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Abertis Infraestructuras S.A.
Annual Report 2015

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FY2015 Annual Report · Abertis Infraestructuras S.A.
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10 

Summary

01Introduction 

02Abertis Group 

03Stakeholders

06 Letter from the Chairman
10 Report from the Vice-Chairman & CEO

16 Corporate Governance
18 Board of Directors
19 Delegated Monitoring Bodies
20 Senior management 
23 Abertis in the world
44 Key figures
46 Significant events
48 A success story

Shareholders
54 Figures and Results
64 Financial management
68 Shareholders and stock exchange

Society
72 CSR

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xxAbertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersIntroduction

Letter from the Chairman
Report from the Vice-Chairman & CEO

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Introduction

01 
02Abertis Group
 03Stakeholders
04Resultados

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xxAbertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03Stakeholders 
 
 
 
 
Letter from the Chairman

Dear Shareholders,

When I addressed you a year ago in the report for the financial year 2014, I spoke about a hopeful but also cautious vision of 
the economic situation, and told you that overcoming the heaviest blows of this long crisis would take time and effort. Today, 
and although the outlook is more favourable as a whole, we need to remain cautious in the light of a still fragile and insufficient 
recovery.

Macroeconomic situation 

The macroeconomic data with which the Spanish economy has closed 2015 have been positive, confirming the firmer trend 
already noted in the previous year. GDP growth stood at 3.2%, the highest rate since 2007 and one of the highest in the 
European Union.

However, in spite of these significant strengths the Spanish economy still presents a number of challenges which need to be 
robustly tackled if we want this recovery to become consolidated over time.

At the  European  level, the  economic  environment  is  characterised  by  a  lax  economic  policy, with  abundant  liquidity,  low 
interest rates and a weak euro. This is a situation which with the added benefit of much lower oil prices than a few months ago 
may in principle foster the recovery of the European economy.

Nevertheless, globally the gear shift in the growth model of the Chinese economy has led to a sudden slowdown in its demand 
for raw materials, especially oil. This has pushed prices down and is dragging along the bulk of the emerging economies.

Watch video

www.abertis.com/informeanual2015/en/letter-from-the-chairman

77

A good year for Abertis

It  seems fair to  say that  2015  has  been  a  good year for our  company. The  results for the year  have  been  marked  by the 
successful IPO of 66% of Cellnex, the former Abertis Telecom. The inclusion of the gains from this operation has taken the 
Group’s net profit up to 1,880 million euros. 

Excluding the extraordinary results as well as other effects and provisions, the like-for-like net profit grew a remarkable 7%.

The  Group  has  ended  the  year  with  operating  revenues  coming  to  4,378  million  euros,  which  represents  an  like-for-like 
increase of 5% compared to 2014. Our EBITDA reached 2,692 million euros. Discounting, again, non-recurring items the like-
for-like figure grew by 5% over the previous close.

The figures for 2015 confirm the good performance of traffic on our toll roads, with Spain (6.1%) and Chile (8.5%) at the 
forefront. I would also like to note the high degree of internationalisation of our group, as currently 70% of our revenue comes 
from outside Spain.

Shareholder remuneration

The strength and credibility of our company in the long run are reflected in the valuation the markets give us year after year.

Since 2003, when through the large merger we created Abertis, its shares have provided a cumulative return of almost 300%, 
or in other words 12% on an annualised basis, taking into account the combination of dividends, bonus issues and the rise in 
the stock price.

The Strategic Plan 2015-2017 which we announced last year sets a dividend increase of 5% per year. Once this increase has 
the required approval of the Shareholder’s General Meeting, it will be applied to the additional dividend for the year 2015, 
bringing the total dividend to  69  cents  per  share. This  increase  in the dividend,  plus the  usual  bonus  issue, will  mean  an 
improvement in remuneration of more than 10% over the previous year.

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Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersCorporate governance

I would like to conclude this letter highlighting two important facts in the field of our corporate governance, namely the 
adoption of a new Code of Ethics applied to all Group companies and the creation of the position of Chief Compliance Officer, 
who is the guarantee that transparency, participation, ethical behaviour and good practices are the foundations that inspire 
our corporate culture across the organisation.

In addition, and with the same goal of improving the governing bodies of the company, the Board of Directors has agreed to 
reduce the maximum number of members to 15, of which 6 will be independent directors. 

These actions are aligned with the recommendations of the new Corporate Governance Code sponsored by Spain’s National 
Stock Market Commission.

All that  is  left for  me to do  is to thank  all of you for the  confidence you  have  placed  in Abertis,  and  I  encourage you to 
continue supporting us in the task of managing infrastructures that contribute to the sustainability of social and economic 
development in the countries where we invest.

Thank you very much.

Salvador Alemany Mas 
Chairman

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xxAbertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03Stakeholders 
 
 
 
 
Report from the  
Vice-Chairman & CEO

Dear Shareholders, 

For  Abertis  2015  has  been  a  year  of  fresh  challenges  and  fulfilled  commitments.  In  a  climate  of  economic  and  political 
uncertainty in some of its main markets, the Group has achieved record results in its history, driven by significant growth and 
the search for greater synergies among all the divisions of the Group. 

The Group’s economic figures for the year are marked by capital gains from the IPO of 66% of Cellnex which have enabled 
historic growth in net profit up to 1,880 million euros. Disregarding the extraordinary impacts as well as other effects and 
provisions made within a framework of prudent accounting, like-for-like net profit grew by 7% in 2015.

Likewise, both like-for-like revenue and EBITDA increased by 5% to 4,378 million and 2,692 million, respectively. 

As for traffic, in 2015 we have seen the consolidation of the upward trend in average daily traffic on the Group’s toll roads as 
a whole. Especially significant is the increase of 6.1% in Spain, the best since 2001, and 8.5% in Chile, above all expectations. 
Levels have also continued to rise in France (1.8% above the previous year), Puerto Rico (0.8%) and Argentina (0.7%). Only 
in Brazil, where the political situation marks the economic future, has Arteris network traffic fallen by 2.3% due mainly to the 
performance of heavy vehicle traffic.

As a result of the internationalisation efforts made over recent years, 70% of Abertis Group revenue comes from outside Spain. 
France has consolidated its position in 2015 as the leading market for the Group, contributing 37% of total revenue and 38% 
of EBITDA, followed by Spain, with 30% of revenue and 34% of EBITDA. 

Consolidated investment in 2015 has come to 1,074 million euros, of which 811 million corresponds to investment in expansion, 
95 million to operational investment, and 168 million to investment in new acquisitions.

Financially sound balance sheet

Revenue from the sale of Cellnex and cash generation have made it possible to carry out a significant reduction in the Group’s 
net debt, which at the end of December 2015 stood at 12,544 million euros compared to 13,789 million euros at the end of 
2014, a decline close to 10%. The net debt/EBITDA ratio stood at 4.7x. 66% of the total debt is non-recourse, 90% is long-
term and 88% is fixed rate. 

Watch video

At the same time the company has continued to work on liability management programmes aimed at buying back old debt and 
making new issues at lower rates, lengthening their term to maturity. In the past two years Abertis has conducted corporate 
refinancing operations and in its subsidiaries coming to more than 4,000 million euros, thereby enhancing its financial capacity 
to undertake new investments and lengthening debt repayment profiles and reducing its cost.

www.abertis.com/
informeanual2015/en/report-
from-the-vice-chairman-ceo

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Fulfilment of the Strategic Plan 2015-2017

Abertis continues to move forward towards fulfilment of the main objectives of Strategic Plan 2015-2017. The company has 
gone further in its strategy of focusing on the toll roads business with the whole disposal from the airport business and the 
IPO of the terrestrial telecommunications business, in creating shareholder value, and in the incorporation of new assets and 
the extension of existing contracts.

Driving growth

Abertis  remains focused on  growth  as one of the  main  strategic  principles for the  coming years.  In  2015  it  successfully 
closed an agreement with the French government what is called the Relance Plan, an ambitious plan to relaunch the French 
economy, reduce unemployment and improve infrastructure through public-private partnership. 

In the case of Abertis, its subsidiary in France is to invest 590 million euros in exchange for an extension to the term of 
its concessions in the country by an average of 2 ½ years. This is an important precedent for future agreements between 
governments and private companies to enable sustainable financing of the infrastructure which is the basis of social and 
economic progress. 

In addition, Abertis has worked prominently to consolidate its position in Chile by taking control of the concessions in which 
it had a stake. While in 2014 it achieved control of 100% of Rutas del Pacífico, in 2015 it was the turn of Autopista Los 
Libertadores and Autopista del Sol. To that end the company has disbursed about 130 million euros. Furthermore, in 2016 
Abertis has taken control of 100% of Autopista Central, the country’s busiest toll road. This means that Abertis now controls 
100% of the 6 concessions it has in Chile. 

In Spain it increased its stake up to 50.01% in the concession firms of the Vallvidrera Tunnels, one of the most used routes 
between Barcelona and towns and cities inland in Catalonia, and of the Cadí Tunnel, main point of connection between the 
central area of Catalonia and the Pyrenees.

In the same strategic line to extend the existing asset base, in 2015 Partícipes en Brasil, controlled by Abertis (51%) and 
Brookfield (49%), has launched a public tender offer for Arteris minority shareholders. 

Abertis is continuing to actively analyse acquisitions with its sights set on North America and Europe. Specifically, in Italy 
Abertis  is  in  exclusive  negotiations  to  purchase  control  of A4  Holding,  which  holds  the  concession  for  the A4  (Brescia-
Padova) and A31 (Vicenza-Piovene-Rocchette) toll roads.

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Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersSuccessful Cellnex IPO 

One of the major milestones of the company in 2015 has been the IPO of the terrestrial telecommunications infrastructure 
division, Cellnex Telecom, which was a success and exceeded all expectations. The capitalisation of Cellnex Telecom came to 
more than 3,244 million euros in the first day of trading. The listing of 66% of Cellnex generated net book gains of about 2,700 
million euros for Abertis.

With its launch on the Spanish stock market, Cellnex Telecom has increased its capacity for organic and inorganic growth 
as  well  as  its  leading  position  in  the  European  market  for  telecommunications  network  infrastructure. The  operation  has 
enhanced  its  access  to  capital  markets  and  new  financing  channels  to  address  on  a  sound  footing  its  development  and 
internationalisation strategy.

In line with this strategy of focusing on toll roads of which the Cellnex IPO forms part, in 2015 Abertis has also finally concluded 
its disposal process in the airport sector. 

Turning to its efficiency plans, Abertis has consolidated the significant savings of the previous Plan and has launched new plans 
with a focus on France, Brazil and Chile.The implementation of the Group best practices in all its subsidiaries and investees will 
create important synergies between all the companies and consolidate our unique and competitive industrial model.

2015 has also been a year of improvement in the main economic figures of Hispasat, the Spanish satellite operator in which 
Abertis  is  the  majority  shareholder.The  company’s  backlog  (guaranteed  long-term  contracting  of  satellite  capacity)  has 
continued to set records by increasing its annual revenue seven-fold.

Global leader and benchmark company

The company has a solid foundation to build promising prospects in the future. The positive performance of traffic expected in 
its major markets reflects the consolidation of the improvement experienced over recent years.

In 2016 Abertis is facing new challenges to consolidate its footprint in the world as a global leader. Its financial strength, its 
experience and industrial model and its long term vision make it into a key player in the search for solutions to one of the 
biggest global challenges: sustainable financing of infrastructures for the future.

Francisco Reynés Massanet 
Vice-Chairman & CEO

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xxAbertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersAbertis Group

Corporate Governance
Board of Directors
Delegated Monitoring Bodies
Senior management 
Abertis in the world
Key figures
Significant events
A success story

02

15

 
Corporate Governance

For Abertis, good 
corporate governance 
is a necessary factor 
for sustainability and 
long-term growth in 
the companies, being as 
important as efficient 
financial performance. 

Abertis  operates  through  a  strong  and 

organised  governance  structure  consisting 
of  its  Board of  Directors  and  a  number of 
committees. The highest priority of this structure 
is  corporate  transparency  and  compliance  with 
the best international practices of good corporate 
governance. 

2015  was  an  intense  year  in  these  matters  as 
the  Group  carried  out  a  total  rearrangement  of 
its  ruling  principals  with  the  aim  of  fulfilling  the 
Recommendations  of  the  new  Good  Governance 
Code  for  quoted  companies,  approved  by  the 
National  Stock  Market  Commission  in  February. 
For  Abertis,  good  corporate  governance 
is  a 
necessary  factor  for  sustainability  and  long-term 

growth  in  the  companies,  being  as  important  as 
efficient financial performance. 

Among  the  main  changes,  the  maximum  size  of 
the  Board  of  Directors  has  been  reduced  to  15 
members in order to make more dynamic its day-
to-day  functioning,  increase  the  annual  number 
of meetings to  10 and  reinforce  its weight  in the 
decision-taking  process  in  the  Group. The  size  of 
the Executive Committee is also rationalised, now 
with 6 members.

