This is the monthly roundup of updates provided by the EU Whistleblowing Monitor team of country editors detailing national developments in the transposition of the EU Directive on Whistleblowing during December 2023 and January 2024.
It has been nearly two years since the deadline for all Member States to have fully transposed Directive 2019/1937. 25 countries have adopted transposition legislation; two countries are still listed as delayed.
No country can be yet considered fully transposed – the EU Commission started and progressed infringement proceedings against most Member States and made referrals to the European Court of Justice for transposition failure. The conformity study assessing Member States transposition efforts is currently underway.
Updates:
- Poland: Minister announces commitment to transposition, and new case shows potential direct effect of Directive
- Slovakia: Proposed reforms to whistleblowing law pose EU conflict, alarming civil society and prompting funding and infringement threat
- Croatia: Concerns proposed reforms of penal code restrict whistleblowing rights
- Estonia: Draft whistleblowing law progresses through Parliament
Resources:
EU Whistleblowing Monitor Webinar “Evolving European Whistleblower Rights: 2 Years of the Directive” Recording available on WIN’s YouTube Channel
Twenty-five Member States have now adopted Transposition Laws:
- Austria : HinweisgeberInnenschutzgesetz – (HSchG)was adopted on 01 February 2023 and entered into force on 25 February 2023 and selected provisions postponed until 25 August and 17 December 2023.
- Belgium : Federal public sector: Projet de Loi relatif aux canaux de signalement et à la protection des auteurs de signalement d’atteintes à l’intégrité dans les organismes du secteur public fédéral et au sein de la police intégréewas adopted on 08 December 2022 and loi sur la protection des personnes qui signalent des violations au droit de l’Union ou au droit national constatées au sein d’une entité juridique du secteur privé was adopted on 15 December 2022 and enters into force on 15 February 2022. Further decrees have been adopted to cover the regions of Wallonia, Flemish, German, and French speaking communities.
- Bulgaria : Decree No. 24 ‘ЗАКОН за защита на лицата, подаващи сигнали или публично оповестяващи информация за нарушенияwas adopted on the 27 January 2023 and entered into force on 4 May 2023.
- Croatia : O Proglašenju Zakona O Zašiti Prijavitelja Nepravilnosti was adopted on 15 April and entered into force on the 23 April 2022.
- Cyprus : περι τησ προστασιασ προσωπων που αναφερουν παραβιασεισ του ενωσιακου και εθνικου δικαιου και αφορουν το δημοσιο συμφερον νομοσwas adopted on 20 January 2021 and entered into force on 4 February 2023.
- Czechia : Návrh zákona, kterým se mění některé zákony v souvislosti s přijetím zákona o ochraně oznamovatelů, was adopted on 1 June 2023 and will enter into force on 01 August 2023.
- Denmark : Lov om beskyttelse af whistleblowere was adopted 24 June 2021 and entered into force on 17 December 2021.
- Finland : Laki Euroopan unionin ja kansallisen oikeuden rikkomisesta ilmoittavien henkilöiden suojelusta was adopted on 14 December 2022 and entered into force on January 2023.
- France : Proposition de Loi visant à améliorer la protection des lanceurs d’alertwas adopted on 15 February 2022 and was promulgated on 22 March 2022.
- Germany :Gesetz für einen besseren Schutz hinweisgebender Personen sowie zur Umsetzung der Richtlinie zum Schutz von Personen, die Verstöße gegen das Unionsrecht melden (Hinweisgeberschutzgesetzesetz) was adopted on 9 May 2023 and entered into force on 02 July 2023.
- Greece : Προστασία προσώπων που αναφέρουν παραβιάσεις ενωσιακού δικαίου – Ενσωμάτωση της Οδηγίας (ΕΕ) 2019/1937 του Ευρωπαϊκού Κοινοβουλίου και του Συμβουλίου της 23ης Οκτωβρίου 2019 (L 305) και λοιπές επείγουσες ρυθμίσειςwas adopted on 15 November 2022 and with some provisions entering into force on 11 May and 17 December 2023.
- Hungary : Act XXV of 2023 was adopted on 25 May 2023 which will enter into force until 24 July 2023 and others postponed to 2025.
- Ireland : Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022was adopted on 21 July 2022 and entered into force on 01 January 2023 and the Statutory Instrument No. 375 of 2023 European Union (Protection of Persons who Report Breaches of Union law) regulations 2023 was adopted on the 19 July 2023 and came into force on the 22 July 2023.
- Italy : Decreto Legislativo 10 March 2023 , n. 24/2023 was adopted on 15 March 2023, enters into force on the 15 July 2023 with selected provisions delayed until 17 December 2023
- Latvia : Trauksmes celšanas likumswas adopted on 20 January 2022 and was due to enter into force on 16 February 2022.
- Lithuania : Pranešėjų Apsaugos Įstatymaswas adopted on 16 December 2021 and was due to enter into force on 15 February 2021.
- Luxembourg: Loi du 16 mai 2023 portant transposition de la directive (UE) 2019/1937 du Parlement européen et du Conseil du 23 octobre 2019 sur la protection des personnes qui signalent des violations du droit de l’Unionwas adopted on 16 May 2023 and entered into force on 21 May 2023.
- Malta : ATT sabiex jemenda l-Att dwar il-Protezzjoni ta’ Informatur, Kap. 527was adopted on 14 December 2021 and entered into force on 24 December 2021.
- Portugal : Lei n.º 93/2021, de 20 de Dezembre was adopted 26 November 2021, published 20 December 2021 and entered into force 18 June 2022.
- Romania : Lege nr. 361 din 16 Decembrie 2022 was adopted on 13 December 2022 and entered into force on 22 December 2022 and Law No. 67/2023 was adopted on 14 March 2023 and entered into force on 28 March 2023.
- Slovakia : Act No. 189/2019 Coll. (the Amendment Act), amending Act No. 54/2019 Coll. on the Protection of Whistleblowers (and others) was adopted on 10 May 2023 and came into effect on 1 July 2023 with some provisions postponed until 1 September 2023.
- Slovenia : Zakon O Zaščiti Prijaviteljev was adopted on 2 February and entered into force on 22 February 2022.
- Spain : Ley 2/2023, de 20 de febrero, reguladora de la protección de las personas que informen sobre infracciones normativas y de lucha contra la corrupción was adopted on 20 February 2023 and entered into on 20 March 2023.
- Sweden : Lagen om skydd för personer som rapporterar om missförhållanden was adopted 29 September 2021 and entered into force on 17 December 2021.
- The Netherlands: Wijziging van de Wet Huis voor klokkenluiders en enige andere wetten was adopted 24 January 2023 and entered into force on 18 February 2023.
Transposition Bills have been issued in at least two countries: