Audit, Structural and cohesion funds/ESIF

Audit and Anti-Fraud in RRF and ESIFs 2021-2027 – Exchange of Audit Experiences Between AAs, EC, OLAF and ECA

The course has a very practical and interactive character. All presentations, given by audit and fraud prevention experts from the European Commission, European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), European Court of Auditors and national AAs, include concrete examples and real-life case studies

About this course

This highly practical 3-day workshop for Audit Authorities has as main objective the exchange of experiences regarding anti-fraud measures in EU funding (ESIFs + RRF), conflict of interest, double financing, audit results based on Arachne or other similar tools used by AAs, and measures applied in different Member States to ensure effective and efficient control systems at the national level for the Recovery and Resilience Facility. In addition, audit results of 2014-2020 programming period and the current one 2021-2027 will be presented.

What will you learn:

This course has a very practical and interactive character. All presentations, given by audit and fraud prevention experts, including concrete examples and real-life case studies, will focus on the following topics:

  • Changes in the 2021-2027 programming period: simplified costs and financing not linked to costs, proportionate control arrangements, annual accounts and audits, conditionalities, performance and proportional anti-fraud measures.
  • Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF): measures applied in Member States to prevent, detect and correct conflict of interest, double financing, corruption and fraud, similarities and differences of internal control systems created, and audits for RRF. In addition, how to put in place effective and efficient controls and anti-fraud measures for the RRF.
  • RePowerEU and modification of National Recovery and Resilience Plans.
  • Role of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) in the fraud detection and prevention in ESIF and RRF co-financed projects and programmes in the current programming period 2021-2027. The presentation of real-life fraud examples with special focus on the RRF.
  • European Commission and ECA approach to ESIFs and RRF audits, audit of milestones and targets, main findings of already performed RRF audits, shortcomings and irregularities detected, and EC and ECA’s upcoming RRF audits.
  • Practical use of Arachne and similar tools in Member States: how to effectively use Arachne to detect irregularities and fraud in RRF? What are the advantages of data mining programmes?
  • Main conflicts of interests and fraud risks in the selection process of project proposals and management verifications in the current programming period. What are the possible risks and fraud schemes in the RRF?
  • Main errors and irregularities in projects co-funded by the ESIFs and significant risks related to RRF projects.

Course methodology/highlights

The course has a very practical and interactive character. All presentations, given by audit and fraud prevention experts from European Commission, European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), European Court of Auditors and national AAs, include concrete examples and real-life case studies. First RFF audit findings will be presented and discussed.  After the presentations, the participants will have the opportunity to work in small groups with the experts on practical case studies.

You will learn and discuss with the EC, ECA, OLAF and AA colleagues about audit findings in ESIFs and RRF (main errors, irregularities and fraud). You will also discuss the effectiveness of internal control systems established for the new instrument Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). This includes the presentation of colleagues from different MS about their way to prevent, detect and correct conflicts of interests, corruption, fraud and double financing and to ensure sound financial management of the RRF. In addition, you will discover the practical applications of the Arachne tool in management verifications and fraud detection in Croatia.

  • Managing authorities, audit authorities, national authorities; first-level controllers and independent auditors dealing with or interested in the European Structural and Cohesion Funds, and co-funded projects and programmes;
  • Experts in charge of the fraud investigations and experts from national contact points with OLAF;
  • Internal auditors and other experts in charge of the control and audit of RRF projects, where Member States decided to rely on the control systems for the national budget funds;

Course venue
LePremier Boutique Hotel
Address: Ulica kralja Držislava 5, Zagreb, Croatia
+385 1 44 00880
info@lepremier.hr

Programme Organiser
Ms Rafaella Giussani
Tel: +31 43 32 96 372
r.giussani@eipa.eu

Fee
The fee includes documentation, refreshments, lunches, and a dinner. Accommodation and travel costs are at the expense of the participants or their administration.

Discounts
EIPA member fee
EIPA offers a discount to all civil servants working for one of EIPA’s supporting countries, and civil servants working for an EU institution, body or agency.

Who are the supporting countries?
Civil servants coming from the following EIPA supporting countries are entitled to get the reduced fee: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden.

For all other participants, the regular fee applies.

Early bird discount
The early bird discount is not cumulative with other discounts or promo codes, except for the EIPA member fee.

Loyalty coupon
As a token of appreciation we offer all our participants a loyalty coupon for one of our future courses. The offer can be shared with colleagues and relevant networks. The coupon will expire one year after its release. This discount is not cumulative with other discounts, except for the EIPA member fee.

Meals
Dietary preferences can be indicated on the registration form.

Hotel reservation
EIPA has arranged a special price with the hotel where the course will take place. Should you wish to make use of this possibility, please book directly via this link. Payment is to be made directly and personally to the hotel upon checking out.

Confirmation
Confirmation of registration will be forwarded to participants on receipt of the completed online registration form.

Payment
Prior payment is a condition for participation.

Cancellation policy
For administrative reasons you will be charged €150 for cancellations received within 15 days before the activity begins. There is no charge for qualified substitute participants.

EIPA reserves the right to cancel the activity up to 2 weeks before the starting date. In that case, registration fees received will be fully reimbursed. EIPA accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred (travel, accommodation, etc.).

A few days before the start of the course you will receive the log-in details for accessing the course materials. You can log in here.

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Our experts

Portrait photo Iwona
Project leader

Iwona Karwot

EU Structural and Cohesion Funds

Programme

DAY 1
08.30Registration of participants
08.45Opening of the seminar: Introduction to the programme, objectives and methodology
Neven Šprlje, Director of ARPA (Agency for the Audit of European Union Programmes Implementation System)Iwona Karwot, Senior Lecturer and Project Leader, EIPA
09.15Tour de “online table”: Presentation of participants to initiate networking
Part I: OLAF

Combating fraud and its role in the management and implementation process of Structural and Cohesion Funds and Recovery and Resilience Facility

09.45Fraud in the ESIFs: practical real-life examples of the main problems in ESIF co-funded projects and possible fraud cases in the new Recovery and Resilience Facility
Piotr Baczmanski, Policy Analyst at Unit C.1 Anti-Corruption, Anti-Fraud Strategy and Analysis (OLAF) – European Anti-Fraud Office, European Commission
11.15Questions and answers
11.30Coffee Break
12.00Fraud in the ESIFs and RRF – Practical workshop

Piotr Baczmanski

13.00Plenary session: Group presentations – evaluation of workshop results, including debates on problems faced by the participants during the exercises and possible solutions
13.30Joint Lunch
Part II: Member States

Combating fraud and its role in the management and implementation process of Structural and Cohesion Funds and Recovery and Resilience Facility

14.30Framework and measures applied in Croatia to prevent, detect and correct conflicts of interest, double financing, corruption and fraud in ESIFs and RRF
Marina Mandac, Head of Department for Methodology in the Service for Support to Audit Processes, Agency for the Audit of European Programmes Implementation System (ARPA)
15.30Questions and answers
15.45Short break
16.00Practical example of checks done by the Croatian Audit Authority for prevention, detection and correction of conflicts of interest, double financing, corruption and fraud in RRF
Sara Sirovica Kranjčec, Head of Service for Support to Audit Processes, Sector for Horizontal Processes Management, ARPA
17.00Panel I –Audit of ESIFs and assessment of internal control systems applied in Member States to prevent, detect and correct conflicts of interest, double financing, corruption and fraud in ESIFs. Internal control systems created for ESIFs;
Presentation by country + general discussion and exchange
17.30Panel II – Audit of RRF and assessment of the internal control systems applied in Member States to prevent, detect and correct conflicts of interest, double financing, corruption and fraud. Internal control systems created for RRF. Presentation by country + general discussion and exchange
18.00End of the first day + Tour of Zagreb
20.00Official networking dinner
DAY 2
Part III: ARACHNE and similar tools

Combating fraud and its role in the management and implementation process of Structural and Cohesion Funds and Recovery and Resilience Facility