On  the  other  hand,  a  notable  impulse  has  been 
given  to  the  role  of  independent  directors  on 
the  management  bodies  of  the  Group.  The 
departure  of  the  CVC  representative  directors 

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Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03Stakeholdershas  for  the  first  time  given  the  opportunity  to 
fill  vacancies  which  until  now  were  occupied  by 
shareholder  representatives  and  replace  them 
independent  directors.  Abertis  has  used 
with 
this  opportunity  to  underline  its  commitment  in 
these matters through the incorporation of these 
directors in all the management organs. 

As a result it is expected that when so decided by 
the  General  Meeting,  the  Board  of  Directors  will 
increase its number of independent directors up to 
a total of  6. They will  make  up  40% of  all  board 
members. 

Independent  directors  are  appointed  to  the 
Executive Committee for the first time and make 
up  33% of the total  members. They  also  preside 
over  and  form  the  majority  in  the  rest  of  the 
committees  –  Audit  and  Control,  Appointment 
and Remuneration, and CSR – above the numbers 
of representative directors. 

Another important milestone was the creation of 
the  Compliance  department,  dependent  on  the 
Audit  and  Control  Committee,  answering  to  the 
demand that companies should have a body with 

independent powers for the purpose of supervising 
functioning  and  the  crime  prevention  model. 
This  structure  is  repeated  in  the  Abertis  Group’s 
international subsidiaries, with the figure of Local 
Compliance Officers. 

The new Abertis Code of Ethics has come into force, 
a fundamental standard for the Group and one of 
the most advanced among the Ibex35 companies 
for  its  broad  cover  of  conducts  susceptible  of 
being  a  threat  to  Good  Governance.  It  is  of 
obligatory  awareness  and  compliance  for  all  the 
employees,  independently  of  country,  category, 
condition  or  the  company  to  which  they  belong, 
in their daily work and in their interaction with all 
the  stakeholders:  clients,  suppliers,  shareholders, 
partners,  collaborators,  Public  Authorities  and 
non-profit entities. 

The  work  done  in  recent  months  in  matters  of 
Good  Governance  has  resulted  in  a  corporate 
governance  which  today  is  more  independent, 
strong  and  efficient;  a  optimum  in  answering 
to  the  requirements  of  integrity,  honesty  and 
transparency that society demands. 

17

Board of Directors 

At 31 December 2015

14 
directors

29% 
women

Marcelino 
Armenter 
Vidal

Carlos 
Colomer 
Casellas

María Teresa 
Costa Campi

Susana 
Gallardo 
Torrededia

Tomás  
García Madrid

Carmen  
Godia Bull

Miguel Ángel 
Gutiérrez 
Méndez

Salvador Alemany 
Mas
Chairman

Francisco Reynés 
Massanet 
Vice-Chairman & CEO

Juan-José 
López Burniol

Mónica López-
Monís Gallego

Manuel 
Torreblanca 
Ramírez

Juan-Miguel 
Villar Mir 

Juan Villar-Mir 
de Fuentes

Miquel Roca 
Junyent  
Secretary,  
non-board member

Josep Maria 
Coronas 
Guinart  
Vice-Secretary,  
non-board member

The company’s Board of Directors is made up at 31 December 2015 of 16 members with 14 seats covered. It is expected that in 2016 the Shareholders’ General Meeting will set the 

number of directors at 15 and the vacancies that exist will be covered by independent directors.

18

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersDelegated 
Monitoring Bodies

At 31 December 2015

Executive Committee

Appointments and Remuneration Committee

Salvador Alemany Mas (Chairman)
Marcelino Armenter Vidal
Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez Méndez
Mónica López-Monís Gallego
Francisco Reynés Massanet
Juan-Miguel Villar Mir 
Miquel Roca Junyent (Secretary, non-board member)
Josep Maria Coronas Guinart (Vice-Secretary, non-board member) 

Mónica López-Monís Gallego (Chairman)
María Teresa Costa Campi
Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez Méndez
Juan-José López Burniol
Juan Villar-Mir de Fuentes  
Josep Maria Coronas Guinart (Secretary, non-board member)

Audit and Control Committee

Corporate Social Responsibility Committee

Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez Méndez (Chairman)
Marcelino Armenter Vidal
Carlos Colomer Casellas
María Teresa Costa Campi
Tomás García Madrid 
Marta Casas Caba (Secretary, non-board member)

María Teresa Costa Campi (Chairman)
Salvador Alemany Mas 
Susana Gallardo Torrededia
Manuel Torreblanca Ramírez
Josep Maria Coronas Guinart (Secretary, non-board member)

19

Senior management

CFO & Corporate 
Development 
Managing Director
José Aljaro Navarro

Industrial 
Development 
Managing Director
Josep Lluís Giménez 
Sevilla

Human Resources 
Director
Joan Rafel Herrero

Managing Director 
of Sanef
Lluís Deulofeu 
Fuguet

General Counsel and 
Corporate Affairs 
Managing Director
Josep Maria Coronas 
Guinart

Managing Director 
of Toll Roads Spain
Antoni Español Realp

Chief Executive Officer 
of Arteris
David Díaz Almazán

General Manager 
of Toll Roads Chile
Luis Miguel de Pablo 
Ruiz

Managing Director 
of Toll Roads 
International
Carlos del Río 
Carcaño

Chief Executive Officer 
of Hispasat
Carlos Espinós 
Gómez

Vice-Chairman & CEO
Francisco Reynés 
Massanet

20

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03Stakeholders21

22

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersAbertis in the world

Revenues by countries*

Workforce by countries

37% France (35% 2014)
30% Spain (33% 2014)
18% Brazil (21% 2014)
5% Chile (5% 2014)
5% Argentina (3% 2014)

3% Puerto RIco (2% 2014)
2% Other (1% 2014)

41% Brazil (43% 2014)
19% France (18% 2014)

13% Spain (15% 2014)
9% Chile (9% 2014)
14% Argentina (13% 2014) 4% Other (2% 2014)

Abertis  is  the  world’s  leading  group  in  toll 

roads  management  and  also  has  stakes 
in  relevant  companies  in  the  sector  of 
telecommunications 

satellite 

terrestrial  and 
infrastructures. 

A  continuous  process  of  internationalization  has 
brought Abertis to be at 12 countries of Europe and 
America, enabling it to diversify the geographical 
risk and adapt more efficiently to world economic 
cycles. Today, more than two thirds of the Group’s 
revenues (70%) are generated outside Spain.

With  more  than  8,300  kilometres  of  toll  roads 
worldwide,  Abertis  is  the  foremost  national  toll 
road  operator  in  countries  such  as  Spain  and 
Chile,  and  has  a  remarkable  presence  in  France, 
Brazil  and  Puerto  Rico. The  company  also  has  a 
presence through  stakes  in  concession operators 
in the United Kingdom, Argentina and Colombia.  

The  Group 
is  also  the  controlling  majority 
shareholder  of  Hispasat,  the  leading  satellite 
company  in  Latin  America,  with  seven  satellites 
in  service.  It  also  has  a  34%  stake  in  Cellnex 
Telecom,  the  largest  neutral  European  operator 
of telecommunications infrastructures for mobile 
phones  and  audiovisual  broadcasting,  with  a 
network of more than 15,000 towers. 

The  Group,  with  more  than  14,800  employees, 
is oriented to  creating value through  investing  in 
infrastructures which contribute to the economic 
and social development of the territories.

(*) 2014 re-expressed considering the impact of the classification 

of the terrestrial telecommunications business as a discontinued 

operation in application of IFRS 5.

23

 
Toll roads

Abertis  closed  2015  with  increases  in  traffic 

in  most of  its  major  markets. Overall total 
traffic  on  the  Group’s  toll  roads  grew  by 
1.4%,  with  increases  in  Spain,  France  and  Chile. 
In the  case of Spain Average  Daily Traffic  grew  by 
6.1%,  the  largest  annual  increase  recorded  since 
2001  confirming  the  growth  trend  in  the  Spanish 
economy over recent months. 

Abertis’ toll road business has focused this year on 
major  investment  projects  in  Spain,  France,  Brazil 
and Chile to  improve  its  networks  and  services.  In 

total in 2015 the company has carried out operating 
and expansion investment in the toll road sector of 
about 650 million euros.

For Abertis the priority is the safety of its customers 
and the reduction of the accident rate on its toll road 
network. As a result of ongoing efforts the Group has 
recorded declines in its hazard and mortality rates 
with significant improvements in countries such as 
Spain  and  Brazil, where the  number of deaths  has 
fallen by more than 20%.

24

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersCanada

USA

Ireland

United Kingdom
Spain

France

Croatia

Puerto Rico

Colombia

Brazil

Chile

Argentina

France
España

25

France

KM
2,039 
kilometres of toll roads 

20% 
of all the toll roads in the country

The agreement with the 
French Government for 
the implementation of the 
Plan Relance has been the 
focus of attention of the 
Abertis division in France 
in 2015.

The  Group  manages  more  than  2,000 

kilometres  of  toll  roads  -  1,761  directly 
managed  and  278  indirectly  managed  -  in 
the northwest of France (Sanef), Normandy (Sapn) 
and  Aquitaine  (Sanef  Aquitaine);  representing 
more than 20% of all the toll roads in the country. 

In  2015,  the  division  began  a  new  stage  with  a 
renewed  Management  team  and  has  worked 
around three main lines. 

improvements 

First, 
in  Sanef’s  shareholders 
relations,  through  preparatory  and  technical 
meetings  with  minority  shareholders  in  order  to 
promote the company’s transparency and share its 
strategic decisions. 

Second,  the  implementation  of  a  new  model  of 
organisation based on an adaptation of the Abertis 
industrial  model,  in  which  the  exploitation  units 
acquire new importance. 

Finally, a three-year efficiency plan – the Opteam 
programme  –  which  seeks  simplification 
in 
processes and reductions in costs. The programme, 
which 
is  advancing  more  quickly  than  was 
expected,  aims to  place the  company’s  efficiency 
ratios  above  the  average  for  the  concessionary 
sector in France in 2017. 

The Abertis subsidiary in France closed 2015 with 
a growth in traffic (1.8%) in both the light vehicle 
segment  and  for  heavy  vehicles.  The  enhanced 
support of resources and personnel for the various 
Sanef  networks  has  helped  to  set  off  the  effects 
on traffic of the social instability affecting France 
during the year, with the terrorist attacks in Paris 
and social upheavals, as well as other events, such 
the World Climate Summit. 

In the financial field, the  French  group  – through 
HIT  and  Sanef  –  successfully  closed  two  bond 
issues at 10 years for a total of 800 million euros, 
which allowed the extension of the debt maturity 
profile at a very competitive price. In the case of 
Sanef,  an  inaugural  public  issue  was  carried  out 
after  a  road-show  with  the  most  relevant  world 
investors in Paris, London, Frankfurt and Munich. 

But,  without  doubt,  what  concentrated  the 
attention of the Abertis division in France was the 
agreement with the French State for the execution 
of  the  Relance  Plan,  an  ambitious  project  of 
public-private  partnership,  by which the  principal 
operators  in the  country  undertake to  make  new 
investments for improving the toll roads network 
in  exchange  for  an  extension  in  the  duration  of 
their concessions. 

26

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersToll roads in France

Also  in  2015  new  projects  in  the  Sanef  network 
were  started  up  for  more  sustainable  mobility. 
The Corridoor project promotes the creation of a 
network of rapid recharge points for electric cars in 
order to promote the use of these vehicles outside 
the big cities. In the same line, an agreement has 
been reached to encourage the shared use of cars, 
with  special  parking  areas  being  arranged  on  the 
outskirts of the city. 

With regard to technological innovations, mention 
must  be  made  of  the  installation  of  machines 
with  “contactless”  technology  –  NFC  –  enabling 
the  user  to  pay  the  toll  by  holding  up  a  mobile 
telephone  close  to  the  toll  booth  terminal.  The 
positive experience of this pilot project has opened 
the way for more innovations in this field. In 2016 
it is envisaged the implementation of a system of 
payment  by  mobile  using  Bluetooth  technology, 
and in the area of Strasbourg there will be trials of 
a free-flow toll system.

In its commitment with Social Responsibility, Sanef 
has  been focused  on  road  safety  campaigns,  and 
the sponsorship of important cultural events, such 
as the first retrospective exhibition of the Spanish 
painter Diego Velázquez in France, which could be 

Caen

Alençon

Caen

Alençon

Reims

Strasbourg

Paris

Reims

Sanef
París

Estrasburgo

Lyon

Lyon

Langon

Langon

Pau

Pau

visited at the Grand Palais in Paris. In 2016, Sanef 
will take a leading role in events commemorating 
the centenary of the Great War (1914-1918).

Finally,  Sanef  has  undertaken 
intensify 
institutional relations in its territories, with the aim 
of better satisfaction of regional needs through its 
networks.

to 

27

 
Spain

KM
1,777 
kilometres of toll roads 

60% 
of the total toll roads in the country

At the operational 
level, the company 
is immersed in an 
extensive programme of 
improvements to the C-32 
and C-33 toll roads in 
Catalonia. 

In  Spain,  Abertis  is  the  leading  operator  of 

toll  roads  by  kilometres  managed  at  1,559 
kilometres of toll roads which accounts for more 
than 60% of the total toll roads in the country. It 
also has a stake in another 200 kilometres through 
other toll road concession operators.

