Europris recognizes that it has a responsibility to ensure that its business is conducted in a socially and environmental responsible manner. As a result of this responsibility, Europris has focused on the social and environmental impact of its business, the care and satisfaction of its employees, and the community in which it operates.
Europris is committed to taking concrete steps to benefit the environment and minimise the adverse environmental impact resulting from its business and operations. As Europris is a discount variety retailer, Management believes that the Company’s impact on the environment primarily results from the choice of products, product transportation and operations at its stores and warehouses. Europris is Eco-Lighthouse certified in Norway by the Eco-Lighthouse Foundation, and has implemented energy conservation and waste reduction projects that aim to reduce the energy consumption of each store and develop smaller and more efficient packaging for its products. In addition, Europris has structured its distribution network to promote efficiency in transporting and delivering products, including through the use of sea freight to deliver products directly to certain stores.
Europris is also committed to promoting corporate conduct that reflects respect and consideration for others and complies with the health, safety, and environmental laws. Europris monitors the degree to which employees are present at work and promotes the health and wellbeing of its employees. In addition, Europris focuses on the training and education of its employees across all aspects of its business.
Europris supports community activities and organizations and serves as a good corporate citizen. For example, Europris is a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative and, as of 2015, has partnered with Church City Mission to provide assistance and promote social work within the alcohol care, elderly care, child welfare and mental health care fields across over 20 cities in Norway.
Read more in the Sustainability report (also included in the Europris ASA Annual report)
In addition Europris will focus on some main corporate responsibility areas:
- Anti-bribery and money laundering
- Data protection
- Trade sanctions regulation
- Compliance with the competition rules
- Whistleblowing
The general principles underlying the Company’s approach to these topics are described in the Corporate Governance Compliance Manual adopted by the Board of Directors. Priorities shall be based on an assessment of the needs of both the business and its stakeholders, and as an integral part of day-to-day operations.
The group’s policies are available below:
Norway’s new Transparency Act – Yearly due diligence assessment on human rights
The Transparency Act came into effect in Norway on 1 July 2022. Its purpose is to promote respect by companies for basic human rights and decent working conditions along supply chains. A goal of the Act is to ensure that the public has access to information on these conditions and on how businesses handle them. Together with other measures, these legal requirements will contribute to work by Europris to meet and comply with UN SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth, as well as SDG 12 on responsible consumption and production. The core of the Act imposes a duty to carry out due diligence assessments. These require businesses to map possible and actual negative impacts on basic human rights and decent working conditions in supply chains, implement improvement measures, follow these up and report on them.
The group’s due diligence assessments are publicly available below.
Ethical Trade Policy
Europris respects fundamental human rights and decent working conditions in the production of goods and provision of services.
In order to make our position clear to employees and suppliers, our ethical trade policy and supplier code of conduct, based on UN and ILO conventions, describes our main requirements on human rights, labour rights, anti-corruption, animal welfare and the environment.
Ethical trade policy
To ensure compliance with these principles, we perform due diligence assessments in line with OECD guidelines for responsible business conduct.
We expect transparency in our value chain. If noncompliances occur, appropriate corrective action will be taken and business relationships may be terminated if suppliers are unwilling to take corrective action.
Our Code of Conduct is translated into English, see attachments: