Annual Activity Report of the European Court of Auditors presented in the National Audit Office of Lithuania

Ms Irena Petruškevičienė, Member of the European Court of Auditors (ECA) presented the ECA Annual Activity Report for 2008 and the Annual Report on the 2008 EU Budget in the meeting with the staff of the National Audit Office.   Ms Petruškevičienė noted that for the second year in a row ECA did not detect material errors in the EU financial accounts, while general level of the detected accounting violations decreased. “Although we still detect certain weaknesses in some areas, however, considering the amount of the total annual EU budget – EUR 117 billion, we may recognize the soundness of the accounting of the EU funds,“ said the Member of the ECA in the meeting.

Biggest progress in payment of funds to the EU member states in 2008 was achieved in the policy group “Agriculture and natural resources“. EU auditors found that for the first time in this sector, payments for the policy group “Agriculture and natural resources”, except for Rural Development are in all material respects legal and regular.

However, according to Ms Petruškevičienė, Cohesion policy group remains problematic as the area most affected by errors. “This policy group is most affected by errors, and at least 11 % of the total amount reimbursed should not have been paid out,“ added she.

The ECA gave adverse opinions for policy groups “Research, energy and transport” and “External aid, development and enlargement”.

The European Court of Auditors is the EU Institutions, which oversees if all the EU funds are soundly accounted for, used following the requirements of legislation, as well as in an economic and efficient way. The Court assists the European Parliament and Council in overseeing the implementation of the EU budget.

Ms Irena Petruškeviečienė is the Dean of the ECA Audit Group, overseeing the revenue of the European Union, administrative expenditure of the institutions of the EU, internal policies of the EU, borrowing, lending and banking activities, Community agencies and other decentralised bodies.


Annual Activity Report 2008