2015  has  been  another  year  of  record  traffic 
growth in Spain. The recovery of industrial activity 
and  falling  oil  prices  have  led  to  an  increase  in 
traffic  in  all  types  of  vehicles,  especially  in  the 
heavy vehicles segment, of more than 8%. Overall, 
Average  Daily Traffic  in Spain  grew  by  more than 
6%, an increase not seen since 2001.

The  toll  roads  division  in  Spain  has  continued  to 
grow organically over the course of the year with 
the purchase of an additional 15% stake in Túnels 
de Barcelona i Cadí to take control of the company 
(50.01%).  The  Cadí  Tunnel  is  the  main  point  of 
connection between the central area of Catalonia 
and the Pyrenees while the Vallvidrera tunnels are 
the leading route between Barcelona and the main 
towns and cities inland. 

At the operational level, the company is immersed 
in  an  extensive  programme  of  improvements  to 
the C-32 and C-33 toll roads in Catalonia. This year 
the  construction of the  new  connection  between 

the  C-33  and  C-17  in  Mollet  del Vallès  has  been 
completed, improving the traffic flow in the area. 
Also during 2015 the agreement with the Catalan 
Government for building a new 7 km-spur route in 
Blanes has been signed.

Significant efforts have also been made to improve 
services to toll road customers. Firstly, the plan for 
comprehensive refurbishment of the service areas 
on the AP-7  has been  completed in  line with the 
work carried out on the AP-68 and AP-2 toll roads 
in  recent  years.  Further  work  has  been  done  to 
reduce the accident rate, which is maintaining its 
downward trend of recent years.

As for technological  innovation,  in  2015 the  plan 
for automation of toll booths has been completed 
with  the  installation  of  the  new  machines  in 
concessions  in  the  Centre  area.  At  present  there 
are  already  380  “all  payments”  lanes  and  the 
number  of  automatic  charging  transactions  has 
been increased up to 81% of the total.

In  addition,  all  customer  contact  channels  have 
been  enhanced. The  new  mobile  app,  Autopistas 
en  Ruta,  includes  a  range  of  services  to  improve 
mobility and also features an onboard co-pilot and 
emergency  call  system.  The  use  of  social  media 
has also been fostered as part of a commitment to 

28

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersLeon

Astorga

Bilbao

Vitoria

Logroño

Segovia

Lleida

Zaragoza

La Jonquera

Girona

Palafolls

Barcelona

Tarragona

Adanero

Avila

Guadalajara

Madrid

Valencia

Navalcarnero

Arganda del Rey

Castellon

Aumar
Ciralsa

Alicante

Sevilla

Aumar

Cadiz

Toll roads in Spain

interaction  and  personalised  customer 
care.

In  2016  the  Abertis  toll  roads  division 
in  Spain  will  work  to  maintain 
its 
steady  rates  of  traffic  growth  and  the 
consolidation  of  automation  of  its  toll 
booths.  It  will  also  continue  with  the 
programme  of  works  agreed  with  the 
Government  of  Catalonia  with  further 
improvements 
in  the  capacity  and 
safety of its toll roads.   

29

Brazil

KM
3,250 
kilometres of toll roads 

In 2016 Arteris is to face 
increasing competition 
and a more complex 
environment in Brazil 
and as a result will 
step up its investment 
plan and continue its 
search for efficiencies 
focused on innovation 
and increasingly modern 
management.

30

in  Brazil 

Abertis  manages 

through 
its  subsidiary  Arteris  nine  toll  roads 
concessions,  with  a  total  of  3,250 
kilometres,  which  consolidates  it  as  one  of  the 
largest operators of toll roads in the country. Its 
assets  portfolio  is  divided  between  concessions 
in the state of São Paulo – Autovias, Centrovias, 
Intervias and Vianorte – and five concessions on 
the  Federal  network  –  Autopista  Fernão  Dias, 
Autopista Régis Bittencourt, Autopista Litoral Sul, 
Autopista Planalto Sul and Autopista Fluminense. 
They  account for  a  17%  share of the  market for 
toll roads in the country.

The situation of political and economic instability 
in  Brazil  has  meant  significant  challenges  for 
Arteris  over  the  course  of  the  year.  Traffic  has 
been  affected  by  the  slowdown  in  industrial 
activity with falls in the heavy vehicles segment. 
By contrast the figures show a slight improvement 
in the case of light vehicles.

commitment 

a  new 
to 
company’s 
The 
management  culture 
increasingly  focused  on 
efficiency  by  seeking  synergies  and  simplifying 
processes has enabled a reduction in costs while 
maintaining levels of quality and safety. This has 
kept Arteris’s key figures of revenue and adjusted 
EBITDA in line with results in 2014. 

17% 
of the total toll roads in the country

In  the  financial  area  Arteris  has  successfully 
closed  several  corporate  bond  issues  totalling 
850 million reais. These figures show the overall 
resilience  and  attractiveness  of  the  company  to 
investors  in  an  adverse  economic  cycle  in  the 
region.

In  addition  Arteris  has  continued  its  ambitious 
plan  for  improvement  and  modernisation  of  its 
infrastructure.  In  the  year  it  has  invested  near 
1,800 million reais, in line with the records set in 
2014. 

Widening  of  the  Avenida  do  Contorno  in  the 
section  of  the  BR-101  toll  road  in  the  city  of 
Niterói on the Autopista Fluminense in the State 
of Rio de Janeiro has been completed. The road is 
used by 100,000 vehicles a day and had until now 
been a complicated junction for local traffic. 

Inland in São Paulo, the concessionaire Centrovias 
completed the construction of the new Jáu ring-
road.  The  work  involved  the  extension  of  13 
kilometres of service roads and new accesses. The 
investment in the project amounted to 37 million 
reais  and  has  made  the  daily  traffic  of  30,000 
vehicles a lot easier.

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersBelo Horizonte

Franca

Ribeirão Preto

São Carlos

Araras

São Paulo

Río de Janeiro

Curitiba

Toll roads in Brazil

Florianópolis

Meanwhile  Autopista  Régis  Bittencourt,  which 
runs  the  main  connection  between  the  state  of 
São Paulo and the southern region and Mercosur, 
has entered the most complex stage of the works 
to  widen  the  BR-116  in  the  Serra  do  Cafezal. 
The  project  is  already  70%  finished  and  full 
completion is scheduled for early 2017.

The  company  has  also  carried  out  campaigns 
to  raise  awareness  among  professional  drivers, 
motorcyclists,  pedestrians  and  cyclists  about 
the  importance  of  safe  driving.  In  addition  in 
September  the  2nd  Arteris  Safety  Month  took 
place featuring an intensive programme of more 
than 900 activities. 

is  also  underway  on  building 

Work 
the 
Florianópolis  ring-road  and  widening  the  BR-
101 in the state of Rio de Janeiro, which involves 
widening a total of 176 kilometres of toll road, of 
which 51 are already in service. 

In  addition,  in  June  the  Brazilian  government 
launched  the  second  phase  of 
its  Logistics 
Investment  Programme  (LIP).  As  part  of  the 
scheme Arteris was authorised to start technical 
studies for new investments in federal toll roads 
with an estimated value of 5,200 million reais, a 
sign of the national authorities’ confidence in the 
ability  of  the  company  to  implement  strategic 
investments.

In  the  field  of  corporate  social  responsibility 
Arteris  stepped  up  its  road  safety  initiatives.  In 
order  to  help  teachers  to  run  activities  about 
traffic 
issues  the  “School  Project”  reached 
250,000  students  in the towns  and  cities  in the 
areas  around  the  toll  roads  managed  by Arteris. 

Arteris  also  launched  its  “Basic  Rules  to  Save 
Lives”,  a  list  of  behaviours  to  raise  awareness 
about  the  importance  of  health  and  safety  at 
work. 

In    its  commitment  to  culture,  Arteris  took  to 
São  Paulo  and  Santa  Catarina  the  biggest  ever 
retrospective  of  the  artist Joan  Miró  carried  out 
in  Brazil.  The  exhibition  was  one  of  the  most 
important cultural events of the year, with record 
of visitors.    

In  2016  Arteris  will  face  increasing  competition 
and  a  more  complex  environment 
in  Brazil 
and  hence  will  step  up  its  investment  plan 
and  continue  with 
its  efficiency  programme 
focused  on  innovation  and  increasingly  modern 
management. 

31

Chile

KM
771 
kilometres of toll roads 

Following these latest 
acquisitions, Abertis 
now controls 100% of 
its 6 chilean concession 
operators, which manage 
a total of 771 kilometres.

Abertis is the largest toll road operator by 

traffic volume in Chile, where it manages 
more  than  770  kilometres  across  six 
concessions:  Rutas  del  Pacífico,  Autopista  Los 
Andes,  Autopista  del  Sol,  Elqui,  Autopista  Los 
Libertadores  and  Autopista  Central,  the  busiest 
toll road in the country.  

In  2015  Abertis  has  stepped  up  its  strategy 
for  growth  and  taking  control  of  its  stakes  by 
consolidating  assets  and  demonstrating 
its 
ability  to  increase  its  portfolio  of  concessions 
on  attractive  terms.  In  July  the  Group  agreed 
the  purchase  of  50%  of  the  parent  company  of 
the  concession  operators  Autopista  del  Sol  and 
Autopista  Los  Libertadores  for  more  than  130 
million euros. Following year-end, in January 2016 
Abertis acquired the 50% previously held by the 
Canadian fund Alberta  Investment  Management 
Corporation  (AIMco)  in  Autopista  Central  for 
around 950 million euros.

After  these  acquisitions  Abertis  now  controls 
100%  of  the  six  concession  operators  -  771 
kilometres  in  total  -  in  which  it  has  a  stake  in 
Chile  and  from  2016  the  country  will  be  the 
Group’s third largest market in terms of EBITDA. 

The  division  presents  growth  in  its  main  figures 
with  rises  in  revenue  and  EBITDA  above  5%. As 
for traffic, Average  Daily Traffic of vehicles  grew 
8.5% and particularly strongly in the case of the 
light vehicles segment (9.6%).

For the Chilean subsidiary of Abertis 2015 has been 
a year of taking on board the best practices of the 
Group and finding new synergies. The Integration 
Programme  has  enhanced  the  commitment  of 
employees  who  feel  more  identified  with  the 
Group.

In  the  field  of  investment,  further  progress  has 
been made in the construction of the last stretch 
of  the  Autopista  Los  Andes,  a  130-million-euro 
project  that  is  already  14%  complete.  On  the 
Autopista  Central  the  company  is  building  the 
Maipo  Bridge  with  a  total  investment  of  40 
million euros. The bridge will become operational 
in the first half of 2017.

In 2015 use of the Via-T payment device on Rutas 
del  Pacífico  has  increased  up  to  25%  of  total 
transactions  at  peak  times,  while  on  Autopista 
del Sol and Autopista de los Libertadores 45% of 
customers choose the prepayment option, which 
enables  drivers  to  use  special  routes  and  avoid 
congestion.  The  online  prepayment  service  has 
also been introduced.

32

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersToll roads in Chile

As  part  of  its  commitment  to  Corporate  Social 
Responsibility, Abertis in Chile has promoted the 
activity of  its  road  safety  education  programme 
School  2.0  Project  through  its  online  platform, 
now  also  open  to  the  community  of  teachers 
to  share  knowledge  and  experiences.  It  also 
continues  to  partner  the  “Corre  conmigo” 
Foundation,  an organisation that  seeks to foster 
the  social  reintegration  through  sport  of  people 
who  have  become  disabled  as  a  result  of  traffic 
accidents. 

The  Chilean  division  of  Abertis  is  to  focus  its 
efforts  in  2016  on  carrying  out  pending  works 
as  well  as  giving  fresh  impetus  to  negotiations 
with the government to move forward in public-
private  partnerships  for  infrastructure  financing. 
The company has proposed upgrades for four of 
its toll roads (Rutas del Pacífico, Autopista del Sol, 
Autopista Central and Autopista Los Libertadores) 
to the Ministry of Public Works coming to more 
than  800  million  euros  in  projects  designed 
to  provide  solutions  to  the  current  problems 
of  congestion  with  the  aim  of  making  Chilean 
toll  roads 
into  more  modern,  efficient  and 
environmentally sustainable infrastructures. 

La Serena
Coquimbo

Ovalle

La Ligua

San Felipe

Viña del Mar

Los Andes

Quillota

Valparaíso

Quilpué

San Antonio

Colina

Santiago

33

Arecibo

Dorado

San Juan

Vega Baja

Barceloneta Manatí

Vega Alta

Cataño

Bayamón

Guaynabo

Toll roads 
in Puerto Rico

KM
90 
kilometres of toll roads 

in 

operators 
Metropistas, 

Puerto  Rico, 
concession 

Abertis  is  one  of  the  principal  toll  roads 

through 
holder 
the 
exploiting the PR-22 toll road which unites San Juan 
with  the  city  of  Hatillo  and  is  the  busiest  on  the 
island;  and the  PR-5 toll  road, which traverses the 
metropolitan area of San Juan as far as the Bayamón 
business area. 

