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Post-Employment and Other Long-Term Employees Benefits | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract] |
Post-Employment and Other Long-Term Employees Benefits |
14. | POST-EMPLOYMENT AND OTHER LONG-TERM EMPLOYEES BENEFITS
The Company and its subsidiaries have a number of defined benefit pension plans, mainly unfunded, and other long-term employees’ benefits covering employees in various countries. The defined benefit plans provide pension benefits based on years of service and employee compensation levels. The other long-term employees’ plans provide benefits due during the employees’ period of service after certain seniority levels. The Company uses a December 31 measurement date for its plans. Eligibility is generally determined in accordance with local statutory requirements. For Italian termination indemnity plan (“TFR”), generated before July 1, 2007, the Company continues to measure the vested benefits to which Italian employees are entitled as if they left the company immediately as of December 31, 2014, in compliance with U.S. GAAP guidance on determining vested benefit obligations for defined benefit pension plans. The changes in benefit obligation and plan assets were as follows:
|  | Pension Benefits |  |  | Other Long-Term Benefits |
|  | December 31, 2014 |  |  | December 31, 2013 |  |  | December 31, 2014 |  |  | December 31, 2013 |
Change in benefit obligation: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Benefit obligation at beginning of year |  |  | 807 |  |  |  | 901 |  |  |  | 65 |  |  |  | 63 |
Service cost |  |  | 27 |  |  |  | 37 |  |  |  | 7 |  |  |  | 8 |
Interest cost |  |  | 28 |  |  |  | 28 |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | 2 |
Employee contributions |  |  | 6 |  |  |  | 5 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Benefits paid |  |  | (20 | ) |  |  | (19 | ) |  |  | (4 | ) |  |  | (4 | )
Effect of curtailment |  |  | — |  |  |  | (3 | ) |  |  | — |  |  |  | (2 | )
Effect of settlement |  |  | (14 | ) |  |  | (32 | ) |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Actuarial (gain) loss |  |  | 93 |  |  |  | (92 | ) |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | — |
Transfer in |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | 12 |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  | 1 |
Transfer out |  |  | (2 | ) |  |  | (12 | ) |  |  | (1 | ) |  |  | (1 | )
Acquisition / change in scope |  |  | — |  |  |  | 9 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 1 |
Plan amendment |  |  | — |  |  |  | 5 |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  | — |
ST-Ericsson deconsolidation |  |  | — |  |  |  | (49 | ) |  |  | — |  |  |  | (4 | )
Foreign currency translation adjustment |  |  | (64 | ) |  |  | 17 |  |  |  | (8 | ) |  |  | 1 |
Benefit obligation at end of year |  |  | 863 |  |  |  | 807 |  |  |  | 65 |  |  |  | 65 |
Change in plan assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Plan assets at fair value at beginning of year |  |  | 448 |  |  |  | 422 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Actual return on plan assets |  |  | 41 |  |  |  | 32 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Employer contributions |  |  | 28 |  |  |  | 29 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Employee contributions |  |  | 6 |  |  |  | 5 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Benefits paid |  |  | (10 | ) |  |  | (9 | ) |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Effect of settlement |  |  | (12 | ) |  |  | (25 | ) |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Transfer in |  |  | — |  |  |  | 8 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Transfer out |  |  | — |  |  |  | (8 | ) |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Foreign currency translation adjustments |  |  | (21 | ) |  |  | 5 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
ST-Ericsson deconsolidation |  |  | — |  |  |  | (11 | ) |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Plan assets at fair value at end of year |  |  | 480 |  |  |  | 448 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Funded status |  |  | (383 | ) |  |  | (359 | ) |  |  | (65 | ) |  |  | (65 | )
Net amount recognized in the balance sheet consisted of the following: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Non-current assets |  |  | 9 |  |  |  | 10 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Current liabilities |  |  | (9 | ) |  |  | (12 | ) |  |  | (11 | ) |  |  | (5 | )
Long-term liabilities |  |  | (383 | ) |  |  | (357 | ) |  |  | (54 | ) |  |  | (60 | )
Net amount recognized |  |  | (383 | ) |  |  | (359 | ) |  |  | (65 | ) |  |  | (65 | )
The components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) before tax effects were as follows:
|  | Actuarial (gains)/losses |  |  | Prior service cost |  |  | Total |
