Whistle­blow­er Protection Directive

Date of Adoption:
23-Oct-19

It was designed to protect people who report breaches of EU law in areas including 
(i) public procurement;
(ii) financial services, products and markets, and prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing;
(iii) product safety and compliance;
(iv) transport safety;
(v) protection of the environment;
(vi) radiation protection and nuclear safety;
(vii) food and feed safety, animal health and welfare;
(viii) public health;
(ix) consumer protection;
(x) protection of privacy and personal data, and security of network and information systems;

Who is protected
Employees and civil servants
Self-employed persons
Shareholders, board members (including non-executives), volunteers, and trainees (paid or unpaid)
Persons working under contractors, subcontractors, or suppliers.

Obligations for companies and public authorities
Must set up reporting channels: 
-Private companies with 50+ employees 
-All state/regional bodies and municipalities with >10,000 inhabitants

Exemptions: Small/micro firms, except those in financial services or AML/CFT risk sectors

Requirements: Ensure confidentiality, appoint a responsible person/department, provide clear info on procedures, acknowledge within 7 days, give feedback within 3 months.