Puerto Rico

Metropistas has 
completed 95% of its 
five-year investment 
plan, which involves an 
important process of 
operational innovation in 
its infrastructures. 

In addition, Abertis controls 100% of Autopistas de 
Puerto Rico (APR), the company holding the contract 
for construction, maintenance and operation of the 
2-kilometre Teodoro Moscoso Bridge over the lake 
of San José, which has connected San Juan with Isla 
Verde since 1994. 

These  two  concession  holders  have  a  total  of  90 
kilometres of toll roads in this USA free associated 
State.  

The Puerto Rico division has shown improvements 
in its traffic figures and in economic scale, in spite 
of  the  present  generally  unfavourable  economic 
situation in the country. 

Metropistas  has  reinforced  its  financial  position 
with  the  refinancing  in  December  of  335  million 
dollars  of  debt,  extending  the  due  dates  to  2022. 
This  is  an  important  milestone  for  the  company 
as  the  transaction  brings  stability  and  financial 
tranquillity  for  the  division  and  demonstrates  the 
Group’s capacity to access the debt markets, even in 
countries where the markets are closed.

34

100% of the transactions in Metropistas 
through electronic devices

On the operative plane, Metropistas has completed 
95% of its five-year investment plan, which involves 
an  important  process of operational  innovation  in 
its infrastructures. Since September 2015, 100% of 
the transactions in Metropistas take place through 
electronic devices. 

Also  it  has  completed  the  installation  of  a  new 
free-flow  toll  gate  which  will  come  into  service 
in early 2016 and is an improvement on the older 
electronic system. This is a joint project with ITS, the 
Abertis technology subsidiary, which contributed its 
know-how for  improvements  in  the  experience  of 
Metropistas clients. 

For  its  part,  Autopistas  de  Puerto  Rico  (APR)  has 
started  up  the  new  operation  and  maintenance 
plan  for  the  Teodoro  Moscoso  Bridge,  with 
improvements  to  security  and  control  systems  of 
the infrastructure. 

The  completion  of  the  works  for  access  to  the 
Mall  Of  San  Juan,  located  at  the  southern  end  of 
the  bridge,  enabled APR to  close the year with  an 
increase in traffic (4%), after falls in recent years. In 
2016, the  installation of  new  automatic  machines 
for  “all  payment  types”  and  the  launch  of  a  new 
website will offer users  a much more flexible, rapid 
and efficient service. 

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03Stakeholders 
San Fernando

San Isidro

Buenos Aires

Luján

Buenos Aires

Toll roads in Argentina

Argentina

KM
175 
kilometres of toll roads 

In 2015 construction of a 
new lane on the General 
Paz toll road has been 
completed which has led 
to improved service and 
convenience for drivers. 

Abertis  in Argentina  is the  main  shareholder 

in two of the most important roads leading 
into the city of Buenos Aires through Grupo 
Concesionario  del  Oeste  (GCO),  which  holds  the 
concession  for  the  Autopista  del  Oeste  which 
connects the country’s capital with the town of Luján 
on the western route into the city, and Autopista del 
Sol, SA (“Ausol”), which manages what is popularly 
known  as  the  Autopista  Panamericana,  the 
northern road into Buenos Aires, and the Autopista 
General Paz, a major ring-road in the city. The two 
concession operators have a total of 175 kilometres 
between them.

In  2015  Abertis  has  promoted  and  led  a  process 
of  greater  integration  of  its  concession  operators 
through  changes  in  management  structure  which 

have resulted in the joint management of the two 
companies.  This  new  corporate  organisation  will 
generate  significant  cost  savings  and  numerous 
synergies  between  the  two  concession  operators 
and  will  benefit  all  the  shareholders  of  the 
companies. In 2016 the new management has the 
mission of  maintaining  a  climate of dialogue with 
the new Argentine government in order to restore 
the economic balance of the concession agreements 
under arbitration by the ICSID. 

At  the  operational  level,  in  2015  construction  of 
a  new  lane on the General  Paz toll  road  has  been 
completed which  has  led to  improved  service  and 
convenience for drivers. Traffic has grown in the light 
vehicles segment in spite of the current economic 
instability in the country and the region.

35

 
 
Bogotá

Villavicencio

Toll roads 
in Colombia

Peterborough

Gloucester

Cirencester

Sawtry
Alconbury

Swindon

Toll roads  
in United Kingdom

Colombia

United Kingdom

In Colombia, Abertis has a stake in the company Coviandes, which is 

the holder of the concession of the 86 kilometre road linking Santa 
Fe de Bogotá with Villavicencio. The infrastructure is a strategic road 
axis that connects the plains of the Amazon rainforest (where major oil 
and agricultural production takes place) with the capital and the north 
of the country. 

Coviandes  is  engaged  in  a  major  project  for  widening  a  stretch  of 
31  kilometres  and  upgrading  facilities  with  the  construction  of  16 
kilometres in tunnels and 5 kilometres of bridges. In total the project 
will  involve  investment  coming to  600  million  euros over the  period 
2010-2017. At the end of 2015, 40% of the project has been completed 
with  the  opening  of  new  sections  which  have  enabled  the  division’s 
traffic to increase by more than 4% over the course of the year.

Abertis’  presence  in the United  Kingdom  is  channelled through 

its  stake  in  RMG,  which  holds  the  A1-M  and  A419/417 
concessions (74 kilometres). The company has benefited from 
the improvement in the British economy during 2015, with an increase 
in traffic of more than 4% on average and, for heavy vehicles, over 6%.  

Also ITS, the Abertis toll technology division, has an operational centre 
in Leeds and various projects in progress at the moment. 

The  company  manages  the  free-flow  toll  system  of  the  Dartford 
Crossing on the  M25 toll  road, one of the  main  access  routes to the 
City of London and a main corridor between the UK and Europe, with 
an  average  of  180,000  vehicles  a  day. The  new  payment  system,  of 
great complexity due to the high volume of traffic, has already been in 
operation for a year and has brought greater fluidity and a consequent 
reduction  of  congestion  and  travelling  time  for  commuters  to  the 
capital. 

ITS  will  also  be  taking  charge  of  managing  the  tolls  on  the  Mersey 
Gateway Bridge, close to Liverpool, at present under construction. This 
infrastructure, with 6 lanes, will supplement the current Silver Jubilee 
Bridge and will be an important access way between the Northwest of 
England and the rest of the country. ITS is designing free-flow toll gates 
for the bridge and will manage it when it comes into use in 2018.

36

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersUnited States

Canada

The  United  States  is  a  strategic  market  of  future  growth  for 

Abertis. ITS has a Research & Development centre in New York 
where it is developing advanced electronic toll systems.

In 2015 ITS successfully launched a pilot project for the introduction of the 
first Pay Per Mile system in the country, which placed the company in the 
vanguard of toll road technology with a clear competitive advantage in the 
new pay per use market.  The project, developed in the state of Oregon with 
around 1,000 volunteers, means replacing the current system of financing 
roads in the United States through a fuel tax and a move towards a system 
of payment per travel. The users pay a tariff in accordance with the miles 
travelled and receive a repayment of the petrol tax paid during the journey. 

This transition opens a debate on the creation of a sustainable system of 
financing which will allow the necessary income to be obtained to improve 
and maintain the roadway infrastructures in the country. In this context, the 
state of Oregon has made this pilot project available to other states so that 
they can develop similar programmes in their territories. 

Also in the United States, ITS has entered into a contract for the implementation 
of a new antifraud system for the Rhode Island Freeways Authority, which will 
allow the state administration to increase its income. 

Meanwhile,  ITS  is  working  with  the  Alliance  for Toll  Interoperability  (ATI) 
on  developing  a  platform  which  will  enable  interconnectivity  between 
subscribing  concession  holders  in  order  to  reduce  costs  and  unify  their 
clients’ payments in a single tele-toll system and with a single invoice. Florida 
Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority are 
already involved in this project.

Abertis operates in Canada through ITS, which manages two of 

the  main free-flow toll  system  infrastructures  in the  province 
of  British  Columbia,  namely  the  Port  Mann  and  Golden  Ears 

bridges in Vancouver.

With 12 lanes and traffic coming to 100,000 vehicles a day, the Port 
Mann Bridge is the largest toll bridge in North America and is a crucial 
infrastructure for the region. Its financing by the provincial Department 
of Transportation of British Columbia has been possible thanks to ITS’s 
electronic toll solution.

The  advanced  barrier-less  free-flow  toll  system  installed  on  both 
bridges has made possible to reduce traffic congestion in the region and 
cut the travel time of users.

37

Irlanda

Croatia

ITS manages the free-flow system of the M-50 in Ireland, the ring 

road to the west of Dublin. This toll road has the highest traffic load 
in the country, with an average of 130,000 vehicles a day. 

In  2015  the  company  obtained  an  extension  of  its  initial  seven-year 
contract  until  2018,  which  will  allow  it  to  continue  improving  client 
service. An example is the complete redesign of the website, which has 
promoted use of the online platform. 

In Ireland ITS also manages the Interoperability Management Services 
Provider (IMSP), an interoperability system for electronic toll payments 
on various toll roads in the country, allowing Irish motorists to pay any 
toll charge in the country through a single client account. This system, 
promoted by the Irish National Roads Authority, processed more than 
45 million toll transactions in 2015. 

The presence of Abertis in Croatia is channelled through ITS. The 

technology subsidiary of the Group has a Research & Development 
centre in Split which has been working for more than 15 years on 
the development of manual and automatic toll systems. In recent years 
it has focussed on the design of new technology for free-flow. 

The technological solutions designed by ITS Croatia are used by operators 
all over the world, in countries such as Canada, United Kingdom, France, 
Poland, Croatia, Montenegro, Chile and India, totalling more than 200 
million toll transactions a year. 

ITS in Croatia is also working on a project for the A1 Croatian Motorway, 
which means renewing the database, replacing 72 servers and developing 
a new computer system for the automatic detection of vehicles. 

38

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersITS, the Abertis technology subsidiary 

ITS operates in Europe and 
the Americas through its 
headquarters in France, 
three research and 
development centres and 
five regional offices, with 
more than 500 employees.

In 2015 Abertis has taken control of 100% of ITS 

as part of its strategy of reinforcing its industrial 
role.  After  the  transaction,  Abertis  reinforces 
its  vision  and  commitment  to  innovation  in  an 
strategical industry as the toll technology.

The worldwide extension of the model of payment 
by  use  for  the  financing  and  maintenance  of 
infrastructures, new forms of mobility and the need 
to optimise operating costs all require new solutions 
of toll roads, convenient for the user and effective 
for the concessionary company. With this vision, ITS 
promotes sustainable mobility for people and goods 
through innovative toll roads solutions and a clear 
view of service to the client. 

ITS  operates  in  Europe  and  the  Americas  through 
its  central  offices  in  France,  three  Research  & 
Development centres – in France, Croatia and USA 
–  and  five  regional  offices:  Vancouver  in  Canada, 
Dublin in Ireland, Santiago in Chile, Leeds in the UK 
and San Juan  in  Puerto  Rico,  with  more than  500 
employees. 

In  2015  ITS  successfully  completed  more  than 
24  projects  worldwide,  among  which  are  the 
management of some of the toll road systems with 
the heaviest traffic in the world, such as the Dublin 
ring road (M-50); the Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver; 
and the Dartford Crossing outside London. 

New projects have also been developed, such as: 

•  Conversion of the concessions of Metropistas – the 
Abertis subsidiary in Puerto Rico – into free-flow toll 
roads with the installation of 10 multilane portals. 
The new system, which will come into operation 
in 2016, will allow a reduction of operating costs 
for  Metropistas  due  to  the  implementation  of  a 
completely automatic system of toll collections. 

•  In  Poland, the  installation of  87  new toll devices 
on  the  A1  motorway,  the  strategic  north-south 
corridor of the country which unites the industrial 
port of Gdansk with the capital, Warsaw. Also ITS 
has developed a video pass control system which 
has brought improved efficiency for the operator 
in the collection with the consequent reduction in 
defaults. 

•  The  design  and 
implementation  of  a  new 
automated check-in and toll system for lorries in 
the Eurotunnel loading terminals on both sides of 
the English Channel. The new system will improve 
productivity for the third largest operator of goods 
transport  in  Europe  through  control  of  heavy 
vehicles, reducing congestion in the terminals. 

Other related projects are added to these contracts 
in  countries  such  as  Chile,  Croatia,  France,  Russia 
and United States.  

39

Introduction

01 
02Abertis Group
 03Stakeholders

40

Telecommunications

Hispasat

+8.7% 
revenues

245M€ 
investments

In 2015 Hispasat has 
moved forward in its 
programmes to build three 
satellites with investment 
coming close to 250 
million euros.

Abertis  controls  57%  of  Hispasat,  ninth 

satellite  operator  worldwide,  leader  in  the 
distribution  of  contents  in  Spanish  and 
Portuguese,  with  a  strong  presence  in  the  Iberian 
Peninsula and Latin America. The company has six 
orbital  positions  and  seven  operational  satellites, 
plus another three under construction. 

