On December 22, 2023, the Commission for Personal Data Protection (CPDP) announced the publication of guidelines, adopted on December 13, 2023, on the submission to the CPDP of the statistical information required under the Whistleblower Protection and Public Disclosure Act of February 2, 2023 (the Whistleblower Act). In this regard, the CPDP highlighted that covered entities should not submit statistical information to the CPDP if no whistleblowing reports were received during the reporting period.

What is the aim of the guidelines?

The CPDP outlined that the guidelines are intended to:

• support the activities of obliged entities under the Whistleblower Act, including their designated whistleblower officers/units, in providing statistical information to the CPDP;
• establish uniform rules and criteria in the reporting and aggregation of statistical information; and
• prevent inconsistent practice in the submission of statistical information and establish the control exercised by the CPDP in the application of the legal framework for the protection of whistleblowers.

When should the statistical information be submitted?

According to the CPDP, the statistical information should be made available by January 31, 2024. However, due to the delay in the launch of the electronic reporting module, which the CPDP is developing, obliged entities will be granted an appropriate additional period to submit the information. The CPDP also noted that the alternative ways of submitting the information, as noted under items 7 and 8 of the guidelines, can be used from January 1, 2024.

You can read the press release here and the guidelines here, both only available in Bulgarian.