Interparliamentary Conference 'Improving National Accountability of EU funds' on 28 and 29 January 2010

As the Lisbon Treaty places new emphasis on the role of member states, new challenges and opportunities exist for national parliaments to influence the European policy process. Therefore the House of Representatives, together with the Senate, will host an Interparliamentary conference to be held in The Hague on 28 and 29 January 2010.

Financial means from the EU budget are an important source of funding in most EU Member States, comprising a wide range of projects, different types of expenditure under different policies, reaching millions of people in a direct or indirect way. However, problems in the accountability of EU expenditure seem persisting. For example, the European Court of Auditors since 1994 has not been able to give a positive statement of assurance on the EU budget (DAS).

Aim of the conference
Purpose of this conference is to bring together Members of Parliament of national budget control committees from EU countries, to discuss their role in controlling EU expenditure in their respective Member States, and to talk about improving accountability of EU funds in general.

After an introduction of several speakers, followed by a two-session debate on improving National Accountability of EU funds the participating Member States countries agreed that the role of Member States and national parliaments is crucial in the process of improving accountability of EU funding.

Please read the Conference Statement and Summary Report.

Prior to the conference a discussion paper has been prepared and sent to the participants. The document addresses seven ‘key questions’.Based on this paper, received response and discussions during the conference, a joint statement will be formulated at the conference. Responses to the discussion paper can be e-mailed (see contact details), to be sent before 15 January 2010.

Discussion Paper (response: 15 January)

The Conference will be held in The Hague, on Thursday 28 and Friday 29 January 2010. After a first exchange of views on the 28th (Thursday evening), the 29th will be used for discussion on the possible steps to improve national accountability on EU spending.

Programme and general information

Below you find more information on key-note speakers during the Conference, see also the Programme and general information.

• Mr. C.B. Aptroot, Chair of the public expenditure committee of the House of Representatives
• Prof. dr. P.H.J. Essers, Chair of the committee on Finance of the Senate  
• Mr. L. De Magistris, Chair of the budget control committee of the European Parliament
• Prof. J. Bonnici, Member of the European Court of Auditors
• Mr. G. De Vries, Member of the Netherlands Court of Audit

An invitation has been sent to budget control (or equivalent) committee of the national parliaments of EU Member States as well as thebudget control committee of the European Parliament.

• Invitation
• Participation form
• General information

• Discussion Paper (response: 15 January)
• List of participants
  
• European Parliament, 'Annual summaries in the context of shared management: evaluation, ways forward and possible usefulness for the Court of Auditors’ (Study of 5 June 2009)
• European Court of Auditors, ‘Annual Report concerning the financial year 2008’ (Report 24 September 2009)
• COSAC 2005 document on implemenation of the EU budget (see: Netherlands contribution)
  
• Introduction by Mr. De Nerée tot Babberich, member of the Dutch parliament
• Introduction by Mr. De Vries, board member of the Netherlands Court of Audit
• Introduction by Prof. Bonnici, member of the European Court of Auditors
  
  
• Conference Statement

For more information please contact cie.ru@tweedekamer.nl or call +31 (0)70 318 3003

• European Court of Auditors, Publications
• European Parliament, Committee on Budgetary Control
• European Commission, DG Budget on management of EU funds
• COSAC Meetings (national parliaments)
• Council of the European Union, Ecofin Council conclusions