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The EU is a global player and the proposed new EU budget for the 2021-2027 period anticipates a considerable increase in funding for external action, to a total of around €123 billion. Our reports in this area examine spending in specific countries and look at crosscutting issues.

As the EU’s auditors, we also look ahead in order to help address the key challenges facing the EU in future The rules-based international order is under increasing pressure, and Europe is emerging as a defender of cooperative multilateralism, human rights and liberal values. Many experts foresee rivalry between autocracy and democracy shaping the 21st century’s geostrategic landscape. Increasingly, authoritarian states will seek to undermine fundamental democratic principles such as the rule of law and the protection of human rights.

We will keep all these factors in mind when selecting our audit tasks and formulating recommendations for the future.