PES: EU-wide whistleblower protections are a major step forward

PES: EU-wide whistleblower protections are a major step forward

The new proposals, announced today by European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans, will provide a high level of protection across Europe and replace the current uneven rules which can leave employees of cross-border organisations without any recourse if they are punished for exposing wrongdoing.

PES president Sergei Stanishev said:

“A series of recent scandals — including Cambridge Analytica, Dieselgate, the Panama papers and Luxleaks — have demonstrated the vital role played by those who alert the authorities when they witness serious wrongdoing.

“The current piecemeal coverage of whistleblower protection leads to uncertainty and there are many areas of Europe where there is no coverage at all, especially when employees work across borders. It is our responsibility to provide robust protections across the entire EU.

“So I warmly welcome this initiative by Vice-President Timmermans. I look forward to its swift agreement by ministers and the European Parliament.”