WHISTLEBLOWER IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST
A whistleblower in the public interest is a natural person who submits a report or publicly discloses information regarding breaches of the law, obtained in a professional context.
PROFESSIONAL CONTEXT
This means any professional activity, current or past, paid or unpaid, carried out within public authorities, public institutions, other legal entities under public law, as well as within legal entities under private law, through which persons may obtain information regarding breaches of the law and may suffer retaliation in case of reporting them.
BREACH OF THE LAW
Any action or inaction that contravenes legal provisions in the following areas:
public procurement;
financial services, products, and markets, prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing;
product safety and compliance;
transport safety;
environmental protection;
radiological protection and nuclear safety;
food and feed safety, animal health and welfare;
public health;
consumer protection;
protection of privacy and personal data, and security of networks and information systems.
They also include:
breaches that harm the financial interests of the European Union (as mentioned in Article 325 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and detailed in relevant EU measures);
breaches related to the internal market (as mentioned in Article 26(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union), including breaches of EU competition and state aid rules, as well as breaches concerning the internal market regarding acts violating corporate taxation rules or mechanisms intended to obtain a tax advantage contrary to the object or purpose of applicable corporate tax law.
These may represent disciplinary offenses, contraventions, or crimes, or otherwise contravene the object or purpose of the law.
REPORTING
A report is an oral or written communication of information regarding any act that constitutes a breach of the law, and must include at least:
First and last name;
Contact details of the whistleblower in the public interest;
The professional context in which the information was obtained;
The person concerned, if known;
Description of the act likely to constitute a breach of the law within the public or private entity;
Evidence supporting the report;
Date and signature.
Exception: A report that does not include the whistleblower’s name, surname, contact details, or signature will still be examined and resolved, provided it contains indications of legal violations.
The person designated to handle the report has the obligation not to disclose the whistleblower’s identity or any information that could directly or indirectly lead to identification, except with the express consent of the whistleblower.
The identity of the whistleblower may only be disclosed if this is a legal obligation, in compliance with the conditions and limits established by law, and only after prior written notification of the whistleblower about the disclosure and the reasons for it.
PROTECTION OF THE WHISTLEBLOWER IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST
To benefit from protection measures, the whistleblower must cumulatively meet the following conditions:
Have obtained information about breaches of the law in a professional context;
Have had reasonable grounds to believe that the reported information was true at the time of reporting;
Have made an internal report, an external report, or a public disclosure.
REPORTING MECHANISMS FOR WHISTLEBLOWERS
INTERNAL CHANNELS within the RASIROM:
Physical submission to the designated person;
Submission in the sealed physical box created for correspondence regarding public interest alerts (for anonymous submissions);
Electronic submission, via email: avertizor@rasirom.ro
Designated person for managing reports:
Angheluț Liliana – Legal Advisor
Reports will be managed with maximum confidentiality and in compliance with legal deadlines. The identity of the whistleblower is protected by law.
EXTERNAL CHANNELS
External reporting channels are represented by competent authorities entitled to receive reports on breaches of the law, namely:
Authorities and public institutions which, under special legal provisions, receive and resolve reports concerning breaches of the law within their competence;
The National Integrity Agency;
Other authorities and public institutions to which the National Integrity Agency forwards reports for proper resolution.
Legislation
Hotărârea Guvernului nr. 316/2021, privind organizarea şi funcţionarea Ministerului Energiei, cu modificările şi completările ulterioare;
Legea nr. 361 din 2022, privind protecţia avertizorilor în interes public;
Legea nr. 682/2002, privind protecția martorilor, cu modificările şi completările ulterioare;
Hotărârea Guvernului nr. 1269/2021, privind aprobarea Strategiei Naționale Anticorupție 2021-2025;
Ordonanța de Urgență nr. 57/2019 – Codul Administrativ, cu modificările şi completările ulterioare;
Legea nr. 286/2009 – Noul Cod Penal, cu modificările şi completările ulterioare;
Legea nr. 78/2000, pentru prevenirea, descoperirea şi sancţionarea faptelor de corupţie, cu modificările şi completările ulterioare;
Legea nr. 31/1990, privind societățile comerciale, republicată, cu modificările și completările ulterioare;
Ordonanța de urgență nr. 109/2011, privind guvernanța corporativă a întreprinderilor publice, cu modificările şi completările ulterioare;
Ordonanţa de urgenţă nr. 66/2011, privind prevenirea, constatarea şi sancţionarea neregulilor apărute în obţinerea şi utilizarea fondurilor europene şi/sau a fondurilor publice naţionale aferente acestora, cu modificările şi completările ulterioare;
Legea nr. 161/2003, privind unele măsuri pentru asigurarea transparenţei în exercitarea demnităţilor publice, a funcţiilor publice şi în mediul de afaceri, prevenirea şi sancţionarea corupţieirea şi sancţionarea faptelor de corupţie, cu modificările şi completările ulterioare;
Legea nr. 176/2010, privind integritatea în exercitarea funcțiilor și demnităților publice, pentru modificarea și completarea Legii nr. 144/2007 privind înființarea, organizarea și funcționarea Agenției Naționale de Integritate, precum și pentru modificarea și completarea altor acte normative, cu modificările și completările ulterioare;
Legea nr. 251/2004, privind unele măsuri referitoare la bunurile primite cu titlu gratuit cu prilejul unor acţiuni de protocol în exercitarea mandatului sau a funcţiei, cu modificările şi completările ulterioare.
