The condensed Group interim financial statements of Linde AG for the three months ended 31 March 2009 have been drawn up in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) applicable to interim financial reporting, as adopted by the European Union.

A review of the financial statements included in the condensed Group interim financial statements has been performed by KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft.

We have used the same accounting policies in the condensed Group interim financial statements as those used to prepare the Group financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2008 and have also applied IAS 34 Interim Financial Reporting. Since 31 December 2008, actuarial gains and losses relating to pension provisions have been allocated directly to revenue reserves. This ensures that in future periods these amounts will not be transferred to profit or loss. Since 1 January 2009, the IAS 1 (Revised) Presentation of Financial Statements has been applied. This has resulted in the separate disclosure of the statement of changes in Group equity as a primary financial statement.

In addition to the changes mentioned above, the following new or revised standards and interpretations have been issued by the IASB and IFRIC. These have not been applied in the condensed Group interim financial statements for the three months ended 31 March 2009, as they are either not yet mandatory or have not yet been adopted by the European Commission:

• Revised IFRS 3 Business Combinations
• Amendments to IAS 27 Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements
• Amendments to IAS 39 Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement: Eligible Hedged Items
• Amendments to IAS 39 Reclassification of Financial Assets: Effective Date and Transition
• Amendments to IFRS 7 Improving Disclosures about Financial Instruments
• Improvements to International Financial Reporting Standards
• Amendments to IFRIC 9 and IAS 39 Embedded Derivatives
• IFRIC 15 Agreements for the Construction of Real Estate
• IFRIC 16 Hedges of a Net Investment in a Foreign Operation
• IFRIC 17 Distributions of Non-Cash Assets to Owners
• IFRIC 18 Transfer of Assets from Customers

The impact of the standards and interpretations which have not been applied on the presentation of the net assets, financial position and results of operations of The Linde Group is not expected to be significant overall.