8.a.        INVENTORIES

 

Inventories can be broken down as follows:

 

(in thousands of euro)

31.12.2010

31.12.2009

Raw materials, secondary materials and consumables

72,084

56,611

Work in progress and semi-finished goods

12,176

16,828

Finished goods and merchandise

66,859

82,539

Advance payments

164

172

Total

151,283

156,150

 

The value of stocks is shown net of any write-down made either in past periods or in this current one and takes into account the degree of obsolescence of finished goods, merchandise and secondary materials.