Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct
Contents
Introduction 4
1. Legislation 5
2. Consumers and Customers 5
3. Employees 6
4. Conflict of interest 7
5. Suppliers Relationship 8
6. Environment 8
7. Integrity of financial reporting 9
8. Communication 10
9. Public Activities 11
10. Competition 12
11. Business Relations 12
12. Protecting confidential information 13
13. Compliance 14
Introduction
The objective of Friesland Foods is to manufacture and market
the company’s dairy- and fruit-based products in such a
way as to create value that can be sustained over the long
term for consumers, customers, shareholders, employees,
business partners and the communities in which Friesland
Foods operates. In order to create this value our first priority
is to be a profitable business and to improve the quality of
sales and profitability by increasing the proportion of total
sales attributable to differentiated branded products.
Friesland Foods recognizes that maintaining the trust and
confidence of shareholders, employees, consumers, customers
and other people with whom we do business, as well as the
communities in which Friesland Foods’ companies work, is
crucial to realize our objective.
We intend to merit this trust by conducting ourselves according
to the principles set out in this Code. It is the responsibility
of the management to ensure that all employees are aware of
these principles and behave in accordance with them.
Friesland Foods conducts its business with honesty and
integrity. We expect the same in our relationships with all
business partners.
1. Legislation
Friesland Foods companies are required to comply with the
law and regulations of the countries in which they operate in
pursuit of their legitimate commercial objectives.
2. Consumers and Customers
Friesland Foods aims to create value for consumers and customers
that can be sustained over the long term by offering a
wide range of high quality and safe dairy- and fruit-based
products.
Friesland Foods ensures that the products meet at least all
agreed or legally required standards for consumer health and
safety. In order to assure that Friesland Foods manufactures
safe and high quality products, Friesland Foods’ Food Safety
System has set high standards for raw materials, ingredients
and manufacturing- and packaging processes.
Friesland Foods has transparent and effective procedures
that address consumer complaints and contribute to fair and
timely resolutions of consumer disputes.
3. Employees
Friesland Foods regards its management and employees as
its most valuable assets. Involvement at all levels starts with
open communication, whether on specific aspects of the
business or about the activities of the company in general,
provided that this information is not of confidential nature.
The degree of current and future success to be enjoyed by
Friesland Foods depends largely on the quality of its
employees. For this reason, Friesland Foods wants to offer an
attractive, challenging and inspiring working environment
where employees are encouraged to develop themselves
both professionally and personally. This vision can only be
achieved with high-class employees; employees with the
motivation and the ability to secure competitive advantage.
Friesland Foods respects the human rights as a universal
standard. In countries where Friesland Foods’ companies are
present, human rights are supported when necessary, consistent
with the host government’s international obligations
and commitments and in accordance with what reasonably
can be expected from a commercial organization.
Code of Conduct
Within the framework of applicable law, regulations and prevailing
labour relations and employment practices, Friesland
Foods
• Refrains from any form of discrimination against employees
with respect to, employment or occupation on such ground
as race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national
extraction or social origin;
• Respects the right of its employees to join legally
recognized labour unions;
• Precludes the use of child labour and forced or
compulsory labour.
Friesland Foods is committed to provide a clean and safe
working environment for its employees in accordance with
best practice. Management and employees of Friesland Foods
have a duty to take every reasonable precaution to avoid
injury to themselves, their colleagues and members of the
public.
4. Conflict of interest
Friesland Foods requires its employees to avoid personal
activities and financial interests, which could conflict with
the execution of their jobs.
5. Suppliers Relationship
Friesland Foods aims to deal only with reputable suppliers
who are willing to apply Friesland Foods quality- and food
safety standards. Supplier relationships are benchmarked
and evaluated with the objective of striving for continued
improvement in the area of quality, service, etc.
6. Environment
Friesland Foods is committed to running its business in an
environmentally sound and sustainable manner.
Friesland Foods wants to achieve that its processes and
products have a minimal adverse environmental impact,
commensurate to its business activities. A systematic
approach is used towards environmental management in
order to achieve continuous improvement of the environmental
performance. In this way Friesland Foods contributes
to sustainable development by meeting the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.
Friesland Foods integrates its environmental policies and
programs into its business as an element of management.
