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12 October 2020

ELIG Grkaynak Attorneys-at-Law

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The Council of Europe has developed legal instruments forprotecting individuals who report or disclose information on actsand omissions in the workplace that represent a serious threat orharm to public interest. Several stories being emerged in theglobal media about whistleblowers being silenced against during theCOVID-19 pandemic, has brought special attention to RecommendationCM/Rec(2014)7 and EU Whistleblowing Directive on the Protection ofWhistleblowers both setting out the framework to facilitatingwhistleblowing protections.

Recommendation no. CM/Rec(2014)71("Recommendation") was adoptedby the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on April 30,2014. It stresses the vitality of whistleblowing and protection ofwhistleblowers in preventing wrongdoings in the workplace. Itaddresses key principles around whistleblowing to ensure thefollowing:

- diverse channels are available to report and discloseinformation that is potentially harming public interest,

- effective mechanisms are run to maintain an environmentwherein such disclosure and reports are processed promptly,

- whistleblowers are entitled to certain rights includingkeeping their identities confidential.

The EU Whistleblower Directive("Directive")2 entered into force on December 16,2019. Pursuant to this Directive, EU member countries are requiredto enact conforming national legislation on whistleblowers by 2021.Directive brings a high level protection to whistleblowers acrossmany sectors. As per the Directive, reports to the public areprotected when they concern imminent harm to public interest.

In some countries cases wherein several doctors and nurses havebeen fired and disciplined for expressing worries about their workconditions, also in relation to a lack of personal protectiveequipment, required certain responses to public accountability.Accordingly, as the current crisis highlights, every time awhistleblower is silenced, the risk to public health and safetyincreases proportionately.

Furthermore, the Council of Europe's Group of States againstCorruption (GRECO) acknowledges the crucial role of whistleblowersin managing the increased risk of corruption during the COVID-19outbreak. In this regard, the protection of whistleblowers in thehealth sector is explicitly listed as a key competency in the fightagainst corruption and gross mismanagement during the pandemic.

To conclude, importance of protecting access to information inthe context of a global emergency, when so many lives andlivelihoods are at risk should not be underestimated. Protectingwhistleblowers during pandemic is vital to keeping us all safer andinformed.

This article was first published in Legal Insights Quarterlyby ELIG Grkaynak Attorneys-at-Law in September 2020. A linkto the full Legal Insight Quarterly may be found here

Footnotes

POPULAR ARTICLES ON: Employment and HR from European Union

Link:
EU Practices On The Protection Of Whistleblowers During The COVID-19 Outbreak - Employment and HR - European Union - Mondaq News Alerts

Myanmar can now export honey to the European Union (EU) according to an EU Commission Decision made on 29 July 2020.

Implemented by the International Trade Centre, the EU-funded ARISE Plus Myanmar project supports the private and public sectors in the country in boosting their exports of honey products within the economic space of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and to the EU and global markets.

The EU approved Myanmar's National Residue Monitoring Plan for the importation of honey produced in Myanmar. Myanmar honey producers receiving orders from European countries can now sell and export their products, provided they meet the EU safety and quality requirements as well as standards for honey production.

'It is a milestone for the country that the EU recognizes the National Residue Monitoring Plan as a reliable instrument to monitor chemical residues in honey,' says Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of the International Trade Centre. 'This is what creating added value is all about and I am pleased that we may now be able to sample this amazing product in Europe.'

Dr. Johann Hesse, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Myanmar, says, 'Ensuring EU food safety and quality requirements through every level of the food supply chain is challenging, but rewarding. Myanmar beekeepers now have access to a market of 450 million consumers looking for quality products. Welcome to the EU!'

The approval is significant because it stands for safety in line with stringent EU food production requirements. It also promotes market competitiveness: two years ago, buyers from the EU showed their interest in buying honey from Myanmar but the country was not officially listed for honey exports to the EU. Now, beekeepers, collectors and honey exporters can benefit.

Collaboration for stronger institutions

The Apiculture Development Division of the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department of the country's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation submitted the report of the National Residue Monitoring Plan to the EU along with test samples.

'We will be continuously working to establish sustainable Myanmar honey trade to the EU market and to ensure its quality and safety of products for export,' says Deputy Director General of the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department Dr. Than Naing Tun.

'Quality and safety measures are important to penetrate and maintain a new market like the EU. We have urged all stakeholders to keep going with concerted effort,' adds Aung Khaing Htwe, the Chairman of Myanmar Apiculture Association and Managing Director of Smile Happy Co., Ltd.

A silver lining in the face of COVID-19

Due to the current health crisis caused by COVID-19, super or healthy foods, such as honey and other bee products, have gained increasing interest from the public. This has resulted in higher international prices for honey - and Myanmar has the opportunity to grow its export linkages in the product if it ensures internal sanitary control mechanisms for its honey production.

This is where ARISE Plus steps in. In recent years, Myanmar's authorities have strengthened their capacity to implement the sanitary controls necessary to guarantee honey exports. ARISE Plus Myanmar works closely with these authorities, organizing training sessions and developing tools such as checklists and guidelines for Good Beekeeping Practices, Good Manufacturing Practices as well as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points.

So far, more than 100 stakeholders from the honey sector attended the capacity-building activities of the project where experts from the International Trade Centre assisted the Apiculture Development Division in their reporting and laboratory testing in Germany.

ARISE Plus also supports the Government of Myanmar in issuing the public health attestation (veterinary certificate) that must accompany each honey export.

