EU updates rules to protect whistle-blowers

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - The EU Council of Ministers on Monday adopted new rules to protect whistle-blowers.

The directive was adopted at a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg.

"The EU is to guarantee a high-level protection to whistle-blowers across a wide range of sectors including public procurement, financial services, money laundering, product and transport safety, nuclear safety, public health, consumer and data protection," the council said in a statement.

The new directive will establish safe channels for reporting and protect whistle-blowers against retaliation like dismissal.

The statement further said the new rules will also require national authorities, to adequately inform citizens and train public officials, on how to deal with whistle-blowing.

The EU member states will have two years to incorporate the new rule into their statute book.