2015  was  a  year  of  improvement  in  Hispasat’s 
main figures, with increases in revenues (8.7%) and 
Ebitda (10.6%), and an important improvement in 
the  Ebitda/revenues  ratio,  up  to  over  80%,  much 
above the average for the sector. Also the company’s 
assured long-term contracting of satellite capacity 
(back-log)  has  continued  breaking  records 
in 
multiplying  the  annual  revenues  by  seven,  one  of 
the  highest  among  space  telecommunications 
operators.

In terms of organic growth, in 2015 Hispasat moved 
forward  in  its  construction  programmes  for  three 
new  satellites  –  Hispasat  30W-6,  Amazonas  5 
and  Hispasat  36W-1  –  with  investments  totalling 
245  million  euros.  When  these  three  satellites 
are  launched,  the  company  will  have  doubled 
its  satellite  fleet  between  2012  and  2017,  from  5 
satellites to 10. 

The Group has also been working on consolidating 
exploitation  rights  in  position  61º  West,  which 
warrants it as one of the most important distributors 
of  audiovisual  contents  in  the  Latin-American 
continent,  with  firm  backing  for  the  development 
of  “Direct to  Home”  (DTH)  services. Also  in  2015, 
Hispasat  obtained  the  exploitation  rights  of  the 
Ku  band  in  orbital  position  74º  West  in  Brazil,  as 
an  addition  to  the  three  in  which  it  already  has 
rights (30º West, 61º West and 36º West) and there 
are  two  more  in  which  it  has  a  presence  through 
agreements with other operators. 

With  regard  to  innovation,  Hispasat  maintains 
its  support  for  hybrid  networks,  in  which  satellite 
infrastructures  are  configured  as  the  best  ally 
of  terrestrial 
in  reaching  those 
areas  which  cannot  be  covered  with  optic  fibre 
technology. The consolidation of the hybrid network 
will, without doubt, be the solution to the challenge 
of digital divide in the world. 

infrastructures 

The  Spanish  operator  has  become  established  as 
leader in the Ultra High Definition (UHD) television 
sector. In this ambit, mention must be made of the 
pioneering  initiative  in  2015 with the organization 

Abertis Annual Report 2015 
 
of  the  first  Hispasat  4K  International  Festival, 
one  of  the  first  events  in  the  world  devoted  to 
shorts  entirely  recorded  and  postproduced  in  this 
technology. 

Also  in  2015,  Hispasat  carried  out  the  installation 
of a pilot project to supply audiovisual and Internet 
services  to  the  Renfe  High  Speed  AVE  trains. The 
connectivity solution combines satellite connections 
with those of 3G-4G along the whole route of the 
train. In this way Hispasat is consolidating its world 
leadership  in  satellite  communications  for  high 
speed trains.

In  coming  months  Hispasat  will  continue  working 
on its strategy of financial strengthening to maintain 
its  rate  of  growth  in  revenues  and  Ebitda,  with 
exhaustive control of management, improvements 
in  efficiency  and  maintenance  of  competitive 
revenues/Ebitda ratios at above 80%.

Furthermore,  the  satellite  company  wants  to 
continue  growing  through  internationalization.  In 
one side, it will work to consolidate its position in 
Mexico  and  the  Andean  region:  Colombia,  Peru, 
Chile and Ecuador. On the other side, it will bet on 
the  new opening of  markets  like  Morocco  –where 
it  has  already  entered  in  2015-  and  other  regions 
where  it  has  no  presence  today,  such  as  North 
Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. 

41

42

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersCellnex Telecom

15,000 
sites in Italy and Spain

Cellnex Telecom is the 
leading independent 
operator of wireless 
telecommunications 
infrastructure in Europe.   

Abertis  has  a  stake  as  a  substantial 

shareholder  (34%)  in Cellnex Telecom, the 
leading  independent  operator  of  wireless 

telecommunications infrastructure in Europe.   

The  Cellnex  Telecom  IPO  on  7  May  2015  meant 
another  step  forward  for  Abertis  in  meeting  the 
objectives  of  its  2015-2017  Strategic  Plan  as  part 
of its process of focusing on toll roads and creating 
value  for  its  shareholders.  As  for  Cellnex,  access 
to  stock  markets  adds  to  its  growth  strategy  in 
Europe  against  a  backdrop  of  consolidation  of 
the  telecommunications  sector  which  opens  up 
infrastructure 
significant  opportunities  for  new 
operators. 

Presenting Cellnex to the market as an independent 
company which  has  a very  clear vision of the  role 
that operators like it are meant to play in the rollout 
and management of signal transport networks and 
services, which are strategic in a connected society 

and  economy,  also  enhances  the  visibility  of  the 
project in financial markets. This has been reflected 
in  its  ability  to  issue  a  first  7-year  bond  for  600 
million euros just two months after the IPO.

Cellnex  has  made  a  firm  commitment  to 
international  growth  in  2015  with  the  acquisition 
shortly  before  its  debut  on  the  stock  exchange 
of  7,400  mobile  phone  towers  from  the  Italian 
operator  Wind  for  almost  700  million  euros. This 
transaction  represented  a  significant  boost  to  the 
strategy to diversify Cellnex Telecom’s business lines 
and the final leap forward in its international growth 
strategy since following the agreement 50% of its 
revenue  comes  from  the  mobile  telephony  sites 
business and 35% of revenue is generated in Italy. 
This makes it the largest European neutral operator 
of  mobile telephone  and  audiovisual  broadcasting 
infrastructure  with  a  portfolio  of  15,000  sites  in 
Italy and Spain. 

43

Key figures

OPERATING REVENUE (M€)

NET PROFIT (M€)

EBITDA (M€)

5,000

4,500

4,000

3,500

3,000

2,500

+5% like-for-like

2013

2014

2014 (*)

2015

2,000

1,000

0

+7% like-for-like

3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

+5% like-for-like

2013

2014

2014 (*)

2015

2013

2014

2014 (*)

2015

TOTAL ASSETS (M€)

INVESTMENTS (M€)

EqUIVALENT AVERAGE WORKFORCE

35,000

30,000

27,769

27,769

27,740

25,739

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

0

2013

2014 2014 (**) 2015

1,800
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0

1,598

1,243

1,127

1,074

-1%

-3.6%

20,000

15,000

0

2013

2014

2014 (*)

2015

2013

2014

2014 (*)

2015

l Operational investment
l Expansion invesment

(*) 2014 considering the impact of the classification in 2015 of the terrestrial telecommunications operating segment as discontinued operations

(**) 2014 considering the impact of the entry into force of IFRIC 21

44

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersABERTIS SHARE ADJUSTED FOR THE BONUS SHARE ISSUE

220

200

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

l Abertis share 
l Ibex 35

+74%

+4%

45

Relevant facts

Abertis Annual Report 2016 · SIGNIFICANT EVENTS OF  2015 

First
QUARTER

Second
QUARTER

The Shareholders' General Meeting announces the distribution 
of an additional dividend of 0.33 euros gross per share 
which together with the interim dividend paid in November makes  
a gross ordinary dividend of 0.66 euros per share charged to 
results for 2014.

Abertis completes its departure from 
the airport business with the sale of its 
entire stake in Desarrollo de 
Concesiones Aeroportuarias (DCA) for 
a price of 177 million euros.

SALE
OF DCA

177

mill. euros

Cellnex Telecom debuts on the stock 
exchange. The capitalisation of Cellnex 
Telecom, which made its debut on the stock 
exchange under the ticker symbol “CLNX”, 
came to more than 3,244 million euros 
in the first day of trading. 

CLNX

3,244

mill. euros

Abertis initiates procedures to increase 
its capital by 5% against reserves, 
carrying out for another year its traditional 
bonus issue which forms part of its 
remuneration policy. 

Bonus issue

5%

Interim
dividend

0.33

euros/share

Additional
dividend

0.33

euros/share

Gross
ordinary dividend

0.66

euros/share

Abertis completes the purchase of 90% of the Wind 
subsidiary "Galata" under which it acquires a total of 7,377 
mobile phone towers for 693 million euros.

Total
investment

693

mill. euros

7,377

46

Fourth

QUARTER

The partial voluntary public 

tender offer made by Abertis 

Infraestructuras for 61,309,319 

shares, representing 6.5% of 

the company’s share capital.

PTO

61.3

mill. shares

6.5%

of its shares

Sanef closes a public bond issue at 

more than 10 years for 600 million 

euros at 1.875%. 

> 10 YEARS

BONDS

mill. euros600

1.9%

annual

Third

QUARTER

Abertis reaches 100% control of the 

Chilean toll roads Autopista del Sol and 

Autopista Los Libertadores for 

approximately 130 million euros.

Abertis takes control of Túnels de 

Barcelona i Cadí after acquiring 15.01% 

of the share capital of the company for 

34 million euros.

Abertis closes an agreement with 

A4 Holding for exclusive negotiations 

to purchase the A4 and A31 toll 

roads in Italy.

Abertis submits its application 

HIT, a French subsidiary of 

for authorisation of the 

Abertis, issues 200 million 

public tender offer for 6.5% 

euros in 10-year bonds with 

of its share capital  at €15.70 

a coupon of 2.25% per 

per share.

annum. 

PTO

FOR 6.5%

15.7

euros/share

10-YEAR

BONDS

mill. euros200

Visual Thinking

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersAbertis Annual Report 2016 · SIGNIFICANT EVENTS OF  2015 

First

QUARTER

Second

QUARTER

The Shareholders' General Meeting announces the distribution 

of an additional dividend of 0.33 euros gross per share 

Abertis completes its departure from 

the airport business with the sale of its 

which together with the interim dividend paid in November makes  

entire stake in Desarrollo de 

a gross ordinary dividend of 0.66 euros per share charged to 

Concesiones Aeroportuarias (DCA) for 

a price of 177 million euros.

SALE

OF DCA

177

mill. euros

results for 2014.

Interim

dividend

0.33

euros/share

Additional

dividend

0.33

euros/share

Gross

ordinary dividend

0.66

euros/share

Abertis completes the purchase of 90% of the Wind 

subsidiary "Galata" under which it acquires a total of 7,377 

mobile phone towers for 693 million euros.

Cellnex Telecom debuts on the stock 

exchange. The capitalisation of Cellnex 

Telecom, which made its debut on the stock 

exchange under the ticker symbol “CLNX”, 

came to more than 3,244 million euros 

in the first day of trading. 

CLNX

3,244

mill. euros

7,377

Total

investment

693

mill. euros

Abertis initiates procedures to increase 

its capital by 5% against reserves, 

carrying out for another year its traditional 

bonus issue which forms part of its 

remuneration policy. 

Bonus issue

5%

Fourth
QUARTER

The partial voluntary public 
tender offer made by Abertis 
Infraestructuras for 61,309,319 
shares, representing 6.5% of 
the company’s share capital.

Sanef closes a public bond issue at 
more than 10 years for 600 million 
euros at 1.875%. 

1.9%

annual

PTO

61.3

mill. shares

6.5%

of its shares

> 10 YEARS
BONDS

mill. euros600

Third
QUARTER

Abertis reaches 100% control of the 
Chilean toll roads Autopista del Sol and 
Autopista Los Libertadores for 
approximately 130 million euros.

Abertis takes control of Túnels de 
Barcelona i Cadí after acquiring 15.01% 
of the share capital of the company for 
34 million euros.

Abertis closes an agreement with 
A4 Holding for exclusive negotiations 
to purchase the A4 and A31 toll 
roads in Italy.

Abertis submits its application 
for authorisation of the 
public tender offer for 6.5% 
of its share capital  at €15.70 
per share.

HIT, a French subsidiary of 
Abertis, issues 200 million 
euros in 10-year bonds with 
a coupon of 2.25% per 
annum. 

PTO
FOR 6.5%

15.7

euros/share

10-YEAR
BONDS

mill. euros200

47

Visual Thinking

A success story 

The “Relance Plan”

The Relance Plan is an 
investment programme 
negotiated in France between 
the toll road concession 
operators and the Government 
to support the country’s 
economy. 
The concession companies are 
to carry out a raft of projects 
to improve the network of 
toll roads in France without 
increasing tariffs in exchange 
for an extension of the term 
of their concessions based 
on the volume of investment 
and financial capacity of each 
company. 
In the case of Sanef, the deal 
was closed with an investment 
plan of 590 million euros in 
exchange for the extension of its 
concessions in the country by 2 
years (up to 2031) for Sanef, and 
by 3 years and 8 months (up to 
2033) for Sapn.  
The Relance Plan is a successful 
example of the public-private 
partnership model that aims to 
encourage private investment 
in the short term by providing it 
with a return over several years.

The process

The  signing  of  the  Relance  Plan  is  the  result 
of  a  long  process  of  negotiation  between  the 
French  toll  road  concessionaires  and  the  French 
Government that began in late 2012 and closed 
in mid-2015.

