Corte dei conti

Geneve, 5-7 December 2022 – The Corte conti participated in the Thirteen United Nation Conference on Trade and Development - UNCTAD

The Conference took place at a crucial moment of multiple global crises affecting the world economy, ranging from the ongoing impacts of the coronavirus disease pandemic, the geopolitical situation, the cost-of-living crisis and, of course, climate change.
During the Conference participants have explored the impact of these crises on developing countries’ debt sustainability, with a view to reassessing ways to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the role of new technologies in mobilizing financial resources. These issues have been considered and discussed through the lens of macroeconomic options of the international community, with a focus on forward-looking policies and best practices in debt management.
The Corte dei conti contribution focused on the Italian economic scenario which remains surrounded by an exceptional degree of uncertainty due to the current geopolitical situation with consequent tension on energy and commodities prices. It was also underlined the positive trend of the debt to GDP ratio and the importance of implementation of the reform and investments via effective deployment of European funds to boost growth and for lasting debt reduction.
Finally, it was highlighted the fundamental role of the Corte dei conti which contributes to the safeguard of public finance and the full sustainability of the debt by exercising regular and careful controls and performing its advisory activity to Parliament and Government in the Italian economic cycle.
The Corte dei conti was represented by Mr. Mauro Orefice, President of the Chamber for the Performance Audit on the Management of the State Administrations and Head of International Affairs Office

November 29-30, 2022 EUROSAI Working Group on Enviromental Auditing (EWGEA) Annual Meeting on Environmental Protection in turbulent times

On November 29-30, 2022 the Corte dei conti attended the EUROSAI WGEA Annual Meeting on Environmental Protection in turbulent times, held in a hybrid format (in presence in Warsaw and online).
The meeting was attended by representatives of the European Court of Auditors, European Commission, European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology, European Environment Agency and INTOSAI Working Group on Environmental Auditing as well as Supreme Audit Institutions of European states.
The conference dealt with environmental protection in current times, audits of funds spent to counteract climate changes and make the economy climate-neutral.
The interventions of the participants, representing several countries, have enriched the debate, allowing the promotion of the adaptation of audit models (mainly “real time” ones) to the sustainability goals and to the environmental protection targets set by the international framework.
During the meeting, recent audits conducted by European SAIs were discussed.
The key role of Supreme Audit Institutions in developing standards of environmental protection was significantly stressed.
The Corte dei conti was represented by by Mr. Andrea Giordano, Judge of the Jurisdictional Chamber for the Emilia-Romagna and of the Chamber for the Performance Audit on the Management of the State Administrations.

Rio de Janeiro, 7-14 November 2022. XXIV International Congress of the Supreme Audit Institutions (INCOSAI)

The Italian Corte dei conti attended the XXIV INCOSAI, the triennial Congress of INTOSAI (International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions), with the following delegation: Mr. Mauro Orefice, President of Chamber and Head of the International Affairs Office, Mrs. Elena Tomassini and Mr. Arturo Iadecola Deputy Prosecutors General at the Corte dei conti’s General Prosecutor’s Office and Mrs. Daniela Frattaroli Senior Officer at the International Affairs Office.
The event, organized by the Tribunal de Contas da União (Supreme Audit Institution of Brazil at Federal level), took place in Rio de Janeiro from 7 to 11 November 2022, and recorded the presence of delegations from over one hundred and twenty countries.
In the course of the Congress, in addition to the governance activities (presentation of the activities carried out over the past three years, planning of initiatives for the coming years, renewal of positions), intense discussions took place on topics of particular relevance, including, in particular, the audit activity relating to the managementof emergency situations. On this latter subject, President Mauro Orefice acted as rapporteur at the plenary assembly on 11 November.
Attention has also been paid to the jurisdictional functions. Presient Orefice held a speech in the side event of the Forum of Supreme Audit Institutions with jurisdictional functions, on the issue of the benefits for a SAI to hold such functions in addition to the audit ones, while Counsellor Tomassini and Counsellor Iadecola took part in a meeting, organized by the Prosecutor General of the Brazilian Tribunal de Contas, aimed at establishing a permanent liaison body between the public prosecutor’s judges.
On behalf of President Carlino, President Orefice took part in a restricted meeting of the Contact Committee of the Presidents of the EU Supreme Audit Institutions to prepare for the 2023 session of the Committee scheduled for next June.
The Italian delegation has also been involved in numerous bilateral events, especially with Latin American countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru) on the strengthening of relations with the SAIs belonging to these countries and to the Latin American area in general, with a view also to possible bilateral visits to be held in 2023.
At the end of the Congress activities, the assembly of INTOSAI approved a concluding document, called "Rio Declaration" and deliberated the organization of the next INCOSAI in Cairo, Egypt, in 2025.

