1-2007

The information will be updated from time to time, dealing with the following topics:

Project co-financed by the European Commission

 

Archive    Select a topic ------- Why an ethical administration? General and Sectorial Developments of the Discerno+ Works for awarding a Quality Label Information regarding the CSR world

This Newsletter not only is addressed to the enterprises which are directly interested in the Discerno+ Project, but also to the stakeholders, which means:

Enterprises and other concerns which are part of CEEP, whose national Sections have not yet been directly involved.

Other people who may be involved  in the EU Commission and the other European social partners.

Scholars as well as operators interested in the subject of Enterprise Social Responsibility and sustainable economic and social growth.

These stakeholders join the principal addresses of the study, i.e. small and medium size enterprises in local utilities.

Interview with Caspar Einem, President of CEEP

Question: Why has CEEP got involved in Discerno+?

Answer: For several years the concept of social responsibility has been a fundamental aim of the politicies recommended by the EU in order to attain the most dynamic and competitive economy of knowledge in the world, to get a sustainable economic growth, with the creation of new and better jobs and better social cohesion. It is a valuable objective for everybody, but especially valuable for the utilities of CEEP since for them CSR coincides with the mission of general economic interest which they pursue institutionally. It is a “culture” of management involving not only the big utilities but also the medium and small ones as well, which can then better contribute to the economic and social growth of their countries.

Question: Which is, according to you, the specific contribution of CEEP to the spreading of the CSR culture ?

Answer: It is our inherent structure which brings us to be the “bridge” between our enterprises and the external world: local and national public administrations; economic operators, active in other sectors, but interested in

• Corporate governance systems

• Environmental and social tools and policies

• Environmental and social reporting systems

As far as public administration is concerned, “lato sensus”, one has to take into account not only its role as the owner of enterprises, but also as the “benchmark “ for setting standards of the corporate management. Both aspects do not always coincide, but both can be implemented by our associates in their national sections. These responsibilities are valuable especially in some specific sectors such as health and education, besides the well known ones of transports, postal service, environmental operators, etc. In these fields CEEP associates play a leading role in all the UE countries.

Question: Which is the added value of the Discerno+ Project if the enterprises are already engaged in this direction?

Answer: Our aim is to extend these worthy practices to the medium and small enterprises, helping them to face and be fully aware of the problems which bigger enterprises are used to, which are difficult for them for lack of extra staff.

That’s the reason why I have spoken of a management culture to be attainable by the small operators as well.

We have to help them to realize that ethical management means good management.

Interview with Avv. Massimo Massella, President of CEEPIT, the Italian Section of CEEP, and ARAN (Agency for Collective Bargaining Representation of Public Administrations).

Q. After the Discerno 1 and after one year of the Discerno+ Project what’s the result of the Italian Section which you preside?

A. Undoubtedly a positive result in every aspect.

The work done during the two phases of our has drawn the attention of our Associates to the problems which most people envisaged as belonging only to the Industrial sector.

It’s a false belief since aiming towards a sustainable ethical management and attainable social responsibility, by freely setting higher standards than the one the law requires, can and must be pursued by public administrations in their services and activities.

The awareness is still new and not fully acquired yet, because the aim set seems at first to be contrary to the requirements of deregulation. These requirements are rightly felt in country such as Italy, where excessive rules and formal regulations are part of the tradition. But ethical management is one with efficiency and it means also attention to results as well.

The two Discerno Projects have shown this to be true.

Q. According to you, which are the sectors where we can already see the start of positive effects?

A. It is easy to reply when we consider what has happened in the Health Care Sector with hospitals. HOSPEEM, the Association whose birth and development CEEP has promoted, is at the moment discussing with other partners in the same sector about the problems of CSR: Silvana Dragonetti, our recently deceased collegue, who was added Joint Secretary, had knowledge of the Discerno1 experience, the project being a window open to innovative managerial experiences.

I think that her collegues as well, the HOSPEEM Board Members from other countries, had as well this knowledge.

Q. Have there been any other significant effects besides this for the Associates of the Italian Section?

A. In my opinion the most rewarding result has been the common attitude of our Associates towards CSR, since this has in turn brought about a better understanding among them.

The main associates of our section, i.e. the large national enterprise of Poste Italiane, Confservizi (the Association of medium-large local utilities) and ARAN (representing Public Administrations), keeping aside their structural and operational differences, have found a common denominator in this shared culture of a sustainable ethical responsibility.

Not a small achievement at all!.