The European Commission has closed the infringement proceedings against Slovakia, which it initiated in January over amendments related to whistleblower protection. The Commission halted its actions after Slovakia repealed the contentious changes before they took effect.

According to the EC, this resolved the concerns that the Commission had pointed out, including risks related to the independence of the Office for Whistleblower Protection (ÚOO). The Commission also stated that it will continue to monitor the proper implementation and application of the whistleblower protection directive in all member states.

The background of the changes was legislation intended to transform the ÚOO into a new office and introduce further settings related to whistleblower protection. The National Council of the Slovak Republic approved this proposal in December 2025, but President Peter Pellegrini returned it to parliament (vetoed it). The effectiveness of the legislation was subsequently decided by the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic, which suspended it.

Criticism from the expert community and the EC was also related to the fact that the amendment had a significant impact on the status and functioning of protective mechanisms for whistleblowers. Along with this, it is noted that the legislative dispute also reflected in further steps at the level of planning and negotiations related to the Recovery and Resilience Plan.