德国企业推行AVE模式，AVE采购准则
2020-02-01
SA8000及社会责任标准几个月来成为国内企业关注的话题。在德国，绝大多数零售贸易企业参加一种AVE模式。它是德国零售贸易外贸联合会（AVE）在SA8000基础上开发的一套行业社会责任模式。已有270家供货商接受了AVE行业模式的认证，这些供货商主要来自亚洲国家，以及东欧的罗马尼亚和保加利亚等国家。
AVE官员洛伦茨·贝尔曹在接受本报记者采访时说，在SA8000之外设立AVE模式，是适应现实需要。SA8000标准苛刻，供货商几乎无法把它化为现实。在欧洲，企业也很难达到这一标准。据国际认证服务商瑞士SGS—ICS公司托马斯·谢利加介绍，欧洲一些公司借助于行为准则来解决社会公正问题，这些准则往往也参照SA8000，但条文经常没有SA8000那样苛刻，而且执行起来的费用也较低。
贝尔曹说，AVE模式是德国唯一作为监管社会责任的行业解决方案，此外，各个企业内部也有自己的监督方案。AVE认证已经在德国和荷兰得到认可，正在欧洲范围内推行，荷兰、西班牙、瑞典和瑞士的企业也以“商业社会服从行动”的名义加入其中。贝尔曹说：“AVE成员几乎都是AVE模式的参与者，原则上德国和荷兰零售贸易业的绝大多数企业实行AVE模式。”
2003至2004年，AVE及其项目伙伴德国技术合作协会在11个重要的出口国举办了AVE模式认证前的信息讲座，包括今年2月和3月在中国举办的相关活动。贝尔曹说，中国已有接受AVE认证的供货商。
对于有关SA8000将人权与贸易挂钩可能成为贸易壁垒的一种形态的看法，贝尔曹表示可以理解但并不认同。他认为，贸易公司非常关注外国供货商的社会责任表现，不仅因为贸易公司把社会责任视为企业责任的重要组成部分，更多是出于现实考虑：即如果出现产品背后存在所谓不符合社会责任的情况，贸易公司将面临国内劳工权益组织的批评和压力。他认为，就这一点而言，社会责任标准并不是为了给中国和其它国家的供货商设置额外条件，而是就这一难题找到一个总体解决方法。
贝尔曹说，AVE模式的目的，更确切地说就是改善企业的社会表现，并不是在供货商没有达到社会责任标准时中断与它的贸易往来，而是继续发展和完善伙伴关系，通过培训及贸易伙伴的支持，改善供货商的社会责任表现。
贝尔曹证实，国际标准化组织（ISO）商讨过社会责任标准问题。不过，只是在不久前决定制定一份有关企业社会责任的指导性文件，这一文件尚不能理解为新标准。这份文件是否将作为ISO标准的基础，还有待观察。他说，将来是否有一个全球社会责任标准现在无法判断。不过，不久前出现一种趋势，不同体系通过合作或互相承认，聚合在一起，“尽管如此，我认为世界范围内不大可能出现一个统一的标准，因为行业差异将继续遏制这一发展”。
AVE Declaration
Concerning
A Code of Conduct for the Procurement of Goods to
Ensure Protection of Welfare Standards
1. The Foreign Trade Association of the German Retail Trade (AVE, Cologne) whose members are retailing companies and associations represents the foreign trade interests of its members.
2. Ensuring respect for human life and dignity, improving social standards, and protecting the environment are among humanity’s most important tasks. Sustainable development of the economy and attendant social progress can be realized only if the natural foundations of prosperity are respected.
3. Desirous of participating in this process, the retailing companies of the FTA have adopted a Code of Conduct for the procurement of goods. The aim is to exercise a positive influence on the procurement markets without engaging in protectionist behavior, helping to protect basic human rights and safeguard the environment.
4. In accordance with the Conventions of the ILO, the Code of Conduct aims at attaining certain minimum standards. The following requirements are of special importance:
l Prohibition of forced labor and prisoner labor that violates basic human rights.
l Establishment of and compliance with a regulatory framework for occupational health and safety.
l Prohibition of child labor, especially the exploitation of children under conditions resembling slavery or harmful to their health.
l Prohibition of workplace practices, conditions and working hours which violate human rights and labor law.
l Assurance of fair remuneration adequate to local conditions and the level of development, allowing a minimum level of satisfaction of basic material needs.
l Prohibition of discrimination on the basis of race, skin color, sex, religion, political convictions or social background.
l The right to form associations and to conduct collective negotiations for a minimum democratic consensus.
5. Aware that existing problems are very complex and that some influence can be exercised, within a framework of appropriate measures, AVE members undertake to promote observance of the above requirements by fixing and implementing appropriate rules and monitoring their trade partners as well as their subcontractors for compliance.
6. Observance of the Code of Conduct will rely on dialogue, cooperation and a consensual approach that respects the trading partners’ responsibility.
When a violation of the Code of Conduct is determined, member companies will immediately enter into negotiations with the affected suppliers and search for ways to resolve the problem, taking into consideration the interests of the employees and avoiding the effect of a boycott. If suitable solutions cannot be found within a reasonable period of time, this is a reason to terminate further business relations.
7. Any action taken by the members of the AVE in no way prejudices the responsibilities of governments of industrialized countries and the EU in their pursuit of cooperation with developing countries and a trade policy of open markets governments of developing countries and the sovereign competence of countries in establishing regulations for the improvement of their circumstances, in particular local social and environmental conditions.
8. The AVE is prepared, within its legitimation for action, to submit the substance of this declaration to public discussion and political decision-making processes.
Cologne, 22 November 1999
