This report presents the results of our annual audit of the EU agencies and other Union bodies (collectively referred to as 'the agencies') for the financial year 2020, as well as additional agency related audit results from other tasks such as special audits or opinions. The report is...

The Annual Management and Performance Report for the EU Budget - Financial year 2020 together with its annexes is the Commission's main contribution to the annual discharge procedure by which the European Parliament and the Council scrutinise the implementation of the EU budget. It fulfils the...

The paper analyses how independent fiscal watchdogs (fiscal policy councils) can strengthen the incentives for fiscal discipline. By increasing fiscal transparency they can raise the awareness of the long-run costs of current deficits and increase the reputational costs for governments of...

This paper examines whether access to information enhances political accountability. Based upon the results of Brazil's recent anti-corruption program that randomly audits municipal expenditures of federally-transferred funds, it estimates the effects of the disclosure of local government...

This paper explains why EMU countries seem unable or unwilling to undertake structural reforms of public expenditure. One of the reasons is political. What public expenditure reforms might be pursued without changing the political system? Without political reforms, technical improvements made to...