Rome - October 14, 2022 - External Audit Handover Process for The International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

The Corte dei Conti of Italy and the National Audit Office of the United Kingdom are aware that ensuring a smooth handover is the joint responsibility of both the predecessor and successor auditors. With this in mind, they declare to ensure that the handover process is in line with the «Handing-over guidelines for changes in the External Auditor in Organisations of the United Nations» which were drawn up in 2011 by the Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations, the Specialised Agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency. They both have observed the highest degree of professional courtesy and that each of them has helped to ensure the handover process.
A meeting between the Corte dei Conti and the NAO was held on 14 October 2022. In the course of this gathering, the Corte dei Conti handed over and commented on:
• the most important risks of the mandate
• the current quality of ITU’s financial statements with respect to IPSAS implementation
• the current quality of the ITU’s internal control system with regard to the presentation of the financial statements
• the current situation in relation with IT (IT General Controls)
• the still open recommendations
The primary purpose of this meeting was to make sure all parties have the same level of comprehension of the accounting policies applied by ITU as a function of IPSAS.
Achieving this level of comprehension helps minimalize the risks of differing interpretation between the Supreme Audit Institutions, always with respect to their independence and the continuity of the audit activities as an important aspect of the reputation of both.
According to the mentioned meeting, the Corte dei Conti as the outgoing auditor believes to have furnished the incoming auditor with reasonable and adequate support in view of taking up this new function. The incoming auditor on the other hand states that he has had reasonable and adequate access to the information required for taking up office as the new external auditor for ITU.
Considering the good relations developed in the UN Panel of External Auditors, and with regard to the highest degree of professional courtesy, both Supreme Audit Institutions may continue to exchange information on ITU after signing this handover statement if they wish to.

Rome - October 13, 2022 - Vat Working Group - Core Group 1 Meeting within The Contact Committee Of The Presidents Of The Supreme Audit Institutions (Sais) of The European Union

On October 13, the Corte dei conti organized the VAT Working Group – Core Group 1 meeting in the context of the Contact Committee of the Presidents of the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of the European Union. The VAT Working Group – Core Group 1 is chaired by the Italian Supreme Audit Institution.
The meeting has been conducted in hybrid formula (in-person in Rome and on-line) with the participation of representatives of the Supreme Audit Institutions of Hungary, Poland and Spain and of the Italian Revenue Agency.
The focal point of the discussion was the e-invoicing and the analysis of its implementation by the Working Group members with a focus on the effectiveness of this tool in the fight against tax evasion.
The Italian Revenue Agency representatives illustrated the peculiarities of e-invoicing also as a simplification and digitalization tool and showed the results so far achieved; they also underlined that the Italian e–invoicing system can represent a best practice at European level.
The meeting was fundamental to consider e-invoicing benefits, both for business and fiscal profiles, with a look to future challenges to address at the European Union level to ensure the uniform application of this tool.
At the end of the working session, the members of the Working Group decided to share information on the functioning and state of the art of e-invoicing through the use of a survey.
The Corte dei conti was represented by Mr. Mauro Orefice, President of the Chamber for the Performance Audit on the Management of the State Administrations and Head of International Affairs Office and by Mr. Giulio Stolfi, Assistant Prosecutor General at the Regional Prosecutor’s Office for Basilicata Region and member of the Audit Chamber for EU and International Affairs.

