The Standard UNE-ISO 19601 establishes the requirements for implementing a Criminal Compliance Management System. This standard provides a guide for organisations to develop, implement, maintain and improve an effective criminal compliance management system that meets their needs. The object is for companies to establish an action framework that will guarantee compliance with criminal legislation and prevent crimes from being committed within the company.
This standard focuses on prevention, detection and response to a potential crime within the company, establishing steps to prevent corruption, bribery and other illegal conducts.
All of the Group companies in Spain have become verified this year in accordance with this standard. This entails significant progress in improving transparency and corporate ethics, while at the same time it helps to prevent crimes from being committed and to comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
Obtaining this certification means that all Group companies comply with these principles, among others:
- commitment to the programme by the Board and management, providing the necessary resources to implement and maintain the programme
- the existence of a criminal compliance policy that incorporates the company’s principles and ethical values, as well as the procedures and controls required to prevent, detect and manage criminal risks
- identification and assessment of all criminal risks associated with the corporate activity of each Group company
- ongoing communication and training for all company members regarding different aspects of compliance, as well as the establishment of a communication channel.
Although this certification is voluntary, it is highly useful in proving our commitment to ethics and legality throughout our corporate activity, as well as in reducing the risk of potential penalties or reputational damage associated with crimes committed by our employees or collaborators.
