Compliance & Ethics

We encourage employees to discuss their concerns about ethics and compliance with laws and regulations or internal policies and procedures with their supervisor or manager.

Employees can also contact our HR representative or the local ethics committee (confidential counsellors).

The Ethics Committee can be reached at:

In this way, we offer the opportunity to address the problem in a timely manner and to come up with multiple solutions before it becomes a violation of the law or a risk to the company’s reputation.

The Ethics Committee has also set up an external global ethics channel available to all executives, employees, collaborators, suppliers and customers:

canaldenunciaeuropastry@rgva.es

If an employee prefers a national external party, it is possible to approach the confidential adviser appointed by the employers’ and employees’ organisations involved in the Bakkers Collective Labour Agreement via the link: https://bakbekwaam.nl/medewerkers/gezond-werken/vertrouwenspersoon-medewerker

What is an abuse:

  1. A breach or a risk of breach of Union law or
  2. An act or omission in which the public interest is at stake and there is:
    1. a violation or danger of violation of a statutory provision or internal rules of an employer, or
    2. a danger to public health or
    3. a danger to the safety of persons or,
    4. a risk of environmental degradation or
    5. a danger to the proper functioning of the public service or an undertaking as a result of improper acts or omissions

How to make a report:

  1. written
  2. orally over the phone or other voice messaging systems
  3. upon request within a reasonable period of time by means of a meeting at a location

If the employer wants to record a verbal report, the reporter must give permission in advance. If a written record is stored, the reporting person must be given the opportunity to check, correct and approve the written record.

Method of Internal reporting procedure:

  1. Reports are anonymous and will be treated confidentially.
  2. In accordance with legislation, reports are registered in a register set up for this purpose.
  3. Upon receipt of the report, the reporter will receive an acknowledgement of receipt within 7 days.
  4. Within a maximum of 3 months after acknowledgement of receipt, the reporter will be provided with information about the assessment and (if applicable) the follow-up of the report.

The data and information received by the employer are treated confidentially and the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) also applies to the collection, reception, registration, transmission of personal data or all other actions that may take place with personal data.

What is a whistleblower protected against:

The employer may not disadvantage a reporter because he has made a report. The reporter must have made the report correctly. This means that the report must be based on reasonable grounds at the time the report is made. Disadvantage can be dismissal, but also transfer against your will, refusal of a promotion or compensation. People who help reporters are also protected against this.

For the external reporting of a suspicion of wrongdoing, one can also contact the following competent authorities:

  1. the House for Whistleblowers (HvK): I suspect wrongdoing | House whistleblowers.;
  2. the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM): Whistleblower protection | ACM.nl;
  3. the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM): Whistleblower Protection (afm.nl);
  4. de Nederlandsche Bank N.V. (DNB): Contact and frequently asked questions (dnb.nl);
  5. the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ): Reporting about your employer (whistleblower report) | Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (igj.nl);
  6. the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa): Reporting point for abuses at healthcare providers or health insurers (whistleblowers) | Contact | Dutch Healthcare Authority (nza.nl);
  7. the Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (ANVS): Report violation or abuse | Authority NVS;
  8. the Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA): the Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) |;
  9. the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT): Home | Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) (ilent.nl);
  10. the Dutch Labour Inspectorate (NLA): Home | Dutch Labour Inspectorate (nlarbeidsinspectie.nl);
  11. the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA): Home | NVWA.

The above-mentioned authorities all have their own area in which they are competent to investigate the report.