Kiri

Dear Reader,

The edition of the ECA Journal with as theme ‘Accountability and transparency: arrangements and practices’ has just been published and is available on our website by clicking here.

Experts agree that the role and tasks of the European Union have increased substantially in recent decades, whether financially through an increased budget, through law-making, or internationally in areas of trade, energy or security. Have accountability and transparency arrangements kept pace to ensure those given power are held to account? This is particularly relevant in today’s global context, where the fragility of values such as accountability and transparency is increasingly evident. Without accountability there can be no democratic control and hence, sooner or later, no legitimacy. With elections for the European Parliament coming up in June this year, now is the time for EU citizens to insist those in power answer for their performance while in office.

What does accountability mean, and what processes are needed to exercise accountability in practice? How does governance relate to trust, what is the role of external audit in the accountability chain, and what is indispensable to close the accountability loop? What hazards and traps are there, particularly in the EU? Accountability and transparency are clearly at the heart of the ECA’s core business and, as many contributors to this Journal point out, for many others in the EU too. We feature interviews with reputed experts on accountability, such as Professor Mark Bovens, top executives such as Didier Reynders, EU Commissioner for Justice, and Monika Hohlmeier, who, as Chair of the Budgetary Control Committee, is the European Parliament’s ‘Ms Public Scrutiny’. As audit is an indispensable link to accountability, there are also contributions from ECA President Tony Murphy and two of his colleagues, and other audit experts. European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly explains how accountability is primordial for good public administration. Lastly, we offer insights from academics and experts regarding the historical dimension of accountability, its application in practice, and the role of standard-setting bodies and non-institutional actors such as the media. This Journal covers a theme which is relevant to all policy areas, as it touches on principles which are indispensable for effective and legitimate governance both in and outside the EU.

We hope you enjoy reading it!

Kind regards,

________________________

Gaston Moonen

Editor in Chief

Directorate of the Presidency

European Court of Auditors

ECA-Journal@eca.europa.eu

eca.europa.eu