European Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruța Kovesi warned that the European Prosecutor's Office could notify the European Commission in the view of the activation of the mechanism for conditioning European funds by the rule of law in Romania after the country's lawmakers passed the law on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law in a form broadly criticised by civil society.

In a joint statement, a group of more than 20 NGOs accuses the Romanian ruling coalition of having selectively transposed the European directive in a draft law passed by the Parliament on June 29.

"By the amendments made on Tuesday, June 28, to the draft Law on the protection of whistleblowers in the public interest, by the Legal Commission, and their adoption in plenary on June 29, the mechanisms for the protection of whistleblowers are diminished, constitutional provisions are violated, and Romania risks entering into an infringement procedure for the selective transposition of the relevant European Directive," reads the joint statement quoted by G4media.ro.

For instance, in order to be able to disclose violations of the law publicly, whistleblowers must wait at least 3 months from the date they reported both internally (within the institution they belong to) and externally (to other state institutions or National Integrity Agency).

Kovesi, a former head of the anti-corruption directorate in Romania, stressed that Romania could have its European funds conditioned - ironically at a time when the country hopes to see the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism.

The correct transposition and effective implementation of Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of October 23, 2019, on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law (Directive on the protection of whistleblowers) is of direct operational relevance to the European Public Prosecutor's Office, she explained, according to Hontews.ro.

andrei@romania-insider.com

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