2007 discharge: EU general budget, Economic and Social Committee

PURPOSE: to present the report of the Court of Auditors on the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2007 (other institutions – European Economic and Social Committee).

CONTENT: in its annual report for the financial year 2007, the Court focuses on the legality and regularity of the operating expenditure of the institutions. In 2007, the Court notes that all the institutions operated satisfactorily the supervisory and control systems required by the Financial Regulation and the transactions tested were free from material error of legality and regularity.

However, the Court draws attention to a number of findings which should be taken into consideration by the institutions concerned. In the specific case of the audit of the European Economic and Social Committee, the Court notes a specific discrepancy in the calculation of salaries of officials who have been promoted. The Court notes that, by maintaining this discrepancy, the Committee of the Regions grants its staff a financial advantage which the other institutions do not grant. It therefore calls on the institution to change this practice.

For the rest, the Court notes that the audit did not give rise to any significant observations.