Aguas Group’s Donation and Sponsorship Policy
First. The Code of Ethics of the Aguas Group recognizes the ethical and corporate responsibility values that govern its actions, finding it implicit in these guidelines to deliver to society as a whole, through various means, its commitment to social, environmental and cultural interests, as well as sustainable and innovative development within local communities.
Second. The present Donations and Sponsorships Policy aims to establish the general guidelines for defining the scope and fulfilling the objectives in the delivery of donations, sponsorships and memberships.
Third. The main thrusts of this Donation Policy are care for water and the environment, charity, commitment to social, environmental and cultural interests, and sustainable and innovative development in surrounding areas and local communities, in line with the values recognized in the company’s Code of Ethics.
Fourth. The Aguas Group has a Donations and Sponsorships Committee in charge of evaluating and approving the initiatives and projects that it reviews, an authorization that, if applicable, must be granted by the respective Board of Directors of the Aguas Group company that makes the contribution, in accordance with the terms included in the Aguas Group’s Donations and Auspices Procedure.
Fifth. The projects reviewed by the Committee must demonstrate, as a priority, respect for the aforementioned axes of this policy, always and at all times complying with internal regulations and current legislation. In particular, they are required to be carried out under an adequate control environment, respecting the controls established in the respective procedures and maintaining proper documentation of the various actions performed.
Beneficiaries of donations, sponsorships, or memberships approved and granted by companies of the Water Group must be legal persons whose objectives and reputation do not give rise to risks for the company, whether financial, ethical or criminal. Any kind of contribution in favor of a person, entity or organization that carries out or promotes activities contrary to laws, fundamental rights or constitutional norms, or in any manner to the ethical values and principles of the Aguas Group, is prohibited.
Particular care will be taken to ensure that use of the contributions meets the objectives stated by each project, preventing their use or potential appearance of their use to attempt to influence the actions or decisions of authorities or other third parties. To this end, due diligence will be carried out on potential beneficiaries. Documentation showing use of the donations, sponsorships or memberships will be required.
Sixth. It is prohibited to make cash contributions, as well as any donation or collaboration intended to finance political campaigns or support political activities of any kind, directly or indirectly, through any mechanism.
Agreements with institutions of social or political thought (e.g. think tanks) can only be carried out when they are intended to finance a specific project, or contracts for the provision of specific services of limited duration, and constitute an effective contribution to public policies related to the company’s business and the company’s social, cultural, scientific or educational objectives. Such institutions shall maintain a methodology and associated staff to develop such principles and ensure they deliver concrete results. Additionally, they should be related to or consistent with the activities of Aguas Group companies, and with their principles on ethical and corporate responsibility. These contributions shall be informed promptly to the Board of Directors of the corresponding Aguas Group company. The point made concerning contributions to think tanks does not preclude the reaching of agreements or contracts with research centers aimed at research and development in areas of interest related to the company; provided it meets eligibility requirements and technical expertise and delivers concrete results of the analysis.
Seventh. By means of this Policy, the Aguas Group seeks to strengthen its corporate ethics structure, working at the forefront of the company's strategic objectives, identifying and safeguarding risks arising out of the activities, ensuring value creation activities, and protecting the corporate image, through the availability of benefits granted and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
In addition, it establishes a commitment to continuous development and improvement, through reviews by the Board of Directors, which will be informed every six months of all actions approved by the Donations and Sponsorships Committee, and which must approve all contributions above 1,000 UFs in the form established by the Aguas Group’s Sponsorships and Donations Procedure.
