Better implementation of the Whistleblower Directive needed

In a statement to the European Commission, CESI calls for an evaluation of the Directive to focus on the improvement of the directive’s practical effectiveness in safeguarding citizens’ and workers’ rights.

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: "The Directive represents a significant milestone in promoting transparency, accountability and the rule of law across the European Union, including for workers in an employment context. It has established a common legal framework to encourage the reporting of misconduct while seeking to protect those who speak up in the public interest. However, experiences shared by CESI member organisations from across Europe demonstrate that legal transposition and formal compliance alone are insufficient. Across Member States, workers continue to face significant practical barriers when reporting wrongdoing by others, and existing protection mechanisms frequently fail to prevent retaliation or provide effective remedies."

CESI suggests to focus implementation efforts of the Directive in particular towards:

· strengthening the protection against any form of retaliation against whistleblowers.

· ensuring that reporting systems inspire trust and that they are effectively based on the principles of confidentiality as well as accessibility and transparency.

· recognising whistleblowing more as a worker right, with trade union participation attached to it.

· protecting better against workplace misconduct and protecting better  vulnerable workers engaged in whistleblowing.

· building further awareness, expertise and confidence in whistleblowing among workers.

· more systematically monitoring and evaluating whistleblowing regulatory frameworks and practices.

CESI's full consultation statement is available here.

‍