Financial security

WHISTLEBLOWING 

In 2017, Crédit Agricole published a Group Code of Ethics to formally set out its commitment to acting responsibly to and with all its partners. The guiding principles of this code included giving employees the option to exercise their whistleblowing rights, for example when reporting an irregularity through their line manager proves ineffective, or unsuitable under the circumstances. The basic whistleblowing guidance was described in the Crédit Agricole Life Insurance Europe code of conduct, the operational version of the ethics policy. 
 
To consolidate its programme on the prevention of unethical, unlawful and criminal behaviour, Crédit Agricole Life Insurance Europe wishes to offer support and guidance to all employees, customers, external contractors and suppliers who would like to exercise their whistleblower’s rights to protect the company’s interests. 
 
Those who are unable to report potential irregularities under their usual escalation process (fear of reprisals, pressure from line manager or line manager involved, etc.) can now exercise their whistleblower’s rights using the BKMS® Systems platform. Whistleblowing must be carried out disinterestedly and in good faith. 
 
The BKMS® Systems platform guarantees confidentiality for the whistleblower, the allegations and the alleged perpetrators. Data is encrypted and stored in a secure, separate environment. The system is used to report events and to communicate with the compliance officer responsible for processing the report (through a secure dialogue box) while protecting the whistleblower’s identity. 

To find out more, please refer to the “Whistleblower’s Guide” 

The platform is available online at all times, at the following URL: 
https://www.bkms-system.com/Groupe-Credit-Agricole/alertes-ethiques 

 

PREVENTING CORRUPTION – CODE OF CONDUCT 

COMBATING CORRUPTION: A MORE STRINGENT SET OF MEASURES FORMING PART OF CAA GROUP’S ETHICAL AND SOCIAL COMMITMENTS. 

In view of the increased legal obligations on combating corruption, Crédit Agricole Life Insurance Europe is building on existing measures within the Group to supplement its operating procedures and measures. Its objective is, in general terms, to protect all its entities and employees from any unethical behaviour and, in particular, from the risk of corruption and any dishonesty. 

Credit Agricole has a Group-wide Code of Ethics, published in May 2017, which emphasises our values of customer focus, responsibility and solidarity. 

While the Code of Ethics states our commitments, identity and values along with our main guiding principles, our Code of Conduct puts the Code of Ethics’ commitments into practice, underpinning the ethical and professional conduct we all must follow. 

The Code of Conduct is designed to guide all our day-to-day actions, decisions and behaviour. It is the outcome of a collaborative process undertaken with the various Crédit Agricole business lines, built jointly with the involvement of representatives from the support functions (Purchasing, Public Affairs, Communications, Compliance, Investments, Legal, Human Resources, etc.) and expert functions within the three major business lines. 

Over and above the application of all the laws, regulations and professional rules governing our various activities, the Code of Conduct reflects our desire to always do more to best serve our customers and all our stakeholders. 

The key points: 

• Combating fraud and corruption is everybody’s concern and warrants your full attention in your daily work to prevent and detect attempted offences; 

• The principles of good conduct and regulatory compliance must be followed; 

• In the event of any doubt, line managers and/or the fraud/corruption prevention unit must be informed immediately. 

WHAT IS CORRUPTION? 

There are two types of corruption: 

• Active corruption: influencing or attempting to influence, in exchange for gifts, promises, benefits or advantages, a person performing private or public duties, such that the latter carries out, delays carrying out, or refrains from carrying out some act performed or facilitated as part of his or her duties; 

• Passive corruption: when a person performing public or private duties profits from those duties by requesting or accepting gifts, promises, benefits or advantages for carrying out, delaying or not carrying out some act that falls within those duties. 

Corruption is external where it only involves people or companies outside the Group: under these circumstances, financial transactions from such activities fall under anti-money laundering obligations. 

Corruption is internal when it involves employees: under these circumstances, it constitutes internal fraud. 

HOW DOES THE GROUP COMBAT CORRUPTION? 

The commitment of Crédit Agricole Group’s governance bodies led, in July 2017, to the Group becoming the first French bank to be certified under the ISO 37 001 international standard for its anti-corruption management system. This certification was renewed in August 2019, and its scope includes Crédit Agricole Assurances. 

It confirms that corruption risks are correctly identified and the programme followed by Crédit Agricole Assurances is designed to limit those risks, by adopting and adapting international best practices. 

The Group’s anti-corruption measures are based on: 

• specific governance on preventing corruption; 

• corruption risk mapping; 

• an anti-corruption code of conduct; 

• a training and briefing programme for all employees; 

• strengthened whistleblower protections. 

Group employees play an essential role in corruption prevention measures. The responsibility is on them to act honestly and responsibly. They are regularly briefed through training sessions on how to act in their day-to-day work.