September 26 - 28, 2022 - Bern - INTOSAI Working Group on Evaluation of Public Policies and Programs

On September 26 - 28, 2022, the meeting of the INTOSAI Working Group on Evaluation of Public Policies and Programs was held in Bern, hosted by the Supreme Audit Institution of Switzerland.
On the first day, speakers have presented the advantages and disadvantages of the main methods for evaluating public policies as well as methods used for performance audits or evaluations in the fields as social affairs, health or consumer policies.
The second day was focused on the practical application and selection of appropriate methods.
Participants discussed on the need to strictly distinct time for analysis and evaluation of public policies and programs as well as a flexible approach in the evaluation of them; moreover, they have pointed out the importance of analysing, not only from a macro but also a micro point of view, the effects of public policies as well as the relevance of internal training and external support from experts also from the academic world. Finally, it was underlined that a better use of the new technological tools is fundamental in this activity.
The Corte dei conti was represented by Mr. Giuseppe Maria Mezzapesa, judge at Central Chamber for ex ante compliance audit of the State Administrations.

Rome, 21 September – The Corte dei conti participated in the meeting in the framework of the IACA (International Anti-Corruption Academy) Global Programme on Measuring Corruption

The meeting was focused on the presentation of the Global Programme on Measuring Corruption delivered by Ms. Liz David-Barrett, Head of The Global Programme and Ms. Aoife Murray researcher within the Programme. This meeting was aimed at exploring Italy’s current corruption measurement approaches and enhance a cooperation in this field among key institutions.
Participants from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, National Anti-Corruption Authority, Ministry of Interior, Corte dei conti, Bocconi University and private sector (Global Risk Profile) discussed on this topic and presented their suggestions to contribute to the development of the programme.
The Corte dei conti was represented by Mr. Mauro Orefice, President of the Chamber for the Performance Audit on the Management of the State Administrations and Head of International Affairs Office.

Rome, 12-13 September 2022 - Visit of the Contralor General de Cuentas of the Republic of Guatemala to the Corte dei conti

On 12 and 13 September the Corte dei conti welcomed a delegation from the Supreme Audit Institution of Guatemala led by the Contralor General, Mr. Edwin Humberto Salazar Jerez.
The first day of the visit was dedicated to a seminar meeting on the institutional functions and the organization of the Corte dei conti. It was highlighted the Italian SAI audit system at central and local level as well as the auditing activity on EU funds and International Organizations. Moreover, it was illustrated the function of the Public Prosecutor Offices with a particular focus on the liability in case of damages to public resources, including compensation aspects. The IT technologies and their application to audit activity were a further topic of discussion.
The following day, the President of the Corte dei conti Mr. Guido Carlino and Contralor General de Cuentas, Mr. Edwin Humberto Salazar Jerez signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement between the two institutions. The aim of this Agreement is to provide, strengthen, promote and develop a framework for cooperation and efficient interaction in the area of public sector auditing.
The Corte dei conti delegation, led by President Carlino, was composed of Mr. Mauro Orefice, President of the Chamber for the Performance Audit on the Management of the State Administrations and Head of International Affairs Office, Mr. Giovanni Coppola, President of Audit Chamber for EU and International Affairs, Ms. Elena Tomassini, Deputy Prosecutor General, Mr. Giovanni Comite, Counsellor Chief of Cabinet and Ms. Erika Guerri, Judge of the International Affairs Office.

Vienna, 5-8 September 2022 – Intersessional meeting of the Conference of States Parties (COSP) of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC)

The Corte dei conti participated in the intersessional meeting of the Conference of States Parties (COSP) of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), held in Vienna from 5 to 8 September 2022.
The meeting focused on the results achieved in the implementation of the Political Declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2021, entitled "Our common commitment to effectively addressing challenges and implementing measures to prevent and combat corruption and strengthen international cooperation ".
The Italian contribution focused on the jurisdictional functions of the Corte dei conti in the event of corruption. Particularly, it was illustrated the action to be brought by the Public Prosecutor in case of damage to the image of Public Entities. It was also underlined the compensatory nature of the conviction ordered by the accounting judge aimed at restoring the good reputation of the administration offended.
The Corte dei conti was represented by Mr. Mauro Orefice, President of the Central Chamber for the Performance Audit on the Management of the State Administrations and Judge Head of the International Affairs Office and Mr. Giancarlo Astegiano, Assistant Prosecutor General.

Italian contribution.

