In the wake of scandals such as LuxLeaks and Panama Papers, EU-wide standards to protect whistle-blowers moved closer with the European Parliament’s approval on 16th April of the proposed Whistle-blower Directive. Once implemented the Directive will protect whistle-blowers in a wide range of areas such as public procurement, tax, and financial services, and also in cases of money laundering. Whistle-blowers will have the option to report internally through established channels or externally to the relevant national or EU bodies. There are safeguards against retaliation and guarantees including free information and advice to whistle-blowers. Plus legal aid will be available during proceedings. Following formal adoption by the EU Council in the coming months, Member States will have two years to comply with the Directive.
For more information, please contact the secretariat here.