As part of its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals , the Port Authority of Valencia  has put out to tender the development and management of an Ethical Channel

The Port Authority of Valencia strengthens its commitment to good practices with society through its Ethics Channel, a tool accessible to individuals, authorities, customers, employees and other stakeholders. This initiative is part of Valenciaport’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals , which include those relating to “peace, justice and strong institutions”, which set goals relating to reducing corruption and bribery, creating effective and transparent institutions and ensuring public access to information.

Specifically, the PAV has put out to tender the contracting of the service for the external management of the PAV’s Ethical Channel with a base budget of 71,400 euros (without VAT) and an execution period of 36 months. Interested companies may submit their bids until 8 May at 13.00 hours. The purpose of this contract is to provide an external service accessible via the web for the management of queries and complaints submitted through this channel. The contract includes legal support services, consultancy and the issuing of reports in relation to the internal processing of these queries and investigation processes.

The Ethics Channel is a tool that enhances the values and culture of the organisation; ensures compliance with organisational procedures and policies, as well as legal and social obligations; allows for quick and efficient management of complaints; and helps prevent the loss of assets.

The PAV’s Board of Directors, as a sign of the Entity’s commitment to corporate integrity objectives, approved on 16 December 2021, among others, the Code of Conduct and the first Anti-Fraud Measures Plan. This Plan details the four key elements of the so-called “anti-fraud cycle”, such as prevention, detection, correction and prosecution. In this line, an ethical channel is a very effective instrument to reduce risks and build trust, as it allows the organisation to detect non-compliance at an early stage, acting as a preventive mechanism against possible acts of fraud, corruption, harassment and other improper actions.

The implementation of this channel responds to European Directive 2019/1937 and its transposition into Spanish law through Law 2/2023. In fact, in May 2022 the PAV began to provide the first external management service of the PAV’s Ethics Channel with an initial maximum duration of 12 months, which would allow its immediate deployment and serve as an experience.

For years, the PAV has been developing actions in the environmental and social sphere, which have been completed with the implementation of measures in the field of Corporate Governance and improvement of Internal Control. The Corporate Social Responsibility and Integrity policy includes principles such as transparency, commitment to corporate integrity, fraud prevention and accountability, among others.