Thirty-five percent of European Union (EU) citizens said they are afraid of retaliation or a negative backlash by reporting corruption, according to new research published today by Transparency International. This is despite the fact that one out of four citizens in the EU believes that reporting corruption is the most effective thing people can do to fight it, according to the public survey which covers 22 EU Member States.
“We can’t fight corruption unless we fight the fear of speaking up. People must feel supported and protected, that’s why we need EU-wide whistleblower protection to raise standards across Europe, so that individuals can come forward without fear of retaliation,” said Carl Dolan, Director of Transparency International EU.
In response to the prosecution of Antoine Deltour for his part in the LuxLeaks revelations, the European Commission is considering to propose a first ever whistleblower protection directive. Transparency International has recently joined forces with over 61 organisations to call for a European law on whistleblower protection in line with international best practices.
