CJEU fines Germany €34m for failing to implement EU Whistleblowing Directive, rejecting arguments about implementation costs and federal-state jurisdiction.
Key points: The CJEU/ECJ has fined Germany €34 million for failing to implement the EU Whistleblowing Directive. Several other countries received smaller fines. The Directive requires organisations with 50+ employees to establish reporting mechanisms.
Why this matters: The substantial fine demonstrates the EU's determination to enforce whistleblower protections. Companies operating across multiple EU jurisdictions face compliance challenges due to uneven implementation.
What might happen next: With the ECJ rejecting Germany's arguments about implementation costs and federal-state jurisdiction, we can expect accelerated implementation across remaining non-compliant countries.
PLUS: New GDPRed website offers simplified access to CJEU GDPR cases, organized by year, topic, and article for easier legal research. See: https://gdpred.milos.no/Case-law-by-CJEU-topics

Tom Hayes
Director of European Union and Global Labor Affairs, HR Policy Association
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