The deadline for transposition of the European Whistleblower Directive ends without the Government of Spain having carried out the transposition work

Press release

València, December 17, 2021.- Today, December 17, the deadline for the transposition into the Spanish legal system of European Directive 1937/2019, for the protection of people who report violations of Union Law, better known as Directive Whistleblower.
The Government of Spain, through the Ministry of Justice, is in charge of the transposition work and had two years to adapt the content of the European Directive to Spanish law.
For this reason, the Valencian Antifraud Agency has issued an institutional statement with which it wants to warn of the breach of that deadline and the repercussions it has on having lost the opportunity to carry out a reform of the Spanish legal system that would allow fighting corruption in a more effective.
The Agency recalls that from this moment the Directive has direct effects and the courts and tribunals must make an interpretation in accordance with it and reiterates the need for the transposition to be carried out for what it offers its collaboration to the Ministry of Justice.
It also urges the creation of a national authority for the prevention and fight against corruption that works in coordination with the regional authorities and the modification of the legal system with special reference to criminal law and the protection of witnesses and experts.
It is also necessary to establish secure and confidential reporting channels that allow even anonymous reports, so that anyone can report possible crimes and actions constituting fraud and corruption.
The Institutional Declaration issued by the Agency makes a special mention of the recognition deserved by persons who report corruption, who must be effectively protected against possible reprisals, as well as recognizing their exemplary nature.

Here you can access the full content of the Institutional Declaration:

https://www.antifraucv.es/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/210617-Declaracion-Institucional-AVAF_Transposicion-Directiva_-2019-1937.pdf

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency organizes a Seminar for its 5th anniversary and brings together the political class, experts, civil society and anti-corruption agencies from all over Spain

Press release

Valencia, November 29, 2021.- The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency has organized a seminar to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the approval of Law 11/2016, creating the Agency, which has been followed by more than 150 people from face-to-face and online.

The President of the Valencian Corts, Enric Morera and the director of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, Joan Llinares have been in charge of the opening of the Seminar.

The first table was entitled “Citizenship against corruption” in which civil society entities that are part of the Agency’s Consell de Participació have participated and that at the time proposed the election of Joan Llinares as director of the Agency before the Valencian Parliament.

Antonio Penadés from Acción Cívica contra la Corrupción; Consuelo Vidal from the Observatori contra la Corrupció, and José María Tomás y Tío from Fundación por la Justicia and has been moderated by Juan Carlos Galindo.

The second table has dealt with “The costs of corruption” and experts in this area have participated such as Francisco Alcalá, professor-researcher at the Valencian Institute of Economic Research (IVIE); Francisco Cardona, OECD consultant and Fabiola Meco, assistant professor Doctor of Civil Law at the University of Valencia. The table was moderated by Teresa Clemente, Director of Legal Affairs of the Agency.

In the afternoon, the day was resumed with two more tables. The first one has dealt with the “Strategies for the prevention and fight against corruption in the Autonomous Communities” in which the directors of the anti-fraud offices and agencies in Spain have participated.

The director of the Anti-fraud Office of Catalonia, Miguel Ángel Gimeno; the director of the Office of the Balearic Islands, Jaime Far; the director of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, Joan Llinares, and the recently appointed director of the Andalusia Office, Ricardo Vicente Puyol. The table was moderated by the À Punt Ràdio journalist, Clara Castelló.

Next, it was the turn of the political class at a table in which Manolo Mata from the socialist parliamentary group participated; Fernando Pastor, for the popular parliamentary group; Mònica Àlvaro from the Compromís parliamentary group; Ruth Merino from the Ciudadanos parliamentary group and María Pilar Lima from the Unides Podem parliamentary group. The journalist and news director of À Punt Raquel Ejerique has been in charge of moderating the table.

You can see the Seminar on the YouTube channel of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency at this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkDS5OEUZu3iTEWg7gu8XXQ