Ethics Code of the Hungarian Sign Federation

Preamble

Hungarian Sign Federation (hereinafter referred to as the “Federation”) is registered by the Budapest-Capital Regional Court by the decision of ………… in April ……., 2015.

The Articles of Association has set the primary objective of bringing closer the representatives of illuminated and non-illuminated advertising sign industry, improving its professional standards in Hungary, as well as aiding its expansion in Europe in order to manufacture gradually more and more well-designed, high technical quality Hungarian products (advert sign/illuminated sign) that are excellent from the aspect of the visual culture therefore valuable in design for both Hungarian and European markets. The goal is to manufacture such products that reach their target audience more efficiently and that are environment-friendly in terms of production and operation, economical, long-lasting and sustainable.

For the execution of these tasks, the Federation sets fundamental ethical values and creates a forum in order to be able to settle the breach of principles by means of negotiation.

The aim of creating the Ethics Code is to make its members shape the market of Hungarian advertising sign industry by establishing, approving and observing the rules of fair business practice, and eventually influence the present and future of the sector involving all of its parties.

Personal and territorial scope

The Ethics Code is applicable to all members of the Federation. The provisions of the Ethics Code apply to business activities in Hungary as well as in other countries.

Principles

The members shall accept and respect the principles of the European Union, placing particular significance on the freedom and fairness of competition.

The members shall accept and support legal business practice and legal compliance.

The sessions, meetings and operation of the Federation are free of ideological and political debate and the Federation is impartial.

The members shall pay special attention to applying and improving written or unwritten professional and technical rules and standards in their business practice.

The members shall conduct ethical business in their business relationships towards competitors, suppliers and customers, and enforce the rules and expectations drawn up in this Code. The members shall endeavor to harmonize the interests of individuals, partners and of the business sector in their business practice. They shall refrain from any behavior that affects the interests of other parties or jeopardizes the mid- or long-term future of the industry sector.

The members shall not just comply with the provisions of the Code formally, but also exercise the mentality set out in this Code.

Freedom and fairness of competition

Only such sectors are capable of sustainable development that acknowledge and support fair competition between operators. Any monopoly or efforts towards it distorts the principles of free and fair competition. In order to comply with this principle, the members shall declare that they abide by the written and unwritten rules of fair competition in their business practice.

Legal compliance

All enterprises in Hungary are obliged to comply with the law. Ignorance of the law or business interests is no excuse for legal compliance. Breaches of law not only affect national interests, but they also risk the attitude towards advertising sign industry and the fairness of competition by rendering disadvantages for legally compliant operators.

Considering the above, the members shall undertake that

• Internal and organizational decisions and instructions comply with the substantial law and the spirit of the laws.
• They strictly comply with employment laws.
• They arrange that all employees receive proper wages in accordance with the applicable laws.
• They ensure the circumstances necessary for healthy work performance and comply with the labor safety provisions.
• They enable the protection of the employees’ interests as prescribed by the laws. They refrain from any activity that restricts or excludes the protection of the employees’ interests directly or indirectly.
• They strictly comply with the laws concerning their financial activities. Every decision that leads to the termination of business without performing the obligations or at least striving for such settlement, are considered as serious violations of business ethics, especially if the same owner group aims at conducting the same business practice as the terminated company, but under a new company name.

Professional and technical rules

The determining factors of competitiveness are the knowledge attained by the operators, the technology applied and the level of technology development. Additional essential factors are compliance with the professional standards and the constant development thereof.

In order to comply with the above, the members of the Federation do their utmost to allow the participation in the business of advertising sign industry of only those enterprises that have the necessary knowledge and technology to produce high quality products and services. Enterprises that cannot meet these requirements affect the business sector gravely. The mere registration of the company conducting the business does not automatically mean it meets the requirements.

The Federation considers training of and constant information provision to the business partners its special task. The Federation utilizes all means necessary in order to inform the decision-making bodies and professional organizations related to customer groups about the expectations of the profession.

In order to comply with the above principle

• The members arrange that they employ such workers that have the appropriate professional skills and training,
• They ensure the regular training of employees by ensuring the necessary circumstances.
• They accept only such orders for which they have all the appropriate quality technical and technological means necessary for performing the job or in cooperation (subcontracting) with such business partners that are able to provide the appropriate quality product or service expected.
• They place particular significance on professional certifications,
• They make efforts to enable their professional performance to participate in Hungarian or international competitions.
• They place particular significance on managing environmental issues and do their utmost to recycle their waste.

