Ethical Charter

Milchwerke Schwaben eG has established compliance with applicable laws and regulations as an unwavering principle.

It also reaffirms its moral obligation to conduct its activities with honesty, integrity, transparency and openness, whilst safeguarding the rights of its own employees.

The Ethical Charter defines the guiding principles that shape the development and structure of Milchwerke Schwaben eG: it applies to all employees, who must therefore act with due consideration in critical situations they may encounter in their dealings both within and outside the company.

The Ethical Charter reflects Milchwerke Schwaben eG’s responsibility towards all persons involved in its sphere of activity. This applies to:

Employees

Milchwerke Schwaben eG aims to promote and ensure a motivating, creative and non-discriminatory working environment for all employees and partners, one that respects the diversity and dignity of the individual.

Milchwerke Schwaben eG strives to maintain high-quality yet respectful human relationships at all levels. Within this framework, it is everyone’s responsibility to enable all employees to carry out their work under good physical and moral conditions. All individuals must be respected in the exercise of their responsibilities and positions.

Consumers and customers

Milchwerke Schwaben eG monitors food safety and the quality of its products in compliance with legal regulations, provisions and internal procedures. Our products must be safe to consume.

Suppliers, service providers and partners

Milchwerke Schwaben eG conducts its commercial relations in compliance with local legislation, internal guidelines and international standards relating to human rights and working conditions, environmental protection and ethics. Milchwerke Schwaben eG calls in particular on suppliers and partners to take a stand against corruption in all its forms and against the employment of minors.

Civil servants and government representatives

Milchwerke Schwaben eG is committed to building relationships based on honesty and integrity and pays particular attention to strict compliance with laws and regulations.

These commitments must be reflected in the work and conduct of every employee of the cooperative in every situation.

Milchwerke Schwaben eG promotes a working environment amongst colleagues based on courtesy, respect, recognition and discretion. Milchwerke Schwaben eG condemns harassment in any form.

Milchwerke Schwaben eG respects the diversity and privacy of every individual, prioritises the competence of its employees and prohibits any form of discrimination.

Milchwerke Schwaben eG also attaches great importance to diversity within the company and regards the diverse characteristics of its employees as an indispensable asset for the success of a sustainable business.

Furthermore, Milchwerke Schwaben eG promotes diversity and equal opportunities for all employees and candidates in recruitment, access to training, pay, social security, internal mobility and career development.

Personal responsibility

Every employee and volunteer must carry out their duties honestly, carefully, promptly, professionally, fairly and with ethical awareness.

Compliance with laws and regulations

Milchwerke Schwaben eG and its employees must comply with laws and other legal and tax requirements, as well as internal guidelines. Employees are obliged to be familiar with the laws and other regulations relevant to their respective roles. Any activity that poses a risk of unfair practices for the cooperative is strictly prohibited.

Relationships with customers

Milchwerke Schwaben eG attaches great importance to treating all customers, regardless of their size, honestly and fairly. It undertakes to offer its customers high-quality products and services that meet their requirements. Confidential, sensitive or private information relating to customers must under no circumstances be disclosed by an employee of Milchwerke Schwaben eG to a third party, unless required by the competent authority or permitted within the scope of a project or contract.

Health and safety are among the top priorities at Milchwerke Schwaben eG.

Milchwerke Schwaben eG is therefore committed to guaranteeing a safe working environment. The cooperative makes every effort to ensure the protection of its employees, to develop appropriate behaviour and to minimise risk factors in all workplaces.

To ensure the implementation of safe practices, Milchwerke Schwaben eG carries out risk assessments of individual workplaces and holds regular health and safety meetings.

Every employee is obliged to report any hazardous situations or accidents they observe and to help implement preventive measures. Compliance with safety rules is one of the most important obligations.

This obligation also applies to temporary employment agencies, external companies and visitors.

Sustainable development

Sustainability is a priority for Milchwerke Schwaben eG.

Milchwerke Schwaben eG is committed to complying with the applicable regulations and standards in the field of environmental protection, particularly with regard to energy and water consumption, air emissions, noise pollution, soil contamination and waste management. It strives to strengthen its environmental commitment and improve the management of its activities, for example by actively working to reduce the need for packaging materials.

This commitment to sustainable development is also reflected in the implementation of the QM-Milch module within our milk supply terms and conditions, a mandatory approach for our cooperative members aimed at improving product quality in pursuit of sustainable development, encompassing health guarantees, hygiene, animal welfare, environmental protection and the professional conduct of producers.

