France

No, the personal scope has not been extended (art. 8 Loi Sapin 2), but the act leaves it open to the entities concerned to expand the personal scope.

Obligations exist in the private sector regarding internal reporting (art. 7 Loi Sapin 2), in the public sector regarding internal reporting (art. 7 Loi Sapin 2) and competent authorities regarding external reporting (art. 7 Loi Sapin 2)

There are no such specific incentives /mechanisms.

Regarding (i) aviation safety, (ii) products or manufacturing processes presenting risks for the health and the environment, (iii) intelligence sector, (iv) banking, finance and insurance, (v) abuse in health care institutions, there are specific reporting channels and obligations, regardless of the number of workers of the entities concerned, which are to be added to the general obligation to set up a whistleblowing system in companies with at least 50 workers.

There is an obligation and the exemption from the obligation for municipalities with fewer than 50 workers as well as for municipalities with more than 50 workers but with fewer than 10.000 inhabitants (art.8 Sapin 2).

Municipalities with at least 50 but fewer than 250 workers (excluding municipalities with fewer than 10 000 inhabitants), public establishments attached to them and public establishments for inter-municipal cooperation that do not include among their members any municipality exceeding this threshold of inhabitants, may share their internal procedures for receiving and following up on reports. Municipalities and their public institutions that are members of a local public institution in charge of recruitment and management of territorial workers, may entrust the latter with the collection and processing of internal alerts under the conditions set out in Article L. 452-43-1 of code général de la fonction publique, regardless of the number of their workers (art.8 Sapin 2).

