Reporting offices
The RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research is a leading center for scientific research and evidence-based policy advice in Germany and a member of the Leibniz Association.
The internal reporting office in accordance with the Whistleblower Protection Act of the RWI
The Whistleblower Protection Act, which came into force on July 2, 2023, transposes the EU Whistleblower Directive EU Directive 2019/1937 into national law and aims to create a corporate culture that facilitates the identification and reporting of violations, ensures the protection of whistleblowers, and promotes integrity and compliance within the organization.
In particular, the Act serves to prevent discrimination against whistleblowers in the event of a report of a legal violation and to provide them with legal certainty. This means that whistleblowers can be protected from reprisals under employment and labor law (termination of employment, etc.) or bullying, for example.
With the establishment of an internal reporting office, which is mandatory under the Whistleblower Protection Act, the RWI has commissioned an external law firm: FPS (Fritze Wicke Seelig Partnerschaftsgesellschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB). This firm operates independently of the institute's management and is distinguished by its outstanding expertise and many years of practical experience in the field of whistleblowing.
Reports/information about violations can be submitted to the RWI's internal reporting office (FPS law firm) via this reporting portal: https://rwi.whistlelink.com/
The reporting channel is open to: RWI employees, persons who come into contact with RWI in the course of their professional activities (service providers, customers, contractual partners, etc.), applicants, and former employees. Reports can be submitted anonymously. The confidentiality of the whistleblower's identity will be protected in all cases.
The purpose of the reporting system is to prevent and detect legal violations, criminal offenses under the Criminal Code, certain administrative offenses, illegal activities, and non-compliance with regulations. The reported violations must be related to professional activities at RWI, as the internal reporting office is not responsible for information about private misconduct. Without such a connection, the legal protection for whistleblowers does not apply.
Examples of the scope of application of the internal reporting office are:
- Financial crime: fraud, corruption, bribery, money laundering, tax evasion,
- Violations of regulations on the use of public funds (federal/state/EU),
- data protection, IT security,
- violations of regulations in public procurement/contracting,
- terrorism financing,
- constitutional loyalty and lawful conduct of civil servants,
- environmental offenses or health and safety risks, consumer rights.
Reports of violations that are not related to professional activities, e.g., unethical behavior or incidents in a private context, general complaints, abusive or maliciously false reporting, speculation, and untruths will not be processed by the internal reporting office.
Please also check whether you can (initially) submit your report via the internal channels already set up at the institute:
In addition, the following external reporting offices are available:
- Federal reporting office at the Federal Office of Justice
- Reporting office at the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority
- Reporting office at the Federal Cartel Office
Further information:
- Guidelines on the use of the whistleblower system and whistleblower protection at RWI (intranet)
- Whistleblower Protection Act of May 31, 2023: Federal Law Gazette Part I – Act for better protection of whistleblowers and for the implementation of the Directive on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law – Federal Law Gazette
- Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council of October 23, 2019 on the protection of persons who report breaches of Union law: EUR-Lex - 32019L1937 - EN – EUR-Lex (europa.eu)
