Institutional framework for the protection of whistleblowers
27.11.2013
Question for written answer E-013485-13
to the Commission
Rule 117
Konstantinos Poupakis (PPE)
Incidents involving corruption and a lack of transparency are commonplace, and there have been a multitude of cases in which minimum standards or legal practices have been violated in an employment, environmental and economic context, both in private companies and the public services and in the handling of public and private projects. This demonstrates, on the one hand, the need to intensify controls while enhancing control mechanisms and, on the other, that such criminal offences compromise fundamental human rights, creating distortions in the smooth functioning of economic, productive and, by extension, development activities in Greece; this is creating a ‘multispeed’ market operating outside existing laws and rules. Many such cases have been identified with the help of employee-whistleblowers who have demonstrated courage in denouncing violations and non-compliant behaviour in defiance of the economic, professional, social and economic cost of their actions.
In view of the above, will the Commission say:
- —How many such cases have been recorded in the EU since the beginning of the crisis in both the public and the private sectors?
- —Which European countries have adopted a legal framework to protect whistleblowers? What does this protection involve (for instance: protection against dismissal, data/privacy protection, financial compensation)? Does it apply to all sectors of private, state and public activities?
- —Will it consider adopting a minimum standard of protection at European level by drawing up a proposal for a directive on the protection of whistleblowers? Is there any legal basis for so doing?
OJ C 239, 23/07/2014