International

The advisory report from SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong on the protection of whistleblowers was carried today in the Budgetary Control Commission by 16 votes to 1, with 4 abstentions. Explaining the necessity for his report, De Jong said: “The proposal from the European Commission only deals with whistleblowers in the member states. However, there's also a growing number of people within the EU institutions willing to stick their necks out and report abuses. In my report I've made a series of proposals aimed at improving protection for such people.” 

Officially, European officials' statute already includes rules governing the protection of whistle-blowers, but these rules offer too little protection, as De Jong explains. “In my report I propose the establishment of an independent EU body, possibly at the office of the European Ombudsman, that can provide whistleblowers with advice and publicise abuses. As well as the whistleblowers themselves, their families must also be protected, as must those who aren't whistleblowers but people such as investigative journalists who uncover information regarding abuses and make it public.”

The European Parliament Legal Affairs Committee will now, partly on the basis of De Jong's advisory report, get to work on the legislative proposal. The intention is to reach agreement between the Parliament and the Council of Ministers, necessary before the proposal can become law, prior to the European elections.