Source: thelocal.es
The Spanish Government has approved a draft law to transpose the EU Directive on whistleblowing. The Bill will now be passed to the Senate for final approval.
However whistleblower protection experts are concerned the proposed legislation still not do enough to protect whistleblowers. There have been calls for the Government to urgently amend the Bill.
Digital rights NGO Xnet, who has been monitoring the government’s approach to transposition of the Directive, have said:
“We have demanded on many occasions that the Law for the defence of whistleblowers be amended so that it does not end up being a mere procedure to show off (because of the EU obligations) without really protecting the bulk of those who denounce corruption and abuses that affect the general interest. The version approved in the last plenary session of 2022 is still extremely deficient and we ask every parliamentary groups to amend it as it reaches the Senate.”
It has been over a year since the official 17 December 2021 deadline for all 27 Member States of the EU to fully transpose the EU Directive. Spain, along with several other countries is seriously delayed in the process and the Commission has begun infringement proceedings.