Predecessor

The  idea  of  the  Relance  Plan  came  about  as  a 
result of the success of its most direct predecessor 
called  the  Paquet  Vert,  an  investment  package 
in  France  between  2010  and 
implemented 
2013  whose  main  objective  was  to  put  in  place 
projects  designed  to  improve  the  integration  of 
infrastructures  in  the  environment  while  at  the 
same time driving economic and industrial growth 
in  the  areas  near  the  toll  roads. The  investment 
had  a  major  innovation  component  consisting 
of  encouraging  imaginative  solutions  for  the 
sustainable development of toll roads as well as 
upgrading older ones to improve noise protection 
or  hybrid  resources.  Sanef  invested  250  million 
euros through the Paquet Vert in exchange for the 
extension of the duration of its two concessions 
by one year. 

New needs

•  While  implementing the  Paquet Vert, the  French 
government  realised  it  needed  to  continue  to 
run  an  investment  agenda  to  boost  the  French 
economy and also to keep its infrastructure in good 
condition  and thus  enhance the  competitiveness 
of  its  companies.  Restrictions  on  public  finances 
and the  requirements of  Maastricht  convergence 
criteria  made 
it  difficult  to  carry  out  these 
investments with public money.

•  Meanwhile Sanef needed to maintain its long-term 
investor status in the country by improving its toll 
road  network with  projects that would  be  useful 
for  its  local  communities  without  damaging  the 
economic and financial balance of the concession. 

As a result it became clear that it would be possible to 
move towards a plan that was both more developed 
and also more ambitious than the Paquet Vert, with 
higher investment and which took into account the 
features of the concession contracts with the right 
balance  between  obligations  and  commitments 
(investment, service levels for operation) and rights 
(the  opportunity  to  collect  tolls  on  the  network 
during the years of the extension of the contract).

48

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersN42 - Liaison A26 / A16

Boulogne-
-s-Mer

Escoeuilles

Saint-Omer

Calais

A13 - Pont l’Evêque / Dozulé
Elargissement

A29 / A1 - Saint-Quentin
Elargissement (BAU)

Deauville

Boulogne-sur-Mer

Lille

St-Quentin

Pont-l’Eveque

Valenciennes

A29 / A1

Mondeville

Dozulé

CAEN

Frenouville

Amiens

St-Quentin

A4 / Contournement de Metz
Elargissement

A4 / A31

A4 / A315

METZ

Le Havre

Caen

Rouen

Alençon

Opérations A13
Diffuseurs / Viaduc de Guerville

Toutainville

A13/A132

La Haie Tondue

Pont-Audemer / Bourneville

Maison Brûlée

Rouen

Criquebeuf

Les Graviers

PARIS

Viaduc de Guerville

Reims

PARIS

Echangeur de
Bailly-Romainvilliers

Troyes

Metz

Nancy

Strasbourg
échangeur de
raccordement

Strasbourg

O

N

S

E

0 10 km

30 km

Avril 2015

Main challenges

In spite of these obvious needs, the process of negotiating and gaining final approval for the Relance Plan was a real challenge which involved meeting 
the various needs of all the stakeholders concerned: 

•  For the French 

government, which 
had to demonstrate 
to the various 
administrative, legal 
and political levels the 
advantages of starting 
up a new public-private 
partnership project of 
this magnitude.

•  For Sanef, which had 
to keep its internal 
technical, technological 
and financial 
departments aligned 
at all times. Its twofold 
commitment to financial 
discipline and industrial 
excellence called for 
thorough economic 
and social cost-benefit 
analysis to identify and 
set out in detail the 
projects which would 
be most useful and 
beneficial for both the 
company and society.

•  For French society, 
which as a result of a 
current of distrust of 
institutions wanted 
greater balance and 
transparency in relations 
between the state and 
private companies. 

•  For the French 

•  For the European 

Union, which had to 
dispel any doubts about 
the compatibility of the 
project with European 
rules on competition and 
State aid.

concession sector, 
which had to move 
away from a relationship 
based on competition 
to work together and in 
spite of having business 
models which differed 
in some points; builder/
concession operator in 
the case of Vinci and 
Eiffage and purely a 
concession operator in 
the case of Sanef.

49

1 
Idea and design of the Relance Plan between 
the French Government and the concession 
operators (end of 2012).

2
Identification of Sanef projects (2013); 
following meticulous analysis of a number of 
projects, Sanef closed a complete portfolio 
of improvement and upgrading projects of 
varying scope across its entire network: 

- Widening work on three toll roads
-  Two new junctions and other intersection 
works 
- Water and diversity programmes
-  Refurbishment of 84 service areas and  

lay-bys 

-  Creation of 400 car sharing parking spaces 

and 500 high tonnage parking spaces 
-  Creation of shelters and emergency call 

stations accessible to people with disabilities

Steps

3
Submission of dossiers to the European 
Commission (2014) and final validation by this 
body, in which it ruled that the Relance Plan 
is compatible with the idea of State aid (28 
October 2014).

4
Negotiation of additional clauses with 
the French government (until April 2015), a 
process which involved the inclusion of new 
additional agreements:

Firstly, to improve the legal certainty of the 
French government and protect the contracts 
of companies operating in the country through 
the Government’s commitment to offset 
the toll freezing in 2015 and the increased 
“Redevance Domaniale” in 2013 by toll 
increases between 2016 and 2023. 

Secondly, to increase balance and 
transparency in relations between the 
government and businesses through the 
contribution by the concession sector to 
the annual budget of the AFITF (Agence de 
Financement des Infrastructures de Transport 
de France) in order to support development 
of the country’s infrastructure. In lockstep the 

ARAFER (Autoritt de rde rittFE des activitti et 
ferroviaires routiiiai) took on new supervisory 
powers in the toll road concession sector. 
Finally, a limit on the return allowed for 
concession operators was introduced based 
on the cumulative evolution of their operating 
income since the privatisation of the toll roads 
in 2006.

5
Negotiation of contract changes  
(April/July 2015).

6
Publication in the Journal Officiel (23 August 
2015).

7
The end point is yet to be written: when with 
the completion of the work planned up to 
2020-2021, the public will be able to enjoy 
refurbished infrastructure which is safer and 
more efficient and sustainable. 

50

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersThe Relance Plan is a clear-cut success story that will mark a before and after in public-private partnerships in France. 
Its implementation will without doubt set an excellent precedent for a model designed to be spread worldwide as the 
solution for sustainable financing of the infrastructures of the future, which are the foundation for social and economic 
progress.

A win-win solution for all

The main lesson learned for the involved parties is the need to bring together such diverse interests. Only by catering for the requirements of all 
stakeholders is possible to reach a truly winning solution with benefits for all.

For the French government:

For Sanef:

For society:

•  Improved road network in terms of greater 
fluidity, safety and comfort in traffic for its 
customers.

•   Benefits of a relaunched economy with 

greater possibilities of direct and indirect 
employment. 

•  Boosting the economy through the 

implementation of projects of various sizes 
to support the operations of numerous 
national and regional companies with a total 
investment of 3,200 million euros.

•  Boosting the creation of jobs which cannot 

be relocated.

•  Improvement of infrastructure and a drag 

effect going beyond the implementation of 
the plan.

•  Lengthening the term of its concessions, 
thus consolidating its long-term business 
commitment.

•  Establishment as a stable partner of the 
French government in the search for 
innovative solutions for managing public 
goods through public-private partnerships.

•  Investment in public goods without 

•  Improved reputation and social perception 

constraining public finances.

of Sanef due to evidencing its service 
commitment to the public and the country’s 
economy in general.  

•  Having improved infrastructure which is safer 

and more efficient and sustainable.

•  Strengthening the welfare state due to less 
constrained public finances.

•   Restoring confidence in institutions through 
greater control over relations between the 
government and concession operators in the 
country.

51

52

xxAbertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersStakeholders

Shareholders
Figures and Results
Financial management
Shareholders and stock exchange

Society
CSR

53

 
Shareholders

Figures and results

The results for 2015 are 
shaped by capital gains 
from the listing of 66% 
of Cellnex, bringing the 
Group’s net profit up 
to 1,880 million euros, 
an unprecedented 
performance.

Consolidated figures

In 2015 the consolidation of a favourable economic 
environment  has  allowed  the  path  of  growth  in 
activity to  be followed  in Spain,  France  and Chile, 
although the activity in heavy transport in Brazil was 
significantly reduced. 

The  Group  continues  to  focus  its  efforts  in  very 
selective growth, in order to consolidate its position 
in  companies  it  already  has  a  stake  in,  as was the 
case  in  2015  of  taking  control  of  Túnels  and  the 
purchase  of  minority  stakes  in  I2000,  and  the 
agreement reached in January 2016 for the purchase 
of an additional 50% of Autopista Central, SA (Acsa) 
after  which  Abertis  became  the  sole  shareholder. 
Also  Partícipes  en  Brasil  is  working on  completing 
the acquisition of minority stakes in Arteris through 
a Takeover Bid. 

Continuing  with  the  strategy  of  focusing  and 
optimization of the portfolio of assets, 66% of the 
share capital of Cellnex (formerly Abertis Telecom) 
was  floated  on  the  stock  market  in  May  2015.  In 
2015  also  the  process  of  disposal  of  the  airports 

business ended with the sale, at the end of April, of 
DCA, through which Abertis maintained a stake of 
74.5% in MBJ Airports, Ltd. (Montego Bay, Jamaica) 
and  14.77%  in  SCL  Terminal  Aéreo  Santiago,  SA 
(Santiago de Chile).

The  Abertis  results  for  2015  are  affected  by  the 
incorporation  of  capital  gains  arising  from  the 
listing of 66% of Cellnex, which lifted the Group’s 
net profit to 1,880 million euro, an historic result. 
Stripping  out  exceptional  results,  as  well  as  other 
effects  and  provisions,  the  like-for-like  results  for 
Abertis grew by 7%.

improvement  of 

The  attached  P&L  account  presents  at  their  net 
present  value,  revenue  and  expenditure  for  the 
construction  or 
infrastructure 
carried  out  during  the  year  (479  million  euro 
in  revenue  and  expenditure  in  2015  and  689 
million  euro  in  2014)  which  for  the  purposes 
of  presentation  in  Abertis’  consolidated  annual 
accounts  are  recorded  separately  in  compliance 
with the provisions of IFRIC 12.

54

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersProfit and loss account

(millions of euros)

Operating revenues

Operating expenses

EBITDA 

Consolidated

2015

4,378

-1,686

2,692

2014 (*)

4,453

-1,544

2,909

Like-for-like EBITDA at constant exchange rate

Amortization and impairment losses

-2,756

-1,163

EBIT

Financial result

Share of profit of associates

Profit before taxes

Income Tax

Result of discontinued operations 

Profit for the year

Minorities interest

Net profit

Like-for-like company shareholder profit and at 
constant exchange rate

-65

-1,116

-41

-1,221

2

2,721

1,502

378

1,880

Var.

-1.7%

9.2%

-7.5%

5%

-103.7%

1,746

-726

21

1,042

-217.2%

-356

119

805

-150

655

86.6%

186.9%

7%

(*) 2014 re-expressed considering the impact of the classification of the terrestrial telecommunications business as a discontinued    

operation in application of IFRS 5.

55

Like-for-like revenue 
grew by 5%, largely 
due to the positive 
performance of traffic 
and the increase in tolls.

Revenues

The revenues on transactions reached 4,378 million 
euro, which  means  a fall of  1.7%  as  against  2014, 
due  principally,  on  the  one  hand,  to  the  fact  that 
the compensation for traffic guaranteed in the AP-7 
agreement ceased to have an impact on the results 
for  2015  and,  on  the  other  hand,  movements  in 
the  Brazilian  real,  with  the  average  exchange  rate 
showing a depreciation of 18% with respect to 2014. 
These negative impacts have been partially set off 
by  good  progress  in  activity  and  by  the  review  of 
average tariffs in toll roads concessions; and the rise 
in  exchange  rates  for  the  Chilean  peso,  American 
dollar and Argentine peso. 

On a comparable base (that is, applying the same 
accounting treatment for the AP-7 during 2014 and 
at  constant  exchange  rates)  exploitation  revenues 
was  up  by  5%,  principally  due  to  the  positive 
performance  of  traffic  during  the  year  and  the 
increase in tariffs.

The  Group  confirms  the  positive  trend  in  traffic 
on  its  toll  roads,  which  continues  growing  at  a 
good rate in the company’s main markets. On toll 

roads  as  a  whole,  average  daily  traffic  (ADT)  has 
increased a 1.4% up to 21,976 vehicles. In Spain, the 
change of trend has been consolidated after seven 
consecutive  quarters  of  growth.  In  2015,  traffic  in 
Spain  rose  by  6.1%, the  best figure for the  last  15 
years. There was a notably special impulse in heavy 
traffic,  with  growth  of  over  8%. Also,  outside  the 
Spanish market, there were important increases in 
Chile (+8.5%) and France (+1.8%), which continue 
developing above the company’s forecasts. On the 
other hand, a fall in the Brazilian GDP and industrial 
production has meant a reduction of 2.3% in traffic 
with respect to 2014. 

The  satellite  telecommunications 
infrastructure 
sector  also  shows  positive  performance,  as  a 
consequence,  principally,  of  increased  capacity  in 
orbital positions.