Rome, 8 July 2022 - Study visit of the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption (SCPC) of the Republic of North Macedonia

On 8 July the President and a delegation from the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption (SCPC) of the Republic of North Macedonia have been received at the Corte dei conti for a study visit.
The meeting was dedicated to illustrating the multi-level and manifold functions of the Corte dei conti, both on the control and on the jurisdiction side, both “ex ante” and “ex post”.
It was highlighted how the Italian SAI audit system represents a fundamental tool to safeguarding national public finances as well as the financial interests of the European Union funds from corruption. Furthermore, it was underlined the function of the Public Prosecutor Offices which is particularly significant as they promote liability action and are an essential tool for good administration, with important preventive and deterrent effects also in corruption cases.
It was also underlined the importance of cooperation agreement and exchange of information with other national institutions information exchange among, as appropriate, anti-corruption authorities, police, investigative, prosecutorial and judicial authorities to combating corruption.
The Corte dei conti was represented by Mr Mauro Orefice, President of the Central Chamber for the Performance Audit on the Management of the State Administrations and Judge Head of the International Affairs Office, Ms. Elena Tomassini, Deputy Prosecutor General and Ms. Erika Guerri, Judge of the International Affairs Office.

4- 6 July 2022 - 21st INTOSAI Working Group on Environmental Audit Assembly

From 4 to 6 July the21st INTOSAI Working Group on Environmental Auditing (WGEA)Assembly was arranged in a hybrid format and hosted by SAI Maldives. The INTOSAI WGEA was founded in 1992 and supports Supreme Audit Institutions in their audit activities in the environmental and climate policy fields.
The first day was dedicated to the main topic: “Raising resilience” in the context of climate change adaptation. This session focused the discussion on the implications the concept of climate change has for public sector budgets, risk assessments and the work of Supreme Audit Institutions. The panel discussion considered how SAIs integrate resilience perspective into their audits and what is the global common responsibility in the event of sea level rise. On the second day of the Assembly, the 2020-2022 Work Package reports were presented and further discussed the topics of climate finance, plastic waste, sustainable transport, and policy coherence. The third day was dedicated to the future strategy of the WGEA and introduction of upcoming projects, the work plan for 2023-2025 and regional updates.
Finally, it was celebrated the WGEA’s 30th anniversary and was underlined that the Working Group will continue to support innovative environmental auditing for a common sustainable future.
The meeting was attended by Ms. Erika Guerri, Judge of the International Affairs Office and by Mr. Andrea Giordano, Judge of the Jurisdictional Chamber for the Emilia-Romagna.

Vienna, 13-17 June 2022 - Thirteenth session of the Implementation Review Group and of the Working Group on Prevention

From 13 to 17 June the meeting of the Implementation Review Group and the Working Group on Prevention was held in Vienna and virtually to take stock of the progress made in the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).
The Implementation Review Group and the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group on the Prevention of Corruption are the subsidiary bodies of the Conference of the States Parties – COSP – and are responsible for advising and assisting the Conference in regard to preventive measures under chapter II of the Convention against Corruption.
The working sessions focused on good practices and challenges in corruption risk assessment and management as well as on tools and resources for identifying and mitigating potential corruption risks. Participants also exchanged experiences in setting up frameworks for the protection of reporting persons and underlined that a robust whistle-blower reporting and protection system is crucial for combating corruption effectively and strengthening accountable institutions.
Moreover, the participants highlighted the importance of using information and communications technologies to promote integrity in public procurement and transparency and accountability in the management of public finances, to promote the participation of society and to ensure that citizens had adequate access to information.
Finally, participants underlined the relevance of education, at various levels of the education system to instil concepts and principles of integrity and accountability. Young people and children should be part of a strategy to prevent corruption. The role of mass media and Internet to raising-awareness against corruption has been considered as well.
The Corte dei conti attended in person the works of both groups and was represented by Mr. Giancarlo Astegiano, Assistant Prosecutor General and Ms. Erika Guerri, Judge of the International Affairs Office.

