The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency meets in Brussels with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)

Press release

Valencia, 27 February 2023.- The  Director of the Agency, Joan Llinares, accompanied by the Director of Analysis and Research, Gustavo Segura, and the  Deputy Director and Legal Services, Teresa Clemente, met in Brussels with technical and management staff of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

This meeting has allowed to strengthen the  channels of collaboration between both institutions that will materialize in aspects such as the training of  their staff, the exchange of  information, as  well as the sharing of  experiences and good practices in investigative work or the protection of whistleblowers of corruption.

In recent years the Agency has carried out research actions in the Valencian Community in coordination with OLAF regarding the granting of European subsidies to different institutions and public administrations.

OLAF is the European Anti-Fraud Office created in 1999 by the European Parliament to combat fraud, corruption and other activities affecting the EU budget including irregularities within the European institutions.

The Director of the Agency, Joan Llinares, said that “this meeting has shown the  support  by OLAF for the work done by the Agency’s staff in those institutions in which it has requested collaboration”.

“In addition, the relationship between both institutions will intensify in the coming months with the exchange of experiences, training actions and agile and effective communication channels between the staff of the different areas of both institutions that will undoubtedly result in the work that is done on a day-to-day basis,” added Llinares.

#DocuforumAVAF at the IES Serpis in the city of Valencia

Courses

#TrainingAVAF

The Valencian Antifraud Agency has held the first #DocuforumAVAF in Secondary Schools 2023 in the city of Valencia, at IES Serpis.

The learning experience offered by the Agency consists of several phases and aims to make students reflect on strategies to combat fraud and corruption in the public administration, paying special attention to the need to protect people who report corruption.

The 1st year of high school students of the IES Serpis in Valencia watched the documentary “Corruption: harmful organism” on Pandora Box TV, in a first session with the teacher responsible for the activity and heard the testimonies of informants of corruption in the public sector.

Subsequently, on Thursday, February 23, in a second work session, carried out in the classroom by the AVAF training technician, Pilar Moreno, the 1st year Baccalaureate students were able to raise their doubts and questions regarding how to prevent and persecutes corruption in the Valencian Community.

The Valencian Antifraud Agency, through the training activity of #DocuforumAVAF, has the opportunity to show in the classrooms of schools, institutes and universities throughout the Valencian Community, the response that Les Corts gave, through the creation of the AVAF, to the mandate of the UN through the United Nations Convention against corruption. In turn, it allows students to share the challenges of the present and future in matters such as public integrity, prevention and protection of informants of corruption.

If you are a university or high school teacher in the Valencian Community and you are interested in having the training activity “Docuforum: Corruption, harmful organism” carried out in your classroom, do not hesitate to contact the training service of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency at training@antifraucv.es

The European Commission publishes its Manual of Good Anti-Corruption Practices and recognises the AVAF as one of the best experiences in the fight against fraud and corruption

Press release

The aim of this Handbook is to map the different anti-corruption practices implemented in the different offices and agencies of the member states of the European Union that have proven useful in solving problems related to corruption and that can inspire similar initiatives in other countries.

For this purpose, an established or innovative anti-corruption good practice was selected, with aspirations of positive impact in each EU Member State, and grouped into eight types of anti-corruption approaches. The Handbook is structured along these identified types.

Each chapter consists of a theoretical part on the respective type of anti-corruption approach and is illustrated with corresponding case studies. To ensure transferability, the analysis of the case studies focuses on the mechanisms of implementation, the estimated costs of such a practice, and its results and limitations.

This Handbook has been a collaborative effort between the Ecorys research team and the Local Corruption Investigation Correspondents (LRCC) in eachMember State and  gathers the best experiences and initiatives launched by all European agencies dedicated to preventing and combating fraud and corruption.

The European Commission has selected the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency and you can access the information referred to in the Manuto the Good Practices specifically in section 8.2.2 page 182 and ss.

You can consult the manual at the following link:

Manual de Buenas Prácticas en la Lucha contra la Corrupción