Bad governance, corruption, and fraud pose significant challenges to our societies, often undermining civil liberties, fundamental rights, and the public interest. At the same time, accountability is a cornerstone of democracy, requiring effective tools and procedures. One of the most powerful mechanisms for ensuring accountability is whistleblowing. Recognizing its importance, many governments worldwide have established laws and procedures to protect whistleblowers. Since 2019, the EU has also adopted a directive to safeguard individuals who report breaches of Union law. While all EU Member States have transposed this directive into their national legal systems, the process has often been slow, and some laws fall below EU standards, as noted by the EU Whistleblowing Monitor. Nonetheless, according to a European Parliament report, most Member States have aligned their laws with Article 2 of the directive, covering issues such as environmental protection – the primary focus of our project.

Addressing climate change, protecting the environment, and preventing ecological harm are top EU priorities, embedded in numerous policy initiatives. To meet environmental targets in the coming decades, good governance, transparency, and accountability are essential but not sufficient on their own. This project aims to strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) and local authorities to ensure the effective implementation of the EU directive and national transposition laws. Additionally, it seeks to raise public awareness about whistleblowers’ rights and reporting channels, fostering a culture of accountability and environmental protection.