GRI 2-27 Compliance with laws and regulations

In order to guarantee compliance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct, Geberit has established an effective compliance system that focuses on the following key topics (the respective department responsible is then detailed in brackets): antitrust legislation, corruption, data protection (Corporate Legal Services), product liability (Corporate Product Quality), fundamental employee rights (Corporate Human Resources), environment, health and safety in production and logistics (Corporate Sustainability and Process Management) as well as supply chain laws and implementation of due diligence obligations in the supply chain (Corporate Purchasing). In practice, the system comprises various elements such as guidelines, continuous training, job orientation for new employees, eLearning campaigns, compliance-related audits, annual reporting on the Code of Conduct and the Geberit Integrity Line – a whistleblower hotline for employees and suppliers. The training concepts and tools were also developed further and training sessions further intensified in the reporting year. The focus remained unchanged on the topics of antitrust legislation and data protection.

As only very few sales companies work with agents, there is no significant risk exposure in this area. Nevertheless, a Code of Conduct for Business Partners was drawn up in 2016 based on the Geberit Code of Conduct and communicated to the agents by the managing directors of the local sales companies.

For further information on the topic of compliance, see Business Report > Business and financial review > Financial Year 2023 > Compliance.

As part of the annual reporting on the Code of Conduct for Employees, compliance with the requirements set out there is subject to controls. All companies receive over 60 questions on the above-mentioned key topics. In addition, on-site audits are performed by the Internal Audit Department and corrective measures taken in the event of misconduct. The audits also comprise special interviews with the managing directors of the individual companies on the topics mentioned in the Code of Conduct. The respective information is verified. The findings from the survey and audits form the basis for the annual Compliance Report submitted to the Board of Directors and the Group Executive Board, and are published in the annual report.

With regard to the implementation of compliance in procurement, see Procurement.

In 2021, KPMG carried out a comprehensive external audit of the compliance organisation, focusing on antitrust legislation, corruption, sustainability, employee rights and product liability, with good results achieved overall.

There were no violations or non-monetary sanctions with regard to occupational health and safety or environmental regulations in the reporting year.