BVL Code of Conduct Extras

Preamble

Bundesvereinigung Logistik (BVL) is a neutral platform for logistics managers in the top echelons of industry, trade, services and the world of academia. It generates ideas and stimuli for cross-sector and future-oriented logistics concepts for the purchasing and logistics functions (supply chain management) in order to secure the competitiveness of companies in Germany and abroad.

The purpose of BVL is to promote interdisciplinary vocational training as well as tofurther academic work and research in Germany and abroad. In particular, this goal is to be achieved by the role of BVL as a neutral platform that engenders a deeper understanding of logistics in industry, academia and the public at large, that systematically documents logistics problems, that develops methods and techniques for interdisciplinary and sector-focused problem solutions, and that promotes and continuously optimises the application of these solutions.

BVL is committed to lawful, socially responsible and ethical business practices. BVL expects the same standard of conduct from its members, from all persons working for BVL on a full-time, part-time or honorary basis and from all persons with whom BVL maintains business relations or who attend events staged by BVL. 

This Code of Conduct stipulates the central requirements for the conduct BVL expects of members, employees, business associates and event participants with regard to compliance with laws and regulations. Our aim is to ensure compliance with these requirements in trust-based cooperation with all aforementioned partners. This Code of Conduct applies to BVL and all its subsidiaries.

Art. 1 Board and Management

1. The Board and the management work together closely to promote the interests of BVL. This cooperation is based on mutual trust. The Board and the management are under an obligation of transparency, disclosure and confidentiality vis-à-vis BVL and its various bodies.
2. The Board and the management ensure compliance with the legal regulations and the internal association rules and promote the same compliance on the part of members.
3. The management and the Board are jointly responsible for ensuring the adequate supply of information to the Board. The management informs the Board fully, regularly and in a timely manner about all issues that are of relevance for BVL in the area of planning, business development, risk exposure, risk management and compliance as well as about changes in the business environment that are of significance for BVL. The management also outlines business developments that deviate from the proposed plans and objectives and states reasons for these deviations.
4. The Board and the management ensure the existence of adequate risk management and risk controlling systems at BVL. It is assured that legal issues are handled by suitably qualified internal employees or external consultants.

Art. 2 Gratifications, Conflicts of Interest, Secondary Employment

1. Persons who work full-time, part-time or on an honorary basis for BVL:
1. a. may not in connection with these activities demand or accept gratifications or other benefits from third parties for themselves or for others or create unjustified advantages for third parties
2. b. may not pursue personal interests in their decisions or exploit for themselves business opportunities that belong to BVL 
3. c. should disclose conflicts of interest without delay and inform the Board and/or the management accordingly.
2. All business dealings between BVL on the one side and the members of the Board and the management or persons or enterprises with whom they are closely associated on the other must comply with the standards that are customary in the sector. Significant dealings with the aforementioned persons require the approval of the Board, insofar as the Board is not itself responsible for representing the association in such dealings.
3. Members of the management should only take on secondary employment, in particular mandates in supervisory bodies, with the consent of the Board.

Art. 3 Antitrust Guidelines

1. BVL explicitly opposes all agreements or agreed forms of conduct between companies which are designed to or have the effect of restricting, falsifying or preventing competition. BVL also rejects all efforts to attain and abuse market power as well as all attempts to coordinate and restrict the competitive conduct of independent market participants.
2. BVL expects its members, its full-time, part-time and honorary members and employees and all participants at BVL events to always avoid all forms of conduct and all preparatory actions that are in violation of the antitrust regulations.
3. The Board and the management actively endeavour to prevent conduct that is in violation of the antitrust regulations where there are indications that such conduct occurs.
4. The Board and the management reserve the right to impose sanctions on members, full-time, part-time and honorary employees, and participants at BVL events in the case of violation of the provisions of the antitrust regulations.

Art. 4 Data Protection

BVL understands data protection as the comprehensive protection of all data relating to individuals and the association from all forms of misuse. 

BVL respects the constitutionally protected right to informational self-determination and in particular complies with the provisions of the national and regional data protection legislation.

The Board and the management actively endeavour to prevent conduct that is in violation of the data protection regulations where there are indications that such conduct occurs.

The Board and the management reserve the right to impose sanctions on members, full-time, part-time and honorary employees, and participants at BVL events in the case of violation of the provisions of the data protection regulations.

Art. 5 Anti-Discrimination

BVL rejects all forms of discrimination. BVL makes an active contribution towards preserving the constitutionally guaranteed right to equal treatment and towards the avoidance of all forms of discrimination.

Art. 6 Protecting the Reputation of BVL

In the performance of its duties, BVL relies on its outstanding reputation. The members of the association and all full-time, part-time and honorary employees of BVL should make an active contribution towards maintaining and further improving the reputation of BVL.

Art. 7 Work Safety

BVL is convinced that work safety is a necessary precondition for the performance of work of all kinds. BVL creates the technical, organisational and personnel preconditions to ensure safe working practices and the avoidance of health risks during the performance of work duties.

BVL recognises all legal principles relating to safety at the workplace, in particular the German Health and Safety at Work Act and the German Workplace Safety Act and painstakingly implements the corresponding legal regulations.

Art. 8 Compliance

BVL, its Board and the management recognise their responsibility for compliance with the legal regulations and internal association guidelines. In this spirit, BVL, the Board and the management take all reasonable measures to ensure the ruleconsistent behaviour of BVL, its various bodies, its full-time, part-time and honorary employees, and its members. Moreover, the benchmark for the actions of BVL is compliance with all societal guidelines and values as well as with moral and ethical standards.

Art. 9 Concluding Provision

BVL will regularly review this code and amend it as and when necessary.  All questions relating to the code can be directed to the Board and the management.