Implementing The EU Whistleblowing Directive

After a recent flurry of action by national legislatures, most EU member states have now implemented the EU Whistleblower Directive into their national law. While the primary purpose of the Directive was to harmonise national laws on whistleblowing, it left many details up to individual countries.

The EU also encouraged member states to enact protections going beyond the baselines set out in the Directive. As a result, the national whistleblower laws differ significantly from one another, and employers operating in multiple member states will need to be aware of these differences. This will be even more important for companies wishing to implement a standardised whistleblowing system, as this will need to reflect local particularities.