Jean-Yves Trochon, Group Deputy General Counsel of Lafarge, stresses on the growing significance for global Groups of establishing policies and procedures intended to prevent the occurrence of repressive risks (eg criminal risk, major fines for breach of competition laws, integrity scandals). He emphasizes the need for such Groups to develop a consistent vision based on values and principles applicable worldwide, especially in the said areas. Those principles may then be adapted in each country where the Group operates depending on the applicable legal framework, but with the clear objective to comply at all times and in all countries with the core values of the Group.

In this respect, self-regulation (or compliance programs) aims at defining Group standards applicable on a worldwide basis so as to reach a level of legal security which cannot always be satisfied by only committing to abide by existing laws, eg when they are ambiguous or subject to political factors. Through the concrete example of competition compliance programs with global reach, Jean-Yves TROCHON sets out the milestones and the substance of compliance programs, and the conditions for their successful implementation. From his perspective, it is critical to follow an operational compliance approach, deeply rooted into the Group’s ethical values as well as the economic underlying factors of its relevant markets, to adapt its business conduct to the moving legal contexts of the various countries where it operates.