Germany Fined €34 Million for Delayed Implementation of EU Whistleblower Law

The European Court of Justice penalized five countries for failing to meet the 2021 deadline for adopting whistleblower protections, with Germany facing the largest fine.

• 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.

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