VDWF Code of Conduct

Valid with adoption by the VDWF Executive Board on 15.02.2025



About the VDWF, integrity, compliance and this Code of Conduct

The main objective of the Association of German Tool and Mold Makers (VDWF) is to strengthen its position in the economic environment. Mainly small and medium-sized companies, but also some large companies in the industry, have been supported in this since the association was founded in 1992. To this end, the VDWF bundles and represents the interests of its member companies. They receive practical support, for example in the promotion of young talent, training and further education, joint trade fair appearances, general management and corporate governance, expert services, the establishment of CE conformity or press and public relations work. The VDWF also represents the interests of the tool and mold making industry in politics and society or in the DIN standards committee.

In all our activities, respectful and honest dealings with one another are the maxim of our thoughts and actions - within the association itself and between our members. What we understand by this is specified in this Code of Conduct.

This Code of Conduct therefore applies to all VDWF employees and to the cooperation between the VDWF and its members. The VDWF management and the Executive Board have a special role to play in its implementation, as they also provide our employees with guidance through their exemplary, respectful and appreciative conduct. We also assume that our members have defined and practise standards of responsible conduct comparable to these guidelines.


1 Conduct in the daily work of the VDWF Association

1.1 Health and safety
The health, safety and well-being of our employees is a top priority at the VDWF. We therefore ensure good working conditions that prevent accidents at work and work-related illnesses through continuous communication with our employees. In all health and safety measures, the VDWF always relies on active and attentive employee participation - for safety in the workplace, the best possible ergonomics and everything that ensures their own safety and the safety of others.

1.2 Compatibility of professional and private life
Our VDWF work culture is based on trust, respect and fairness. This is also reflected in the framework conditions that take employees' individual life situations into account. As far as the requirements of the association allow, the VDWF supports its employees in giving their best at work for the common success by enabling them to achieve a good work-life balance.

1.3 Conflicts of interest
The VDWF respects the personal interests and private lives of its employees as well as the business interests of its members. However, business decisions must not be influenced by this. We therefore make personal or own financial interests that conflict with those of the VDWF or its members transparent and seek a solution with the management that safeguards the interests of the association.

1.4 Responsible use of the association's and natural resources
We use resources - be they the association's own or natural resources - responsibly and sustainably in our day-to-day work. We also avoid wasting resources out of respect and obligation to our members and donors. We therefore only use association resources such as material and intellectual property for our own purposes. Exceptions are possible in consultation with the management or on the basis of company regulations for private use. We handle internal association information responsibly, as it is one of our most important assets. Protecting it is a top priority. We therefore ensure that we do not disclose information about association secrets that could give outsiders a competitive and unauthorized insight into our work or that of our members, either in our dealings with members or at private events. For data that we handle ourselves, we pay attention to information security and comply with laws and internal regulations.

1.5 Compliance with laws and internal rules
In our association work, we pay strict attention to compliance with laws and regulations - as an association, in particular those relating to antitrust, foreign trade and tax law, customs regulations, the prevention of money laundering and the protection of intellectual property.

1.5.1 Requirements from antitrust law
Functioning competition is important for the VDWF and for our association members. It protects against unlawful agreements and excessive prices. The VDWF is therefore committed to free competition and counteracts developments that restrict competition (see in particular the requirements for association meetings in Chapter 3).

1.5.2 Protection of intellectual property
For the VDWF, the many years of knowledge about German tool and mold making are among our most important association resources. We therefore all ensure that they are not misused by third parties (protection of intellectual property). In the same way, the unauthorized use of third-party intellectual property must be avoided.

1.5.3 Prevention of corruption and bribery
The VDWF does not do business at any price. We do not bribe and do not accept bribes. We do not tolerate any behavior that distorts competition or behavior that could give the appearance of distorting competition. This applies to employees, association members, representatives of authorities as well as public officials and elected representatives. We also do not allow ourselves to be unduly influenced, but make decisions based on objective and comprehensible criteria.


