Bureau Veritas verification statement to the management of STMicroelectronics NV

Bureau Veritas Certification, France has been engaged to provide assurance services to STMicroelectronics.

Introduction
This Attestation Statement applies to the STMicroelectronics 2006 Corporate Responsibility Report (the ‘Report’). The preparation of the Report and its content is the responsibility of STMicroelectronics. Our responsibility is to attest to the validity of the data reported herein within the confines of the scope of work set out below.

Scope of work
The scope of our work was determined following discussions with STMicroelectronics, as follows:

1) Review of the environmental and social performance data for the period 1st January 2006 to 31st December 2006
2) Information reported, including that against the GRI indicators
3) Review of systems and procedures for the collection, compilation and consolidation of Health & Safety, environmental and social data
4) Review of internal quality and consistency controls against such data
5) An overview of the complete ‘Report’ to ensure its consistency with the findings of our work.

Exclusions from the scope of our work
The following exclusions apply to the scope of our work:

• Data falling outside the 2006 reporting period, as defined above
• Greenhouse gas item moved to considerations/limitations
• The information hyperlinked from the 2006 Corporate Responsibility Report.

Basis of our opinion
Our work was planned and carried out to provide reasonable, rather than absolute assurance and we believe that the work conducted as described in the scope of work above provides a reasonable basis for our conclusions. We relied on the representations made to us during the course of our work by STMicroelectronics personnel through interview, selective sampling and review of documentary evidence incorporating visits to the Geneva and Catania sites of STMicroelectronics.

Assurance conclusions
It is our opinion that:

• The management of Health & Safety, environmental and social data for inclusion within the Report is based on systematic procedures and controls

• Such systems are adequately embedded at the STMicroelectronics sites we visited, to ensure quality and consistency of reported information

• During the course of our work nothing came to our attention to indicate that there was any material error, omission or misstatement.

• The reported data is reliable and free from significant error or bias and provides a fair representation of STMicroelectronics’ environmental, Health & Safety and social performance.

Areas for ongoing improvement
• The creation of new indicators should be anticipated such as indicators for benchmarking in safety

• The company should provide adequate comments to explain every significant trend even if the trend is negative and even if the company does not publish the indicator.

Considerations and limitations
In relation to our work and conclusions, the following considerations and limitations should be noted:

• Certain information is excluded from the scope of our work, as stated above

• Environmental, health and safety and social data are subject to inherent limitations due to their nature and the methods used for determining, calculating or estimating such data. Therefore this independent attestation statement should not be relied upon to detect all errors, omissions or misstatements in the reported data.

Attestation of data relating to greenhouse gas emissions does not provide a level of verification sufficient for the purpose of emissions trading.

Statement by Bureau Veritas of independence, impartiality and competence
Bureau Veritas is an independent professional services company that specialises in quality, health, safety, social and environmental management with over 180 years history in providing independent assurance services.

Bureau Veritas has implemented a code of ethics across the business which is intended to ensure that all our staff maintain high ethical standards in their day to day business activities. We are particularly vigilant in the prevention of conflicts of interest.

Competence: our team completing the work has extensive experience in conducting assurance over environmental, social, ethical and health and safety information, systems and processes and has over 10 years’ combined experience in this field.

 

Romain Petit Chief Executive Officer,
Bureau Veritas Certification, France

 

Social, H&S, Environment Indicators verified by
Bureau Veritas Certification France