18/03/2019 (Agence Europe) – MEPs unanimously gave the go-ahead (15 votes in favour) on Monday 18 March in the Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) for the Parliament/Council Interinstitutional Agreement on the Directive on the protection of Whistleblowers. The text is expected to be put to a vote at the second plenary session in April. Member States' ambassadors to the EU supported the agreement at the meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives II (Coreper II) last Friday. In particular, the agreement provides for a two-step reporting of wrongdoing: first, either through an internal channel or an external channel to a competent authority, and then to the media and the public. It also provides for a series of exemptions for classified documents and secrets related to State security and defence (see EUROPE 12212/11). (PH)