On 8 March 2018, the European Movement International organised an event on ‘Integrity, Transparency and Good Corporate Citizenship’.

The event featured keynote speeches by Emily O’Reilly, European Ombudsman, and Hiltrud D. Werner, Member of the Board for Integrity and Legal Affairs at the Volkswagen Group. Further speakers were Brando Benifei MEP, Vice President, European Movement International, Carl Dolan, Director, Transparency International EU, Markus J. Beyrer, Director General, BusinessEurope and Petros Fassoulas, Secretary General of European Movement International.

Integrity, transparency and good citizenship are fundamental values for a successful society. This holds true also for corporates, which form an integral part of every society. As the current Volkswagen experience shows, breaking these simple principles is painful for the company involved and the society it serves.

The event offered an opportunity for dialogue between stakeholders from industry, politics, civil society and beyond and discussed responsibility and transparency within companies, highlighting the issue of corporate integrity in a wider societal context. The debate focused on issues such as the cultural change needed in the corporate world, the need for a values-based system underpinned by compliance to the rules along with an open culture and an ethical mindset, and how companies can commit to a constructive and transparent engagement with stakeholders from across society.

This event was organised in cooperation with Volkswagen.

Find the full event report and photos here