our qualifying employees. The assets of the schemes are held separately from ours in designated pension plans. For defined contribution systems, we pay contributions to publicly or privately administered pension or insurance funds. Once the contribution is paid, we do not have any remaining obligation.

Defined benefit plans in Belgium

Our personnel in Belgium participated in a defined contribution plan (extra-legal pension). The Belgian defined contribution pension plans were by law subject to minimum guaranteed rates of return, i.e. 3.25% on employer contributions and 3.75% on employee contributions. These rates, which apply as an average over the entire career, may be modified by Royal Decree. Therefore, those plans were basically accounted for as defined contribution plans.

As a consequence of the law of 18 December 2015, minimum returns were guaranteed by the employer as follows: (a) for the contributions paid as from 1 January 2016, a new variable minimum return based on OLO rates, with a minimum of 1.75% and a maximum of 3.75%. In review of the low rates of the OLO in the last years, the return has been initially set to 1.75%; (b) for the contributions paid until end of December 2015, the previously applied legal returns as mentioned above, continue to apply until retirement date of the employees.

In view of the minimum returns guarantees, the Belgian defined contribution plans classify as defined benefit plans as from end December 2015.

As at 31 December 2015 no net liability was recognized in the balance sheet as the minimum rates of return to be guaranteed by the employer were closely matched by the rates of return guaranteed by the insurer. As at 31 December 2016 however a net liability of €386.6 thousand was recorded.

The contributions for those plans that were due by the employer for 2016 and 2015 amounted to respectively €528.0 thousand and €476.3 thousand, of which €42.5 thousand was paid after 31 December 2016 (2015: €35.9 thousand). No contributions were made by the employees.

The plan assets as at 31 December 2016 consisted of €1,788.7 thousand (2015: €1,063.7 thousand) individual insurance reserves, which benefit from a weighted average guaranteed interest rate of 2.82% (2015:3.0%).

Defined benefit plans in France

We use two defined benefit plans for the employees of our French entity. The defined benefit plans are not supported by funds.

The chemical and pharmaceutical industry’s collective bargaining agreements require that our French entity pays a retirement allowance depending on the seniority of the employees at the moment they retire. The benefit obligations for these retirement allowances amounted to €1,808.5 thousand for 2016 (2015: €1,520.9 thousand). This increase is mainly due to changed actuarial assumptions (decrease of discount rate from 2% to 1.44%).

Additionally, there are also seniority premiums paid in France. The provisions for these premiums amounted to €1,324.9 thousand in 2016 (2015: €1,172.0 thousand).

Total obligation included in the balance sheet related to the defined benefit plans amounts to €3,133.4 thousand for the year ended 31 December 2016 (2015: €2,692.9 thousand).

Actuarial gains and losses are recognized immediately on the balance sheet, with a charge or credit to other comprehensive income (OCI), in accordance with IAS 19R. They are not recycled subsequently. Actuarial losses of €193.2 thousand have been booked through other comprehensive income (OCI) at the end of 2016 (2015: €201.5 thousand of actuarial gains).

Total amounts due by all entities to the pension plans in 2016 were €1.7 million in total (2015: €1.5 million).

Obligations included in the balance sheet:

The present value of the gross obligation developed as follows:

The fair value of the plan assets developed as follows:

The expected rate of return on the plan assets is 2%.

The fair value of the plan assets is the fair market value of the plan assets. The fair value of the plan assets was calculated as the reduced lump sums (received from the plan administrators) actualized with the assumptions set (discount rate and mortality tables). The total plan assets are equal to the fair value of the plan assets increased with the financing fund.

Amounts recognized in profit or loss for defined benefit plans are as follows:

Obligation included in the balance sheet reconciles as follows:

The most important actuarial assumptions were:

The discount rate was based on the Merrill Lynch yields for AA rated Eurozone corporate bonds (bonds with maturity dates which correspond with the commitments).

Breakdown of defined benefit obligation by type of plan participants:

Breakdown of defined benefit obligation by type of benefits:

Major categories of plan assets: fair value plan of assets: