16/12/2019 (Agence Europe) – The Directive on the protection of whistleblowers entered into force on Monday 16 December. The agreement reached in early March provides for a two-step prioritisation of the reporting of wrongdoing: first an internal or external report to a competent authority, then a media and public report. The directive will cover employees, trainees, subcontractors, service providers, consultants and anyone who has helped the whistleblower (i.e. ‘facilitators’). Any company with at least 50 employees must have an internal mechanism (see EUROPE 12212/11). Significant exemptions are provided for alerts concerning professional and medical secrets or those involving State security and defence (see EUROPE 12212/11). Member States have two years to transpose the Directive. To view the final agreement: https://bit.ly/2ID7N4L (PH)