Supply chain

As a global health care company, we understand the responsibilities that come with managing a complex supply chain. We have established policies and procedures that comply with applicable laws and regulations worldwide. Our responsible procurement principles reflect our commitment to promoting sustainable business practices in our daily operations. We expect our suppliers to share our commitment to sustainability and demonstrate sustainable business practices across their supply chains.

Our expectations towards our suppliers

We have defined global standards which are applicable to our worldwide supply chain. These standards are set out in our Supplier Code of Conduct, our Compliance Brochure for Business Partners and our Human Rights Statement. You can find all documents here.

These documents include the following six key principles:

Integrity and Ethics	Suppliers are expected to act with integrity and to conduct their business in an ethically responsible manner.
Human Rights and Labor Conditions	Suppliers shall seek to provide a safe, fair, respectful, and non-discriminatory working environment to all its workers and contractors.
Occupational Health and Safety	Suppliers have to provide a safe, secure, hygienic and healthy working environment. We expect our suppliers to take all necessary precautions to avoid injury or harm.
Environment	Suppliers shall make their best efforts to minimize the adverse impacts of their activities on the environment and to control and eliminate any significant environmental risks.
Quality	Suppliers shall strive to uphold high quality standards and ensure the protection of their products from unauthorized third parties.
Governance and Management Systems	Suppliers shall be committed to fulfill ethical principles, maintain necessary documentation to confirm that, set improvement objectives and evaluate risks in all areas related to business ethics.

The Global Supplier Code of Conduct and the Compliance Brochure for Business Partners are part of our contractual relationships and set out key principles, which serve as minimum requirements our suppliers must adhere to.

Inspired by international standards such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (ILO declaration), the UN Global Compact, and the EU Green Public Procurement Guidelines, the Supplier Code of Conduct, the Compliance Brochure for Business Partners and our Human Rights Statement represent our understanding of sustainability in the supply chain.

Disclaimer

The Fresenius Medical Care Supplier Code of Conduct is available in multiple languages for convenience and reference purposes. Please note that the English version is the original version and shall take precedence in the case of conflict.

English

PDF, 1MB

Arabic

PDF, 2MB

Bosnian

PDF, 1MB

Croatian

PDF, 773KB

Czech

PDF, 1MB

Estonian

PDF, 1MB

French

PDF, 2MB

German

PDF, 1MB

Italian

PDF, 2MB

Japanese

PDF, 2MB

Polish

PDF, 2MB

Portuguese

PDF, 2MB

Portuguese(Brazil)

PDF, 2MB

Romanian

PDF, 2MB

Serbian

PDF, 2MB

Simplified Chinese

PDF, 2MB

Swedish

PDF, 1MB

Traditional Chinese

PDF, 2MB

Russian

PDF, 1MB

Slovenian

PDF, 1MB

Spanish

PDF, 2MB

Turkish

PDF, 2MB

Do not hesitate to contact us in case of questions or concerns.

procurement(at)fmc-ag.com

Monitoring and evaluating the sustainability performance of our suppliers

Forward-looking planning and long-term partnerships with strategic suppliers are key for the reliable supply of raw materials required for production and services. In the context of our Global Sustainability Program, we launched an initiative to evaluate suppliers based on sustainability risks. We cluster our suppliers according to these risks, which will enable us to monitor them more closely and take corrective action when necessary.

To evaluate the sustainability performance of our suppliers, we may ask them to self-assess their compliance with our Global Supplier Code of Conduct. To obtain an objective evaluation of the supplier’s processes, we may also request a third-party assessment, as well as documented evidence to confirm compliance with the Supplier Code of Conduct. Furthermore, Fresenius Medical Care is entitled to conduct on-site inspections to verify the information provided.

Sourcing of mineral raw materials

Sourcing of mineral raw materials is a further important aspect of our commitment towards sustainable procurement.

As the leading manufacturer and provider of dialysis equipment and services, with shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange, we are subject to the provisions of Section 1502 of the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) relating to “Conflict Minerals”. As outlined in our Conflict Minerals Policy (see below), we adopt standards in line with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (“OECD”) Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas.

We are committed to compliance with Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act and encourage our suppliers to foster similar commitments of their supply chain related to conflict minerals disclosures. Suppliers who are non-compliant with our Conflict Minerals Policy are reviewed for continued business.