The Valencia Conference Centre approves its Anti-Fraud Measures Plan

· The Councillor for Tourism and Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the institution, Paula Llobet, has assured that the plan will be reviewed periodically and stressed that “the aim is to reduce fraud, conflicts of interest and corruption to a minimum”.

· It is equipped with tools and its own system to prevent fraud.

· It includes the application of a code of ethics and the establishment of a whistleblowing channel.

The Board of Directors of the Valencia Conference Centre has approved its Anti-Fraud Measures Plan, a tool with which the organisation “guarantees its ethical commitment”, as stated by the Councillor for Tourism and Chairwoman of the Board, Paula Llobet.

The Plan includes, among other measures, the application of a code of ethics and a procedure for the treatment of possible conflicts of interest as required in public procurement, as well as other socially and economically relevant actions. Moreover, a training plan has been implemented for the staff, which promotes public ethics, and facilitates the detection of possible fraud through warning signs or indicators (“red flags”).

The councillor for Tourism and Chairwoman of the institution’s Board of Directors, Paula Llobet, has assured that the plan will be reviewed periodically and stressed that “the aim is to reduce fraud, conflicts of interest and corruption to a minimum”. “Moreover,” she added, “it is a cross-cutting tool for all the actions of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, in such a way that is ensures compliance with all the rules in the application of the Next Generation funds by the Conference Centre”.

In the same vein, a whistleblowing channel has been set up, which is integrated into the

Conference Centre website, so that any possible cases reported can be forwarded to a specialised unit, which will be responsible for examining them and applying corrective measures, if necessary.

Furthermore, its task is to ensure that the EU funds received are spent in compliance with the rules on the prevention, detection and correction of fraud, as well as on the prevention, detection and correction of fraud, corruption and conflicts of interest. This system, which protects the financial interests of the EU, is one of the essential requirements for public sector entities, such as the Valencia Conference Centre, to be eligible to apply for Next Generation funds.

Llobet recalled that the Conference Centre began to draw up the plan “before it became a legal requirement”, due to the desire to “formalise a commitment to compliance with legal, ethical and moral standards”. The organisation, following a self-assessment that identified specific real risks and their impact, has developed a series of measures aimed at preventing, correcting where necessary, and prosecuting any fraudulent activities that are detected.

Llobet concluded by explaining that “the development of this plan will enable us to combine a risk assessment with appropriate prevention and detection measures and a coordinated investigation by all the people involved in the Valencia Conference Centre, which will help to significantly reduce the possibility of fraud, and constitutes a major deterrent”.