Local Whistleblowing Authorities

We list below the local competent authorities responsible for whistleblowing compliance, in each EU Member State. You can also visit our Privacy Library for an overview of local data protection authorities.

Last updated: August 7, 2024

Austria

The Federal Office for Preventing and Combating Corruption (Bundesamt zur Korruptionsprävention und Korruptionsbekämpfung) is the key competent authority, although other authorities have also been appointed for specific sectors.

Belgium

The Federal Ombudsmen is the key competent authority, although other authorities will be appointed for specific sectors. 

Bulgaria

The Commission for Personal Data Protection (Комисия за защита на личните данни).

Croatia

The Ombudswoman (Pravobraniteljica).

Cyprus

Several competent authorities, depending on the subject matter/context of the report. The Ministry of Justice and Public Order (Υπουργείο Δικαιοσύνης και Δημοσίας Τάξεως) has published a comprehensive list, available here.

Czech Republic

The Ministry of Justice (Ministerstvo spravedlnosti) is the key competent authority in most cases, except for the imposition of fines on employers for breaches of the Czech whistleblowing law, in which case the competent authority is the Work Inspectorate (Inspekce Práce).

Denmark

The Danish Data Protection Agency (Datatilsynet) has been designated as the external reporting channel.

Estonia

In Estonia, any state authority or local government unit that has the competence to carry out state or administrative powers or that has the power to prosecute an offense of an infringement within the scope of the Act can be a Competent Authority. No specific authorities have been designated as such yet.

Finland

A competent authority is not expressly named in the Finnish whistleblowing law, although the Office of the Chancellor of Justice (Valtioneuvoston Oikeuskansleri) is responsible for managing the external reporting channel. 

France

The Defender of Rights (Défenseur des Droits) is the key competent authority, although other authorities have also been appointed for specific sectors.

Germany

The German whistleblowing law does not specify which competent authorities are responsible for enforcement; competent authorities therefore vary from state to state.

The Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz) is a central external reporting office.

Greece

The National Transparency Authority (Εθνική Αρχή Διαφάνειας) is the key competent authority, although other authorities will be appointed for specific sectors.

Hungary

The Labour and Occupational Health and Safety Department of County and Government Offices (Munkavédelem Foglalkoztatás-felügyelet) is the competent authority.

Ireland

The Office of the Protected Disclosures Commissioner.

Italy

The National Anti-Corruption Authority (Autorità Nazionale Anticorruzione).

Latvia

The State Chancellery (Valsts Kanceleja) is a centralized contact point for whistleblowers, although other authorities have been appointed for specific sectors.

Lithuania

The Public Prosecutor’s Office (Prokuratūra).

Luxembourg

The Reporting Office (Office des Signalements) is the key competent authority, although other authorities have also been appointed. An official website has not yet been created for the Reporting Office, although its contact details can be found here.

Malta

The Ombudsman is the key competent authority, although other authorities have also been appointed for specific sectors.

Poland

Poland has designated the Ombudsman as Competent Authority, although the Law also appoints other public authorities to follow up on reports, depending on the subject of the specific concern or complaint.

Portugal

Several competent authorities, depending on the subject matter/context of the report. Where no competent authority has been assigned to deal with the report or where a report implicates a competent authority, such report must be addressed to the National Anti-Corruption Mechanism (Mecanismo Nacional Anticorrupção), an independent administrative entity.

Romania

The National Integrity Agency (Agentia Nationala de Integritate).

Slovakia

The Whistleblower Protection Office (Úrad na Ochranu Oznamovateľov).

Slovenia

Several competent authorities, depending on the sector. The Commission for the Prevention of Corruption (Komisija za preprečevanje korupcije) has specific powers to advise whistleblowers.

Spain

The Independent Authority for the Protection of Informants (Autoridad Independiente de Protección del Informante) is the key competent authority. Additional regional competent authorities have also been appointed. An official website has not yet been created for the Independent Authority for the Protection of Informants.

Sweden

The Swedish Work Environment Authority (Sw. Arbetsmiljöverket) is the key competent authority, although other authorities have been appointed for specific sectors.

The Netherlands

The Whistleblowers’ House (Huis voor klokkenluiders) is the key competent authority, although other authorities have also been appointed for specific sectors.