Corporate social responsibility and sustainable development

Sustainable Development and Commitments of Sofiyska Voda AD

As part of Veolia Group – global leader in resource management – Sofiyska Voda AD places sustainable development at the heart of its business. The company is actively working towards:

  • Service quality; 
  • Environmental protection;
  • Energy efficiency; 
  • Health & Safety;
  • High ethical standards and fight against corruption.

All these commitments are supported by implemented international standards: ISO 9001:2015 “Quality Management Systems”, ISO 45001:2023 “Occupational health and safety management systems”, ISO 14001:2015 “Environmental management systems”, ISO 50001:2018 “Energy management systems”, ISO 37001 “Anti-bribery management systems”, Gold Standard (Gold Standard for Global Goals) for energy production at Sofia’s Kubratovo WWTP. Sofiyska Voda has voluntarily joined the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme of the European Commission (EMAS).  
The undertaken commitments have been declared by the management in the Integrated Management System Policy. 

Environment

We are aware of our impact on environment and commit ourselves to:

Health and Safety

The health and safety of employees, customers and partners are a key priority of the company. We apply adequate management measures such as the requirements of ISO 45001, as well as Veolia’s high-risk management standards. Our goal is to minimize potential hazards for our employees in the performance of their duties, as well as for our customers, subcontractors, other partners and for the environment.   

Ethics, Compliance and Fighting Corruption

The company applies high ethical standards in compliance with Veolia’s Code of Ethics. We have zero tolerance to corruption and encourage whistleblowing.   


IF YOU HAVE WITNESSED CORRUPT BEHAVIOR, BREACHES OF THE BULGARIAN LEGISLATION OR ACTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, OR OTHER BREACHES UNDER THE LAW ON PROTECTION OF PERSONS REPORTING OR PUBLICLY DISCLOSING INFORMATION ON BREACHES CONCERNING THE COMPANY’S ACTIVITIES, YOU MAY ALERT US: 

Forms of corrupt behavior and other breaches, for which you can alert us:

  • Situation of corruption – offering and/or receiving a bribe; 
  • Conflict of interests;
  • Receipt of gifts/invitations;
  • Lobbying;
  • All other activities that violate legal requirements, ethical standards and rules of conduct, as well as breaches of the Bulgarian and European legislation, which fall within the scope of Art. 3 of the Law, for example: in the sphere of public procurement, transport safety, environmental protection, privacy and personal data protection, etc. 

What we need in order to process your alert as quickly and effectively as possible:    

  • In order to consider your alert, it should contain at least the following data:

-    full name, address and phone number of the whistleblower, as well as an email address, if any;
-    the name of the person against whom the alert is submitted and his/her workplace if the alert is sent against specific persons and they are known; 
-    specific data for the breach or the real danger of committing such breach, the place and time of the breach in case it has been committed, a description of the act or the situation and other circumstances provided that the whistleblower is aware of such;
-    the date of submitting the alert;
-    signature, e-signature, or other identification of the whistleblower.

  • For processing a written alert submitted in connection with violations in accordance with the requirements of the Law on Protection of Persons Reporting or Publicly Disclosing Information on Breaches, it is necessary to complete an alert registration form for submitting information about violations. 
  • The alert can be accompanied by any sources of information in support of the statements made and/or any reference to documents, including data on persons, who could confirm the reported data or provide additional information.
  • Alerts that contain patently false or misleading statements of facts will be returned with instructions to the whistleblower to correct the statements, as well as with information about his/her responsibility for false accusation.
  • Anonymous alerts will not be processed; therefore, please provide your contact details when submitting an alert for feedback with you. 
  • Your anonymity is guaranteed within the meaning of the Law on Protection of Persons Reporting or Publicly Disclosing Information on Breaches.
  • Protection within the meaning of the Law on Protection of Persons Reporting or Publicly Disclosing Information on Breaches starts from the time the alert is submitted. 

Our obligations:

  • We receive the alert and confirm receipt within 7 days;
  • We maintain contact with the whistleblower, and if necessary, request additional information from him/her and third parties;      
  • We provide feedback to the whistleblower about the actions taken within three months after confirming receipt of the alert;  
  • We accept and document oral alerts;
  • We provide an opportunity for the affected person to present and identify new evidence to be collected in the course of the investigation;
  • We refer the whistleblower to the competent authorities when his/her rights are affected;
  • We forward the alert to the relevant external authority (Commission for Personal Data Protection) if it is necessary for actions to be taken on its part, notifying the whistleblower of that in advance.  

The anonymity and protection of the whistleblower are guaranteed by law. Each signal is considered in accordance with the legal requirements, with feedback to the whistleblower within 3 months.