No waste

All employees are encouraged and made aware of the need to use the resources made available to them appropriately, taking into account the requirements of their work.

Compliance with the principles of free competition

Milchwerke Schwaben eG complies with national and international laws and regulations governing competition law in order to conduct fair and honest business relations within the framework of free competition.

Combating illegal payments and corruption / granting and accepting benefits

Milchwerke Schwaben eG’s policy is to prohibit all illegal payments and illegal practices of any kind. Employees of the cooperative must neither accept benefits nor respond to an offer from a person who claims to have real or perceived influence over a public or private individual and wishes to use this influence to secure a business deal or any decision whatsoever.

We expressly reject bribery. The offering or granting of benefits by employees to public officials or business partners, potential business partners or other third parties with the aim of securing contracts or other advantages is prohibited. Employees of Milchwerke Schwaben eG are not permitted to use their position within the company to demand or accept personal benefits.

The granting or acceptance of occasional or courtesy gifts (including invitations to meals or events) is permitted within reasonable and symbolic limits. Under no circumstances may the gift be ambiguous or clearly linked to the receipt of a benefit by a customer or supplier. Only if the gift is given sporadically and has only a symbolic value, if it is given or accepted in a transparent manner, and if it is an expression of courtesy, good manners and respect for other cultures, will it be approved by Milchwerke Schwaben eG.

Conflicts of interest

Employees of Milchwerke Schwaben eG are required to avoid situations in which their interests might conflict with those of the company. In this context, it is reminded that every employee has a duty of loyalty to the company.

Confidentiality and use of official information

The protection of personal data is a fundamental right that ensures individuals’ privacy. Milchwerke Schwaben eG and each of its employees are particularly committed to complying with laws and regulations regarding confidentiality and the protection of data relating to individuals, employees or third parties.

Every employee shall take care to protect sensitive and/or confidential data belonging to the company and/or relating to its activities, strategy, policies, products or other matters, regardless of the nature of the data or the medium on which it is stored. Users of Milchwerke Schwaben eG’s IT and communication systems must therefore demonstrate professional and responsible conduct and take care to uphold the positive image of the cooperative, its brands and products.

Fraud

Every employee of Milchwerke Schwaben eG must ensure the responsible use of the cooperative’s communication systems and resources in order to safeguard its interests and assets. Under no circumstances may employees act fraudulently or dishonestly with regard to the goods, products, finances or good reputation of Milchwerke Schwaben eG.

Competition law is one of the fundamental laws and regulations designed to ensure genuine and fair competition between businesses. Competition law imposes severe penalties on businesses or their employees who distort fair competition to the detriment of customers or suppliers, and ultimately consumers.

Prohibited conduct

Competition law, regardless of the country, prohibits conduct that aims to or results in a negative impact on competition, in particular through the artificial lowering or raising of prices, the exchange of information with competitors, or the division of geographical markets or customers.

Such conduct is strictly prohibited, regardless of whether it is intentional or unintentional.

Example: The following behaviours and practices must not be employed, regardless of the justification and even if they occur unintentionally:

1. Exchange of confidential information between competitors, even if this exchange is informal or takes place via a third party;
2. Discussions, even if informal and occasional, with competitors regarding prices or the division of markets or customers;
3. Exchange of emails between competitors;
4. Decisions taken with or in the presence of competitors (e.g. prices)

The consequences

The use of practices or conduct prohibited by competition law by an employee of Milchwerke Schwaben eG damages the entire company, regardless of whether this involves financial penalties or, more generally, damage to our company’s business reputation.

Financial penalties include:

1. Payment of a fine amounting to a specific percentage of our company’s total turnover;
2. substantial compensation payments to customers who have suffered as a result of this illegal practice;
3. possible criminal prosecution (fines or prison sentences) for those involved and/or responsible.

The consequences for our business reputation may be even more significant for the future of the cooperative.

Every employee must ensure compliance with competition law. Any failure to comply with the rules of competition law may result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.

The Ethical Charter serves as a guide to the standards of Milchwerke Schwaben eG. It contains a list and summary of the principles that must guide the actions and conduct of everyone within the company.

It is the responsibility of every employee to ensure that their own conduct and that of their team complies in every respect with the Ethical Charter, as well as with the instructions, regulations and procedures applicable within the company. We encourage business partners and employees to report misconduct and breaches of the law and these behavioural requirements – employees, for example, by contacting their line managers or the employee representatives; business partners may, for example, contact the relevant contact person at Milchwerke Schwaben eG.