8. Other operating expenses
Other operating expenses include insurances, costs of accommodation and inventory, auditor’s fees, publicity costs, maintenance costs of operating assets and additions to provisions. The decrease in other operating expenses from €1,365 million in 2020 to €379 million in 2021 is mainly due to the recognition of termination payments/net asset payments in the United Kingdom of €487 million in 2020. Of this provision, €362 million was released in favour of other operating expenses in 2021 (note 29). In addition, the German operations have been deconsolidated as of 30 June 2021.
Auditor’s fees
(in millions of euros) | 2021 | 2020 |
Statutory audits | 3.5 | 3.6 |
Other assurance engagements | 0.6 | 0.4 |
Tax advisory services | - | - |
Other services | - | - |
Total | 4.1 | 41.0 |
The auditor’s fees include the fees for both the services in the Netherlands and those of the foreign network. The share of the foreign network in the statutory audits for 2021 is € 1.4 million (2020: €1.6 million).