On Tuesday, 18 October 2022, the Ombudswoman’s Office organized the second in a series of seminars titled “Implementation of the Whistleblower Protection Act”, held at the Dom mladih in Split.
Aimed at educating employers’ confidential persons, the seminar series continues to support better understanding of their roles, rights, and obligations in the internal reporting of irregularities.
This second seminar in the series took place in Split and included both theoretical and practical sessions, offering participants an opportunity to become familiar with the provisions of the Whistleblower Protection Act (ZZPN). Special focus was given to the changes introduced by the new ZZPN, which came into effect in April this year and implements Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law.
Deputy Ombudswoman Dijana Kesonja spoke, among other things, about changes to the legal framework, internal reporting channels, and the rights and duties of employers, confidential persons, and whistleblowers. She also informed participants about how to submit a report to the Ombudswoman as the authority responsible for external whistleblowing, the option of public disclosure of irregularities, and judicial protection for whistleblowers.
In the seminar’s practical part, participants had the opportunity to apply the new ZZPN to a hypothetical case of whistleblowing, helping prepare them for real-life situations they may encounter in their professional roles.
Confidential persons are, in fact, responsible for managing the internal whistleblowing process—one of three reporting channels defined by law, alongside external reporting and public disclosure. Additionally, they are obligated to inform the Ombudswoman about all received reports of irregularities and the outcomes of those proceedings, allowing her to effectively monitor the application of the ZZPN and how whistleblowers are protected. These findings are then reported to the Croatian Parliament and the public through annual reports.
Following seminars in Rijeka and Split, additional sessions are planned in Zagreb and Osijek in November, with timely announcements for all interested participants. As before, participation is free of charge, with a maximum of 25 participants per session. If interest exceeds capacity, the possibility of organizing additional seminars will be considered.
You can learn more about key information for whistleblowers and confidential persons [here].