Open and fair competition
We believe in open and fair competition and only seek competitive advantage through fair and lawful means
What do we mean?
We want to work in market places that are fair, open and honest and want our competitors, customers and suppliers to know this is how we will always behave.
We comply with competition and anti-trust laws wherever we do business.
An agreement does not have to be in writing to be illegal
We always
Take great care when dealing with competitors. Any kind of agreement with a competitor e.g. to use or not to use a certain supplier or subcontractor, can raise competition concerns
Report any suspicions or allegations of possible anti-competitive behaviour to our Legal, Compliance or Business Integrity teams
Notify our legal, compliance or business integrity teams immediately if we receive confidential information that we should not have obtained e.g. a competitor’s tender information
We never
Exchange non-public or other sensitive information with competitors or other parties as it can give the appearance of an inappropriate agreement or understanding
Competition and anti-trust laws
A number of countries around the world have developed competition or anti-trust laws. They prohibit a variety of business practices that restrict free and fair competition such as bid rigging, price fixing or market sharing. They differ by country and can be very complex.
Violations of such laws are very serious and lead to criminal or civil prosecution. They can also result in very large fines against the company. For example, a breach of European competition law can result in fines of up to 10% of the Group’s global revenue.
This area is not always straightforward. If in doubt, ask.