70%  of  Abertis’  revenues  already  comes  from 
outside  Spain.  The  French  market  is  consolidated 
as  the  Group’s  largest,  contributing  37%  of  total 
revenues, followed by Spain, with 30%. Brazil, with 
18% of the revenues and Chile, with 5%, complete 
the more relevant contributions. 

56

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersRevenues (millions of euros)

Toll roads

Telecommunications

Corporate and other services

TOTAL

Revenues (millions of euros)

Spain

France 

Brazil

Chile

Other

2015

4,159

215

5

4,378

2015

1,330

1,612

782

237

417

%

95%

5%

0%

2014 (*)

4,262

188

3

%

96%

4%

0%

100%

4,453

100%

30%

37%

18%

5%

10%

2014 (*)

1,447

1,567

915

208

316

32%

35%

21%

5%

7%

100%

TOTAL
(*) 2014 re-expressed considering the impact of the classification of the terrestrial telecommunications business as a discontinued operation in application of IFRS 5.

4,453

100%

4,378

Toll roads (direct management)

Spain

France

Brazil

Chile

Other

TOTAL

Km

1,559

1,761

3,250

711

264

7,545

ADT

19,231

24,021

18,187

19,257

77,919

21,976

% vs 2014

6.1%

1.8%

-2.3%

8.5%

0.7%

1.4%

57

+5% 
like-for-like EBITDA

Results 

EBITDA  reached  2,692  million  euro  (-7.5%), 
although when discounting non-recurrent impacts, 
the like-for-like Ebitda grew by 5%. 

The  Group’s  operating  results  have  been  helped 
by  the  introduction  of  a  series  of  measures  for 
improvements  in  efficiency  and  the  optimization 
of the  exploitation  costs, on which the Group will 
continue  working  in  coming  years.  In  this  sense, 
after  the  Efficiency  plan  2011-2014  ended  above 
initial expectations, the Group has been working on 
the  new  efficiency  plan  for  the  period  2015-2017, 
which  must  allows  the  improvements  obtained 
up  till  now  to  be  consolidated,  while  continuing 

EBITDA (millions of euros)

Toll roads

Telecommunications

Corporate and other services

TOTAL

EBITDA (millions of euros)

Spain

France 

Brazil

Chile

Other

TOTAL

with improvements in operating efficiency and the 
optimization of costs. 

The  provisions  registered  by  the  Group,  on  the 
one  hand,  for  impairment  of  the  balance  on 
compensation  for  traffic  guaranteed  in  the  AP-7 
agreement  (859  million  euro, without  considering 
the tax effect) on which Abertis and the Ministry of 
Public Works have differences in interpretation and, 
on the other hand, the impairment in the net assets 
of Arteris (763 million euro) due to the worsening 
of the macroeconomic situation in Brazil, have had 
a negative impact on the operating result (EBIT). In 
comparable terms, the EBIT grew by 12%.

2015

2,597

179

-84

2,692

2015

895

1,029

456

170

142

2,692

%

96%

7%

-3%

2014 (*)

2,816

147

-54

%

97%

5%

-2%

100%

2,909

100%

34%

38%

17%

6%

5%

100%

2014 (*)

1,092

1,015

528

156

117

2,909

38%

35%

18%

5%

4%

100%

58

(*) 2014 re-expressed considering the impact of the classification of the terrestrial telecommunications business as a discontinued 

operation in application of IFRS 5.

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03Stakeholders+7% 
like-for-like net profit

Financial result

The net financial result was -1,116 million euro, of 
which -743 million euro are from the financial cost 
of debt, which means an average cost of 5.1%, and 
the rest (-372 million euro) reflects other impacts, 
such as provisions made for the part corresponding 
to  the  financial  updating  of  the  balance  for  the 
guaranteed  traffic  of  the  AP-7  agreement  (-123 
million  euro),  the  provision  to  cover  the  possible 
risk  of  presentation  of  an  enforceable  claim  by 
the rest of the banks of Alazor (-117 million euro), 
and  the  costs  of  rupture  paid  for  the  refinancing 
transactions  carried  out  by  the  HIT  group  (-92 
million euro). 

Equity method companies

The negative contribution of companies recorded by 
the  equity  method  is  a  consequence  principally  of 
the impairment occurring during the year in the stake 
hold in Autema for an amount of 73 million euro, as a 
consequence of the Catalan Government’s unilateral 
amendment of the concessional contract.  

Corporate Tax 

Corporate Tax amounted to 2 million euro, including 
the positive tax effect associated with the provisions 
registered  during  the  year.  The  taxation  rates  in 
the main countries where Abertis operates are the 
following:   Spain,  28%  (against  a  previous  rate  of 
30%); France, 38%; Brazil, 34%; and Chile, 22.5% 
(against a previous rate of 21%). 

Result of discontinued operations 

The  contribution  of  discontinued  operations 
includes, principally, the capital gain obtained from 
the Cellnex  IPO  (1,741  million  euro for the  sale of 
66%  of  its  share  capital  and  925  million  euro  of 
revalorization of the 34% stake retained in Cellnex), 
and  the  capital  gain  of  40  million  euro  obtained 
from the sale of DCA. 

Results  

The  consolidated  result  for  2015  attributable  to 
shareholders  reached  1,880  million  euro,  showing 
historic  growth  of  187%  with  respect  to  2014.  In 
comparable terms, the net profit was up by 7%. 

Cash flow 

In 2015, Abertis generated a gross cash flow (before 
investments and dividends) of 1,527 million euros.

The  Group’s  cash  flow  is  sufficient  to  sustain  the 
investment  plan that the  company  is  carrying out 
to improve the infrastructure of its assets and also 
to  maintain  one  of  its  principal  strategic  pillars, 
shareholder return. 

Gross  
cash Flow 
(€Mn)

2015 2014 (*)

%

1,527

1,444 5.8%

(*) 2014 re-expressed considering the impact of the classification 
of the terrestrial telecommunications business as a discontinued 
operation in application of IFRS 5.

59

+3.6% 
consolidated net equity 

Balance sheet

Total  assets  at  31  December  2015  amounted  to 
25,739 million euro, showing a reduction of 7% on 
the year-end 2014 re-expressed, principally, by the 
impact of impairments during the year, the impact 
of depreciation in the Brazilian real at the year-end 
and the impact of purchasing own shares after the 
Takeover affecting 6.5% of the share capital.  

Of  the  total  assets,  around  53%  corresponds  to 
tangible fixed assets and other intangibles (basically, 
concessions) in line with the nature of the Group’s 
business  and  related  with  the  management  of 
infrastructures, having fallen slightly during the year 
as a consequence of disposal and impairment. 

Net  consolidated  assets  reached  5,349  million 
euro, 10.7% below the figure for the year-end 2014 
re-expressed,  affected  principally  by  the  impact 
of  purchasing  own  shares  during  the  year  (-1,062 
million euro, basically associated with the Takeover 
affecting  6.5%  of  the  Abertis  share  capital), 
negative movements in conversion differences due 
to depreciation in the Brazilian real and to minority 
shareholders return of contributions made. 

In spite of the impact of the additional dividend for 
2014  (-296  million  euro), the  interim dividend for 
2015 (-311 million euro), and the purchase of own 
shares (-1,062 million euro), consolidated net assets 
without  considering  non-dominant  stakes  were 
seen  as  up  by  3.6%,  principally  due  to  the  result 
generated in the year. 

assets

68% Tangible and intangible 
fixed assets
32% Other assets

(without including goodwill 53%)

liabilities

59% Financial debt
21% Net assets
20% Other liabilities

60

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersASSETS

(millions of euros)

Long term assets

Property, plan and equipment and 
intangible fixed assets

Stakes in associates

Other long term assets

Consolidated

2015

2014 (*)

22,114

17,583

1,907

2,624

23,777

19,561

933

3,283

LIABILITIES

(millions of euros)

Net equity

Capital 

Reserves

Results

Minority interests

Short term assets

Other short term assets

Liquid assets

3,625

1,403

2,222

3,647

1,405

2,242

Long term liabilities

Financial debt

Other long term liabilities

Non-current  assets  held  for  sale  and 
discontinued operations 

316

Liabilities associated with assets held for 
sale and discontinued operations

Short term liabilities

Financial debt

Other short term liabilities

Consolidated

2015

2014 (*)

5,349

2,830

-1,449

1,880

2,088

17,253

13,324

3,929

3,138

1,784

1,354

5,993

2,695

202

655

2,845

18,552

14,726

3,825

3,079

1,668

1,411

116

TOTAL ASSETS

25,739

27,740

TOTAL LIABILITIES

25,739

27,740

(*) 2014 re-expressed considering the impact of the entry into force of IFRS 21.

61

1,074 €Mn 
Investments in 2015

Investments

The  Group’s  total  investments  in  2015  amounted 
to 1,074 million euro. The greater part of this (91%) 
was  for  expansion,  mainly  to  increase  toll  roads 
capacity  (especially  those  in  Brazil  dependent  on 
the Federal State and those in France), the purchase 
of  an  additional  50%  (less  1  share)  of  I2000  and 
15.01% of Túnels, and Hispasat investments in new 
satellites.

The most important operational investments were 
associated  mainly  with  toll  booth  renewals  and 
modernization of the existing network. 

On 21 January 2016, Abertis completed a purchase 
agreement  with  Alberta  Investment  Management 
Corporation  (AIMCo)  for  the  acquisition  of  an 
additional  50%  of  the  share  capital  of  Autopista 
Central, SA (Acsa) for 948 million euro. 

62

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersINVESTMENTS 

OPERATING

%  EXPANSION

% INORGANIC 
EXPANSION 

%

TOTAL

(millions of euros)

Toll roads

Spain

France

Brazil

Chile

Other

Satellites

Holding

Total

%

76%

8%

15%

38%

14%

1%

24%

1%

91

23

36

24

5

3

3

0

96%

25%

38%

25%

6%

3%

4%

0%

552

28

125

386

7

7

250

9

68%

3%

15%

48%

1%

1%

31%

1%

168

35

0

0

133

0

0

0

100%

21%

0%

0%

79%

0%

0%

0%

812

87

161

409

145

10

253

9

95

100%

811

100%

168

100%

1,074

100%

63

Financial management

In  2015  Abertis  generated  an  Ebitda  of  2,692 

million  euros  (2,909  million  euros  in  2014,  re-
expressed stripping out Cellnex), principally due 
to  the fact  that  the  compensation for  guaranteed 
traffic under the AP-7 agreement ceased to have an 
impact on the results for 2015, as well as movements 
in the Brazilian real, with the average exchange rate 
showing a fall of 18% in the year. 

Abertis  has  reduced  its  net  financial  debt,  mainly 
due  to  the  impact  of  disposals  in  2015.  On  the 
one hand, the sale of 66% of Cellnex meant a net 
treasury receipt of 2,071 million euros (while, with 
respect to the year-end 2014, ceasing to consolidate 
a  net  debt  of  329  million  euro). On  another  side, 
the  sale  of  100%  of  Desarrollo  de  Concesiones 
Aeroportuarias, SL meant a net treasury receipt of 
177 million euros. 

Additionally,  the  effect  of  exchange  rates  at  the 
year-end  2015  meant  a  reduction  of  the  Group’s 
net  debt  by  381  million  euros,  mostly  due  to  the 
depreciation of the Brazilian real.  

The  Group’s  financial  strength  has  enabled  the 
Finance Department to go to the markets in order 
to optimise the profile of maturity of the company’s 
debt  and  to 
lower  the  financial  cost.  Major 
operations include the following:

•  Disposal by Avasa of 200 million euros of financial 
debt,  on  a  credit  line  signed  in  November  2014 
with due date in November 2023, with the aim of 
meeting the due date, in June 2015, of 200 million 
euro of financial debt.

•  The  issue of  a  bond of  107  million  Brazilian  reais 
(approximately 25 million euro at the year-end 31 
December 2015) with due date in December 2025 
and with an IPCA 12m+8.17% coupon, effected by 
Planalto Sul.

•  The issue of a bond of 750 million Brazilian reais 
(approximately  174  million  euro)  with  due  date 
in  December  2016  and  with  a  CDI  12m+2.00% 
coupon, effected by Arteris.

(millions of euros)

Net debt

Net debt / EBITDA

2015

12,554

4.7x

2014

13,789

4.4x

64

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03Stakeholders•  Sanef  has  made  a  public  issue  of  bonds  for  600 
million  euros  with  due  date  at  more  than  10 
years  (March  2026)  and  a  coupon  of  1.875%. 
This  amount  has  been  used to  cancel  loans  held 
with lending entities for an amount of 581 million 
euros, where the average cost was 4.7%.

•  Metropistas  has  refinanced  its  debt  with  lending 
entities for  an  amount of  346  million US dollars 
(approximately  323  million  euros) with due date 
in September 2018, with an amount of 335 million 
US dollars (approximately 308 million euros) with 
due date in December 2022.

•  During  the  year  Hispasat  signed  a  syndicated 
credit  line with due date  in July  2020 for  a total 
amount of 200 million euros, of which 35 million 
euros had been drawn down at 31 December 2015. 

