Whistleblowers, and their cooperation with journalists, constitute a key element in preventing wrongdoings and protecting public interests. This contribution examines how they are protected in the recent Directive (EU) 2019/1937 on the Protection of Persons Reporting on Breaches of Union Law. It highlights that the final wording of the Directive still raises a number of potential concerns. The legislative process behind the Directive is outlined, illustrating the lack of consensus between the European Parliament and the Council during its drafting procedure. It is furthermore explained how the Directive aims to protect individuals from suffering retaliation in cases where they report violations of EU law. Finally, common criticisms regarding certain solutions such as the sectoral and tiered approach are addressed. These issues will have an effect on the whistleblowers’ motivation in raising the alarm, thereby diminishing their role as a journalist source.

Corruption is a dishonest or unethical conduct by a person (also company, state…) entrusted with a position of authority, with the intention to acquire certain benefits or advantages. Nowadays, corruption is present in all states and societies, and could be widespread in all legal and human relations. Corruption is mostly associated with embezzlement, bribery, coercion, extortion, blackmail… Therefore, the corruption is mostly of illegal nature. International and national anti-corruption initiatives and actions pay special attention to the fields where the impact of corruption affects the most vulnerable groups of people. On the international level the most active role is played by Transparency International, an international organisation fighting against corruption.

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This publication contains abstracts of contributions presented at the conference "European Investigation Order – Practical Dilemmas and Theoretical Considerations", which was held online on 8th and 9th of December 2020. Practitioners and academics from multiple EU Member States shared best practices and identified key shortcomings of the European Investigation Order. The event was executed as an integral part of the EU JUST project “European Investigation Order – Legal Analysis and Practical Dilemmas (EIP-LAPD)”, coordinated by the University of Maribor. The structure of the publication roughly follows the agenda of the conference. In the first part the future of mutual recognition and judicial cooperation in criminal matters in the EU is addressed. The second part is more closely focused at the European Investigation Order. Some theoretical dilemmas as well as practical considerations are presented. Lastly, some national reports which were drafted as a key deliverable of the EIO-LAPD project are also outlined.

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