Lobbying for Integrity

Centre for Advanced Research in Management and Applied Ethics is deeply committed to promoting integrity in professions, organizations and society at large. In some cases, this commitment translates into active engagement in lobbying (advocating — whatever word you want to use) for Ethics & Compliance Management/Integrity Management. For reaching our goals, we do extensive research, we publish policy briefs and impact assessments, we talk directly with decision-makers and key professionals in order to present them our perspective, we organize conferences, workshops and roundtables where we make public our perspective etc.

We do not provide lobby services to other entities. This activity is strictly related to our core activities and do not involve particular budget allocations or any financial and non-financial means. In all situations, the lobby activities are included in our projects as a natural part of research.

In case our lobby interests coincide with those of another entity, we do a reputation assessment before joining forces. This is why we do not work with several NGOs from Romania that are active on the same topics as our organisation.

Our organisation is registered in the Romanian Lobby and Advocacy Transparency Registry and fully supports the enforcement of the new Code of Ethics. Moreover, Mr. Cristian Ducu is the 2nd president of the Supervising Committee for the Romanian Lobby and Advocacy Transparency Registry.

Promoting the Institutionalization of Integrity in Romanian Public Sector (2012-2020)

In some respect, this is the result of the MECOPP Ro 2009-2012 Project, but it evolved to the level where we can say it represents the very essence of our involvement in policy making. Briefly, it involves the idea of introducing Ethics & Compliance/Integrity Management systems — i.e., a systematic and systemic approach to organisational and individual integrity in professional environment — in all organisations that are part of the Romanian public sector.

Enhancing Corporate Non-Financial Transparency through Mandatory Reporting (2014-2018)

The purpose of this lobby project is to promote non-financial reporting as a way of achieving more transparency in the business sector regarding the various types of impacts (environmental, social, economic, ethical etc.). Its first step included in-dept research on the non-financial reporting practices across the globe and the European Union in particular. The second step involves lobbying for a smart transposition of Directive 2014/95/UE in the Romanian legislation. The third step will involve an ex-post assessment of the impact of this Directive.

Smart Transposition of the Non-Financial Reporting Directive

Our organization asked the Romanian Ministry of Public Finance to organize a public debate on the new document that translates into Romanian legislation the so-called Non-Financial Reporting Directive (Dir. 2014/95/UE). The current form of the document addresses only a small group of companies, i.e., state-owned companies with majority of shares in state control and listed companies. Our experts consider that Romania should adopt a more courageous approach to non-financial reporting, lowering the threshold to include companies with more than 250 employees, no matter if they have private or public capital.

The New National Anti-Corruption Strategy, 2016-2020

CARMAE participated in all assessment meetings and all public debates organized by the Romanian Ministry of Justice on the new proposal of National Anti-Corruption Strategy, 2016-2020. We also issued 2 position papers and advocated directly for an improved approach to anti-corruption in education and healthcare sectors. The new Strategy is a huge step forward because it contains not only objectives, measures and actions, with key performance indicators, but also with budgets for each measure and action and strict time frames. According to the traceability document issued by the Romanian Ministry of Justice, CARMAE is among the organisations, if not the one, with the most proposals on the new Strategy.

Improving the Unique Register of Transparency of Interests

CARMAE issued a position paper on the Memorandum regarding the Unique Register of Transparency of Interests (RUTI), established by the Romanian Government for all central public institutions. We consider that RUTI is a good idea, but the initial memorandum, i.e., the RUTI framework, needs significant improving in order to be operational and avoid discrimination among entities that are engaging in lobby/advocacy activities.

Moreover, due to the fact that Mr. Cristian Ducu is the current president of the Supervisory Commission for the Romanian Lobby and Advocacy Register, CARMAE is also subscribing to the position of the aforementioned Commission.

Improving the Performance of Romanian Hospital Ethics Councils

Our experts are working in conjunction with the Romanian Ministry of Health to improve the performance of the hospital Ethics Councils. We consider that these institutions should have not only a conflict resolution function, but, more important, to provide ethical guidance to healthcare professionals. We advocate also to introduce moral counselling as a special institution in both public and private hospitals, for patients and their families, for healthcare professionals, for administrative personnel and anyone else having contact with the medical institution.

Improving the Performance of Romanian Hospital Ethics Councils

CARMAE has requested to the Ministry of Health to withdraw its legislative proposal concerning the role and functionality of ethics councils from public hospitals. The document itself it is full of misunderstandings regarding the ethics councils and medical and organizational ethics in general.

• Failing to Reform the Ethics Councils from Public Hospitals, Cristian Ducu [RO | Press article | “Adevarul” | February 2, 2015] • Notes concerning the Legislative Proposal on the Function of Ethics Councils in Public Romanian Hospitals [RO | Public Statement | January 19, 2015] • Message to the Minister of Health concerning the Legislative Proposal on the Function of Ethics Councils in Public Romanian Hospitals [RO | Public Statement | January 19, 2015]