Data Protection Policy

Last modified: 21 December 2022

Daikin Europe N.V. is a fully-owned subsidiary of the Japanese company Daikin Industries Ltd. Daikin Group produces, sells, distributes and executes marketing with regard to air-conditioning, heating, ventilation and refrigeration equipment and solution business, along with its European Subsidiaries.

Daikin Europe N.V., together with its European Subsidiaries (hereinafter, "DENV-G", "we", "us", “our”, etc.) and its mother company Daikin Industries Ltd. (hereinafter “DIL”), is sincerely committed to the protection of Personal Data collected from Data Subjects (hereinafter “User”, “you”, “your”) offline, through e.g. paper forms, contracts, statements (hereinafter “Forms”) or online, through the website www.daikin.eu (hereinafter "Website”) or www.daikin-ce.com (country local site) and through, for example, but not limited to, DENV-G’s (web) applications, software and digital tools (hereinafter “Applications”).

In accordance with the European General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 679/2016 (GDPR), in order to:

ensure transparency in the nature of the Personal Data we collect offline through Forms or online through the Website and/or through Applications;
ensure transparency in the use of Personal Data collected;
facilitate Data Subjects in the exercise of their rights;
therefore, hereby we set forth this Data Protection Policy.

The protection of your Personal Data matters to us. We aim to process your Personal Data in a lawful, appropriate and transparent manner.

Take your time to read this Data Protection Policy and its main key terms, that you will find hereby in capitalized form.

In this regard, if you have any questions or remarks, please contact us.

1. DATA CONTROLLERS, JOINT DATA CONTROLLERS AND PROCESSORS

Daikin Europe N.V. and its European Subsidiaries as established within the European Union are subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 679/2016 (GDPR) and to any upcoming legislation, in application of the above Regulation, entering into force in the member state in which they are established.

DATA CONTROLLERS

We inform you that any Personal Data you submit offline through Forms or online through the Website and/or the Applications is used for the purposes described below by Daikin Europe N.V., with registered office at Zandvoordestraat 300, B-8400 Oostende (company number 412.120.336), in its capacity of Data Controller (see key terms).

Daikin Europe N.V.’s European Subsidiaries act in the capacity of Data Controllers with regard to Processing of Personal Data collected offline through Forms or online through the Website and/or Applications.

JOINT DATA CONTROLLERS

It is possible in the future that Daikin Europe N.V., along with DIL, jointly determine, on the basis of a written agreement, purposes and means of Processing Personal Data, as Joint Data Controllers.

It is possible in the future that Daikin Europe N.V., along with its European Subsidiaries, jointly determine, on the basis of a written agreement, purposes and means of Processing Personal Data, as Joint Data Controllers (for example, but not limited to, in any case the subsidiary is particularly involved in the Processing of Personal Data at local level for the developing of a project).

In the above cases Data Subjects whose Personal Data are to be processed by the Joint Controllers will be informed accordingly.

DATA PROCESSORS

Daikin Europe N.V. can also act as Data Processor on behalf of its European Subsidiaries for any online or offline Processing or Personal Data controlled by the European Subsidiaries.

Daikin Europe N.V.’s European Subsidiaries may act in the capacity of Data Processors on behalf and under the instructions of Daikin Europe N.V. if data processing agreements are in place.

2. PERSONAL DATA WE COLLECT AND PURPOSES

DENV-G, to the extent necessary, collects, processes, registers, stores and transfers Data Subjects’ Personal Data provided offline through Forms or online through the Website and/or Applications while, for example, but not limited to: visiting the Website; using Applications; filling in offline or online registration Forms; reporting non-compliance; contacting DENV-G; submitting job applications; clicking on social media buttons; providing feedback (e.g. on Forms, products, Applications, Website, customer service); answering to surveys and other activities.