1. Public Markets :
– “Agence française anticorruption (AFA)”, French Anti-Corruption Agency, for breaches of probity, https://www.agence-francaise-anticorruption.gouv.fr/fr ;
– Direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes (DGCCRF), Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, for anti-competitive practices, https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf/dgccrf ;
– Autorité de la concurrence, Competition Authority for anti-competitive practices, https://www.autoritedelaconcurrence.fr/fr ;
2. Financial services, products and markets and prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing:
– Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF, Financial Markets Authority, for investment services providers and market infrastructures, https://www.amf-france.org/fr ;
– Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution (ACPR), Prudential Control and Resolution Authority, for credit and insurance institutions, https://acpr.banque-france.fr/ ;
3. Product security and compliance:
– Direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes (DGCCRF), Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf ;
– Service central des armes et explosifs (SCAE), Central Weapons and Explosives Service, https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/ministere/organisation/secretariat-general/service-central-des-armes-et-explosifs;
4. Transportation security :
– Direction générale de l’aviation civile (DGAC), Directorate-General for Civil Aviation, for air transport security, https://lannuaire.service-public.fr/gouvernement/0aed72f5-21ba-42da-9f16-01a529b3df14 ;
– Bureau d’enquêtes sur les accidents de transport terrestre (BEA-TT), Land Transport Accident Investigation Bureau, for land transport security (road and rail), https://www.bea-tt.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/ ;
– Direction générale des affaires maritimes, de la pêche et de l’aquaculture (DGAMPA), Directorate General of Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture, for the security of maritime transport, https://www.mer.gouv.fr/direction-generale-des-affaires-maritimes-de-la-peche-et-de-laquaculture-dgampa ;
5. Protection of the environment:
– Inspection générale de l’environnement et du développement durable (IGEDD), General Inspectorate for the Environment and Sustainable Development, https://www.igedd.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/ ;
6. Radiation protection and nuclear safety:
– Autorité de sûreté nucléaire (ASN), Nuclear Safety Authority, https://www.asn.fr/ ;
7. Food safety :
– Conseil général de l’alimentation, de l’agriculture et des espaces ruraux (CGAAER), General Council for Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas, https://agriculture.gouv.fr/le-conseil-general-de-lalimentation-de-lagriculture-et-des-espaces-ruraux-cgaaer ;
– Agence nationale chargée de la sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (ANSES), National Agency for safety of Food, Environment and Work, https://www.anses.fr/fr ;
8. Public Health :
– Agence nationale chargée de la sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (ANSES), National Agency for Food, Environmental and Work Health Safety, https://www.anses.fr/fr ;
– Agence nationale de santé publique (Santé publique France, SpF), National Public Health Agency, https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/;
– Haute Autorité de santé (HAS), High Authority for Health, https://www.has-sante.fr/;
– Agence de la biomédecine, Biomedicine Agency, https://www.agence-biomedecine.fr/ ;
– Etablissement français du sang (EFS), French Establishment for Blood, https://www.efs.sante.fr ;
– Comité d’indemnisation des victimes des essais nucléaires (CIVEN), Compensation Committee for Nuclear Test Victims, https://www.gouvernement.fr/comite-d-indemnisation-des-victimes-des-essais-nucleaires-civen ;
– Inspection générale des affaires sociales (IGAS), General Inspectorate of Social Affairs, https://igas.gouv.fr ;
– Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM), National Institute of Health and Medical Research , https://www.inserm.fr ;
– Conseil national de l’ordre des médecins, National Council of the Order of Medical doctors, for the practice of the profession of medicin, https://www.conseil-national.medecin.fr ;
– Conseil national de l’ordre des masseurs-kinésithérapeutes, National Council of the Order of Physiotherapists, for the practice of the profession of physiotherapist, https://www.ordremk.fr/ordre/nos-missions/le-conseil-national ;
– Conseil national de l’ordre des sages-femmes, National Council of the Order of Midwives, for the practice of midwifery, https://www.ordre-sages-femmes.fr ;
– Conseil national de l’ordre des pharmaciens, National Council of the Order of Pharmacists, for the practice of the profession of pharmacists, www.ordre.pharmacien.fr ;
– Conseil national de l’ordre des infirmiers, National Council of the Order of Nurses, for the practice of the profession of Nursery, https://www.ordre-infirmiers.fr/ ;
– Conseil national de l’ordre des chirurgiens-dentistes, National Council of the Order of Dental Surgeons, for the practice of the profession of dental surgeon, https://www.ordre-chirurgiens-dentistes.fr ;
– Conseil national de l’ordre des pédicures-podologues, National Council of the Order of Pedicure-Podologists, for the practice of the profession of chiropodist, https://www.onpp.fr ;
– Conseil national de l’ordre des vétérinaires, Conseil national de l’ordre des vétérinaires, for the practice of the veterinary profession, https://www.veterinaire.fr ;
9. Consumer Protection :
– Direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes (DGCCRF), Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf ;
10. Protection of privacy and personal data, security of networks and information systems:
– Commission nationale de l’informatique et des libertés (CNIL), National Commission for Information Technology and Civil Liberties, https://www.cnil.fr ;
– Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information (ANSSI), National Agency for the Security of Information Systems , https://www.ssi.gouv.fr ;
11. Violations affecting the financial interests of the European Union:
– Agence française anticorruption (AFA), French Anti-Corruption Agency, for breaches of probity, www.agence-francaise-anticorruption.gouv.fr/fr/lagence ;
– Direction générale des finances publiques (DGFIP), Directorate General of Public Finance, for value added tax fraud, https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgfip ;
– Direction générale des douanes et droits indirects (DGDDI), General Directorate of Customs and Excise Tax, https://www.douane.gouv.fr/;
12. Internal market violations:
– Direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes (DGCCRF), Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, for anti-competitive practices, https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgccrf ;
– Autorité de la concurrence, Competition Authority, for anti-competitive practices and state aids, https://www.autoritedelaconcurrence.fr/fr ;
– Direction générale des finances publiques (DGFIP), Directorate General of Public Finance, for corporate tax fraud, https://www.economie.gouv.fr/dgfip/services-en-ligne;
13. Activities conducted by the Ministry of Defence:
– Contrôle général des armées (CGA), General Control of the Armed Forces, https://www.defense.gouv.fr/cga ;
– Collège des inspecteurs généraux des armées, College of Inspectors General of the Armed Forces, https://www.defense.gouv.fr/linspection-generale-armees ;
14. Public statistics:
– Autorité de la statistique publique (ASP), Public Statistics Authority, https://www.autorite-statistique-publique.fr ;
15. Agriculture :
– Conseil général de l’alimentation, de l’agriculture et des espaces ruraux (CGAAER), General Council for Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas, https://agriculture.gouv.fr/le-conseil-general;
16. Education nationale et enseignement supérieur :
– Médiateur de l’éducation nationale et de l’enseignement supérieur, Ombudsman for National Education and Higher Education, https://www.education.gouv.fr/le-mediateur-de-l-education-nationale-et-de-l-enseignement-superieur-41528 ;
17. Individual and collective labour relations, working conditions:
– Direction générale du travail (DGT), Directorate-General for Labour, https://dgt.tg ;
18. Emploi et formation professionnelle :
– Délégation générale à l’emploi et à la formation professionnelle (DGEFP), General Delegation for Employment and Professional Training , https://lannuaire.service-public.fr/gouvernement/ca9d0a5d-896a-4473-ac9c-5f619b0a12ad ;
19. Culture :
– Conseil national de l’ordre des architectes, National Council of the Order of Architects, for the practice of the profession of architect, https://www.architectes.org ;
– Conseil des maisons de vente, Council of auction houses, for public auctions, https://www.conseildesventes.fr/fr ;
20. Rights and freedoms in the context of relations with State administrations and local authorities, public institutions and bodies with a public service mission:
– Défenseur des droits, Defender of rights, https://www.defenseurdesdroits.fr ;
21. Higher interest and childrens rights :
– Défenseur des droits, Defender of rights, https://www.defenseurdesdroits.fr ;
22. Discriminations :
– Défenseur des droits, Defender of rights, https://www.defenseurdesdroits.fr ;
23. Ethics of persons engaged in security activities:
– Défenseur des droits, Defender of rights, https://www.defenseurdesdroits.fr.

