The NEIWA Network of European authorities for the integrity and protection of whistleblowers has expressed concern about the closure of the Office for the Prevention and Fight against Corruption of the Balearic Islands
The Board of the NEIWA Network (Network of European Integrity and Whistleblowing Authorities) in a statement highlights that “taking into account that currently no central protection authority has been established at the central level in Spain, institutions such as the Balearic Islands office are the main reference for the protection of whistleblowers”
29th november 2023. The NEIWA network of European authorities for the integrity and protection of whistleblowers has expressed its concern about the closure process in the near future of the Office for the Prevention and Fight against Corruption of the Balearic Islands, through a statement from its Board. After the members received the information about the closure of the Balearic office, they transmitted this message of concern, where they show the importance of informants being protected with the same standards throughout the European Union, in line with the objectives of the NEIWA network.
Furthermore, the Board of the NEIWA network in its statement highlights that “taking into account that currently no central protection authority has been established at the central level in Spain, institutions such as the Balearic Islands office are the main reference for the protection of people whistleblowers covered by EU Directive 1937/2019 and the national legislation transposing this Directive and can therefore play a crucial role in maintaining existing protection standards.”
The NEIWA Board recalls that the European Union is working on an EU anti-corruption strategy, which will be developed in consultation with the European Parliament and the Council, to maximize the impact and coherence of EU actions, including a new Anti-Corruption Directive, which provides in Article 4 for the creation of specialized prevention and control bodies in the fight against corruption and to guarantee adequate resources and training for the authorities in charge of preventing and combating corruption.
And the statement also points out that the mission of the Network is to coordinate the efforts of all members towards strengthening the protection of whistleblowers, through the exchange of knowledge and practices, the maintenance and promotion of recognized international standards for the protection of whistleblowers, as well as their integrity in labor relations, according to EU Directive 1937/2019.