The Directors of the Parent Company are responsible for the information contained in these consolidated financial statements.
Estimates made by the management of the Group and of the consolidated entities have been used in preparing the Group’s consolidated financial statements to quantify some of the assets, liabilities, revenue, expenses and undertakings recognised. These estimates essentially refer to:
– The useful life of the tangible and intangible assets. The Group increases the amount for depreciation/amortisation when service lives are less than those previously estimated, and will cancel or reduce the value of obsolete assets which have been abandoned or sold (Note 4.1 and 4.3).
– The assessment of possible impairment losses on certain non-financial assets that require an estimate of the future evolution of business and the most suitable discount rates. The Group considers that its estimates in this area are appropriate and coherent with the current economic climate and reflect its plans for growth based on the sector’s recovery. It considers that its discount rates reflect the risks relating to each cash generating unit appropriately (Note 4.4).
– The estimates for impairment to accounts receivable are based on the expected losses model in IFRS 9 (Note 4.6).
– The market value of specific assets.
– The valuation of consolidation goodwill.
– The hypotheses used in the actuarial calculation of liabilities for pensions and other undertakings made to the workforce; The Group has made certain assumptions to calculate the liability arising from commitments to employees (Note 4.11 and 4.13).
– Calculation of provisions and evaluation of contingencies. To do so, the Group assesses certain legal, tax or other types of proceedings that are not closed off at the date the Consolidated Annual Statements are drawn up (Note 4.15).
– For the calculation of corporation tax, the Group is subject to it in various jurisdictions. To calculate the provision at worldwide scale, issue of significant judgments is required (Note 4.10).
– The recoverability of capitalised tax credits. The Group only recognises deferred tax assets in as far as their future realisation or use is sufficiently guaranteed. As future circumstances are unsure and partially escape the Group’s control, assumptions must be made to estimate future taxable benefits and the period in which deferred tax is recovered (Note 4.10).
The Group’s strategy takes into account the targets set in relation to climate change (Note 29), for which reason they are also taken into account when preparing these consolidated annual statements. Therefore, in the context of preparing these consolidated annual statements, the effect of the commitments taken on by the Group was taken into account when calculating the service life of assets, closing costs and analysing impairment to non-financial assets.
In spite of the fact that these estimates were carried out using the best information available at 31 December 2021 on events analysed, it is possible that events may take place in the future which compel their amendment (upwards or downwards) in years to come. This will be done in accordance with the provisions of IAS 8, prospectively.