Personal Data are collected either on a facultative basis or on a compulsory basis. If it is compulsory to provide the Personal Data, this will be marked accordingly. In case a Data Subject fails or denies providing the Personal Data that DENV-G has marked as compulsory, as a consequence DENV-G will not be able to carry on the process or the activity requested by that Data Subject.

An example of Personal Data that is marked as compulsory is the situation in which a Data Subject wants to submit registration Forms. In this case DENV-G needs some personal details in order to process the related request of registration. If the Data Subject wishes to register but does not provide the personal details marked as compulsory, DENV-G will not be able to accept and process the request of registration.

DENV-G can collect Personal Data on a consent basis or without the consent of the involved Data Subject if: 1) a legal obligation must be fulfilled; or 2) a contract in which the Data Subject is party has to be performed or will be performed; or 3) there are Legitimate Interests, public interests or Vital Interests to protect; or 4) an authority has requested DENV-G to process Personal Data.

DENV-G can further process your Personal Data only:

if the purpose of the further Processing is compatible with the purpose of the initial collection of your Personal Data;
if you provide your consent to further Processing for a purpose which is new and not compatible with the purpose of the initial collection of your Personal Data.

Please find below, under subparagraphs 2.1. and 2.2., the Personal Data we collect and the purposes for which we collect them.

2.1. PERSONAL DATA WE COLLECT FROM YOU OR FROM THIRD PARTIES.

You can be asked to provide us, depending on the purpose of each Processing and to the extent necessary, different kind of Personal Data including, but not limited to, name, surname, date and place of birth, title, address, telephone, mobile, email address, language, country, nationality, identity card, driver’s license number, national registration number, passport number, curriculum information, employer, occupation, client number, personal social media URL, credit card, preferences, interests, feedbacks.

You can also be asked to provide us, depending on the purpose of each Processing and to the extent necessary, some Special Categories of Personal Data (e.g. trade union membership, Personal Data concerning health). DENV-G will process Special categories of Personal Data in accordance with GDPR on the basis of : 1) explicit consent of the Data Subject; or 2) fulfilment of legal obligations and/or exercise of the rights of the Controller or of the Data Subject in the field of employment and social security law; or 3) Vital Interests of the Data Subject; or 4) establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims; or 5) substantial Public Interest.

We also use Personal Data you provided to third parties, for example to service providers, or Personal Data that fall within the public domain such as commonly acknowledged Personal Data, Personal Data visible on your own website or blog or posted on your publicly accessible social media profile.

DENV-G may also receive Personal Data via third parties after mergers, acquisitions and any other transforming operation.

2.1.1 Purposes of the collection of Personal Data.

Once collected, we use such Personal Data mentioned above for a variety of purposes. Please find them listed below:

Business Administration and customer management.

DENV-G has to be able to perform contracts duly and properly and to carry out all the necessary statutory and accounting processes. Accordingly, DENV-G will need some Personal Data provided by Data Subjects offline through Forms or online through Website and Applications. In accordance with Regulation (EU) 679/2016, for the purpose of performing contracts, the consent of the Data Subject that is or is going to be a party to a contract is not required. The consent of the Data Subject is not required in case of duty to fulfil a legal obligation.

With regard to the management of relationship with customers and the provision of consumer services, DENV-G uses Personal Data (e.g. name, country, nationality, email address, client number, credit card information) in order to:

assess whether it would be feasible to sell products or provide services to a customer before entering into a contract; or
process customers’ written requests, customers’ orders of products and services and requests of cash-back; or
identify and contact customers for a discount; or
inform customers about consumers’ rights and additional services related to the product or the service purchased; or
inform customers about Daikin’s promotional campaigns and events and send out related invitations; or
manage the access to DENV-G’s premises, the Website and Applications; or
organise and execute service interventions for customers and installers; or
inform customers of an approaching maintenance deadline.

Product Distribution.

