Data protection policy according to EU-GDPR for the BKMS® System (Whistleblower System)
Data protection policy
We take data protection and confidentiality very seriously and adhere to the provisions of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU-GDPR) as well as current national data protection regulations. Please read this data protection information carefully before submitting a report.
Purpose of the Whistleblower System and legal basis
The whistleblower system (BKMS® System) serves the purpose of securely and confidentially receiving, processing and managing reports regarding violations of the compliance rules of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft. The processing of personal data in the BKMS® System is based on the legitimate interests of our GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft to detect and prevent misconduct and thus avoid damage to GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, its employees and customers. The legal basis for this processing of personal data is Article 6 paragraph 1f EU DSGVO or special national authorisation bases for the collection of employee data in accordance with Article 88 paragraph 1 EU DSGVO; cf. e.g. the relevant regulation for Germany in § 26 paragraph 1 Bundesdatenschutzgesetz (BDSG).
Responsible authority
The party responsible for data protection in the whistleblower system is
- GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft and
- its subsidiaries
as parties with mutually autonomous responsibility (hereafter also: „GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft“). A specialised company, EQS Group GmbH, Bayreuther Str. 35, 10789 Berlin in Germany, on behalf of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, operates the whistleblower system.
Personal data and information entered into the whistleblower system are stored in a database operated by EQS Group GmbH in a high-security data centre. Only GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft has access to the data. EQS Group GmbH and other third parties do not have access to the data. This is ensured in the certified procedure through extensive technical and organisational measures.
All data are stored encrypted with multiple levels of password protection so that access is restricted to a very small selection of expressly authorised persons at GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft.
GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft has appointed a data protection officer. Questions on data protection can be sent to boris.schmidt-rathmann@gea.com.
Type of the collected personal data
Use of the whistleblower system takes place on a voluntary basis. If you submit a report via the whistleblower system, we collect the following personal data and information:
- your name, if you choose to reveal your identity,
- whether you are employed at GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft, and
- the names of persons and other personal data of persons that you name in your report.
Confidential handling of reports
Incoming reports are received by a small selection of expressly authorised and specially trained employees of the Compliance department of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft and are always handled confidentially. The employees of the Compliance department of Gea Group Aktiengesellschaft will evaluate the matter and perform any further investigation required by the specific case.
During the processing of a report or the conduction of a special investigation, it may become necessary to share reports with additional employees of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft or employees of other group companies, e.g. if the reports refer to incidents in subsidiaries. The latter may be based in countries outside the European Union or the European Economic Area with different regulations concerning the protection of personal data. We always ensure that the applicable data protection regulations are complied with when sharing reports.
All persons who receive access to the data are obligated to maintain confidentiality.
Information of the accused person
As a basic principle we are bound by law to inform the accused persons that we have received a report concerning them, unless this threatens further investigations into the report. In doing so, your identity as whistleblower is not revealed as far as is legally possible.
Rights of the data subjects
According to European data protection law, you and the persons named in the report have the right to inquiry, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing and the right to object to processing of personal data concerning them. If the right of objection is claimed, we will immediately examine to what extent the stored data is still necessary for the processing of a report. Data that is no longer required is deleted immediately. In addition, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.
Retention period of personal data
Personal data is retained for as long as necessary to clarify the situation and perform an evaluation of the report or a legitimate interest of the GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft exists or it is required by law. After the report processing is concluded, this data is deleted in accordance with the statutory requirements.
Use of the Whistleblower System
Communication between your computer and the whistleblower system takes place over an encrypted connection (SSL). Your IP address will not be stored during your use of the whistleblower system. In order to maintain the connection between your computer and the BKMS® System, a cookie is stored on your computer that merely contains the session ID (a so-called null cookie). This cookie is only valid until the end of your session and expires when you close your browser.
It is possible to set up a postbox within the whistleblower system that is secured with an individually chosen pseudonym / user name and password. This allows you to send reports to the responsible employee at GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft either by name or in an anonymous, safe way. This system only stores data inside the whistleblower system, which makes it particularly secure. It is not a form of regular e-mail communication.
Note on sending attachments
When submitting a report or an addition, you can simultaneously send attachments to the responsible employee of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft. If you wish to submit an anonymous report, please take note of the following security advice: Files can contain hidden personal data that could compromise your anonymity. Remove this data before sending. If you are unable to remove this data or are unsure how to do so, copy the text of your attachment into your report text or send the printed document anonymously to the address listed in the footer, citing the reference number received at the end of the reporting process.
Status: June 2018