The annual financial statements and the Group financial statements are prepared by the Executive Board, examined by the Supervisory Board and audited by the auditors. As required by law, the members of the Executive Board confirm that, to the best of their knowledge, the annual financial statements, the Group financial statements and the combined management report provide a true and fair view, describing the main opportunities and risks associated with the likely future development of the Group and the company. The audit procedures are in accordance with German auditing regulations and German generally accepted standards for the audit of financial statements promulgated by the Institut der Wirtschaftsprüfer (the Institute of Public Auditors in Germany) and, in the case of the Group financial statements, in supplementary compliance with International Standards on Auditing. The audit procedures also include a review of the system for the early identification of risks. The Audit Committee meets the Executive Board to discuss the interim and half-year financial reports in detail prior to publication.
In May 2017, the Supervisory Board issued the mandate for the audit of the annual financial statements and Group financial statements to KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, Berlin, who had been appointed at the Annual General Meeting as auditors of the annual financial statements and Group financial statements for the 2017 financial year and had also been appointed to conduct audit reviews of the interim and half-year financial reports for the 2017 financial year. KPMG/a predecessor company has been the auditor of the annual financial statements of Linde AG since 31 December 1984. Since the 2013 financial year, Mr Klaus Becker has been signing the annual financial statements, with Mr Harald von Heynitz providing his signature, as the auditor responsible for the audit (Global Lead Partner), since the annual and Group financial statements for 2015. The auditors issued a detailed declaration confirming their independence to the Audit Committee of the Supervisory Board. There were no conflicts of interest. It was agreed with the auditors that the Chairman of the Supervisory Board and the Chairman of the Audit Committee would be informed immediately during the audit of any potential reasons for the disqualification of the auditors or for their lack of impartiality, unless these could be eliminated without delay. The auditors were obliged to report immediately all the significant audit findings and events that came to either attention while conducting the audit that have an impact on the duties of the Supervisory Board. The auditors have also undertaken to inform the Supervisory Board if they discover facts in the course of their audit which reveal any inaccuracies in the company’s declaration of compliance with the German Corporate Governance Code.
Linde has reporting, monitoring and risk management systems in place which are continually being updated and adapted by the Executive Board to take account of changing circumstances. The internal audit department performs reviews at regular intervals of the efficiency and effectiveness of the risk management system and the internal control system. The auditors also assess the system in place for the early identification of risk and provide regular reports on their findings at a global level to the Executive Board and Supervisory Board. Additionally, the Audit Committee supports the Supervisory Board in monitoring the activities of executive management and also deals with risk management issues in this context. It receives regular reports from the Executive Board about risk management, the risk position, and the identification and monitoring of risks. In addition, it is informed on a regular basis about existing risks and the evolution of those risks. Moreover, the Audit Committee has agreed with the auditors that, if necessary, they will report to the Committee any significant weaknesses that they identify in the internal control system in relation to the accounting process and in the system for the early identification of risks. Further details about risk management in The Linde Group are provided in the Opportunity and risk report. This includes the report on the accounting-related internal control system.