Ethics for competitiveness – HEPA Export Academy Training Hub launches anti-corruption training
The Hungarian language e-learning course on anti-corruption supports exporting businesses in mitigating business risks. HEPA Hungarian Export Promotion Agency issues a certificate to companies that successfully complete the training. This course helps business actors become better prepared to prevent corruption risks and foreign bribery.
As an institution supervised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, HEPA aligns its efforts with the goals set out in the National Export Strategy, assisting over 6,000 Hungarian enterprises in exploring foreign market opportunities, expanding internationally, and promoting Hungarian exports and outbound investments.
Business cultures differ significantly across countries, leading to varying perceptions of hospitality, gratuities and tips. However, more lenient anti-corruption practices in some countries should not serve as a model for Hungarian businesses, as both domestic legislation and international agreements strictly prohibit foreign bribery.
The Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials, to which Hungary is a party, was adopted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 1997. Compliance with the provisions of this convention is a key expectation for domestic companies, especially those engaged in international business transactions. This includes the prohibition of foreign bribery (whether involving public officials or corporate representatives) and the implementation of this strategy at the corporate level.
Key aspects of compliance include raising awareness of operational risks, demonstrating leadership commitment, reviewing and updating internal regulations—particularly concerning ethical standards, gifts, hospitality, lobbying, and whistleblower protection—awareness raising and training executives and employees, and establishing an effective internal sanction policy for violations of norms and values.
The new HEPA Export Academy Hungarian language training provides a clear and accessible summary of essential information for preventing foreign bribery across five modules. After registration, the course material is available to anyone free of charge on the Export Academy Training Hub platform.
Designed primarily for executives and employees of Hungarian small and medium-sized enterprises, the training uses a storytelling method and a practice-oriented approach to help identify and mitigate international corruption risks. It covers global corruption risks, organizational and individual strategies for managing corruption risks in export-oriented businesses, and best practices from Hungarian corporate experiences. Additionally, it outlines the requirements and organizational solutions for reporting suspected corruption. 
HEPA has also developed a guideline to provide practical support for Hungarian exporting companies in designing and implementing their anti- corruption and anti-bribery management system. This guideline becomes available and downloadable from the e-learning platform upon successful completion of the course.
