As part of this public mandate, we assess transactions involving Dutch exporters, foreign buyers, and financial institutions. Compliance with laws, regulations, and international agreements is an essential component of our assessment.
Our compliance assessment is designed to identify and manage risks related to financial crime, sanctions violations, and integrity breaches in a timely manner. This is necessary to ensure the prudent use of public funds and to safeguard confidence in the Dutch export credit system.
International Framework
As an export credit agency, Atradius DSB operates within an international framework of rules and standards. Our assessments align with, among other things:
• European and international sanctions regimes
• anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regulations
• international anti-corruption agreements
• international guidelines for export credit agencies
Atradius DSB also follows the OECD Recommendation on Bribery and Officially Supported Export Credits, which sets out agreements for export credit agencies to systematically assess corruption risks in export transactions. These international agreements contribute to a level playing field for exporters and strengthen confidence in government-supported export financing.
What we assess
For every application, we assess the parties involved and the structure of the transaction. In doing so, we look at, among other things:
• risks of bribery and corruption
• compliance with international sanctions regimes
• money laundering and terrorist financing risks
• transparency of ownership structures and identification of Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs)
• involvement of Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs)
• reputational risks and relevant media signals
Where relevant, we also analyze contract structures, payment flows, and the role of intermediaries to assess the legitimacy of the transaction.
Governance and independence
Compliance assessments are conducted by specialized professionals within a clear governance structure. Internal escalation procedures ensure that integrity issues are carefully and independently assessed and, where necessary, discussed at a higher decision-making level.
Expectations of exporters and financiers
We expect exporters and financial partners to have adequate internal compliance systems in place and to provide complete and accurate information throughout the entire assessment process.
Early transparency contributes to an efficient assessment and helps prevent delays in the application process.
Anti-Bribery Policy
Our compliance procedures and anti-bribery policy are designed to identify and carefully assess financial integrity risks. In addition to our underwriters, our compliance officers conduct extensive screening to identify and avoid risks related to bribery and compliance with international sanctions.
This is done by requesting information from clients, supplemented by our own research and utilizing available internal and external databases and tools. If there is any indication of undesirable compliance or corruption risks, or sanctioned individuals or entities, applications may be rejected.
Compliance procedure - Step-by-step plan
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International frameworks
Check out our strategy on international cooperation
Financial solutions