AAK Annual Report 2018

Defined benefit plans The Group maintains defined benefit retirement plans in which employees earn the right to payment of benefits after completing their employment, based on their final salary and period of service. These defined benefit retirement plans exist in Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium and India. There are further commitments for retirement and survivors’ pensions for salaried employees in Sweden that are insured through Folksam (Folksam cooperative occupational pensions). The obligations for retirement and survivors’ pension for salaried employees in Sweden are insured through policies with Alecta or correspondingly in Folksam. According to a statement by the Swedish Financial Reporting Board, UFR 3, classification of ITP plans financed via insurance with Alecta, this is a defined benefit plan that involves several different employers. For the period from January 1 to December 31, 2018 AAK AB and AAK Sweden AB have not had access to sufficient information to recognize their proportional shares of the plan’s obligations, plan assets and costs, which has meant that it has not been possible to recognize the plan as a defined benefit plan. The ITP 2 pension plan that is insured through Folksam is therefore recognized as a defined contri - bution plan. The premium for the defined benefit retirement and survivors’ pension is calculated individually and depends on factors including salary, pension earned previously and expected remaining period of service. Charges for ITP 2 pensions insured through Folksam are SEK 14 million (14). The collective consolidation level consists of the market value of Alecta’s assets as a percentage of the estimated insurance commitments, computed using Alecta’s actuarial methods and assumptions, which are not in accordance with IAS 19. The collective consolidation level should normally be permitted to vary between 125 and 155 percent. If Alecta’s collective consolidation level is below 125 percent or above 155 percent, measures must be taken to create the conditions for the consolidation level to return to the normal range. If the consolidation is low, one measure may be to increase the agreed price for new policies and increasing existing benefits. If the consolidation is high, one measure may be to introduce premium reductions. At year-end 2018, Alecta’s 9 Note Provisions for pensions and similar obligations and Folksam’s surplus in the form of their collective consoli - dation levels was 142 percent and 174 percent, respectively (154 percent and 178 percent, respectively). The Group has defined benefit pension plans in Sweden and the Netherlands which come under largely similar regulations. All plans are pension plans based on final salary and give employees covered by the plans benefits in the form of a guaranteed level of pension payments during their lives. The level of the benefits depends on the employees’ period of service and salary on retirement. The pension payments in the Swedish and Dutch plans are normally indexed according to the consumer price index. The plans are subject to largely similar risks. Benefits are paid from plans that are secured with foundations. The activities of the foundations are regu - lated by national regulations and practice which also apply to the relationship between the Group and the administrator (or equivalent) of the foundation’s plan assets. Responsibility for monitoring the plans, including investment decisions and contributions, is held jointly by the company and the founda - tion’s board. 2018 2017 The amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheet are determined as follows: Defined benefit plans Present value of funded obligations 899 827 Fair value of plan assets -693 -663 206 164 The amounts recognized in consolidated comprehensive income are as follows: Costs pertaining to service during the current year 29 29 Interest expenses 18 17 Interest income -12 -15 Employees' contributions paid -5 -3 Total, included in employee costs (Note 6) 30 28 85