Source: jdsupra.com
A whistleblowing law has been adopted in Belgium to partially transpose the EU Directive on the protection of persons reporting breaches of Union law (2019/1937).
The law only applies to whistleblower protection in the private sector as separate legislation for the public sector is still being drafted.
Key features include:
- A wide material scope: Reporting harms to the public interest will be protected
- Protection of whistleblowing facilitators
- Financial support measures: funding to cover whistleblowers’ legal fees and loss of earnings
The new rules will enter into force two months after its date of publication in the Belgian Official Gazette, which is expected in the coming weeks.
Belgium is delayed in transposing the Directive into its national legal system. The Directive should have been fully implemented by all 27 EU Member states by 17 December 2021.