Corporate Social Responsibility in the European Union
CSR in Italy
Sa 8000
In Italy, CSR is the concern of the Ministry of Work and Social Policies. In 2003, it promoted a European Conference in Venice, where the project CSR -SC (Social Commitment) was presented as the Italian contribution to the European campaign for the promotion of CSR. The Ministry, in cooperation with Bocconi University, worked out the Social statement, which contains guidelines for companies willing to carry out CSR practices on a voluntary basis, and is also a tool for self-assessment, monitoring and demonstration made available to companies already committed to CSR. It defines 8 main stakeholders (human resources, shareholders/partners, customers, suppliers, financial partners, State, local bodies, public administration, community, environment) and defines some criteria for each of them.
Following the European operating model, in May 2004 an Italian CSR Multi-Stakeholder Forum was created. It is an advisory body whose President is the Minister of Work and Social Policies and whose members are trade associations and unions, as well as representatives of non-profit organizations. As a consequence of an agreement with Unioncamere, an office for CSR consultancy to companies will be opened in 20 Chambers of Commerce.
On December 10th, 2004, the newspaper “Il Sole 24 ore” published an insert on the CSR-SC project, and some TV commercials on CSR are currently under production.
Each Italian region also has the possibility of contributing to the promotion of CSR in the drawing up of their development programs. The most significant example is the “Regione Toscana”, which funds small and medium size companies seeking Sa8000 certification, through its “Programming Complement” target n. 2, 2000-2006, regarding financial aid for consultancy services.This financing should cover 50% of the total expense expected. The available resources amount to more than 28,000,000 euros. The aim of this program is to reward companies holding a certification in the fields of environmental quality (Emas or Iso 14001) and social responsibility (Sa8000). Moreover, in May the Regional government created an ethical regional commission for CSR, whose members are representatives of local stakeholders: Chambers of Commerce, local bodies, non-profit and non-government organization, consumer associations, trade unions and entrepreneurial associations. Three groups work within the Commission on the following items:
- certification of district and production process
- ethics in economy and finance
- tools for CSR and its applicability to small and medium size companies.
The Regione Umbria also supported CSR with decisive action: two bills were approved, the first concerning the creation of a register of Sa8000 certificated companies; the second providing contributions without security covering 50% of the consultancy and certification expenses, addressed to those companies who implement certifiable management systems.
Enrolment in the register entitles the company to priority status for:
- financial incentives, contributions and facilities, according to the regional law;
- administrative authorizations, according to the regional law;
- choice of the subjects to be invited to tenders for public works or goods and services supplying, when other requirements provided by the law in force are met.
CSR can also be applied to a group of companies operating in an area in the form of an “industrial district”, i.e. of a “local system” (small or medium size urban area) with a specific production.
