News 2023

RISHIKESH (INDIA) MAY 25-27, 2023 FIVE TOPICS AT THE G20 ANTI-CORRUPTION WORKING GROUP MEETING

The second meeting of the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group took place on May 25 -27, 2023, in Rishikesh (India) and focused on five major topics: International cooperation for strengthening fight against corruption; Integrity and effectiveness of public bodies and authorities responsible for preventing and combatting corruption; Role of audit institutions in anti-corruption; Leveraging of information and communication technologies (ICT) to tackle corruption in the public sector and, Gender and corruption.
The Corte dei conti attended the meeting as member of the Italian delegation composed by representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Bank of Italy and the High Council for the Judiciary. The Corte dei conti chaired and coordinated the working session focused on the role of audit in preventing and combatting corruption, with the aim to prepare a Compendium of Good Practices of G20 members regarding Enhancing the Role of Auditing in Tackling Corruption.
This compendium will be helpful in addressing the cross-cutting issue of the importance of the collaboration between the Supreme Audit Institutions and anti-corruption authorities. It will also increase transparency, accountability, regulatory adherence and efficiency in public finances.
The meeting ended with the drafting of the ministerial declaration that will be the topic of the third meeting of the Group, to be held in Kolkata on August 12, 2023.

EUROSAI WGEA HYBRID SPRING SESSION 2023 “CLIMATE CHANGE: PROGRESS MADE IN ADAPTATION EFFORTS”

Adaptation to climate change requires effective climate measures and policies: the Supreme Audit Institutions discussed climate change auditing at the spring meeting of the EUROSAI Working Group on Environmental Auditing.
The meeting, hosted by the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of Poland, was held in a hybrid format (in person and online) on May 25 and 26, 2023 in Warsaw and focused on the measures implemented on climate change adaptation, the relevance of the actions taken, and the financial commitments related to them.
In this context, the role of SAIs is preeminent in verifying the implementation of such "green policies" by European governments; therefore, many of the institutions involved presented the results of recent audits on the subject matter of the meeting, such as prevention of desertification, assessment of EU member states' adaptation activities from the perspective of the European Environment Agency, implementation of the Floods Directive.
The Corte dei conti is committed to actively cooperating in the Group's activities, as the discussed topics are highly relevant considering the current scenario.

ROME, 11 MAY 2023 - EUROSAI- KICK-OFF MEETING OF THE PROJECT GROUP ON BENEFITS AND METHODOLOGIES OF REAL TIME AUDIT

The economic and financial crisis, pandemic and emergencies related to the recent war events have made the Supreme Audit Institutions aware of the unavoidable need to equip themselves with appropriate structures and means to perform control aimed at combining the accuracy of investigations with increasingly shorter timescales to keep pace with recent changes.
In this context, the Corte dei conti has launched, within the EUROSAI, a Project Group on Benefits and Methodologies of Real Time Audit. The first meeting of the Project Group was held, in a hybrid format, in Rome on 11 May with a wide participation of the European SAIs.
The meeting was opened by a welcome speech of the President of the Corte dei conti, Guido Carlino and attended, in person or remotely, by representatives of 22 European Supreme Audit Institutions who deeply appreciated the initiative aimed at filling a widespread necessity relating to real time audit methodologies.
Participants agreed on the usefulness of adopting a joint analysis approach to develop a common wording, and, hopefully, in perspective, methodological guidelines for the improvement of the respective control systems. They also decided to update themselves on what was agreed, in a future meeting.
Alongside the event, following the request of the Supreme Audit Institutions of Kosovo*and North Macedonia, the President of the Corte dei conti, Guido Carlino had two bilateral meetings with the Auditor General of the Supreme Audit Institution of Kosovo*, Ms. Vlora Spanca and the Auditor General of the Supreme Audit Institution of the North Macedonia, Mr. Maksim Acevski.

ROME 18 APRIL 2023 – VISIT OF THE POLISH PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON THE STATE AUDITING AND THE NAJWYZSZA IZBA KONTROLI (NIK) TO THE CORTE DEI CONTI

On 18 April, a delegation from the Polish Parliamentary Committee on the State Auditing and the Polish Supreme Audit Institution were welcomed by a delegation of the Corte dei conti.
The meeting was aimed at informing the Polish delegates about the institutional functions and organization of the Corte dei conti, with a special focus on the jurisdictional functions.
The contribution of the Corte dei conti concerned the administrative and accounting liabilities for damages caused to the State, public bodies and EU. The relevant aspects of the proceedings, the iinvestigation powers of the Prosecutor’s Offices, the activity carried out by the Jurisdictional Chambers as well as the different stages of the proceedings at the central and regional level in accordance with the Accounting Justice Code were also explained.
Finally, the participants highlighted the importance of cooperation between the Corte dei conti and the Najwyzsza Izba Kontroli in the EUROSAI and INTOSAI framework.

