We have set up a centralised system for reporting violations of EU law, the Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG) and the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) for our group of companies. This complaints procedure makes it possible to report relevant information on legal violations, human rights and environmental risks as well as supply chain violations.

You can decide whether you wish to submit your report anonymously, which contact details you wish to provide and whether you wish to receive feedback. If you decide in favour of a non-anonymous report and provide contact details, you will receive confirmation of receipt of your report within 7 days via the communication channel you have specified. Within 3 months, you will receive information on how your report has been handled and the measures taken.

Your report will be forwarded directly to our external ombudsman’s office (datenschutz nord GmbH, Dominik Bleckmann, fully qualified lawyer). Our external ombudsman’s office will process the report confidentially and on its own responsibility. After an initial review, the ombudsman’s office will initiate further follow-up measures.

You can submit your reports by:

• in person after making an appointment,
• by sending a written report by post,
• by telephone
• electronically by email

Datenschutz nord GmbH, Konsul-Smidt-Str. 88, 28217 Bremen

Telephone: +49 421 6966 32 349

Email address: compliance@dsn-group.de

Please state which company is involved or affected when submitting your report.

You can submit reports on legal violations or abusive behaviour, in particular in the following areas:

• Public procurement
• Financial services, financial products and markets and prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing,
• Product safety and compliance
• Transport safety
• Environmental protection
• Animal health and public health
• Consumer protection
• Protection of privacy and personal data and security of network and information systems
• Infringements of the Union’s financial interests within the meaning of Article 325 TFEU and as more precisely defined in relevant Union measures
• Infringements of internal market rules within the meaning of Article 26(2) TFEU, including infringements of Union rules on competition and State aid, as well as infringements of internal market rules in relation to acts in breach of corporate tax rules or in relation to agreements aimed at obtaining a tax advantage contrary to the object or purpose of the applicable corporate tax law.
• Violations of the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG).
• Violations subject to criminal penalties
• Violations of standards to protect life, limb and health or employees and their representative bodies subject to fines
• Protection of privacy and personal data and security of network and information systems
• Food safety

This list is not exhaustive. You can also submit reports on other relevant violations. If you are unsure whether your report falls within the scope of application, you can contact our ombudsman’s office.

The complaints procedure is intended to give any person or group of persons the opportunity to submit relevant information to our company and thus draw attention to human rights risks. However, the group of whistleblowers also has the opportunity to report suspected violations so that damage can be averted or minimised immediately. This complaints procedure gives whistleblowers the opportunity to report human rights and environmental risks as well as violations of human rights or environmental obligations and legal violations within the meaning of the LkSG that have arisen as a result of our company’s business activities in its own business area or in the supply chain.

Reports on other areas not listed are also processed. The same and aforementioned requirements apply here. 

We guarantee confidentiality and protection against reprisals for any whistleblower who reports information about potential violations of laws, regulations or internal guidelines. We will treat all reports from whistleblowers confidentially and will not pass on any personal data without consent.