28th Conference of Directors of Paying agencies Namur, 27 to 29 October 2010 The Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union Workshop 2 : Control burden for the Paying Agencies CONCLUSIONS

CONCLUSIONS OF THE PRIOR SURVEY RATE OF ANSWERS : 19/27 countries RATE OF ANSWERS : 19/27 countries UNIT OF MEASURE OF THE BURDEN: CONSUMPTION OF HUMAN RESOURCES IN MEN DAYS UNIT OF MEASURE OF THE BURDEN: CONSUMPTION OF HUMAN RESOURCES IN MEN DAYS different approach than financial costs (usual approach in the trend to simplify) different approach than financial costs (usual approach in the trend to simplify) Average : 26 % of the total activities in a year Average : 26 % of the total activities in a year but great variation : from 10 to 45 % 3 sources of burden : EU MEMBER STATE PAYING AGENCY 3 sources of burden : EU MEMBER STATE PAYING AGENCY The ONLY source of increasing is EU The ONLY source of increasing is EU The Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

CONCLUSIONS OF THE WORKSHOP FINDINGS / CONSTATS Tight budgets (austerity measures) Tight budgets (austerity measures) Budgets limités (mesures daustérité) Budgets limités (mesures daustérité) Continuing rising control burdens (European average > 25 %) Continuing rising control burdens (European average > 25 %) Augmentation continue de la charge des contrôles (Moyenne européenne > 25 %) Augmentation continue de la charge des contrôles (Moyenne européenne > 25 %) Insufficient coordination between audit missions from the Commission and the European Court of Auditors Insufficient coordination between audit missions from the Commission and the European Court of Auditors Coordination insuffisante entre les missions daudit de la Commission et la Cour des Comptes européenne Coordination insuffisante entre les missions daudit de la Commission et la Cour des Comptes européenne Lack of transparency Lack of transparency Manque de transparence Manque de transparence The Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

PROPOSALS/PROPOSITIONS (1) Better coordination with the planning s of audit missions from the European Court of Auditors and from the Commission Meilleure coordination entre les plannings des missions daudit de la Cour des Comptes européenne et de la Commission In case of certification, for instance ISO 9001 (Quality), diminish the Control burdens (or suspend…) En cas de certification, par exemple ISO 9001 (Qualité), diminution des charges de contrôle (ou suspension…) Learning network for Member States internal auditors Réseau dapprentissage pour les auditeurs internes des Etats membres Less than 2 % errors, fewer and more focused audits missions Moins de 2 % derreurs, missions daudit moins nombreuses et plus ciblées

PROPOSALS/PROPOSITIONS (2) Transparency: more freely available informations about weaknessess found by the Commission during the audits missions to all Member States (sharing site ?) Transparence: plus dinformations accessibles sur les faiblesses constatées lors des missions daudit des Etats membres par la Commission ( site partagé ?) Request for preventive audit missions by the Commission Demande pour des missions daudit préventif de la Commission No additionnal legal requirements for controls Pas dexigences légales additionnelles de contrôles Please dont forget implementation burdens when you draft new regulations SVP, ne pas oublier les charges de mise en œuvre quand on rédige de nouveaux réglements

MANY THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR VERY KIND AND USEFUL PARTICIPATION FROM THE BIRB AND ARR The Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union