Impartiality

Bureau Veritas understands the importance of acting independently and drawing unbiased, professional conclusions in the certification of management systems. On this page you will find useful information on this subject, including our Statement of Impartiality.

DECLARATION OF IMPARTIALITY

One of the core values of Bureau Veritas and also a key element of our Code of Ethics is impartiality. It is therefore essential for Bureau Veritas Certification to manage potential conflicts of interest correctly to ensure the impartiality of audit and certification services.

This is necessary to protect the objectivity and brand of Bureau Veritas Certification, to ensure customer satisfaction and to comply with the rules of accreditation and regulatory bodies.

Bureau Veritas Certification has defined and maintains a strict impartiality policy through internal and external impartiality committees established worldwide.

HOW IS IMPARTIALITY GUARANTEED?

Bureau Veritas has processes in place to ensure that all our auditors around the world maintain their impartiality and integrity. When they accept employment or become a contractor, all auditors must sign a contract that states that they have no conflict of interest and that they will maintain absolute confidentiality. At the same time they sign the Bureau Veritas Code of Ethics, which describes the values, principles and rules that apply to all employees and contractors. Regular training sessions for auditors also emphasise the importance of impartiality.

Using a risk analysis for impartiality, Bureau Veritas identifies, analyses and documents potential situations of conflict of interest arising from the provision of certification services, including:

• Relationships between and common clients in all parts of Bureau Veritas;
• Any significant changes in certification activities, organization, structure and legal status;
• Mergers and acquisitions.

Bureau Veritas also manages impartiality through impartiality committees set up at local and holding company level. These committees:

• assist in the development of the guidelines with regard to the impartiality of all certification activities
• counteract any tendency on the part of Bureau Veritas to allow commercial or other considerations in order to ensure consistent and objective provision of certification activities;
• provide advice on issues relating to confidence in certification, including openness and public perception
• review, at least annually, the impartiality of the BVC unit's audit, certification and decision-making process;
• review the assessment of finances and sources of income for any threat to impartiality
• review any residual impartiality risk to determine whether it is within the acceptable level of risk. 

WHAT CONSTITUTES A THREAT TO IMPARTIALITY?

1. Self-interest: The threat of a person acting in their own interest and not in the interest of the organization.
2. Self-review: A person or body reviews the work they have done themselves. This includes reviewing the management systems of a client to whom the certification body has offered advice on management systems.
3. Trust: Threats arising from the fact that an auditor or company is too familiar with the client instead of demanding evidence during the audit.
4. Intimidation: An auditor feels openly or implicitly compelled to do something.