Code of Conduct

AUTOSAR GbR pursues the objective of creating and establishing an open and standardized software architecture for automotive electronic control units (ECUs).

The AUTOSAR development partnership was formed by BMW AG, Robert Bosch GmbH, Continental AG, Mercedes-Benz AG, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Stellantis, Toyota Motor Corporation and Volkswagen AG. These companies act as Core Partners within the development partnership.

AUTOSAR’s goal is to fulfil the future vehicle requirements, such as availability and safety, SW upgrades/ updates, and maintainability, to increase scalability and flexibility to integrate and transfer functions, to increase a higher penetration of "Commercial off the Shelf" SW and HW components across product lines, to re-use of software, to accelerate development and maintenance, to improve containment of product and process complexity and risk and to optimize costs of scalable systems.

To achieve the goal, it is important to reflect the organization's operations, core values and overall culture. The culture and values are principles being used in business life and show the operating framework besides the AUTOSAR Development Agreement. Each partner is responsible for supporting the core values, culture and protect AUTOSAR’s reputation, which require compliance with the law as well as ethical conduct.

AUTOSAR issues the Code of Conduct to show the commitment on Corporate Social Responsibility, on doing ethical business and to provide guidance to AUTOSAR partners and suppliers. Furthermore, with this Code of Conduct, AUTOSAR wishes to build trust with partners and organizations around the world.

The Code of Conduct is applicable to all AUTOSAR- and business-partners.

The AUTOSAR Partners shall be subject to all laws, present and future, of any government having jurisdiction over the Parties. It is the intention of the Parties that all activities within the AUTOSAR work, and all referenced documents shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

AUTOSAR’S integrity depends on the behavior of its partners.

AUTOSAR expects all partners to adhere to all applicable laws and regulations as well to the high integrity standards as set forth by AUTOSAR.

Acting with integrity means always doing the right thing, even if that might lead to loss of business in some cases. However, AUTOSAR believes that ethical behavior comes along with a business advantage.

AUTOSAR partners and customers expect the organization to behave with integrity in all aspects of AUTOSAR’S business.

At AUTOSAR each partner and supplier have the responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interest of AUTOSAR.

Partners who are affected by a potential or actual conflict of interest in their activities in relation to AUTOSAR are obliged to disclose and resolve it promptly.

Potential conflicts of interest should be discussed with the relevant manager or Compliance Management. By disclosing a potential conflict of interest partners protect themselves and AUTOSAR.

AUTOSAR ensures to treat every contracting partner fair and with respect and build mutually respectful relationships based on good communication and trust.

AUTOSAR ensures that a contract meets the requirements and approval of the law.

In the marketplace AUTOSAR follows the letter and spirit of the antitrust and competition laws and ensures a fair competition across the AUTOSAR organization

These laws are the fundamental pillars of the social and economic system. Complying with this legislation ensures that market competition is genuine, fair and transparent and not distorted. Anticompetitive business agreements and practices are prohibited.

Violating antitrust and competition laws can result in criminal sanctions. AUTOSAR partners are expected to avoid any situation that can lead to violate antitrust and competition laws.

AUTOSAR and AUTOSAR partners do not tolerate corruption.

AUTOSAR and AUTOSAR partners do not grant, offer or accept any bribes, kickbacks, inadmissible donations or other inadmissible payments or benefits to or by customers, officials or third parties.

This also applies to facilitation payments such as illegal payments to accelerate administration matters that are routinely encountered.

AUTOSAR aims to conduct business solely with reputable partners who operate in line with legal provisions and who use resources from legitimate sources.

AUTOSAR partners do not offer officials, authorities, any other elected representatives or third parties any direct or indirect improper advantages in the form of gifts, hospitality or invitations to exert undue influence. Nor does AUTOSAR solicit or accept such improper advantages.

With regards to gifts, hospitality and invites AUTOSAR is complying with all the applicable laws and regulations of the Federal Republic of Germany.

As a standardization organization, AUTOSAR jointly develops and releases specifications for commercial exploitation of a standardized software framework, application interfaces, methodology and templates, and software implementations, for software controlled electric and electronic systems within Automotive Applications, which, however, shall be open for use in Derived Applications. The description of the content of the current development cycle is being communicated on a regular basis.

Cross-border trade is subject to prohibitions, restrictions, authorization requirements or other monitoring measures within the framework of export controls. Irrespective of a delivery transaction, business with persons or companies on sanctions lists is generally prohibited.

AUTOSAR makes sure to comply with all applicable legal provisions for importing and exporting goods, services and information.

AUTOSAR’S ethics and compliance provide information and resources that support ethical business practices.

AUTOSAR has a Whistleblower Inbox in place.
If you have a compliance, legal or ethics concern, or you want to report a serious violation in relation to AUTOSAR GbR please contact AUTOSAR’s Compliance Management directly or use the Whistleblower contact address.

It is ensured, that Whistleblower confidentiality will be respected.

Whistleblower contact data: compliance@autosar.org

AUTOSAR respects everyone's human rights and dissociates with any form of discrimination.

AUTOSAR protects the personal data of AUTOSAR bodies, partners, third, and other affected parties.

AUTOSAR collects, gathers, uses and stores personal data strictly in accordance with legal provisions.

Unauthorized internal or external access to sensitive information is prevented. AUTOSAR ensures that this is permitted by law or already has the consent of the person’s data concerned before collecting, storing, processing, sharing or use in any other way.

AUTOSAR provides the GDPR documents on the website.

www.autosar.org/datenschutz