The EU Council Legal Service’s opinion that the Whistleblowing Directive should be divided into five separate legislative act has been met with criticism by a number of national governments. At a conference on the EU’s whistleblower regulation held on 9 January, a clear dividing line among member states could be sensed. Representatives of Spain, Finland, France and the Netherlands made assurances that they would support adherence to the horizontal approach put forward by the EC. On the other hand the British, Irish and Swedish delegations backed the Council's opinion.