2 Dealing with VDWF cooperation partners and members

2.1 Gifts and invitations
In the VDWF's dealings with cooperation partners or association members, reciprocal voluntary benefits in the form of gifts or invitations of an appropriate scope and value are customary and permissible - but must not influence an objective and comprehensible decision "for or against a service" on either side. We pay attention to the appropriateness of all benefits and reject them if even the appearance of inappropriate influence could arise. VDWF employees may not be encouraged or requested to accept benefits. We only accept invitations from cooperation partners or members to meals or events if they are unsolicited, serve a business purpose, are not repeated unreasonably often and the invitation is proportionate to the occasion. In cases of doubt, we will consult the VDWF management or the Executive Board on the appropriateness of gifts or invitations to determine what can be considered appropriate. The statutory reporting obligations, in particular under tax law, remain unaffected by this. We also adhere to the principle that even the mere appearance of inappropriate influence must be avoided when giving gifts and invitations from the VDWF to our members, representatives of authorities, public officials and elected representatives as well as customers. Donations are only permitted in reasonable amounts and within the scope of the association's normal activities.

2.2 Collaboration with cooperation partners and association members
The VDWF expects compliance with laws and our VDWF Code of Conduct not only from its employees, but also from cooperation partners and members. We therefore trust and encourage our cooperation partners and members to ensure that their employees, suppliers and partners live up to and pass on a standard comparable to this Code of Conduct and are committed to compliance with it. If we become aware of potential breaches of responsible conduct within the meaning of this Code of Conduct, the responsible employees must work together with the partner to bring about a clarification.

2.3 Secondary employment, mandates and shareholdings
Any gainful secondary employment of our employees must be reported to the management prior to commencement in order to clarify possible conflicts of interest. The same applies to shareholdings or collaboration of our employees with partners or member companies.


3 VDWF association meetings and events

Based on our own integrity standards and the above-mentioned legal provisions (especially antitrust law), the following rules and prohibitions apply to VDWF events - especially when companies that are in competition with each other participate.

• The VDWF handles the exchange of information sensitively in order to minimize antitrust risks.
• Association employees and representatives of member companies may not exchange any information on topics that violate the above-mentioned laws (in particular antitrust law) during or on the fringes of VDWF association meetings and events.

Impermissible topics include in particular

• Product prices with their design, strategy and development, passing on of costs, discounts, etc.
• Allocation of markets or customers, e.g. via quantity restrictions or allocations, boycotts, etc.
• Competition-critical company key figures such as individual cost items, order backlog, inventory, raw material procurement costs, etc.
• Future market behavior with planned product capacities, R&D projects, etc.

Non-objectionable topics include

• General economic data and the economic climate (macro level)
• Political representation of general interests of the tool and mold making industry
• Legal issues or improvements in occupational health and safety that are equally relevant to all members
• Voluntary, open, transparent, fairly accessible and technical standardization issues that promote product compatibility and technical progress and benefit the end user.
• Sustainability issues that support the VDWF companies' initiatives for environmental protection and social responsibility

In VDWF association meetings, the following in particular is ensured for compliance with the rules:

• Meetings are convened in advance in a timely manner with a fixed agenda (changes only upon request), attention is drawn to compliance with antitrust law and the proceedings of the meeting are recorded in accordance with legal requirements.
• Discussions that are questionable in terms of antitrust law are immediately stopped by the meeting chair and participants as soon as they are recognized, disagreeable members are expelled from the meeting if they continue to disregard the law, the meeting is ended if the discussion continues and can no longer be controlled, the event is recorded and reported to the VDWF office.

Association documents, position papers, guidelines, press releases, circulars or internal and published information must be unobjectionable under antitrust law and must not contain any elements that restrict competition.

Qualified lawyers should be consulted in the event of uncertainties regarding the aforementioned issues.


4 Reporting violations and contact

Employees, members and representatives of VDWF bodies are required to report observed and potential violations of the rules set out in this Code of Conduct to the VDWF management or the VDWF Executive Board.

All reports can also be made anonymously to: datenschutz@vdwf.de

If you have any questions about this Code of Conduct, please contact the VDWF office:

Verband Deutscher Werkzeug- und Formenbauer e.V.
Gerberwiesen 3
88477 Schwendi
+49 (0)7353 988600
info@vdwf.de