28th march 2023. During March 23-24, the Italian National Anti-Corruption Authority hosted in Rome the 8th General Assembly of the European Network of Authorities for the Integrity and Protection of Whistleblowers (NEIWA), whose mission is to promote integrity and protection of persons protected by Directive 1937/2019 and the transposition laws of the member countries of the European Union (EU).

The members of the NEIWA voted favorably on the text of the Constitution of the Network, which is currently made up of 34 authorities from member countries of the European Union, candidate countries to the EU and countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) that play a central role in the field of protection of whistleblowers (complaints, investigation, protection, support, advice, prevention, education and/or law enforcement).

Within the framework of the sessions, a working group was also established that will have the task of developing the regulations of the Network based on the founding text; the Anti-Fraud Office of Catalonia will participate in this group.

Two members of the European Commission also participated in the meeting to present the latest developments in the transposition of Directive 1937/2019 and some lines of aid, at EU level, that could finance projects related to the protection of whistleblowers.

It was announced that during 2024 work would begin to draft a report on the adaptation of the transposition regulations to the European Directive.

During the meeting, voting took place on the Presidency, which will be assumed by Laura Valli, representative of the Italian National Anti-Corruption Authority, and the Vice-Presidency, which will be assumed by Zuzana Dlugosová from the Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers of Slovakia ( Úrad na Ochranu Oznamovatelov Protispoločenskej Cinnosti). Likewise, the executive committee of the Network of which Anti-Fraud is a part has been established, through the representation of Òscar Roca, Director of Prevention of the Anti-Fraud Office of Catalonia, as organizer of the previous meeting of the General Assembly in Barcelona, Joan Llinares, Director of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency (AVAF), and Rody Butler, of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.

In the coming days, the Rome Declaration that was voted on during the Assembly sessions will be disseminated. The next meeting of the Assembly will take place next year in Valencia and will be organized by the Valencian Anti-Corruption Agency.