STATUTORY AUDITORS REPORT ON THE
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED JANUARY 31, 2004
39
Consolidated
financial statements
To the Shareholders:
In compliance with the assignment entrusted to us by your shareholders annual general meetings, we have audited the
accompanying consolidated financial statements of Neopost SA for the year ended January 31, 2004.
The consolidated financial statements have been approved by the Board of Directors. Our role is to express an opinion on
these financial statements based on our audit.
I. OPINION ON THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
We conducted our audit in accordance with professional standards applicable in France. Those standards require that we plan
and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by the management,
as well as evaluating the overall financial statements presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our
opinion.
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and
results of the consolidated group of companies in accordance with the accounting rules and principles applicable in France.
II. JUSTIFICATION OF OUR ASSESSMENTS
In accordance with the requirements of article L. 225-235 of the French Company Law (Code de Commerce) relating to the
justification of our assessments, introduced by the French Financial Security Act of August 1, 2003 and which came into effect
for the first time this year, we bring to your attention the following matters:
We have performed an assessment of the approaches adopted by the Group in terms of valuation of market share and goodwill,
respectively described in notes 3 B1 and 3 E of the notes to the consolidated financial statements, and which involve significant
estimates. Our work performed consisted in assessing the figures and assumptions on which the estimates are based and in
reviewing the computations performed by the Group. Within the framework of our assessment, we ensured that these
estimates were reasonable.
The assessments were made in the context of our audit of the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and therefore
contributed to the formation of the unqualified opinion expressed in the first part of this report.
III. SPECIFIC VERIFICATION
In accordance with professional standards applicable in France, we have also verified the information given in the group
management report.
We have no matters to report regarding its fair presentation and conformity with the consolidated financial statements.
April 30, 2004
The Statutory Auditors
Barbier, Frinault & Autres
Dominique Royer
(Ernst & Young)
Michel Gauthier