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SNCF GROUP
ETHICAL CHARTER
SNCF GROUP
ETHICAL CHARTER
CONTENTS
SUMMARY 4
SCOpE Of ThE EThiCAl ChARTER 8
OUR EThiCAl vAlUES 10
ThE ThREE kEYS TO EThiCAl CONdUCT 22
AN ESSENTiAl pREREqUiSiTE 26
ElEvEN pRiNCiplES Of EThiCAl CONdUCT 28
EThiCS STAkEhOldERS 78
USEfUl liNkS 86
3
— to reaffirm and reinforce our
ethical commitments, a key factor
in the success
SUMMARY
The creation of the Public Railway Group gives us the opportunity
to reaffirm and reinforce our ethical commitments, a key factor in
the success of our operations and to achieve our ambitions, which
are for SNCf Mobilités [transport of passengers and goods] to be the
model for multimodal transport in france and abroad, and for SNCf
Réseau [network] to combine industrial excellence and economic
performance, under the umbrella of the SNCf EpiC1.
Within this new legal framework, and in view of the major challenges
facing SNCf and its subsidiaries – speeding up the modernization
of the rail network, constantly improving safety, devising mobility
solutions for the future, supporting digital changes and international
development, it is essential, in terms of motivating the whole
workforce, that the management and the employees of the group
share common ethical values, and that they abide by the same rules
of conduct.
1 Translator’s note: EpiC stands for Établissement public industriel et Commercial and refers to a public-service enterprise with
a commercial and/or industrial remit which is owned by the french state. The term “public enterprise” is used hereafter.
This need is all the more imperative since the SNCf group, like
other large groups, is facing increasing risks and ever more stringent
legislation, with very severe penalties for any breaches. All our
employees must know and understand this, and make a conscious
decision to integrate the ethical dimension into their duties at work.
These are the reasons why this SNCf Group Ethical Charter was
presented to the Boards of directors of SNCf Mobilités and SNCf
Réseau, and approved by the Supervisory Board of SNCf EpiC.
4 5
— concerning all the
group’s employees.
This Code of Ethics, which replaces the 2011 SNCF Group
Ethics Guide, is designed to:
�highlight�the�five�ethical�values�chosen�by�the�group’s�employees�
following a survey carried out among a broad cross-section of them,
namely Integrity, Responsibility, Respect for the individual, Trust
and Courage.
outline a series of eleven principles of professional conduct, the
first�ten�concerning�all�the�group’s�employees�and�the�eleventh�
specifically�for��employees�of�the�Public�Rail�Group�and�its�
subsidiaries with a direct public service remit.
SUMMARY
These principles explain what we must do (obligations)
and what we must not do (prohibitions) and they deal with:
protecting the group’s human capital,
preventing�and�fighting�corruption,
combating fraud,
complying with competition law,
conflicts�of�interest,
protecting�confidential�information�and�personal�data,
managing SNCf funds and assets with integrity,
reducing our environmental footprint,
our obligations as a socially responsible and accountable group,
the ethical standards of our suppliers, service providers and partners,
the�specific�duties�associated�with�carrying�out�a�public�service�
(secularism, equal treatment, fair dealing and discretion).
Most of these principles are illustrated by practical examples.
The role of the Ethics department is to explain the contents
of the Charter and support managers and employees in
putting its values and principles into practice.
Monique SASSIER
Chair of the Group Ethics
Committee
Jean-Luc DUFOURNAUD
head of the Ethics
department
6 7
— some of the principles it
sets out will be covered in
specific guides.
SCOpE Of ThE
EThiCAl ChARTER
ThE EThiCAl ChARTER, signed by the Chairman
and deputy Chairman of the Board of directors
of SNCf, concerns the entire workforce of SNCf
Group, that is the managers and staff of the three
public institutions making up the public Rail Group
and those employed by its subsidiaries, whatever
their level of responsibility and their status.
This�field�of�application�is�referred�to
in the Charter as " SNCF Group ".
