Euro Defence Approves Common Industry Standards On Ethics

Aerospace & Defence Industries Association of Europe, BRUSSELS: The Council of the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) has approved the Common Industry Standards, prepared by the Ethics & Anti-Corruption Working Group created under the auspices of ASD by a number of Europe’s major players in the aerospace and defence industry. 
 
The Common Industry Standards were established by industry experts, assembled in the Working Group under the chair of Professor Sergio Carbone and with the independent advice of François Vincke, chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission of the International Chamber of Commerce. 
 
The Standards are the result of the sharing and benchmarking of the Working Group’s corporate practice and are based on the extensive and thorough integrity work accomplished over the years by the industry. 
 
They cover a large spectrum of anti-corruption principles and action and amongst others the prohibition of all corruptive practices, the regulation of gifts and hospitality, the conditions for political donations and contributions, the responsible management of agents and intermediaries and the setting up of integrity programmes, including sanctions in case of breach. 
 
The Council considered possible further steps of ASD’s integrity enhancement programme and recommended that the Common Integrity Standards be presented to ASD’s National Associations with a view to obtaining the endorsement of the Common Industry Standards by all member companies. 
 
The Common Industry Standards will be presented to ASD’s sister associations in the United States, Brazil, Canada, Japan and the non-OECD countries with the longer term aim to achieve standards common to the industry as a whole.