The S&Ds are hugely disappointed by today’s verdict that the charges against LuxLeaks whistleblowers will be upheld. On the back of this verdict, the S&Ds will step up their fight for comprehensive EU-wide legislation to ensure protection for those who bravely speak out about unethical tax dealings.

Virginie Rozière, the S&D MEP responsible for the Parliament’s report on whistleblowers, said:

“I am deeply saddened to see that the charges against Antoine Deltour and Raphaël Halet have not been dropped following their appeal. We must remember that it is only thanks to their bravery, strength and sense of morality that we are today more aware of the scale of tax evasion in Europe. Regardless of the verdict, I would like to stress once again my complete and continued support for them.

“Whatsmore, this verdict underlines that there is an urgent need for concrete, legal and comprehensive protections for whistleblowers in Europe. It is unbelievable that these people are the only ones to be prosecuted, while those implicated in the grossly unethical tax scandals have got off free.

“For millions of honest and hardworking European citizens, our failure to tackle multinational tax evasion undermines faith in public policies.  It is therefore now more important than ever that the European Parliament delivers on tax transparency, and the S&Ds will continue to lead the way in this fight. A crucial step forward would be to introduce EU-wide legislation to guarantee the protection of people who are acting to expose the shady dealings of the global elites.”