OREANDA-NEWS. Grupa LOTOS has qualified as a national finalist in this year's edition of the prestigious European Business Awards competition. We have been nominated for a Ruban d’Honneur award in the Millicom Award for Environmental and Corporate Sustainability category. 526 companies from 31 European countries are vying for the awards. The final results of the competition are due to be announced in April 2014.

Grupa LOTOS represents Poland together with 24 other companies that have qualified for the second stage of the awards process. The European Business Awards have been organised for six years as an independent competition aimed at promoting best business practices as well as innovative and ethical solutions in key business areas, such as HR policies, environmental protection, customer relations and innovativeness. Karel De Gucht, EU Trade Commissioner, has taken patronage of the competition.

"Being nominated to an award in a competition that evaluates, in an international forum, environmental protection efforts and various aspects of sustainable development focus is for us a confirmation that the CSR strategy being implemented by LOTOS has been truly effective. The decision of the European Business Awards judges is for us an incentive to embark on implementing further innovative solutions, beneficial both to the Company and its environment," said Jowita Twardowska, Communication & CSR Director at Grupa LOTOS.

In the second stage of the competition, national finalists will be giving presentations describing in detail selected aspects of their companies' operations. The materials will be put to a public vote from November 2013 to January 2014. After the selection made by the public and the judges, including European business and academic leaders, the companies with the highest scores in a given category will receive the Ruban d’Honneur title.

In the last stage of the Awards, all Ruban d’Honneur recipients are invited to give a presentation before the judges panel, which will select the winner in each Award category.