German term (edited): Au�erbilanzpositionen

An "off-balance sheet" arrangement is any transaction, agreement or other contractual arrangement to which an entity, that is not consolidated with the company, is a party, under which the company, whether or not a party to the arrangement, has:


any obligation under a guarantee contract that has any of the characteristics identified in paragraph 3 of FASB Interpretation No. 45, Guarantor's Accounting and Disclosure Requirements for Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of Others (November 2002) ("FIN 45"), as may be modified or supplemented, and that is not excluded from the initial recognition and measurement provisions of FIN 45 pursuant to paragraphs 6 or 7 of that Interpretation;


a retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to an unconsolidated entity or similar arrangement that serves as credit, liquidity or market support to such entity for such assets;


any obligation, including a contingent obligation, under a contract that would be accounted for as a derivative instrument, except that it is both indexed to the company's own stock and classified in stockholders' equity in the company's statement of financial position, and therefore excluded from the scope of FASB Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (June 1998), pursuant to paragraph 11(a) of that Statement, as may be modified or supplemented; or


any obligation, including a contingent obligation, arising out of a variable interest (as referenced in FASB Interpretation No. 46, Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities (January 2003), as may be modified or supplemented) in an unconsolidated entity that is held by, and material to, the public company, where such entity provides financing, liquidity, market risk or credit risk support to, or engages in leasing, hedging or research and development services with, the public company.

http://www.blankrome.com/publications/lealert/corpFeb03-5.as...