The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency Hosts an OECD Mission in Valencia within the Framework of the Local Indicators of Corruption and Integrity Risks Project

Press release

Valencia, 18 December 2025.– The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency (AVAF) held a working session in Valencia with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), with the participation of representatives from the Valencian Regional Government (Generalitat Valenciana), within the framework of the “Local Indicators of Corruption and Integrity Risks System” project (LOCRIiS Project, by its English acronym), funded by the European Commission.

 

In this first phase of the project, the OECD mission to the Valencian Community aims to collect information and knowledge to support the development of a proposal for public integrity indicators, based on those previously developed by the OECD itself. The objective is to adapt the indicator system to the context of the Spanish subnational entities participating in the project, as well as to define the development of the subsequent stages of the project.

 

The OECD team, composed of Mike Cressey, Franco Schiappacasse and Josep Espasa, led a workshop focused on the main areas of the proposed indicators, covering fields such as the effectiveness of control and risk management, accountability, and anti-corruption and public integrity strategies. During the session, the members of the mission highlighted and expressed their appreciation for the valuable technical contributions made by the General Intervention, the General Inspectorate of Services, and the Directorate-General for Transparency and Participation of the Generalitat, who took part in order to share their experience in the areas under analysis. The meeting was chaired by the Director of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, Eduardo Beut, and featured the active participation of the institution’s technical staff.

 

Following the workshop, a bilateral meeting was held between the OECD and AVAF to analyse the results of the session and to move forward with planning the next phases of the project, which is coordinated by the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency together with its counterparts in Andalusia and Catalonia.

 

Based on the information gathered during this in-person workshop and in future bilateral virtual meetings, the OECD will prepare an analytical report that will include a proposal for indicators adaptable to municipalities, as well as a methodological manual to guide data collection and evaluation. This material will be complemented by an online learning module aimed at facilitating the participation of regional and local administrations in the process.

 

At a later stage, and in order to validate the subnational public integrity indicators, the OECD, in collaboration with AVAF, will select up to three municipalities in the Valencian Community where, in mid-2026, workshops will be held to carry out a pilot data collection exercise.

 

The results of this pilot phase will enable the OECD to provide technical guidance to support the implementation of public integrity indicators across all local entities in the Valencian Community and to contribute to the design of a strategic approach that strengthens Valencian public integrity systems.

The Valencian Institute of Conservation, Restoration and Research promotes public integrity with the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency

Courses

Valencia, 15 December 2025.–The IVCR+i has hosted the conference “Culture of integrity. From prevention to internal information systems” given by the AVAF, in which all the staff of the public institution have participated.

 

The Valencian Institute of Conservation, Restoration and Research is a public law entity attached to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Universities and Employment, of the Generalitat Valenciana.

 

Its mission is the protection, conservation, restoration, research and dissemination of movable property that is part of the Valencian cultural heritage, consisting of movable and immovable property of historical, artistic, architectural, archaeological, paleontological, ethnological, documentary, bibliographic, scientific, technical, or any other cultural value, existing in the territory of the Valencian Community or that is outside it,  are especially representative of the history of Valencian culture, in accordance with Article 1 of Law 4/1998, of 11 June, on Valencian cultural heritage.

 

The session was opened by Gemma María Contreras Zamorano, director of the IVCR+i, who welcomed the staff of the Institute present.

 

Throughout the day, the attendees, restorers, art historians, chemists, physicists and administrative staff of the IVCR+i were able to learn about the institutional framework of state integrity and the role of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency from Anselm Bodoque, head of the cabinet and studies of the AVAF.

 

Mayte López, training technician of the Area of Training, Participation, Communication and Relations with other entities of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, addressed in her presentation the institutional system of the fight against corruption from the perspective of the Valencian Community.

 

The attendees analysed the existing risks in decision-making and the importance of transparency and planning thanks to the intervention of Pilar Moreno, Training Technician, on the importance of the culture of integrity.

 

Marita Oliver, training technician, focused her contribution on the main new features of Law 2/2023 in terms of internal information systems and external reporting channels. The training session ended with a participatory workshop on the proper management of conflicts of interest.

 

With this last training day, the AVAF Training Area finalizes its calendar of actions aimed at promoting the culture of integrity in 2025. The Agency thanks the IVCR+i for its interest in promoting the prevention of fraud in public management through the Training Area.

 

Those public administrations interested in promoting specialized training in integrity, fraud prevention and public ethics can contact the Training Area through the email formacion@antifraucv.es

 

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency recognizes the civic courage of two whistleblowers at the AVAF 2025 Whistleblowing Awards

Press release

València, 10 December 2025.- On the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day, the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency held today the ceremony for the AVAF 2025 Whistleblowing Awards: The Courage to Report, an institutional initiative created to publicly acknowledge the bravery of individuals who report irregularities and abuses of power in defense of the public interest, legality, and the Rule of Law.

 

The event took place at the headquarters of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, which welcomed the award recipients and expressed its gratitude for their commitment and actions. During his speech, the Agency’s director explained the purpose of these awards, emphasizing that whistleblowers often face high personal, family, and professional costs, especially in contexts where the reported irregularities generate resistance, misunderstanding among colleagues, and, at times, reprisals.

 

The director, Eduardo Beut, highlighted that, before the creation of bodies such as the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, whistleblowers did not have an effective system of institutional support. Likewise, Beut praised the work carried out by the Agency’s previous leadership and stressed that, since its establishment in 2016, 36 whistleblowers have been protected, with the institution being a pioneer in Spain in setting up specific mechanisms of protection and support for those who report irregularities in the public sector. The institution reiterated that, although the ideal scenario would be one in which no one needed protection because abuses or irregularities did not exist, as long as these persist, the Agency will continue to actively defend whistleblowers and publicly acknowledge their work.

 

During the event, Juan Antonio Vivar Piera, Chair of the Ethics Committee, not only highlighted the value of the whistleblowers’ actions but also explained that the AVAF Whistleblowing Awards are honorary in nature and aim to make visible the civic heroism of those who report wrongdoing, as well as to promote a culture of responsible reporting as a fundamental pillar of anti-corruption strategies, in line with the United Nations Convention against Corruption and European and Spanish legislation on whistleblower protection.

 

In this edition, the AVAF 2025 Whistleblowing Award: The Courage to Report was presented to two whistleblowers. Antonio Rico Bellido, who reported irregularities within the Local Police of his municipality and suffered workplace reprisals that severely affected his health, rights, and dignity. Despite this, he maintained his commitment to legality and public integrity. The Agency highlighted that, although he received institutional support, his personal resolve proved decisive in sustaining the complaint and enabling the investigations to move forward.

 

The award also recognized the bravery of Vicente Javier López Saborit, an environmental officer of the Generalitat Valenciana, for reporting the unlawful occupation of public land and the administrative inaction regarding these events. His perseverance and cooperation with the Agency made it possible to restore urban planning legality and protect public assets, which is why he was also awarded this year.

 

The event concluded with the explicit recognition by the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency of the bravery of the award recipients, reaffirming the institution’s commitment to defending the public interest and the effective protection of those who report irregularities.