2026 Code of Conduct Report

The culture behind the code: Turning standards into everyday decisions – Perspectives from Europe

LRN’s 2026 Europe Code of Conduct Report builds on the global findings with a closer look at how codes are designed, accessed, reinforced, and used across Europe. The regional data shows a mature foundation: native-language access is strong, code structure is well established, and responsibility-oriented topics such as human rights, environmental responsibility, labor laws, and international trade feature prominently.

The opportunity is to activate that foundation consistently. Drawing on a survey of 800 employees across six European countries and an analysis of 335 codes, the report highlights how to strengthen reinforcement, modernize digital access, clarify what follows a raised concern, and connect principles to emerging risks.

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Key findings from this year’s report include:

Native-language access stands out: 87% of respondents whose native language is not English say the code is available in their native language, above the 80% global benchmark.
Training is useful but reaches fewer employees: 97% of trained employees say training shows them how to use the code, while overall training reach is 75%.
Digital access has room to grow: 30% of European employees report website-based code access, compared with 38% globally, while PDF and print remain the dominant formats.
Responsibility-oriented topics are a regional strength: 85% of analyzed European codes address human rights and 87% address environmental responsibility.
Emerging-risk guidance remains limited: AI and technology ethics appear in only 9% of analyzed European codes.