Communications policy and principles

In communicating its audit results and recommendations, the ECA helps raise public awareness of EU financial management and accountability issues and the importance of EU funds being used economically, efficiently and effectively and in compliance with the rules. The ECA’s communications help protect the financial interests of EU citizens through the transparency they bring. The ultimate aim is to promote trust in the good functioning of the EU and its institutions. The value of the ECA’s contribution to EU accountability depends – to a large extent – on the use made of its work and products by its main partners in the accountability process, such as:  

• political authorities responsible for public oversight of the use of EU funds, i.e. the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and national parliaments;
• auditees responsible for receiving and managing EU funds, i.e. the European Commission, other EU institutions, agencies and decentralised bodies, and national authorities;
• other auditors of EU funds, including the Supreme Audit Institutions of the Member States.

Communications principles

• As the external auditor of the EU, the European Court of Auditors applies the principles of openness and transparency, and provides accessible and timely information about its role, its work and the results it achieves.
• ECA communications help ensure that the results of its work are known and understood, and demonstrate how the ECA is meeting its objective of contributing to improved financial management.
• In order to protect the professional relationship between auditor and auditee, and in compliance with international auditing standards and legal requirements, only the information contained in its published reports is in the public domain. When necessary, the ECA provides context and background information to help readers gain a better understanding of its findings.
• The ECA holds press conferences for the annual report and, on a selective basis, for special reports, opinions and other matters. Press releases are issued for all the ECA’s published reports and specific matters of interest, and are available on www.eca.europa.eu.
• The President represents the ECA and speaks for it on matters concerning its policies, purpose and values, as well as the annual reports. The President and the Members are supported in this role by the ECA’s spokesperson. In the case of special reports or specific subjects, the reporting Members, or their nominees, speak for the ECA.
• The ECA communicates online and through audit reports and other publications, events and the press and media. All its audit reports and opinions are available in all official EU languages on its website at www.eca.europa.eu and via the EU Bookshop. The ECA's website is its principal information platform.

Right of access to documents