The Responsible buying process at DECATHLON

In 2002, Decathlon established a Charter of Human Responsibilities in Production, drawing on the fundamental principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labor Organization's fundamental conventions and the SA 8000 social responsibility standard.

This Charter is signed by each supplier, holds legal value and sets forth Decathlon's requirements based on the eight following criteria:

• Employment of children and minors
• Forced Labour
• Hygiene and Safety
• Discrimination
• Abusive Disciplinary Practices
• Working hours
• Wages
• Labor Management

Audits are conducted at the suppliers' place of business in order to ensure compliance with both local law and the Decathlon Charter. Since 2009, these audits have either been commissioned to external consultants or assigned to an in-house team dedicated to Human Responsibilities in Production. Such audits apply to all suppliers of finished products as well as critical components. Any company already evaluated is systematically submitted to a reevaluation.

Audit reports (written within the framework of partnerships and from a shared responsibility perspective) serve to determine the status of the various production sites.
Whenever noncompliance is detected, improvement plans are defined and implemented. At this point, Decathlon's production teams, who are regularly present onsite, assume responsibility for monitoring the plans' progress.
Should a situation create an "unacceptable human risk", production is suspended while Decathlon's teams and the supplier collaborate to devise remedial plans. If a subcontractor refuses to adopt the required action plan, Decathlon has the authority to sever ties with this party.

In 2012, a total of 1,000 assessments were performed covering the entire panel, of which 600 were handled by in-house teams.

Best Practice initiated in 2002 and updated in 2012.