DENV-G uses Personal Data for product distribution, on the basis of performing a contract/ fulfilling a legal obligation, and particularly in order to:

facilitate our European Subsidiaries in distributing products and supplying services through authorized agencies, Business partners, the Website and/or through Applications; or
facilitate distributors in delivering products, spare parts and services (for example, Personal Data are included in delivery notes accompanying the transport of a product purchased); or
optimize sales and services by elaborating offers for customers; or
improve and fasten the distribution of our products and services; or
follow up technical data from installations and the status of contracts and projects; or
organise and provide training to customers, installers, employees and subcontractors.

Supplier Administration.

DENV-G uses Personal Data to keep records of suppliers and service providers, to register and manage purchase orders, business expenses and invoices provided by suppliers or service providers, acting on the basis of performing a contract/ fulfilling legal obligation.

Direct marketing.

As leading manufacturer and supplier of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment (including heat pumps and refrigeration) and of solution business, DENV-G is in the position to provide you with information that is tailored to you and your needs (for example, by using your transaction details, DENV-G is able to inform you about services, offers and suggestions related to your purchase. This is the so called “direct marketing”).

DENV-G uses collected Personal Data, Personal Data that is publicly available (e.g. information available on Internet, through results of the searches, social media results) or Personal Data received from third parties (e.g. Internet Service Providers) for direct marketing purposes and to attract new customers.

DENV-G performs direct marketing also with the aim of organizing internal events, travels, presentations, meetings for employees, customers and Business Partners.

DENV-G does direct marketing through a variety of media including, without limitation, mobile’s text messaging, surveys, email, the Website, online adverts, database marketing, Applications and events.

DENV-G performs direct marketing on the basis of its Legitimate Interest of pursuing business objectives

DENV-G can do direct marketing in response to explicit consent of the Data Subject. If you do not want to receive a highly personalised offer, you should not consent to receiving direct marketing when asked to.

DENV-G commits itself to ensure that direct marketing information are provided in a way that is clear and adequate and this by using the channel designated by the recipient in order to keep the inconvenience of being disturbed to a minimum.

Quality improvement of products and services.

DENV-G, based upon its Legitimate Interest to do business or the consent of Data Subjects, uses Personal Data collected through Forms, job applications, surveys, inquiries, comments, feedback submitted to DENV-G or to other companies of the Daikin Group, in order to: improve its products and services; carry out further surveys; develop analytical, risk, marketing and other models and to produce statistics. DENV-G also uses your transaction details to develop global models and to perform analyses.

Example: DENV-G may need to process the number of people that have bought a specific Daikin product or have applied for a specific service.

In this regard, DENV-G commits as much as possible to aggregate Personal Data in anonymous or Pseudo Anonymous form to make sure that these Personal Data are not easily or are no longer identifiable as yours.

The practice of Processing Personal Data for statistical purposes is particularly justified by DENV-G’s desire to put in place strategic choices in order to better perform in the market and to provide you with better products and services.

Personal Data can also be used to assess, simplify and improve DENV-G’s processes, for example in order to optimize campaigns, procedures and sales, both offline or online, through the Website and/or through Applications.

Example: if you have not completed a procedure or the sales process, we may contact you to find out what went wrong and whether we can help you. In this case we limit our contact to providing technical and administrative support for that specific procedure or process.

Recruitment and Selection.

For the purpose of recruiting talents, DENV-G collects Personal Data such as, but not limited to, name, email, phone number, curriculum information, URL to social media profile from open applicants and targeted applicants applying for example for job vacancies, international traineeship, student internship. This processing is allowed by the fact that applicants are voluntarily taking steps in order to enter into a contract with DENV-G.

The Personal Data provided by applicants (through filling in Forms or registering and creating a personal account on the Website or when entering Applications) will be used for Processing applications, contacting applicants for human resources management related activities, managing hiring processes (e.g. inviting applicants for interviews and for conducting written tests) and drafting employment contracts.

Personal Data belonging to applicants who were not hired at the end of the selection process are deleted after 1 year from the date of the communication of the negative outcome of the selection, unless the applicants have requested the immediate cancellation of their data following such communication.

