Statement of the Board of Management

We have prepared the Report 2015, and the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole, in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), as adopted by the EU and additional Dutch disclosure requirements for annual reports.

To the best of our knowledge:

• The financial statements in this Report 2015 give a true and fair view of our assets and liabilities; our financial position at December 31, 2015; and the result of our consolidated operations for the financial year 2015
• The management report in this Report 2015 includes a fair review of the development and performance of our businesses and the position of AkzoNobel, as well as the undertakings included in the consolidation taken as a whole, and describes the principal risks and uncertainties that we face

The Board of Management is responsible for the establishment and adequate functioning of a system of governance, risk management and internal controls in our company. Consequently, the Board of Management has implemented a broad range of processes and procedures designed to provide control by the Board of Management over the company’s operations. These processes and procedures include measures regarding the general control environment, such as a Code of Conduct – including business principles and a corporate complaints procedure (SpeakUp!) – corporate directives and authority schedules, as well as specific measures, such as a risk management system, a system of controls and a system of letters of representation by responsible management at various levels within our company.

All these processes and procedures are aimed at providing a reasonable level of assurance that we have identified and managed the significant risks of our company and that we meet our operational and financial objectives in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The individual components of the above set of internal controls are in line with the COSO Enterprise Risk Management Framework. With respect to supporting and monitoring of compliance with laws and regulations – including our Code of Conduct – a Compliance Committee has been established. The Internal Control function maintains AkzoNobel’s Internal Control Framework, monitors the compliance and includes updates regarding the emergence of new risks. They support the annual review of the effectiveness of the system of governance, risk management and internal controls of the Board of Management. Internal Audit provides reasonable assurance to the Board of Management, as well as the Supervisory Board, that our system of risk management and internal controls, as designed and represented by management, are adequate and effective.

While we routinely work towards continuous improvement of our processes and procedures regarding financial reporting, the Board of Management is of the opinion that with regards to financial reporting risks, the internal risk management and control systems:

• Provide a reasonable level of assurance that the financial reporting in this Report 2015 does not contain any errors of material importance
• Have worked properly during the year 2015

For a detailed description of the risk management system and the principal risks identified, reference is made to the Risk management chapter in the Strategic performance section, as well as the Compliance and integrity management chapter of the Governance and compliance section. We have discussed the above opinion and conclusions with the Audit Committee, the Supervisory Board and the external auditor.

Outlook

We expect 2016 to be a challenging year. Difficult market conditions continue in Brazil, China and Russia. No significant improvement is anticipated in Europe, particularly in the Buildings and Infrastructure segment. Deflationary pressures continue and currency tailwinds are moderating.

Amsterdam, February 9, 2016
The Board of Management
Ton Büchner
Maëlys Castella