Ethics as a culture, compliance as a discipline
At Valeo, we believe that everyone’s commitment and contribution to Ethics and Compliance will ensure the Group’s sustained growth and development.
Valeo’s Code of Business Ethics embodies all of our values and rules. It applies to all of us: all employees, all managers, all directors, subsidiaries and majority owned JVs. It deeply influences our environment and stakeholders. Our business ethics reflect our day-to-day business life. Supported by a strong Ethics and Compliance Program, our Code of Business Ethics helps build a successful and profitable future. This is why integrity in everything we do for Valeo is our key driver.
Integrity towards our people and our environment is fundamental
With more than 100,000 people working all around the world, integrity means ensuring workplace safety and respecting human rights wherever we work. It also means focusing on people, on training them and on developing them. It means valuing diversity. And of course, it means preventing discrimination and harassment. Finally, we are committed to help reduce CO2 emissions. We respect the environment and do our best to play a responsible role.
Integrity in the marketplace by doing business fairly is part of our culture
We deal fairly and honestly with our business partners. We respect our customers and uphold fair competition practices and we oppose antitrust and anti-competitive practices and behaviors. We actively combat bribery, corruption and influence peddling. Our procurement and supplier selection processes are fair and we set ethical partnership frameworks with agents and intermediaries.
Protecting Valeo’s property and assets is also a matter of integrity
It starts with protecting Valeo’s information and intellectual property as well as the confidentiality of employees’ private information. It takes respecting third party intellectual property and confidentiality. It also takes avoiding conflicts of interest, ensuring truth and accuracy of accounts, books and records and combating money laundering, in other words, a total commitment to end-to-end integrity, professionalism and quality and a profound loyalty to Valeo.
Designing and delivering products that comply with applicable standards and regulations is a continuous objective
We believe that technology, quality and compliance go hand-in-hand. That is why, in support of our R&D and Projects teams, Valeo Technology Compliance Program is embedded in our operations and systems, from the design to the delivery phase of our products. This program aims at complying with:
- safety standards and environmental regulations,
- responsible mineral sourcing,
- import and export controls and economic sanction regimes,
- data protection regulations.
Personal Data Protection is a shared effort
As a global automotive company, Valeo continuously develops and entertains relationships with clients, employees, candidates, students, suppliers, prospects and many other stakeholders. For purely business related purposes, Valeo needs to gather, store and use some of their personal data. Privacy notices are available in the section Data Protection.
Valeo also develops products that may collect, use and transfer personal data (drivers, passengers, pedestrians…).
As reflected in its Code of Business Ethics, Valeo is committed to processing personal data in compliance with data protection regulations including the European Global Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and to respecting the rights of data subjects be them employees, clients, business partners or stakeholders.
It is therefore Valeo policy to collect personal data in a fair, lawful and transparent way, to use them for legitimate purposes only, to implement measures to protect their integrity, to retain them for no longer than necessary and to fully support the exercise of their rights by data subjects.
Where Valeo entities need to outsource personal data processes and/or to transfer personal data to a recipient located outside of their country, the latter must comply with applicable data protection laws and Valeo Data protection Contractual terms and instructions. They include Valeo’s requirements in terms of data breach, data subject rights or claims management and the prohibition of using unapproved sub processors. International transfer clauses are also signed as legally required.
When Valeo develops, engineers and manufactures products that may trigger data protection obligations, Valeo takes Privacy and Security by design into account at the time of engineering and developing such products.
Should Valeo happen to process personal data or to develop a product on behalf of a client, Valeo will comply, subject to the relevant law, with the agreed to data protection specifications and clients’ instructions.
The above commitments are supported by the Valeo Data Protection Compliance Program that encompasses numerous policies, procedures, tools, forms and contractual clauses as well as a detailed training and awareness program.
The Data Protection champions and officers can and must be consulted in case of questions, issues or doubts. Finally, the Global Data Protection Officer can be reached for any request, question or claim at dpo.external@valeo.com (for external third parties).
Communicating with integrity characterizes our commitment to an ethical and reliable communication
Be it vis-à-vis our people, customers, shareholders, stakeholders, we give great importance, in all circumstances and whatever the medium, to the quality of our communication and to respecting our commitments to confidentiality and intellectual property.
Protect Valeo’s integrity by raising concerns when necessary
Detection, prevention, mitigation and/or remediation are essential components of our Compliance programs. Multiple options for raising concerns are available to our stakeholders, including a confidential Whistleblowing system.
The system is also available to anyone who has reason to believe that a Valeo Compliance Program is not being complied with or wants to report potential violations of this program or the law.
While we have zero tolerance for non-compliance, retaliation is not permitted and those who truly believe that the company is at risk should feel free to report issues.
