The Court of Auditors gave its verdict on the 2014 accounts, saying that the level of payments made in error was 4.4 percent, compared with last year’s level of 4.5 percent.

The Court of Auditors gave its verdict on the 2014 accounts, saying that the level of payments made in error was 4.4 percent, compared with last year’s level of 4.5 percent. The auditors confirmed that the accounts presented were reliable, but that the error rate was well above the two percent maximum permissible for the accounts to be certified as ‘legal and regular’.

A significant amount of EU spending – around four fifths – is carried out in the EU Member States themselves. Although the European Commission and Member States have been able to claw back some payments made in error, the report shows that far more urgency is needed to deliver a healthy set of accounts in the future.

Mr Czarnecki, a Vice-President of the European Parliament, commented:

“EU Budgets Commissioner Georgieva has been clear that ending this annual debacle is a priority of hers. I believe she is serious about the need for reform, but my group still believes we should have a full-time Budgetary Control Commissioner tasked with the sole job of delivering stronger management over EU spending.

“With the review of the EU’s long-term budget coming up, one of our major priorities will be serious reform to management practices. With the right reforms in place we can move to a place where the auditors can finally give the green light to EU spending, but it needs the political will in the Commission and EU governments to make it happen.”