10. Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits

The Company sponsors defined benefit pension plans in several countries in which it operates. The pension obligations relate primarily to the following: (a) a funded retirement plan in the United Kingdom and (b) both funded and unfunded retirement plans mainly in Austria, France, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, Poland, and Taiwan and which provide benefits based upon years of service and compensation at retirement.

The following table provides information about net periodic benefit cost for the pension plans during the three months and six months ended February 28, 2014 and 2013 (in thousands):


	Three months ended						Six months ended
	February 28, 2014			February 28, 2013			February 28, 2014			February 28, 2013
Service cost	$	312		$	437		$	621		$	879
Interest cost		1,703			1,518			3,368			3,044
Expected long-term return on plan assets		(1,539	)		(1,312	)		(3,038	)		(2,635	)
Amortization of prior service cost		(62	)		(7	)		(123	)		(13	)
Recognized actuarial loss		659			627			1,309			1,249

Net periodic benefit cost	$	1,073		$	1,263		$	2,137		$	2,524

During the six months ended February 28, 2014, the Company made contributions of approximately $2.2 million to its defined benefit pension plans. The Company expects to make total cash contributions of between $3.6 million and $4.4 million to its funded pension plans during fiscal year 2014.