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Metro Group : annual report 2010 : BuSineSS
→ CoRPoRate GoVeRnanCe RePoRt
the necessary toolbox for rigorous monitoring of behavioural
risks includes, above all, the assignment of clear
responsibilities for areas of risk, the adaptation or introduction
of clear standards of conduct and the development and
provision of sensible risk management and control processes.
training courses, systematic and understandable
communications and the transparent handling of compliance
risks and their monitoring are also part of this toolbox.
in addition, a reporting system, which was further professionalised
during the reporting year, is available to the
employees of metRo GRoUP. through this system, employees
can notify the Company of compliance violations and
potential violations in all Group languages. Where necessary,
incidents may be reported anonymously. the compliance
organisation ensures that all reported cases are
investigated in an appropriate fashion.
Reaching back to 2007, metRo GRoUP’s business principles
represent the core component of the Group-wide compliance
programme. all employees are trained in the Group’s
business principles. in the reporting year, they continued to
receive information about the details of this programme
through a Group-wide communications campaign. the business
principles will be clearly defined and further developed
at the instigation of or through the compliance organisation.
this includes, for example, implementing a precise code of
conduct on preventing corruption, handling donations and
sponsoring activities and commissioning external advisers.
essential elements of the compliance programme include
the standards of conduct and guidelines on antitrust law.
training courses designed for managers and employees, the
creation and review of internal controls as well as the integration
of compliance requirements in operating business
processes are directly related to the compliance initiatives.
Compliance becomes more and more an integral component
of strategic decisions and as such significantly contributes
to sustainable business practices. additional information
on the subject of compliance can be found on the website
www.metrogroup.de in the section Company – Compliance.
the business principles for employees of metRo aG are
also available for download there.
risk management
metRo GRoUP’s risk management forms another integral
component of value-orientated corporate management. it
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helps the management to exploit opportunities and limit
risks and is based on systematic and Group-wide risk
reporting. as a result, unfavourable developments can be
recognised at an early stage, allowing for the timely introduction
of appropriate countermeasures. in addition, existing
opportunities are identified, evaluated and realised in a
systematic manner.
in further developing its risk management, metRo GRoUP
is focusing on optimising and complementing existing elements,
particularly with a view to active risk management and
improved integration into performance management.
Sustainability and responsibility
a company can only generate profitable growth over the
long term if it acts responsibly towards society and the environment.
that is why metRo GRoUP has declared sustainability
to be an integral component of the Company’s
strategy. this means that social and environmental needs
must be considered at an early stage in all business decisions
and processes. the aim of metRo GRoUP’s sustainability
management is to ensure the Company’s future viability.
at the same time, by acting responsibly, metRo GRoUP
aims to respond to the increased expectations of various
stakeholders.
integrated management systems and an organisational
structure with clearly defined responsibilities are preconditions
of a sustainability approach that promotes growth and
value creation. For this reason, metRo GRoUP created a
sustainability Board in 2009. this body develops Groupwide
standards for sustainable business practices and
helps to incorporate these in Company practices.
additional information on the subject of sustainability and
responsibility is available on the website www.metrogroup.de
in the section sustainability and Responsibility. the Company’s
sustainability Report is also available for down-
load there.
Our employees
For metRo GRoUP as a retail and wholesale company, customer
focus is a central value driver. that is why the Company
needs dedicated and qualified employees who are
familiar with customers’ expectations and buying habits and
can respond to these accordingly. in reflection of this, our