Comments on changes in budgeting and accounting process prompted by 'Brussels'
At the request of the Senate, the Court of Audit explained in a detailed letter of 28 November 2013 what the consequences would be for the government and parliament of the budgeting and accounting agreements the Netherlands has made with other EU member states.
The EU member states have appointed Olli Rehn (a member of the European Commission) to oversee EU economic governance with a view to healthy national public finances. In spring, the government must accordingly submit a draft budget for the following year to Brussels. This means that the House of Representatives and the Senate must agree the main points of the budget for the new year earlier than they have traditionally done (spring instead of autumn).
The letter, which was also forwarded to the House of Representatives, considers what this means for the accounts rendered on the policies implemented, the quality of the statistics used to inform Brussels and the position of supreme audit institutions such as the Court of Audit.
At the request of the Senate, the Council of State had previously provided an overview of the changes in the budgeting process caused by EU agreements.
One point of concern, in the Court of Audit's opinion, relates to the assurances on the quality of the information that national parliaments receive to exercise their democratic control.
The letter is only in Dutch available.