EU accounts signed off, but errors persist in all main spending areas, say EU Auditors
The annual report on the EU budget for 2012 financial year was published today (5/11/2013) by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). As independent auditor, the ECA has signed off the 2012 accounts of the European Union, as it has done each year since the 2007 financial year. But in most spending areas of the EU budget the report finds that the legislation in force is still not fully complied with. The ECA calls for a rethink of EU spending rules and recommends simplifying the legislative framework. The 2014–2020 programming period looks likely to remain expenditure oriented - designed for getting the EU budget allocated and spent - rather than focusing on the value it is intended to bring.
“Europe’s citizens have a right to know what their money is being spent on and whether it is being used properly,” said ECA President Vítor Caldeira, “They also have a right to know whether it is delivering value, particularly at a time when there is such pressure on public finances.”
