Law No. 96/2025 On Whistleblowing and the Protection of Whistleblowers Albania

• 18 December 2025 – Law adopted by the Parliament of Albania
• 15 January 2026 – Law promulgated and published in the Official Gazette
• 05 February 2026 – Entry into force (15 days after publication)
• 05 May 2026 – Deadline for secondary legislation (3 months from entry into force)
• 05 August 2026 – Deadline for entities to adopt internal rules (6 months from entry into force)

• Public sector bodies at national and local level
• Private entities with 50 or more employees
• State-owned and state-controlled enterprises
• Entities managing public funds or EU funds
• Protection also applies to:
  • Current and former employees
  • Job applicants
  • Board members and shareholders
  • Volunteers and interns
  • Contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers
  • Facilitators and persons connected to the whistleblower

• Private entities with fewer than 50 employees, unless operating in regulated sectors or managing public funds
• Matters related to national security and classified information
• Information covered by legal privilege, such as attorney-client confidentiality, subject to legal limitations

• Establish internal reporting channels if employing 50 or more workers
• Ensure reporting channels are secure and protect confidentiality, unless certain exceptions apply
• Designate a responsible unit or person to receive and follow up on reports
• Acknowledge receipt of a report within 7 days of submission
• Provide feedback to the whistleblower within 3 months from acknowledgment of receipt
• Prohibit retaliation, including dismissal, demotion, harassment, discrimination, or other adverse measures
• Maintain records of reports in accordance with data protection rules
• Adopt internal regulations governing whistleblowing procedures

• If an internal reporting channel is accessible online, it must provide secure data transmission
• Clearly describe internal and external reporting procedures
• Publish contact details of the competent external authority
• Make whistleblowing procedures easily accessible to employees and third parties
• Provide clear information on confidentiality protections and non-retaliation safeguards

• Private entities with 50–249 employees may share reporting resources under certain conditions, provided confidentiality is preserved
• Reporting may be submitted in writing or orally
• Public disclosure is protected when legal conditions are met
• The competent authority oversees compliance and may request documentation
• Contractual clauses restricting whistleblowing rights are invalid

• Right to report internally or externally
• Right to confidentiality of identity
• Right to protection from retaliation
• Right to interim protective measures
• Right to judicial remedies and compensation for damages
• Right to protection even if the whistleblower is no longer employed
• Protection extends to facilitators and persons connected to the whistleblower

• Enforcing Authority: High Inspectorate for Declaration and Audit of Assets and Conflicts of Interest (HIDAACI) and other competent bodies
• Regulatory mechanism includes:
  • Oversight of internal reporting systems
  • Review and referral of reports
  • Orders for corrective measures
• The law provides for administrative fines expressed in Albanian Lek (ALL), with specific ranges defined per violation in the sanctioning articles
• Sanctionable violations include:
  • Failure to establish mandatory internal reporting channels
  • Failure to designate a responsible unit or adopt internal procedures
  • Breach of confidentiality obligations
  • Retaliation against a whistleblower or related person
• In addition to administrative fines, violators may face:
  • Disciplinary measures (for public officials)
  • Civil liability for compensation of damages
  • Criminal liability in serious cases of retaliation, obstruction, or disclosure of protected identity, as provided under the Albanian Criminal Code

Note: Fine amounts are determined per violation category in the law’s specific sanctioning provisions and are applied by the competent authority following administrative procedures.