22. Acknowledges that since 2012, the Agency's "Verifying Office" performs ex ante checks focused on valuable commitments, sensitive contracts and complex procurement procedures where higher risks have been identified; notes that during 2013, no delays have been reported by the “Verifying Office” and that all transactions were checked using checklists in line with the financial regulations and the charter of the verifying officer;

(b) in one case the financial and operational verification tasks and authorisation were performed by the same staff member, as well as three other cases where the tasks of the financial and authorisation officers were performed by the same staff member; notes with concern that these cases are contrary to the provisions of the financial procedures and the principle of segregation of duties;

8. Notes that the ex-ante control on activities performed by the Joint Undertaking's members identified one case when, contrary to the provisions of the Joint Undertaking's financial rules and its manual of procedures, the same staff member performed the procedure for validating the commitment in the capacity of both verifying agent and authorising officer; notes furthermore that one payment was made under the conditions described above; acknowledges that the Joint Undertaking has updated the financial back-up system by introducing new actors to perform the roles of financial verifier and authorising officer, and that the initi ...[+++]ation and verification/authorisation functions are kept separate; notes moreover a second case identified by the ex-ante control in which the technical assessment report was not available in the GMT tool;

However, I have to tell you that I am the President of a sub-committee of the International Organization of Auditors General in all the UN member countries, and of a sub-committee on the independence of Auditors General.

It also allows European securities and insurance regulators to exchange supervisory information with third country bodies, such as clearing and settlement systems, auditors, etc. which by virtue of their functions help to strengthen the stability of the financial system.

However, now that the auditor general has had a word with it, the government has recognized that it cannot have an auditor general of a country and have an aspect of the operations of government, particularly such a large aspect, not explicitly subject to his operations.