Ethics: Teréga’s commitments and initiatives

A business’s ethical conduct is an essential pillar of its success and sustainability. Aware of that priority, Teréga created its own Code of Ethics in 2015. Linked to internal regulations, it sets the direction and acts as a truly practical guide for all our workers. It allows us to build a relationship of trust with our various stakeholders: shareholders, institutions, associations, local communities, customers, suppliers, managers and workers. 

Through the Code, the Group commits itself to: 

• obeying laws and regulations; 

• encouraging dialogue with its stakeholders on sustainable development issues;

• defending human rights and fundamental rights;

• rejecting any form of discrimination, violence or corruption;

• ensuring the health and safety of its workers;

• safeguarding the environment, biodiversity and energy frugality;

• promoting relations between workers that are founded on honesty, fairness, cooperation, loyalty and mutual respect.

Its effectiveness, reliability, reputation and safety demands that everyone taking part in reaching the Group’s goals abides by it.

There has been an Ethics Committee, an internal reference body, in place since 2015 to promote knowledge and implementation of the principles in the Code of Ethics across Teréga’s workers and stakeholders.

Since January 2014, the Ethics Committee has chosen to include an external member to strengthen its neutrality, complementarity and impartiality. It is composed of people representing the different areas of activity: 

• the chair, who is the Director of Finance, Purchasing and Sustainable Development;

• an external member with experience of business or industry;

• a representative of human resources / quality of working life and conditions in the workplace;

• a representative of operational activities;

• a representative of Teréga’s administration department and risk management.

The aim of the Ethics Committee is to inform and educate every worker on how they should act when faced with issues of ethics or corruption.

It is also tasked with receiving and dealing with alerts, formulating an opinion and circulating it to the relevant division.

Finally, the Ethics Committee produces an annual activity report, allowing all the Group’s workers to be made aware of the types of alert and ethical issues submitted to it over the course of the past year. That report is also sent to the audit committee and to the members of the Social Committee (CSE).

The Teréga Group has set up an alerting system to detect and manage any problems and/or possible violations of the Code of Ethics.

The arrangement allows employees and stakeholders to report any failing, illegal conduct or behaviour that is contrary to the Group’s ethical values, in complete confidentiality. Reports can be submitted either via the Ethics Committee at comité-ethique@terega.fr or via an external alerting platform: Alertcys.

In accordance with its Code of Ethics and its values, Teréga commits to conduct its business in a transparent and responsible way. As part of that, the Group has a duty to stamp out actions that are prohibited by law and, more generally, to ensure that rules are followed. 

In that respect the so-called “Sapin II” law on transparency, counter corruption and modernisation of economic life sets out a certain number of obligations that businesses must fulfil to prevent and detect corruption. So Teréga has an anti-corruption code describing the fundamental values and principles that each worker commits to respect. Its aim is to help prevent risks of corruption and to guide employees in their activities in the event of suspected or proven corruption.

To support its teams in adopting those rules, Teréga has rolled out an anti-corruption training module to test knowledge, give practice in responding to typical situations, and pass on best practice and good reflexes in that area. By the end of 2023, 96.67% of new permanently contracted workers at Teréga SA had completed an anti-corruption training session.

A mechanism for handling gifts and invitations

Teréga has established principles to formalise practices on the giving and receiving of gifts and invitations.

By circulating those principles, and introducing a register of “gifts and invitations”, the Teréga Group has strengthened its own protection and the protection of its workers against potential acts of corruption.

A procedure covering patronage and sponsorship activities

Patronage and sponsorship of third party organisations are liable to constitute an area of risk in respect of corruption or trading in influence. So Teréga thought it important to establish a clear framework on the conditions under which patronage and sponsorship should take place, through a dedicated procedure.

A due diligence mechanism

Based on its corruption risk mapping, Teréga has introduced a solution for assessing the integrity of third parties, allowing identification of the risk of corruption with stakeholders and implementing remedial measures.

In accordance with the Code of Ethics, the Group will not make any contributions, either directly or indirectly, to political parties or organisations, or trade unions.

Teréga is concerned that it should conduct its business with probity and integrity, and in accordance with Law no.2016-1961 of 9 December 2016 on transparency, counter-corruption and the modernisation of economic life, and so it has signed up to the register held by the senior authority on transparency in public life (HATVP).

That register ensures that the public are informed about the relationships between representatives of interests such as Teréga and the public authorities.  Every year, Teréga SA and Teréga SAS declare their representation of interest activities to that body, and to the European Commission.