European Court of Auditors - Traineeship (October 2024 session)

As the EU's independent external auditor, the ECA contributes to improving EU financial management, promotes accountability and transparency, and acts as the independent guardian of the financial interests of the citizens of the Union.

The ECA checks if the budget of the European Union has been implemented correctly, and that EU funds have been raised and spent legally and in accordance with the principles of sound financial management. As Europe faces ever greater challenges and increasing pressure on its public finances, the ECA’s role increases in importance.

The European Court of Auditors organises three traineeship sessions per year in areas of interest to its work. 

Traineeship sessions take place as follows:

• from 1 March to 31 July of the same year;
• from 1 May to 30 September of the same year;
• from 1 October to 28 (29) February of the following year.

Before applying, please note the following important information: 

• Due to the high volume of applications we do not respond to each individual applicant.
• Only on-line applications will be processed. Unsolicited applications or CVs sent by post, fax or e-mail will not be accepted. - Only the successful candidates will be contacted by the Human Resources department of the ECA.

ECA's Work

The ECA was established to audit the EU's finances. The starting point for its audit work is the EU's budget and policies, primarily in areas relating to growth and jobs, added value, public finances, the environment and climate action. The ECA audits the budget in terms of both revenue and spending.

Improving public accountability in the EU

The results of the ECA’s work are used by the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council and the Member States to oversee the management of the EU budget and, where necessary, make improvements. The ECA’s work provides an important basis for the annual discharge, a procedure in which the Parliament decides, on the basis of a recommendation from the Council, whether the Commission has satisfactorily implemented the previous year’s budget.

Providing reports for EU policymakers and citizens

The ECA’s reports and opinions add value to the EU’s financial management by contributing to developments within the Union and bringing it closer to European citizens. The ECA’s aim is to produce high-quality audit reports which are clear, relevant and timely, which are based on sound criteria and robust evidence, and which address the concerns of all interested parties and are therefore viewed as important and authoritative documents. The ECA’s publications include annual reports, specific annual reports, special reports, opinions and position papers.

Cooperating closely with other supreme audit institutions

Up to 80% of the EU’s budget management is shared with the Member States. Member States cooperate with the Commission in setting up supervisory and internal control systems to ensure that EU funds are spent properly and in accordance with the rules. Audit therefore has both an EU and a national dimension. In addition to the work done by the ECA, many SAIs in the Member States audit the European funds that are managed and spent by their national administrations.

Standard-setting for the audit of public finances

The ECA is committed to being at the forefront of developments in public financial management and audit. It plays an important part in the development and implementation of international standards (e.g. by INTOSAI).

Our impact

The ECA has been encouraged by its results over the years. External experts rate the quality of ECA reports as good, and the main institutional stakeholders find them useful. There is a consistently high level of acceptance by the Commission of the ECA’s recommendations, and the follow-up reports highlight their positive impact.

Future challenges

The ECA looks forward, in the coming years, to the challenge of helping to improve the EU’s accountability towards citizens for the public funds which it provides to meet its objectives.