TIPS Newsletter | Apr 2026 – ‘Whistleblower Protection Across the EU and Enlargement Countries’

Dear TIPS member,

In April 2026, Transparency International published two reports examining whistleblower protection across EU Member States and candidate countries. Drawing on national expert contributions, case law and enforcement data, both reports find that while the EU's 2019 Whistleblower Protection Directive established a solid foundation, transposition has been slow, uneven and often technically deficient.

Some key takeaways:

• Formal transposition has often been inadequate. The reversal of the burden of proof, a cornerstone of the Directive, remains incorrectly implemented in at least eight Member States, with courts in several jurisdictions effectively restoring the evidentiary burden to the whistleblower rather than the employer.

• Enforcement is fragmented and under-resourced, with penalties rarely applied and most competent authorities lacking the powers or capacity to prevent retaliation.

• Not a single Member State or candidate country collects gender-disaggregated whistleblowing data, making structural inequalities invisible to policymakers.

TI calls on the European Commission to issue interpretative guidance on key provisions, pursue infringement proceedings where warranted, and integrate whistleblowing into its annual Rule of Law Cycle. Member States and candidate countries are urged to move beyond formal compliance and treat effective whistleblower protection as a genuine measure of institutional accountability.

Please see below the TIPS Newsletter for April 2026. We look forward to seeing you soon.

 - the TIPS team

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1. Upcoming Events (register on our Events page)

TIPS and TBIJ | Voices for Transparency

20 May 2026, 5.30–9.30pm GMT, London (Register here)

2026 TRACE London Forum

13 - 14 May 2026, In-person event (Details here)

ICA | Future of FinCrime & Compliance Summit 

19 - 21 May 2026, London (Register here)

IFA | Institute of Financial Accountants AML Conference

19 May 2026, 9.20am-4:15pm BST, Zoom Event (Register here)

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2. Recent Events

TIPS | Whistle Where We Work | 30 Apr 2026 | London

On 30 April 2026, the TIPS Network hosted an engaging panel discussion on “Whistle Where We Work” in partnership with Protect Advice and Control Risks featuring Sybille Raphael (Protect Advice), Georgia Ranaldo (Control Risks), and Ruth Steinholtz (AretéWork).

The panellists discussed how to make investigations more humane, build trust, and make investigations work in practice. This included consideration of: the PEACE model of investigation, biases, trauma responses; the 'just culture' in the civil aviation; the role of values; and whether a 100% substantiation rate is a good thing. A key takeaway was that organisations cannot investigate their way out of a culture problem: an investigation is just one part of the picture.

We thank Control Risks for kindly hosting and providing refreshments, and Samer Jannoun, CCEP-I, FICA, for moderating the discussion.

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3. Jobs Board

UNDOC Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Officer (Anti-Corruption) (Vienna, Austria). Apply here.

Deloitte - Senior Manager, Ethics & Regulatory Compliance - London.

Apply here.

Transparency International UK - Research and Investigations Officer. Apply here.

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4. Items of Interest

TI Publications

• Whistleblower protection in EU enlargement countries - Towards EU standards and best practice . Read here.

• How effective is whistleblower protection in the EU? Trends, gaps and emerging practices across member state. Read here.

TI Blogs and News

• Legitimate Interest Access: is it working in the UK’s Overseas Territories?  See here.

• Panama Papers: 10 years on, the promises and the failures See here.

• Transparency International UK blog post on Land and corruption in Africa. See here.

Podcasts

• Panama Papers: 10 years on, the promises and the failures See here.

• Suspicious Transaction Report Podcasts Episode 17: Oliver Bullough: Why We Get Fighting Financial Crime Wrong. Listen here.

• Dark Money Files. Season 13 Episode 2: Is Companies House an economic bellwether  Listen here.

• FCPA Compliance Report Episode 804: From DOJ’s 7 Compliance Pillars to Sentencing Mitigation: Joseph De Gregorio’s Compliance Rebuild Framework - Part 1 Listen here.

Other items

• Panama Papers: 10 years on, the promises and the failures See here.

• Green and anti-corruption groups come together to discuss how to ensure corruption doesn’t harm the environment See here.

• Will changes to the UK’s money laundering rules help or hinder crooks and kleptocrats? See here.

• Civil society policy recommendations on illicit gold See here.

• Council adopts new EU-wide law to combat corruption See here.

• OECD Anti‑Corruption and Integrity Outlook 2026 - Harnessing the Integrity Advantage See here

• The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) today publishes its Business Plan for 2026-27 See here.

• UK announces amendments to AML rules. See here.

• FinCEN proposes rule to pay financial crime whistleblowers  See here.

• Europe’s AML Package: A Strong Framework at the Wrong Time? See here.

• New BVI Transparency Rules Have Fatal Flaws, Anti-Corruption Advocates Warn  See here.

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5. Focus on...

Ollie Haselden

Forensic Accountant (Manager) - Grant Thornton

Why did you get involved with the TIPS Network?

I have always been interested in the tension between profit, governance and the delivery of public value, and in how corruption can exploit weaknesses to undermine trust in markets and institutions. As a Forensic Accountant, I have been able to support organisations in responding to instances where misconduct or financial irregularities have arisen, helping them navigate potential reputational, regulatory and legal implications. I got involved with TIPS to connect with others across this field and both contribute and learn from discussions on strengthening transparency, accountability and integrity.

Please describe your experience as part of the TIPS Network.

Through TIPS, I have been able to connect with a range of professionals working across compliance, law and policy and engage in discussions on current and emerging integrity issues and understand more about how my work supports theirs. I have found it particularly valuable to be part of a community with a common goal to strengthen integrity and transparency, and one that provides a constructive forum for discussion on developments in this area.

Connect with Ollie on LinkedIn here.