Network of European Integrity and Whistleblowing Authorities (NEIWA)
The Network of European Integrity and Whistleblowing Authorities (NEIWA), was established in May 2019 in The Hague. The members of NEIWA are ‘competent authorities’ as meant by the European Union Directive 2019/1937 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law : state authorities that protect and advice whistleblowers assure the follow-up of the reporting and/or, for some of them, lead investigation on the reports they receive. NEIWA strives to involve all competent authorities from the EU (current and future) to participate in the network.
The network aims to enable its members to :
Through the coordinated commitment of its members, NEIWA aims to contribute to national and European debates by using all the options offered by the Directive. Its objective is the establishment or strengthening of an effective regime for the protection of whistleblowers and, where appropriate, for the monitoring of reports, and/or the investigation of the report in particular by implementing the highest standards foreseen by the Directive, in each of the member States of the European Union.
On the occasion of the seminar held in Paris on the 2nd of December 2019, the thirteen members of the network signed the Paris Declaration, recommending that all Member States of the European Union provide a highly protective, universally accessible and adequately resourced whistleblower protection system, using all the options offered by the Directive.
As a follow-up, the seminar held in Rome on the 26th of June 2020 resulted in the Rome Declaration, signed by the Member States of the European Union with a view to implementing the European Union Directive 2019/1937 by December 2021.