Zammit Dimech presents proposals to strengthen whistleblower legislation

MEP Francis Zammit Dimech has presented a series of proposals to strengthen whistleblower legislation to the Committee responsible for Media, the EPP said in a statement.

Zammit Dimech has tabled an amendment calling on member states to ensure that persons requiring protection as whistleblowers will be entitled to the right of appeal before courts of justice, wherever such persons are denied recognition or protection as whistleblowers by the relevant authority tasked with granting such status to a person making a request. His proposal has also received backing by other political groups.

Zammit Dimech emphasised that under no circumstances can the authority tasked with granting whistleblower or protection status have an actual or potential conflict of interest with regard to whether or not to grant such status or protection. “Protection of whistleblowers is all about protecting EU citizens. It is also crucial for investigative journalism, hence its importance and my commitment to strengthening this legislation” he added. “We cannot have a situation where protection is granted depending on who blows the whistle and what one says.”

Zammit Dimech, who is the EPP Group Rapporteur on the legislative file in the Committee, also made a number of recommendations on protection of whistleblowers in case of public disclosure. He proposed that potential whistleblowers should seek, wherever possible, to inform internal reporting systems or agencies but wherever they deem that such course of action is inadequate, they should be free to decide that the public should be informed directly, for example through the media. “Whistleblowers should be protected no matter what their choice of reporting channel is” added Zammit Dimech. He further suggested that a person making a report or a disclosure anonymously and who subsequently has been identified, shall qualify for protection as laid down in this directive under the same conditions as a person who identified oneself when making a report or a disclosure.

The vote in the Committee responsible for media is now expected to take place on 10 October.