voestalpine’s Help for Ukraine
It is a matter of great importance to both voestalpine and its employees to provide support to those affected by the Ukraine war—both those who have remained and those who have fled. The company has donated EUR 1 million for concrete assistance projects run by Caritas, UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders, and the Red Cross. In addition, the Steel Division of voestalpine AG, which has maintained a collaborative business relationship with a Ukrainian community, Horishni Plavni, for decades, has supported the affected region through an additional donation of EUR 250,000. The military attack on Ukraine triggered a humanitarian catastrophe in Europe. This war has fatal consequences, not just politically and economically. It is also causing immense human suffering. As an international Group with deep roots in Europe, voestalpine wants to provide rapid and effective help.
Special Focus on Families
voestalpine’s donation to the aforementioned charitable organizations has three elements: immediate aid for people in Ukraine, direct assistance for refugees in European countries bordering Ukraine, and measures that will have a long-term impact on the affected people. Fully 80% of the total donation of EUR 1 million is to be spent locally in Ukraine and in the European countries bordering Ukraine, and 20% is to be spent on assistance to refugees in Austria. In particular, all measures will focus on the special needs of children, adolescents, and young families in this crisis situation.
Horishni Plavni: Local Support
Horishni Plavni is located in the Central Ukrainian region of Poltava on the Dnipro River. For decades, the Steel Division has been procuring a portion of the iron ore pellets it needs from the mining operations located in that area. Many Ukrainians have fled to this region, especially refugees from the cities that have come under heavy fire. The situation is dramatic. Through its donation, the Steel Division supports the procurement of humanitarian relief supplies as well as the work to organize accommodations for the refugees.
Code of Conduct for voestalpine’s Lobbyists (Lobbying Code of Conduct)
voestalpine adopted a Lobbying Code of Conduct for the first time in the business year 2020/21. In order to provide a clear and transparent framework for its lobbying activities, these regulations cover the company’s dealings with stakeholders in Austria as well as in Europe and internationally in accordance with the Austrian Lobbying and Advocacy Transparency Act (Interessenvertretungs-Transparenz-Gesetz). Just as the general voestalpine Code of Conduct, the Lobbying Code of Conduct, too, applies to all members of the management boards, the managing directors, and the non-executive employees of all entities in which voestalpine AG has a direct or indirect equity interest of at least 50% or which it controls in some other way.