Whistleblower Advocacy for Knowledge, Empowerment, Unity, and Protection

2026-07-22

WAKE UP aims to create an enabling environment for whistleblowers (WB) in the public sector by enhancing training and knowledge in public administration and supporting a new key role of civil society organizations (CSOs). Although the EU Directive 2019/1937 set common minimum standards, national regulations have only recently been adopted by all member states, with Estonia and Poland as the last. Additionally, the significance of the WBs role is often underemphasized, leading to negative public perceptions. The project increases awareness of the new national regulations implementing the Directive and ensures that those responsible for handling WB reports are properly trained. This will help potential whistleblowers become aware of reporting channels and the protection measures available to them. Semi-structured interviews will gather insights into the challenges faced by potential WBs and issues identified by internal WB channel managers. The findings will inform a comparative report on the Directive’s implementation, MOOCs for potential WBs, and guidelines for WB report handlers (WP2). Given the crucial role of CSOs in advising and supporting WBs and promoting a positive WB culture, WAKE UP aims to strengthen the capacity of these organizations to support whistleblowers and effectively implement WB legislation in the workplace. Training sessions will be organized for CSO representatives, public administration bodies, and social partners (WP3). To raise awareness of the importance of whistleblowing and provide accessible information on recent regulations, national case studies will be compiled, and seminars will be held for university students. In addition, relevant media channels will be used to publish articles and infographics, while project-related sections on partner websites and social media will be created, monitored, and regularly updated (WP4).

Latvia, Italy, Romania, Poland, Estonia

2026-01-01