Resource centre: EU Whistleblowing Directive

Everything you need to know about the EU Whistleblowers Protection Directive, the obligations for your business and the status of transposition by country.
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Transposition into national law

EU Directive at a glance:
What you need to know

April

Approval of the directive

2019

October

Adoption of the directive

2019

December

The directive becomes enforceable for entities with 250+ employees

2021

December

The directive becomes enforceable for entities with 50+ employees

2023

Purpose of the directive

Whistleblowers have always been a vital part of a society based on transparency, openness and trust. Harmonizing the protection for Whistleblowers across Europe is the key component of this directive:

Facilitating reporting and Whistleblowing, and allow whistleblowers to make reports through their preferred reporting channels (internal or external) and be covered by the Directive either way
Systematization of processes, in order to increase the number of reporting
Increase risk detection and prevention of Union Law breaches by enabling and empowering people to raise concerns safely and without fear of retaliation

Scope: who is concerned by the directive?

The EU Whistleblowers Protection Directive aims to reinforce the protective measures for people reporting Union law breaches.

Companies and public entities with over 50 employees or with revenues exceeding €10 million
Financial and Economic SMEs, starting from 1 employee
All state, regional administrations, and municipalities with over 10 000 inhabitants

The key items your
organisation needs to comply

Protective and anti-retaliation measures

Your organisation must protect whistleblowers from any form of retaliation and ensure they can report concerns without fear of negative consequences.

Flexible local-based reporting channels

Reporting channels must be adapted to local regulations and accessible to employees and relevant third parties in appropriate languages.

Agile platform for case management

A secure case management system is required to receive, investigate and track reports while ensuring confidentiality and traceability.

Training and policies update on new reporting practices

Internal policies and training must be updated so employees understand how to report concerns and how reports are handled.

Accessible and user-friendly reporting channels

Reporting tools should be intuitive and easy to use to encourage early and confident reporting.

Guarantee anonymity for the informants

Organisations must offer anonymous reporting where allowed and protect the identity of informants through strong safeguards.

Executive summary: whistleblowing in Europe

This executive summary provides a clear and practical overview of the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive and its impact on organisations operating in Europe. It helps compliance, legal and ethics teams understand what the directive changes in practice and how to prepare.

Fill in the form to receive the executive summary directly in your email inbox and better assess how the EU Whistleblower Directive affects your whistleblowing programme.

  • Understand the key protections granted to reporting persons under the EU Directive
  • Identify the main obligations for organisations and internal reporting systems
  • Clarify compliance requirements and gaps across European jurisdictions

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