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Tony Murphy takes office as president of the European Court of Auditors

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Today, (1 October), Tony Murphy takes up his duties as the new ECA president for a renewable three-year term.

Tony Murphy, an Irish national, was elected by the ECA members on 20 September to serve as the institution’s president for the period from 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2025. He is taking over from Klaus-Heiner Lehne, who had presided over the institution since 2016.

From Cabra in Dublin, Tony Murphy became a Member of the European Court of Auditors in 2018 and has mainly been responsible for financial audits, including in his capacity as ECA Member for the annual report on the EU budget. He has also been responsible for audits relating to child poverty and regularity of spending in EU cohesion policy. Prior to that, he served at the ECA as director of Chamber IV (Regulation of markets and competitive economy) and head of the private office of an ECA Member. He began his career in the late 1970s as an auditor at the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General in Dublin. For his full CV, click here.

“It’s a great honour to be elected as President of the ECA. I want to thank the Members of the Court for their expression of confidence in me,” said Tony Murphy shortly after he was elected, “I am very mindful of the great responsibility the role entails. My focus will be on continuing our work that contributes to improving accountability and transparency across all types of EU action. This is important for citizens’ trust in the EU and its finances.”

Tony Murphy becomes president – the ECA’s 12th – at a time when the EU in general and the ECA in particular are facing major challenges. One of the most significant tasks for the institution during Mr Murphy’s mandate will be ensuring that the €1.8 trillion EU budget is managed in a sound and effective manner and also that the NextGenerationEU package is effectively contributing to the economic recovery in the 27 member states.

Background

The ECA is the European Union’s independent external auditor. Its reports and opinions are an essential element of the EU accountability chain. They are used to hold to account those responsible for implementing EU policies and programmes: the Commission, other EU institutions and bodies, and Member State governments. The ECA warns of risks, provides assurance, flags up shortcomings and good practices, and offers guidance to policymakers and legislators on how to improve the management of EU policies and programmes.

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The 27 ECA members elect the president from among themselves to serve as a ‘first among equals’ for a renewable period of three years. The president is in charge of the institution’s corporate strategy, planning and performance management, communication and media relations, legal matters and internal audit, and represents the institution in its external relations.

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