Other comprehensive loss as at December 31, 2012 |  |  | 209 |  |  |  | 9 |  |  |  | 218 |
Net amount generated/arising in current year |  |  | (105 | ) |  |  | 5 |  |  |  | (100 | )
Amortization |  |  | (15 | ) |  |  | (5 | ) |  |  | (20 | )
Foreign currency translation adjustment |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 2 |
Other comprehensive loss as at December 31, 2013 |  |  | 91 |  |  |  | 9 |  |  |  | 100 |
Net amount generated/arising in current year |  |  | 76 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 76 |
Amortization |  |  | (5 | ) |  |  | (1 | ) |  |  | (6 | )
Foreign currency translation adjustment |  |  | (10 | ) |  |  | (1 | ) |  |  | (11 | )
Other comprehensive loss as at December 31, 2014 |  |  | 152 |  |  |  | 7 |  |  |  | 159 |
In 2015, the Company expects to amortize $7 million of actuarial losses and $1 million of past service cost. The accumulated benefit obligations were as follows:
|  | Pension Benefits |  |  | Other Long-Term Benefits |
|  | December 31, 2014 |  |  | December 31, 2013 |  |  | December 31, 2014 |  |  | December 31, 2013 |
Accumulated benefit obligations |  |  | 757 |  |  |  | 717 |  |  |  | 51 |  |  |  | 51 |
For pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets, the projected benefit obligation, accumulated benefit obligation and fair value of plan assets were $673 million, $585 million and $291 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2014 and $631 million, $554 million and $268 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2013. The components of the net periodic benefit cost included the following:
|  | Pension Benefits |  |  | Other Long-term Benefits |
|  | Year ended December 31, 2014 |  |  | Year ended December 31, 2013 |  |  | Year ended December 31, 2012 |  |  | Year ended December 31, 2014 |  |  | Year ended December 31, 2013 |  |  | Year ended December 31, 2012 |
Service cost |  |  | 27 |  |  |  | 37 |  |  |  | 40 |  |  |  | 7 |  |  |  | 8 |  |  |  | 9 |
Interest cost |  |  | 28 |  |  |  | 28 |  |  |  | 31 |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | 3 |
Expected return on plan assets |  |  | (22 | ) |  |  | (18 | ) |  |  | (18 | ) |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Amortization of actuarial net loss (gain) |  |  | 3 |  |  |  | 11 |  |  |  | 12 |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 2 |
Amortization of prior service cost |  |  | — |  |  |  | 5 |  |  |  | 5 |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Effect of settlement |  |  | 1 |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | — |
Effect of curtailment |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | (2 | ) |  |  | — |
Net periodic benefit cost |  |  | 37 |  |  |  | 64 |  |  |  | 70 |  |  |  | 12 |  |  |  | 8 |  |  |  | 14 |
The weighted average assumptions used in the determination of the benefit obligation and the plan assets for the pension plans and the other long-term benefits were as follows:
Assumptions |  | 2014 |  |  | 2013 |
Discount rate |  |  | 3.03 | % |  |  | 3.83 | %
Salary increase rate |  |  | 2.65 | % |  |  | 2.82 | %
Expected long-term rate of return on funds for the pension expense of the year |  |  | 4.76 | % |  |  | 4.88 | %
The weighted average assumptions used in the determination of the net periodic benefit cost for the pension plans and the other long-term benefits were as follows:
Assumptions |  | 2014 |  |  | 2013 |  |  | 2012 |
Discount rate |  |  | 3.83 | % |  |  | 3.43 | % |  |  | 4.14 | %
Salary increase rate |  |  | 2.82 | % |  |  | 2.92 | % |  |  | 2.99 | %
Expected long-term rate of return on funds for the pension expense of the year |  |  | 4.88 | % |  |  | 4.43 | % |  |  | 4.57 | %
The discount rate was determined by reference to market yields on high quality long-term corporate bonds applicable to the respective country of each plan, with terms consistent with the term of the benefit obligations concerned. In developing the expected long-term rate of return on assets, the Company modelled the expected long-term rates of return for broad categories of investments held by the plan against a number of various potential economic scenarios. The Company’s pension plan asset allocation at December 31, 2014 and at December 31, 2013 is as follows:
|  | Percentage of Plan Assets at December |
Asset Category |  | 2014 |  |  | 2013 |
Cash |  |  | 3 | % |  |  | 2 | %
Equity securities |  |  | 28 | % |  |  | 34 | %
Bonds securities remunerating interest |  |  | 28 | % |  |  | 25 | %
Real estate |  |  | 2 | % |  |  | 2 | %
Investments in funds(a) |  |  | 17 | % |  |  | 14 | %
Other |  |  | 22 | % |  |  | 23 | %
Total |  |  | 100 | % |  |  | 100 | %
(a) | Investment in funds are composed for one half of commingled funds mainly invested in corporate bonds for 55%, treasury bonds and notes for 35% and municipal bonds for 10% and for the other half of a multi-strategy fund invested in broadly diversified portfolios of equity, fixed income and derivative instruments.
