Responding to pressure of unions, others - Commission publishes roadmap on whistleblower protection

(31 January 2017) The European Commission published its road map to come to proposals on whistle-blower protection 26 January 2017. It follows the campaigns of unions and others to urge the Commission to submit a directive to protect those that act in the public interest. The Commission paper says “Protection of whistleblowers who expose wrongdoing can contribute to safeguarding the public interest by reinforcing guarantees of integrity, transparency and accountability in both public and private institutions.”  The Commission refers to whistleblowing to reveal organised crime, financial and tax fraud, money laundering and corruption.  These crimes hamper economic development and damage social justice. How important whistleblowing acts have been, is underlined by Luxleaks and the Panama papers. And the need for protection was underlined by the unjustified case of the Luxembourg prosecutor pursuing legal action against Alain Deltour, the man who revealed the industrial scale of Luxembourg’s tax avoidance schemes.  EPSU stands with him and the other people prosecuted. The Commission foresee now an impact assessment and a public consultation.

The EPSU supported a petition demanding whistleblowers protection together with 75 organisations.

PSI published a report Checkmate to corruption: Making the case for a wide-ranging initiative on whistleblower protection.