Ethics Charter and Conflict of Interest Management

PURPOSE

Qualilab is an independent service provider. Its missions require a particular standard of independence and impartiality from all individuals involved in decision-making, advisory, or recommendation procedures. This independence, both with regard to political authorities and to economic and social stakeholders, is reflected, for all persons contributing to Qualilab, in the observance of ethical obligations adapted to Qualilab’s missions. The present charter provides a reference framework for persons contributing to Qualilab regarding the conduct and practices to be adopted in the performance of their missions.

As a true code of conduct, its purpose is to define the ethical obligations that these persons must respect. These rules are in addition to the ethical requirements already applicable to them by virtue of their status or profession.
The charter applies to all persons contributing to Qualilab: employees, experts, and individuals occasionally collaborating in Qualilab’s activities. In this charter, they are referred to as “persons contributing to Qualilab".

General Ethical Rules

The provisions of this chapter apply to all persons contributing to Qualilab.

• Impartiality
  Persons contributing to Qualilab must refrain from any bias, prejudice, or favoritism. They must demonstrate objectivity and ensure that they are not dependent on a school of thought or on spiritual or intellectual affiliation.
• Loyalty
  Persons contributing to Qualilab are required to carry out the work and missions entrusted to them with diligence and integrity.

• Confidentiality
  Persons contributing to Qualilab are subject to a duty of confidentiality, both outside and within Qualilab. This obligation includes:

  • professional secrecy, instituted in order to protect the company and sanctioned by the Penal Code (articles 226-13 and 226-14).
  • the obligation of discretion: in particular, all information of which persons contributing to Qualilab have become aware in the course of their duties, activities, or missions, or by virtue of their status, is considered covered by professional secrecy and the obligation of discretion. This applies not only to what has been entrusted to them, but also to what they have seen, heard, or understood. The fact that other persons may also know of the facts disclosed does not remove their confidential and secret nature.

  For this purpose, Qualilab requires each person contributing to it to sign a confidentiality agreement.

• Duty of restraint
  Persons contributing to Qualilab must show moderation in their statements and refrain from any public position likely to be detrimental to Qualilab.

Prevention and management of conflicts of interest

The provisions of this chapter apply to all persons contributing to Qualilab.

• Principles
  The principles of independence and impartiality must be implemented under particularly stringent conditions, and they apply not only to employees but also to all experts and external collaborators.
  Thus, persons contributing to Qualilab must have no interest in institutions or companies connected with Qualilab that could compromise their independence.
• Declaration of interests
  Qualilab ensures that persons contributing to it have no interests likely to compromise their independence.