Oct232023

The role of libraries as a corruption prevention mechanism. The AVAF at the XI National Congress of Public Libraries

#AVAFDocumentation

Pamplona. – October 20, 2023

The Documentation Service of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency has presented the lecture The role of libraries as a corruption prevention mechanism at the XI National Congress of Public Libraries held in Pamplona from October 18 to 20, 2023.

The presentation prepared by María Teresa López Ferrer, head of the Documentation and Reports Service and Francisco Xavier Saá Úbeda, head of the Agency’s Documentation Support Bureau, has been selected for inclusion in the book of minutes of the congress.

The work prepared by the AVAF Documentation Service is a reflection on the role that libraries have in the fight against corruption. From the review of the contributions in the library literature on the relationship between democracy and public libraries, it highlights the role of public libraries as structural elements of democracy with a direct role in the fight against corruption.

Libraries have played a relevant role in the educational ecosystem and in the formation of the critical spirit of citizens through reading. Currently, information and training needs are more complex than ever, and libraries are a privileged place to acquire knowledge and skills such as digital, economic and legal literacy, necessary to exercise active citizenship and participate in public affairs.

Under the motto “Democracy, reading and the right to information” the biennial congress has been organized by the General Subdirectorate of Library Coordination. The conference has explored, in relation to Europe, the opportunities presented for European public libraries, in particular following the recent alliance between NAPLE, EBLIDA and Public Libraries 2030, as well as policies related to open government and citizen participation in libraries.

Oct192023

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency participates in the Training Plan for staff at the service of the Valencia City Council

#AVAFTraining

Valencia.- October 18, 2023.

The 2nd edition of the course “Public integrity: prevention of corruption risks in public management”, included in the internal training plan of the Valencia City Council, took place on October 16 and 18, 2023 with the active participation of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency.

Over 2 sessions of 5 and a half hours each, the training has been given by staff from the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency’s Training and Prevention services.

On Monday, October 16, 2023, the course began in the Nave de Ribes, located in the Central Park, with the session of Anselm Bodoque, head of the Agency’s Training Service. The institutional system against corruption in Spain and the work of the Agency for the Prevention and Fight against Fraud and Corruption of the Valencian Community focused the exhibition.

Irene Bravo, head of the AVAF Prevention Service, detailed the initiatives to prevent fraud and corruption in public management that currently exist and are developed by the Agency.

On October 18, the second of the sessions run by the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, was taught entirely by the Training Service staff.

Anselm Bodoque, showed the costs of corruption and public policies against corruption to Europe and Spain, while Pilar Moreno, AVAF Training technician, explained the cycle of the fight against corruption, highlighting the importance of integrity public and control systems. Marita Oliver, Training Technician of the Agency, presented throughout her session the alerts, reports and investigations together with the AVAF reporting channel.

With the holding of the workshop “Regular risks and alerts to public management” and the active participation of the attending public employee personnel, the participation of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency in the course ended, which held a final session on October 20 by the staff of the own town hall.

Our thanks to the Citizen Participation and Open Government Service of the Valencia City Council for the management and coordination of the second edition of this course.

Oct182023

XIII Meeting of the Network of Anti-Corruption Agencies and Offices to discuss the application of the Law on the Protection of Whistleblowers

Barcelona, october 18, 2023.- The Anti-Fraud Office of Catalonia has organized the XIII Meeting of the Network of Anti-Corruption Agencies and Offices, held in Barcelona, at the headquarters of the College of Architects of Catalonia. During the meeting, the application of the Law on the Protection of Persons Reporting Regulatory Infringements and the Fight against Corruption, which came into force on 20 February and which transposed Directive (EU) 2019/1937 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law, was discussed during the meeting.

During the meeting, the different anti-corruption agencies and offices shared information on the volume of requests for protection received, the procedure applied, the cases of granting and the denial of protection, among others.

A number of internal presentations have been made on the above-mentioned topics. In addition to the representatives of the different agencies and offices, speakers specializing in the protection of whistleblowers from different perspectives participated.

The professor of Administrative Law at the University of Barcelona, Òscar Capdeferro, presented the paper “Implementation of Law 2/2023. Interpretative consensus”, which focused on the protection files of the aforementioned law.

Beatriz García Moreno, also a professor of Criminal Law at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, explained the “Internal Information System” focusing on the responsibility of the obliged entity and that of the person responsible for the internal system, as well as the principle of non-incrimination.

On the other hand, throughout these two days, the intelligence strategy based on data analysis has also been analysed, and representatives of the agencies and offices of the network have shared ideas, projects and achievements in this area.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Anti-Fraud Office of Catalonia, the Agency for the Prevention and Fight against Fraud and Corruption of the Valencian Community, the Office for the Prevention and Fight against Corruption in the Balearic Islands, the Office for Transparency and Good Practices of the Barcelona City Council,  the Municipal Office against Fraud and Corruption of the Madrid City Council, the Court of Auditors of the Canary Islands, the Office of Good Practices and Anti-Corruption of the Autonomous Community of Navarre, the Council of Accounts of Galicia, the National Anti-Fraud Coordination Service of the General Intervention of the State Administration (SNCA), the Independent Office for Regulation and Supervision of Procurement of the Ministry of Finance and Public Function.