Brussels, 03/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - The EU Court of Auditors is expected, on 9 November, to acknowledge that progress has been made in the 2009 budget on reducing the level of errors in spending, particularly in the area of cohesion funding (structural funds and others).
In its annual report, the Court presents its observations on the implementation of the EU budget for tax year 2009. Publication of the annual report marks the opening of the discharge procedure (which closes the annual budgetary process) by the European Parliament.
The Court is expected to state that progress has been made but also to note that the statement of assurance (DAS) remains negative for a substantial part of the 2009 tax year. The Court is expected to estimate the level of error on payments as being somewhere between 2 and 5%. This reasonably good outcome is the result of improvement brought in the area of cohesion policy (despite a slight increase in the error level for agricultural spending). The Court is also expected to declare itself satisfied, as it was last year, with the European Commission annual accounts.
The annual report will be presented to the European Parliament budgetary control committee on 9 November, prior to a plenary session debate in Parliament on 11 November. Vítor Caldeira, President of the EU Court of Auditors, will present the annual report for 2009. (L.C./transl.rt)