Partner Code of Conduct of meplan GmbH (“meplan”)
Introduction
As a company of Messe München GmbH and mac. brand spaces GmbH meplan GmbH (hereinafter “meplan”) offers services for events around the world. To preserve the excellent reputation and trust that meplan enjoys with its customers and business partners, meplan complies with applicable laws, ethical principles, and related internal requirements in the course of its business activities. meplan expects all its partners to apply the same standards to their actions.
Consequently, meplan has introduced a Partner Code of Conduct (hereinafter “Code”) grounded in legal regulations and its internal guidelines. meplan’s contractual partners will be bound to the Code’s provisions and requirements within the framework of business relationships. The contractual partners (hereinafter “Partner”) will undertake to act ethically and in accordance with the law in all business areas and in all countries in which they operate.
For future projects, the following rules are therefore regarded as a joint code of conduct. This Code forms the basis for all supplies and services. Both parties undertake to comply with this Code and to contractually require their subcontractors to comply with the standards and regulations set out in this document. These provisions will take effect at the conclusion of the contract. A breach of the Code entitles the non-breaching party to terminate all business relationships, including all supply, works, and rental agreements.
Scope
Partners bound by this Code, whom meplan expects to comply with the standards set out herein, include all third parties acting for, on behalf of, or together with meplan. These include suppliers, distributors, consultants, subcontractors, minority shareholders, trade representatives, and free employees. These counterparties will refrain from anything that could damage meplan’s reputation in the public; specifically, the counterparties will comply with all legal requirements and ethical principles and follow the requirements laid out within the Code.
Fair working conditions and safety at work
The Partner shall ensure fair working conditions for their employees. The Partner shall pay all employees a commensurate remuneration consistent with governing local laws (e.g., minimum wage law. Employees shall be provided with all services required by law. Docking wages as a sanction is not permitted.
Furthermore, the Partner shall also guarantee that employees have a safe and health-promoting working environment in order to prevent accidents and health problems. The Partner shall also comply with, at least, the locally governing occupational health and safety regulations as well as laws governing working hours.The constitutionally guaranteed basic right of employees to freedom of association and collective bargaining will be taken into account and respected.
Equal opportunities and anti-discrimination rules
The contractual partner will provide equal opportunities for all employees. Any kind of discrimination of employees on grounds of sex, national, ethnic or social origin, colour of skin, disabilities, health status, political convictions, faith, religion, age, pregnancy or sexual identity, is prohibited unless the discrimination is objectively justifiable by the demands of the work. This shall apply at least in accordance with the prohibitions of discrimination laid down in the General Equal Treatment ACT (AGG). Personal dignity, privacy, and individual personality rights will be respected and the equal opportunities and diversity of employees promoted.
Intellectual property
Intellectual property rights must be respected. Technology and know-how transfers shall be carried out in such a way as to protect intellectual property rights and customer information.
Exclusion of forced and child labour
All forms of child or forced labour are not to be practiced, tolerated or supported. The partner complies with the recommendation of the International Labour Organisation’s Conventions on the minimum age for the employment of children. The minimum age should not be less than 15 years of age.
Transparency
The Partner shall carry out all business dealings with the utmost integrity and responsibility. Care shall be taken to ensure that action and reasons for that action are transparent and understandable.
Fair competition
The Partner shall comply with the standards of fair business practices, advertising, and competition. Furthermore, they will apply the governing antitrust laws that prohibit agreements and other activities that would affect prices conditions, in particular when dealing with competitors.
Anti-corruption
All business dealings shall be performed at the highest standards of integrity. meplan does not tolerate any form of corruption and bribery, in particular any gratuities or benefits that influence the personal behaviour or decision-making of employees, partners or customers in the course of the business relationship.
Offering, giving, accepting or requesting bribes in any form whatsoever are explicitly prohibited, as are the redemption of parts of a contractual payment and use of any other means to obtain or provide services to which no entitlement exists. In addition, the Partner shall take appropriate measures to prevent the corruptibility of their own employees. Offering or accepting gifts, hospitality, and perquisites is also explicitly prohibited, insofar as these acts or omissions intend to influence and exceed the scope of reasonable and commensurate expenditures. The Partner shall inform their employees that any form of corruption is prohibited. Procedures for monitoring and enforcing standards shall be applied to ensure compliance with anti-corruption standards.
Should an employee breach the agreed rules, the Partner shall immediately undertake the necessary steps, either according to labour law and, if necessary, criminal law.
Money laundering
The Partner will not participate in money laundering activities and will comply with the relevant legal obligations for the prevention of money laundering.
Confidentiality / data protection
When collecting, storing, processing, and transmitting personal information, the Partner shall comply with the laws on data protection and information security and with the regulations established by government authorities.
Sustainability
meplan expects its Partners to act in the same environmentally and ethically conscious manners as meplan does as a company. Sustainability is part and parcel of meplan’s daily business dealings in every aspect.
Environmental responsibility
The Partner shall endeavour to meet maximum environmental protection standards. It shall make every effort necessary to avoid, or at least to minimise, the harmful effects of their activities on the environment and shall respect environmental and climate protection within the framework of applicable legal and international standards.
The Partner shall guarantee the use of environmentally friendly materials and resource-efficient processes.
Social responsibility
The Partner shall promote fair working conditions, equality, and diversity in the workplace.
Economic responsibility
meplan strives for sustainable corporate development that is both economic and future-oriented. In other words, sustainability is firmly rooted in the company’s corporate strategy. We expect our contractual partners to be receptive to our evolution towards a more sustainable corporate development.
Compliance and verification
The Partner shall be obliged to inform meplan of any violation or suspicion of violation, as well as of the measures taken to comply with the legal provisions and the requirements of the Partner Code of Conduct, and to assist meplan in the detection or prevention of any violation, where appropriate.
If the Partner breaches the Partner Code of Conduct, meplan is entitled to initiate corresponding and appropriate action. meplan reserves the right to terminate the contractual relationship with immediate effect and exceptionally for important reasons. Except in the case of a particularly serious violation of duties, meplan shall only be justified in applying its right of termination when it has set a reasonable deadline for correction of the violation, and the deadline passed without any corrections.
Violation of the prohibition on corruption and bribery and on forced labour and child labour are considered particularly serious breaches of duty. Compliance with the standards and regulations listed in this document is verified by meplan using a self-assessment questionnaire.
Supply Chain Compliance
Our counterparties shall encourage their own counterparties to be familiar with and follow the minimum requirements of the meplan Code when they are deployed for or on behalf of meplan.
Should the Partner legitimately hire subcontractors and/or suppliers to fulfil their contractual obligation under the existing contract, the Partner will ensure that these subcontractors and/or suppliers will comply with the standards set in the Code. Specifically, they will transmit the contents of the Code to their subcontractors/suppliers.
meplan expects its Partners to identify risks connected to supply chains and to take appropriate corrective measures. In the event of a suspicion of non-compliance, and in order to hedge supply chains that might have higher risks, the Partner will inform meplan in a timely manner about the identified non-compliances and risks and what measures it has taken.
Updating the Partner Code of Conduct
meplan shall be entitled to update the Code in a reasonable manner in accordance with any changes made to its internal policies. Important changes are always to be communicated to the contractual partners. Contracting parties can download the current version of the Partner Code of Conduct on the meplan website at https://www.meplan.com/en/partner-code-of-conduct/
Final word
meplan’s management is actively committed to compliance with this Code and expects the same from all business partners. meplan undertakes to regularly review and update this Code.
Last updated: 31.01.2025
