Anticorruption at Audi
Zero tolerance with respect to bribery, granting of benefits and other deeds liable to criminal investigation such as fraud or breach of trust – Audi has firmly embedded this unequivocal mindset in its Code of Conduct, which applies to all employees of the Audi Group. Audi actively counteracts corruption, white-collar crime and other legal violations by means of supplementary and binding corporate policies.
To effectively protect Audi from the risk of corruption, mandatory training is provided on corruption prevention as well as comprehensive consulting services to continually raise awareness among all employees. It is vital that corrupt and improper conduct as well as corruption-related risks are identified early on, adequately addressed and above all systematically prevented.
The regular and risk-based training of the workforce in corruption prevention is part of the Compliance Management System at Audi. Web-based training, face-to-face training and dialogue formats communicate applicable laws and internal regulations and not only deal with the ban on corruption and dealing with public officials, but also topics relating to money laundering prevention.
All employees are obliged to maintain ethical standards and disclose potential conflicts of interest. Audi also promotes an open speak-up culture in which risks, irregularities and problems are openly addressed.
Anticorruption among business partners
The same high standards also apply to national and international business partners. After all, preventing and combating corruption is a joint endeavor. The Volkswagen Group’s Code of Conduct for Business Partners (CoCBP) is an integral part of contracts with partners. This formulates the expectations placed on service providers, suppliers and sales partners to act compliantly and with integrity. Regulations on preventing corruption are contained in the CoCBP, while business partners also receive risk-based training on the principles of compliance and anticorruption.
In the context of Business Partner Due Diligence, the Audi Group reviews the compliance and integrity of its business partners. This review is a risk-based, transparent approach, which is carried out before entering into a business relationship. Companies that do not meet the standards within the review process are not considered as business partners. The review continues throughout the entire duration of the collaboration. It is carried out transparently, based on risk and with automated, continuous 24/7 integrity monitoring. Audi collaborates with its business partners in various different formats, such as compliance dialogue events for instance.
Compliance is also an important element of merger and acquisition processes, just like in the context of collaboration with non-controlled shareholdings.
Anticorruption measures at Audi include in particular:
- Code of Conduct: clearly defined behavioral principles that oblige all employees to act compliantly
- Training: regular mandatory instruction in the context of in-person events and web-based training
- Corporate policies: clear rules for dealing with contributions such as gifts, invitations and other benefits
- Principle of dual-party verification: critical decisions are made under the dual control principle
- Subsidiaries and affiliated companies: regular review and monitoring of subsidiaries and affiliated companies for compliance with preventive measures
- Business Partner Due Diligence: selection and monitoring of business partners according to compliance criteria
- Transparent processes: documentation and traceability of all processes, for instance using own tools
- Whistleblower System: review of reported suspected cases and violations by the Audi Investigation Office with corresponding reprisal if appropriate
