In 2021 (latest available survey) Italy recorded a high degree of corruption, albeit broadly measured, placing itself in the European ranking between Poland and the Czech Republic, with a score of 42 (on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 indicates the maximum value and 100 the minimum value) as regards the Corruption Perception Index (CPI).
In this general framework - in which, among other things, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises represent the preponderant part of the country's productive fabric - the new UNI/PdR 138:2023 , just published, fills a void.
The reference practice, developed within the framework of the institutional collaboration agreement with the Autonomous Province of Trento, in fact proposes a simplified model of organisation, management and control as required by Legislative Decree 231/2001 for the prevention of crimes against the Public Administration , and corporate crimes, specifically designed for micro and small businesses .
In fact, the latter deal with the organizational and managerial profiles in an often spontaneous and little formalized way and for this reason it is necessary to propose a simplified prevention model, which does not burden their general operations.
It is a new tool available to these entrepreneurial realities which explains how to adopt a crime control and prevention system , with consequent advantages for the same companies in terms of organisation, relations with the public administration and with all the stakeholders .
All in a general perspective of valorising good practices and virtuous experiences on the market.
The value of this reference practice therefore lies in providing an answer to the specific operational needs of micro and small enterprises. If, in fact, the current legislation concerning anti-corruption, at national and international level, is already very broad and consolidated (and sees UNI ISO 37001:2016 as the reference technical standard with regard to management systems for the prevention of corruption ), no particular indication has so far been found for small entrepreneurship with regard to these issues, except in a limited way in the doctrinal field and, with regard to corporate crimes, from the auditing standards for small businesses.
The UNI/PdR 138:2023 therefore represents first of all a promotional action to stimulate corporate compliance on these issues of vital importance for the competitiveness of the country.
The adoption of this new practice is also useful for obtaining the legality rating from the competition and market authority: the assignment of the rating, in turn, can produce favorable consequences in relations with banks and public administrations
The reference practice is freely downloadable from the UNI Catalog ( UNIstore ), upon registration.