The development and innovation of a company depends, amongst other things, also on it purchasing processes that are able to ensure a continuous supply of the goods and services needed to perform operations. As a consequence suppliers, and strategic and recurring suppliers in particular, are selected with care on the basis of cost, service quality and technical, commercial and financial reliability. 

11,405 [-1,562 compared to 2009] Suppliers 
€712 million [-0.5% compared to 2009] Purchases 

Relations with suppliers are designed to ensure mutual satisfaction and are based on the observance of the principles of transparency, fairness, loyalty, integrity and competition.

All the Group member companies comply with Group Spending Regulations, which in general identify the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved in the process of managing budgets and incurring expenses with the separation of roles between those requesting supplies and authorising payments, those that sign contracts and handle negotiations with suppliers and those keeping the accounts and paying the invoices.

We consider it essential for the quality of a service to guarantee the independence of suppliers and we have therefore set a rule that the amount of the supplies invoiced to the Group by each individual supplier must not exceed a limit of 25% of their total turnover.