1. Accountability in the EU Accounting for performance – How to account for policy and regulatory impact EU Accountability Conference 14 October 2014 Manfred Kraff Deputy Director-General DG Budget

2. Landscape review on accountability Starting point of a necessary debate Main focus on the role of external auditors Important element of Court's theoretical model: Transparency in accountability reporting o European Commission o Member States’ administrations

3. Performance reporting (1) Enhanced Commission reporting on performance o Art 318 TFEU Report on the evaluation of the Union’s finances based on the results achieved o Annual Activity Reports o Management Plans Work in progress o Improvements in each annual reporting cycle o Strengthened standing instructions (inputs, outputs, results, impacts, general and specific objectives, short-/ medium-/long- term indicators, milestones, …) o Performance framework for spending and non-spending activities

4. Performance reporting (2) Multi-Annual Financial Framework 2014-2020 o Better definition of general and specific objectives o Reliable information from Member States: Reinforced legal requirements, yet challenging Juncker-Commission o Mission letters of Vice-Presidents- and Commissioners-designate: “… to make sure that every action we take delivers maximum performance and value added.” o Objective: “stronger performance culture … including by enhancing performance based budgeting across the Commission.”

5. Performance based budgeting (PBB) (1) PBB emerged more than 60 years ago as a key driver of budgetary innovation in USA Two main models in the contemporary practice o Budget allocations based on actual or expected results (which are established by using specific “formulas”) o Informed decisions by budget authority considering data on results (which are inserted into budget statements) Present practice at the level of the EU: Programme Statements attached to draft budget o Main instrument for justifying requested appropriations o Objectives, indicators, targets, outputs, …

6. Performance based budgeting (PBB) (2) Request of European Parliament to establish an Inter-Institutional Working Group (IIWG) on PBB o Identification of best practice in Member States and Third Countries o Analysis of state of the art in academic discussions o Definition of needs of Budget Authority o Feasibility of obtaining relevant, reliable and timely data o Estimation of related costs => Avoid expectation gaps => Common understanding concerning PBB model

7. Thank you for your attention!