EU Advocacy » Y 2000 Declaration » Ethics & Business
Millennium Declaration
Our vision for ETHICS AND BUSINESS
Entrepreneurial business relationships should be based on ethical values Doing business requires faith integrity honesty and the belief that all parties will fulfil their obligations
There are too many signs today showing that ethics are decreasing with globalisation of the economy a particular effort is required to develop ethical values since unethical practices export themselves more easily than integrity and honesty
Entrepreneurs in Europe have a leading role to play in upholding ethical values our small businesses in the 21st century will be the reservoirs of ethics in the economy because of their personal contacts with employees customers and the general public
The ethical hallmarks should be -
- The importance of the qualities of integrity and honesty
- The honouring of the spirit of a contract and not just the wording
- Never exploiting a dominant position in a business relationship
- Upholding credibility as an attribute to be valued
Learning from the past
It is an error to define precise ethical rules Too much legislation and control too many burdens and complexity destroys ethical values The relationship between law and ethics has been made complex This is why it is difficult to maintain a high standard of ethical values The devaluation of ethics has created the need for additional regulation and enforcement
Declining standards of businesses builds up pressure on the state to build up regulation to address concerns of consumers
Key policy-recommendations for the future
Create forums for promotion and analysis of ethical values comprised of representatives of society business owners employees administrators to establish a consensus of ethical values Such forums should consider fully all aspects of ethics and in particular the ethical hallmarks set out in our vision for ethics and business
Page last updated: 11/01/2007 4:47:49 PM