Overview
- Role: To check EU funds are collected and used correctly, and help improve EU financial management
- President: Tony Murphy
- Members: one from each EU country
- Established in: 1975, started work in 1977
- Location: Luxembourg
- Website: European Court of Auditors
As the EU’s independent external auditor, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) looks after the interests of EU taxpayers. It does not have legal powers but works to improve the way the EU’s finances are managed.
What does the ECA do?
- audits EU revenue and expenditure, to check whether EU funds are correctly raised, spent and accounted for, and whether they achieve value for money
- checks any person or organisation handling EU funds – including on-the-spot checks in EU institutions, agencies and bodies, as well as EU countries and non-EU countries receiving EU aid
- writes up findings and recommendations in audit reports
- reports suspected fraud, corruption or other illegal activity to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO)
- produces an annual report for the European Parliament and Council of the EU, which the Parliament examines before deciding whether to approve the Commission's handling of the EU budget
- issues opinions on proposals for new or revised legislation that will impact EU financial management, as well as reviews and ad hoc publications on EU public finance issues.
To be effective, the ECA must be independent of the institutions and bodies it audits. To this end, it is free to decide
- what it will audit
- how to do this
- how and when to present its findings.
The ECA’s audit work focuses mainly on the European Commission – the main body responsible for implementing the EU budget. But it also works closely with national authorities, because the Commission manages most EU funds (around 80%) jointly with them.
Composition
Court members are appointed by the Council, after consulting the Parliament, for renewable 6-year terms. They choose one of their number as President for a 3-year term (also renewable).
How does the ECA work?
It carries out three types of audits:
- financial audits – checking that EU funds are correctly accounted for
- compliance audits – checking that EU funds are raised or spent in accordance with the rules
- performance audits – checking that EU funds achieve value for money.
The ECA members and audit staff are assigned to audit chambers, where most of the ECA’s audit reports, reviews and opinions are adopted.
The ECA and you
You can contact the ECA or suggest an audit topic by filling in the contact form.
Access to documents
Indicative timetable of upcoming publications