Audit And Internal Control Indispensable Tools In Successful Implementation Of Eu Projects

The last years have brought a significant dynamic at the European Union level, in a domain that is still under a consolidation process – the territorial cohesion. EU objectives are based on the concepts of a balanced, coherent and harmonious territory development, in terms of economic and social activities, in terms of environmental quality and accessibility, and also in terms of the existence of equitable living and working conditions for all the citizens, regardless of the place they live in. European Union’s objectives are achieved through the successful implementation of projects, which, although at first sight are seen to be independent, in fact, their results lead in a bigger or smaller proportion to achieve the major proposed objectives. However, in order for each project to achieve its expected results, it must be permanently monitored and controlled, primarily by the beneficiary. The lack of internal controls or the incorrect application of its principles is one of the main risks leading to non-compliance with the contractual requirements of projects funded by the Structural and Cohesion Funds. The aim of the work focuses primarily on clarifying the importance of the control system, focusing on internal control in European projects and raising awareness of stakeholders about this need. The research focused, on the one hand, on the systematization and synthesis of the concepts contained in the literature and the legislation in the field; as well as the qualitative and quantitative research of the irregularities identified in the implementation of the projects with non-reimbursable financing.