Friesland Foods monitors on a yearly basis its environmental
performance.
7. Integrity of financial reporting
Friesland Foods’ accounting records and supporting documents
must accurately reflect the nature of the underlying
transactions in accordance with established accounting
standards. Friesland Foods is committed not to engage in any
conduct or to make any arrangements that result in a false or
artificial entry on any record, including employee expense
records. No undisclosed or unrecorded account, fund or asset
will be established or maintained.
Records must be maintained in all respects according to law,
the accounting principles and the policies and procedures
that Friesland Foods has adopted.
Friesland Foods will not knowingly evade tax obligations. All
taxable benefits, which employees may receive, will be listed
and declared for tax purposes.
8. Communication
Friesland Foods ensures that timely, regular, reliable and relevant
information is disclosed regarding its activities, financial
situation and performance.
Friesland Foods is and will continually be faced with social
and ethical issues. Friesland Foods actively participates in
these discussions.
Stakeholders may at any time address the company with
regard to its business conduct, as Friesland Foods is committed
to open communication with all stakeholders.
Friesland Foods has an open attitude to provide information,
as long as it doesn’t concern confidential information and as
long as the requested information can be provided against
reasonable costs.
9. Public Activities
Friesland Foods neither supports political parties, – organizations
or their representatives, nor contributes to the funds of
groups whose activities are intended to promote party interests.
In order to promote or defend Friesland Foods’ legitimate
business interests, management and employees of Friesland
Foods are encouraged, either directly or through bodies such
as trade associations, to raise questions and discuss government
actions or decisions.
Management and employees are encouraged to co-operate
with governments, agencies, officials and other organizations
in the development of proposed legislation and other regulations,
which may affect such legitimate interests.
Management and employees are also encouraged to
respond to requests from governments and other agencies
for information, observations or opinions on issues
relevant to the business and the community in which
Friesland Foods operates.
10. Competition
Within the framework of applicable laws and regulations
Friesland Foods conducts its activities in a fair and
competitive manner.
11. Business Relations
In many industries and countries, gifts and entertainment are
used to strengthen business relationships. Throughout the
world, one principle is common and clear: No gift, favour, or
entertainment will be accepted or provided if it will obligate or
appear to obligate the recipient.
Gifts or entertainment may be provided if they are reasonable
complements to business relationships, or of modest value,
and, in any event, not against the law or the policy of the
recipient’s company. The same applies to relations with
government officials. Giving cash or cash equivalents is not
allowed under any circumstances.
Accepting occasional gifts and entertainment may be appropriate
in developing business relationships. Gifts and entertainment
should further the business interests of Friesland
Foods and not be lavish or in excess of the generally accepted
business practices of one’s country and industry. Requesting
or soliciting personal gifts, favours, entertainment, or services,
is unacceptable. Accepting gifts of cash or cash equivalents is
also always unacceptable. Additionally, employees may not
exploit their position to solicit vendors, including financial
institutions, to provide individual preferential treatment in
pricing, terms, or loans.
If gifts and entertainment, whether provided or accepted,
involve any travel expenses or appear to be lavish or excessive,
an employee is required to obtain written approval from the
General Manager or the Board of Management in advance.
12. Protecting confidential
information
Employees of Friesland Foods companies must make sure
that confidential information is preserved and protected.
Confidential information is information that is exclusive to
the organization and either gives or could give Friesland
Foods a competitive advantage. It is information that could
lead to the loss of an existing competitive advantage, if it
became known in the public domain. This kind of information
may not be revealed to anyone outside the organization.
13. Compliance
This code applies to all Friesland Foods companies in all
countries where they operate.
It is the responsibility of the Board of Management of
Friesland Foods to ensure that the principles embodied in this
Code are communicated to, understood and observed by all
employees.
The general principles contained in this Code are the bedrock;
for several principles compliance is covered through the
policies and procedures that already exists and/or further
will be developed.
Friesland Foods’ compliance with its Code is regularly monitored.
Findings and recommendations are reported to the
Board of Management.
