Compliance

ALTANA fully complies with statutory regulations and confirmed guidelines. More than ever, the added value, sustainability and credibility of a globally operating company depend on the consistency of everyone's compliance with laws and regulations along with voluntary codices.
ALTANA introduced a Group-wide Compliance Management System (CMS) in 2008. The Compliance Management System is designed to

  • Identify the substantial risks that may result from violating laws and regulations.
  • Ensure that employees receive training in the content and significance of laws and regulations relevant for their work
  • Take additional direct measures for preventing violations of laws and internal regulations

The CMS covers areas such as antitrust law, bribery and fraud, foreign trade, taxation, environment and safety, discrimination, data protection and information technology. A responsible Compliance Manager has been appointed to each of these areas. The Compliance Managers and the Head of Internal Audit together form the Compliance Committee.
The CMS of ALTANA has a decentralized structure to match the structure of the ALTANA Group. ALTANA takes responsibility for ensuring compliance in its subsidiaries by establishing generally applicable policies and standards, providing competencies, creating platforms and forums for local managers, and of course by demanding compliance measures on the part of the subsidiary management. The purpose of the CMS is to implement the required control mechanisms to uncover and address violations of laws and regulations.

The ALTANA Code of Conduct was written to provide employees with a practical guide to lawful conduct that is in line with our objectives. It is a mandatory standard for management and all employees. An e-Learning program was introduced in 2010 to familiarize employees with the content of the Code of Conduct. Every employee can independently access this audiovisual learning tool from any computer. The program communicates a basic understanding of compliance and its significance for ALTANA and presents the content of our company's Code of Conduct in practical terms. The program ends with a final quiz as an acknowledgement of the content. A special compliance hotline offers our employees the option to report unlawful conduct regardless of hierarchical levels, and reports may be made anonymously if necessary.