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07.02.2019 - Foods

EU Control Regulation (EU) 2017/625: Better Protection for Whistleblowers

In April of last year, the European Commission drafted a directive for the protection of whistleblowers in the EU. This directive aims to create secure channels for reporting irregularities within an organization as well as to authorities. The directive is based on the provisions of Article 140 of Regulation (EU) No. 2017/625 (EU Control Regulation), which includes the reporting of infringements and reads as follows:

 (1) Member States shall ensure that the competent authorities have effective mechanisms to enable the reporting of actual or potential infringements of this regulation.

(2) The mechanisms referred to in paragraph 1 shall include at least the following:

a) Procedures for receiving reports of infringements and for follow-up actions;

b) Adequate protection for persons reporting infringements against retaliatory measures, discrimination, or other types of unfair treatment; and

c) Protection of personal data of persons reporting the infringement in accordance with Union or national law.

The Council (at the level of EU ambassadors) published its agreed position on the whistleblower protection directive in a press release on January 25, 2019, and can thus begin negotiations with the European Parliament. The new rules aim to provide a high level of protection against retaliation for whistleblowers through the creation of secure channels.

The scope of the directive is broad, covering areas such as public procurement, financial services, prevention of money laundering, public health, etc. It also includes areas such as food and feed safety, animal health, and animal welfare.

Further information can be found in the European Council's press release (https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/ → Press → Press releases → better protection for whistleblowers: Council establishes positions).

We will keep you informed of further developments. For any questions, our customer advisors are at your disposal.

Source: www.bll.de, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/