Code of Ethics

Over the years, the Code of Ethics has changed, with the goal of updating and broadening the principles and rules of conduct.
The current version — approved by the Board of Directors in November 2023 — reaffirms and expands the basic principles that guide Poste Italiane’s culture, behaviour, and way of doing business.

Our core values must be shared and applied by all stakeholders as the basis for a relationship of mutual trust:

Integrity and legality: we promote integrity, legality, honesty, fairness and fair competition between parties;

Impartiality and fairness: we operate according to impartiality and do not allow any discrimination;

Community support: we actively work to support the needs of the socio-economic context and the community;

Respecting and valuing people: we recognise the contribution of each individual as well as of teamwork;

Transparency and Completeness: we promote transparent communication at all levels;

Sustainable growth: we promote sustainable success through responsible investment;

Innovation: we identify innovation and digitisation as key elements of strategic progress, necessary to offer state-of-the-art technology solutions;

Environmental protection: we encourage environmental protection through a conscious management of energy, water and waste;

Quality, diligence and professionalism: we devote our best efforts to constant improvement;

Confidentiality: we ensure the necessary confidentiality in handling information.

The Code of Ethics constitutes the set of values, principles and commitments that we have towards our people and towards our many external stakeholders, regulating the way we work and collaborate together.

• Protection of rights and dignity: we promote the protection of human rights for all people working within our value chain;
• Staff welfare and development: we promote loyalty, fairness and respect in the relationships between our People;
• Diversity and Inclusion: we operate with impartiality and do not allow any form of direct or indirect discrimination;
• Occupational Health and Safety: we promote the psychological and physical well-being of people through policies, prevention programmes and information and awareness campaigns;
• Protection of corporate assets: we use and manage company assets and tools with integrity, fairness and responsibility;
• Healthy working environment: we promote a healthy working environment and deem any act or behaviour that constitutes harassment or violence in the workplace unacceptable;
• Gifts, presents or other benefit: we act on the basis of the principles of honesty, transparency and integrity;
• Conflict of interest: we ensure compliance with provisions on conflict of interest.

We invite our stakeholders to share our values, as the basis of an increasingly solid relationship of trust, made up of common ideals and goals.

• Equal opportunities and fairness: we base our relationships with suppliers and partners on competence, professionalism, transparency, fairness and impartiality;
• Conflict of interest: we require our suppliers and partners to comply with provisions on conflict of interest;
• Anti-corruption: we actively contribute to preventing and combating all acts of corruption;
• Anti-money laundering and Anti-terrorism: we counter all forms of money laundering and terrorist financing.

• Privacy protection: we guarantee the protection of personal data and maximum information security;
• Quality, transparency and fairness towards customers: we set customer satisfaction as the main objective of our quality policies and safeguard the rights and interests of those who benefit from our goods and services.

• Value for investors, efficiency and transparency: we pursue the goal of long-lasting and sustainable value creation for the beneft not only of shareholders, but also in consideration of the interests of other stakeholders relevant to the company;
• Privileged information: we ensure the proper handling of corporate information and of inside information in particular;
• Competition: we oppose any form of illegitimate restriction of competitive confrontation.

• Protection of health, safety and the environment: we promote policies to protect health and safety, the environment and public safety;
• Relations with associations and political and trade union organisations: we ensure relations with political and trade union associations and organisations that comply with the principles of integrity and transparency;
• Community support: we take an active role in supporting the needs of the socio-economic context and the community.

• Fairness and cooperation: we promote and support dialogue and active cooperation with authorities and institutions.
  

We supervise compliance with the Code of Ethics by setting up appropriate information, prevention and monitoring tools and procedures, also ensuring the transparency of operations and conduct implemented and intervening with corrective actions if necessary. In particular, the competent functions are committed to promoting the correct and effective distribution of the Code of Ethics, including through specifc training and communications initiatives.

• Awareness of and compliance with the code of ethics: we are committed to disseminating the Code of Ethics as widely as possible to all stakeholders, also through training and information initiatives aimed at sharing the contents of the Code and creating awareness of the principles and rules of conduct for day-to-day activities and the related methods of implementation;
• Reporting violations: in order to bring to light any irregularities or alleged offences, we provide all stakeholders with communication channels (Whistleblowing channels) suitable for guaranteeing the receipt and management of substantiated reports of relevant conduct based on accurate and consistent factual elements, ensuring the protection of the reporting person in line with the applicable legislation;
• Disciplinary actions: if a violation of the principles of the Code is verifed, the Ethics Committee will bring the case to the attention of the relevant corporate function or corporate bodies;
• Approval and revision of the Code of Ethics: the Code of Ethics is adopted by resolution of the Board of Directors of each company of the Poste Italiane Group, which also approves subsequent updates.