Our Responsability

We consider that Technical Assistance and Consulting Companies working in the field of Development Aid have an important responsability to operate not only by beeing proiftable, but also by engaging and enacting principles on human rights, labour standards and environmmental protection. Their actions have to contribute to reinforce the ties between the stakeholders of the development process of the regions in which they are involved. Beyond the contractual obligations towards the funding agencies, our actions as company are defined by our own set of ethical principles, which we are commited to uphold above any other consideration.

It is clear to us, that, as a relatively small-sized company, our adherence to a set of ethic principles will not change the face of this industry. However, these principles set up a normative framework of behaviour for our management and our collaborators. Upholding these, against the temptations of short-term profit, is not an issue of company size, but of self-respect and respect of others. Our corporate responsability has an even higher relevance, when we consider that our actions and daily work are performed in close cooperation with major decisionmakers at highest governmental levels, suporting and advising them in actions such as drafting legislation, establishing and reforming institutional structures, defining administrative procedures with the objective to support socio-economic development, good governance, democratisation and environmental protection.

Our Principles

1. Euromed supports and respects the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights within its sphere of influence and ensures that its own operations are not complicit in human right abuses

4. Euromed upholds the elimination of all forms of forced and complulsory labour, as well as child labour, and supports elimination of any type of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation

5. In its employment policies, Euromed promotes multi-cultural diversity, gender equality , encourages employment of disabled persons, and gives priority to valorisation of human ressources and expertise in the developing countries

6. Euromed supports a precautionary approach to environmental challenges and is commited to undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsability, including use and promotion of environmentally friendly technologies

7. Euromed works against corruption in all its forms, including bribery, abuse of government relations and nepotism

The relations with our experts and our partners

Local ressources: Operating on a wide range of issues, Euromed does not pretend to have the best solutions and expertise available. Nor do we pretend that the best solutions are to be found within consulting companies. We do not share the arrogance of some of our peers. Our role is sometimes limited to acting as a catalyst for resources available within society by encouraging their involvement in development (academic institutions and NGOs). We do not promote the use of in-house experts or external expertise originating in EU countries at any price. In contrary, we believe that a good assesment and valorisation of the expertise often available in the developing countries will have a deeper impact and contribute to the sustainability of the action implemented.

Efficient , responsible and human backstopping: our coordination and backstopping team at the company headquarters does not limit its role to the overall contractual coordination; our understanding of an efficient and human backstopping is based on an active support of our experts in any situation. We are fully aware that our consultants are not only experts in their fields, but above all people, with needs, and problems which require solutions. Often, they work under difficult conditions, separated from their families and friends. They need to know, that they can count and trust on the members of our coordination and backstopping team. We also categoricaly refuse to impose to our collaborators and partners any working condition, which carries security risks, which we assess together with our collaborators, independently of the assesment of the funding agency or client.

Respect of local partners: our preference, to valorise human ressources and expertise available in the related developing countries, is combined with our principle to refuse any approach to exploit the economic situation of the country. Our wages and payment policy is therefore based on the quality of services provided , professional profile and level of expertise, and not on the ethnic backgrund, nationality or gender of the expert / service provider. Euromed strongly condemns any type of discrimination.

Our tendering policy

EUROMED’s high success rate in contracts awarded (close to 70% of tenders proposals submitted t) is a result of its very selective and strategic business development approach, combined with a solid reputation. Euromed refuses to act, as often the case among consulting companies working in the development aid sector, as a "tendering machine", pretending to be able and willing to implement any type of contract in any place in the world. The decision to participate in a service contract tender to be awarded by international funding agencies, is a result of long-term analysis by the company,, which often precedes the publication of the tender; Often, Euromed, together with its local network of partners and experts, has already identified the sector and type of projects which are likely to be financed by international donors in the relevant country. This can be done only on the basis of an excellent knowledge of the political context and needs in the related country, and of the long-term strategy of the funding agencies in the region.

This understanding and knowledge, the establishment of partnerships with the most relevant partners and expertise sources in the related fields, a complete independence from any national political agenda, combined with a long-term strategy in selected focus countries, results in the highest success rate in tender participation possible. It should also be noted, that the excellent track record and reputation of Euromed with the relevant funding agencies is the pre-condition of our success in the tender process. We refuse to participate in a public contract tender only for the sake of profit, if we are not convinced that we can perform the requested activities in the most professional way, by respecting our own stric ethic principles, and in case we are not convinced of the pertinence of the project goals and objectives.

Making ours the funding agencies guidelines

Despite all efforts to ensure tranparency, the process of award of Public Contracts is not always performed in full respect of the procedures and ethic rules imposed by the funding agencies. The funding agencies are often facing attempts by individuals and companies, to distort the transparency rules, abusing of the local economic situation in the beneficiary countries to exerce influence on the contract award process. These attempts are mostly avoided through rigid procedures of the funding agencies and of the beneficiary countries themselves. Euromed not only strongly condemns any "strategy " of this type, but also refuses to establish any type of cooperation with any institution, organisation, company or individual, that it suspects of having been involved on any practice in violation of the "good practices" rules of the funding agencies, or in contradiction to Euromed's own set of ethic principles.