SUMMIT COSMETICS EUROPE (SCE) is committed to improving its practices to combat modern slavery and human trafficking. This statement has been published in accordance with the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes the company’s modern slavery and human trafficking statement for the fiscal year 2023 ended 31/12/2023. This statement was approved by the board of directors of the company on 02/04/2024. 

The organisation’s structure, its business and its supply chains 

Summit Cosmetics Europe has a headquarter in France with 35 people. It was founded on 1937 in Paris. On 21st of April 2021, Sumitomo Corporation acquired 100% of shares. Our German division is based in Germany (Dusseldorf) with 11 people joined in April 2022. 

We are a European distributor of cosmetics raw materials; we have more than 600 raw materials in catalog from 60 suppliers worldwide and sell to more than 300 customers in Europe. 

We supply through 3 warehouses partners (VMF France, SST UK & DDD Germany). 

For more information on the company’s business overview, please visit the following link:  Summit Cosmetics Europe (summitcosmetics-europe.com) 

Steps taken to ensure that modern slavery and human trafficking are not taking place in the company’s business and supply chains 

The company, as a member of the Sumitomo Corporation (SC) Group, shares Sumitomo’s Business Philosophy, which has been passed down and followed faithfully for more than 400 years since Masatomo Sumitomo (1585-1652) had founded. SC Group’s Corporate Mission Statement (Management Principles and Activity Guidelines) is based on this philosophy and represents SC Group’s fundamental and ultimate value standard. In the Corporate Mission Statement, it clearly states that SC Group respects the personality of each individual and places prime importance on integrity and sound management. 

The company takes its commitment to tackling modern slavery and human trafficking very seriously. The followings are the steps which we have taken to help ensure that modern slavery and human trafficking are not taking place in our business or supply chains: 

The SCE Group’s Human Rights Policy 

The company respects “the International Bill of Human Rights” and the International Labor Organization’s “Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work”, and we operate in accordance with “the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights”. 

The company, also as a member of the SC Group, in line with the SC Group’s Human Rights Policy, i) we strive to identify and to prevent or mitigate any adverse impact on human rights through the implementation of human rights due diligence processes, ii) where we identify that our group’s practices have caused or contributed to an adverse impact on human rights, we will endeavor to take appropriate remedial measures, iii) we will seek to improve and progress human rights measures through engagement and dialogue with relevant stakeholders, and so on. 

Human Rights Due Diligence  

In accordance with the SC Group’s Human Rights Policy,  

The SC Group’s CSR Action Guidelines for Supply Chain Management 

The company acts in accordance with the SC Group CSR Action Guidelines for Supply Chain Management. Through the implementation of these guidelines, we are aiming to realize a sustainable society by working together with our suppliers, business partners and contractors, etc. to achieve responsible value chain management. As part of these guidelines, we set out its values to “Respect for human rights and not to be complicit in human rights abuses” and to “Prevent forced labor, child labor and the payment of unfairly low wages.” These principles establish the overarching guidelines encompassing our commitment to combating modern slavery and human trafficking. 

In the event that we find violations of these guidelines in our supply chains, we will urge the suppliers, business partners or contractors, etc. to remedy and improve the situation, while providing support to them as needed. However, if there are no improvements to the situation by them, we will consider carefully whether to continue our business with them or not. 

Enhancement of SC Group Governance 

As a member of the SC Group, the company is collaborating with SC on “Enhancement of SC Group Governance” aiming to improve business quality and corporate value through internal control. Specifically, we have introduced a governance framework that uses SC Group’s standard tool called Basic Elements to visualize the internal control status of each group company and solve issues identified through “dialogue” with the parent company.  

The Basic Elements include “Respect for Human Rights”, “Labor Management, Health, Safety and the Environment”, and “Supplier Management”, and if there are issues, we formulate a response policy according to its business nature and regional conditions. Through regular monitoring, we will continue working to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking in our business or supply chains through further enhancing governance considering its business nature and regional conditions. 

Training 

In order to raise our awareness especially about modern slavery, the company utilizes an American NGO Verite’s free e-Learning of Supply Chain Accountability on forced labor as a useful training material, which is one of the referred tools on ‘Transparency in Supply Chains: A Practical guide’ published by UK Home Office.  

The company believes that eradication of modern slavery is important, and we will continue to undertake these efforts aimed at ensuring that no modern slavery or human trafficking of any form exists in our business and supply chains. 

Paris, the 2nd of April 2024

Signed by: 

Carole LAJOUS

President 

Summit Cosmetics Europe