Wirecard whistleblower laments EU speak-up protection inconsistencies

The European Union’s strong stance on whistleblower protection has been undermined by member states’ wildly different approaches to punishing organizations that fail to safeguard people who raise concerns, says a leading speak-up campaigner.

Pav Gill, the whistleblower in the fraud scandal at German payments firm Wirecard, believes that while Europe is serious about encouraging people to blow the whistle, the level of legal protection can vary so much that in some cases it becomes almost negligible.

In Spain, for example, organizations can face penalties of up to 1 million euros (U.S. $1.1 million) for serious failure to protect whistleblowers and/or a three-year ban on entering into contracts with public-sector entities. However, in Germany, a fine for the same offense is capped at just €50,000 (U.S. $54,000).