•  HIT has made a public issue of bonds for a value 
of  200  million  euros,  with  due  date  at  10  years 
(March 2025) and a coupon of 2.25%. The whole 
of  this  issue  has  been  used,  jointly  with  other 
means  of  payment,  for  the  repurchase  of  bonds 
issued in previous years by HIT for an amount of 
250 million euros with due date in March 2018 and 
an annual coupon of 5.75%.

•  Abertis  Autopistas  Chile  has  taken  up  debt 
with  lending  entities  for  an  amount  of  125,282 
million Chilean pesos (approximately 166 million 
euros)  with  due  date  in  August  2020,  used 
to  make  repayment  of  debts  with  due  date  in 
December  2017  for  27,914  million  Chilean  pesos 
(approximately 36 million euros) and to deal with 
the  acquisition during the year of  50%  (less one 
share) of I2000.

65

Financial structure

Risk management

Due  to  the  nature  of  the  various  credit  markets 
in  which  the  Group  companies  operate  and  are 
financed,  the  Group  is  exposed  to  exchange  rate 
and interest rate risks, credit risks and liquidity risks. 

The  management  of  the  various  financial  risks 
is  supervised  by  Finance  Department  with  prior 
authorisation  from  Abertis’  first  executive  and 
as  part  of  the  policy  approved  by  the  Board  of 
Directors. 

Debt maturity

> 10 years 11%

5-10 years 45%

Following  the  policies  defined  by  the  Board  of 
Directors,  the  financial  structure  of  the  Abertis 
Group  is  intended  to  limit  the  risks  to  which  it  is 
exposed  by  the  nature  of  the  markets  in  which  it 
operates.

With  regard  to  the  distribution  of  debt  with  third 
parties,  at  the  year-end  2015  long-term  debt 
amounted to 90% of the total, 1% less than in 2014. 
On the other hand, the average due date of the debt 
was 6.1 years, as against 6.0 years in 2014.

To minimise its exposure to interest rate risk, Abertis 
maintains  a  high  percentage of fixed-rate debt. At 
the  year-end  2015,  this  proportion  was  88%,  as 
against 84% in 2014.

At 31 December 2015, Abertis Infraestructuras, SA 
had  credit  lines  with  a  joint  limit of  2,475  million 
euros (2,472 million euros in 2014).

3-5 years 19%

1-3 years 15%

Less than 1 year 10%

Agency

FitchRatings

Long term

Short term

Standard & Poor’s

Date of assessment

qualification

Outlook

13/05/2015

13/05/2015

BBB+

F2

BBB

Stable

Positive

66

Long term

30/06/2015

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03Stakeholders 
67

Shareholders and stock exchange

Stock  markets  in  2015  have  seen  rises  in  the 

major  European 
indexes:  Germany  (DAX: 
+9.6%),  France  (CAC  40:  +8.5%),  Italy  (FTSE 
MIB: +12.7%), in contrast to the major American ones 
(S&P: -0.7% and Dow Jones: -2.2%).

In the case of Spain, due to the economic slowdown in 
China and some Latin American economies as well as 
the institutional uncertainty, the IBEX 35 ended down 
(-7.2%) after the rise in the previous year (+3.7%). The 
index has moved in a wide band in the course of 2015, 
ranging  from  an  annual  high  on  13 April  (11,866.40 
points) to an annual low on 24 September (9,291.40 
points). 

Share performance

Abertis’  share  ended  2015  in  line  with  the  Ibex 
35  with  a  fall  of  7.9%  at  a  price  of  14.41  euros 
per  share  following  the  rise  in  the  previous  year 
of 6.8%. Over the course of the year the highest 
closing  price  was  set  on  26  January  (17.11  euros) 
and  the  lowest  closing  price  on  14  December 
(13.43 euros). 

Abertis  has  closed  2015  with  a  capitalisation  of 
13,600  million  euros,  putting  it  in  fourteenth 
position 
Ibex  35  ranking  by  market 
capitalisation.

in  the 

Change in Abertis share 2015 (adjusted for the bonus share issue)

18 / 02 
Results 2014

24 / 03 
GSM 2015

17 / 04 
Sale of DCA last 
airports

10 / 08
A4 Holding exclusivity 
agreement 

20 / 07 
Acquisition 50% 
I2000

30 / 09 
CNMV approval PTO 
own shares prospec-
tus

03 / 11 
Payment 0.33 interim 
dividend

20 / 11 
Sale of stake by CVC

21 / 12 
Lazard Asset Management 
LLC announces 3.03% stake 
in Abertis

07/ 05 
Cellnex IPO

15 / 06 
Bonus share issue

29 / 07 
Results 1H + PTO 
own shares announ-
cement

16 / 09 
Sale of 2.9% by Inmobiliaria 
Espacio, S.A.

06 / 11 
Issue of 600 m 
bonds Sanef

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

18

17

16

15

14

13

12

11

l Abertis
l IBEX 35

68

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersShareholder return 

Change in share price on the Stock Exchange

Abertis’  goal  is  to  offer  its  shareholders  the  best 
combination of growth and return. The company’s 
business actions and strategic decisions are geared 
towards  generating  value  for 
its  shareholders. 
Charged  to  fiscal  2015,  Abertis  will  increase  its 
remuneration for shareholders through the dividend 
(+5.0%  DPS)  and  maintains  its  traditional  bonus 
share  issue  of  one  new  share for  each  twenty  old 
ones held.

%
8
7
3

.

%
1
.
1
1

%
9
2

.

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

.

%
0
0
4
-

Dividend

In the month of April, Abertis paid out an additional 
dividend  of  0.33  euros  per  share  from  the  year 
2014, and in November 2015, the company paid an 
interim dividend of  0.33  euros  gross  per  share for 
2015.

The Board of Directors of Abertis agreed to propose 
to  the  Ordinary  Shareholders’  General  Meeting 
2016, to be held on 12 April, in addition to a 1x20 
bonus share issue, an additional dividend for 2015 
of 0.36 euros gross per share.

%
0
.
1
3

%
5
6
3

.

%
7
5

.

%
9
3

.

%
8
6

.

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

%
9
7
-

.

2010

%
1
.
0
1
-

69

This amount, added to the interim dividend paid in 
November 2015, means direct shareholder return in 
the form of ordinary dividends of 0.69 euros gross 
paid from  2015  profits,  which  entails  a  maximum 
amount  to  be  paid  as  dividends  of  650.8  million 
euros,  10%  more  than  the  sum  paid  for  2014. 
The dividend yield  at  close on  31  December  2015 
amounted to 4.8%.

The cumulative return on Abertis stock in the  last 
ten  years  has  come  to  54%,  including  the  rise  in 
price  on  the  stock  exchange,  bonus  issues  and 
dividend payments, for a shareholder who bought 
on 31 December 2005 and did not sell their shares 
until 31 December 2015.

Bonus share issue

At  the  Shareholders’  General  Meeting  held  on  24 
March 2015 it was decided to carry out a new bonus 
issue at a ratio of 1 new share for every 20 old ones 
held. Between 15 and 29 June 2015 the rights were 
traded at a high of 0.775 euros and a low of 0.709 
euros. The fair value of the right was 0.734 euros.

The new shares were initially listed on the market 
on 13 July and have the same voting and economic 
rights as existing shares.

ACCRUED DIVIDEND PAyMENT (MILLIONS OF EUROS)

304.0

+5%

357.5

+18%

402.2

+12%

422.3

+5%

443.4

+5%

1,302.9

+194%

CAGR: +8.8%
2006-2015

564.6

592.9

+5%

+5%

537.8

+5%

650.8

+10%

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

70

l Interim dividend
l Complementary dividend
l Extraordinary dividend

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03StakeholdersShare capital and treasury share portfolio

Abertis’ share capital stood at 2,830 million euros 
at 31 December, made up of 943,220,294 ordinary 
book entry shares with a nominal value of 3 euros 
each,  fully  subscribed  and  paid  up  and  all  of  the 
same  class.  All  the  shares  are  listed  on  the  four 
Spanish stock markets.

In  2015,  share  capital  increased  by  44,915,252 
shares,  amounting  to  an  increase  of  134.7  million 
euros, corresponding to the bonus share issue.

With respect to treasury share portfolio, at the end 
of 2015 Abertis was the direct holder of 77,840,233 
shares which accounts for 8.253% of share capital, 
compared  to  the  9,425,121  shares  it  held  in  2014 
(1.0492% of share capital at the end of that year).

Of  the  total  increase  in  treasury  stock  in  2015, 
61,309,319  shares  representing  6.5%  of  the  share 
capital  of  Abertis  have  been  acquired  through  a 
partial  voluntary  public  tender  offer  made  by  the 
company  for  its  own  shares. The  total  number  of 

acceptors  came  to  23,226  and  each  of  them  has 
been awarded a number equal to 660 shares, fully 
meeting acceptances containing a number of shares 
less than or equal to the one indicated. Consequently 
a  total  of  8,533,471  shares  have  been  allocated 
under this heading. The number of remaining shares 
has been distributed in proportion to the number of 
shares included in each acceptance for a proration 
factor of 11.856133%. Hence a total of 52,775,801 
shares have been allocated under this heading.

In rounding the resulting figures a number of shares 
lower  than  the  maximum  in  the  tender  has  been 
obtained,  the  remainders  being  applied  one  by 
one  beginning  with  the  acceptor  with  the  highest 
number of  shares offered  and  not  allocated  up to 
the total of 47 shares.

Shareholder structure

As  detailed  in  the  annual  accounts  published  for 
fiscal  2015,  significant  shareholders  at  the  end  of 
the financial year are: Criteria Caixa, SAU (22.67%) 
and Inmobiliaria Espacio, SA (16.06%). 

Distribution of capital  
ownership at 15/12/31

22.67% Criteria Caixa. SAU1 
16.06% Inmobiliaria Espacio2
61.27% Free Float 

(1) Stake  through Criteria Caixa, SAU  at  15.02%  and 
Inversiones Autopistas, SL at 7.65%.

(2)  Inmobiliaria  Espacio,  SA  holds  this  stake  through 
the  following  structure:  1.74%  directly,  13.93% 
through OHL Emisiones, SAU, 0.38% through Espacio 
Activos  Financieros,  SLU  and  0.01%  through  Grupo 
Villar Mir, SAU

l Interim dividend

l Complementary dividend

l Extraordinary dividend

71

Society

Corporate Social Responsibility

The scope of the CSR 
Master Plan is the same 
as the scope of the CSR 
Report 2015, 98.1% of the 
turnover for the year. 

2015  has  been  the  first  year  of  operations 

for  the  Corporate  Social  Responsibility 
Committee and it can be considered a success 
after updating the CSR policy based on the results of 
the diagnosis and the materiality analysis conducted 
in 2014 and the most recent recommendations for 
good governance in this area. 

In  addition,  the  Committee  has  monitored 
requests for participation in external evaluations in 
environmental, social and good governance issues by 
both specialised external analysts and national and 
international assessment and evaluation initiatives. 
Also  significant  is  monitoring  of  the  activities  of 
the  Abertis  Foundation,  including  implementation 
of  the  UNESCO  Centre  for  Biosphere  Reserves  of 
Mediterranean Ecosystems project. 

Likewise the Committee has drawn up the structure 
of  the CSR  Master  Plan  for  the  period  2016-2019 
which rounds off the update of the procedures and 
strategies following the latest standards in the field 
including  ISO  26000,  the  United  Nations  Global 
Compact,  the  Guiding  Principles  on  Business  and 
Human  Rights  and  the  Sustainable  Development 

72

Goals,  all  of  them  frameworks  recognised  in  the 
European Directive on accountability. The scope of 
the CSR Master Plan is the same as the scope of the 
CSR Report 2015, 98.1% of the turnover for the year. 

The  Master  Plan  consists  of  four  core  areas,  each 
of which includes a number of strategic objectives, 
while  the  organisation’s  stakeholders  and  human 
rights are viewed as cross-cutting issues:

•  Good governance, transparency and accountability: 
the  development  of  an  organisational  culture 
based  on  ethical  principles,  the  rejection  of  all 
forms of corruption and the progressive inclusion 
of good governance practices. 

reducing 

•  Eco-efficiency: 

footprint, 
developing  products  and  services  with  positive 
environmental and social criteria, and innovation 
based on circular economy principles. 

carbon 

•  Integration into the environment: the generation 
of  positive  synergies  with  the  local  community 
and  the  promotion  and  conservation  of  natural 
capital. 

Abertis Annual Report 201501 Introduction 02Abertis Group  03Stakeholders•  Safety  and  quality:  ensuring  road  safety  along 
with  occupational  health  and  safety,  enhancing 
the  quality  of  employment,  delivering  equal 
opportunities  and  developing  quality  products 
and  services  that  generate  positive  social  and 
good governance impact. 

information  about  performance 

The  CSR  Report  2015,  prepared  by  the  CSR 
Committee  and  externally  reviewed  by the  same 
auditor  as  for  the  financial  statements,  includes 
detailed 
in 
environmental, social and Good Governance issues 
over  the  year.  Likewise  the  Abertis  Foundation 
activities report contains information about all the 
actions carried out during the year and is available 
on its website (www.fundacioabertis.org). 

Member 2015/2016

73