1 - Management Statement on Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility

2007 was a good year for Packard Bell: We became the second largest consumer desktops manufacturer and the fifth largest in consumer notebooks in Western Europe. This tremendous result was made possible thanks to our continuous focus to supply our customers with high quality products. These products, designed by the Packard Bell Design Studios include the latest technologies, and saw us winning two major European Design awards. Design is key to our strategy, but what does Design stand for in our products? Primarily simplicity and ease of use.

But, Design is also “greener” than ever before., as we take very seriously our responsibility to fullfil our Corporate Social Responsibility as we continue to expand and grow. Environmental regulations are an integral part of all our designs,on all of our products. We insist on conducting our business following a set of principles, such as:

- Ensure employees wellbeing with an effective Human Resources policy.
- Publish and promote an Internal Chart of Behaviour to ensure that the company deals with its eco system in the most professional way.
- Taking active steps to ensure that our suppliers adhere to the Packard Bell Code of conduct
- Ensure to the best of our abilities that all new products are environment-friendly. Audits are being conducted to ensure that our partners respect all our requests related to Corporate Social Responsibility & Environment.

You will discover here on our website a summary of what is being done in this regard by Packard Bell. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you need any additional information to be posted on this web site.

Enjoy your stay on www.packardbell.com

Aymar de Lencquesaing
C.E.O

2 - Packard Bell Chart of Corporate behaviour

PACKARD BELL works to improve profitability through Consumer Electronics business activities and to achieve dynamic development to the benefit of society. To this end, Packard Bell is aware of the need to enhance its corporate value not only by observing all relevant laws and regulations, but also by fulfilling its social responsibilities as a good corporate citizen. At the same time, Packard Bell must win the trust of customers, investors, suppliers, the community at large and its employees.

These 10 articles of the Packard Bell chart shall be applied to the Officers and Employees of each subsidiary of Packard Bell:

1 Attaining Customer Satisfaction
2 Developing New Technologies
3 Conducting Fair Corporate Activities
4 Disclosing Information
5 Preserving the Global Environment
6 Maintaining Good Relations with the Community
7 Conducting Thoughtful Corporate Citizenship Activities
8 Protecting Human Rights
9 Valuing Employees
10 Protecting Intellectual Property and Personal Information

3 - Commitment to Environmental Protection and Business Ethics with supplier’s code of conduct

As a socially responsible company, we set several clear objectives in this matter to our suppliers.
To control our supplier’s compliancy, we established the following audit.

Contents of the Packard Bell supplier’s code of conduct:

I – ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY MANAGEMENT

1 Company environmental management systems
2 Monitoring of environmental impact
3 Respect of environmental legislation
4 Environmental performance
5 Hazardous substances
Hazardous waste management,
Environmental release potential,
Business interruption potential,
6 Design for environmental strategy
7 Financial risk

Packard Bell routinely sends this questionnaire to its suppliers and evaluates the compliance levels of the suppliers with reference to the answers as part of its supplier selection process.

II – SOCIAL COMPLIANCE

Supplier warrants that, according to all International Labour Organization (“ILO”) Conventions: (1) Child Labour, the minimum age is 15 years or greater if the country law specifies. (2) Forced Labour, all employees work of their own free will and the Supplier does not retain documentation or force workers to work overtime. (3) Health and Safety, Supplier aims to produce its Products in the safest manner, which will not cause harm to its employees. (4) Freedom of Association, Supplier promotes freedom of choice for its employees to join or not join a union and to bargain collectively with the company. (5) Discrimination, Supplier does not discriminate on the grounds of gender, race, national origin, religion, caste, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, political affiliation or union views. (6) Discipline, Supplier operates a publicised disciplinary procedure which contains a right of appeal. (7) House of work, Supplier will abide by the country law maximum. (8) Wages and Benefits, Supplier will pay at least the minimum wage and country law stipulated benefits. (9) Supplier will designate management responsibility and document its control systems.