09.00Arachne as a practical tool for fraud prevention and detection in the ESIFs and in the RRF co-financed programmes and projects. How to use Arachne to detect and prevent fraud and irregularities – real-life case studies.
Wim Smets, Arachne Business Analyst, DG Employment, Social Affairs and inclusion, Unit F5 – Information Technologies, European Commission
10.30Questions and answers
10.45Coffee Break
11.15Arachne as a practical tool for fraud prevention and detection – practical workshop
Wim Smets,
12.15Practical use of Arachne to detect fraud and irregularities in Croatia
Marina Mandac and Sara Sirovica Kranjčec, ARPA
12.45Questions and answers
13.00Joint Lunch
Part IV: ECA and ESIFs

Audit of ESIFs in the programming period 2021–2027

14.15Comparative analysis of audit and control in the Cohesion policy funds and the RFF
Marion Boulard, Auditor – Chamber 2 Directorate – Investment for cohesion, growth and inclusion, European Court of Auditors
15.45Questions and answers
Part V: Member States and ESIFs

Audit of ESIF in the programming period 2021–2027

16.00Audit results from 2014-2020 and 2021-2027: challenges and the most frequent irregularities and fraud cases
10 – 20 presentation by country + general discussion and exchange
17.30Final Panel
18.00End of Second Day
DAY 3
Part VI: European Commission and RRF
Audit of RRF
09.00Audit, control and anti-fraud measures in the Recovery and Resilience Facility

  • ECFIN’s Audit Strategy
  • Commission audits on milestones and targets and system audits on milestones and targets
  • Commission system audits on measures implemented to protect the financial interest of the Union
  • Commission’s Approach to the work of the audit bodies
  • Main findings, challenges and good practices in RRF implementation that EC detected during its audits
  • EC Guidance:
    • Guidance note on the assessment of the Internal Control System  (January 2023)
    • Double funding: RRF double funding note (February 2023)
    • EPM compliance audit (March 2023)
    • Framework for assessing milestones and targets under the RRF Regulation
    • Commission methodology for the determination of payment suspension under the RRF Regulation

Claudia Fernandez Garcia, Internal Control Officer, DG ECFIN – Unit R4: Control, planning and evaluation, European Commission

10.30Questions and answers
10.45Coffee Break
Part VII: ECA and RRF
Audit of RRF
11.15Audit of RRF from the ECA perspective – challenges and opportunities

  • ECA’s approach to RRF audits (including audit of milestones, targets, irregularities)
  • Main findings of already performed RRF audits by ECA
  • ECA’s upcoming RRF audits
  • RePowerEU and its impact on the RRF implementation and on ECA’s work

Andreas Bolkart, Principal Manager, European Court of Auditors

12.45Questions and answers
13.00Joint Lunch
Part VIII: Member States and RRF
Audit of RRF
14.15Audit of Recovery and Resilience Facility: challenges and obstacles faced until now and possible solutions
Marina Mandac and Sara Sirovica Kranjčec, ARPA
15.15Questions and answers
15.30Final panel and discussion
16.30Closure and issuing of EIPA seminar certificates for participants

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Audit and Anti-fraud in RRF and ESIFs 2021-2027 – Exchange of First Audit Experiences Between AAs, EC, OLAF and ECA

Confirmed
22 Nov 2023 - 24 Nov 2023
Zagreb (HR)
Register before: 17 Nov 2023

Simultaneous interpretation can be offered. Contact the programme organizer for more information and conditions.

 1.550 per attendee
 1.395 for EIPA members
Registration closed

Discount policy

EIPA offers a discount to all civil servants working for one of EIPA’s supporting countries, and civil servants working for an EU institution, body or agency.

Who are the supporting countries?

Civil servants coming from the following EIPA supporting countries are entitled to get the reduced fee: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden.

For all other participants, the regular fee applies.

Early bird discount

For a limited number of training courses, EIPA offers an early bird discount.

For more information please contact us.

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Register before: 17 Nov 2023
Registration closed