On Monday 21 November, the Court of Auditors announced its working programme for 2017, in which it announces the launch of audits in a number of different fields, such as energy and the climate, the single market, poverty and social exclusion, but also migration. In particular, it will assess the effectiveness of the agreement with Turkey on refugees.
In 2017, the Court of Auditors of the EU plans to adopt more than 90 reports (annual reports, special reports and opinions) to help to improve the financial management of the EU. The president of the institution, Klaus-Heiner Lehne, will appear before the committee on budgetary control of the European Parliament on Tuesday 29 November, to present the 2017 working programme of the Court of Auditors.
In 2017, the Court will start audit activities in the following areas (launch of investigations, so that the publication of the reports will come at a later date):
Energy and climate change: photovoltaic and wind farms; - innovative and traditional climate action instruments; - directive on flooding.
Single market: - the freedom of movement of professionals; - the vulnerability of electronic commerce to tax fraud; - passengers' rights in the EU.
Economic and financial governance: - the effective monitoring of insurance and pensions within the EU; - setting in place of and capacity to manage banking resolution.
Economic growth: - the intervention of the EU in venture capital funds.
The fight against poverty and social exclusion: - long-term unemployment.
Migration, integration and security: - facility for refugees in Turkey; - EU missions to Niger and Mali (EUSAP Sahel Niger and EUCAP Sahel Mali); - follow-up on the special report no. 17/2014 on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear risks from outside the EU; - integration of refugees and migrants (cohesion fund); - country audit (Turkey); - election observation missions.
New means of financing: - management of the investment plan (EFSI) and European added value.
Better use of EU funds: - rural development: from reimbursement of costs to control systems based on rights/results; - cost of the implementation of the Structural Funds for 2014-2020.
Performance of the institutions: - panoramic analysis of the Commission' obligation to ensure the implementation of EU legislation; - cost/efficiency ratio and governance at Olaf; - reform of the evening staff regulations; - real-estate policy of the institutions of the EU.
In 2017, the Court will also work on: - air quality; - fraud in the field of cohesion; - animal welfare; - organic products; - the expiry of the Cotonou agreement.
Furthermore, in 2017, the Court will publish special reports on the following subjects: - the Commission's intervention in the Greek financial crisis; - the procedure for macro-economic imbalances (in the Stability and Growth Pact); - the EU's reaction to the refugee crisis (the 'points of access' approach); - the partnership agreement (cohesion policy); - financial corrections in the field of cohesion; - procedures for macro-economic imbalances; - the 'youth guarantee' (youth employment); - the 'Single European Sky' initiative; - the European rail traffic management system (ERTMS); - the implementation of the Natura 2000 network; - import procedures (customs); - the rural development programmes 2014-2020; - water supplies; - the fight against food waste; - the greening of agricultural aid; - the efficiency of the European fisheries control system; - panoramic analysis of the EU's strategy on energy and climate; - the Commission's coordination of the reaction to disasters outside the EU; - the EU's support the work to fight the trafficking of human beings in South and Southeast Asia; - EU aid to Tunisia; - the performance review of the Court of Justice of the EU. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)