News 2023

CONTACT COMMITTEE STATEMENT (CC 1/2023) ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL ROLE, MANDATE AND INDEPENDENCE OF THE SUPREME AUDIT OFFICE OF POLAND

During the last Contact Committee meeting, held in Lisbon in June 2023, it was agreed to support the SAI of Poland (NIK), which reported substantial difficulties in carrying out its constitutional mandate contrary to the Lima and Mexico Declarations and INTOSAI standards as well as to the fundamental principles of the European Union. The Contact Committee of the Supreme Audit Institutions of the European Union approved the CC Statement (CC 1/2023) on the constitutional role, mandate and independence of the Supreme Audit Office of Poland on 22 November 2023.

Statement (CC 1/2023) on the constitutional role, mandate and independence of the Supreme Audit Office of Poland [246,176 KB PDF]

30/11 - 01/12 BILATERAL MEETING BETWEEN THE CORTE DEI CONTI AND THE SUPREME AUDIT INSTITUTION OF ALBANIA

The two-day bilateral meeting between the President of the Corte dei conti, Guido Carlino, and his Albanian counterpart, Arben Shehu, which took place in Rome on 30 November and 1 December, provided an opportunity for the respective Supreme Audit Institutions to analyse issues of common interest in the field of auditing and to launch possible cooperation initiatives.
The Italian and Albanian delegations deepened and compared their respective functions and organisational structures and agreed on further exchanges of information and best practices, also through specific visits focused on the audits as well as on the activities of the Public Prosecutor's Office in the areas of European funds and public contracts.
The geographical proximity of Italy and Albania - the participants agreed - could be a driving force for strengthening the exchange of experiences and cooperation between the SAIs of the two countries, which often have to face common challenges.

15-16/11 BILATERAL MEETING BETWEEN THE ITALIAN AND MALTESE SUPREME AUDIT INSTITUTIONS

The President of the Corte dei conti, Mr. Guido Carlino, was welcomed in Malta on 15 November by the Auditor General of the Maltese National Audit Office, Mr. Charles Deguara, on the occasion of the two-day meeting between the respective Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs).
In the context of the most relevant issues in public sector auditing, the two Presidents agreed on the role of co-operation and exchange of experiences as the most effective methods to address critical issues in the areas common to the SAIs, with a renewed commitment to further strengthen co-operation and to envisage a programme to give substance to the common objectives.
In the margins of the meeting, a delegation from the Italian Corte dei conti was received by the President of the Maltese House of Representatives, Mr. Anġlu Farrugia, in a cordial atmosphere that confirmed the friendly relations between the institutions of the two countries and, in the field of auditing, the common understanding to increase accountability, knowledge and expertise in the field of public audit.

19-20/10 BILATERAL MEETING BETWEEN THE CORTE DEI CONTI AND THE SAI OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

08-09/11/2023 X ANNUAL MEETING OF THE INTOSAI WORKING GROUP ON ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL STABILITY (INTOSAI WGFES)

The 10th annual meeting of the Working Group on Economic and Financial Stability (WGFES) of INTOSAI, the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs), was held in Rome, at the headquarters of the Corte dei conti on 8 and 9 November 2023.
The group - which works within INTOSAI, in the Committee on Knowledge Sharing - assists SAIs in developing tools and opportunities for shared participation and access to knowledge in the international economic sphere.
The meeting - opened by the President of the Corte dei conti Guido Carlino and his US counterpart Gene L. Dodaro, Chair of the Group - was attended by 24 SAIs and experts from national and international audit institutions.
Among the topics discussed were the recent banking crises and the risks to financial stability, the impact of climate change on the financial system, the audit activities carried out by the SAIs on the support programmes adopted by governments to deal with crises, the supervision of the banking sector and the related regulatory activities, and the Sustainable Development Goals as a subject of supervision of the financial sector.
The next meeting, scheduled for autumn 2024, will be hosted by the Supreme Audit Institution of Canada, in Ottawa.

