Source: whistleblowingnetwork.org
New analysis from Transparency International has found that most EU countries, including Austria, do not conform with the minimum requirements of the EU Directive.
The new Report – ‘How well do EU countries protect whistleblowers: Assessing the transposition of the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive’ – scrutinises the new whistleblower protection laws adopted in 20 EU member states against the minimum requirements of the Directive and international best practice principles, finding that 19 of the 20 reviewed countries do not comply with EU requirements in at least one of four key areas. These include the rights of whistleblowers to report information directly to the authorities, access remedies and full compensation for damage suffered, obtain free and easily accessible advice, and ensuring proper penalties for those violating the protection provisions.
The report highlights positive and negative elements of the new wave transposition laws, in Austria highlighting that whilst the legislation provides for full reparation for harm suffered by whistleblowers – including financial and non-financial remedies and renders retaliatory measures as legally infective – it had a fragmented and limited material scope and offered limited protection of anonymous whistleblowers as well as limited penalties for entities which failed to establish whistleblowing systems or follow up and feedback on reports.
The EU Commission is currently developing a conformity assessment by which it will benchmark Member States compliance with the Directive, passed in 2019.
The report can be read in full here.