Further improvements needed to ensure effective implementation of the excessive deficit procedure

The excessive deficit procedure (EDP) is a key element of economic governance in the EU. It is used where necessary to correct the trajectory of deficit and debt in the Member States. For this audit we examined the quality of the EDP in the difficult recent economic climate, from the data underlying decisions to initiate the procedure through to the final results. We found that effective implementation is still a work in progress, but that the Commission is committed to continuing with the necessary improvements.