3. Accounting standards

  • A. New standards and interpretations not yet adopted

    A number of new standards, interpretations and amendments to existing standards are not yet effective for the year ended December 31, 2012, and have not been applied in preparing these consolidated financial statements. The following standards, amendments to and interpretations of existing standards have been published and are mandatory for Cameco’s accounting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, unless otherwise noted.

    • i. Financial instruments

      In October 2010, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued IFRS 9, Financial Instruments (IFRS 9). This standard is part of a wider project to replace IAS 39, Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement (IAS 39). IFRS 9 replaces the current multiple classification and measurement models for financial assets and liabilities with a single model that has only two classification categories: amortized cost and fair value. The basis of classification depends on the entity’s business model and the contractual cash flow characteristics of the financial asset or liability. The guidance in IAS 39 on impairment of financial assets and hedge accounting continues to apply. IFRS 9 is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2015, with early adoption permitted. Cameco does not intend to early adopt IFRS 9. The extent of the impact of adoption of IFRS 9 has not yet been determined.

    • ii. Consolidated financial statements

      In May 2011, the IASB issued IFRS 10, Consolidated Financial Statements (IFRS 10). This standard establishes principles for the presentation and preparation of consolidated financial statements when an entity controls one or more other entities. IFRS 10 defines the principle of control and establishes control as the basis for determining which entities are consolidated in the consolidated financial statements. Cameco performed a review of its investees and determined that adoption of this standard will not have a material impact on its financial statements.

    • iii. Joint arrangements

      In May 2011, the IASB issued IFRS 11, Joint Arrangements (IFRS 11). This standard establishes principles for financial reporting by parties to a joint arrangement. IFRS 11 requires a party to assess the rights and obligations arising from an arrangement in determining whether an arrangement is either a joint venture or a joint operation. Joint ventures are to be accounted for using the equity method while joint operations will continue to be accounted for using proportionate consolidation. Cameco performed a review of all arrangements and determined that Cameco’s interest in BPLP constitutes a joint venture. As a result, Cameco will no longer recognize its proportionate share of the revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities and cash flows of BPLP. Instead, Cameco will recognize its share of net assets and earnings on a single line in the consolidated statements of financial position and consolidated statements of earnings, with partner distributions being recognized in the consolidated statements of cash flows.

    • iv. Disclosure of interests in other entities

      In May 2011, the IASB issued IFRS 12, Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities (IFRS 12). This standard applies to entities that have an interest in a subsidiary, a joint arrangement, an associate or an unconsolidated structured entity. IFRS 12 integrates and makes consistent the disclosure requirements for a reporting entity’s interest in other entities and presents those requirements in a single standard. The adoption of IFRS12 is expected to increase the current level of disclosure of interests in other entities.

    • v. Fair value measurement

      In May 2011, the IASB issued IFRS 13, Fair Value Measurement (IFRS 13). This standard provides additional guidance where IFRS requires fair value to be used. IFRS 13 defines fair value, sets out in a single standard a framework for measuring fair value and establishes the required disclosures about fair value measurements. Cameco does not expect the adoption of IFRS 13 to have a material impact on its financial statements.

    • vi. Employee benefits

      In June 2011, the IASB issued an amended version of IAS 19, Employee Benefits (IAS 19). This amendment eliminates the ‘corridor method’ of accounting for defined benefit plans. Revised IAS 19 also accelerates the recognition of past service costs and requires a net interest approach. In addition, it streamlines the presentation of changes in assets and liabilities arising from defined benefit plans, and enhances the disclosure requirements. Cameco will retrospectively adopt the amendments in its financial statements. It is expected that the use of the net interest approach, which is the use of the discount rate as opposed to the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets, will have the greatest impact on the financial results. While this change will not materially impact Cameco’s plans, it is expected to increase Cameco’s share of the BPLP employee benefit costs for 2013 by approximately $24 million (2012 - $17 million). The difference between the actual return on plan assets and the discount rate will be recognized in other comprehensive income.

    • vii. Presentation of other comprehensive income

      In June 2011, the IASB issued an amended version of IAS 1, Presentation of Financial Statements (IAS 1). This amendment is effective for annual periods beginning on or after July 1, 2012 and requires companies preparing financial statements in accordance with IFRS to group together items within other comprehensive income (OCI) that may be reclassified to earnings. Revised IAS 1 also reaffirms existing requirements that items in OCI and earnings should be presented as either a single statement or two consecutive statements. The adoption of these amendments to IAS 1 will not have a material impact on the financial statements.

    • viii. Financial assets and financial liabilities

      In December 2011, the IASB issued amendments to IAS 32, Financial Instruments: Presentation (IAS 32) and IFRS 7, Financial Instruments: Disclosures (IFRS 7). The amendments are effective for periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013 for IFRS 7 and January 1, 2014 for IAS 32 and are to be applied retrospectively. These amendments clarify matters regarding offsetting financial assets and financial liabilities as well as related disclosure requirements. Cameco intends to adopt the amendments to IFRS 7 in its financial statements for the annual period beginning on January 1, 2013, and the amendments to IAS 32 in its financial statements for the annual period beginning January 1, 2014 and does not expect the amendments to have a material impact on the financial statements.