Friesland Foods
Blankenstein 142
7943 PE Meppel
The Netherlands
T +31 522 276 276
F +31 522 276 444
http://www.frieslandfoods.com
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CoC
Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct
Contents
Introduction 4
1. Legislation 5
2. Consumers and Customers 5
3. Employees 6
4. Conflict of interest 7
5. Suppliers Relationship 8
6. Environment 8
7. Integrity of financial reporting 9
8. Communication 10
9. Public Activities 11
10. Competition 12
11. Business Relations 12
12. Protecting confidential information 13
13. Compliance 14
Introduction
The objective of Friesland Foods is to manufacture and market
the company’s dairy- and fruit-based products in such a
way as to create value that can be sustained over the long
term for consumers, customers, shareholders, employees,
business partners and the communities in which Friesland
Foods operates. In order to create this value our first priority
is to be a profitable business and to improve the quality of
sales and profitability by increasing the proportion of total
sales attributable to differentiated branded products.
Friesland Foods recognizes that maintaining the trust and
confidence of shareholders, employees, consumers, customers
and other people with whom we do business, as well as the
communities in which Friesland Foods’ companies work, is
crucial to realize our objective.
We intend to merit this trust by conducting ourselves according
to the principles set out in this Code. It is the responsibility
of the management to ensure that all employees are aware of
these principles and behave in accordance with them.
Friesland Foods conducts its business with honesty and
integrity. We expect the same in our relationships with all
business partners.
1. Legislation
Friesland Foods companies are required to comply with the
law and regulations of the countries in which they operate in
pursuit of their legitimate commercial objectives.
2. Consumers and Customers
Friesland Foods aims to create value for consumers and customers
that can be sustained over the long term by offering a
wide range of high quality and safe dairy- and fruit-based
products.
Friesland Foods ensures that the products meet at least all
agreed or legally required standards for consumer health and
safety. In order to assure that Friesland Foods manufactures
safe and high quality products, Friesland Foods’ Food Safety
System has set high standards for raw materials, ingredients
and manufacturing- and packaging processes.
Friesland Foods has transparent and effective procedures
that address consumer complaints and contribute to fair and
timely resolutions of consumer disputes.
3. Employees
Friesland Foods regards its management and employees as
its most valuable assets. Involvement at all levels starts with
open communication, whether on specific aspects of the
business or about the activities of the company in general,
provided that this information is not of confidential nature.
The degree of current and future success to be enjoyed by
Friesland Foods depends largely on the quality of its
employees. For this reason, Friesland Foods wants to offer an
attractive, challenging and inspiring working environment
where employees are encouraged to develop themselves
both professionally and personally. This vision can only be
achieved with high-class employees; employees with the
motivation and the ability to secure competitive advantage.
Friesland Foods respects the human rights as a universal
standard. In countries where Friesland Foods’ companies are
present, human rights are supported when necessary, consistent
with the host government’s international obligations
and commitments and in accordance with what reasonably
can be expected from a commercial organization.
Code of Conduct
Within the framework of applicable law, regulations and prevailing
labour relations and employment practices, Friesland
Foods
• Refrains from any form of discrimination against employees
with respect to, employment or occupation on such ground
as race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national
extraction or social origin;
• Respects the right of its employees to join legally
recognized labour unions;
• Precludes the use of child labour and forced or
compulsory labour.
Friesland Foods is committed to provide a clean and safe
working environment for its employees in accordance with
best practice. Management and employees of Friesland Foods
have a duty to take every reasonable precaution to avoid
injury to themselves, their colleagues and members of the
public.
4. Conflict of interest
Friesland Foods requires its employees to avoid personal
activities and financial interests, which could conflict with
the execution of their jobs.
5. Suppliers Relationship
Friesland Foods aims to deal only with reputable suppliers
who are willing to apply Friesland Foods quality- and food
safety standards. Supplier relationships are benchmarked
and evaluated with the objective of striving for continued
improvement in the area of quality, service, etc.
6. Environment
Friesland Foods is committed to running its business in an
environmentally sound and sustainable manner.
Friesland Foods wants to achieve that its processes and
products have a minimal adverse environmental impact,
commensurate to its business activities. A systematic
approach is used towards environmental management in
order to achieve continuous improvement of the environmental
performance. In this way Friesland Foods contributes
to sustainable development by meeting the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.
Friesland Foods integrates its environmental policies and
programs into its business as an element of management.
