11 September 2024, Brussels
The European Court of Justice has today found that the European Parliament “did not take all the measures necessary to ensure that a whistleblower had balanced and effective protection against any form of retaliation.” This confirms Transparency International EU (TI EU)’s longstanding warnings that the European Parliament’s inadequate rules make it impossible for Parliament staff to safely expose wrongdoing. In fact, Parliament’s rules do not even live up to the EU’s own Whistleblower Directive.
Nick Aiossa, TI EU Director said, “This ruling is long-overdue vindication for the many parliamentary staff fired, simply for blowing the whistle and reporting wrongdoing. Unfortunately, this comes as no surprise, given that the Parliament’s rules are the weakest of all the EU institutions. It is time for the Parliament to finally put rules and procedures in place to fully protect the brave staff who wish to speak up when they witness corruption or wrongdoing.”
Corruption thrives when those affected by it fear they will lose their jobs or be punished when they speak up. Despite MEPs adopting numerous resolutions, most recently in the wake of Qatargate, to bring their rules in line with the EU’s Whistleblower Directive, the Parliament has failed to ensure this. The Court’s decision must be the catalyst that finally prompts the Parliament to put robust whistleblower protection in place.
