The European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs Calls on Commission to Present Legislation to Protect Whistle-Blowers

In a draft opinion published on the 23 May, ECON  says there is a need to ensure whistle-blowers are able to report not only illegal activities but also wrongdoing and any information in the public interest. The draft opinion says whistle-blowers should be free to report both internally within the workplace, and externally, and should be protected regardless of their choice of reporting channel.

The paper stresses that whistle-blowers should not bear the burden of proof when it comes to demonstrating that they acted in good faith, as what matters is whether the information disclosed is in the public interest, or exposes wrongdoing and other misconduct.

It calls on the Commission to ensure that whistle-blowers have access to independent legal advice and financial and psychological support, and can claim compensation for harassment or the loss of their current or future livelihood if said harm is caused in retaliation for a disclosure made under whistle-blower protection

 

26/05/2017 · by Brett Carr