This year, the National Association of Exporters and Importers in Romania (ANEIR) has launched a European Project whose purpose is introducing the concept and practices of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Romania.
As described in the project presentation, CSR refers to a sector of business practices in which investors take into account more than just obtaining direct and immediate benefits by also considering the positive external impact that companies can have upon the community in which they operate, upon the responsible use of the environment, the durable development of work practices and human resources.
The project puts a free, one-year counselling and training programme at the disposal of interested companies, by means of a competition. The purpose of this programme is to increase competitiveness among Romanian companies by integrating the CSR component, which is beginning to become an absolutely necessary condition to ensuring business sustainability.
On a longer term, the companies that take part in the competition could gain valuable benefits for their activities in the business world, such as:
- Greater power of contract negotiation (by means of the Social Responsibility component);
- Access to new markets, such as socially responsible investments or supplier chains from multinational companies;
- More motivated employees, which in turn could make them more loyal and productive;
- Savings in operational costs, because of a better use of resources;
- Easier access to public/European funds or grants;
- Improved products/services, thus higher customer satisfaction;
- The reputation of a good employer and a good neighbour within the community, as well as a better relationship with local authorities (which could for instance be materialized in easier access to permits);
- Networking opportunities, which could bring in more clients;
- Proactive identification of development opportunities;
- Proactive communication with interested parties;
- Risk reduction.
In order to register a company to the competition, you must fill out a form which is available at www.aneir-csr.ro. This website also offers further information regarding the project. The deadline for registering to the competition is February 13th, 2012.