Structuring an anti-corruption policy with ISO 37001

Is the fight against corruption a core concern for your company? Between the application of the Sapin 2 law and ISO 37001 certification, several actions can testify to your involvement.

From ISO 37001 to certification

ISO 37001 is the first voluntary international standard to provide guidelines for establishing, implementing, maintaining, reviewing or improving a company’s anti-corruption policy. By following the requirements and recommendations of ISO 37001, organizations implement a management system designed to prevent, detect and combat corruption.

This voluntary standard applies to various types of corruption, from bribes accepted or offered by a business partner to bribery of employees.

Any company that meets the requirements and follows the best practices of ISO 37001 is eligible for certification. ISO 37001 certification is based on three components:

• Compliance with ISO 37001 requirements.
• The effectiveness of anti-corruption measures in place.
• Continuous improvement of the anti-corruption policy once certification has been obtained.

The benefits of ISO 37001 certification are numerous: it enhances the company’s
duty of care
demonstrating and communicating its leadership in anti-corruption and thus attracting customers, detecting bad practices and taking corrective action…

All ISO 37001-certified companies can use the logo for 3 years.

ISO 37001, Sapin II… What are the differences?

The Sapin II Act of December 9, 2016 is the benchmark law in the fight against corruption. All companies with more than 500 employees and annual sales of over €100 million are covered by the Sapin II Act. These companies are obliged to set up a compliance program and respect preventive anti-corruption measures.

The law has set up a French Anti-Corruption Agency (AFA) to support, prevent and monitor this system. It also institutes protection for whistle-blowers.

While compliance with the Sapin II law is mandatory, certification to ISO 37001 is voluntary for companies. To obtain ISO 37001 certification, a company must first comply with the requirements of the Sapin II law. However, certification is not intended to congratulate compliance with the Sapin II law: it attests to compliance with the guidelines of ISO 37 001.

Is your company ready for ISO 37 001 certification? To find out, take the test.