Consolidated Financial Statements Notes Notes on the consolidated balance sheet 24. Pensions and similar obligations 
24. PENSIONS AND SIMILAR OBLIGATIONS
GENERAL
The Fresenius Group recognizes pension costs and related pension liabilities for current and future benefits to qualified current and former employees of the Fresenius Group. Fresenius Group’s pension plans are structured differently according to the legal, economic and fiscal circumstances in each country. The Fresenius Group currently has two types of plans, defined benefit and defined contribution plans. In general, plan benefits in defined benefit plans are based on all or a portion of the employees’ years of services and final salary. Plan benefits in defined contribution plans are determined by the amount of contribution by the employee and the employer, both of which may be limited by legislation, and the returns earned on the investment of those contributions.
Upon retirement under defined benefit plans, the Fresenius Group is required to pay defined benefits to former employees when the defined benefits become due. Defined benefit plans may be funded or unfunded. The Fresenius Group has funded defined benefit plans in particular in the United States, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Austria. Unfunded defined benefit plans are located in Germany and France.
Actuarial assumptions generally determine benefit obligations under defined benefit plans. The actuarial calculations require the use of estimates. The main factors used in the actuarial calculations affecting the level of the benefit obligations are: assumptions on life expectancy, the discount rate, salary and pension level trends. Under Fresenius Group’s funded plans, assets are set aside to meet future payment obligations. An estimated return on the plan assets is recognized as income in the respective period. Actuarial gains and losses are generated when there are variations in the actuarial assumptions and differences between the actual and the estimated return on plan assets for that year. A company’s pension liability is impacted by these actuarial gains or losses.
In the case of Fresenius Group’s funded plans, the defined benefit obligation is offset against the fair value of plan assets. A pension liability is recognized in the balance sheet if the defined benefit obligation exceeds the fair value of plan assets. An asset is recognized and reported under other assets in the balance sheet if the fair value of plan assets exceeds the defined benefit obligation and if the Fresenius Group has a right of reimbursement against the fund or a right to reduce future payments to the fund.
Under defined contribution plans, the Fresenius Group pays defined contributions during the employee’s service life which satisfies all obligations of the Fresenius Group to the employee. The Fresenius Group has a main defined contribution plan in North America.
DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLANS
At December 31, 2008, the benefit obligation (PBO) of the Fresenius Group of € 505 million (2007: € 498 million) included € 213 million (2007: € 219 million) funded by plan assets and € 292 million (2007: € 279 million) covered by pension provisions. The current portion of the pension liability in an amount of € 10 million is recognized in the balance sheet as short-term accrued expenses and other short-term liabilities. The non-current portion of € 282 million is recorded as pension liability.
66% of the pension liabilities in an amount of € 292 million relate to the “Versorgungsordnung der Fresenius- Unternehmen” established in 1988 (Pension plan 1988), which applies for most of the German entities of the Fresenius Group except Fresenius Helios. The rest of the pension liabilities relates to individual plans from Fresenius Helios entities in Germany and non-German Group entities.
Plan benefits are generally based on an employee’s years of service and final salary. Consistent with predominant practice in Germany, the benefit obligations of the German entities of the Fresenius Group are unfunded. The German Pension plan 1988 does not have a separate pension fund.
