The harm caused by tax avoidance, money laundering, corruption
or the misuse of data is substantial, yet 85% of respondents to the
European Commission's 2017 public consultation expressed the
view that workers very rarely report concerns about wrongdoing due
to the legal and financial consequences they might face. To address
this, the European Union is introducing far-reaching rules for
potential whistle-blowers who might be discouraged from reporting
their concerns or suspicions for fear of retaliation. It was passed
in April 2019 and is expected to be adopted shortly.
Currently, the protection afforded to whistle-blowers differs
greatly among Member States, with only ten EU Members having laws
that provide for such protection. With the new Directive , the EU
aims to set new European-wide standards. The new law will establish
safe channels for reporting both within an organisation and to
public authorities. It will also protect whistleblowers against
dismissal,
