Overview

• The European Court of Justice ruled that Germany must pay €34 million for not implementing the EU Whistleblower Directive by the December 2021 deadline.
• The directive, aimed at protecting individuals who report legal violations, was only incorporated into German law in 2023 after delays caused by political disagreements between the Bundestag and Bundesrat.
• Other countries penalized include Luxembourg, Tschechien, Hungary, and Estonia, with fines ranging from €375,000 to €2.3 million; Estonia faces additional daily penalties for continued non-compliance.
• The EU's whistleblower protections were introduced in response to scandals like the Panama Papers and aim to address issues such as money laundering, tax evasion, and data privacy breaches.
• Germany's delay stemmed from legislative deadlock, but the law eventually passed in 2023, establishing channels for confidential reporting of misconduct.