Whis­tleblow­ing

If a member of the UEF staff or a person who otherwise works with the university as part of their duties has become aware, in or in connection with their work, of activities that violate the law and suspects a breach, we want to know about it. The whistleblowing channel can be used to report suspected infringements in matters specified in the EU Whistleblower Directive (Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law 2019/1937 (23 October 2019), OJ L 305/34 of 26 November 2019).

Through the whistleblowing channel, suspected offences, breaches and misconduct related to the university’s activities can be reported in a safe and confidential manner. The identity of persons who use the whistleblower protection channel is strongly protected throughout the process. However, the general prerequisite for the protection of the whistleblower is that they have reasonable grounds to believe that the information on the infringement is correct at the time of reporting and that such information falls within the scope of the law. If you are not sure whether the suspected infringement is related to the activities of the university or some other organisation, you can report it to the centralised reporting channel of the Office of the Chancellor of Justice.

The purpose of the legislation on the protection of whistleblowers is to ensure that a person who, in connection with their work, observes or suspects activities that are against the public interest in specific areas of EU law can report the matter safely without fear of any consequences for them as a result of the reporting. At a national level, more detailed provisions on the protection of whistleblowers are laid down in the Act on the Protection of Persons Reporting Infringements of European Union and National Law that took effect on 1 January 2023.

The reports are only processed by designated independent persons who, as representatives of the university, are bound by professional secrecy and have a duty to protect the whistleblower. Suspected (university-related) abuse can be reported through this channel in the following topics:

1. public procurement (except defence and security procurement);  
2. financial services, products and markets;  
3. preventing money laundering and terrorist financing;  
4. product safety and compliance; 
5. road safety;  
6. environmental protection; 
7. radiation and nuclear safety; 
8. food and feed safety, and animal health and welfare; 
9. public health within the meaning of Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;  
10. consumer protection;  
11. the protection of privacy and personal data; and
12. security of network and information systems.

Notifications must be made in good faith. The whistleblowing channel is not intended for the provision of customer/supplier feedback related to, e.g., invoicing or contract terms, and such customer/supplier feedback will not be investigated. Deliberate submission of false reports is prohibited and may have legal consequences.

Although whistleblower protection also applies to suspected infringements, protection excludes notifications that are submitted with the intent to cause harm – i.e., the whistleblower protection only applies to notifications that are made in good faith. The whistleblower may be liable for damages if a falsified notification causes harm to the subject of the notification or to the university. However, the liability for damages is always limited to deliberate action where the person has, with the intent to cause harm, reported or disclosed incorrect or misleading information.