Cost-effectiveness is not a determining factor for allocating public funding to energy efficiency measures in residential buildings, according to a new report from the European Court of Auditors. Despite improved guidance from the European Commission, EU-funded projects still do not focus on achieving the greatest potential energy savings per euro invested. The overall contribution of…
Several European initiatives have been developed to promote cultural sites. But their coordination with funding arrangements is too limited and EU investments lack focus on the preservation and financial sustainability of cultural sites, according to a new report from the European Court of Auditors. In addition, cultural investments are not treated as a priority, but…
The ECA works on the basis of multi-annual strategies. Its 2018-2020 strategy, adopted in July 2017, focuses on fostering trust in the EU through independent audit and providing insight into what works in the EU and what does not. In 2019, a team of peers from the Supreme Audit Institutions of Estonia (Riigikontroll), Denmark (Rigsrevisionen), the Netherlands (Algemene…
The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has launched an audit to examine whether the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) has so far provided effective support to Member States in the implementation of European Integrated Border Management. Today, the auditors have published an audit preview on Frontex. Audit previews provide information on an ongoing…
Health experts have thrown their weight behind calls for awareness-raising programmes and better product labelling for potentially hazardous material. The experts, meeting in Brussels for a high-level conference on lung cancer, highlight the “usefulness” of such campaigning in order to make the public better informed. Medical oncologist Ioannis Boukovinas, President of Hellenic Society of Medical…
The Commission says it welcomes the provisional agreement reached by the European Parliament and the Council on the recast Drinking Water Directive. The agreement is based on the proposal adopted by the Commission in February 2018, as a direct follow-up to the Right2Water European Citizens’ Initiative. It aims to improve the quality of drinking water and access…
An overview of how auditors across the European Union scrutinise public health has been published today by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) on behalf of the Contact Committee of EU supreme audit institutions (SAIs). Altogether 24 SAIs have contributed to this second Audit Compendium of the Contact Committee. Public health is mainly the responsibility…
EU greenhouse gas emissions data is reported in line with international requirements and inventories of emissions have improved over time, according to a new report from the European Court of Auditors. However, better insight is needed into specific sectors such as agriculture and forestry, say the auditors. They also suggest further improvements to reporting on…
The European Commission is due to allocate more than €3.3 billion to support investments in innovative start-ups through venture capital funds between 2014 and 2022, according to a new report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). So far, however, the Commission has not yet carried out a comprehensive assessment of market needs or absorption capacity. Moreover, it has provided only limited…
The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has signed off the 2018 accounts of all 41 EU agencies as reliable and confirmed the positive results reported in previous years. In this year’s annual report, published today, the auditors also gave all agencies a clean bill of health as regards their income and spending – except for…