“The authority closes the report when has become irrelevant or when the allegations are inaccurate, unfounded, clearly minor, or contain no significant new information in relation to a report already closed. The policy provides that the reporting person is informed in writing of the closure of the report and the reasons for this decision” (art.10 Décret d’application).

Yes. “The authority closes the report when has become irrelevant or when the allegations are inaccurate, unfounded, clearly minor, or contain no significant new information in relation to a report already closed. The policy provides that the reporting person is informed in writing of the closure of the report and the reasons for this decision” (art.10 Décret d’application).

Yes. “In the event of a high inflow of reports, the competent authority may give priority to processing the most serious reports, in particular those for which there is a risk of destroying evidence or a risk that the reporting person may be subject to of one of the retaliatory measures” as mentioned by the act (art.10 Décret d’application).

In the event of remedies against retaliatory measures, the reporting person (claimant) may ask the judge to award her/him, at the expense of the other party, an advance on the legal expenses (art. 10 Loi Sapin 2). In the course of civil or criminal proceedings brought against a reporting person to hinder her/his report or public disclosure, the reporting person (defendant or the accused) may ask the judge to award her/him, at the expense of the claimant or the civil party, an advance on the costs of the proceeding (art. 10 Loi Sapin 2). In both cases, if the financial situation of the reporting person has seriously deteriorated as a result of the report or the public disclosure, the reporting person may ask an advance to cover her/his expenses. The judge shall give a decision within a short period of time and may decide, at any time during the proceedings, that the payment is definitively acquired. The competent authorities may ensure that psychological support is put in place for persons having issued a report under the conditions laid down by law and grant them temporary financial assistance if they consider that their financial situation has seriously deteriorated as a result of the report (art. 14 Loi Sapin 2).

A reporting person may not be excluded from recruitment, internships or training. She/he may not be sanctioned, dismissed, subjected to direct or indirect discrimination or other retaliation measures for reporting or disclosing information in accordance with the law. The act contains a list of examples of prohibited retaliation measures (art.10 Loi Sapin 2). Any act or decision taken in disregard of these prohibitions is null and void. In the event of a dispute, if the reporting person presents factual elements which allow the assumption that she/he has reported or disclosed information under the legal conditions, it is up to the employer to prove that the sanction imposed on her/him is justified by objective reasons having no link with the report (art.10 Loi Sapin 2). The reporting person may refer the matter to the Labour Court “”Conseil des Prud’hommes”” in summary proceedings in the event of dismissal following her/his reporting. Such dismissal is null and void and entitles the worker to reinstatement. A reporting person, who reports or publicly discloses information under the legal conditions, is not incurring civil liability for damages caused by his or her reporting or public disclosure if she/he had reasonable grounds to believe that the information was necessary to safeguard the interests at stake (art.10 Loi Sapin 2).

(a) hinder or attempt to hinder reporting:
Any person who hinders reporting, in any way whatsoever, can be punished by one year imprisonment and a fine of €15 000 (art.13 Loi Sapin 2).
(b) retaliate against reporting person:
Any distinction made between persons on the basis of their status as reporting persons, facilitators or persons connected with the reporting person constitutes a discrimination. Discrimination is punishable by three years imprisonment and a fine of €45 000 (art. 225-1 Code pénal).
(c) persons bringing vexatious proceedings against reporting person: In case of vexatious or dilatory proceedings against a reporting person, a civil fine may be imposed, which may be increased to €60 000, without prejudice to the awarding of damages to the victim of the vexatious or dilatory proceedings (art.13 Loi Sapin 2).
(d) breach the duty of maintaining the confidentiality of reporting persons: Disclosing confidential information (the identity of the reporting person, the persons concerned and any third party mentioned in the report and the information gathered by all the recipients of the report) is punishable by two years imprisonment and a fine of €30 000 (art.9 Loi Sapin 2).

The reporting person may be liable for the penalties incurred in the case of defamation (up to one year imprisonment and a €45,000 fine) or slanderous accusation (five years imprisonment and a €45,000 fine, art. 226-10 Code pénal).

There are no such further rights.