[36] Contingent liabilities and other financial commitments

The marked increase in guarantees was predominantly attributable to the inclusion of Dematic in the consolidation. In addition, guarantees of €1.9 million related to contingent liabilities assumed jointly with another shareholder of a joint venture (31 December 2015: €2.5 million). > TABLE 096

The legal risks arising from the KION Group’s business are typical of those faced by any company operating in this sector. The Group companies are a party in a number of pending lawsuits in various countries. The individual companies cannot assume with any degree of certainty that they will win any of the lawsuits or that the existing risk provision in the form of insurance or provisions will be sufficient in each individual case. However, the KION Group believes it is unlikely that these ongoing lawsuits will require funds to be utilised that exceed the provisions recognised.

Sundry other financial commitments included future payment obligations to an associate amounting to €1.3 million (31 December 2015: €2.0 million). > TABLE 097

The maturity structure of the total future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases is shown in > TABLE 098.

The future minimum lease payments relate to payments for leased buildings, machinery, office furniture and equipment (procurement leases) as well as payments for industrial trucks refinanced with a sale and leaseback and sub-leased to end customers (sale and leaseback sub-leases). > TABLE 099

The future minimum lease payments for sale and leaseback transactions not recognised in the statement of financial position amounting to €43.6 million (31 December 2015: €63.4 million) are partially offset by receipts under non-cancellable sub-leases amounting to €6.3 million (31 December 2015: €6.3 million). The future payments also include obligations arising from the refinancing of industrial trucks for which there were no offsetting receipts under short-term sub-leases as at the reporting date.