Oct42023

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency participates in Vienna in a meeting with anti-corruption authorities from all over Europe

Valencia, October 3, 2023.- The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency has participated for two days in a working meeting with anti-corruption agencies and authorities from other countries belonging to the European Partners against Corruption (EPAC) and the European contact-point network against corruption (EACN).

The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Anti-Corruption Office of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Austria, and aimed to share information and experiences on the protection that is being offered to whistleblowers of protection after the entry into force of the European Directive 2019/1937 on the protection of whistleblowers,  better known as the Whistleblower Directive.

In the case of Spain, Law 2/2023 on the protection of whistleblowers of corruption was approved in February of this year and the Civil Guard and the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency were present at the meeting.

Countries such as Belgium, Romania, France, Portugal, Italy, Lithuania or Bulgaria participated in the conference that also included the interventions of Laura Balli, president of the European Network of Integrity and Protection Authorities of Corruption Whistleblowers (NEIWA) who explained the important role played by internal reporting channels, confidentiality or the creation of a culture of protection towards corruption whistleblowers.

Luka Mak from Transparency International reviewed the different national legislations that have transposed the European Directive; and showed the limitations and benefits of the use of anonymity in this type of reporting and the problems that people who decide to report may suffer.

In her speech, Monica Kalinauskiené from Lithuania pointed out that, although the main objective of the transposition of the Directive was the protection of whistleblowers, there are also other objectives that we must not forget, such as transparency, the prevention of corruption or the promotion of ethical conduct.

Fiona Springer of the Austrian Financial Markets Authority offered data such as that 78% of the complaints that receive the communication are limited merely to the complaint, while in 22% of cases they have a direct relationship with the complainant. He also explained what must be done and what must not be done with respect to transparency, communication or anonymity.

The former adviser to the Ministry of the Interior and director of the Foreign Office of the Austrian Government, Martin Kreutner, referred to the importance of trust for citizens to decide to denounce.

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency was the first authority in Spain to approve a Statute for the protection of whistleblowers of corruption and currently has 34 people and one company under protection. and the Agency is currently in the process of tendering for the contracting of a support service and psychological attention for whistleblowers of corruption.

These meetings are held periodically as a tool to improve the respective work strategies of European anti-corruption agencies and authorities and the next meeting will take place in Dublin in November.

Oct42023

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency provides training on the impact of Law 2/2023 to the Valencia Bar Association (ICAV)

#AVAFTraining

Valencia, October 3, 2023.-

The protection of people who report regulatory violations, contained in Law 2/2023, has been the central axis of the training given by the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency at the Illustrious Valencia Bar Association, on October 3.

The course, lasting 4 hours, took place at the ICAV headquarters, located at Plaza de Tetuán, 16 in the capital of Turia and could also be followed in the “online” mode.

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency made the AVAF “Integrity Code of the Valencian Community” available to all attendees, in person and online, around 170 people. 

The director of the AVAF, Joan Llinares, presented the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, an entity attached to Les Corts, its origin, mission and operation. Throughout his presentation, he highlighted with special emphasis the AVAF as a collaborative body with the justice system and the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Teresa Clemente, deputy director and legal affairs of the AVAF, detailed the impact in the Valencian Community of Law 2/2023, of February 20, on the protection of people who report violations of the legal system and the fight against corruption . In the presentation given, he detailed the whistleblower protection procedure developed by the Agency, as well as the protection authority at the national level.

The third session of the day was led by Gustavo Segura, director of analysis and research, who focused on the internal and external information systems detailed in Law 2/2023. The new figure of those responsible for the systems, as well as the rules of operation and organization of the public and private sector channels, were also protagonists of the session taught, along with the technology applied by the AVAF.

The head of the Prevention Service of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, Irene Bravo, outlined the importance of anti-fraud and integrity plans, together with risk studies in the public sphere and its business sector and the prevention of corruption risks.

This first training at ICAV is the result of the meeting held on June 7, 2023, which served to exchange experiences between both entities and is manifested as one of the avenues of collaboration initiated by both institutions.

Find out more information about the meeting on June 7 by clicking here 

Oct22023

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency shows its work at the VIII International Congress of Transparency and Open Government in Alcalá de Henares

#AVAFTraining

Alcalá de Henares, September 29, 2023. –

The AVAF has been present at the VIII International Congress on Transparency and Open Government held at the Faculty of Law of the University of Alcalá de Henares from September 27 to 29, 2023.

Teresa Clemente, deputy director of the Legal Affairs Directorate of the AVAF, presented the oral presentation “The impact of Law 2/2023 in the Valencian Community”. In it, he explained the effect of Law 2/2023, of February 20, regulating the protection of people who report regulatory infractions and the fight against corruption in autonomous communities with prior existence of competent authorities.

In particular, he detailed the protection of whistleblowers in the Valencian Community. The application of state law and what is established in the specific Valencian regulations is a core part of the exhibition, as well as the non-regression clause and the maintenance of the most favorable provisions for the rights of the person who reports.

The presentation presented was well received among the public specialized in the subject participating in the working group and generated an intense and very interesting debate.

Juan Vega Felgueroso, lawyer from the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, presented a paper with an oral presentation on “Evolution of transparency in the financing of parliamentary groups.”

The lawyer from the Legal Affairs Directorate of the AVAF analyzed the impact, in terms of transparency, of the agreement of the Corts Valencianes, regulator of the accounting and control of subsidies of parliamentary groups, based on the fact that said agreement created, ex novo, a control regime over the transfer of public funds from parliamentary groups to political parties.

The presentation presented by the AVAF lawyer caught the attention of the expert audience of the GT23-17 working group. Political parties, electoral participation and transparency, coordinated by María Salvador Martínez.

Pilar Moreno García, technician of the AVAF Training Service, participated in the working group 23-03 “Ethics and public integrity” with the paper with oral presentation “Training in integrity, the key to the vault of the institutional system. Contributions from the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency.” Pilar Moreno explained that the priorities and training strategy of the Training Service of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency are the promotion of integrity, ethics and public values, through training as a tool for the transformation of public administration.

Prioritizing training in ethics and civic culture of Valencian citizens necessarily implies helping in the development of a critical, participatory, responsible spirit, which is the basis for strengthening institutional and democratic quality.

The protagonists of the integrity training developed by the AVAF are the public employees of all administrations, with special attention to those of the local administrations and the Generalitat Valenciana, together with Valencian university students, children and adolescents.

The International Congress of Transparency and Good Government held in Alcalá de Henares has hosted various meetings of organizations dedicated to improving open government such as the “Network of local entities for transparency and citizen participation of the FEMP”, the “Academic Network of Government Open” or the meeting of the Chairs of Transparency and Good Government.