Report on the consolidated financial statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated financial statements of VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP AG Wiener Versicherung Gruppe, Vienna, for the fiscal year from January 1 to December 31, 2011. These consolidated financial statements comprise the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2011, the consolidated statement of comprehensive income, the consolidated cash flow statement and the consolidated statement of changes in equity for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, and the notes to the consolidated financial statements.
Management’s responsibility for the consolidated financial statements and for the accounting system
The Company’s management is responsible for the group accounting system and for the preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted by the EU and the supplementary provisions of Section 245a UGB (Austrian Commercial Code) and Section 80b VAG (Insurance Supervision Act). This responsibility includes: designing, implementing and maintaining internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of consolidated financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; selecting and applying appropriate accounting policies; making accounting estimates that are reasonable in the circumstances.
Auditor’s responsibility and description of type and scope of the statutory audit
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with laws and regulations applicable in Austria and Austrian Standards on Auditing as well as in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (ISA) issued by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). Those standards require that we comply with professional guidelines and that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether the consolidated financial statements are free from material misstatement.
An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the Group’s preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Group’s internal control. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements.
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a reasonable basis for our audit opinion.
Opinion
Our audit did not give rise to any objections. In our opinion, which is based on the results of our audit, the consolidated financial statements comply with legal requirements and give a true and fair view of the financial position of the Group as of December 31, 2011 and of its financial performance and its cash flows for the fiscal year from January 1 to December 31, 2011 in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as adopted by the EU and the supplementary provisions of Section 80b VAG in conjunction with Section 245a UGB.
Comments on the management report for the Group
Pursuant to statutory provisions, the management report for the Group is to be audited as to whether it is consistent with the consolidated financial statements and as to whether the other disclosures are not misleading with respect to the Company’s position. The auditor’s report also has to contain a statement as to whether the management report for the Group is consistent with the consolidated financial statements and whether the disclosures pursuant to Section 243a UGB (Austrian Commercial Code) are appropriate.
In our opinion, the management report for the Group is consistent with the consolidated financial statements. The disclosures pursuant to Section 243a UGB (Austrian Commercial Code) are appropriate.
Vienna, 12 March 2012
PwC INTER-TREUHAND GmbH
Wirtschaftsprüfungs- und Steuerberatungsgesellschaft
Günter Wiltschek
Austrian Certified Public Accountant
Liane Hirner
Austrian Certified Public Accountant
Disclosure, publication and duplication of the consolidated financial statements together with the auditor’s report according to Section 281 (2) UGB in a form not in accordance with statutory requirements and differing from the version audited by us is not permitted. Reference to our audit may not be made without prior written permission from us.