1 Work condition
2 Child Labour
3 Forced Labour
4 Discipline
5 Discrimination
6 Freedom of Association and the Right to Organise
7 Health & Safety
8 Wage & Benefits
9 Working Hours
10 Management Systems

Packard Bell routinely sends this questionnaire to its suppliers and evaluates the compliance levels of the suppliers with reference to the answers as part of its supplier selection process.

4 - Packard Bell and Global Environment

For more than 8 years now, environment is at the heart of our products.

Packard Bell is committed to limit the environmental impact of its products during product lifecycle.

Starting at design phase, with a very strict procurement policy, maximum attention is given to the electronic components in order to limit their weight in heavy metals such as Lead, Cadmium, Chromium, Mercury, etc….
Suppliers are asked, for each part of any product, to respect all regulations.

Packaging is a good example to illustrate the efforts conducted by Packard Bell to limit its impact on the environment. Between 2001 and 2007, Packard Bell, for instance made considerable efforts to reduce the weight of our desktop computer boxes as the graph below demonstrates. This weight reduction means more products per palette, less energy necessary for deliveries, less wasted boxes etc….




The environmental impact is not limited to the design step. It is also linked to the use of the product. Therefore, all our monitors comply with the Energy Star & TCO labels, giving the warranty that the power consumption is reduced. This policy is part of the future EuP regulation (2005/32/EC), on the power consumption of electronic components. Packard Bell is in this way preparing to comply to this future regulation.

The end of life of our products is also a key timeframe in the environmental area. Some measures have been taken to anticipate and to facilitate the recycling of our products. Therefore, all plastic parts heavier than 25g and used for the design of products are labelled ISO 11469. This label is very useful at the recycling phase as it allows a quick recognition of the material and eases its valorisation.

In the same spirit, desktop computers are designed to be easily dismantled, with screws being replaced by clips.

In each European country where the Packard Bell brand is present, recycling end of life products is aided via various financing given to eco-companies.

In parallel, Packard Bell is running a permanent survey on environmental matters by taking part in some dedicated commissions of the Alliance TICs (Group of IT companies. www.alliance-tics.org).

Those meetings are a key tool for us to keep in close touch with the latest environmental news and to be well informed on all European regulations.

Energy Star® compliance

As an Energy Star® partner, Packard Bell B.V. has determined that these products meets the Energy Star® guidelines for energy efficiency.
MAESTRO 240W
MAESTRO 191W
MAESTRO 200W
MAESTRO 220W
MAESTRO 221W
VISEO 191Ws
Energy Star® was introduced by the US environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary labelling program designed to promote energy-efficient products, in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. By joining this program, Packard Bell will help reduce your energy bill and contribute to reducing air pollution and protecting the earth's climate for future generations.
You can find more information about Energy Star® on the Energy Star® web site.

5 - Your old Packard Bell equipment is end of life?

Don’t discard it in your waste bin… Electrical and electronic equipments must now follow a dedicated way of collection.

The European WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directive covers the collection and treatment of electronic waste.
The directive aims to reduce the waste coming from electrical and electronic equipment, and improve the environmental performance of everything involved in the life cycle of electrical and electronic equipment.

PACKARD BELL COMMITMENT

Since August the 13th, 2005 the WEEE logo (crossed-out wheeled bin) is printed on all Packard Bell products.

As a Producer, Packard Bell is financing the collection and the recycling of the old electronic equipments.

Where the national requirements on WEEE are clear, Packard Bell has made, and will continue to make, arrangements to handle products that need to be disposed of. Because the arrangements substantially differ in the various EU member states, please contact the local representative office for the situation in your country.

Your role in product recycling The WEEE logo means the product must be disposed of separately from normal households waste in order to promote reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery with a view to reduce landfill. This includes the product and any accessories, such as keyboard, mouse, remote control, speakers, headphones, cables, etc. When you decide to dispose of your old Packard Bell equipment, please follow the guidance of your municipal authority and/or ask your retailer where you bought your product. When you buy a new Electrical and Electronic Equipment, the retailer can take back your old equipment (one for one basis). For further information about products recycling, please contact Packard Bell WEEE partners