14 June 2022 - Ufficio Affari internazionali – Meeting of the EUROSAI Project Group on future risks, including those arising from the climate crisis

On the morning of June 14, a meeting of the EUROSAI Project Group on future risks, including those arising from the climate crisis, was held online.
The organizations that gather the Supreme Audit Institutions have always been particularly sensitive to environmental issues and have been operating for a long time, in a stable form, with dedicated working groups both at INTOSAI and EUROSAI level. In the latter, in more recent times, agile forms of cooperation are being experimented together with the more consolidated Working Groups. Among these new forms of cooperation are the Project Groups, such as the one in question, which, on June 14, focused in particular on the costs of climate change and how to trace these costs, starting from the observations of the Special Report 09/2022 "Climate spending in the EU budget 2014-2020" published by the European Court of Auditors on May 30, 2022. The EUROSAI Project Group on Future risks and Climate crisis meeting was attended by Ms. Erika Guerri, Judge of the International Affairs Office, and by Mr. Andrea Giordano, Judge of the Jurisdictional Chamber for the Emilia-Romagna.
The environmental issues will be addressed again, this time in the wider context of INTOSAI, during the 21st Assembly of the INTOSAI Working Group on Environmental Auditing that will take place from 4 to 6 July next, and which will see the participation of the Corte dei conti.

Rome, 9 June 2022 - Ufficio Affari internazionali - Bilateral meeting between the President of the Corte dei conti and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India

On 9 June, the President of the Corte dei conti Mr. Guido Carlino received the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India Mr. Girish Chandra Murmu, accompanied by a delegation from the CAG.
The meeting was an opportunity to underline the collaboration between the two institutions in a season marked by a clear upswing in bilateral relations between Italy and India both in the framework of the "2020 - 2024 Action Plan", and in the launch of a Strategic Partnership on energy transition defined during the meeting between Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India and Mr. Mario Draghi, President of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Italy on 29 October 2021.
The collaboration between the two Institutions takes place within the working groups of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) and in the Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations.
During the meeting, both sides examined concrete steps for further extending the cooperation between the two SAIs. Environmental issues and information technologies were the main points of discussion. In this regard, after a comparison of experiences and best practices, it was agreed to plan in the future an exchange of internship periods that Italian and Indian auditors would carry out respectively in India and Italy, especially in the IT sector.
In addition to the Comptroller and Auditor General Murmu, the CAG delegation was composed of the Director General and Secretary of the CAG Mr. Ashutosh Sharma, the Director of the Department of International Relations Mr. Amitabh Prasad and the Director of Personnel Mr. Vishal Bapusaheb Desai.
The Corte dei conti delegation, led by President Carlino, was composed of the Prosecutor General Mr. Angelo Canale, the President of the Chamber for the Performance Audit on the Management of the State Administrations and Head of International Affairs Office Mr. Mauro Orefice, the President of Audit Chamber for EU and International Affairs Mr. Giovanni Coppola, the President of Chamber and Secretary General Mr. Franco Massi and the Counsellor Chief of Cabinet Mr. Giovanni Comite.

Rome, 6-7 June 2022 - Ufficio Affari internazionali – Visit of the Badan Pemeriksa Keuangan of the Indonesia to the Corte dei conti

On 6 and 7 June, the Corte dei conti welcomed a delegation from Badan Pemeriksa Keuangan, the Audit Board of the Republic of Indonesia, led by the Chairperson Ms. Isma Yatun. The Indonesian delegation was accompanied by representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia to the Italian State.
The meeting was an opportunity to highlight the collaboration between the two institutions as a consequence of the handover of the G20 presidency from Italy to Indonesia and the substantial continuity of the objectives pursued.
The first day of the visit was dedicated to a seminar meeting on the jurisdictional functions with a particular focus on the liability in case of damages to public resources, including compensation aspects.
The following day, the President of the Corte dei conti Mr. Guido Carlino and the Chaiperson of the Audit Board of Indonesia, Ms. Isma Yatun, signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions. The aim of the Memorandum is to provide, strengthen, promote and develop a framework for cooperation and efficient interaction in the area of public sector auditing.
In addition, the delegation of Indonesia had the opportunity to get a closer view of the organization of the Corte dei conti by meeting representatives of the judicial and audit functions.

