Arçelik A.Ş. has become a finalist in the “Management” category within the frame of the “European Business Awards for the Environment” program which is being given biannually by the EU Commission. Thus, for the first time in its history, a company, Arçelik, from a EU candidate country succeeded to become one of the finalists. The award ceremony, where Janez Potočnik, member of the European Commission in charge of the environment, was also present was held on June 2nd 2010 at Bibliothèque Solvay in Brussels during the “Green Week”, which is the main conference and exhibition activity for the environment, organized annually by the EU Commission. Press showed great interest to the ceremony in which elite guests from the EU and the business world participated. Tülin Karabük, Arçelik A.Ş. Assistant General Manager of Sales - Europe, America, Asia-Pacific, received the finalist plate on behalf of Arçelik from Potočnik.

Arçelik A.Ş. integrates environmental and social issues to the company management and adopts this integrated approach in all business processes.

Regarding the subject, President of Koç Holding Durable Goods Group and Arçelik A.Ş. General Manager Levent Çakıroğlu said the following: “Seeing ‘Protection of the environment and corporate social responsibility’ as indispensable components of its principal tasks, our company has successfully represented Turkey in the “Management” category within the   “European Business Awards for the Environment” program, which is one of the most respectful award competitions in Europe, and became one of the first three. This important rank, which has been achieved for the first time by a company in our EU-candidate country is a clear indication that Arçelik integrates the environmental and social issues to the company management and also adopts this integrated approach in all business processes.”

Çakıroğlu, further said; “Our company’s endeavors in the sustainable development area have been greatly appreciated by the elite jury of EU. Our innovative vision ‘Respects the globe, respected globally’ that emphasizes the importance we attach to the environment and most efficient use of resources has a great share in this respectful rank we achieved on the EU platform.”

The companies that are elected solely in national level are entitled to participate in the “Europe Program” of “EU Business Awards for the Environment” that is one of the most prestigious awards of Europe.

These awards, which are being given by the EU Commission biannually are being distributed among companies that have significant contribution in sustainable development in four categories, namely “management”, “product”, “process”, and “international cooperation”. 10 finalists selected in these four categories from among 141 companies from 24 EU member and EU candidate countries are in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, Turkey and England. Within the scope of “EU Business Awards for the Environment”, only the companies that are elected in national level are entitled to participate in the “Europe Program” of “EU Business Awards for the Environment”, which is one of the most prestigious awards of Europe. Jury of the EU Business Awards for the Environment 2010 which is chaired by Cristina Garcia-Orcoyen Tormo, CEO of Fundación Entorno-BCSD España, is composed of 14 environment experts from the industrial sector, non-governmental organizations, academic staff, and official institutions, and they choose “the best of the bests”.

Arçelik A.Ş. was awarded with two first prizes in Turkey step of “European Union Business Awards for the Environment” on April 7th 2010; one in “Management” category thanks to its contributions to the sustainable development and the other one in “Product” category with its “Economist” washing machine; thus achieved the right to participate in the “Europe Program”, and to represent Turkey.

In accordance with its new vision, Arçelik A.Ş. carries on contributing in sustainable development in all processes through its innovative and environment-sensitive approach and technologies, environmentalist investments, importance it pays to protection of natural resources, many projects it has been executing in all areas of the society, and managing all these activities in a holistic way together with business processes.