Recital 57

(57)

In the context of internal reporting, informing, as far as legally possible and in the most comprehensive way possible, the reporting person about the follow-up to the report is crucial for building trust in the effectiveness of the overall system of whistleblower protection and reduces the likelihood of further unnecessary reports or public disclosures. The reporting person should be informed within a reasonable timeframe about the action envisaged or taken as follow-up to the report and the grounds for the choice of that follow-up. Follow-up could include, for instance, referral to other channels or procedures in the case of reports exclusively affecting individual rights of the reporting person, closure of the procedure based on lack of sufficient evidence or other grounds, launch of an internal enquiry and, possibly, its findings and any measures taken to address the issue raised, referral to a competent authority for further investigation, insofar as such information would not prejudice the internal enquiry or the investigation or affect the rights of the person concerned. In all cases, the reporting person should be informed of the investigation's progress and outcome. It should be possible to ask the reporting person to provide further information, during the course of the investigation, albeit without there being an obligation to provide such information.