May 10-11, 2022 - Meeting of the EUROSAI Working Group on Environmental Auditing (EWGEA)

On May 10-11, 2022, the Spring Session of the EUROSAI Working Group on Environmental Auditing was held online. The meeting was hosted by the SAI of Poland, Chair of the Working Group.
The topic was “Water supply and its quality in the aspect of the climate change”.
In addition to the participation of many European Supreme Audit Institutions, including the Italian Corte dei conti, representatives of the academic world, institutions, agencies and non-profit organizations engaged in the environmental field at the European and international level provided their contribution.
The theme of the meeting was discussed more analytically during three sessions regarding in particular “Sea and rivers pollution”, “Flood risks” and “Water supply and Droughts”.
Before of the closing the meeting, the representative of the Environmental Auditing Working Group in the INTOSAI framework, launched the 21st INTOSAI WGEA Assembly meeting that will be held on July 4 - 6, in hybrid format.
At the Spring Session of the EUROSAI Working Group on Environmental Auditing the Corte dei conti was represented by Ms. Erika Guerri, Judge of the International Affairs Office, and by Mr. Andrea Giordano, Judge of the Jurisdictional Chamber for the Emilia-Romagna.

Luxembourg, May 3-4, 2022 – Meeting of the Contact Committee of the Heads of the Supreme Audit Institutions of the European Union

On May 3 and 4, the meeting of the Contact Committee of the Heads of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of the European Union took place in Luxembourg at the European Court of Auditors. The event was the first in-person meeting of the Heads of EU SAIs since 2019 and was organized in two half-day sessions.
During the first day, participants discussed on the future of the Contact Committee and a small group of SAIs members, Corte dei conti included, planned to carry the discussion forward in the coming months in Lisbon. The Portuguese SAI will host the next Contact Committee meeting. Moreover, participants focused on the Consequences and challenges of the pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine for the EU and its Member, with a video address from Vareriy Patskan, Chairman of the Accounting Chamber of Ukraine and an impulse speech from Ms. Nathalie Tocci, Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali.
The second day was devoted to the strategic tasks and challenges for EU SAIs in assessing the (added) value of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) at national and EU level.
The Corte dei conti contributed with a snapshot presentation on Auditing the NRRP – The new approach of the Corte dei conti.
The presentation pointed out that the set of powers and responsibilities of the Corte dei conti has been enlarged to exercise a more focused and efficient audit on the NRRP. In particular, the “Concurrent audit” (i.e., real-time audit) has been expressly highlighted; it will be primarily targeted at projects, plans and programmes funded by the NRRP The Corte dei conti was represented by Mr. Mauro Orefice, President of the Central Chamber for the Performance Audit on the Management of the State Administrations and Judge Head of the International Affairs Office and Mr. Giulio Stolfi, Assistant Prosecutor General at the Regional Prosecutor’s Office for Basilicata Region and Member of the Central Chamber for EU and International Affairs.

March 31, 2022 - INTOSAI Working Group on Financial Modernization and Regulatory Reform Virtual Meeting

The Corte dei conti co-hosted with the US Government Accountability Office the first 2022 meeting of the INTOSAI Working Group on Financial Modernization and Regulatory Reform.
After the opening remarks by the US Comptroller General, Gene Dodaro, the President of the Corte dei conti, Guido Carlino underlined the importance of the activities within the Working Group with regard to the pandemic crisis and the geopolitical situation.
Participants focused on the economic impact of COVID-19 and crisis recovery actions. Accordingly, risks and spotlights have been discussed.
Moreover, the European banking sector resilience to pandemic and the prudential and operational relief measures have been examined.
The Corte dei conti outlined the fast and firm recovery of the Italian economy, notwithstanding some uncertainties due to the macroeconomic environment and illustrated the main features of the National Resilience and Recovery Plan, which sets out a comprehensive package of reforms and investments on labour market policies, healthcare system, social housing, local social services and public sector. Furthermore, it was highlighted that the existing and the new competencies are aimed at enabling better external oversight on the implementation of the NRRP both at central and local level.
The Corte dei conti has invited to the meeting Mr. Damiano Guadalupi head of division in the Directorate General Universal & Diversified Institutions of the European Central Bank and one of the greatest experts of Banking supervision, and Ms. Leora Klapper, Lead Economist in the Finance and Private Sector Research Team of the Development Research Group at the World Bank who have enlightened participants on the latest developments in baking supervision and worldwide economy.
The Corte dei conti was represented by Mr. Mauro Orefice, President of the Central Chamber for the Performance Audit on the Management of the State Administrations and Judge Head of the International Affairs Office, Ms. Erika Guerri,Judge at the Second Chamber of Appeal and Deputy Head of the International Affairs Office, Mr. Giulio Stolfi, Assistant Prosecutor General at the Regional Prosecutor’s Office for Basilicata Region and member of the Central Chamber for EU and International Affairs and Mr. Benedetto Brancoli Busdraghi, Judge at the Jurisdictional Chamber for Liguria and member of the Central Chamber for EU and International Affairs.

