Guaranteeing Upholding of Accountability, Rights, and Disclosure (GUARD)

Project Description

The European project GUARD aims to strengthen whistleblower protection by enhancing the capacity of civil society organisations, improving reporting mechanisms, and promoting cooperation among competent authorities.

Implemented in Romania, Bulgaria, and Italy, the project addresses the challenges whistleblowers face in exercising their rights, including the risk of retaliation, limited access to specialised support, and the uneven implementation of European legislation.

Coordinator: Center for the Study of Democracy (Bulgaria)
SAR’s role: Project partner and leader of advocacy and dissemination activities

What We Aim to Achieve

• Strengthen the role of civil society in providing information, guidance, and support to whistleblowers.
• Promote public disclosure as a legitimate and protected means of reporting breaches of the law, under the conditions established by European legislation.
• Enhance the capacity of public authorities to handle external whistleblowing reports and cooperate at the European level.

Expected Results

The project will develop practical tools for organisations supporting whistleblowers, a code of practice for public disclosures, cooperation models for competent authorities, and training activities for civil society organisations and journalists.

In addition, three policy briefs will be produced, providing recommendations for improving whistleblower protection at national and European levels.

SAR’s Role

The Romanian Academic Society (SAR) leads the project’s advocacy, dissemination, and awareness-raising activities. SAR will contribute to developing policy recommendations, organising dissemination events, and promoting whistleblowers’ rights, drawing on its expertise in integrity, anti-corruption, and good governance.

Project Partners

• Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) – Bulgaria, coordinator
• Romanian Academic Society (SAR) – Romania
• Libera – Italy
• Commission for Personal Data Protection (CPDP) – Bulgaria
• Autorità Nazionale Anticorruzione (ANAC) – Italy
• National Integrity Agency (ANI) – Romania, associated partner

Funded by the European Union under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme.