Group Management Report Products Safety and Health Environment Human Resources Social Commitment Consolidated Financial Statements 73
ment of subsidiaries or to impose minimum requirements,
especially through guidelines that are binding Group-wide.
ALTANA’s Code of Conduct, which holds for the en-
tire company, contains binding rules regarding responsible,
ethical, and lawful behavior for all staff members. This applies
in particular to issues such as corruption, conflicts of in-
terest, antitrust law, environmental protection, and dis-
crimination. Together with the company’s Guiding Principles,
the Code of Conduct provides orientation for responsible
corporate action. The Code of Conduct and the Guiding Prin-
ciples are published on our website (www.altana.com).
Since 2010, ALTANA’s employees have been trained with the
help of an e-learning program regarding the content of
the Code of Conduct and further issues relevant to compliance
such as corruption and antitrust law.
Moreover, for each compliance area further specific
measures have been developed and implemented to ensure
that laws and internal regulations are adhered to. This includes,
for example, a system through which business partners
who support ALTANA’s holding company and its subsidiaries
in terms of sales or in their cooperation with author-
ities are investigated for certain compliance risks with IT
support.
Another important element to guarantee the effec-
tiveness of the Compliance Management System is the work
of Internal Audit. For a few years now, compliance programs
have been carried out regularly at ALTANA and its sub-
sidiaries.
With the ALTANA Whistleblowing System, ALTANA
provides another central means of ensuring compliance. It
gives employees as well as external third parties the pos-
sibility of anonymously reporting compliance violations. The
ALTANA Compliance Hotline, which was made available
for this purpose in previous years, was replaced by the more
comprehensive ALTANA Whistleblowing System in 2021
against the backdrop of the EU Whistleblower Directive, which
provides better protection in particular for those who give
the tip. This simultaneously increases the benefit of such tips
for the company.
Once a year, the Audit Committee of the Supervisory
Board receives a written report on compliance that is presented
and discussed in a meeting of the committee in addi-
tion to the other proceedings. The report gives an overview
of the risks identified for each compliance area, as well as
already implemented or planned measures to advance the
system. The Audit Committee is also informed about com-
pliance violations in this context.
ALTANA joined the UN Global Compact initiative, whose
members are voluntarily committed to adhering to social
and environmental standards as well as the protection of hu-
man rights. By joining Global Compact in 2010, ALTANA
has not only acknowledged its principles but also shown a
general commitment to support and promote overall UN
aims.
Targets for the Proportion of Women
(Section 289 f (4), Sentence 1, Subsection 2,
No. 4 of the German Commercial Code)
Pursuant to sections 76 (4) and 111 (5) of the German Stock
Corporation Act, the Management Board and Supervisory
Board of ALTANA AG set targets for the proportion of women
in the two management levels below the Management
Board, and on the Supervisory Board and Management Board.
Most recently, the Supervisory Board and the Management
Board resolved the following targets for the proportion of
women by the end of June 30, 2023: 33 % of Supervisory
Board members, 0 % of Management Board members, 30 %
of the first and 30 % of the second management level be-
low the Management Board.