Ethical business practice

Ethical business shall be practiced towards competitors, business partners and customers. The members accept and support the freedom to compete, the promoting of their individual interests to such extent that it does not affect the interests of others, and that takes the whole section and its future interests into consideration.

The members

• Shall give only truthful information and announcements on themselves, or products and services,
• Shall inform the customers in details regarding the manufacturing of the products and the provision of the services at the time of concluding the agreement,
• Shall refrain from defaming the competitors. Defaming is qualified specifically as declaring or implying untruthful statements regarding the professional skills, products or services and business practice of the competitor,
• Shall take the interests of their suppliers and other collaborating parties and subcontractors into consideration, and act accordingly. This particularly applies to compliance with and making others comply with payment terms.
• Shall endeavor to make customers and partners familiar with the profession so that they value and respect it and the members this way form a base in order to make the customers rely on the profession,
• Shall pay particular attention to handle the comments and complaints of customers in order to apply the customer focused principles.
• Shall determine their payment terms and prices in tenders within economic reasons and based on product and company characteristics.

Duties and rules of procedure of the Ethics Committee

Upon the request of the General Assembly or Presidency, the Ethics Committee carries out a procedure against the member in any ethical issue, which does not qualify as a legal dispute.

The Ethics Committee is requested for the investigation of a specific issue by the Presidency after the notice, along with the approval of the Federation members. Upon finishing the investigation of the issue and/or the expiry of the duration of appeal, the commission of the Ethics Committee expires. In case of the involvement of the Presidency, the Ethics Committee is requested by the Supervisory Board.

The Committee consists of three members who appoint a president from among their number. Based on the content of the notice, external members can be requested.

An appeal can be lodged against the decision of the Ethics Committee at the Presidency of the Federation.

The procedure of the Ethics Committee is initiated upon request. Another member of the Federation can make a request.

The request shall be made in writing along with the evidences. It shall be precisely noted in the request, which provision of the Ethics Code is violated by the behavior. If the procedure of the Ethics Committee is initiated by the Presidency, the request is substituted by a presidential decision.

The request shall be sent to the address (can also be e-mail) of the Federation.

The Ethics Committee is called by the President, and the issue must be disputed in 30 days from the date of delivery. This deadline can be extended by further 15 days in justified cases by the Ethics Committee.

The request and the related documents are sent to the opposing party by the Ethics Committee in 8 days from the date of delivery.

The representatives of the parties involved shall be invited to the meeting of the Ethics Committee, although if the procedure is initiated by the Presidency, the representative thereof shall be invited. The invitations shall be delivered to the parties involved in such way, that they can receive it at least eight days before the meeting.

The parties shall be provided with the means to present their standpoints and evidences.

The meeting shall be closed, if the requesting party does not show up and he/she did not request in writing to hold the meeting in his/her absence. Procedures initiated by a presidential decision can be carried out by the Ethics Committee in the absence of the parties involved.

The Ethics Committee renders a resolution and cannot change it afterwards.

The Ethics Committee can make decisions on:

1. the violation of the provisions of the Ethics Code,
2. ceasing the behavior of the condemned party or making appropriate amends,
3. initiating the termination of the violating situation and reinstating the original state,
4. initiating the exclusion of the member from the Federation at the Presidency, in case of serious ethical misdemeanor

An appeal can be lodged against the decision of the Ethics Committee at the Presidency of the Federation within 30 days from the date of delivery. The Presidency – in case of the involvement thereof, the Supervisory Board – shall dispute the appeal at its next meeting.

During this meeting, the Ethics Committee can uphold or change its decision. Its standpoint shall be declared to the Ethics Committee and the parties involved in every case. In case of appeals, the decision of the Supervisory Board, if the Presidency is involved, is valid only along with the decision of the General Assembly.

The request for the procedure of the Ethics Committee shall be lodged within 60 days from the notice of the behavior qualified as ethical misdemeanor, but no longer than 180 days from the exhibition of behavior.

Communication of the Ethics Code

The Federation makes the provisions of the Ethics Code available to anyone on the official its website. The Federation uses every possible forum in order to make the provisions of the Ethics Code popular and widely available to public.

The Federation ensures the necessary sources – as part of its basic activities – for performing this duty.

Other provisions

The Ethics Code enters into force by the decision of acceptance of the General Assembly.