13 Amendments of Caterina CHINNICI related to 2016/2224(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the Commission stated in its communication of 5 July 2016 that the protection of whistle-blowers, in both the public and private sectors, helps to address mismanagement and irregularities, including cross-border corruption, transnational tax evasion and unfair trading practices, which deprives European tax authorities of legitimate tax revenue and contributes to distort fair competition within the European single market;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas large scale transnational fraud is increasing, mainly benefitting from legislative gaps existing between Member States’ legislation;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas whistle-blowing represents a fundamental source of information in the fight against organised crime, in the investigation of cases of corruption within the public sector as well as in the detection of tax avoidance schemes set up by private companies;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas the protection of whistle- blowers is essential in order to safeguard the public good and the financial interests of the European Union and to promote a culture of public accountability and integrity in both public and private institutions;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Recital Β
Recital Β
B. whereas the safeguarding of the confidentiality of the whistle-blowers’ information contributes to the creation of more effective channels for reporting fraud, corruption, wrongdoing, misconduct or other serious infringements, and whereas, given the sensitivity of the information, mismanagement of confidentiality may lead to undesired information leaks and a violation of the public interest of the Union;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas protection of whistle- blowers cannot be achieved only via legal measures but also fostering a cultural change in European societies. Encourages Member States and European Commission to build a narrative, which underlines the fundamental role that whistle-blowers play in our societies;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recognises that whistle-blowing plays a crucial role in the fight against corruption and other serious crimes as well as in prosecuting violation that may affect public health safety, the environment, human rights or the rule of law at European level; points out that protection of whistle-blowers and their families should not be limited only to cases where confidential information is revealed but to all cases of disclosure of misconduct, wrongdoing or involvement in illegal activities; points out that the existing Union legislation on protection of whistle- blowers is scattered and that the protection of whistle-blowers across the Member States is uneven, which often impacts negatively on EU policies;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Highlights the need for a common and broad definition of whistle-blowing and whistle-blowers in order to ensure suitable legal protection for whistle- blowers and the smooth functioning of the EU body mentioned in paragraph 4;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. SEmphasises the need for a legal protection of whistle-blowers in the European Union and at international level that should be of benefit for the individual whistle-blowers as well as in the public interest; recalls that legislation in most Member States is not extensive; stresses that protection of whistle- blowers should be harmonised at EU level; is of the opinion that a horizontal EU legal instrument providing for protection ofor whistle-blowers in the public and private sectors and, complemented by sectorial rules wouldill be the most efficient approach in order to ensure comprehensive and genuine protection of whistle-blowers;, reiterates in this regard its call on the Commission to present by the end of 2017 a legislative proposal defining the whistle- blowing and settproviding outfor common rules for the protection of whistle-blowers1 ; _________________ 1[1]. Reaffirms that the rule of law is crucial for a culture of freedom of expression. [1] European Parliament resolution of 25 October 2016 on the fight against corruption and follow-up of the CRIM resolution, Text adopted P8_TA(2016)0403. Text adopted P8_TA(2016)0403.
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Expresses its concern at retaliation against whistle-blowers in their personal and professional lives, and at the possibility of initiating criminal and civil judicial proceedings against whistle- blowers; encourages both the European Commission and Member States to adopt measures to protect the confidentiality of the information sources in order to prevent any discriminatory actions or threats; calls for the creation of a clear horizontal legal framework that includes definitions, protection against different forms of reprisals, and exemptions from criminal and civil proceedings, according to criteria to be established;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Emphasises that no employment relationship should restrict someone’s right of freedom of expression and no one should be discriminated against in cases of exercising that right.
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for the creation of legal, safe, accessible and secure disclosure channels (i.e. hotlines, websites, contact points) at national level to facilitate reporting to the competent authorities of information on threats to the public interest; such channels should investigate claims professionally and also provide whistle- blowers with detailed information about their rights and responsibility and support them against any retaliatory measures;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)