Skip to website navigation Skip to article navigation Skip to content

30. Leases

Group as lessee

The Group has lease contracts for rolling stock, real estate and other operating assets that are used in its operations. The Group's obligations under the leases are safeguarded by the lessor's right to the ownership of the leased assets. Generally, the Group's possibilities for subleasing the leased assets are restricted. There are various lease contracts that contain renewal and termination options. These are discussed in more detail below.

The Group also has certain lease contracts for machines with a lease term of 12 months or less and lease contracts for office equipment of low value. The Group applies the recognition criteria for exemptions for ‘short-term leases’ and ‘leases of low-value assets’ for these lease contracts.

The carrying amounts of the recognised right-of-use assets and the changes during the period are stated below.

(in millions of euros)

Rolling stock

Property

Other

Total

     

Composition as at 1 January 2020

    
     

Cost

2,291

208

21

3,220

Accumulated amortisation and impairments

1,149

45

4

1,198

Carrying amount as at 1 January 2020

1,842

163

17

2,022

     

Changes in 2020

    

Additions

504

14

-

518

Disposals

-43

-

-1

-44

Depreciation

-461

-18

-3

-482

Impairments

-83

-27

-1

-111

Exchange differences

-46

-1

-1

-48

Other movements

10

-3

3

10

Total changes during the financial year

-119

-35

-3

-157

     

Composition as at 31 December 2020

    
     

Cost

2,977

214

27

3,218

Accumulated amortisation and impairments

1,254

86

13

1,353

Carrying amount as at 31 December 2020

1,723

128

14

1,865

     

Changes in 2021

    

Additions

255

15

8

278

Disposals

-1

-

-1

-2

Deconsolidation

-890

-

-

-890

Depreciation

-458

-15

-3

-476

Impairments

-13

-

-

-13

Reversal of impairment

-

-

-

-

Exchange differences

44

2

-

46

Other movements

37

-17

-1

19

Total changes during the financial year

-1,026

-15

3

-1,038

     

Composition as at 31 December 2021

    
     

Cost

2,006

195

27

2,228

Accumulated amortisation and impairments

1,309

82

9

1,400

Carrying amount as at 31 December 2021

697

113

18

827

The carrying amounts of the lease liabilities and the changes during the period are stated below.

(in millions of euros)

2021

2020

Lease commitments as at 1 January

2,066

2,109

Additions

277

518

Deconsolidation

-993

-

Interest allocated

21

34

Payments

-499

-515

Other movements

7

-29

Currency differences

51

-51

Lease commitments as at 31 December

930

2,066

   

Presented under:

  

Non-current

634

1,601

Current

296

465

The lease liabilities can be subclassified into the following countries:

(in millions of euros)

31 December 2021

31 December 2020

United Kingdom

784

844

Germany

-

1,042

The Netherlands

146

180

Total

930

2,066

The maturity analysis of lease liabilities is disclosed in note 25.

The following amounts are recognised in the income statement:

(in millions of euros)

2021

2020

Cost of depreciation of right-of-use assets

476

482

Impairments of right-of-use assets

13

111

Reversal of impairments

-

-

Interest expense on lease contracts

21

34

Costs relating to short-term lease arrangements (Other operating expenses)

1

30

Costs relating to leases of low-value assets (Other operating expenses)

-

1

Variable lease payments (Other operating expenses)

20

17

Total recognised in the income statement

531

675

The incremental borrowing rate of interest used is as follows:

Incremental borrowing rate (in percentages)

range

applied

The Netherlands

-0.5%-1.5%

0.5%

United Kingdom

0.1%-5.3%

1.7%

Germany

0.1%-2.7%

1.6%

The Group has no lease arrangements with material variable lease payments.

Measurement basis

The Group recognises a right-of-use asset and a lease liability at the commencement date of the lease arrangement. The right-of-use asset is initially measured at cost, comprising the initial amount of the lease liability, adjusted for any lease payments made at or before the commencement date of the lease arrangement, plus any initial direct costs incurred and an estimate of the costs of dismantling and removing the underlying asset or restoring the underlying asset or restoring the site on which it is located, less any lease incentives received.

The right-of-use asset is subsequently depreciated on a straight-line basis from the commencement date until the end of the lease term. The average depreciation periods are as follows:

  • Rolling stock 6 years

  • Real estate 11 years

  • Other 9 years

In addition, the right-of-use asset is periodically reduced by any impairment losses and adjusted for certain remeasurements of the lease liability.

The lease liability is initially measured at the present value of the lease payments that are not paid at the commencement date, discounted using the Group's incremental borrowing rate. The incremental borrowing rate of interest consists of the risk-free rate plus a surcharge for country risk with account being taken of the object. The lease liability is measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method. It is remeasured if there is a change in the future lease payments as a result of a change in an index or rate, if there is change in the Group's estimate of the amount expected to be payable under a residual value guarantee or if the Group changes its assessment of whether it will exercise a purchase, extension or termination option. 

Add to My report
Print page