2016 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY REPORT (CSR)
4
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMITMENTS
Grand Paris Express project is to contribute to the French capital’s
economic growth while limiting high carbon travel in the area.
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Global Product Solutions division
As explained in Section 4.1 of this Registration Document, in recent
years, Assystem has been working closely with a major aircraft
manufacturer to reduce commercial aircraft engine operating costs.
Leveraging its expertise in propulsion systems, the Group is able to
propose technical adjustments and new maintenance procedures
that help to reduce the engines’ energy use and, consequently, their
environmental footprint.
Recently, a project has been undertaken for a German manufacturer
to raise productivity and improve the efficiency of its plants. Drawing
on more than 20 years’ experience in the industry and a sound
knowledge of the technologies used by the Factory of the Future,
Assystem set up a predictive maintenance system that reduces energy
and machine maintenance needs at these plants.
4.5
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMITMENTS
4.5.1
A FAIR AND RESPONSIBLE PLAYER
4.5.1.1
Ethics and governance
Since 22 May 2014 Assystem has been administered by a Board of
Directors. This method of administration provides a form of governance
that is more closely aligned with management, while ensuring adequate
oversight by independent directors.
The Board is assisted by two Committees, the Audit Committee and the
Nominations and Remuneration Committee, whose respective roles are
described in Chapter 2, Section 2.1.2.1 of this Registration Document.
All of the changes that took place in 2016 or are planned in 2017
concerning the membership of the Board of Directors (increase in the
number of women directors, compliance with the provisions of the
“Rebsamen Act” of 17 August 2015 on the election of a director
representing employees) and the roles and responsibilities of the Board
of Directors and the Board Committees (alignment of the Securities
Trading Code of Conduct and the Board of Directors’ Rules of Procedure
with European Union Regulation no. 596/2014 dated 16 April 2014
on market abuse (the MAR) and its implementing legislation, which
entered into force on 3 July 2016) are presented in Section 2 of this
Registration Document.
Overseen by its Chairman and main shareholder, Dominique Louis,
Assystem’s management team is made up primarily of engineers who
hold or previously held operational positions in the Company. This is
concrete evidence that within the Group, responsibility is based on
expertise and initiative.
Assystem’s senior management attaches great importance to maintaining
efficient decision-making processes and guaranteeing the free flow of
information within the Group. This concern stems in particular from the
choice of a decentralised management structure to run the Group’s
increasingly globalised business.
4.5.1.2
Business ethics
Employing fair business practices is one of the Group’s key priorities.
Assystem has had a Code of Ethics since 2006 and it now also has
a Code of Business Conduct that provides practical guidance on the
application of the Group’s ethical values by defining and describing the
principles and behaviours to be followed when conducting business.
The Code of Business Conduct adds to but does not replace pre-existing
local policies, such as the Business Ethics procedure in the United
Kingdom. Its purpose is to ensure that the Group’s Code of Ethics is
applied consistently in all countries, taking into account the differences
in local business practices.
The Code of Business Conduct describes four specific policies:
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policy concerning gifts and invitations. Gifts given or accepted by
executives and employees must be:
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of reasonable and symbolic value,
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occasional,
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in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations and
consistent with local practices,
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transparently recorded in Assystem’s accounts (gifts given to third
parties);
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anti-bribery policy. Executives and employees must give the following
undertakings:
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never to solicit money, gifts, invitations or any other form of bribe,
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never to offer, give or promise gifts, invitations or any other form
of bribe to a public official or private individual in order to obtain
a benefit or preferential treatment, or to influence the completion
of a transaction or the awarding of a contract,
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to obtain details of the anti-bribery rules applicable in the Group’s
host countries,
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to notify their superior of any dubious requests or solicitations;
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policy concerning exports, dual-use items and technologies and
military equipment and related items. Assystem complies with all
international trade rules and export and import controls in its host
countries, including bans on exports of military equipment and dual-
use items, as well as with United Nations and European Union
embargoes;
ASSYSTEM
REGISTRATION DOCUMENT
2016
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