The Charter, which is also the core ethical reference
source for relations with our stakeholders, does not
claim to be exhaustive. for this reason, some of
the�principles�it�sets�out�will�be�covered�in�specific�
guides.
furthermore, subsidiary companies may
complement the Charter with their own
ethical codes or guidelines, particularly with
regard�to�specific�activities�that�they�perform�
internationally, provided that they ensure
these documents are consistent with the
Charter.
The Ethical Charter is available on the SNCf
Group corporate website.
it has been translated into English. The
french version will constitute the reference
document for employees working in france
and in french-speaking countries, while
the English translation will be the reference
version in other countries.
8 9
iNTEGRiTY
RESpONSiBiliTY
RESpECT fOR ThE iNdividUAl
TRUST
COURAGE
OUR EThiCAl
vAlUES
OUR fivE EThiCAl vAlUES express the way
we want to work within the company and with all
our stakeholders: customers, suppliers, partners,
non-governmental organisations and community
associations.
They are designed to be shared by all SNCf Group
employees, who must all be conversant with them.
They must be publicly promoted at every available
opportunity and must instinctively dictate the way
we behave when the response to any given situation
is not provided in the Charter.
10 11
OUR EThiCAl vAlUES
iNTEGRiTY means being honest with ourselves
and with others, being impartial and not acting in
our own interest to the detriment of the common
interest.
Acting with integrity also means the total
exclusion from our behaviour of any kind of fraud,
corruption,�favouritism�or�peddling�of�influence.
— being honest with
ourselves and with others
iNTEGRiTY
12 13
— Acting in a responsible way
means accepting the consequences
of one’s actions: anticipating and
controlling them, and answering
for them.
SNCF�Group�fully�assumes�its�high-profile�corporate�
social and environmental RESpONSABiliTY in particular
for the safety of its customers and employees, for job
satisfaction and well-being in the workplace, and for
regional planning and development.
Acting in a responsible way means accepting the
consequences of one’s actions: anticipating and
controlling them, and answering for them.
To this end it is essential to foster a culture of dialogue,
education and awareness with those whom our
decisions may affect, notably our colleagues,
customers, suppliers and corporate partners.
RESpONSABiliTY
OUR EThiCAl vAlUES
14 15
— making sure their working
conditions are good, and
ensuring their safety and dignity.
OUR EThiCAl vAlUES
RESpECTiNG pEOplE means making sure their working conditions
are good, and ensuring their safety and dignity. it also includes having
a caring and considerate attitude, being attentive to fellow workers,
suppliers, partners and customers. The climate must be one of
mutual respect, in which every individual feels accepted and does not
encounter discrimination. The Group will be all the richer for its diversity.
RESpECT
fOR ThE iNdividUAl
16 17
— is built through genuine,
honest professional relations.
TRUST is built through genuine, honest professional
relations. Acting in good faith and honouring our
commitments helps to establish and maintain the trust
of our colleagues and stakeholders (customers, service
providers, suppliers, local and regional authorities,
public institutions, etc.).
TRUST
18 19
OUR EThiCAl vAlUES
— we need courage to
face up to difficulties
COURAGE in management and in our work, the courage
to deal with dysfunction, to put forward proposals and
make the correct decisions: we need courage to face up
to�difficulties�and�take�the�right�action,�not�over-hastily�
but with determination, strength of character and a
sense of fairness, even if this is not the easiest way.
COURAGE
20 21
OUR EThiCAl vAlUES
— The Ethics department provides
an advice and support service
ThE ThREE kEYS
TO EThiCAl CONdUCT :
ThINk ANy pRObLEM ThROUGh,
SEEk ADvICE, RAISE ThE ALARM
Thinking problems through :
Any employees who have doubts or are faced with ethical
dilemmas concerning any action or decision they have to
take,�and�who�do�not�find�answers�in�the�Ethical�Charter�
should�first�of�all�apply�the�“Golden�Rule”�which�is�to�ask�
themselves, and then answer, the following four questions:
does my action or decision comply with the law?
does my a
