The Council of Europe, in collaboration with Albania’s High Inspectorate of Declaration and Audit of Assets and Conflict of Interest (HIDAACI), held a roundtable bringing together businesses and business associations to discuss whistleblowing and safeguards for whistleblowers.

The event focused on implementing Albania’s new Law on Whistleblowing and Protection of Whistleblowers, together with the relevant secondary legislation, in the private sector. By lowering the threshold for businesses required to establish responsible units for whistleblower protection, the law extends these obligations to a wider range of companies.

The roundtable provided a forum for HIDAACI and private-sector representatives to discuss how the new framework will be applied in practice. Topics included secure reporting channels, confidentiality safeguards, protection against retaliation and the responsibilities of designated units.

Addressing the event, Giulia Re, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Tirana, emphasised that laws alone are not enough. Effective implementation also depends on trusted, accessible reporting channels, well-equipped responsible units and meaningful protection against retaliation.

The roundtable was the first in a series of awareness-raising events to be organised by the Council of Europe in cooperation with HIDAACI. The events will help businesses across Albania understand and meet their responsibilities under the new framework.

The activity was organised under the project Enhancing Public Sector Resilience Against Corruption, co-funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe.