Home » Item requirements on Mercateo

Mercateo believes that compliance with external and internal rules is an essential element of sustainable and successful corporate governance. This includes verifiable compliance with all international, national and local legal and company-internal requirements. In connection with this, in addition to the suppliers’ independent responsibility to offer items for sale in a manner in keeping with the products themeselves, Mercateo requires its suppliers to comply with the following guidelines. Note that this brief overview is by no means exhaustive.

1. Product safety regulations
Suppliers must comply with product safety regulations, label their items correctly, and manage the requirements for the usage of items offered for sale at their own responsibility. If required, suppliers are obliged to provide Mercateo with the relevant documentation containing all necessary safety information on all hazardous substances. This includes item information, safety data sheets, confirmation of registration and approval, uses and exposure scenarios. Suppliers must proactively and transparently provide Mercateo with all available information on the health, safety and environmental aspects of their items.

2. Weapons
Weapons and related items, especially firearms (including air rifles, gas pistols and paintball guns), weapon components, weapon kits (including kits for model guns that can’t be fired as well as replica firearms), gunpowder and other types of ammunition (including airgun pellets and ammunition for gas pistols), and blunt instruments such as clubs and truncheons may not be sold on the Mercateo procurement platform. The same goes for the sale of fireworks and all forms of pyrotechnics.

3. Tobacco products
Cigars, cigarettes and other tobacco products and products containing nicotine, as well as narcotic or substances which, at our discretion, carry the risk of injury or illness, may not be sold.

4. Animals
Parts of whales, dolphins, sharks, elephants (including ivory) and other animals covered by the protection of species as well as plants covered by the protection of nature may not be sold. This also applies to items made from them. Suppliers are strictly prohibited from offering live animals for sale.

5. Medicines
Medicines may not be sold on the Mercateo procurement platform.

6. Medical products and biocides
The sale of medical products or items classified as biocides and labelled accordingly is permitted pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2017/745 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Medical Devices as well as Regulation (EU) 2017/746 on In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices and the Biocide Regulation (EU) No. 528/2012.

The sale of disinfectant is only permitted if the disinfectant is a product specifically intended for the cleaning, disinfection or sterilisation of products referred to in Article 1(4), Regulation (EU) 2017/745. Disinfectants that are not used to clean, disinfect and sterilise products referred to in Article 1(4), Regulation (EU) 2017/745 may only be sold if the product belongs to one of the 22 product types in Annex V of Biocide Regulation (EU) No. 528/2012 and can therefore be classified as a biocide.

Whenever biocidal products are listed, the following cautionary note must be included which is written in full, is clearly legible, and is clearly distinguishable from the promotional text.

‚Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use.‘

7. Pornographic content
Neither pornographic content of any kind nor any sex toys may be sold on the Mercateo procurement platform. This ban also applies to sexual novelty items as well as to foodstuffs with a pornographic reference.

8. Anti-constitutional items
Items which are of an anti-constitutional nature as well as items which encourage racism, hatred or discrimination as well as Nazi memorabilia may not be sold. Any violations of this rule will be prosecuted.

9. Statutory sales ban
Items that are subject to a statutory sales ban may not be sold. This includes in particular items such as camouflaged surveillance cameras as well as navigation systems with integrated radar warning. Suppliers are responsible for observing any sales bans imposed under national legislation.

10. Conflict resources and conflict minerals
The Dodd–Frank Act defines the term ‘conflict minerals’ to mean the raw materials tantalum, tin, gold and tungsten, if extracting or trading in them contributes to funding or any other form of support for armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or its neighbouring states (Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia). The listing and sale of products containing conflict materials is prohibited.

Updated: April 2021