Code of Ethics

 

A. Implementation

 

  1. CSP Zeebrugge Terminal is committed to conducting business according to the highest standards of integrity, in strict compliance with all applicable international and national laws and regulations.  Present Customer and Supplier Code of Ethics (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Code’) sets forth non-negotiable minimum standards that CSP Zeebrugge Terminal expects from their Customers and Suppliers (hereinafter also referred to as ‘partners’) when conducting business with or on their behalf. By entering into a contract with CSP Zeebrugge Terminal, the Customer and/or the Supplier commits that all agreements and business relationships with CSP Zeebrugge Terminal are subject to the conditions contained herein.
  2. Our partners are required to acknowledge and commit to the adherence of responsible business principles of present Code of Ethics.  We assess our Customers’ and Suppliers’ compliance with the Code through a combination of audits, self-assessments and documentation reviews. Partners should address any gaps in the implementation of this Code by establishing and implementing a time-bound improvement plan in consultation with CSP Zeebrugge Terminal. Periodic reviews and follow-up audits as per our internal risk procedures are conducted to monitor the compliance levels.
  3. We expect and encourage our partners to develop and implement relevant management systems, appropriate for a company of their size and industry to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations and the requirements of the Code.
  4. The underlying objective of this Code is to establish a basis for positive development of responsible procurement practices through regular dialogues and ongoing working relationships. However, in the incident of severe violations of the Code, we reserve the right to take actions including and up to termination of contracts.

B. Working conditions and employment practices

 

  1. CSP Zeebrugge’s partners must strictly commit to respecting the protection of internationally proclaimed Human Rights as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  In addition to local legislation, the partner should respect and adhere to internationally recognized labor and human rights standards, as defined amongst others in the United Nations Global Compact.2. The partner shall not discriminate, either in (1) its relations to
  2. CSP Zeebrugge Terminal or any other person or entity, or (2) in hiring and employment practices, on the grounds of criteria such as race, color, religion, sex, age, gender, ethnicity, disability, pregnancy, generation, national origin, language or sexual orientation. Every employee has the right to work in an environment that is free from offensive and inappropriate behavior. Extra measures and precautions will be taken to respect the rights and wellbeing of migrant workers, whose rights may be at risk or who may lack access to basic public services.
  3. The partner must also, under no circumstances, use or in any other way benefit from forced, involuntary or compulsory labor as set forth in the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) Conventions n° 29 and n°105. The use of labor under any form of indentured servitude is prohibited, as is the use of physical and mental punishment, confinement, threats of violence and intimidation or any other form of harassment or abuse as a method of discipline or control. The partner shall not use factories or production facilities that force work to be performed by unpaid or indentured laborers, nor shall the partner collaborate with subcontractors or any other parties that engage in such practices or utilize such facilities.
  4. The partner must not employ, in any manner whatsoever, persons under the minimum age required for work, in accordance with national legislations and/or ILO’s Conventions n°138 and n° 182, whichever is more stringent.
  5. The partner must ensure that its employees work in compliance with all applicable laws and mandatory industry standards pertaining to the number of hours and days worked. It shall ensure that employment terms are clearly understood by workers and are explained verbally or provided in a written contract in a language they understand.
  6. CSP Zeebrugge Terminal recognizes that wages are essential to meeting employees’ basic needs and therefore also requires its partners to ensure that they will at the least pay the minimum wage and mandated benefits required by local laws.
  7. CSP Zeebrugge Terminal also requires its partners to respect its employees’ right to associate freely, form or join organizations of their choosing and to bargain collectively in full freedom. CSP Zeebrugge Terminal recognizes the employees’ right to refrain from collective representation, and is committed to conducting collective bargaining with freely chosen employee representatives of legally recognized trade unions. CSP Zeebrugge Terminal therefor expects its partners to adhere thereto. CSP Zeebrugge Terminal also requires its partners to follow fair disciplinary, grievance and dismissal procedures which are defined by company policies and collective bargaining agreements.
  8. The partner shall also ensure that it provides the necessary guarantees to protect the rights of whistleblowers in accordance with Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law, as adopted under Belgian Law.

C. Health, safety & security

 

  1. The partner shall provide its employees with safe and healthy working conditions, and shall implement precautionary measures against accidents and occupational diseases.  In addition, the partner must provide training and ensure that employees are educated in health and safety issues.  The partner must comply with all applicable laws concerning working conditions, including but not limited to worker health and safety, sanitation, fire safety, risk protection, protection against hazardous risks, risk protection by implementing a safety management system such as OHSAS 18001, this with worker participation in the safety committees.
  2. The partner strives to achieve best practices for the environment and ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in the country where products or services are manufactured or delivered. The partner’s compliance with such rules must be evidenced by the existence of an effective environmental management system such as ISO 14001.  This system should include emergency procedures in case of an accidental discharge, pollution or any other environmental emergency, should take into account the storage of hazardous and combustible materials in safe areas, should monitor, measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, should establish programs to minimize industrial waste and promote recycling.
  3. The partner shall ensure protection of its workforce by providing basic personal protective equipment appropriate to the nature of the work and relevant training on health and safety systems and issues. In addition, the partner shall empower its workers to report unsafe practices without fear of reprisal.

D. Business ethics

 

We require our partners to conduct their business by adopting the highest standards of ethical behavior. Partners therefore represent and warrant that they and all of their employees, representatives and intermediaries shall:

    1. avoid participation in or knowingly benefit from, any kind of corruption, extortion or bribery;
    2. adhere to applicable anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws, directives and regulations that govern operations in the countries in which they operate, including but not limited to the Law of 18 September 2017 (Law on the prevention of money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the restriction of the use of cash). Any and all forms of corruption are strictly forbidden. In all its activities, the partner may never, either directly or through intermediaries, offer or promise any personal or improper advantage in order to obtain or retain a business or other advantage from a partner, whether public or private. Nor may the partner accept any such advantage in return;
    3. avoid facilitation payments and work towards eliminating it;
    4. adhere to all applicable anti-trust or competition laws and regulations. These laws deal with agreements among competitors or suppliers/customers, discrimination practices, cartels, price fixing and other agreements or practices that may reduce competition;
    5. disclose any potential or actual conflict of interest to CSP Zeebrugge Terminal;
    6. adhere to national and international foreign trade control laws pertaining to business transactions with countries, companies and persons, and the transfer of goods and services, software or technology between countries (export controls). As such, the partner’s transactions must comply with economic sanction-embargo laws and regulations published by a relevant governmental entity, including but not limited to the United States, the European Union and the United Nations. The partner guarantees that it is not part of a sanctioned parties list and shall immediately notify CSP Zeebrugge Terminal if it becomes listed.
    7. exercise quality and sustainability due diligence when designing, manufacturing, and testing products;
    8. adhere to data privacy laws and comply to contractual requirements on confidentiality and information security.

E. Compliance

 

CSP Zeebrugge Terminal reserves its right, upon reasonable notice, to audit the compliance of the partner’s activities with the requirement of this Code.  CSP Zeebrugge Terminal encourages its partner to implement internal binding guidelines to ensure the compliance of its activities and its own subcontractor’s activities with the ethical standards set forth herein.  Any breach of the obligations stipulated in this Code is considered as a material breach of the contract by the partner.  CSP Zeebrugge Terminal reserves the right to terminate any agreement signed with the partner in case of breach of one of the sections or articles in this Code. The partner shall indemnify and hold harmless CSP Zeebrugge Terminal, its servants, agents, subcontractors or any party it cooperates with in respect of losses, expenses, claims, fines, reasonable attorney fees and costs of whatever nature incurred by reason of non-compliance with the above-mentioned statements.