sain t-gobain annu al report 2008 annual report

Research costs are expensed as incurred. Development costs
meeting the recognition criteria under IAS 38 are included in
intangible assets and amortized over their estimated useful
lives (not to exceed 5 years) from the date when the products
to which they relate are first marketed.
The greenhouse gas emissions allowances granted to the
Group have not been recognized as assets in the consolidated
financial statements, as IFRIC 3 - Emission Rights has been
withdrawn. A provision is recorded in the consolidated financial
statements to cover any difference between the Group’s
emissions and the allowances granted. Details of the measurement
of emissions allowances available at the balance
sheet date are provided in Note 4.
Property, plant and equipment
Land, buildings and equipment are carried at historical cost
less accumulated depreciation and impairment.
Cost may also include incidental expenses directly attributable
to the acquisition, such as transfers from equity of any
gains/losses on qualifying cash flow hedges of property, plant
and equipment purchases.
Expenses incurred in exploring and evaluating mineral
resources are included in property, plant and equipment when
it is probable that associated future economic benefits will
flow to the Group. They include mainly the costs of topographical
or geological studies, drilling costs, sampling costs
and all costs incurred in assessing the technical feasibility and
commercial viability of extracting the mineral resource.
Borrowing costs incurred for the construction and acquisition
of property, plant and equipment are recorded under “Net
financial expense” and are not included in the cost of the
related asset.
Except for the head office building, which is the Group’s only
material non-industrial asset, property, plant and equipment
are considered as having no residual value, as most items are
intended to be used until the end of their useful lives and are
not generally expected to be sold.
Property, plant and equipment other than land are depreciated
using the components approach, on a straight-line basis
over the following estimated useful lives, which are regularly
reviewed:
Major factories and offices
30-40 years
Other buildings
15-25 years
Production machinery and equipment
5-16 years
Vehicles
3-5 years
Furniture, fixtures, office
and computer equipment
4-16 years
Gypsum quarries are depreciated over their estimated useful
lives, based on the quantity of gypsum extracted during the
year compared with the extraction capacity.
Provisions for site restoration are recognized as components
of assets in the event of a sudden deterioration in site conditions
and whenever the Group has a legal or constructive
obligation to restore a site in accordance with contractually
determined conditions. These provisions are reviewed periodically
and may be discounted over the expected useful lives of
the assets concerned. The component is depreciated over the
same useful life as that used for mines and quarries.
Government grants for purchases of property, plant and
equipment are recorded under “Other payables” and taken to
the income statement over the estimated useful lives of the
relevant assets.
Finance leases and operating leases
Assets held under leases that transfer to the Group substantially
all of the risks and rewards of ownership (finance leases)
are recognized as property, plant and equipment. They are
recognized at the commencement of the lease term at the
lower of the fair value of the leased property and the present
value of the minimum lease payments.
Property, plant and equipment acquired under finance leases
are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the
estimated useful life of the asset – determined using the
same criteria as for assets owned by the Group – or the lease
term. The corresponding liability is shown in the balance sheet
net of related interest.
Rental payments under operating leases are expensed as
incurred.
Non-current financial assets
Non-current financial assets include available-for-sale and
other securities, as well as other non-current assets, which
primarily comprise long-term loans and deposits.
Investments classified as “available-for-sale” are carried at fair
value. Unrealized gains and losses on these investments are
recognized in equity, unless the investments have suffered an
other-than-temporary and/or material decline in value, in
which case an impairment loss is recorded in the income
statement.
Impairment of assets
Property, plant and equipment, goodwill and other intangible
assets are tested for impairment on a regular basis. These
tests consist of comparing the asset’s carrying amount to its
recoverable amount. Recoverable amount is the higher of the
137 NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Saint-Gobain – Financial Report 2008