International Journal of Government Auditing – October 2004
Belgium
Court of Audit Celebrates Its 175th Anniversary
The Belgian Court of Audit celebrated its 175th anniversary during an academic session held at the Egmont Palace in Brussels on December 7, 2006. Attendees included the King as well as the presidents of the legislative assemblies, the Prime Minister, and the heads of Belgium’s highest jurisdictional bodies.
 The academic session marking the 175th anniversary of the Belgian SAI |
The court was officially established by a decree passed by the National Congress on December 30, 1830, several weeks after the proclamation of Belgium’s independence and before the Belgian Constitution was approved in January _8__. The court’s predecessor was the Chambers of Accounts of the Burgundian Netherlands (dating back to the 14th century).
During the academic session, several formal speeches stressed the court’s new competencies and the modernization of its working methods. In his introductory speech, Franki Vanstapel, Senior President of the Belgian Court of Audit, highlighted the international nature of this development. He stated that the intensification of contacts between courts of audit—both inside and outside Europe and primarily through international organizations such as EUROSAI and INTOSAI—has fostered mutual exchanges of viewpoints. He added that while changes in management and public accounts inside the country are worthy of full consideration, the international information networks and the concepts they have generated are also of considerable value. National regulations are a need, but international standardization is an absolute necessity.
In his presentation, Herman De Croo, President of the House of Representatives, highlighted the increasing collaboration between members of Parliament and their auditing body (the Court of Audit is a collateral body of Parliament). He was pleased to note that more of his parliamentary colleagues were exercising their individual right of consultation with the court and access to information in the court’s files and stated that he would do his utmost to ensure that the court was used as widely as possible.
In the closing speech, Philippe Roland, President of the court, discussed the international dimension of auditing methods. He pointed out that the Belgian SAI was taking international standards into account when planning its control operations and in the reporting process.
Two outside speakers delivered lectures during the academic session. Karel Pinxten, a member of the European Court of Auditors, gave a speech on auditing public monies and good management from a European perspective and Jean-Paul Servais, Vice-Chairman of the Banking, Finance and Insurance Commission, discussed public governance and audit.
For additional information, contact the Belgian Court of Audit:
Fax: ++32 (2) 551 86 22
E-mail: International@ccrek.be
Web site: www.courdescomptes.be