19-20/10 BILATERAL MEETING BETWEEN THE CORTE DEI CONTI AND THE SAI OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC

A two-day bilateral meeting between the Italian and Czech Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) ended on 20 October in Rome, at the headquarters of the Corte dei conti.
In an atmosphere of cooperation typical of the principles of EUROSAI - the Organisation of European Supreme Audit Institutions, chaired until 2024, by the SAI of the Czech Republic - a delegation of the Corte dei conti, led by President Guido Carlino, welcomed the representative led by its Czech counterpart, President Miloslav Kala.
The joint approach to new European challenges, such as climate change and environmental degradation, as well as on the fight against corruption and issues related to new digital technologies, is crucial to achieve common goals, the Presidents of the two SAIs agreed.
Among the topics discussed during the meeting were: the development of activities within EUROSAI, the planning of audits in relation to the other European SAIs, the judicial functions, and the actions of the Public Prosecutor of the Accounting Justice. In the field of digitalisation, the issue of Artificial Intelligence - as a tool to improve audits in the public sector - was particularly highlighted.
The meeting ended with the intention to continue the exchange of experiences, in order to strengthen institutional relations within the EUROSAI community.

BANGKOK, 16-17/10 2023 FORUM OF SUPREME AUDIT INSTITUTIONS WITH JURISDICTIONAL FUNCTIONS

The Forum of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) with jurisdictional functions was held in Bangkok on 16th and 17th October 2023. This joint event focused on the fight against fraud and corruption, as well as on the role of SAIs in national and international anti-corruption mechanisms.
The delegation of the Corte dei conti, made up of judges from the International Affairs Office and the General Prosecutor's Office, coordinated the working group on the prevention of corruption, presenting the methods and procedures adopted by the Italian SAI to ensure the cooperation of States in the fight against fraudulent activities including at the internal level of the countries. Another topic of discussion was raising awareness among citizens and actors who could become potential stakeholders at different levels.
The future of the Forum and the still open question of its legal status – internal or external to INTOSAI - received different opinions and were referred to the continuation of the work.

10/10 BILATERAL MEETING BETWEEN THE CORTE DEI CONTI AND THE SPANISH TRIBUNAL DE CUENTAS

A bilateral meeting between the Italian and the Spanish Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) took place on 10th October in Rome, at the headquarters of the Corte dei conti.
In an atmosphere of cooperation and constructive exchange, in accordance with the principles of EUROSAI (the Organisation of European Supreme Audit Institutions, of which the Spanish SAI is Secretary General), a delegation from the Corte dei conti, led by President Guido Carlino, welcomed the President of the Spanish Tribunal de Cuentas Enriqueta Chicano Jávega and Counsellor Diego Íñiguez Hernández.
Among the topics of common interest discussed were the importance of adapting audit and judicial systems to the evolution and changes in the national and international institutional context and events, relations with Parliament in the field of advisory functions, measures to prevent and combat corruption in order to build a widespread culture of integrity, and the importance of communication as a tool for informing and interacting with citizens.
The meeting, which confirmed the excellent historical relations between the Italian Corte dei conti and the Spanish Tribunal de Cuentas, was the occasion to reaffirm the will to strengthen mutual cooperation in the field of public sector audit, through the dual function (audit and judicial) that characterises both institutions.

21/09 BILATERAL MEETING BETWEEN THE CORTE DEI CONTI AND THE SUPREME AUDIT INSTITUTION OF VIETNAM

On Thursday 21st September 2023, on the occasion of the bilateral meeting between the Italian and Vietnamese Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs), the delegation of the Corte dei conti, led by the President Mr. Guido Carlino, welcomed at the head office in Rome a delegation from the Supreme Audit Institution of Vietnam, led by the Auditor General Mr. Ngo Van Tuan.
Among the topics discussed were the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the global value of the objectives set by the UN Agenda 2030 - in which the Supreme Audit Institutions also play a crucial role in assessing their implementation - and the evaluation of public policies, which is another common ground among SAIs as part of the financial and management assessment of the results achieved.
Other topics discussed during the meeting were those related to digitalisation as a tool to improve audit activities, the use of artificial intelligence and aspects related to data collection. On the other hand, the importance of institutional communication to ensure transparency and accountability was addressed.
In order to face the common challenges, the Vietnamese SAI expressed its hope for closer international cooperation, and called for the exchange of information and experiences with the Italian Corte dei conti to deepen the knowledge in the implementation of the audit activities.
The President of the Corte dei conti, welcomed the interest shown by the Vietnamese delegation and called for closer cooperation between the two Institutions.

