EU Financial Management

Indeed, but also to improve the situation. As I shall explain, we moved things on during our presidency; we did not solve all the problems but we said that the issue must be given more prominence and importance at Council level. As a result, progress has been made. I acknowledged earlier that we had found most problems in respect of payments. In most years, the ECA has been able to give a positive statement of assurance only for administrative payments that were a small part of the budget—about 6 per cent. I am pleased to note that, in the 2004 report, the ECA considers that a substantial part of the agriculture budget—59 per cent.—merits a positive statement of assurance. That is the part managed under the integrated administration and control scheme—IACS—and it amounts to €26 billion from a total agricultural payments budget of €44.3 billion in 2004.