EC expresses confidence in Latvia’s EU funds control system
The Ministry of Finance (MoF) as the EU funds Audit Authority in Latvia has received an official confirmation from the European Commission (EC) expressing its confidence in the work of the Audit Authority. Such a decision ensures that the EC will in the future rely on the opinions provided by the MoF Audit Authority in all of the operational programmes under its supervision without carrying out repeated checks, as it was before.
“To receive such a confirmation from the EU it is a great honour and an excellent symbol of reputation at the level of European Union Member States. It is definitely a good beginning of the EU funds 2014-2020 programming period. I would like to thank all employees of the Audit Authority for the work done to achieve such an assessment,” admits Finance Minister Andris Vilks.
“After a four-year period of intensive checks and supervision carried out by the EC we have finally proved that together with the MoF Managing Authority there is a reliable EU funds management system established in Latvia, thus we have become an EC cooperation partner. In the begging of the year only 27 out of 138 cohesion policy Audit Authorities of all Member States had received a confirmation, which is only one fifths part. Although project implementers will not feel these changes directly, they will reduce the administrative burden and ease the work of Latvian authorities considerably,” Director of MoF EU Funds Audit Department Nata Lasmane gives explanations about the received EC decision.
Receipt of the letter entails that further cooperation with the EC will follow the principle of a common mission meaning that the EC will not focus on checking the work of the Audit Authority anymore in order to gain assurance about the achievements. In the future checks will be planned together and mutual support will be provided to identify errors and shortcomings to eliminate them and achieve improvements.
Information prepared by:
Ieva Raboviča
Senior Expert of Communication Division
Phone: 67095880
Ieva.Rabovica@fm.gov.lv
