How to process?

  • Communications that are sent to the mailbox, to be eligible for consideration and admission, must meet the following requirements:

    • Fall within the scope of application of the Ethics and Good Governance Mailbox’s Regulatory Rules, which includes the provisions established in Act 2/2023 on the protection of whistleblowers and the fight against corruption.
    • Describe in as much detail as possible the circumstances that facilitate the identification of the behaviour.
    • Provide all the documents and information available on the situation reported or objective evidence for obtaining the proof without action being taken on based solely on opinions.
    • Have reasonable certainty of the information reported, which must be especially important for the integrity of the municipal public sector.
    • In any case, communications without basis or which are blatantly false will not be admitted.

  • Note the following:

    • Bear in mind that documents contain traces of the device they were generated from. We recommend generating the communication’s accompanying documents in devices that have no connection to any individual or deleting the documents’ metadata. Find out about the guidelines and tools available for deleting metadata.
    • The optimal format for uploading files to the Ethics and Good Governance Mailbox is PDF. The following extensions are also admissible: .txt,.rtf, .doc, .docx, .odt, .xls, .xlsx, .ods, .gif, .tiff, .jpg, .jpeg and .zip.
    • In any case, to fully ensure the communication’s anonymity in the digital environment, read the instructions for the anonymisation tool.
    • Not all Explorer versions function correctly for accessing the mailbox app. The minimum browser versions that are supported are Mozilla Firefox 34, Google Chrome 37, Safari 7.1 (IOS 8), Microsoft Internet Explorer 11, Edge 12 and Tor Browser. 

  • Once an individual has presented the communication through the mailbox, they will obtain, in the app, an acknowledgement of receipt of the communication sent, including an alphanumerical code known only to that individual and which will be the only channel for re-accessing their communication (whether to check its processing status or provide more information etc.)

    The code is the only way to access this channel, and it is the whistleblower’s responsibility to keep it.

    This secure e-communication channel, which guarantees the confidentiality of communications and offers the possibility of preserving anonymity, enables collaboration to be maintained with the mailbox’s managing body in verifying facts and finding out the communication’s processing status even in cases where the whistleblower is anonymous.

    Dialogue needs to be maintained through this communication channel to facilitate the tasks of investigating and verifying facts. 

    Failure to meet the established information requirements through the mailbox may prevent further action from being taken.

  • The investigation will be carried out within the shortest possible deadline and, as a general rule, within a period of no more than six months.

    Facts will be checked through investigative proceedings and, where appropriate, a final report , known as a Recommendation, will be compiled and which will include its results, the corresponding legal analysis and recommendations with measures for making improvements in public management, or a proposal will be made to the competent body to commence administrative proceedings to restore the altered legality, adopt punitive or disciplinary measures or inform the public prosecutor of the behaviour that may constitute a criminal offence.

    Mechanisms are included throughout the process for guaranteeing the integrity of not just the whistleblowers but also the accused.

    For further details on the regulations governing this communication channel and the processing of information or communications, you can consult the Ethics and Good Governance Mailbox’s Regulatory Rules and Act 2/2023 governing the protection of whistleblowers and the fight against corruption.

    The Ethics and Good Governance Mailbox, as an internal information channel, is the preferred means, over external channels, for reporting. Even so, information can also be obtained from the Anti-Fraud Office of Catalonia (as an independent authority protecting whistleblowers in Catalonia): a) where the actions and omissions reported fall within the scope of application of Act 2/2023 governing the protection of whistleblowers and the fight against corruption (Art 2) and b) the whistleblower believes there is a risk of lack of protection against possible reprisals. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office may also be contacted where the EU’s financial interests are affected.