About the project

The ARISE Plus Myanmar project contributes to the growth of inclusive and sustainable trade in Myanmar. It supports the honey sector in complying with sanitary and phytosanitary measures to access international markets, particularly the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. For this, the International Trade Centre takes a holistic approach by strengthening the Apiculture Development Division's official control and assisting the laboratories to test quality and safety parameters for honey.

Original post:
Myanmar: Now exporting honey to the European Union - Marketscreener.com

It's hard to feel too sorry for anyone wealthy enough to own a new Rolls-Royce, but there's bad news for these folks in the European Union because the illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy badge is no longer available. Making matters worse, the light-up hood ornament needs to be removed from any Rolls that currently has it.

The cause of this weird decision is that the illuminated sculpture does not comply with the new EU light pollution regulations. After disconnecting it, Rolls will refund owners for the price of the option and replace the hood ornament with a silver-plated Spirit of Ecstasy. Note that this only applies to vehicles in the EU, and models elsewhere are still free to light up the lady.

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"In February 2019 we sent our dealers a bulletin saying we were removing the option of an unlit Spirit of Ecstasy. It was no longer to be sold to customers. It came off the options list," aRolls-Royce spokesman told The Daily Mail. "Sadly, we are telling our customers that we will by law have to disconnect their Spirit of Ecstasy."

What's not clear is what happens if owners simply doesn't bring their Rolls-Royce to a dealer to remove the illuminatedSpirit of Ecstasy. It's hard to imagine the cops pulling over someone in a Phantom just because there's a light-up hood ornament.

The latest Rolls-Royce to join the range is the new Ghost. It now rides on thededicated Rolls-Royce Architecture of Luxury platform and has an interesting suspension setup with a damper on the upper wishbone that helps create an even smoother ride. There's also aGPS-aided transmission to make motoring in the sedan even more luxurious. Prices start at$332,500.

Read the rest here:
Rolls-Royces Illuminated Spirit Of Ecstasy Banned By European Union - Motor1

One of the more unique features of moderns Rolls is the new illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy. The silver statue of the flying lady has adorned the hood of Rolls-Royces for a century and is instantly recognizable as the face of the brand. So you might imagine that some Rolls customers would like to spotlight, quite literally, the iconic symbol. Which is why many Rolls customers opt for the illuminated version of the Spirit, which features a frosted finish that allows it to be lit from underneath, thus created a really interesting glowing look. Except, European customers will no longer be able to order the illuminated version and current owners with said version will have to have theirs replaced.

New European Union regulations actually permit the illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy, as it now violates certain light pollution laws. Because of this, Rolls-Royce has had to remove the option from its cars and dealerships are now telling customers that it can no longer be had. Current Rolls owners with the option also have to bring their cars back to the dealer to have the illuminated version replaced with a standard version, which will be free of charge. Additionally, customers will either receive a full refund of the cost of the illuminated Spirit or a different additional option.

We are in the process of putting a package together. We shall write to make an offer of a full refund, a replacement silver-plated Spirit of Ecstasy, or another option from our list. a Rolls-Royce spokesperson said.

This seems like a silly regulation to begin with but even if light pollution laws are really cracking down, does an illuminated grille statue standing less than six-inches tall really create enough light pollution to be a problem? Also, whos going to enforce this? Are cops going to be pulling over cars with lighted grille ornaments? And whos to say that customers arent going to keep the illuminated Spirit after having it replaced and then put it back on themselves afterward?

Personally, I find the illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy a bit tacky and unbecoming of a Rolls-Royce. That said, its an option that has a lot of fans, as a lot of customers actually do choose it, so I can see why those customers are upset.

[Source: The Daily Mail]

More here:
European Union Bans Rolls-Royce Illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy - BMWBLOG

BRUSSELS (AP) A top European Union official dealing with the United Kingdom said Tuesday that a cliff-edge rupture between the two without even a basic trade deal by the end of the year is becoming more likely by the day.

European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic told the European Parliament that time is short to reach a deal before a Brexit divorce transition period ends by years end, effectively giving negotiators less than four weeks to broker a deal which must subsequently go through a lengthy approval process.

And he pointed his finger at British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for making things even more difficult when he decided last month to introduce a bill that breaches the legally binding Withdrawal Agreement it struck with the bloc to make sure it could leave on Jan. 31.

Sefcovic said it made Britain less trustworthy and called the plans a heavy blow to the British signature and reliability. Respecting agreements is first a matter of law, but also of trust and in good faith.

He said the plans left the EU with no choice but to launch legal action against Britain. If passed into law, the Internal Market Bill would undermine the EUs previously agreed oversight of trade to and from Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K and shares a border with EU member Ireland.

The bloc is furious that Britain plans to breach portions of the withdrawal treaty that were put in place to maintain an open Irish border, which has underpinned peace since Northern Irelands 1998 Good Friday accord.

Sefcovic said the EU would never change anything to the Brexit divorce deal.

The full and timely implementation of the withdrawal agreement is simply not debatable, he told the European Parliament.

Under such adversarial conditions, negotiators from both sides continue to look for common ground to broker a rudimentary trade deal to avoid a barrage of uncertainty, tariffs and red tape that would hurt economies on both sides when the transition window ends on Jan. 1.

But while negotiators have inched close to agreement in many areas during six months of talks, they remain deadlocked over European fishing boats access to U.K. waters, and over the level of support governments can give to industry. The EU is concerned that British plans to subsidize sectors such as technology will amount to unfair competition.

More here:
EU says that no-deal Brexit becoming ever more likely - Associated Press