At the XII Congress of the European Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (EUROSAI), which took place online, heads of more than 40 European SAIS discussed the future of public sector auditing and auditors, taking into account the rapid development of artificial intelligence tools.
Following the trends, the integration of artificial intelligence in auditing would mark a significant turning point in the development of audit practice. It offers ample opportunities to improve the efficiency of auditing and analyse large amounts of data much faster than traditional methods. At the same time, it is necessary to improve the individual communication skills of auditors and the general communication with the state administration, legislators and public constantly to facilitate the impact of the recommendations provided in the audits.
The EUROSAI Strategic Plan for 2024-2030 was approved at the Congress, which emphasised the exchange of experience and knowledge as the core values for the future period, as well as closer cooperation among all stakeholders including at all levels of employees of supreme audit institutions. Action plans of working groups for the next three years, financial report and other activity reports were also approved.
This Congress marked the seven-year work of the State Audit Office of Latvia in the EUROSAI Governing Board finishing, where the State Audit Office of Latvia supervised two portfolios since 2017 that was the communication portfolio (2017-2021) and the EUROSAI cooperation portfolio with non-SAIs (2021-2024).
The activities of the State Audit Office of Latvia in the EUROSAI Governing Board demonstrated a strong commitment to improving cooperation among supreme audit institutions and various stakeholders. The communication framework of EUROSAI was developed, the visibility of the European Supreme Audit Institutions at the international level was strengthened and EUROSAI's participation in various international events was promoted. For example, SAIs shared their experiences of their role in climate policy at the UN COP26 by providing comprehensive information on how they could help governments and the public monitor climate policy implementation. Also, cooperation between EUROSAI and the European Confederation of Institutes of Internal Auditing (ECIIA) was strengthened, as well as activities were implemented for more effective cooperation of supreme audit institutions with civic society organizations. For instance, an international high-level discussion was organized for EUROSAI Governing Board members about their experience and examples of best practice in cooperation with civic society as a part of the centenary celebrations of the State Audit Office of Latvia in August 2023.
Despite the fact that the work in the Governing Board has come to an end, the State Audit Office of Latvia will continue to be an active member of EUROSAI and will lead the EUROSAI Municipal Auditing Working Group for the next three years by taking over powers from the Supreme Audit Institution of Lithuania.
The presidency of EUROSAI for the next three years was transferred from the Czech Supreme Audit Institution to the Israeli SAI. SAIs of Sweden, Italy and Slovakia have been elected to the EUROSAI Governing Board for a six-year term. The next EUROSAI Congress will be organized by SAI Slovakia in 2027, which will also be the successor of the presidency powers from SAI Israel. SAIs of Bulgaria and the Netherlands were approved as EUROSAI auditors.
Read more:
- EUROSAI report on the performance of the Governance Portfolios
- EUROSAI report on the implementation of the Strategy 2017-2024
- Presidency of the Czech Republic 2021-2024
About EUROSAI
EUROSAI is a regional organisation of INTOSAI, which was established in 1990 and currently unites 51 members (SAIs of 50 European countries and the European Court of Auditors). The State Audit Office became a full-fledged member of EUROSAI in 1995. The main goals of the organization are to promote professional cooperation among the European SAIS, to support the exchange of information and documentation, to promote public sector audit research, to stimulate the creation of academic positions in this field and to achieve standardization of auditing terminology.
About the State Audit Office of Latvia
The State Audit Office of the Republic of Latvia is an independent, collegial supreme audit institution. The purpose of its activity is to find out whether the actions with the financial means and property of a public entity are legal, correct, useful and in line with public interests, as well as to provide recommendations for the elimination of discovered irregularities. The State Audit Office conducts audits in accordance with International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions INTOSAI (ISSAI), whose recognition in Latvia is determined by the Auditor General.
Additional information
Mr Ivo Valdovskis
Communications Advisor to the Auditor General
Phone number: 23282273 | E-mail: ivo.valdovskis@lrvk.gov.lv