New rules on whistle-blowers protection

20/01/2020

On 7 October 2019, the European Union (EU) Council approved a Directive aimed to protect persons who report breaches (the Whistleblowing Directive) of EU law.

The directive will guarantee a high level of protection for whistleblowers by establishing safe channels for reporting both within an organization and to public authorities, setting EU-wide standards. It will also protect whistleblowers against dismissal, demotion and other forms of retaliation, and require national authorities to inform citizens and provide training for public authorities on how to deal with whistleblowers. The directive on whistleblower protection covers many areas of EU law, ranging from anti-money laundering, data protection, protection of the Union's financial interests, food and product safety, to public health, environmental protection and nuclear safety.