BASF Report 2021 Consoli dated Financial Statements – Independent Auditor’s Report 192 – Evaluate the consistency of the Group Management Report with Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements We conducted our assurance work on the reproduction of the the Consolidated Financial Statements, its conformity with law, Consolidated Financial Statements and the Group Management and the view of the Group’s position it provides. Report on the Assurance in accordance with Section 317 (3a) Report contained in the above-mentioned electronic file provided in – Perform audit procedures on the prospective information HGB on the Electronic Reproduction of the Consolidated accordance with Section 317 (3a) HGB and the IDW Assurance presented by the Board of Executive Directors in the Group Financial Statements and the Group Management Report Standard: Assurance in accordance with Section 317 (3a) HGB on Management Report. On the basis of sufficient appropriate audit Prepared for Publication Purposes the Electronic Reproduction of Financial Statements and Manage- evidence we evaluate, in particular, the significant assumptions ment Reports Prepared for Publication Purposes (ED IDW AsS 410) used by the Board of Executive Directors as a basis for the pro- We have performed assurance work in accordance with Sec- (Octo ber 2021). Accordingly, our respon sibilities are further spective information, and evaluate the proper derivation of the tion 317 (3a) HGB to obtain reasonable assurance about whether described below. Our audit firm has applied the IDW Standard on prospective information from these assumptions. We do not the reproduction of the Consolidated Financial Statements and the Quality Management 1: Requirements for Quality Management in express a separate opinion on the prospective information and on Group Management Report (hereinafter the “ESEF documents”) Audit Firms (IDW QS 1). the assumptions used as a basis. There is a substantial contained in the file provided that can be downloaded by the issuer unavoidable risk that future events will differ materially from the from the electronic client portal with access protection, The company’s Board of Executive Directors is responsible for the prospective information. “basf-gruppe- 2021- 12- 31.zip” (SHA256 hash value: 9cb0551f9c637 preparation of the ESEF documents including the electronic repro- 4988409b15ddd 8d688c5ff4b423a4708d1d2768a220841d4d3a) duction of the Consolidated Financial Statements and the Group We communicate with the audit committee regarding, among other and prepared for publication purposes complies in all material Management Report in accordance with Section 328 (1) sentence 4 matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant respects with the requirements of Section 328 (1) HGB for the elec- item 1 HGB and for the tagging of the Consolidated Financial State- audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control tronic reporting format (“ESEF format”). In accordance with German ments in accordance with Section 328 (1) sentence 4 item 2 HGB. that we identify during our audit. legal requirements, this assurance only extends to the conversion of the information contained in the Consolidated Financial Statements In addition, the company’s Board of Executive Directors is responsi- We also provide the audit committee with a statement that we have and the Group Management Report into the ESEF format and ble for the internal controls they consider necessary to enable the complied with the relevant independence requirements, and com- therefore relates neither to the information contained in this repro- preparation of ESEF documents that are free from material intentional municate with them all relationships and other matters that may duction nor any other information contained in the above-mentioned or unintentional non-compliance with the requirements of Section reasonably be thought to bear on our independence, and where electronic file. 328 (1) HGB for the electronic reporting format. applicable, the related safeguards. In our opinion, the reproduction of the Consolidated Financial The supervisory board is responsible for overseeing the preparation From the matters communicated with those charged with gover- Statements and the Group Management Report contained in the process for the ESEF documents as part of the financial reporting nance, we determine those matters that were of most significance in above-mentioned electronic file provided and prepared for process. the audit of the Consolidated Financial Statements of the current publication purposes complies in all material respects with the period and are therefore the key audit matters. We describe these requirements of Section 328 (1) HGB for the electronic reporting Our objective is to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the matters in our auditor’s report unless law or regulation precludes format. We do not express any opinion on the information contained ESEF documents are free from material intentional or unintentional public disclosure about the matter. in this reproduction nor on any other information contained in the non-compliance with the requirements of Section 328 (1) HGB. above-mentioned file beyond this reasonable assurance opinion and our audit opinion on the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and the accompanying Group Management Report for the financial year from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 contained in the “Report on the Audit of the Consolidated Financial Statements and the Group Management Report” above.