GET THE LATEST UPDATES ON NATIONAL WHISTLEBLOWING LAWS FROM ALL MEMBER STATESNational whistleblowing laws in the EU

Transposing the EU Whistleblowing Directive into national whistleblowing laws.

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How to get compliant with the Whistleblowing Law

The aim of the EU Whistleblowing Directive (2019/1937) is to detect and prevent breaches of Union Law. It serves to protect individuals (whistleblowers), who report on work-related misconduct, from negative consequences such as dismissal, intimidation or retaliation.

A REQUIREMENT OF THE EU DIRECTIVE National whistleblowing laws

By 17 December 2021, all member states were expected to transpose the EU Whistleblower Directive into national law. 

Latest update: June 2024

FIND YOUR COUNTRYWhistleblower laws by member state

National whistleblowing laws are added to the list as they are published.

Austria

The Austrian Parliament (‘der Nationalrat’) approved new legislation to transpose the EU Directive on Whistleblowing on 1 February 2023. The law entered into force in the end of March 2023.

Belgium

Legislation to protect whistleblowers in the private sector was adopted on 28 November. For the federal public sector, legislation was adopted on 8 December 2022. The whistleblower law entered into force on 15 February 2023.

Bulgaria

The National Assembly of Parliament adopted whistleblowing legislation on 27 January 2023. The law aims to transpose the minimum standard requirements of the EU Directive, and entered into force after 6 months.

Croatia

A new whistleblowing law in Croatia ‘The Act on the Protection of Persons Reporting Irregularities’ entered into force on 23 April 2022, replacing the Whistleblower Law from 2019.

Cyprus

On 20 January 2022 the Cyprus Parliament passed a bill transposing the EU Whistleblowing Directive into national law. The ‘Protection of Persons Reporting Breaches of Union and National Law of 2022’ (‘the Whistleblowing Law’) was published on 4 February 2022. 

Czechia

A new whistleblowing law was adopted and signed in the Czech Republic on 7 June 2023. The law came into effect on 1 August 2023.

Denmark

The ‘Whistleblower Protection Act’ which passed on the 24th June 2021 made Denmark the first EU Member State to adopt new legislation to implement the EU Whistleblower Directive after 17 December 2021.

Estonia

Estonia is the second to last of the 27 EU Member States to adopt legislation to transpose the Directive. The Act on the Protection of Whistleblower of Work-Related Violations of European Union Law was announced on 23 May 2024, and will enter into force on 1 September 2024.

Finland

Finland adopted a new whistleblowing law to transpose the EU Directive on Whistleblowing on 20th December 2021. The Whistleblower Protection Law entered into force on 1 January 2023, making Finland the 12th country to implement the Directive.

France

France adopted the national whistleblower law in March 2022. The law came into force on 1 September 2022. Before the new law, France was actually a pioneer in whistleblower protection with its Sapin II law of 2016.

Germany

After a compromise discussed by the Mediation Committee, a new whistleblower protection law was adopted on 18 May 2023 by the Bundestag and Bundesrat. The law came into force on 2 July 2023.

Greece

On 15 November 2022, the Greek Parliament voted for the new law ‘Protection of persons reporting breaches of EU law’. Law 4990/2022 made Greece the eleventh country to implement the Whistleblowing Directive.

Hungary

After a lenghty process and no consultation with key stakeholders, Hungary approved a whistleblower protection law on 25 May 2023.

Ireland

On 21 July 2022 President Higgins signed the ‘Protected Disclosures Act’. The new, amended Irish whistleblower law entered into force from 1 January 2023. 

Italy

A new law on the protection of whistleblowers was approved by the Italian government on 9 March, 2023. The law entered into force four months after its publication in the official Gazette, on 15 July 2023.

Latvia

The Parliament in Latvia (‘Saeima’) approved the new ‘Law on Raising Alarms’ on 20 January 2022. The Latvian Whistleblowing Law came into effect on 4 February 2022.

Lithuania

Lithuania adopted a new whistleblowing law, one day before the deadline for EU Member States to transposed the EU Directive on Whistleblowing. The ‘Law Amending the Whistleblower Protection Act No. XIII-804’ entered into force on 15  February 2022.

Luxembourg

Malta

Malta became the first EU Member State to transpose the EU Whistleblower Directive with the national law ‘Protection of the Whistleblower (Amendment) Act 2021‘.

Poland

After a long wait and numerous drafts, the Polish Whistleblower Protection Act received parliamentary approval on 14 June 2024. The legislation is set to come into effect within 3 months after the date of its publicaton in the Journal of Laws, on 24 September 2024.

Portugal

Published on December 20, ‘Law No. 93/2021’ transposed the EU Directive in Portugal. The law entered into force on 18 June 2022.

Romania

Romania adopted new legislation for the protection of whistleblowers when the improved version of the law was signed by the President in December 2022. The law entered into force on 22 December 2022.

Slovakia

A new whistleblowing law was adopted in Slovakia on 10 May 2023, amending the previous Whistleblowing Act and bringing national law in line with the requirements of the EU Directive on Whistleblowing. The law came into force on 1 July 2023, with various provisions not in effect until 1 September 2023.

Slovenia

The Slovenian Parliament has adopted the Whistleblower Protection Act, which entered into force on 22 February 2023.

Spain

The Spanish Senate has approved Law 2/2023 on the protection of persons who report breaches of the law and combating corruption. The law was published on 21 February and entered into force on 13 March 2023.

Sweden

On 29 September 2021, the Swedish Parliament ‘Riksdagen’ approved new legislation to transpose the EU Directive on Whistleblowing into Swedish national law from 17 December 2021.  

The Netherlands

A new Whistleblower Protection Act became effective on 18 February 2023, making the Netherlands the 14th country to transpose the Directive.

EU WHISTLEBLOWING DIRECTIVE - KEY DATESDeadline to implement reporting channels

For organisations with 250+ employees and municipalities with 10,000+ inhabitants.

For organisations with 50 – 249 employees.

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Talk with Territory Manager
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HAPPY TO MEET YOU!

Get in touch

Our team is ready to answer your questions. Find the answer by visiting our support centre, or fill out the form below and we'll be in touch as soon as possible. Or simply give us a call!

Talk with Territory Manager
Annelie Demred

0046 (0)706 83 82 88