In 2019, the EU issued the European Parliament and Council Directive (EU) 2019/1937 on the protection of persons who report breaches of EU law. This directive has obliged all member states to implement comprehensive whistleblower protection regulation by December 2021, aiming to ensure that individuals who report misconduct or illegal activities within organizations are safeguarded from retaliation.

While all other EU member states have successfully introduced their respective regulations, Poland has been notably delayed in this process. The delay has not gone unnoticed, as Poland has already faced sanctions from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for failing to meet the directive's deadline.

However, there is significant progress to report. On June 14, 2024, Poland has adopted its Whistleblower Protection Act. Most of the new legislation came into force on September 25th, 2024. This new legislation marks a pivotal step towards aligning with EU standards and providing essential protections for whistleblowers within the country.

Today, we will be discussing the European Directive on whistleblower protection and the new Polish Whistleblower Protection Act, especially from the viewpoint of Polish employers.

Host: Philippe Durand (email) (August Debouzy / France)

Guest Speaker: Katarzyna Komolibio (email) (Miller Canfield / Poland)

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