What I love about my job is that I can see what Europe is achieving on the ground, while making sure that EU funds are used properly and that citizens can trust how their money is spent.
What would you say to someone considering a career at the European ECA?
I would say that the ECA is a human-sized institution, while still being large enough to offer a wide range of opportunities. You can get to know people quite quickly, build a professional network and make yourself known across the institution. At the same time, there are many possibilities to develop your career and move into different areas of audit and different fields of expertise. You can deepen your experience in financial or compliance audit, explore performance-related work, work on different EU policies or geographical areas, or take on responsibilities such as leading audit teams. The variety means that you can continue to develop without necessarily having to leave the institution to find a new challenge. For me, this combination of a close working environment and genuine career opportunities is one of the things that makes the ECA an attractive place to work
What does your role as a Senior Auditor at the European Court of Auditors involve?
As a Senior Auditor and Head of Task, I lead audit teams looking at how EU funds are managed and what they achieve. This means much more than checking invoices. We assess whether expenditure complies with the rules, but also whether projects are delivering what they were intended to deliver and whether EU funds are being used with economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
My work is particular as it focuses on EU external action, so I work on a wide range of areas and countries. One day I can be looking at the construction of a road, the next at a hospital or school, or at projects supporting the rule of law. I coordinate the audit work while remaining closely involved myself, discussing difficult issues with auditees and engaging with interlocutors at different levels, from Commission colleagues and EU Delegations to national authorities and international organisations.
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
What makes the work particularly meaningful is that I can see the results for myself. When you visit a project and see what has actually been achieved, the figures and documents you have been examining suddenly become much more concrete. At the same time, our role is to look critically at what we see and make sure that EU funds are properly protected. For me, these two aspects go hand in hand: understanding what Europe is achieving while helping to ensure that citizens can trust the way their money is used.
What is it like to conduct an audit mission abroad?
I still remember my first mission. I travelled to Burkina Faso, and I had barely travelled outside my home region of Lorraine before joining the ECA. So, for me, it was quite a “wow” moment! Since then, I have travelled to a number of countries for audit work and discovered that being an ECA auditor can sometimes involve rather unexpected expertise.
It may sound amusing, but these visits illustrate something important about the job: we do not only examine documents from Luxembourg. We sometimes have to go out into the field and verify for ourselves whether what has been reported actually exists and works as intended. A mission allows you to go beyond the documents and see the reality behind an EU-funded project. You can visit a construction site, speak to the people involved, understand the local context and sometimes see results that are genuinely impressive.
It also reminds you that EU external action is not an abstract concept. There are real projects, people and communities behind the figures we audit. That is one of the things that has kept me so interested in this work over the years.
What is the difference between being an auditor in the private sector and at the ECA?
I came to the ECA after working in private-sector audit, so I have experienced both environments. The biggest difference for me is the purpose of the work. At the ECA, the ultimate beneficiaries of our work are EU citizens and the European institutions that rely on independent information about how public funds are used. We are not auditing for a commercial client. We are contributing to accountability and transparency in the European public sector. That gives the work a particular sense of purpose. Independent audit helps maintain trust in how European funds are managed, and I find that very motivating.
How has your career developed at the ECA?
One thing I have particularly appreciated is the level of responsibility that can come relatively quickly. Since joining the ECA, I have progressively moved from carrying out audit work to leading teams and coordinating complex tasks as a Head of Task. Being a Head of Task gives me the opportunity to coordinate the overall work while still being hands-on. I can discuss a detailed audit issue with an auditor in the morning and then participate in a high-level discussion with senior interlocutors later the same day. I really enjoy that combination.
What do you appreciate about working with colleagues and partners from different backgrounds?
The international dimension is a very natural part of my work. At the ECA, I work with colleagues from across the European Union, while our audits also bring us into contact with people from the European Commission, EU Delegations, national administrations and international organisations. You quickly realise that there is rarely only one way of looking at a problem. Listening to people with different professional and cultural backgrounds often helps you understand an issue better and find a way forward. For me, that is one of the most enjoyable aspects of working in a European institution: you are constantly exposed to different perspectives while working towards a common purpose.
What is it like to live and work in Luxembourg?
Luxembourg feels very familiar to me because I was born near the Luxembourg border. At the same time, working at the ECA has made me appreciate even more how international the country is. You can hear several languages in the same conversation, work with people from all over Europe and still enjoy a relatively calm environment. For me, that combination is particularly attractive. Luxembourg offers an international professional environment while remaining a place where you can have a peaceful everyday life and where children can grow up in a safe and multicultural environment.