Commission supported the protection of whistleblowers exposing financial violations

Imagine an employee of a bank or financial company who noticed a suspicious transaction and, as a law-abiding citizen, reported it. But then he is suddenly fired — officially for another reason. Today, it is difficult to prove a connection between these two events and protect this person. The draft law of Ukraine, which the Commission endorsed, is intended to change this situation.

This refers to the draft law of Ukraine No. 15501, submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on 10 August 2026. It makes amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses and the Criminal Code and applies to those who report violations in the areas of combating money laundering, terrorist financing, or the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

If the employer puts pressure on such an employee — for example, by forcing them to resign or issuing a reprimand — the employer faces administrative liability. The same applies to the unlawful disclosure of information about a whistleblower. Furthermore, there is a proposal to introduce criminal liability for the unlawful dismissal of an employee due to their report.

Separately, the draft law expands the powers of state financial monitoring agencies. They will be granted the right to independently issue protocols on such violations.

This is not a standalone initiative, but part of a much larger process —Ukraine’s accession to SEPA, the Single Euro Payments Area. It already brings together more than 40 European countries and over 500 million people and businesses. Within this area, euros can be transferred just as quickly, cheaply, and securely as within the EU. To apply for membership, Ukraine’s financial monitoring legislation must meet the criteria of the European Payments Council — and whistleblower protection is among those criteria.

This is the second attempt to adopt such regulations. The NSSMC had already supported a similar draft law of Ukraine No. 14328 back in December 2025, but on 16 July 2026 it was withdrawn due to the reshuffle of the composition of the Cabinet of Ministers. The draft law No. 15501 effectively reintroduces the same proposal for consideration by the Verkhovna Rada. At the same time, Parliament is considering the related draft law of Ukraine No. 14327-d, which contains the bulk of the changes necessary for joining SEPA, while the draft law of Ukraine No. 15501 specifically covers the administrative and criminal parts.