Legal framework for the protection of persons reporting infringements

On 4.2.2022 was published the Law on the Protection of Persons Reporting Violations of EU and National Law of 2022 (Law 6(I)/2022). The Law provides, inter alia, for the protection of persons who report in relation to specific breaches of European Union law, acts or omissions relating to the commission or potential commission of a criminal offence or to a person’s failure to comply with a legal obligation, breaches that cause or are likely to cause damage to the environment.

Persons entitled to protection are persons who report breaches of European Union law, persons who report breaches of national law, third persons connected to the above persons who may be subject to retaliation in a work context and legal persons who belong to the above persons or for whom the above persons are employed or have an employment relationship. It also lays down the conditions for the protection of reporting persons. It also requires private and public sector legal entities to establish channels and procedures for internal reporting of infringements. Protection is also given to a person who makes a public disclosure of infringements under certain conditions and a duty of confidentiality is imposed on the identity of the reporter, including any information from which his or her identity can be directly or indirectly deduced. It also establishes measures to protect the petitioner from any retaliation against him or her, as well as measures to support him or her and the criminal offences of obstructing a report, retaliating against a petitioner, initiating abusive proceedings against a petitioner, breaching the obligation of confidentiality of the petitioner’s identity and making false reports or false public disclosures.

For details on the implementation of Law 6(I)/2022
you can consult the relevant page of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order by clicking here

To see the flow of complaints concerning incidents affecting the financial interests of the Union click here

Competent bodies for receiving and investigating complaints

The competent bodies for receiving and investigating complaints in the Republic of Cyprus, to which interested parties may refer, are listed below. Using the links provided here, interested parties can go to the relevant pages of these services, where they can submit complaints and grievances directly:

• Audit Office of the Republic of Cyprus
• Commissioner for Administration and Human Rights Protection
• Independent Authority against Corruption