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Two leading non-profit organizations, Whistleblowing International (Berlin) and National Whistleblower Center (Washington, DC), today launched the first organization with a mission of securing stronger whistleblower laws in Europe and assisting European whistleblowers. The European Center for Whistleblower Rights is being announced today in recognition of the UN’s International Anti-Corruption Day.
The Center is dedicated to protecting whistleblowers from retaliation and ensuring that financial crimes, hidden releases of toxic pollution and other wrongdoing exposed by whistleblowers are fully investigated and remedied. A key focus will be threats to public health and the economy caused by corruption in the industries driving climate change.
The Center is working to ensure all countries fully incorporate the 2019 EU Directive on whistleblower protection into their national policies. All 27 EU countries must pass a comprehensive whistleblower law by December 2021. As of today, 13 EU countries – including Austria, Denmark, Germany and Spain – have no whistleblower protections whatsoever. Meanwhile, severe retaliation cases have been documented in nearly every EU country.
The Center advocates for financial incentives for whistleblowers whose reports lead to successful enforcement actions or prosecutions. Rewards are based on the amount of monetary sanctions recovered by public authorities; they are not paid from public budgets.
The Center’s attorneys and investigators assist people who have made or are considering making a report; these services are confidential and free-of-charge. The Center helps to shield people from reprisals, investigates cases, and maximizes the positive impact of reports.
The Center is co-led by Mark Worth, Executive Director of Whistleblowing International, and John Kostyack, Executive Director of the National Whistleblower Center. A close partner is the Southeast Europe Coalition on Whistleblower Protection.
Whistleblowing International and National Whistleblower Center separately announced today, in conjunction with the law firm of Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto, the launch of the Center for Whistleblower Rights & Rewards, which provides legal assistance to whistleblowers worldwide.