The Company’s detailed pension plan asset allocation including the fair-value measurements of those plan assets as at December 31, 2014 is as follows:
|  | Total |  |  | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) |  |  | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) |  |  | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) |
Cash and cash equivalents |  |  | 17 |  |  |  | 17 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Equity securities |  |  | 136 |  |  |  | 7 |  |  |  | 129 |  |  |  | — |
Government debt securities |  |  | 10 |  |  |  | 10 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Corporate debt securities |  |  | 125 |  |  |  | 4 |  |  |  | 121 |  |  |  | — |
Investment funds |  |  | 80 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 80 |  |  |  | — |
Real estate |  |  | 12 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 10 |  |  |  | 2 |
Other (mainly insurance assets – contracts and reserves) |  |  | 100 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 100 |
TOTAL |  |  | 480 |  |  |  | 38 |  |  |  | 340 |  |  |  | 102 |
The Company’s detailed pension plan asset allocation including the fair-value measurements of those plan assets as at December 31, 2013 is as follows:
|  | Total |  |  | Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) |  |  | Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) |  |  | Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) |
Cash and cash equivalents |  |  | 8 |  |  |  | 8 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Equity securities |  |  | 152 |  |  |  | 7 |  |  |  | 145 |  |  |  | — |
Government debt securities |  |  | 12 |  |  |  | 12 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Corporate debt securities |  |  | 99 |  |  |  | 4 |  |  |  | 95 |  |  |  | — |
Investment funds |  |  | 63 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 63 |  |  |  | — |
Real estate |  |  | 9 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 5 |  |  |  | 4 |
Other (mainly insurance assets – contracts and reserves) |  |  | 105 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 105 |
TOTAL |  |  | 448 |  |  |  | 31 |  |  |  | 308 |  |  |  | 109 |
For plan assets measured at fair value using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3), the reconciliation between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014 is presented as follows:
|  | Fair Value Measurements using Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) |
January 1, 2014 |  |  | 109 |
Contributions (employer and employee) |  |  | 14 |
Actual return on plan assets |  |  | 6 |
Benefits paid |  |  | (3 | )
Assets sold during the year |  |  | (2 | )
Settlements |  |  | (11 | )
Foreign currency translation adjustment |  |  | (11 | )
December 31, 2014 |  |  | 102 |
For plan assets measured at fair value using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3), the reconciliation between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013 is presented as follows:
|  | Fair Value Measurements using Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) |
January 1, 2013 |  |  | 120 |
Contributions (employer and employee) |  |  | 15 |
Benefits paid |  |  | (2 | )
Settlements |  |  | (23 | )
ST-Ericsson deconsolidation |  |  | (4 | )
Foreign currency translation adjustment |  |  | 3 |
December 31, 2013 |  |  | 109 |
The Company’s investment strategy for its pension plans is to optimize the long-term investment return on plan assets in relation to the liability structure to maintain an acceptable level of risk while minimizing the cost of providing pension benefits and maintaining adequate funding levels in accordance with applicable rules in each jurisdiction. The Company’s practice is to periodically conduct a review in each subsidiary of its asset allocation strategy, in such a way that the asset allocation is in line with the targeted asset allocation with reasonable boundaries. This was the case for year-end 2014. A portion of investments in equity securities has been reinvested in fixed income to reduce the exposure to equity markets. The Company’s asset portfolios are managed in such a way as to achieve adapted diversity and in certain jurisdictions they are entirely managed by the multi-employer funds. The Company does not manage any assets internally. After considering the funded status of the Company’s defined benefit plans, movements in the discount rate, investment performance and related tax consequences, the Company may choose to make contributions to its pension plans in any given year in excess of required amounts. The Company contributions to plan assets were $28 million and $29 million in 2014 and 2013 respectively and the Company expects to contribute cash of $26 million in 2015. The Company’s estimated future benefit payments as of December 2014 are as follows:
Years |  | Pension Benefits |  |  | Other Long-term Benefits |
2015 |  |  | 26 |  |  |  | 12 |
2016 |  |  | 21 |  |  |  | 4 |
2017 |  |  | 24 |  |  |  | 4 |
2018 |  |  | 33 |  |  |  | 4 |
2019 |  |  | 31 |  |  |  | 6 |
From 2020 to 2024 |  |  | 207 |  |  |  | 25 |
The Company has certain defined contribution plans, which accrue benefits for employees on a pro-rata basis during their employment period based on their individual salaries. The Company accrued benefits related to defined contribution pension plans of $16 million as of December 31, 2014 and $19 million as of December 31, 2013. The annual cost of these plans amounted to approximately $81 million, $89 million and $94 million in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

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