UTRECHT 29 January 2008 - Ambition in cooperation and chain responsibility

The seven largest Dutch construction companies have established leading principles for promoting professional cooperation and chain responsibility in the construction industry. The objective is to increase clarity for all partners in the building process and to provide guidelines for all specialised contractors, suppliers, fitters, purchasers and contract managers.

Ballast Nedam, BAM, Dura Vermeer, Heijmans, Strukton, TBI and Volker Wessels have joined forces to meet the growing demand for social responsibility and express their ambition to give an impulse to sustainable cooperation in the industry.

The seven companies have, on the basis of the leading principles, drawn up a code of conduct. This code offers the contracting construction company, the specialised contractor, the customer and other partners in the building process a point of departure for professional, ethical, socially responsible and transparent operations. Obtaining a successful end result is regarded as a joint responsibility. The instructing construction company ensures that work can be carried out in a responsible, safe and sustainable manner, while suppliers and contractors are required, in their delivery of products and services, to sustain a level of quality that contributes towards a responsible building process and end result.

The seven initiators realise that, in practice, compliance with the complete code of conduct cannot be attained overnight. Nevertheless, parties have the ambition to further implement these leading principles within their respective operations. Sector organisation Bouwend Nederland will actively propagate the principles amongst its members. 

Leading principles Code of conduct