"On Tuesday, Legal Affairs Committee MEPs approved draft legislation to guarantee that whistle-blowers in the EU can report breaches of EU law in the area of tax evasion, corruption, environmental protection and public health and safety, without fear of retaliation or intimidation. Legal Affairs MEPs agreed that the same protection measures must also apply to those assisting the reporting person, e.g. journalists," the European Parliament said in a press release.
According to the European Parliament, the EU member states will be requested to establish proper reporting channels for whistleblowers and set up a feedback channel for them, delivering a follow-up to the reporting persons within two months.
The bill was adopted by 22 votes in favour and one abstention and now can be discussed with the EU ministers in order to shape the draft legislation's final version.
The EU member states do not have a common approach toward the protection of whistleblowers, with only 10 countries — France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Sweden and the United Kingdom — guaranteeing legal protection for reporting persons.
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