President: Audit Authorities Major Asset in Governing Both Country and EU

Bratislava, May 20 (TASR) - President Peter Pellegrini received European Court of Auditors (EDA) President Tony Murphy at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava on Tuesday, TASR learnt from the President's Office on the same day. "It's very important to govern the country and the entire European Union based on findings and data. In this regard, audit authorities are of great value to us," said the Slovak President. The visit of the head of this institution is the first in history since Slovakia has joined the EU. The role of the European Court of Auditors (EDA) is to oversee the proper and efficient use of EU funds and to help increase transparency and public trust in European institutions. "I wish them much success in this effort," Pellegrini said, noting that they currently face a range of challenges. One of these is the use of artificial intelligence in audit activities, which he discussed with the EDA President. AI could help auditors streamline processes and better evaluate collected data. At the meeting with the Slovak president, the EU's chief auditor also raised the issue of defining Slovakia's priorities for the coming period and setting financial limits in relation to the EU budget. While the European Court of Auditors doesn't have the authority to directly intervene in the budgets of individual member states, it's responsible for monitoring the use of taxpayers' money and protecting their financial interests from fraud, inefficiency, or waste. The participants also agreed that the head of state could act as a supporter of the functioning of independent institutions. lin