The Hay Derecho Foundation and the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency sign a collaboration agreement to promote the culture of integrity and public ethics

Press release

Madrid, April 21, 2023.- The president of the Hay Derecho Foundation, Segismundo Álvarez, and  the director of the Agency, Joan Llinares, have signed a collaboration agreement for the development of activities of common interest in relation to the promotion of a culture of integrity and public ethics and the protection ofpeople who report fraud and corruption.

The signing of this agreement will allow collaboration between both entities in joint actions such as the preparation, programming and implementation of awareness and training activities in areas such as fraud and corruption prevention, integrity andpublic ethics, reporting channels or integrity plans and anti-fraud measures, among others.

This collaboration will extend to the realization of actions to raise awareness among citizens and the promotion of a paradigm shift on reporting as a necessary tool to protect the general interest and as a guarantee of the protection of whistleblowers.

The Hay Derecho Foundation was established in 2015 and aims to defend the rule oflaw in Spain, improve the legal system and institutions and the fight against corruption.

Likewise, the Foundation will be integrated into the Consell de Participació of the  Agency where the main associations and entitiesdedicated to the fight against fraud and corruption and the promotion of ethics and public integrity are present, as  well as experts in these matters.

The president of the Foundation, Segismundo Álvarez, has declared that “this collaboration is an example of how the Administration and civil society can and should work together in the fight against corruption“.

For his part, the director of the Agency,  Joan Llinares, pointed out that “it is important that entities such as the Hay Derecho Foundation collaborate with the Agency in the fight against fraud and corruption and in the creation of ethics and public integrity, contributing their vision, experience and knowledge“.

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency delivers its Activity Report for 2022 to the President of the Generalitat

Press release

Valencia, April 19, 2023.- The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency has delivered its Activity Report corresponding to the year 2022 to the President of the Generalitat Valenciana, Ximo Puig, in a ceremony held at the Palau de la Generalitat.

The director of the Agency, Joan Llinares, has delivered the two volumes of the Report, one in Valencian and one in Spanish. The event was attended by the Deputy Director and Legal Affairs of the Agency, Teresa Clemente; the director of analysis and research, Gustavo Segura; and the head of the administration and human resources area, María José Cervera.

The Report includes the activity carried out by the Agency during 2022 in the area of training, prevention and documentation; the legal area and protection of the complainant; analysis and research; Administration, recruitment and human resources and communication.

On March 28, the Agency’s Activity Report was delivered to the President of les Corts, Enric Morera, thus fulfilling the mandate contained in article 22 of Law 11/2016 on the creation of the Agency.

The Síndics of all the parliamentary groups and the Mesa de les Corts were also present at that event.

The State Network of Anti-Fraud Offices and Agencies meets in Seville to analyze the application of the new Law 2/2023 on the protection of people reporting corruption

Press release

Seville, April 18,   202 3.- The XII Meeting of the Network of Anti-Fraud Offices and Agencies held on April 17 and 18 in the Parliament of Andalusia has aimed to analyze the common challenges posed by the application of Law 2/2023,  of February 20, on the protection of people who report on regulatory infractions and the fight against corruption,  after its entry into force on March 13.

The authorities present at the meeting have addressed different aspects of the aforementioned law ranging from the scope of application of the norm and its fit with the current regional regulations, to the sphere of rights of the complainant, through the functions of the future Independent Authority for the Protection of the Informant (AAI).

As a result of the joint analysis carried out during the two days of work, it  has been verified the need to establish coordination mechanisms to avoid that the application of the new law supposes a reduction in the level of protection of the informant in the territories where it was already guaranteed by the current regional and local regulations in the fight against corruption.

This firm commitment to promote active cooperation between all the competent institutions in the fieldwill serve to clarify issues related to the adaptation of regional regulations to the  Law, so as to guarantee a homogeneous application of the same and contribute to a greater effectiveness of the measures planned for the protection of citizens,  as well as to optimize the use of public resources.

Another aspect under discussion has been the configuration and functions of the new Independent Authority for the Protection of Informants (AAI), a state-wide body whose new creation should not limit the capacity of action of the rest of regional and local authorities.

In this sense, the Network considers it essential to join forces towards a real coordination of competences in order to ensure a coordinated and effective response at all levels of administration regardless of their field of competence.

This meeting, organized by the Andalusian Office against Fraud and Corruption (OAAF), was attended by representatives of the Anti-Fraud Office of Catalonia (OAC); the ValencianAntifrau Agency (AVAF); the Office of Good Practices and Anti-Corruption of Navarra; the Office for the Prevention and Fight against Corruption  in the Balearic Islands (OAIB); the Directorate of Analysis Services, the managing body of the Ethics and Good Governance Mailbox of Barcelona City Council; the Municipal Office against Fraud and Corruption of the Madrid City Council; the National Anti-Fraud Coordination Service (SNCA); the Independent Office of Regulation and  Supervision of Contracting; the National Commission of Markets and Competition and the Consello de Contas de Galicia (Observer).