The EDF group’s commitment to ethics and compliance

In order to protect its reputation, the EDF group promotes a culture of integrity and, as a matter of principle, promotes a zero tolerance towards fraud and corruption.  

An ethical conduct in accordance with the law must therefore be the absolute rule for all Group employees, worldwide, at all levels of the organisation, without exception.

Jean-Lionel DIAS

A strengthened governance

The Group Ethics and Compliance Division (DECG) director reports to the General Secretary, who is a member of the Group Executive Committee.
 
In 2016, the DECG set up a network of around fifty Ethics and Compliance Officer (ECOs) at the French entities and internationally. The Ethics and Compliance Officer report directly to the directors of the entities and take part in Management Committee meetings on ethics and compliance matters and on the associated action plans. They have the means and powers necessary to implement and ensure compliance with the requirements of the programme and related policies.
 
The Group Executive Committee, chaired by the EDF Chairman, is responsible for determining the orientations and priorities of the ethics and compliance programme, allocating the necessary resources and ensuring the monitoring and control of its implementation. The Group Ethics and Compliance Division speaks in the Group Executive Committee, in order to report on achievements via an annual business report and approve the action plan.
 
The Board of Directors of EDF, through its Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility Committee, oversees the Company’s incorporation of ethical and compliance considerations into its works and management. An annual business report is also presented by the Group Ethics and Compliance Division (DECG).
 
EDF is a member of several anti-corruption groups and non-profits. In 2016, it joined Transparency International France, in which it participates in the Forum of Engaged Companies (“Forum des Entreprises Engagées” or FEE), which gathers companies looking to adopt the highest standards of transparency and integrity.

A Group ethics and compliance programme

The DECG manages and coordinates, in liaison with the divisions concerned, the implementation of the Group’s ethics and compliance programme, signed by the Chairman and CEO of EDF, in France and abroad. This programme is created to meet the requirements of national and international regulatory authorities and local practices. The programme places all EDF executive directors and, more generally, all employees at the heart of the compliance system.
 
As part of this programme, the main missions DECG are to consolidate an analysis of the Group ethics and compliance risks, to manage the network of entity Ethics and Compliance Officers (ECOs), to support managers and ECOs in disseminating appropriate rules, to develop training and awareness among employees, to ensure that cases of identified non-compliance are dealt with and to prepare periodic reports for the Group's governance bodies.

A Group ethics and compliance policy

In 2016, the Executive Committee adopted the Group Ethics & Compliance Policy (PECG), which comprises the Company’s compliance programmes as well as the main rules that executive directors must know, observe and enforce within their entities, which are strictly aligned with the risks of these entities. The PECG was updated in January 2020 and now includes thirteen compliance programmes :
  • preventing the risk of corruption and influence peddling;
  • preventing conflicts of interest;
  • the fight against fraud;
  • compliance with international sanctions programmes;
  • prevention of harassment and discrimination;
  • prevention of market abuse;
  • prevention of the risk of money laundering and financing of terrorism;
  • compliance with the EMIR regulation;
  • compliance with the REMIT regulation;
  • preventing breaches of competition law;
  • personal data protection;
  • export control (dual-use goods);
  • and duty of care.