Personnel Administration and Salary Benefits.

DENV-G uses Personal Data, on the basis of performing an (employment) contract, for the purpose of managing personnel and particularly:

managing and keeping records of employment contracts and payroll; and/or
paying salaries; and/or
keeping records of employees’ attendance, travelling and training activities; and/or
communicating with health insurance companies; and/or
providing employees with insurances, company assets and salary benefits related to performances.

Bookkeeping and Accounting.

DENV-G uses Personal Data, on the basis of performing a contract, for the purpose of bookkeeping and accounting and with the aim of:

keeping records of transactions; or
issuing invoices related to sales and services provided; or
filling in tax declarations and related forms in order to fulfil tax obligations; or
elaborating statistics on the basis of transactions’ records (for example regarding the number of transactions occurred and in which area); or
being compliant with applicable legislation and with regulatory requirements both at national, European and international level.

Legal Claims and Disputes.

We can use Personal Data as evidence and for ascertaining, exercising and safeguarding the rights of DENV-G or of those it represents (e.g. in disputes) before any jurisdiction of any country (for example, among others, the right of DENV-G to defend itself from acts of unfair competition or the right of DENV-G to solicit the fulfilment of an unpaid invoice).

Fraud or Crime prevention.

We can also use Personal Data to prevent, detect and investigate crimes and cyber risks for Legitimate Interest or when a public authority requests to do so.

Corporate Business and Housekeeping.

DENV-G transmits and/or jointly uses the Personal Data collected with DIL and/or other companies of the Daikin Group and/or its Business Partners only when needed and in view of elaborating periodic reports on the outcome and business-related aspects, business plans and corporate strategies. The processing is based on DENV-G Legitimate Interest of doing business.

DENV-G processes Personal Data of European Citizens that were lawfully collected by another company of the Daikin Group unless there is no legal impediment (e.g. a duty of confidentiality or a provision in the data protection legislation).

DENV-G is committed to put in place all the appropriate measures for the protection of Personal Data with regard to intra group communications, in line with Regulation (EU) 679/2016.

2.2. PERSONAL DATA WE GET FROM YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE AND/OR APPLICATIONS.

2.2.1 Purposes of the collection of Personal Data.

When you are visiting the Website and/or Applications, DENV-G collects some of your Personal Data for the following purposes:

Easing the use of the Website and/or Applications.

By collecting some Personal Data (e.g., IP address, log-in data) on the basis of consent of the Data Subject or Legitimate Interest DENV-G is able to adapt the Website and/or the Applications more according to your needs.

Through the use of Cookies, DENV-G will automatically collect some Personal Data such as, but not limited to, device-specific information (e.g. IP address, browser type), log on information (e.g. search queries), geo-localization information (e.g. through Wi-fi access point) in order to facilitate the use of the Website and/or Applications and to increase your comfort while using them.

Example: in order to support and simplify your identification process, we store your username and password through a Cookie, you do not have to enter your identification credentials or any personal details every visit.

DENV-G uses different types of Cookies: necessary, functional, social plug-in tracking, third-party advertising, first-party analytics. Please, read more about Cookies, what they are, what types we use and why we are using these in our “Cookie policy”.

Monitoring of Data Subjects’ interests and preferences.

DENV-G, within its Website and/or Applications, on the basis of consent of the Data Subject or Legitimate Interest can monitor in a systematic and regular way Personal Data through Automated Decision-Making technologies/Profiling and Cookies. This in order to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular to analyse and predict aspects concerning the natural person’s performance at work, economic situation, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behaviour, location or moments (geo-localization).

Please, read more in our “Cookie policy”.

3. WILL PERSONAL DATA COLLECTED BE DISCLOSED TO THIRD PARTIES?

For the above purposes, DENV-G may need services, counselling and/or assistance from third parties, including, but not limited to, maintenance of Applications and bug fixing, purchase of Applications, data hosting, counselling on compliance with laws and regulations, development of Applications, human resources services, supply services, Internet providers’ services, production of statistics and others.

