Rome, 24 March 2023.- The European Network of Integrity and Protection Authorities for Whistleblowers of Corruption has been officially constituted this Friday in Rome as NEIWA Network.
This Network began operating in 2018 informally as a platform for cooperation and exchange of knowledge and experiences in the field of integrity and protection of whistleblowers. The approval of the European Directive 1937/2019 served as the basis for the constitution of this Network among those European agencies and authorities that were assigned these competences.
Currently, a total of 34 authorities belonging to Member States of the European Union make up the Network, among which is the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, as well as authorities from candidate countries to join the European Union and EFTA (European Free Trade Association).
In the course of the 8th General Assembly of NEIWA that is being held on March 23 and 24 in Rome, the Network has approved its formal constitution as well as the adoption of a regulation and to give structure to the organization and regulate the operation of the Network.
Laura Valli, representative of Italy’s National Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC), has also been elected as president of NEIWA and it has been agreed that the next meeting of the General Assembly will be held in Valencia.
Within the agenda of the General Assembly, the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency has been invited to make a presentation on how its complaints mailbox works and what is its experience in the management of this channel that has received more than 1,000 complaints in the 5 years it has been in operation.
The director of the Agency, Joan Llinares, and the head of the Agency’s information systems, Javier Alamá, have been in charge of making the complaints mailbox known to the rest of the European authorities.
After the presentation, the Director of the Agency stated that “the fact that 33 European authorities for the fight against corruption and the protection of whistleblowers have shown interest in knowing how the AVAF complaints box works reinforces the work we are doing”.
“The Agency’s complaints mailbox is becoming a benchmark and so in November we were also presenting this mailbox invited by the group of experts of the European Commission. This mailbox is the one we are helping to implement in Valencian public institutions with which we have already signed collaboration agreements. The Provincial Council of Valencia, Provincial Council of Castellón, entities such as VAERSA or ISTEC, and with municipalities such as those of Valencia, L’Eliana, Riba-roja, San Vicente del Raspeig, Dénia or La Yesa that have already incorporated as their external channel of complaints the mailbox of the Agency “.
The NEIWA Network currently consists of the following members:
Belgium Federal Ombudsman
Flemish Ombudsman
German speaking community Ombudsman
Ombudsman of the Brussels-Capital Region
Bulgaria Commission for Anti-Corruption and Illegal Assets Forfeiture
Croatia Ombudswoman
Czech Republic Ministry of Justice, Conflict of Interests and Anti-Corruption Department
Denmark Data Protection Authority
Estonia Ministry of Justice, Criminal Policy Department
Finland Ministry of Justice
France Défenseur des Droits
Germany Federal Office of Justice of Germany
Greece National Transparency Authority
Hungary Commissioner for Fundamental Rights
Iceland Prime Minister‘s Office
Ireland Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission
GSOC Protected Disclosure Unit (PDU)
Italy National Anticorruption Authority (ANAC)
Latvia State Chancellery, Contact Point of Whistleblowers
Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau
Lithuania General Prosecutor’s Office
Montenegro Agency for Prevention of Corruption
Netherlands The Dutch Whistleblower Authority
Portugal Prosecutor’s General Office
Romania Ministry of Justice
Slovakia Prime Minister’s Office (Corruption Prevention Department)
Whistleblower Protection Office
Slovenia Commission for the Prevention of Corruption
Spain Ministry of Justice
Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency (AVAF)
Anti-Fraud Office of Catalonia (OAC)
Prevention and Fight against Corruption Office of the Balearic Islands
Andalusian Office against Fraud and Corruption
Sweden Swedish Work Environment Authority
The protagonists of the learning experience have been the students of the economics subjects of 4th of ESO, 1st and 2nd of Baccalaureate, thanks to the collaboration of the responsible teachers, Antonio Pozo and José María Escribanos.