04/17 VISIT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME AUDIT INSTITUTION OF POLAND

The President of the Corte dei conti, Mr. Guido Carlino, welcomed a delegation of the Supreme Audit Institution of Poland, led by the President, Mr. Marian Banaś.

The bilateral meeting was aimed at exchanging experiences and information concerning the respective institutional functions and sharing topics of common interest in order to reaffirm the principles of independence of Supreme Audit Institutions as stated in the Lima and Mexico Declaration as well as to strengthen the cooperation between the two Institutions.

Mr. Banaś, highly esteeming the institutional and organisational set-up of the Italian Supreme Audit Institution, invited the President of the Corte dei conti to a meeting to be held in Poland in the near future.

GURUGRAM, INDIA 1 - 3 MARCH 2023 – THE CORTE DEI CONTI PARTECIPATES IN THE G20 ANTI-CORRUPTION WORKING GROUP

The first meeting of the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG) under the chairmanship of India (which holds the G20 presidency) and the co-chairmanship of Italy took place in Gurugram, India from 1st to 3rd March.
The meeting was attended by a delegation, formed by representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international cooperation, the Ministry of the Interior, the National Anti-Corruption Authority and from the Corte dei conti, represented by the President of Chamber Mr. Mauro Orefice and the Counsellor Ms. Elena Tomassini.
The purpose of the meeting was to strengthen international cooperation in preventing and fighting against corruption with a view to consolidating the role of the Supreme Audit Institutions in transparency and integrity processes in the public sector.
During the meeting relevant topics were examined, in order to create common rules for preventing and fighting corruption.
The Corte dei conti’ contribution focused on the current audit framework explaining the instruments to modernise audit techniques.
A bilateral meeting between the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and the head of delegation of the Corte dei conti took place to strengthen the cooperation between the two Institutions.
The participants will meet again in India at the end of May to continue the examination of the anti-corruption principles.

Prague, 21st-22nd February – Visit of the President Mr. Guido Carlino to the Czech Republic’s Supreme Audit Institution

The President of Corte dei conti, Mr. Guido Carlino, was welcomed in Prague by the President of the Czech Republic’s Supreme Audit Institution and EUROSAI, Mr. Miloslav Kala from the 21st to 22nd February.
In a two-day meeting they shared information and experiences on respective institutional functions aimed at ensuring the sound management of public funds independently assessing the efficient, economic and effective use of public resources. They also explored in depth themes relative to strengthening of the bilateral cooperation and they developed goals for a wider interaction of Corte dei conti in the field of EUROSAI’s strategic activities.
The President Guido Carlino was accompanied by Mr. Mauro Orefice, President of the Chamber for the performance audit on the management of the State administration and Head of the International Affairs Office.

Rome 19 – 20 January 2023 - Meeting of the Working Group on Prevention and Fight against Fraud and Irregularities

On January 19 and 20, the Corte dei conti hosted the second meeting of the Working Group on Prevention and Fight against Fraud and Irregularities in the context of the Contact Committee of the Presidents of the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of the European Union.
The Working group, established in 2015, is chaired by the Italian Supreme Audit Institution in order to enhance cooperation among SAIs in the field of fraud towards EU revenues.
The President of the Corte dei conti, Mr. Guido Carlino, opened the working sessions and pointed out the importance of a proactive and coordinated approach by all relevant European institutions and Member Countries’ authorities.
Participants have respectively explained their national experiences and it was highlighted that although SAIs have different mandates and accordingly different functions, their role is fundamental in the fight against fraud and irregularities.
By underlining that the recent EU regulation imposes a structural change which, in turns, calls for a qualitatively different involvement from SAIs, Mr. Mauro Orefice, as Chair of the working group, launched a new activity to share ideas and experiences in this regard and invited the group members to a next meeting to discuss on updated methodology and control also considering the implementation of national recovery and resilience plans.
The meeting was attended by the Supreme Audit Institutions Working Group members.
A fundamental contribution to the meeting was given by the Prosecutor General of Corte dei conti, Mr. Angelo Canale, the Prosecutor General of the Italian Supreme Court, Mr. Luigi Salvato, the General Attorney at the Italian Supreme Court, Mr. Pasquale Fimiani, the Deputy Chief European Prosecutor at the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, Mr. Danilo Ceccarelli, the Head of Unit at European Anti-fraud Office, Mr. Francesco Albore and the Brigadier General, Commander of the Special Unit for public Expenditure and EU Repression at Guardia di finanza, Mr. Danilo Petrucelli. Moreover, the meeting was activley attended by the President of the Audit Chamber for EU and Interational Affaries at Corte dei conti, Mr. Giovanni Coppola, the Regional Prosecutors at Sardinia and Marche’s Prosecutor Office at Corte dei conti, Mr. Bruno Tridico and Ms. Alessandra Pomponio and the Assistant Prosecutor General at the Regional Prosecutor Office of Basilicata and Member of the Audit Chamber for EU and Interational Affaries, Mr. Giulio Stolfi.