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14.08.2018 - Foods

EU establishes rules to protect "whistleblowers"

A proposal by the European Commission aims to provide whistleblowers who report breaches of EU law with a high level of protection through EU-wide minimum standards. The new directive will establish secure channels for reporting grievances both within an organization and to authorities. In addition, whistleblowers will be protected against dismissal, demotion, and other reprisals. According to this proposal, all companies with >50 employees or an annual turnover >10 million euros must introduce an internal procedure for handling whistleblowers' reports. The same applies to national and regional administrations and municipalities with >10,000 inhabitants. The required protection mechanisms should include the following:

• Clear reporting channels within and outside the respective organization to maintain confidentiality
• Establishment of a three-part reporting system consisting of internal reporting channels, reports to the competent authorities, and reports to the public or through the media
• Feedback for companies and authorities that must respond to or follow up on grievances within three months
• Avoidance of retaliation and effective protection of whistleblowers

In "Questions and Answers" and a "Fact Sheet," the European Commission has summarized the key information on protecting whistleblowers.

Sources:
Food & Hygiene Newsflash (“Whistleblower: European Commission establishes rules to protect whistleblowers”) of 08.05.2018
European Commission of 23.04.2018