EC proposes better whistleblowers’ protection

Those blowing the whistle on breaches of EU legislation should be better protected, according to a proposal released on Monday by the European Commission. All companies with more than 50 employees or with an annual turnover of over €10 million will have to set up an internal procedure to handle whistleblowers' reports. All state, regional administrations and municipalities with over 10,000 inhabitants will also be covered by the new law. All forms of retaliation are forbidden and should be sanctioned. Those affected by a whistleblower's report will fully enjoy the presumption of innocence, the right to an effective remedy, a fair trial, and the right of defence. Slovakia is among the ten EU member states that have comprehensive legislation on whistleblowers' protection but, according to watchdogs such as Transparency International, it is poorly applied in practice.