Protecting those who speak up is everyone’s responsibility: VoiceGuard completes its training in Spain with 44 professionals
FIBGAR has completed the VoiceGuard project training sessions in Spain, two editions aimed at those who manage reporting channels, advise whistleblowers, or work in the legal, compliance and public administration fields. The first edition took place on 15 and 16 September 2026 and the second on 1 and 2 October. In total, 44 people took part in the sessions: 30 in the first edition and 14 in the second.
VoiceGuard (Whistleblower Empowerment & Support Initiative) is a project co-funded by the European Union through the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) Programme, which we are developing together with our partners in Bulgaria, Romania, Czechia, Luxembourg and Greece. Its aim is to strengthen the capacities of the people and organisations involved in protecting those who report wrongdoing.
The programme covered the fundamentals of whistleblower protection, Directive (EU) 2019/1937 and its transposition through Ley 2/2023, investigation procedures and support for whistleblowers, governance and the continuous improvement of systems, and implementation in Spain. Besides the presentations, we worked with practical exercises and real cases, and with an organisational self-assessment in small groups which, according to the training team, was one of the strongest moments of the seminar.
The results of the final evaluation speak for themselves. All the people who responded were satisfied with the programme: 20 “very satisfied” and 14 “satisfied”. Thirty-one out of thirty-four rated the practical exercises as useful or very useful, 28 said their knowledge of whistleblower protection systems had improved significantly, and 21 said they feel more confident when handling the reports they receive. Module 3, dedicated to investigation procedures and support for whistleblowers, was the most frequently cited as the most useful, by 27 participants.
The training team also highlighted the high level of participation in both editions. The questions posed to generate debate and the work in breakout rooms led people with very different profiles (public administration, legal professionals, compliance officers, trade union representatives and civil society organisations) to share real experiences and doubts. One of the participants came from outside the European Union, which made it possible to compare our framework with other realities.
Reporting an irregularity remains a difficult decision. Fear of retaliation, distrust of the channels, and a lack of knowledge of rights and available routes mean that many irregularities are never reported. When that happens, it is the public interest that suffers: improperly awarded contracts, diverted funds, risks to health or safety, data breaches that nobody corrects in time.
Having a law is not enough. Ley 2/2023 requires many organisations to have an internal reporting system, but a channel that nobody knows about, that nobody trusts, or that is not managed rigorously protects no one. Training is needed for those who receive and process reports, independent investigation procedures, real guarantees of confidentiality, and effective measures against retaliation. And awareness is needed, so that people working in an organisation know that channels exist, how to use them and what protection they offer. Protecting people well also means a culture of integrity, in which speaking up is seen not as a threat but as a contribution.
The training sessions are one part of VoiceGuard. The project continues with the support platform so that whistleblowers can learn about their rights and reporting routes, and with a legal and psychological support network made up of professionals they can turn to. The results and contributions gathered in these sessions will feed into the project’s final report and recommendations.
We thank everyone who took part for their time, their engagement and their proposals, and our trainers for their work. We will continue to share the next steps on our website and on our social media.
