EUROPEAN COURT OF AUDITORS PRESS RELEASE

ECA/12/36

Luxembourg, 28 September 2012

"Water and sanitation projects in sub-Saharan Africa - EU Commission could and should do better” - EU Auditors

The European Union provides development assistance for water and sanitation throughout the world, including sub-Saharan Africa. Safe drinking water and sanitation improve health,and thus lead to faster economic growth and reduced poverty.

The ECA examined 23 projects in 6 sub-Saharan countries. The Court found that EU support had increased access to drinking water and basic sanitation, using standard technology and locally available materials. On the other handfewer than half of the projects examinedsatisfactorily metthe beneficiaries’ needs. And for a majority of projects results and benefits will not continue unless non-tariff revenue can be ensured.

“Access to drinking water and basic sanitation are important development objectives. EU support has made a valuable contribution to meeting them. But the Court’s audit revealed problems in a considerable number of the projects which we examined. It also indicated that the Commission was doing less than it might to maximise success and, in particular, to maximise the chances that projects will be sustainable – go on yielding benefits in the long term. The Commission should apply its existing management procedures more rigorously, and give more attention to whether and how projects can be expected to have access to the funding they need to ensure that they go on helping to improve the life and health of people in the countries concerned”. said David Bostock, the ECA Member responsible for the report.

Notes to the editors:

European Court of Auditors special reports are published throughout the year, presenting the results of selected audits of specific EU budgetary areas or management topics.

This special report 13/2012 (“European Union Development Assistance for Drinking-Water Supply and Basic Sanitation in Sub-Saharan Countries”) is a performance audit that aimed to assess whether theCommission has managed EU development assistance for drinking water andbasic sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa so as to lead to effective and sustainable results.

The Court examined a sample of 23 projects in six countries, which represent a significant part of the aid delivered to that region, to see whetherproject results had been delivered and were likely to be sustained over time.

The principal findings of the audit were:

  • Overall, equipment was installed as planned and was in working order.
  • However, fewer than half of the projects examined delivered results meeting the beneficiaries’ needs.
  • Overall the projects examined promoted the use of standard technologyand locally-available materials: they were sustainable in technical terms.
  • For a majority of projects, results and benefits will not continue to flow inthe medium and long term unless non-tariff revenue is ensured; or becauseof institutional weaknesses (weak capacity by operators to run theequipment installed).
  • The Commission’s project management procedures cover sustainabilitycomprehensively; but the Commission did not make good use of thoseprocedures to increase the likelihood that projects will bring lastingbenefits.

The Court recommends that in a number of respects the Commission should make better use of its existing procedures, so as to maximise thebenefits from EU development expenditure in this area and sector.

Photographs taken in the course of the audit are available at:

Contact:

Aidas Palubinskas

Press Officer

European Court of Auditors

Desk: +352 4398 45410 Mobile: +352621 552224

Twitter: @EUAuditorsECA

The purpose of this press release is to give the main messages of the special report adopted by the European Court of Auditors. The full report is on .

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