What are certificates of compliance and conformity and what do they certify?

Guaranteeing the central role of compliance and thoroughly integrating it into the processes deep inside companies, regardless of their sector or size, is a daily challenge that faces the teams responsible for developing and monitoring Compliance Policies. When these policies are applied in an effective way, the reward for this effort is certification.

A clear example of this is the Elecnor Group, which in 2018, for its constant promotion of good practice and its constant fight against corruption and bribery, became the first Spanish company in its sector to obtain the UNE-ISO 37001 standard certification for “Antibribery Management Systems”, the most demanding standard in the creation of management systems in compliance and the fight against corruption.

The Elecnor Group took the decision to strengthen its structure with the nomination of Gonzalo Sánchez Alber as Compliance Officer, within the framework of the reorganisation of the Compliance System. Sánchez Alber was already a member of the company’s Compliance Committee, on which he is also Internal Audit Director. At the same time as his nomination, new members joined the Committee.

So, what are these certificates and what are they actually for?

The process of obtaining certification in terms of compliance consists of undergoing an external audit to evaluate the behaviour of the company, including its processes regarding employees, shareholders, executives and business partners.

Certifications have become increasingly important, to the extent that their usefulness has been recognised in the legal field for several years now and they are an additional element that judges take into account when they come to making their assessments in all kinds of trials. 

Beyond the growing usefulness of a compliance certificate when applying legal requirements and in dissuading and persecuting unethical conduct, it offers major advantages to companies regarding their reputation. In a context where society and other interest groups make maximum demands on corporate responsibility, compliance certificates contribute an objective element to brand trust and act as an element that differentiates a company from its competitors.

Who issues these certifications?

Certification and validation of good practice in terms of compliance or conformity is performed by entities that have been recognised to this effect, by means of an exam, by the Spanish National Accreditation Body (ENAC). The most well-known and reputable bodies in the Spanish market are AENOR, the Spanish Compliance Association (CESCOM) or EQA. All of these bodies are key players, along with those companies, such as Elecnor, that are committed to moving the culture of compliance forward, as an inevitable step towards consolidating best practices in corporate management.

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