The director of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency claims the protection of people who report corruption

Press release

València, July 23, 2020.– The director of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency (AVAF), Joan Llinares, has vindicated the protection of people who report corruption during his participation in the 37th edition of the University of Estiu de Gandia that proposes this year a review of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) under the title “Viratge a la Sostenibilitat”.

In the talk entitled “Fraud, the fight against corruption and transparency in the institutions”, Llinares explained the activities carried out by the AVAF and the collaboration initiatives with other European entities.

In his speech, the director of the AVAF placed special emphasis on the recent signing of the Rome Declaration by 21 organizations fighting fraud and corruption from 15 European countries that make up the Network of European Integrity Authorities and Alerters (NEIWA Network).

Llinares highlighted “the importance of European cooperation and the need for European governments to approve a legal statute for the protection of persons who report corruption. Our country is currently pending the transposition of the European Directive 2019/1937 for the protection of persons who report corruption, known as the “Whistleblower” Directive.

On the other hand, the director has also underlined “the pioneering nature of the AVAF, which is currently the only Spanish authority that has a Statute for the Protection of the Complainant of Corruption. To date, 20 whistleblowers receive protection from the Agency ”.

In this year’s edition of the Universitat d’Estiu, which was held for the first time in the online mode, the director took the opportunity to explain the operation of the AVAF complaints box “a channel that ensures confidentiality and especially protects the anonymity of the complainant ”, Llinares pointed out.

After the conference, Joan Llinares thanked the invitation to participate in this edition of the Universitat d’Estiu. “Collaboration between the Valencian Antifraud Agency and the universities is of vital importance in order, in addition to taking advantage of synergies, to bring the work that the AVAF develops in the university environment. A collaboration that allows us to deepen prevention and training in ethics and public integrity ”, concluded the director of the Agency.

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Anti-fraud organizations across Europe demand protection for whistleblowers of corruption

Press release

València, July 6, 2020.- 21 organizations fighting against fraud and corruption from 15 European countries met last week virtually and adopted the Declaration of Rome, so called since the meeting was scheduled to be held there European city before the COVID-19 crisis.

With the Declaration of Rome, these organizations request from the different European governments, among other issues, a legal status for the protection of persons who report corruption.

The starting point of the Declaration is the application of the European Directive 2019/1937 for the protection of persons who report corruption, known as the “Whistleblower” Directive, which is currently pending transposition into the Spanish legal system.

The Rome Declaration includes a series of recommendations in the form of a decalogue addressed to the governments and public administrations involved in the implementation of the Directive.

Among the proposed proposals are the creation of a culture that encourages reporting, having protocols to handle reports, guaranteeing the confidentiality of reporting persons, or providing anti-corruption agencies and authorities with sanctioning capacity.

The director of the AVAF, Joan Llinares, has declared that “we are going to send this Declaration of Rome to the Minister of Justice as well as to the members of the parliamentary commission in charge of carrying out the transposition of the Europe Directive so that they have knowledge of it ”.

“We also want to show our willingness to collaborate in the working group that will carry out this transposition since from the AVAF we can contribute our experience by being at the moment the only Spanish authority that has a Statute of Protection of the Complainant of Corruption . At the moment 20 people receive protection from the AVAF ”, added Llinares.

The organizations that signed the Rome Declaration are constituted in the Network of European Integrity Authorities and Alerters (NEIWA Network) which aims to share knowledge and experiences in the fight against fraud and corruption. On the part of Spain, the Catalan Anti-Fraud Office and the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency (AVAF) participate in the NEIWA Network.

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Rome Declaration. Network of European Integrity Authorities and Alerters (NEIWA Network)

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14 anti-fraud and corruption organizations meet for the second time in the Participation Council of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency (AVAF)

Press release

València, July 1, 2020.- The second meeting of the Participation Council of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency (AVAF) was held, which was established in October 2019. 14 civic and social organizations that work against the fraud and corruption and have among their purposes the transparency of public activity, good governance and the defense of the rights of citizens in the area of ​​the Valencian Community.

Among the topics covered on the agenda was the presentation of the AVAF Activity Report for the year 2019, which includes the performance of each of the Agency’s areas in relation to research, prevention and training, legal department in relation to the advice and protection of whistleblowers and institutional relations. One of the points that has aroused the greatest interest has been the data provided on the complaints filed in terms of their number, gender perspective or subject matter, among others.

This second meeting of the Participation Council takes place once the work of the two groups that were formed after the first meeting has been concluded. One of the groups is focused on training in public ethics and integrity as a tool for the prevention of fraud and corruption; while the second group focuses on the protection of those who report corruption.

Both groups have presented before the Plenary of the Consell the work carried out during these months as well as the conclusions and proposals they have reached, among which is the elaboration of a Decalogue for the Protection of Complainants and Alerters or expanding the actions of training to the school environment.

Another issue that has been discussed is the situation in which the transposition into the legal system of the European Directive 2019/1937, on the Protection of Persons Whistleblower of Corruption, better known as the “Whistleblower Directive”.

The meeting was held virtually and the following associations and entities participated:

  • Fundación por la Justicia
  • Tactical Whistleblowers
  • COSITAL València
  • Observatori Ciutadà contra la Corrupció (OCC)
  • Transparencia Internacional España
  • Asociación Valenciana de Consumidores y Usuarios (AVACU)
  • Asoc. Española Sujetos Obligados en Prevención del Blanqueo (ASEBLAC)
  • Fundación Internacional Baltasar Garzón (FIBGAR)
  • Alertadores contra la Corrupción, Whistle Blower
  • Senior Program Officer de Open Society Initative for Europe (OSIFE)
  • Acción Cívica contra la Corrupción
  • Plataforma por la Honestidad (PlxH)
  • Plataforma Ciutadana Castelló per la Justícia i Contra la Corrupció
  • Sindicato de Técnicos del Ministerio de Hacienda (GESTHA).
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