Privacy Statement
Your reports will be transmitted and saved on a secured server using an encrypted connection (https). Your IP address will not be stored.
Only the compliance officers of CropEnergies AG and Südzucker AG and the Head of Capital Market Compliance CropEnergies AG have access to these reports. Every report will be checked carefully under observance of all data protection requirements. Please read the privacy statement below.
As soon as clarification of the facts is no longer at risk, the person targeted by the allegation is informed generally about the content of the allegation, regardless of whether the compliance violation has been confirmed or not.
Privacy statement:
We take data protection and confidentiality very seriously and adhere to the current applicable data protection regulations. Please read this data protection information carefully before submitting a report.
Purpose of the whistleblowing system
The whistleblowing system (BKMS® System) serves the purpose of receiving and processing reports on compliance violations via a secure and confidential channel.
Responsible authority and data security
The party responsible for data protection in the whistleblowing system is CropEnergies AG, Maximilianstraße 10, 68165 Mannheim, Germany. The whistleblowing system is operated by a specialised company, EQS Group GmbH , Bayreuther Str. 35, 10789 Berlin in Germany, on behalf of CropEnergies AG (hereafter also referred to as: ‘CropEnergies').
Personal data and information entered into the whistleblowing system are stored in a database of a high security data centre operated by EQS Group GmbH . Only CropEnergies has access to the data. EQS Group GmbH and other third parties do not have access to the data. This is ensured in the certified procedure through extensive technical and organisational measures.
All data are encrypted and stored with multiple levels of password protection so that access is restricted to a very small selection of three expressly authorised persons, consisting of the compliance officers of CropEnergies AG and Südzucker AG and the Head of Capital Market Compliance of CropEnergies AG.
Type of collected personal data
Use of the whistleblowing system takes place on a voluntary basis. If you submit a report via the whistleblowing system, we collect the following personal data and information:
- your name, if you choose to reveal your identity,
- whether you are employed at CropEnergies, and
- the names and other personal data of persons whom you list in your report, if applicable.
Confidential handling of reports
Incoming reports are received by the compliance officer of CropEnergies and always handled confidentially. The compliance officer evaluates the matter and carries out any further investigation that may be required by the specific case.
While processing a report or conducting a special investigation, it may be necessary to share reports with additional employees of CropEnergies or employees of other Südzucker group companies, e.g. if the reports refer to incidents in subsidiaries. The latter may be based in countries outside the European Union or the European Economic Area, which may have different regulations about the protection of personal data. We always ensure compliance with the applicable data protection regulations when sharing reports.
All persons who receive access to the data are obligated to maintain confidentiality.
Retention period of personal data
Personal data is retained for as long as necessary to clarify the situation and issue a final assessment. After the report processing is concluded, the data are deleted in accordance with statutory requirements.
Use of the whistleblowing portal
Communication between your computer and the whistleblowing system takes place over an encrypted connection (SSL). Your IP address will not be stored during your use of the whistleblowing system. In order to maintain the connection between your computer and the BKMS® System, a cookie is stored on your computer that merely contains the session ID (a so-called session cookie). This cookie is only valid until the end of your session and expires when you close your browser.
You can set up a secured postbox within the whistleblowing system that is secured with an individually chosen pseudonym/ user name and password. This allows you to send reports to the CropEnergies compliance officer either by name or in an anonymous, safe way. This system only stores data inside the whistleblowing system, which makes it particularly secure. It is not a form of email communication.
Version: February 2018