Monday

11th Dec 2023

Dutch ex-member of Court of Auditors blasts endemic corruption

The Dutch member of the European Union's Court of Auditors - its budgetary oversight office - has blasted his colleagues and the European Commission for a "culture of cover up" and a tradition of watering down reports.

Maarten Engwirda, representing the Netherlands in the Luxembourg-based bureau, retired in January after 15 years with the court and finally felt free to speak his mind in an interview with Dutch centre-left daily De Volkskrant.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

"There was a practice of watering down if not completely removing criticism," Mr Engwirda told the paper. "I wanted to write a book, I was so sick of it all."

In particular, Mr Engwirda, a former politician with and leader of the the social liberal D66 party, which is staunchly pro-EU and federalist, accuses his French and Italian colleagues, amongst others of this type of activity.

But he also speaks of "heavy pressure" from then anti-fraud commissioner Siim Kallas in 2005 for the court to relax its standards.

Estonia's Mr Kallas now has the transport dossier within the commission.

According to the interview, this pattern of obstruction continued until after 2005. Only after Mr Engwirda had convinced his colleagues that their work be reviewed by national audit offices did things begin to change.

Since 2008, the Dutchman says that this sort of activity has stopped.

The Court of Auditors has never issued an unqualified opinion - essentially a clean bill of health - of the European budget since its founding in 1975. However, the European Commission and other commentators have long argued that this is simply a result of the very strict standards that the court applies.

Representatives of the court could not be reached for comment on Tuesday morning.

Responding to the allegations regarding Mr Kallas, his spokeswoman, Helen Kearns, told EUobserver: "Mr Engwirda is entitled to his opinion, but that is not the recollection of the work done in that period at all. He had very conductive and positive working relationship with the court."

"Very significant progress was made under the Kallas mandate in improving EU financial management."

Auditor flags up spending errors in EU budget

The European Union's internal accounting books are generally in order, but a big chunk of payments are subject to "material error" its audit office has said.

Polish truck protest at Ukraine border disrupts war supplies

Disruption at the Polish-Ukrainian border by disaffected Polish truckers is escalating, potentially affecting delivery of military aid to Ukraine. A Polish request to reintroduce permits for Ukrainian drivers has been described as "a shot to the head" during war.

Brussels denies having no 'concern' on Spain's amnesty law

The Spanish government remains secretive about its negotiations with pro-independence Catalans, but claims the EU Commission has "zero concerns" about their proposed amnesty law for Catalan separatists. The EU executive denies that.

Opinion

Tusk's difficult in-tray on Poland's judicial independence

What is obvious is that PiS put in place a set of interlocking safeguards for itself which, even after their political defeat in Poland, will render it very difficult for the new government to restore the rule of law.

Opinion

Can Green Deal survive the 2024 European election?

Six months ahead of the EU elections, knocking an 'elitist' climate agenda is looking like a vote-winner to some. Saving the Green Deal and the EU's climate ambitions starts with listening to Europeans who are struggling to make ends meet.

Latest News

  1. How Moldova is trying to control tuberculosis
  2. Many problems to solve in Dubai — honesty about them is good
  3. Sudanese fleeing violence find no haven in Egypt or EU
  4. How should EU reform the humanitarian aid system?
  5. EU suggests visa-bans on Israeli settlers, following US example
  6. EU ministers prepare for all-night fiscal debate
  7. Spain's Nadia Calviño backed to be EIB's first female chief
  8. Is there hope for the EU and eurozone?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us