Activities of Inés AYALA SENDER related to 2016/2055(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
The role of whistleblowers in the protection of EU´s financial interests (short presentation) ES
Amendments (17)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
- having regard to Council of Europe recommendation CM/Rec(2014)7 on the Protection of Whistleblowers,
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas whistle-blowers therefore play an important role in detecting and reporting irregularities in respect of the expenditures relating to the EU budget, and whereas we therefore need to establish and promote a culture of security surrounding the European public good that means that EU officials and other staff, as well as the general public, feel engaged in sound management, and which shows that the EU institutions support, protect and encourage potential whistle-blowers; whereas it is vital for a horizontal legal framework to be established as a matter of urgency, which, by laying down rights and obligations, protects whistle-blowers throughout the EU, as well as in the EU institutions (protection of anonymity, legal, psychological and, where necessary, financial assistance, access to various information channels, rapid response schemes, etc.);
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas all the EU institutions have been obliged since 1 January 2014 to introduce internal rules protecting whistle- blowers who are officials of the EU institutions, in accordance with Articles 22a, 22b and 22c of the Staff Regulations, even though not all institutions have yet done so and the working group of the interinstitutional Preparatory Committee for Matters relating to the Staff Regulations, dealing with the protection of whistle-blowers, has not yet finished its work; whereas those internal rules must take account of the management structure and of the specific characteristics of the various categories under the Staff Regulations;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. Welcomes the decision taken by the European Ombudsman in 2014 to launch an own-initiative investigation, addressed to the EU institutions, into the protection of whistle-blowers, and welcomes the extremely positive outcomes that has had; calls for the institutions and other bodies of the EU that have yet to do so to apply, without delay, the guidelines that were drawn up upon conclusion of the investigation;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the protection of whistle- blowers at Member State level has not been harmonised, which means that even when the financial interests of the European Union are at stake, it may be risky for whistle-blowers to provide Parliament with information on irregularities, and whereas it is precisely because people are afraid of what might happen to them owing to the lack of protection, and because they believe that no action will be taken, that irregularities are not reported, and the EU's financial interests are undermined as a result;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereasDeplores the fact that the Commission has so far failed to submit any legislative proposals aimed at the establishment of a European whistle- blower protection programme;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital N
Recital N
N. whereas non-governmental organisations such as Transparency International, Whistleblowing International Network, etc., have similarly developed international principles for whistle-blower legislation which should serve as a source of inspiration for EU initiatives in this regard;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital N a (new)
Recital N a (new)
N a. whereas whistle-blowing is a fundamental source of information in the fight against organised crime and in the investigation of corruption in the public sector;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital N b (new)
Recital N b (new)
N b. whereas the protection of whistle- blowers is essential to safeguarding the public good and the financial interests of the Union and to promoting a culture of public accountability and integrity in both public and private institutions;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital N c (new)
Recital N c (new)
N c. whereas in many jurisdictions, and particularly in the private sector, employees are subject to duties of confidentiality with respect to certain information, which means that whistle- blowers might encounter disciplinary actions for reporting outside their organisation;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Reiterates its call onUrges the Commission to immediately submit a legislative proposal establishing an effective and comprehensive European whistle-blower protection programme and, in particular, calls on the Commission to submit a legislative proposal before the end of this year protecting whistle-blowers as part of the necessary measures in the fields of the prevention of and fight against fraud affecting the financial interests of the Union, with a view to affording effective and equivalent protection in the Member States and in all the Union’s institutions, bodies, offices and agencies;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Expresses the need to establish an independent EU institution with sufficient budgetary resources, in orderntrust the European Public Prosecutor's Office to help whistle-blowers use the right channels to disclose their information on possible irregularities affecting the financial interests of the Union, while protecting their confidentiality and offering assistance against possible retaliatory measures;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Calls EU Institutions, in cooperation with all relevant National Authorities, to set up and organise all necessary measures to protect the confidentiality of the information sources in order to prevent any discriminatory actions or threats;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Requests the establishment of a special office withidedicated facilities (i.e. hotlines, websites, contact points) within the European Parliament for receiving information from whistle- blowers relating to the financial interests of the Union, which will alsothese facilities should also be used to inform whistle- blowers about their rights and responsibilities and provide them with advice and helpsupport in protecting them against any possible retaliatory measures, until such time as an independent EU institution has been establishedthe European Public Prosecutor Office has been set up as referred to in paragraph 4;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Expresses the need to ensure that reporting mechanisms are accessible, safe and secure, and that whistle blowers' claims are professionally investigated;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on all EU institutions and bodies to take the necessary action to ensure recognition and consideration of, and respect for, whistle-blowers in all cases that affect or have affected them and that have been acknowledged as such by the Court of Justice of the European Union, and points out that this should apply retroactively; calls on them, furthermore, to publicly and substantively report on the rulings concerned to the institution as a whole;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Calls on the Commission to carry out a public consultation to seek the view of stakeholders on the reporting mechanisms and on the potential shortcomings of the procedures at national level; the results of the public consultation will represent a valuable input for the Commission when preparing its future proposal on whistle-blowing;