The aim of the project is to promote in-depth research and comparative analysis of whistleblowing practices and their legal regulation following the implementation of Directive (EU) 2019/1937 in the Member States – Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania, and Estonia. The study will include thorough data collection and structured interviews with civil society organisations, whistleblowers themselves, reporting channel administrators, and other stakeholders. This will make it possible to identify both national and cross-border challenges in implementing whistleblowing systems, as well as to explore public perceptions of the issue in countries with a shared past of authoritarianism.
At the same time, the project will significantly strengthen capacity and improve communication in the whistleblowing field. We will design and pilot training programmes for civil society organisations, trade unions, and municipalities, organise workshops and training sessions, and create an online course for potential whistleblowers. The public will be informed about the project’s progress and results through social media, press releases, and seminars. Special attention will be paid to raising awareness of the role whistleblowers play in strengthening openness and democracy, as well as to the strategic and wide dissemination of project outcomes.
In Estonia, the Whistleblower Protection Act – officially titled the Act on the Protection of Whistleblowers of Work-Related Violations of European Union Law – entered into force on 1 September 2024. Estonia was one of the last countries in the EU to adopt this law. Unfortunately, the law only applies to certain work-related breaches of EU law, making it difficult for whistleblowers and report handlers to understand whether a case falls under the law and whether protection is guaranteed.
Project duration: 01.08.2025 – 31.07.2027
