Compliance

1.    Chief Compliance Officer and other Bodies responsible for Compliance 

One of the functions of the Barça Foundation is Compliance, i.e. working to ensure compliance with regulations, which implies not only understanding and respecting the Code of Ethics and Conduct, but also other internal regulations that the Foundation has provided to ensure compliance with the different laws that are in force.

With this aim, the Foundation has different bodies that are responsible for the matter, such as the Chief Compliance Officer, the Compliance Committee and the Control and Transparency Commission.

The Foundation’s Chief Compliance Officer is a figure with his or her own powers of autonomy and independence, who understands how the Foundation operates, and its culture and activities, in order for potentially law-breaking incidents to be detected and resolved, as well as those that contravene in-house regulations. Among other functions, the Chief Compliance Officer is responsible for processing and monitoring complaints received via the Regulatory and Ethical Compliance Channel.

In turn, the Chief Compliance Officer’s own functions are based on the principles of proportionality and authority, so his or her actions will always be proportional to the risks to which the Foundation is exposed and his or her opinions and recommendations are considered by the club’s governing bodies.

Remember that you may contact the Chief Compliance Officer at the following email compliance@fcbarcelona.cat, to report any type of irregular situation that contravenes the Foundation’s ethical or legal values.

2.    Barça Foundation Code of Ethics and Conduct

The Barça Foundation is a benchmark organisation in every sense, not only achieving excellence in its support for the integration of at-risk girls and boys in the field of sport, but acting in a comprehensive manner and respecting laws, regulations and ethical principles at all times.

For this reason, the Foundation has set out its own Code of Ethics and Conduct that reflects our expectations regarding the behaviours that should be observed in any activity in which we are involved.

Integrity, responsibility, transparency, respect, effort, teamwork, ambition and humility are the ethical values with which we identify and that are consequently set forth in our Code of Ethics and Conduct.

Our values serve as guidelines for all Foundation staff, as well as for those people or entities with whom we regularly interact.

So, the Code of Ethics and Conduct showcases our commitment to comply with applicable law and the highest ethical standards, in order to uphold the trust and respect of our beneficiaries, partners, suppliers and institutions.

Likewise, the Foundation puts much effort into raising awareness of the importance of ethical conduct and guaranteeing that all of its members receive adequate training so as to incorporate these ethical behaviours into their daily routines.

The Code cannot cover every single situation or conflict that might occur in the Foundation’s daily activity, so should any doubts arise, you are encouraged to contact the Chief Compliance Officer through the Regulatory and Ethical Compliance channel whenever you need support or advice.

View the Code of Ethics and Conduct.

3.    Barça Foundation Code of Conduct

Due to the specific nature of the activity performed by the Barça Foundation, focused on supporting the most vulnerable groups of children through sport and education, a specific Code of Conduct has been created that sets out its fundamental values. These must be respected in all behaviour in all situations involving its members (including workers, patrons and executives), as well as the good professional practices that these people must observe.

The Barça Foundation strives to ensure that all of its relationships, both internal and external and including the relationship with FC Barcelona itself, are based on integrity, responsibility, transparency, respect, effort, ambition, teamwork and humility. The goal is for everyone related to the Foundation to take these values on board and be committed to respecting them.

The main purpose of the Code of Conduct is for these values to be exercised and for them to be reflected in any activity carried out in the name of the Foundation to guarantee the well-being of both its members and the people at whom it is targeted, as well as to improve, insofar as possible, the quality of the services provided.

Should you have any doubts about the appropriate behaviour to observe in a given situation, please remember that you can consult the Chief Compliance Officer through the Compliance and Ethics Channel whenever support or advice are needed.

View the Code of Conduct.

4.    Regulatory and Ethical Compliance Channel

The Barça Foundation is firmly committed to being guided by legality and ethical principles. It therefore very positively encourages its members, staff, and other related third parties, to be alert to and to report any possibly illegal behaviour.

The Barça Foundation has therefore set up a Regulatory and Ethical Compliance Channel to receive and attend to all types of reports, queries or complaints related to irregularities or non-compliance, be that with regard to in-house regulations, the Code of Ethics and Conduct or the Foundation’s Code of Conduct, as well as applicable law. Likewise, the Channel can also be used to resolve doubts or to receive support with the application of the Foundation’s in-house regulations and values.

compliance@fcbarcelona.cat

This Channel is available to all members of the Barça Foundation, as well as its staff, suppliers and partners. It can also be accessed by other related third parties.

The Barça Foundation guarantees at all times the appropriate confidentiality and indemnity when using this channel, and shall act in good faith, at all times upholding the honour and presumption of innocence of those accused through unfounded or malicious communications and shall act with the utmost objectivity, rigour and diligence.

Please note that reports may also be made anonymously and shall not lead to any form of retaliation under any circumstance.

Proper use of this Channel helps to prevent, detect and duly report behaviours that may be illegal, both with regard to directly affected parties and third parties.

Any personal data provided via the Channel shall be treated in accordance with current data protection regulations, with the appropriate information security measures.

Likewise, the Barça Foundation pays special attention to the protection of minors who are part of or may have a relationship with it. A specific communication channel has therefore been set up for cases of queries or reports in relation to children.

fundation.childprotection@fcbarcelona.cat

The Barça Foundation forms part of the Spanish Association of Foundations (AEF), a private and independent national organisation that brings together 819 Spanish foundations in order to guarantee that they are run properly and to ensure they gain strength, as well as contributing to their transparency and good governance.

The AEF has its own Code of Conduct and Good Governance to which the Barça Foundation is adhered, so any activity that is likely to contravene the principles and values of this Association must be reported through the Ethical channel that it has set up for that purpose.

View the AEF Code of Conduct and Good Governance

View the AEF Ethical Channel