Integrity in the business environment

• Author: Marieta Safta
• Position: Faculty of Law, Titu Maiorescu University of Bucharest, Romania, marietasafta@yahoo.com.
• Pages: 203-214

Integrity in the business environment

Associate professor Marieta SAFTA1

Abstract

Increasin g integrity, redu cing vulnerabilities a nd corr uption risks in the business

environment is a strategic goal. Its achievement implies specific measures such as the

exchange of good practices in the implementation of integrity progr ams between the private

and the public sector, the organization of regula r public consulta tions between

representa tives of the public sector and the business sector on the nationa l a nticorruption

agenda and the public policies with impact on the activity economic development of a nti-

bribery policies and programs developed at the level of companies, including by br inging

them to the a ttention of potential contr actors a nd suppliers a nd requiring compliance with

equivalent standar ds, initiating dialogue with regula tory author ities in area s such as ener gy,

mineral r esources, to implement legal standar ds integrity. The present study is dedicated to

the analysis of integrity issues in the business environment, to the specific measures a dopted

by the Romanian sta te in accorda nce with a nd in the application of interna tional reference

standa rds, as well as to the perspectives in this essential a rea of business law.

Keywords: integrity, business environment, public policies, national an ti-corruption agenda.

JEL Classification: K22

1. Introduction

The word integrity comes from the Latin - „integrum” and means „totality”

or „entirety”. The explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language defines this term

in a number of ways, including the attribute of being righteous; honest, probity;

incorruptibility. The desideratum of integrity, here understood, is a general one at

the level of society, both applicable and necessary to be achieved in the business

environment. At both international and national levels, projects have been developed

and studies have been written on integrity in the business environment and there is a

wealth of legislation in the field, including specific international conventions. For

example, the UN Convention against Corruption, the Civil law Convention on

Corruption, the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption, the OECD Convention on

Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business

Transactions, the Recommendation of the Council for Further Combating Bribery of

Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions 2.

Integrity in the business environment is closely related to the fight

against corruption, but it is not confused with it, its scope being much broader.

1 Marieta Safta – Faculty of Law, Titu Maiorescu University of Bucharest, Romania, marietasafta@

yahoo.com.

2 https://sna.just.ro/Legislaie+Internaional (consulted on 15.10.2018).