EU president Herman Van Rompuy wants European Court of Auditors to tone down critical reports

"But given this media handling of information, and its impact on public opinion in some countries, the Court might want to give some further thought as to how it can encourage more nuanced reporting. It's important that citizens can have the whole picture, with all its nuances."

Herman Van Rompuy
President of the European Council


EU president Herman Van Rompuy has congratulated the European Court of Auditors, celebrating its 35th anniversary, by encouraging it to publish less critical reports ("more nuanced reporting"):

In a frank speech to the European Court of Auditors, the EU president expressed alarm at the negative public reaction to its regular reports that frequently find problems in accounting for over £110 billion in annual spending.

Mr Van Rompuy and other Brussels officials are concerned that rigorous accounting standards do not give a "nuanced" enough picture of European expenditure leading the public to learn the wrong lesson about the EU.

"As European institutions, we share the responsibility to make these results known, and to work hard to overcome shortcomings. In doing so, we share another responsibility: that of being as didactic as we possibly can," he said.

"In the end we are all responsible for Europe and its image. We all have to account for the Union. In times of crisis, it is more vital than ever to foster confidence by impartial control and meticulous evaluation of public policy. We should also be teaching to convince Europeans and demonstrate clearly that Europe is not the source of problems, but the solution."

The world of Brussels officialdom was shaken in July by EU polling showing that trust European institutions had plummeted to an all time low of 31 per cent in the wake of eurozone crisis and collapsing living standards in many countries across Europe.

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