Justice ministry submits whistleblower bill to help fight corruption

The justice ministry on Wednesday submitted a bill providing for the protection of whistleblowers, which is part of a legal framework designed to fight corruption.

The bill is connected with one establishing an independent anti-corruption authority while a third piece of legislation regulates lobbying.

In a written statement, the ministry said the positive response of the members of the House legal affairs committee was reaffirmed as regards the bill’s philosophy and the effort to reinforce the framework against corruption.

Approval of the bills is included in the conditions for the disbursement of €97m from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF).

The lobbying bill had gone to the plenum on April 22 – before parliament dissolved ahead of elections — but was eventually withdrawn after voting on the anti-corruption bill was postponed.

The two pieces of legislation are included in recommendations made by the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (Greco).

The bill provides that state and elected officials must declare their contacts along with minutes of what was discussed.