ANNUAL REPORT 2011 A.S. CRÉATION TAPETEN AG

GROUP MANAGEMENT REPORT
40
European market and the Russian market,
in particular. Following the initial preparatory
work in 2010, the building shells
were erected in 2011 and the first plant
and machinery ordered. To finance these
measures, the share capital of OOO A.S. &
Palitra was increased and shareholder
loans were granted in the past fiscal year.
The share of € 7.2 million (2010: € 0.9
million) that is attributable to A.S. Création
Tapeten AG is stated as capital expenditures
in the consolidated financial statements
for the year 2011.
Adjusted for these two one-time effects,
capital expenditures in the fiscal year totalled
€ 5.5 million and primarily related to replacement
investments and to investments in printing
tools for the new wallpaper collections. As
in the previous year, no major investments in
new plant capacity were required.
Product safety and environmental protection
All A.S. Création wallpapers are produced to
applicable EN or DIN standards and thus comply
with legal provisions. But A.S. Création
offers its customers even greater safety, as
our products meet the stricter requirements
of “Gutegemeinschaft Tapete e.V.”, which are
documented in RAL-GZ-479. Compliance with
this standard is regularly examined by the
internationally renowned Fraunhofer-Society
on a random sample basis.
Pursuant to EN 15102, which implements EU
Directive 89/106/EEC, all wallpapers, which
are now regarded as construction products,
must bear a CE mark starting January 1, 2011.
Products which have proven to meet defined
fire protection criteria are marked with the
fire protection class and the number of the
institute that has carried out the required
tests in addition to the CE mark. In the course
of 2010, A.S. Création had its own product
groups tested by an authorised and independent
test institute, so that all wallpapers
produced by A.S. Création since January 1,
2011 bear a certified CE mark.
To promote environmental protection and
sustainability, A.S. Création exclusively uses
water-based paints on its heliogravure
printing machines. Moreover, the company
uses only FSC®-certified papers and nonwovens,
which means that all wallpapers
carry the FSC® seal. Established in 1993, the
FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) is a nongovernmental,
not-for-profit organisation
committed to the environmentally and socially
compatible and economically viable management
of the world’s forests. For this purpose,
the FSC® has defined minimum standards for
forest management. Every forest owner is
checked for compliance with the FSC® stan-