13 Amendments of Tiemo WÖLKEN related to 2016/2224(INI)
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Commission to present a horizontal legislative proposal with a view to effectively protecting whistleblowers in the EU before the end of this year; stresses that there are at present a number of possibilities for legal bases enabling the EU to take action on the matter; calls on the Commission to consider all those possibilities with the aim of proposing a broad coherent and effective mechanism;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. considers that individuals who are outside the traditional employee-employer relationship, such as consultant, contractors, trainees, volunteers, students workers, temporary workers, former employees as well as citizens should also be given access to reporting channels and appropriate protection when they reveal information on an unlawful or wrongful act or an act which undermines the public interest;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that a breach of the public interest includes, but is not limited to, acts of corruption, criminal offences, breaches of legal obligation, miscarriage of justice, abuse of authority, conflicts of interest, unlawful use of public funds, threats to the environment, health, public safety, national security and privacy and personal data protection, tax avoidance, attacks on workers’ rights and other social rights and attacks on human rights and acts to cover up any of these breaches;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that the role of whistleblowers in revealing serious attacks on the public interest has proved its significance on many occasions over a number of years and that whistleblowers contribute to democracy, transparency of politics and economy, public information and have proved to be a crucial resource for investigative journalism and for an independent press;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that one of the barriers to whistleblowers’ activities is the absence of clearly identified means of reporting; stresses that the absence of clearly identified means of reporting causes a number of whistleblowers to remain silent; expresses its concern about the retaliation and pressures which whistleblowers face when they address the guiltywrong person or party in their organisation;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Believes that the whistleblower should give priority to teach organisation should set clear reporting channel allowing the whistleblower to blow the whistle inside his or her organisation’s internal reporting mechanisms or to the competent authorities; stresses, however,, underlines that each employee should be informed of that reporting procedure, which should guarantee confidentiality and a treatment of the alert in an reasonable time; underlines that in the absence of a favourable response from the organisation, or if the whistleblower is at risk or urgently needs to report information, he or she must be able to turn to non-governmental organisations or the press;
Amendment 140 #
11a. recalls the right of the public to be informed of any wrongdoing that undermines the public interest, underlines in that respect that it should always be possible for a whistleblower to publicly disclose information on an unlawful or wrongful act or an act which undermines public interest;
Amendment 149 #
13. Expresses its concerns about the risks run by whistleblowers at their place of work, in particular the risks of direct or indirect retaliation by the employer and by those working for or acting on behalf of the employer; stresses that retaliation usually takes the form of suspending, slowing down or stopping career progression or even dismissal, along with psychological harassment; stresses that retaliation is a barrier to whistleblowers’ activities; believes that it is necessary to introduce protective measures against destabilising practices; takes the view that retaliation should be penalised and sanctioned effectively; stresses that, once somebody is recognised as a whistleblower, the measures taken against him or her should be brought to an end and whistleblower should receive full compensation for the prejudice and damage incurred;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Expresses its concern about the practice of gagging orders, which involve filing or threatening to file lawsuits against the whistleblower not in an effort to have him or her convicted, but in an effort to bring about self-censorship or financial, mental or psychological exhaustion; believes that such abuse of process should be subject to criminal penalties and sanctions;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Points out the risk that whistleblowers run of having legal and civil proceedings brought against them; stresses that they are often the weaker party in trials; considers it necessary to provide for a reversal of the burden of proof in respect of retaliation against and pressure on whistleblowers; takes the view that confidentiality should be guaranteed throughout the proceedings and that the identity of the whistleblower shall not be revealed without his or her consent; underlines that a breach of identity without the whistleblower' consent should be subject to criminal penalties and sanctions;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on the Member States to introduce an independent body, with sufficient budgetary resources and adequate personnel, responsible for collecting reports, verifying their credibility and guiding whistleblowers, particularly in the absence of a positive response from their organisationzation, following the response given to the alert and publishing an annual report on the alerts received and their treatment ;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on the Commission to propose the establishment of a similar body at EU level, with sufficient budgetary resources and adequate personnel, responsible for coordinating Member State activities, particularly in cross-border cases; believes that that European body should also be able to collect reports, verify their credibility and guide whistleblowers when the response given by the Member State is obviously not appropriate; suggests that the latter publish an annual report on the alerts received and their treatment; considers that the European Ombudsman’s mandate could be extended to serve that purpose;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Believes that as once an alert has been recognized serious, it should lead to proper investigation and followed by appropriate measures;