Artelia is determined to ensure that the tasks conferred upon it are carried out in a manner that respects human, employment and environmental rights and are conducted with the utmost integrity in accordance with its values, ethical principles, business practices and current legislation.
The Group’s governance bodies include an Ethics Committee charged with designing, deploying, overseeing and monitoring the integrity programme so as to prevent risks of corruption, fraud and misconduct and to reinforce the culture of ethics across the entire Group.
Ethics and sustainable performance
Artelia is convinced that exemplary ethical conduct is a key factor in its performance and sustainable growth, and that this entails each and every employee applying these principles in his or her day-to-day duties.
The Group forbids all forms of corruption and fraud in the conduct of its business.
Artelia has drawn up a comprehensive compliance programme meeting the highest standards of international business ethics and the requirements of legislation, including laws introduced recently in France.
The Group has designed and rolled out a risk assessment map to be used to evaluate and implement pertinent risk management action plans. Numerous procedures have been drawn up, for purposes including verifying the integrity of certain partners before entering into commitments with them, identifying and preventing potential anti-competitive practices, fraud, corruption and conflicts of interest, and ensuring transparency in regard to the giving and receiving of gifts and invitations.
All employees must comply with these procedures and have completed training in ethics to ensure that they are aware of the importance of abiding by the Group’s rules and of acting with the utmost integrity at all times.
Involving our partners
To involve its partners in this approach, Artelia has also designed a Business Conduct Guide, in keeping with the principles of its new Code of Ethics.
This guide is one of the foundations underpinning collaboration between Artelia and each of its partners. It presents the practices adopted by Artelia in the performance of its assignments and its relations with third parties, and explains the procedure through which an ethical issue or instance of corruption or fraud can be reported to the Group at any time.
Governance and organisation of ethics
The Ethics Committee was created in April 2011. This independent body reflects and advises upon, analyses, makes suggestions and monitors the Group’s conduct from an ethical point of view. It is made up of members appointed by the Board of Directors.
The Ethics Committee can be called upon in complete confidentiality by any Unit manager or employee concerned with an ethical issue. Our aim is to avoid leaving an employee alone when faced with an ethical issue for which there is no obvious response.
Artelia has set up a specific organisation to ensure its integrity programme is implemented throughout the Group and to provide support with regard to any ethical and integrity issues raised.
A Group Ethics and Integrity Manager was appointed in July 2015. He reports to the Group’s Chief Executive Officer is accountable to the Ethics Committee for his actions.
The Ethics and Integrity Manager has the support of a decentralised network of Ethics and Integrity Managers who have been appointed in the Group’s main entities in France and around the world.
The Ethics and Integrity Managers are in charge of disseminating rules with regard to ethics and compliance with the integrity programme, and can be called upon for any practical matters concerning ethics or integrity aspects.
They can also be called upon by any entity director, employee or business partner confronted with an ethics-related issue.