66 INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALIZATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE DIE6 SIGNS THE GWW CODE OF HONOUR The Code of Conduct, which was recently drawn up by the German Promotional Products Association (GWW) and its member associations AKW, bwg, BWL and the PSI, is widely acknowledged within and beyond the promotional products industry and is welcomed as an important and correct step towards further professionalization and quality assurance in the prospering industry. The 15 renowned promotional product companies which are affiliated with the DIE6 Group also unequivocally committed themselves to comply with the industry’s Code of Conduct. During the PSI Fair, they handed over the document with the set of rules, which they had all signed, to the Managing Director of GWW, Patrick Politze. “We commit ourselves to the principles of ethical corporate governance which have been defined by the Association. We shall also adhere to the principles of social responsibility and believe that we will thereby contribute to the longterm development and professionalization of the entire industry. The GWW can count on the support of the DIE6 Group during the following steps in implementing the Code of Conduct”, stated Holger Kapanski, the Managing Director of DIE6. On this occasion Patrick Politze again stressed the importance of the new agreements: “We have succeeded in defining a far-reaching consensus on the rules of conduct that apply to the industry. This code of honour will now be the standard for the actions PSI Journal 3/2012 www.psi-network.de Holger Kapanski (right) hands over the GWW Code of Honour signed by the DIE6 Group to Patrick Politze. and conduct of all market participants. We reject any form of discrimination and value fair working conditions and the responsible management of natural resources – all of which are principles which simply must apply to all firms operating in Germany.” RESPONSIBLE CORPORATE GOVERNANCE The Code of Conduct, which is the first step towards a more comprehensive set of standards, defines a common basic understanding of responsible corporate governance from an economic, technological, social and ecological standpoint. The voluntary commitment is oriented towards internationally applicable agreements, which include the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” of the United Nations as well as the recognition of European social standards, the acceptance of the regulations on youth labour, the respect for human rights and the responsible commitment to environmental and climate protection. Besides the commitment to responsible behaviour and fair and decent business conduct with consideration to ethical and moral values, the provisions focus on compliance with competition laws and the respect of the industrial property rights of third parties. REGULAR CONTROL The further development of industry standards into a Code of Conduct also calls for regular control. An independent committee, which will be set up to monitor compliance and to support firms during implementation, will provide a verifiable checklist of procedures and conditions, which coincide with the standards of the existing Code of Conduct. As proof of compliance, the participating firms shall receive a seal of approval. This seal will signalize to every purchaser of promotional products the high standard and quality of the seller. This also significantly increases the reliability of purchases. www.gww.de <

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