Overview of EU supreme audit institutions’ role and work now available online
The European Court of Auditors i today launched the first edition of Public Audit in the European Union, an online portal containing information on the work and role of the 29 supreme audit institutions (SAIs) in the EU i and its Member States. The portal illustrates the SAIs’ contribution to the effective functioning of democracy and provides an overview of their mandate, status, organisation, work and output, as well as identifying the differences and similarities between them.
“Supreme audit institutions play a key role in the system of checks and balances, contributing to the efficient, effective and economic use of public resources and helping to build and maintain the trust of citizens,” said Klaus-Heiner Lehne i, the president of the European Court of Auditors. “We hope that this portal attracts the interest of auditors, policymakers and legislators across the EU and beyond. With it, we also hope to make a valuable contribution to ongoing research in public audit.”
Public scrutiny is an integral part of democratic systems, and the existence of an independent SAI is a condition for joining the EU. The structure, remit and powers of most SAIs have evolved over time, sometimes as a result of political changes or the reform of public administration. Public Audit in the European Union provides comprehensive and comparable information on their governance, status, relations with parliament, staffing and budget, selection of audit topics and reporting.
Public audit in the European Union, an online portal on supreme audit institutions in the EU and its Member States, is available in English on eca.europa.eu. The other official EU languages will be made available soon.