ECA/06/36
Luxembourg, 11 December 2006
Heads of the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of the European Union and the European Court of Auditors (ECA) meet in Warsaw on 11-12 December 2006
The annual meeting of the Contact Committee of the Heads of the EU SAIs and the European Court of Auditors will this year be hosted by the SAI of Poland, and chaired by the President of the Supreme Chamber of Control, Mr Mirosław Sekuła. The Heads of the SAIs of the Candidate Countries Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Turkey, as well as representatives from IDI, the EUROSAI Training Committee, and SIGMA, will attend as active observers. Mr Hubert Weber, President of the ECA, will lead the ECA delegation, which will include Mr François Bernicot, Mr Morten Louis Levysohn and Mr Jacek Uczkiewicz, Members of the ECA.
The programme for the meeting includes a seminar on the contribution which the Member States' SAIs can make in improving the accountability of EU funds. Guest speakers are Mr Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission and Mr Szabolcs Fazakas, Chairman of the Budgetary Control Committee of the European Parliament. The Heads of the SAIs will also discuss ways to reinforce cooperation and examine the results from working groups covering specific areas of management of EU funds: public procurement, value added tax, agriculture, Structural Funds, national SAI reports on EU financial management, and audit quality. In addition, results of the cooperation between the SAIs of the Candidate Countries and potential Candidate Countries will be presented.
These regular meetings are especially important for the ECA, as the EC Treaties require that the ECA and the SAIs of the EU cooperate in a spirit of trust while maintaining their respective independence. Increased cooperation in the audit of EU public funds is also essential for further improving the management and effective use of those funds in the interests of all EU citizens.
For further information, please contact: The European Court of Auditors (External Relations Department) tel. +352 4398 45410, fax +352 4398 46430, or e-mail press@eca.europa.eu www.eca.europa.eu