In this regard, to the extent necessary, we can transmit or disclose Personal Data we collected to any natural person or legal entity, to subcontractors and Business partners that are third parties with respect to DENV-G or Daikin Group.

Every time we need to transmit or disclose some Personal Data we collected to third parties, except in case of Legitimate Interest of the third party, DENV-G will make sure to have in place a data processing agreement with this third party under the provisions of Regulation (EU) 679/2016, asking the third party to comply with the principles and the provisions of the same Regulation and to align on appropriate security standards.

4. TRANSFER PERSONAL DATA TO THIRD COUNTRIES (NON-EU)

Within the scope of the above described purposes DENV-G transmits and jointly uses the Personal Data collected, belonging to Data Subjects present in the European Union, with DIL and/or other Daikin Group’s companies and/or Business Partners established in any non-EU countries.

We inform you that DENV-G has arranged appropriate standard contractual clauses and appropriate safeguards regarding any transfer of Personal Data occurring between Daikin Europe and DIL. In any case of transfer of Personal Data towards a non-EU country, DENV-G commits itself to:

ensure an adequate level of protection by setting appropriate safeguards and complying with the provisions of Regulation (EU) 679/2016;
manage the transfer of Personal Data on the basis of:
- a) European Commission’s adequacy decisions; if not
- b) standard contractual clauses/ binding corporate rules; if not
- c) code of conduct approved by the relevant supervisory authority/ official security certifications.
manage the transfer of Personal Data on the basis of consent of the Data Subject whose Personal Data has to be transferred or on the basis of derogations under article 49 of Regulation (EU) 679/2016 if the transfer cannot be executed on the basis of the above cases a), b), c).

5. STORAGE AND CRITERIA

DENV-G does not keep your Personal Data forever. We use your Personal Data to the extent necessary and only with the aim of pursuing the purposes described above. Once the aim no longer exists, we commit to delete the Personal Data, unless archiving them is required by law, at international, European or national level.

The starting point for storing your Personal Data is the statutory retention period (which is often ten years and lasts until the expiry of a contract or the end of a business relationship). The period can be longer where needed for the exercise of our rights.

If no retention period is stipulated by law, the retention period can be shorter in accordance to, but not limited to, one of the following criteria: contract length and legal obligations; business and organizational needs; long-term business relationship; pursuit of direct marketing; statistics.

Some insights only get clearer once they are viewed over a longer time span. For this reason, for some types of Personal Data a more extended time horizon may be necessary (e.g. for those needed in order to design marketing and risk models).

As has been stated, DENV-G commits as much as possible to work with aggregated, anonymized or Pseudo-Anonymized Personal Data and in all cases, it will cease the connections to individuals as quickly as possible.

6. YOUR RIGHTS AS DATA SUBJECT AND HOW TO EXERCISE THEM.

If you have any questions about the protection of your Personal Data or the exercise of your rights, you can contact us at any time by writing to Daikin Europe N.V. or one of its European Subsidiaries, by calling Daikin Europe N.V. or one of its European Subsidiaries, by sending via postal mail a specific Form or by submitting the Form available online under each “contact us” section throughout the Website and/or the Applications.

Once your Personal Data are subject to Processing, you have several rights as Data Subject that can be exercised, as listed below.

Be as specific as possible any time you wish to exercise your rights. DENV-G can only properly answer queries couched in sufficient detail. DENV-G will need to verify your identity in as much detail as possible, in order to avoid that someone else tries to exercise your rights. You will therefore be asked to provide a valid identification document when making such a request.

