During November 29-30, 2022, the auditors of the Court of Accounts of the Republic of Moldova (CoARM), responsible for the environmental audit, participated in the annual meeting of the EUROSAI Working Group on Environmental Audit (WGEA EUROSAI), with the theme "Protection of the environment in turbulent times ".
The contribution of the Court of Accounts in this context is a primary one, by contributing to the accountability of the government regarding environmental protection and the implementation of innovative technologies in order to reduce the burden on natural resources, thus contributing to sustainable development - an objective of the UN 2030 Agenda.
In this context, the Court of Accounts participates in cooperative audits with other Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) in European member countries, addressing common environmental issues and conducting audits in the areas of water quality, air quality and plastic waste issues.
This meeting once again highlighted the importance of SAIs, who have leverage to evaluate methods of environmental protection, especially in the current turbulent times, when the influence of negative factors on the environment is a pressing issue.
Climate change is accelerating its pace, generating increasing natural disasters with dangerous effects on water, soil and air quality. Environmental disorder is increasing (deforestation, land erosion, impairment of groundwater filtration, poor waste management, floods, droughts) and ecological concerns remain in the shadows.
Over the next decade, Europe will have to face unprecedented environmental and climate challenges, but also boost recovery from the economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The European Green Deal and associated measures to stimulate a green recovery demonstrate the ambitions of the European Union and European countries to face these challenges, by setting long-term objectives with concrete targets and by creating new financial instruments. The European Environment Agency and its European Information and Observation Network are currently developing their joint strategy - the EEA–Eionet Strategy 2021–2030, which has identified a series of activities that foresee further efforts to bring the latest knowledge based on science and technologies to decision-makers and the public. This decade will play a crucial role in defining and directing Europe's path to sustainability.
Taking into account the ambitious strategic plans for the future, the Court of Accounts has the important role of carrying out audits, both at national and international level, through which to identify environmental risks and problems, their causes and to propose to the government solutions to remove existing impediments, including in the context of international practice.