Accell Group NV and its group companies operate on the basis of respect, appreciation and commitment and believe that all their activities must be carried out with honesty, sincerity, care and integrity. It is our expectation that our suppliers also conduct themselves in such a manner and are dedicated to conducting business in a lawful and ethical manner.

To secure that all of our employees are aware of how to act in line with the Accell Group policy, we have signed up to an internal Code of Conduct. We are committed to prohibiting human trafficking and slavery anywhere inside and outside of our organisation. Our employees must understand the human rights issues in their work location and must respect the human rights set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Other Employees must be treated with respect and fairness. Discrimination, intimidation, sexual harassment, aggression, violence and bullying represent inappropriate conduct and will not be tolerated. In extension of our Internal Code of Conduct, we have a clear Whistleblowing Policy and actively encourage the reporting and exposure of unethical behaviour.

The bicycle supply chain is complicated. There are often multiple levels of suppliers between a bicycle and the source of raw materials that enter the manufacturing process. The breadth, depth and interconnectedness of the bicycle supply chain make it challenging to effectively manage social and environmental issues. This is why the industry joined forces under the umbrella of the WFSGI – World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry – to address issues of Corporate Responsibility, including slavery and human trafficking. Accell Group is one of the founding members of this initiative which developed an industry-wide centrally administrated and coordinated social auditing tool, the “Responsible Sport Initiative for Bicycles” (RSI-bicycle).

All our suppliers have to sign our Code of Conduct, which is in compliance with the WFSGI Code of conduct and based on the international labour standards outlined in the relevant Conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO). The Code states that any form of forced labour, which includes human trafficking, slavery and child labour are prohibited in our supply chain. Verification is done via auditing of our suppliers according to the RSI-bicycle platform by independent third-party auditing firms. Priority of the audits is based on country risk and business turnover. The remediation process of corrective actions is taken care of by Accell Group together with industry partners in a timely manner. We clearly communicate our expectations to our suppliers and if it is determined that a supplier is knowingly and/or repeatedly in violation of our Code of Conduct, specifically slavery and human trafficking, it will include termination of business with the supplier in question.

Accell Group is committed to developing production and processes that are the most humanity and environmentally friendly possible, to upholding human and labour rights, and to ensuring that every worker has safe and fair working conditions.