Code of Conduct All ERA members are expected to abide by the ERA Code of Conduct, which is set out below. In particular ERA members must abide by the terms of our Joint Venture Agreement with the OCC, they key terms of which are available through the link below.

1. Members must use their best endeavours and regard it as their duty when dealing with customers to trade legally, honestly and truthfully and at all times refrain from knowingly trading in illegal or counterfeit products.
    
2. Any Member involved in the sale or rental of videos or computer games will at all times comply with the Video Recordings Act 1984 and display details of the classification symbols required by that Act.
    
3. Retailers should use reasonable endeavours when staff are involved in the sale of age related products to ensure that such staff are aware of the laws relating to the sale of these products
    
4. Retailers will also use reasonable endeavours to put in place a training programme and /or guidelines to instruct staff in relation to age related products, such training programmes to be repeated at regular intervals
    
5. Retailers are encouraged to use recognised proof of age schemes when selling age rated products and to treat both the BBFC and PEGI ratings as mandatory
    
6. Retailers are encouraged to keep a refusals record when sales of age related products are refused
    
7. Any Member required to supply sales information to any research company for the purpose of analysis will do so honestly and accurately and in no way give false or inaccurate information that could lead to distortion of the analysis and/or chart compilations prepared by such research company.
    
8. Furthermore, it is the duty of all Members to report to the Association any activity regarding the purchase of products that they consider suspicious and they feel could lead to corruption of any chart compilations whether prepared and/or produced by an independent research company or by Members for their own internal purposes.
    
9. All Members will abide by, comply with and support any Agreement entered into by the Council on behalf of the Association provided always that the Agreement does not bring the Member into disrepute or conflict with any existing Agreement by which the Member is bound. Where a Member believes that an Agreement which the Association has entered into or proposes to enter into, will bring it into disrepute or will result in a conflict of interest or contravention of any company policy of the Member, the Member may write to the Association, outlining its objections to such Agreement and requesting that the Council consider either that mutually acceptable amendments be made to the Agreement or that the Member be excluded from the terms of such Agreement.
    
10. Every Member shall comply with the Memorandum and Articles of Association and Bye-Laws of the Association, as well as any additional rules, regulations or amendments that are introduced in the proper manner by the Association and approved by the Council from time to time (including the rules contained in this Code of Conduct).
     
11. Every Member shall actively promote the Association and encourage other retailers to join and support the Association and its aims by voicing their opinions on the issues of the day that affect the retail entertainment industry, through the Association.
     
12. Members must ensure that the contents of this Code of Conduct are made known and brought to the attention of all staff and that such contents and the intent of the Code are understood.

Disciplinary Procedures

1. Stage 1 Procedure
   
   Where the Council has reason to believe that a Member of the Association is breaking or has broken any of the Members' undertakings to the Association or any of the provisions contained in the Memorandum and Articles of Association or Bye-Laws of the Association, or any other rules or regulations of the Association (including the rules contained in this Code of Conduct), or where a Member is reported to be guilty of discreditable conduct or conduct prejudicial to the interests of the Association or its Members, the Chairman of the Council shall appoint a Committee of Enquiry to investigate the Member's activities and prepare a report for the Council's consideration.
   
   The Secretary of the Association shall notify an Applicant in writing, setting out its reasons, that the Association is considering refusing membership to the Applicant, or shall notify an existing Member in writing, setting out its reasons, that the Association is considering terminating its membership or is intending to take other disciplinary action against the Member following the Committee of Enquiry's report to the Council including fines, censure, payment of the costs and expenses of the Association in connection with the investigation by the Committee of Enquiry and publication of the findings of the Committee of Enquiry.
    
2. Stage 2 Procedure
   
   The Applicant/Member may request the Council to reconsider its initial decision. Such request must be in writing and made within one month of the Council's initial decision. The Applicant/Member may make representations to the Council orally and in writing and supply it with such information as the Council may request and the Applicant/Member will be given the opportunity to attend and be heard.
   
   Three quarters of the Members of the Council present and voting at the meeting of the Council duly convened for the purpose of considering the Council's initial decision must vote in favour of upholding the Council's initial decision. The Council will reach its final decision within one month of the request to reconsider its initial decision and will give reasons for its final decision.
   
   The powers of the Council set out in the preceding paragraph may be exercised by the Council or by a sub-committee to whom such powers are delegated by the Council. 
    
3. Stage 3 Procedure
   
   The Applicant/Member may appeal against the Council's final decision within one month stating the grounds on which the appeal is being made to an arbitrator to be agreed between the Association and the Applicant/Member or in the absence of agreement by the President of the Law Society.
   
   The arbitrator will be requested to hear the appeal as soon as possible but in any event within one month of the notification of appeal by the Applicant/Member.
   
   The Applicant/Member and the Association will make representations to the arbitrator and supply it with such information as the arbitrator may request and both parties will be given the opportunity to be heard by the arbitrator. The arbitrator will give it's decision within one month of receiving all representations and information and shall give reasons for its decision. The arbitrator's decision will be final.
    
4. The Council may authorise the pursuit of legal proceedings and the handing over of the findings of the Committee of Enquiry to the relevant authority.
    
5. A copy of the Association's criteria for membership is available from the Secretary of the Association.