Whistleblower Protection in Central and Eastern Europe

Whistleblowers who disclose serious misconducts and threats to public interest are often protected under law from employer retaliation such as termination or suspension of employment, wage garnishment and harsh mistreatment. Whistleblower protection has become an important instrument in fighting corruption. Anglo-Saxon countries adopted acts dealing with this specific issue. As experiences show, this type of legal protection serves as an incentive to disclose information related to public interest and proved as a useful tool against corruption. However, in the post-Soviet block, public interest disclosures are under-regulated, and as a consequence, potential whistleblowers stay silent.

First, HCLU and K-Monitor provided the other NGOs with a case study about methods and best practices from other countries as well as a questionnaire about their national legislation and the implementation of international treaties. Each participating country’s representative has written and uploaded their own country report about the legal regulation and case laws of public interest disclosures with consideration to specific topics.

HCLU and K-Monitor evaluated the country reports and prepared a summing study on the regional standards of whistleblowing in the region. After getting familiar with each others national legislation, partner NGOs started to discuss possible ways of implementing whistleblowers protection.

Long-term aim of the project is to create a cooperation of involved NGOs that will help them promote operable and efficient legal regulation in their home countries. With a better understanding and overview, and therefore a greater lobby power, NGOs will be prepared to propose minimum standard toward national legislators and will try to influence them.

The website is available here!

For further information, please contact Tivadar Huttl, Data Protection and Freedom of Information Program Director: huttl (at) tasz.hu