Relationships with our Environement

We maintain an open dialogue with community authorities and organizations and with our neighbors.

It is our conviction that policies of full information, mutual respect and open behavior are in the long term the best foundation on which to build and maintain good relationships with the many different stakeholders in the environment in which we work.

We are happy to work in close cooperation with all our contacts in this environment and believe that there are benefits for all parties to be gained from effective collaboration.

We work with partners and contractors who respect our organizational policies.

Integrity and trust can be affected by personal conflicts of interest.

Openness with respect to underlying interests is important to us.

We pay attention to personal interests and motivation and to the negative effects that our activities can have on them.

We make a conscious effort to communicate our business policies both existing ones and those still being developed - comprehensively and in detail in order to make clear what we expect from our partners and contractors and what our stakeholders can expect from us.

Partners, suppliers and contractors

We work in close cooperation with our partners, contractors and suppliers and recognize the mutual benefits to be derived from durable relationships and reasonable terms and conditions.

Evenin the light of all the advantages obtainable from long-term connections with suppliers, we avoid any agreements, which might be construed as restricting fair competition.

While we believe in using all appropriate and legitimate means to further the best interests of our businesses and to achieve our high levels of product and service quality, we are committed to irreproachable integrity in all our business relations.

We account for the socio-cultural norms and business practices of our operated areas, provided they are not at variance with our in open, serious and objective dialogue with us.

Even against a background of differing understandings of roles and problems, we endeavor to accept diverging interests as an opportunity to widen our view of one another. As far as possible, we will work together to resolve conflicts and strive to promote stakeholder involvement.

Collaboration with universities

Where we see mutual advantages , we contribute our knowledge and expertise in applied research and technology,

and acquire new insights by commissioning scientific research projects and reviews in exchange.

In our search for valuable synergies, we collaborate and cooperate with our contractors.

Regulatory bodies, political environment, governments

We are making positive contributions to the establishment of national and international norms in collaboration with technical and scientific organizations and other interest groups.

Our approach to the development of laws and norms is proactive, with particular emphasis on assistance in pre-legislative consultation. Any personal financial support can be misinterpreted and is therefore prohibited.

Our function in the political environment as we see it is to provide expert services.

Wherever there is an acknowledged need for specific, relevant information to support decision-making, we can make accurate factual information available.

We are interested in economic policy and we respect national sovereignties.

Neighbourhood environment, local residents and social investment

We maintain an open dialogue with community authorities and organizations and with our neighbors.

We aim to create a climate of confidence in which all those affected by our presence and our operations can articulate their interests. Where there are conflicts of interest, we seek mutually acceptable solutions.

It is our commitment to support communities in our environment of operation and invest in viable and fairly selected social projects. These projects must benefit the community in the sense of meeting their basic needs and enhance skills and knowledge.

We seek collaboration with acknowledged partners in this field for high effectiveness.

Communications

We believe in open communication within and outside the company, and that the individual information requirements of employees are satisfied timely within confidentiality adapted to their needs.

We maintain open contacts with trade associations and organizations and relevant interest groups. Employee information is considered of great importance by the board.

It is provided in the form of objectives, meetings, personal presentations, and the company portal, in electronic form and via print media. Regular meetings with staff are part of our management style.