Organisation of compliance management
EVN has had a separate compliance management system (CMS) since 2012 which is built on three elements:
- Prevention through the creation of awareness and training
- Identification of compliance risk areas and violations of the Code of Conduct
- Reaction through information and improvement as well as the introduction of any necessary measures
Corporate compliance management (CCM), a staff department that reports directly to the Executive Board, is charged with the operation and continuous improvement of the CMS. It is responsible for all compliance issues in the Austrian group companies and is supported by the heads of the respective organisational units. In addition to the chief compliance officer and CCM staff, national compliance officers were installed in Bulgaria, North Macedonia and at WTE.
The chief compliance officer reports to the full Executive Board and the Supervisory Board’s Audit Committee several times each year.
Our employees and business partners have access to a confidential and anonymous whistle-blowing system to report any (alleged) compliance violations.
Christian Mende
Chief Compliance Officer
+43 2236 200-12363
The CCM staff can also be contacted via telephone at any time.
Prevention of corruption
We are decisively opposed to all types of corruption and define this term very broadly. For EVN, it covers illegal payments (e.g. bribes, kickback payments, fictitious services, false classification/ account assignment) as well as all forms of gratuities (e.g. gifts, invitations, subjective benefits, immaterial advantages like awards and patronage). Our employees and their close family members are prohibited from granting or accepting any form of these payments or gratuities – with the exception of small mementoes that reflect local or national practices.
Apart from our restrictive internal catalogue of rules and values, all EVN employees and corporate bodies must comply with the strict Austrian laws for public officials. Corruption law is intended, among others, to prevent public officials from misusing their position to create an advantage for themselves or for third parties.
The issue of corruption represents a special focal point of the regular compliance risk surveys conducted by the corporate compliance management staff. These surveys are based on criteria that cover the business environment, country, branch and scope of activities as well as the development and conduct of business as main aspects.
The following measures and control mechanisms – in addition to EVN’s values, behavioural rules and extensive training programme – are designed to prevent the violation of legal requirements and our company-specific compliance rules:
- Anchoring of the principles for dual control and the separation of functions to ensure agreement with all compliance rules in our business activities
- Strictly automated, system-supported procedures for the approval, invoicing and documentation of expenses incurred in connection with business trips, invitations etc.
- Provisions in employment contracts to prevent conflicts of interest under labour law
- Integrity review of business partners
- Strict criteria, rules and procedures for consulting, brokerage and lobbying services
- Group guidelines on sponsoring
Compliance training
A comprehensive, multi-level compliance training programme ensures that all employees receive extensive training on all areas of the EVN Code of Conduct within two months after the start of employment. Case studies support the review, repetition and updating of this knowledge at regular intervals as well as any fortification required to reflect the activities and responsibilities of the involved employees. Special coaching is also offered for persons in areas exposed to increased risk, e.g. on the prevention of corruption.
In addition to this extensive training programme, CCM also relies on alternative communication channels (e.g. the Intranet or EVN’s employee newsletter) and on know-how transfer by managers.