You can have access to your Personal Data

If you would like to access the Personal Data that DENV-G processes about you or you want to know more about:

the purposes of our Processing;
the categories of Personal Data concerned;
the categories of recipient to whom the Personal Data have been or will be disclosed;
the envisaged period of storage or the criteria used to determine that period;
the Data Subject’s rights;
the rights you can exercise with respect to our Processing;
the existence of Automated Decision-Making, including Profiling, and envisaged consequences;

and any other available information about the Processing of your Personal Data, please fill in the following form by clicking here.

We will use the Personal Data you provide us through the form only for the purpose of verifying and Processing your request.

If you exercise your right to access, DENV-G will give you as complete as possible a list or a copy of your Personal Data.

You can complete/rectify/erase/restrict the processing of your Personal Data

It can happen that certain Personal Data held on you by DENV-G are not (or have ceased to be) correct. It can also happen that you want to add something to the Personal Data you provided us. You can ask for your Personal Data to be rectified or completed at any time, by clicking here.

If you want DENV-G to erase your Personal Data your request will be processed, unless no impediment or incompatibility arise according to law or Legitimate Interests towards the deletion. If you want to ask for the erasure of your Personal Data, please click here.

You can obtain the restriction to the Processing of your Personal Data at any time, by clicking here.

You can ask for the portability of your Personal Data to yourself or to third parties

If your Personal Data were collected through electronic means, you can ask for the portability of the Personal Data you provided us to yourself or to third parties, by clicking here.

You can withdraw your consent to Processing of your Personal Data

Please remember that every time you provide DENV-G with your consent to process your Personal Data, you can subsequently withdraw that consent at any time by following the suggested procedure and as easily as you gave it.

If you want to withdraw your consent, you can do it at any time by clicking here.

You can object to Processing or object to Processing by automatized decision-making systems

If you disagree with how DENV-G processes certain Personal Data, you can object by clicking here. We shall process objections unless there are valid reasons not do so or reasons provided by law (for example, an objection will be declined if the Processing of Personal Data has been conducted in view of combating fraud).

If you disagree with Processing of your Personal Data based solely on Automated Decision-Making (including Profiling) which produces legal effects or affects similarly a Data Subject, you can object at any time by clicking here.

If you do not agree with the way DENV-G is Processing your Personal Data or you have other questions in this regard, you can always contact the Data Protection Authority of your country of residence (for instance if you reside in Belgium, you can contact the Data Protection Authority involved: www.privacycommission.be; Commission de la protection de la Vie Privée, Rue de la Presse, 35, 1000 Bruxelles).

7. DATA PROTECTION OFFICER

Here follows the contact details of DENV-G’s Data Protection Officer:

email address: euprivacy@daikin.co.jp;
Data Protection Officer: Osaka Umeda Twin Towers South, 1-13-1 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka, 530-0001, Japan.

8. MINORS

Through its Website or Applications DENV-G does not process any Personal Data of natural persons aged under 16, neither does it make commercial offers to or tries to contact them, unless their legal representative has consented.

9. SECURITY MEASURES TO PROTECT PERSONAL DATA

DENV-G has implemented adequate security measures in order to maintain integrity and security and prevent accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure of, or access to, Personal Data transmitted, stored or otherwise processed, in line with Regulation (EU) 679/2016.

10. PRIVACY BY DESIGN

DENV-G commits before starting Processing activities using new technologies to carry out data protection impact assessments in accordance with GDPR and by undertaking appropriate actions accordingly.

11. FURTHER CHANGES TO THIS DATA PROTECTION POLICY

DENV-G regularly seeks to improve their efforts in protecting Personal Data. This Data Protection Policy can be changed or updated in light of upcoming legislations, both at international, European and national level.

DENV-G will inform you of all substantive changes of this Data Protection Policy via offline or online means (for example, via the Website, during your first visit or with each substantial update of this Data Protection Policy).

You can always find the most recent version of our Data Protection Policy available at www.daikin.eu/en_us/data-protection-policy / www.daikin-ce.com/en_us/data-protection-policy or for each Application by clicking on the “Data Protection Policy” section.

Data Protection Policy