Press Release: 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 on the 5 November 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 found that the legislation in force was still not fully complied with.

The ECA called for a rethink of EU spending rules and recommended simplifying the legislative framework. The 2014–2020 programming period looked likely to remain expenditure oriented - designed for getting the EU budget allocated and spent - rather than focusing on the value it was intended to bring.

• Primary Source

European Court of Auditors: 2012 Annual Report http://www.eca.europa.eu/en/Pages/AR_2012.aspx

EUObserver, 05.11.13: EU budget errors on the rise, watchdog says http://euobserver.com/economic/121988

European Commission: RAPID: Press Release, IP/13/1028: Court of Auditors report shows EU budget management on the right track http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-1028_en.pdf

European Commission: RAPID: Memo, MEMO/13/947: Annual report of the European Court of Auditors – Frequently Asked Questions http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-947_en.pdf

European Court of Auditors: Press Release, ECA/13/36: EU accounts signed off, but errors persist in all main spending areas, say EU Auditors http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_ECA-13-36_en.pdf

European Court of Auditors: Press Release, ECA/13/37: 2012 Annual Report - Frequently Asked Questions http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_ECA-13-37_en.pdf

European Court of Auditors: Speech, ECA/13/38: Speech by Vítor Caldeira, President of the European Court of Auditors - Presentation of the Annual Reports 2012 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_ECA-13-38_en.pdf

European Parliament: Press Release, 05.11.13: EU budget 2012 – member states must step up EU funding checks, say MEPs http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20131105IPR23807/html/EU-budget-2012-%E2%80%93-member-states-must-step-up-EU-funding-checks-say-MEPs

BBC News, 05.11.13: More of EU budget misspent in 2012 - auditors http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24823795

EurActiv, 06.11.13: Audit report shows errors in 'all main spending areas' of EU budget http://www.euractiv.com/pa/auditors-report-errors-main-spen-news-531530

Blog: WSJ, 05.11.13: EU Auditors: Misspending Is Bad and Getting Worse http://blogs.wsj.com/brussels/2013/11/05/eu-auditors-misspending-is-bad-and-getting-worse/?mod=WSJBlog

EUObserver, 09.11.13: EU accounts and the Brussels blame game http://euobserver.com/news/122025

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