Informationen zum Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz (HinschG)

With the entry into force of the Whistleblower Protection Act (HinschG), employees, including those who have already left the company, job applicants, interns, self-employed individuals, freelancers, temporary workers, contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers, as well as their employees, are given the opportunity to report or disclose information on the following matters:

1. Violations that are punishable by law,
2. Violations that are subject to fines, to the extent that the violated provision serves the protection of life, body, or health or the protection of the rights of employees or their representatives,
3. Other violations of federal and state regulations as well as directly applicable legal acts of the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community.

This includes, among other things:

• Combating money laundering and terrorism financing,
• Product safety and conformity,
• Road safety,
• Environmental protection,
• Promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and energy efficiency,
• Food safety,
• Consumer rights and consumer protection,
• Protection of privacy in electronic communication, for the protection of the confidentiality of communication, for the protection of personal data,
• Security in information technology.
2. Violations of federally and uniformly applicable regulations for contracting authorities concerning the procedure for the award of public contracts and concessions and for legal protection in these procedures upon reaching the respective relevant EU thresholds, and other financial and tax violations.

Please note:

• The Internal Reporting Office is not a point of contact for general complaints.
• Alleged violations of data protection should be reported directly to the data protection officer.
• If you have information about other violations, please contact the relevant authorities.
• The Internal Reporting Office is not intended for averting acute emergencies or dangerous situations.

Individuals providing information are protected against any disadvantages resulting from the report. Retaliations related to professional activities (such as bypassing in promotions, issuance of warnings, termination, or other disadvantages) due to reporting must be avoided.
 

COLOMBI GmbH has established an internal reporting office that individuals providing information can contact. The process for internal reports according to § 17 HinschG is treated confidentially in compliance with data protection guidelines (DS-GVO):

• The internal reporting office confirms receipt of a report to the informant no later than seven days after submission.
• The accuracy of the received report and its relevance according to § 2 HinschG are examined.
• If necessary, the informant is asked for further information.
• Subsequently, appropriate measures according to § 18 HinschG are taken.

If you want to make a report, you can contact the following complaint office in our company:

• In person:
  Peter Frank
  Accounting department
  Rotteckring 16, 79098 Freiburg
• In writing by email: hintbox(at)colombi.de

Important note regarding reporting violations:

In case of current dangers or threatening situations, please contact the known emergency numbers or the nearest police station first. Before submitting a report, we offer information and advice on existing remedies and procedures for protection against retaliation. Please note: Intentionally making a false report can have legal consequences.

Individuals who want to report grievances can choose to contact an internal or an external reporting office. If effective action can be taken internally against any violations, please primarily contact the internal reporting office. This contributes to ensuring the reliability and integrity of COLOMBI GmbH, promoting compliant behavior, and fostering fair cooperation. Even after an internal report, the option of making an (additional) external report remains available.

The following authorities provide an external reporting office:

• Bundesamt für Justiz (BfJ) (Federal Office of Justice)
  Responsibilities: Criminal law, administrative offense law, to the extent that the violated provision serves the protection of life, body, or health or the protection of the rights of employees or their representatives, product safety, road safety, environmental protection, radiation protection and nuclear safety, food and feed safety, animal health and welfare, public health, consumer protection, protection of privacy and personal data as well as security of networks and information systems, public procurement law, tax law of corporations and partnerships, protection of the financial interests of the European Union, state aid, other internal market regulations (regulations of the European Union on the free movement of goods, persons, services, and capital), statements by civil servants that constitute a violation of the duty of loyalty to the constitution.  https://www.bundesjustizamt.de/DE/MeldestelledesBundes/MeldestelledesBundes_node.html

• Bundeskartellamt (Federal Cartel Office)
  Violations of the cartel prohibition, abuse of market power, violations of the prohibition on implementation in the case of company mergers (§ 41 GWB), contravention of enforceable orders and conditions of competition authorities, request for delivery or procurement ban (§ 21 paragraph 1 GWB), influencing others to violate antitrust law (§ 21 paragraph 2 and paragraph 3 GWB), threat of disadvantages for involving competition authorities (§ 21 paragraph 4 GWB), incorrect statements in the context of an application for recognition of competition rules (§ 24 paragraph 4 sentence 3 GWB), incorrect or incomplete information in the notification of a company merger (§ 39 paragraph 3 sentence 5 GWB), misconduct by major online platforms in digital markets (Digital Markets Act (DMA)).
  https://www.bundeskartellamt.de/DE/Hinweise_auf_Verstoesse/Hinweise_node.html
• BaFin (Federal Financial Supervisory Authority)
  Violations of supervisory law for banks, financial service providers, payment and e-money institutions, private insurance companies, pension funds, securities trading
  https://www.bafin.de/DE/DieBaFin/Hinweisgeberstelle/8_Zugang_zur_Hinweisgeberstelle/ZugangHinweisgeberstelle_node.html