Since 2013 the ECA has been preparing the so called landscape reports of the selected EU activity areas. These wide-range publications are compiled on the basis of the ECA comprehensive knowledge and experience. They concern cross-cutting issues, pinpoint long-term trends and are intended to be the basis for the dialogue between the ECA and other EU institutions, especially the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the European Commission. Moreover, they also enable to formulate remarks concerning significant issues that would normally not be subject to an audit.
However, for the first time now the ECA assumed that such report should not only include its own analyses, but also the vast knowledge gathered by SAIs of the Member States. The ECA requested among others NIK to provide consultation on this matter. Poland is the third country, after Germany and Spain, which the ECA representatives visited personally.
Phil Wynn Owen, a British ECA member, who supervises i.a. the audit of the EU expenditure on climate policy, and Janusz Wojciechowski, an ECA member from Poland, came to Warsaw. The three-day visit, during which the ECA members intend to meet with representatives of the government, trade unions, entrepreneurs, think tanks and ecologic organisations, commenced in the Supreme Audit Office.
Phil Wynn Owen, a British member of the ECA: A landscape report concerning the EU Energy and climate strategy is aimed at presenting an overview of the EU activities in this scope, the audit works undertaken so far, as well as the main problems and threats. This may contribute to the debate on these matters and influence the future audits. The ECA prepares the report in cooperation with the Supreme Audit Institutions and other institutions of the Member States.
The meeting of the ECA members and President Kwiatkowski was of a working character. It was attended by the authors of reports that the ECA was interested in - four audit reports related to energy and climate:
- Adjusting the Polish industry to the Climate and Energy Package,
- Energy saving investments in public utility buildings;
- Provision of generation capacity in conventional electric power engineering;
- Functioning and safety of electricity transmission grids.
The Supreme Audit Office also provided the ECA with an information on over 40 other audits related to this subject area, conducted since 2010.
Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, NIK President: The ECA is for us one the most important partners. Our institution is the SAI that most often closely cooperates with the ECA on the implementation of joint audits and other undertakings.
The landscape report on the implementation of the EU energy and climate strategy is supposed to be published next summer.
NIK and the ECA have cooperated before. In 2014 in Poland a team consisting of the ECA and NIK auditors conducted an audit concerning the eradication of zoonoses. Poland was the first state to have concluded an agreement that would enable for such an undertaking, which was perceived as a sign of great trust towards the Polish auditors and their skills. Another joint audit, this time concerning the Jaspers project, was conducted in 2016. A summary report is to be published soon.
JASPERS (Joint Assistance to Support Projects In European Regions) - is a tool allowing for a faster and more effective EU funds application process and an improved preparation of projects. The initiative is aimed at providing aid in the preparation of mainly major investment projects, worth more than EUR 50 million, which qualify for the financial aid from structural and cohesion funds in the EU Member States.
