Reflecting The Compliance And Performance Degree In The Special Reports Of The European Court Of Accounts

The European Court of Accounts (ECA) is the European Union’s institution, established by treaty, with the purpose to make the audit of the EU funds. As an external auditor of the European Union, it contributes to improving the financial management of the Union, and acts as an independent defender of the financial interests of the Union’s citizens. The ECA provides with audit services, by which it evaluates the collection and use of the EU funds. Also, it examines if the financial operations were correctly recorded and presented, if they were made respecting the law and the regulations and managed with respect to the principles of economy, efficacy and efficiency. The ECA makes known the results of the audits in clear, relevant and objective reports and gives reports regarding various aspects of financial management, The Court publishes the results of its audit activities in three types of reports: the annual reports, presenting the results of the financial audit activities as insurance declarations concerning the general budget and the European Development Funds. These reports are presented together in the month of November, with the specific annual reports, which present the results of the financial audits made concerning the agencies and organizations of the Communities. The special reports, reserved for the results of certain performance audits and conformity audits, may be published at any time of the year. The present paper analyzes exactly this latter category of reports, made by the institution in the recent annual financial statements.