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Whistleblowing is one of the most effective ways of uncovering corruption and other wrongdoing. Robust legislation is vital to protect whistleblowers against retaliation and other injustices, and to ensure their reports are addressed.
In most European countries, blowing the whistle is a risky decision to make, primarily because there is no, or insufficient, legal protection for whistleblowers.
In 2019, the European Union adopted the “Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament
and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law” (Whistleblower Protection Directive).
The Directive contains many ground-breaking provisions. It prohibits retaliation against whistleblowers, safeguards their identities in most circumstances and offers them several reporting avenues.
The 27 EU member states have two years from its entry into force (until 17 December 2021) to comply with the Directive.
This report assesses the transposition process of the Whistleblower Protection Directive in all 27 EU member states, 14 months into the two-year timeframe.
Publication •
The business case for companies to adopt robust internal reporting mechanisms is clear. Such mechanisms enable staff to speak up about legal or ethical misconduct.