3RD G20 ANTI-CORRUPTION WORKING GROUP MEETING AND G20 ANTI-CORRUPTION MINISTERIAL MEETING HELD IN KOLKATA FROM 9 TO 12 AUGUST 2023 UNDER INDIA'S PRESIDENCY

The Corte dei conti took part in the 3rd meeting of the G20 Anti-Corruption Group held in Kolkata (India), from 9 to 12 August, under the Presidency of India, as part of a delegation led by the President of the National Anti-Corruption Authority (ANAC) and composed of representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Bank of Italy, and the Higher Council of the Judiciary.
The event ended with the adoption of a document aimed at strengthening national anti-corruption institutions and international cooperation, as well as prosecuting those responsible for crimes and recovering the proceeds of crime.
Under the co-Presidency of the Italian Corte dei conti, the Compendium of Good Practices in Enhancing the Role of Auditing in Tackling Corruption was also presented. This document provides an overview of the organization and activities of the Supreme Audit Institutions of the G20 countries, highlighting the role they can play in preventing and combating corruption.
On this occasion, SAI Italy hoped for a comparison among Supreme Audit Institutions aimed at assessing the effective implementation, in the national legal systems, of the High-Level Principles on Strengthening the Role of Auditing in Tackling Corruption approved during the G20 meeting held in Indonesia in 2022, also highlighting the importance of involving civil society through educational programs in schools, a specific training activity for public officials and adequate institutional communication.
Lastly, it emphasized the need for the development of audit methodologies supported by artificial intelligence applications and the employment of professionals with a related technical, IT, and cross-functional background which are essential elements for preventing and combating increasingly sophisticated and globally widespread forms of corruption.

21-22 JUNE MEETING OF THE CONTACT COMMITTEE OF THE HEADS OF THE SUPREME AUDIT INSTITUTIONS (SAIS) OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

The annual meeting of the Contact Committee of the Presidents of the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) of the European Union was held in Lisbon on June 21 and 22.
The meeting, which was hosted by the Portuguese Tribunal de contas, was attended by the President of the Corte dei conti, Mr. Guido Carlino.
Among the topics on the agenda were those related to the energy issue and implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans under the Next Generation Europe program. The Contact Committee is an autonomous and independent assembly of the Heads of EU Member States SAIs and the President of the European Court of Auditors and it represents, at the Community level, one of the most important forum for international cooperation and discussion on audit matters.
The meeting was structured in three sessions. The first (Energy session) focused on the role of SAIs in common strategies to combat the energy crisis and promote the ecological transition. The second (RRF session), addressed issues related to the Next Generation Europe challenges and related National Recovery and Resilience Plans, with specific orientation on the audits sector. Finally, the In-camera session was focused on the contribution made by SAIs - within their mandates and competencies – to ensuring the efficient and proper management of European resources, in the current complex common environment. In parallel to the In-camera session, the meeting of the Liaison Agents of the participating SAIs was also held.
The Corte dei conti, with its contribution, outlined the framework of national energy policies and the audit activities carried out on the European funds used in the sector, highlighting the possible hypotheses for the modification of the NRRP - and the coherent adjustment of the control system itself - in line with the needs that have emerged during the year. The participating SAIs, at the conclusion of the work, agreed on the need for strengthened planning of joint and coordinated actions in audits, with a view to greater sharing of the results achieved.
With the handover from the Portuguese to the Cypriot presidency, the 2024 edition of the Contact Committee will be hosted by the Audit Office of the Republic of Cyprus.

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.

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