Personnel costs

31. Personnel costs

Personnel costs consist of the following:

(in thousands of Euros)
2007		2006
Salaries and wages	885,692	809,982
Stock option costs	1,513	6,069
Social security costs	196,806	185,600
Leaving indemnity and similar costs (*)	25,671	38,185
Defined contribution pension fund costs	19,608	8,296
Defined benefit pension fund costs	(3,444)	2,589
Defined benefit medical care plan costs	1,373	1,535
Long-service bonus costs	1,235	560
Defined contribution medical care plan costs	20,507	17,534
Other costs	7,209	5,421
1,156,170		1,075,771
* includes Italian and foreign companies

With regard to the amounts relating to employees’ leaving indemnity, pension funds and medical care defined benefit plans, reference should be made to “Employee benefit obligations” (Note 23).

“Leaving indemnity and similar costs” include a positive amount of Euros 5,186 thousand relating to the curtailment of the provision for employees’ severance indemnity which is explained in Note 23 – “Employee benefit obligations”.