Paris, March 14 and 15 - International Conference on the Future of European post-health-crisis

On March 14 and 15 the Cour des comptes organized, in the course of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, a high-level international conference on “The Future of Europe post-health crisis.”
Participants have discussed on the fundamental role of the European Union and its future scenarios, on the exit from the health crisis and the tragic current war in the European continent.
On March 14 at the head office of Cour des comptes, Presidents and Judges of the Supreme Audit Institutions of the European Union countries focused on the work undertaken during the health crisis and the methods of cooperation and common innovation. The session was opened by the First President of the Cour des comptes, Pierre Moscovici, the President of the European Court of Auditors, Klaus-Heiner Lehne and the European Commissioner for Economy, Paolo Gentiloni. The first day session concluded with remarks by First President of the Cour des comptes and the former High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini.
On March 15 at the Sorbonne University Auditorium, a forum devoted to civil society was held. High level French, European and international guest speakers discussed with students, citizens and companies about the future of the European Union and relevant challenges, public policies after pandemic, resilience systems.
The session was opened by the First President of the Cour des comptes, Pierre Moscovici, who discussed the future of Europe with the economist, Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize in Economics in 2001. Participants discussed on the reform of the European public finance framework; the creation of a European Union in the social and health sector; the economic, industrial and digital recovery; the green Europe.
At the end of the event, the First President of the Cour des comptes and the former President of the Council of Ministers, Enrico Letta, dealt with the issue of political Europe. The Corte dei conti has participated at the round table on “Strengthening the European dimension of post-Covid SAIs” and has firstly illustrated the positive trend of the Italian economy. Furthermore, it has underlined the fundamental control role the Corte dei conti is going to play, both at central and local level, on the management of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, also throughout the real time audit that will ensure to constantly monitor the process of implementation of the programs and investments of the Plan. It was also pointed out the full involvement of the regional Audit Chambers in this activity as the system of local authorities is the focal point for the effective implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, especially in the context of the protection of the territory, the social infrastructures and the strengthening of essential services for the citizenship.
The Corte dei conti was represented by Mr. Mauro Orefice, President of the Central Chamber for the Performance Audit on the Management of the State Administrations and Judge Head of the International Affairs Office, and by Ms. Erika Guerri, Judge at the Second Chamber of Appeal and Deputy Head of the International Affairs Office.

February, 16-18 2022 - International Workshop on “Combating Desertification, Food security and Sustainable Agriculture”

The Corte dei conti attended the International Workshop on “Combating Desertification, Food security and Sustainable Agriculture” organized by the SAI India’s International Centre for Environment Audit and Sustainable Development (iCED).
The workshop focused on the land degradation due to climate change, unsustainable agricultural practices, unsustainable water management and land use changes. It was also underlined that human factors such as urbanization, inequitable distribution of resources and globalization strongly contribute to land degradation.
Moreover, the qualified speakers highlighted the linkages between agriculture and land degradation and pointed out the great impact that agricultural activities have on ecosystems.
The way forward is restoring lands, adopting agroforestry and sustainable agricultural practices in order to protect the environment, stop desertification, expand the earth’s natural resources and maintain and improve soil fertility.
Performance audit techniques can significantly contribute to the achievement of such important goals.
The Corte dei conti was represented by Mr. Andrea Giordano, Judge of the Jurisdictional Chamber for the Emilia-Romagna.