site.btaComparative Study Finds Whistleblower Protection Is Weak in Bulgaria and Romania

A comparative study on whistleblower protection in Bulgaria and Romania, presented at an international conference in Bucharest on Wednesday, found that while both countries have taken steps to strengthen their legal frameworks, implementation remains weak and public trust low.

The study was prepared by Transparency International Romania in partnership with Transparency International Bulgaria under the Legitimacy and Accountability for Better Whistleblower Protection (LAW) project.

The study found that Romania has a more consistent institutional framework but less precise legislation, while Bulgaria has stronger legislation but more limited institutional capacity. In both countries, implementation remains the main challenge, with inadequate confidentiality safeguards, weak protection against retaliation and underdeveloped support mechanisms for whistleblowers.

Speaking at the conference, Irina Lonean of Transparency International Romania said anti-corruption progress had largely stalled since the two countries joined the European Union and the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) ended. She also pointed to persistent public distrust and said Romanian legislation still makes it difficult to guarantee whistleblowers' confidentiality.

Kremena Chobanova, Deputy Executive Director of Transparency International Bulgaria, said Bulgaria remained among the EU's weakest performers in combating corruption. Three years after adopting the Whistleblower Protection Act, implementation remains limited and institutional shortcomings persist, she said. Chobanova cited the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria, which independently receives whistleblower reports, as a positive example.

Drawing on data from Transparency International, Eurobarometer and other international sources, the study found that Romania and Bulgaria are among the EU countries with the highest share of citizens who do not know where to report corruption. Fear of retaliation also remains above the EU average in both countries.

The study recommends legal reforms, stronger confidentiality guarantees, expanded support services for whistleblowers, improved interinstitutional coordination and more effective enforcement in both countries.