Source: korupce.cz
A draft law on whistleblowing protection to transpose the EU Directive on whistleblowing is being discussed in the Czech Republic.
Following the inter-ministerial commentary procedure on the draft Law (in August 2020), the governmental working group for whistleblowing (Pracovní komise předsedy Rady vlády pro koordinaci boje s korupcí k whistleblowingu) discussed the comments of its members which include NGOs.
Criticism was directed at the design of the “agency” to handle external report which is proposed to be formed as a department of the Ministry of Justice. Civil society experts have argued that it will lack the necessary independence to be effective, although the Ministry of Justice does not agree.
Nevertheless, based on the request of NGOs and other Ministries, the Ministry of Justice will prepare a more detailed impact assessment and cost analysis of alternative approaches, including for the agency to be hosted by the Office for Supervision of Political Parties and Political Movements and the Office of the Public Defender of Rights.
The draft proposal is to be presented to the Government in September 2020 in order to have the chance to be passed in a standard legislative process during the current election period. However, the Council of the Government for the coordination of the fight against corruption, which is to review the draft ahead of the meeting of the Government, is scheduled for November 2020.
Civil society representatives from the public sector, academics and NGOs will meet at an international online conference organized by the University of Lodz on 25 September 2020, to review the whistleblowing protection in V4 countries, France and Slovenia and to search for an effective model of protection.