The Hungarian Commissioner for Fundamental Rights has visited the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency

Press release

València. 25 april 2024.- The Hungarian Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, Ákos Kozma, has visited the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency to learn about its operation and establish possible ways of collaboration between the two institutions in the future.

The Commissioner also presented the Commissioner’s Office and its scope of action. He was accompanied by his Chief of Staff, Csenge Borbély.

On behalf of the Agency, Teresa Clemente, Deputy Director and Director of Legal Affairs; Gustavo Segura, Director of Analysis and Research; Irene Bravo, director of prevention, training and communication, and María José Cervera, head of the administration area.

In the last year, the Agency has intensified its international projection and numerous anti-corruption authorities have visited Valencia to learn about its work, including the Italian National Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC); the National Anti-Corruption Centre of Moldova or the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Georgia.

33 anti-corruption authorities from 24 European countries agree on the Valencia Declaration

Press release

València, 19 April 2024.- The work carried out by NEIWA during the two days of the meeting concluded with the approval of the Valencia Declaration, which highlighted the importance of defending whistleblowing, as it is one of the best mechanisms in the fight against corruption.

The Declaration also condemns any form of suppression or limitation of the independence and efficiency of integrity and whistleblowing authorities, or similar entities engaged in the fight against corruption.

NEIWA members highlighted the importance of strengthening the work and coordination of all actors involved in the field of whistleblowing and the fight against corruption such as police, prosecutors, judiciary, etc., including civil society, as their contribution is essential for the establishment of a culture of integrity.

In addition to the Valencia Declaration, the results of several working groups set up within the Network have been presented at this 9th Assembly, such as the group dedicated to analysing the complaints received, or the group in charge of studying, analysing and proposing measures to support people who report on corruption.

The Director-General for Justice of the European Commission, Paul Hafellner, was invited to this meeting and made a presentation on the status of the transposition of the European Directive on the protection of whistleblowers of corruption.

The members of the Network approved a modification of the statutes and the rules of procedure and organization of the Network in order to improve its functioning and operability, as well as the integration of new members such as the Federal Institute for Human Rights (Belgium); the Georgia Anti-Corruption Bureau; the Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers (Luxembourg) and the Ombudsman of Walloni (Belgium).

Valencia Declaration

The NEIWA network was established following the approval by the European Union of Directive 2019/1937 on the protection of whistleblowers of corruption and it is a platform for cooperation and exchange of knowledge and experiences in the area of integrity and protection of whistleblowers.

Currently, 33 anti-corruption authorities from 24 European countries are part of the network and are as follows:

BELGIUM

Federal Ombudsman

Office of the Ombudsman of the Brussels-Capital Region

Service of the Ombudsman of the German-speaking Community of Belgium

Ombudsman of the Flemish Community

BULGARIA

Anti-Corruption Commission

CROATIA

Office of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Croatia

CZECH REPUBLIC

Ministry of Justice

DENMARK

The National Whistleblowing Scheme within the Danish Data Protection Agency

ESTONIA

Ministry of Justice, Department of Penal Policy

FINLAND

Ombudsman

FRANCE

Défenseur des droits

GERMANY

Federal Office of Justice

GREECE

National Transparency Authority

HUNGARY

Office of the Hungarian Commissioner for Fundamental Rights

ICELAND

Prime Minister’s Office

IRELAND

Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission

Office of the Commissioner of Protected Disclosures

ITALY

Italian Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC)

LATVIA

The State Chancellery (Whistleblower Contact Point)

LITHUANIA

Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania

MONTENEGRO

Anti-Corruption Agency

PORTUGAL

National Anti-Corruption Mechanism (MENAC)

ROMANIA

Ministry of Justice

National Integrity Agency (ANI)

SLOVAKIA

Office of Whistleblower Protection

SLOVENIA

Commission for the Prevention of Corruption

SPAIN

Ministry of Justice

Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency (AVAF)

Catalan Anti-Fraud Office (OAC)

Andalusian Office Against Fraud and Corruption (OAAF)

SWEDEN

The Swedish Working Environment Authority

NETHERLANDS

Dutch Whistleblowing Authority

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency delivers its 2023 Activity Report to the Corts Valencianes, highlighting its collaboration with justice and its international relevance

Press release

València, March 26, 2024.- The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency has delivered the Activity Report for the year 2023 that took place at the Saló dels Espills de les Corts Valencianes, thus complying with the mandate contained in article 22 of Law 11/2016 on the creation of the Agency.

The director of the Agency, Joan Llinares, has handed over the two volumes of the Report, one in Valencian and the other in Spanish, to the president of Les Corts, Llanos Massó. The event was also attended by the Ombudsmen of all the parliamentary groups and the Bureau of Les Corts.

The Report includes the activity carried out by the Agency during 2023 in the area of training, prevention and documentation; the legal and whistleblower protection area; analysis and research; Administration, Recruitment, and Human Resources and Communication.

Among the highlights of the 2023 Report is the international recognition of the work carried out by the Agency, which has been highlighted in the exchanges carried out with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the Italian National Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC) and the visits received by the Anti-Corruption Office of Georgia or the National Anti-Corruption Centre of the Republic of Moldova. She was also invited by the European Commission’s group of experts to explain how its complaint box works.

In 2023, the Agency participated in meetings and encounters with the European Anti-Corruption Partners (EPAC) network; the European Network of Anti-Corruption Contact Points (EAPCN); the Network of European Integrity Authorities and Whistleblowers (NEIWA) and the Network of Corruption Prevention Authorities (NCPA).

The second outstanding aspect of 2023 has been its intense collaboration with the judicial bodies, which has materialized with the signing of a Collaboration Agreement with the Attorney General’s Office or the provision of training by the Agency’s staff to the 61st promotion of access to the prosecutorial career.

The collaboration has also materialized with the participation of the Agency as a judicial expert in 8 legal proceedings; the preparation of 5 reports of judicial assistance and the presentation and testimony in oral trial in 2 of the proceedings.

You can access the following links:

  • Link to Executive Summary:

https://www.antifraucv.es/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Resumen_ejecutivo_Memoria_AVAF_2023.pdf

  • Link to the 2023 Activity Report:

https://www.antifraucv.es/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/MEMORIA_AVAF_2023_CAS.pdf