07. RESPonSiblE PuRchaSES and ouR commitmEnt to thE EnviRonmEnt annual REPoRt 2011 Suppliers policy our purchasing and suppliers policy is aimed at ensuring that PRiSa remains a socially responsible company in the eyes of society and our stakeholders. to meet our cSR goals, the department of corporate Purchases pays special attention to three areas in the management of its operations: Selection and management of suppliers – these are seen as crucial stakeholders in the company’s dayto-day operations. Paper management. Paper is the most important raw material used by most of the business units and its sustainable use must be part of any environmental policy. to determine new areas where we can improve identification, measurement and management of the company’s environmental impact. Potential suppliers will not be invited to participate in the adjudication process. all those who apply to become suppliers have a right to request an evaluation of their particular adjudication process. all applications will receive a reply accompanied by comments on their acceptance or rejection. a negative reply is in no way an obstacle to submitting future applications, once the reasons behind the rejection have been addressed. the results of the adjudication process, including a summary of the criteria employed, will be communicated to the supplier in writing. initiatives for constant improvement are in place, which boost quality to the benefit of both parties. the supplier is welcome to make any suggestions as is felt necessary to improve relations between the Group and suppliers. PRiSa’s Supplier Relations Guide also promotes compliance with national legislation within the countries where the suppliers operate and their compliance with obligations in fields such as tax, labor, human rights and the environment. applicants must be in full compliance with conventions 138 and 182 of the international labor organization (ilo) governing child labor. non-compliance with these conventions will nullify any contracts between the parties. terms, conditions and obligations are clearly detailed in all documents in the process and are made clear at each and every stage of the negotiating process. Potential suppliers are also asked to fill in a questionnaire confirming their commitment. to partner with PRiSa it is necessary to pass the adjudication process and form part of the authorized supplier list. For the past four years, the department of corporate Purchases has been managing and updating a data base of the Group’s chief suppliers, evaluating them on key cSR criteria, including paper management, recycling and reuse of fungibles and co2 emissions. Supplier Relations Guide there are four criteria in the process of adjudicating and authorizing potential suppliers: Quality of the product/service offered. how the service matches our requirements. cost and ability to deliver on issues related to cSR. confirmation that cSR criteria have been met. PRiSa’s relations with suppliers are governed by the following principals: the principles of objectivity, transparency, non-exclusivity and equal opportunities. all suppliers involved in any adjudication process will receive complete and detailed information about the goods and/or services to be supplied. the information supplied will be identical for all suppliers, ensuring that no single supplier enjoys any initial advantage, thus fostering legitimate competition. 102