Friesland Foods monitors on a yearly basis its environmental
performance.
7. Integrity of financial reporting
Friesland Foods’ accounting records and supporting documents
must accurately reflect the nature of the underlying
transactions in accordance with established accounting
standards. Friesland Foods is committed not to engage in any
conduct or to make any arrangements that result in a false or
artificial entry on any record, including employee expense
records. No undisclosed or unrecorded account, fund or asset
will be established or maintained.
Records must be maintained in all respects according to law,
the accounting principles and the policies and procedures
that Friesland Foods has adopted.
Friesland Foods will not knowingly evade tax obligations. All
taxable benefits, which employees may receive, will be listed
and declared for tax purposes.
8. Communication
Friesland Foods ensures that timely, regular, reliable and relevant
information is disclosed regarding its activities, financial
situation and performance.
Friesland Foods is and will continually be faced with social
and ethical issues. Friesland Foods actively participates in
these discussions.
Stakeholders may at any time address the company with
regard to its business conduct, as Friesland Foods is committed
to open communication with all stakeholders.
Friesland Foods has an open attitude to provide information,
as long as it doesn’t concern confidential information and as
long as the requested information can be provided against
reasonable costs.
9. Public Activities
Friesland Foods neither supports political parties, – organizations
or their representatives, nor contributes to the funds of
groups whose activities are intended to promote party interests.
In order to promote or defend Friesland Foods’ legitimate
business interests, management and employees of Friesland
Foods are encouraged, either directly or through bodies such
as trade associations, to raise questions and discuss government
actions or decisions.
Management and employees are encouraged to co-operate
with governments, agencies, officials and other organizations
in the development of proposed legislation and other regulations,
which may affect such legitimate interests.
Management and employees are also encouraged to
respond to requests from governments and other agencies
for information, observations or opinions on issues
relevant to the business and the community in which
Friesland Foods operates.
10. Competition
Within the framework of applicable laws and regulations
Friesland Foods conducts its activities in a fair and
competitive manner.
11. Business Relations
In many industries and countries, gifts and entertainment are
used to strengthen business relationships. Throughout the
world, one principle is common and clear: No gift, favour, or
entertainment will be accepted or provided if it will obligate or
appear to obligate the recipient.
Gifts or entertainment may be provided if they are reasonable
complements to business relationships, or of modest value,
and, in any event, not against the law or the policy of the
recipient’s company. The same applies to relations with
government officials. Giving cash or cash equivalents is not
allowed under any circumstances.
Accepting occasional gifts and entertainment may be appropriate
in developing business relationships. Gifts and entertainment
should further the business interests of Friesland
Foods and not be lavish or in excess of the generally accepted
business practices of one’s country and industry. Requesting
or soliciting personal gifts, favours, entertainment, or services,
is unacceptable. Accepting gifts of cash or cash equivalents is
also always unacceptable. Additionally, employees may not
exploit their position to solicit vendors, including financial
institutions, to provide individual preferential treatment in
pricing, terms, or loans.
If gifts and entertainment, whether provided or accepted,
involve any travel expenses or appear to be lavish or excessive,
an employee is required to obtain written approval from the
General Manager or the Board of Management in advance.
12. Protecting confidential
information
Employees of Friesland Foods companies must make sure
that confidential information is preserved and protected.
Confidential information is information that is exclusive to
the organization and either gives or could give Friesland
Foods a competitive advantage. It is information that could
lead to the loss of an existing competitive advantage, if it
became known in the public domain. This kind of information
may not be revealed to anyone outside the organization.
13. Compliance
This code applies to all Friesland Foods companies in all
countries where they operate.
It is the responsibility of the Board of Management of
Friesland Foods to ensure that the principles embodied in this
Code are communicated to, understood and observed by all
employees.
The general principles contained in this Code are the bedrock;
for several principles compliance is covered through the
policies and procedures that already exists and/or further
will be developed.
Friesland Foods’ compliance with its Code is regularly monitored.
Findings and recommendations are reported to the
Board of Management.
Friesland Foods
Blankenstein 142
7943 PE Meppel
The Netherlands
T +31 522 276 276
F +31 522 276 444
http://www.frieslandfoods.com
Filed under: what'z D comment? | Leave a comment »